Finding a dead body is not normal. But Ava is not a normal teenager. In this chilling debut mystery, only the obsessive spirit of youth can save a sleepy town from the savagery within.
Fourteen-year-old Ava Bonney is unlike other children. She has an obsessive interest in the rate at which dead animals decompose. The motorway she lives by regularly offers up roadkill, and in the dead of night, Ava likes nothing more than to pull her latest discovery into her roadside den and record her findings.
One night, she stumbles across the body of her classmate Mickey Grant, and fearing that her secret ritual could be revealed, she makes an anonymous call to the police. When Detective Seth Delahaye is given the case, Ava won’t step back – not when teenagers in her sleepy South Birmingham town are going missing.
How hard can it be to track a killer?
Marie Tierney's debut, Deadly Animals, is a beautiful novel about a small community’s descent into devastation and desperation – and the bravery of youth in the face of darkness. Marie Tierney was a finalist in the Daily Mail First Novel competition. When she isn’t researching criminal history, she writes plays and poetry. Born and raised in Birmingham, England, Marie has dedicated almost twenty years to working in education before becoming a full-time writer. She lives in East Anglia with her husband and son.
"Exceptional in every way, Deadly Animals is a shockingly beautiful, rare and heartbreaking gem. A story both harrowing and exquisitely told. I really can’t recommend it highly enough."
–Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
"Deadly Animals is a remarkable debut. It is funny, creepy, gory, and moving. Ava is a wonderful creation, precocious and ferociously intelligent yet vulnerable to kindness and a winning smile. As she gets closer to identifying the murderer, and the plot explodes into full-blown gothic horror, it's impossible not to root for this big-hearted child."
–The Times, Best New Crime Fiction
"A riveting debut that blends crime fiction with social commentary, Tierney’s storytelling and nuanced character development offer a thought-provoking exploration of darkness, resilience and the human capacity for both good and evil... Masterfully explores the concept of 'monsters' that exist in human form."
–The Straits Times, five star review
"A crime novel I wish I had written"
–Lynda La Plante, creator of Prime Suspect and author of Widows
"Marie's writing is beautiful."
–Belinda Bauer, author of Blacklands
"Crackling with energy ... Utterly mesmerizing ... This writer has huge talent."
–Peter James, international bestselling author and Daily Mail First Novel competition judge
"With writing as sharp as a canine's claw and an unforgettable protagonist, this is a dark glittering gem of a book."
–Lisa Gray, bestselling author of Thin Air
"Gloriously dark, deadly and deathly ... Gobbled it up – and it was absolutely delicious."
–C. J. Skuse, author of Rockoholic
"An incredible debut – original, epically dark and with such a strong voice. Damn near perfect."
–Susi Holliday, author of The Hike
"A masterpiece. Bold, daring, beautifully written and utterly chilling."
–William Hussey, author of Killing Jericho
"Feisty Ava and her sidekick John are just the heroes we need ... Original, and as fascinating as it is macabre, Tierney is a name to watch."
–Sam Holland, author of The Echo Man
