The Wicked Girls

By: Alex Marwood

Narrated by: Anna Bentinck

Length: 14 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Edgar Award Winner, Best Paperback Original, 2014

On a fateful summer morning in 1986, two 11-year-old girls meet for the first time. By the end of the day, they will both be charged with murder. Twenty-five years later, journalist Kirsty Lindsay is reporting on a series of sickening attacks on young female tourists in a seaside vacation town when her investigation leads her to interview carnival cleaner Amber Gordon.

For Kirsty and Amber, it's the first time they've seen each other since that dark day so many years ago. Now with new, vastly different lives - and unknowing families to protect - will they really be able to keep their wicked secret hidden? Gripping and fast-paced, with an ending that will stay with you long after you've listened to it, The Wicked Girls will appeal to fans of the Academy Award–nominated film Heavenly Creatures and the novels of Rosamund Lupton and Chevy Stevens.

©2012 Alex Marwood (P)2013 Tantor

Interesting

I enjoyed this book. It's rather slow, oppressive, and dark which is right up my alley. It is really a character study, and the mystery lies in the characters of the two "wicked girls".

Very Moving

This story, masterfully read by Anna Bentinck, does much more than recount the murder of a toddler by two children. It explores the details of guilt, sacrifice and redemption. Can a life half-lived be fair exchange for a full and happy one? Are we really healed by our experience?

I am left with many open questions to ponder, and only the best writing gives us that gift.

A Really Good Original Suspense Novel

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. Great characterization was used as the author, Alex Marwood, let the reader get to know the 'wicked girls' as children and as adults. A very gripping and fast-paced suspense thriller.

The narrator, Anna Bentinck, was excellent too.

After reading her debut novel, I look forward to listening to her next thriller, "The Killer Next Door."

This story hooks you right from the start

I am always looking for a good author and I found that this author fills the bill. I was engrossed from the beginning to the end. Excellent read/listen in my opinion. I will definitely look for more from this author.

good

overall it was a good story, I diddnt like the back and forth, present/ future was a bit confusing and dragged on a bit, could be not my type of storyline I normally enjoy. but sad to say I did hit the next chapter button s couple of time

Worth a Listen, though SO depressing

I liked this book enough for it to be worth the extremely discounted audiobook price I paid for it. It was a sad view of humanity, likely a product of the author's experiences as a journalist. I wouldn't recommend the book to anyone really, as it was just too heavy without anything to balance that. The narrator was great. The story was not quite a thriller...I would consider it more of a psychological drama.

First part ok, 2nd half, not so much

This started off pretty good but by the second part it pretty much fell apart. All the names, situations and events just rattled on and on and on. Had a pretty hard time finishing it. To be fair, I didn’t hate it enough to return it and I did keep trying and trying to get through it so, be forewarned. It could have been so much better. I’m not saying it was bad, but, it wasn’t all that good either. I can neither recomend or not recomend, the first part was good and with depending on your expectations, you may or may not enjoy it more than I did.
Narration was good so there’s that.

It really was a well written story

It was really just sad. There seemed to be no redemption and no real meaning. Just a long sad reminder of the brutality and fragility of human nature, the cruelty of judgement and our unwillingness to accept the entirety of facts in favor of a story that makes us feel like we are the good and they are the bad. I loved the characters. It was just sad.

Too English For Me

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I did not like this book. Apparently I do not like english narrators.

Would you listen to another book narrated by Anna Bentinck?

No I would not.

Was The Wicked Girls worth the listening time?

I did not find it worth the time to listen to it at all

Great keeps you guessing Why aren't you answering

I started out sort of confused because there are A LOT of story lines coming together. This is harder to follow when listening to a book. Many different points of view and different times of life.

I knew Victor was a piece of shit right away, total creeper. The Martin portion had to grow on me. Martin seemed like a useless character until the very very end, wish he was incorporated a little more in the substance of the plot other than Jackie and his 1 random murder. Releasing a little more of the childhood story earlier would have made the book better for me. I almost lost interest because it kept me in the dark too long.

After everything comes together it's a crazy entertaining and a captivating story. These 2 girls who honestly don't know each other at all except for 1 randomly bad day and poor decision making as children are bound together intimately for life. The sacrifice both endure is astounding.