The First Girl Audiobook By Claire McGowan cover art

The First Girl

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The First Girl

By: Claire McGowan
Narrated by: Esther Wane
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"Delivers with both style and substance. . . Claire McGowan is one of my favourite authors and this is a truly first-class read."—Louise Candlish

She believed her serial-killer ex was innocent, but now history is repeating itself. What does she really remember?

Writer Karen Walker knows more than most about murderers. Her first love went on to become The Bagman, a notorious serial killer now locked away for life in a maximum-security prison.

Karen has spent her life running from the weight of having loved him, defended him and, ultimately, leading the police to his door. But now, ten years later, just as she’s about to publish her account of his crimes, a young woman is abducted in horribly familiar circumstances.

It can’t be The Bagman…can it? He’s safely behind bars, thanks to her. But she has to know for sure.

Returning to the hometown she thought she’d left for good, Karen is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the man she’s never escaped. If there’s any chance of saving the kidnapped girl, she’ll have to face up to what really happened back then, once and for all…

©2025 by Claire McGowan. (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved. Crime Thrillers Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense

Critic reviews

“The only thing scarier than your boyfriend being a convicted serial killer is the news that he might not be…The First Girl has a brilliant premise that delivers with both style and substance. Claire McGowan is one of my favourite authors and this is a truly first-class read.”—Louise Candlish
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It had some predictable story points, but was a good enough story. Narrator was ok. I don’t love when they read with anxious, shaky voices the whole book just because it’s a murder mystery/thriller, so that got a bit old.

Not a bad story.

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It was a predictable ending to a main character’s story that was self-cantered and didn’t really evolve.

Just ok

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I couldn’t tell you if it was the readers voice or the plot itself but every time I turned on this book it bored me to death and my mind just went elsewhere. I’ve listened to Claire MacGowan before and liked her- disappointed in this one

Dragged on and on

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I usually enjoy Claire's stories but this was a no for me. I did end up finishing it but skipped a few chapters in the middle. Their is no feeling sorry for a person who is apathetic or a sociopath that turns to murder.

This story wasn't for me but many other of her stories are very good.

Not the writers best story...

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