Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
William Morrow (2016), Edition: Reprint, 592 pages
Description
"More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia's teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss--a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed. The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it" --… (more)
Media reviews
*****
“My girl, what happened to you now…”
There are tons of cliches that reviewers fall back upon to describe how much effect a book had upon them. It kept me up, all night, I couldn’t put it down, etc. Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter brought a new one to life for me. The entire time I
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was reading this astounding novel I was so jittery and on the edge of my seat that I felt like I had just downed a triple-shot of Starbuck’s strongest.
I have read a few of Ms. Slaughter’s other novels, and she is easily one of the most daring and fearless suspense novelists working today. She takes chances, and has the skill and daring to make them work, and all of her talents are brought to to bear again here, and then some. Pretty Girls knocked me out.
When teenaged Julia Scott disappears, it destroys her family. Her father Sam becomes so obsessed with her fate that it destroys his marriage with his wife, Helen. Older daughter Lydia becomes a drug-abusing party girl, and younger sister Claire subsumes her ambitions and marries Paul, a mild-mannered and orderly architect who becomes a multimillionaire.
We watch Lydia right her life; becoming a middle-class single mother with her own business, she works endlessly with her boyfriend Rick to provide a good life for her daughter, Dee. Adding to her everyday worries is the news that a girl from Dee’s school has gone missing. Claire meanwhile, has become a tennis-playing trophy-wife with a dark underside that is revealed when she assaults another trophy wife with a tennis racket.
Then Paul is murdered during a robbery in front of Claire. Lost in grief she is further shocked to find that her home has been burgled during his funeral. Searching for insurance documents on her husband's computer she comes across some hidden videos that shatters her image of her husband. Not having spoken to her sister for years, she still decides that she needs Lydia’s help.
Understand that this is less than a fifth of the way into the story, and that so many twists and turns and revelations follow that I have opted out rather than try to describe them without spoiling the beautiful house-of-cards plot constructed my Ms. Slaughter. I wasn’t blowing smoke when I called Ms. Slaughter fearless, either; this is a visceral novel that doesn't dissemble or shy away from brutality and violence, both physical and emotional. Yet even as it stares into the abyss I found this to be a work full of strength and hope, both embodied in the touching and psychologically nuanced relationship between the sisters, Lydia and Claire.
Both are fully-realized characters, and they grow and evolve and deepen as Ms. Slaughter steers them into ever deeper and darker situations that test their resolve. Just about every character in the book feels real and true, and Ms. Slaughter’s prose never fails to captivate. Her first-person narration of Sam’s story, the father, is particularly vivid, and just about broke my heart.
If all of this wasn’t enough, Ms. Slaughter shows a very deft hand in action scenes, bringing the physical violence to life without shying from the pain and blood. I may not have mentioned it yet, but her prose is smooth and assured and the setting is vivid and feels true-to life.
As the end this novel comes to terms, with grace and skill, with the fact that life is very seldom about winning and losing, but more often about surviving. That is more than enough.
Review by: Mark Palm
Full Reviews Available at: http://www.thebookendfamily.weebly.com
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User reviews
LibraryThing member jfe16
After close to two decades of estrangement, sisters Claire Scott and Lydia Delgado are brought together following the brutal murder of Claire’s husband, Paul. Their family had been shaken to the core years earlier when the oldest sister, Julia, disappeared from her college dorm. Worry and
When Claire makes an unsettling discovery about her husband, she ultimately calls into question everything she ever thought she knew about her sisters, her father’s suicide, her husband, and herself. As she digs deeper into Paul’s life, she discovers that nothing is as she believed it to be, and nothing will ever be the same again.
As characters, both sisters are flawed. Claire is particularly unlikable; she has abdicated from any hint of responsibility and simply allowed her husband to take charge of things. Despite her own infidelity, she embraces a holier-than-thou attitude which, when coupled with constant reminders of her beauty, does little to endear her to readers. Younger sister, Lydia, has, through hard work and grit, redeemed her life from its earlier dependence on drugs, but she is filled with resentment and anger. The third narrator, the girls’ father, Sam, died several years earlier, apparently a suicide, and speaks only through letters he had written to his oldest daughter after she disappeared.
The story is at its best when it is focused on the family, on the reactions and the coping mechanisms each member embraces following the disappearance of the oldest daughter. The writing is first-rate; rich detail and depth abound. The tension builds, the story unfolds in ever-increasing urgency and angst. The father’s letters to his missing daughter bring to the narrative a poignancy that borders on heartrending.
And yet, there is an overabundance of escalating graphic depravity spilling across page after page. Focused on all manner of evil perpetrated against women, it is difficult to read, sickening to the spirit, and detestable to the soul.
Yes, suspense thrillers are often about unspeakable acts and the malevolence of those who commit them. But the books that resound with readers tend to balance the “good” and the “evil” in such a way that, in the end, the reader finds that justice has been served and that satisfaction in some way mitigates the violence.
By blurring those lines, “Pretty Girls” tumbles into a disturbing, dark degeneracy. When Sam tells Claudia, “There are some things you can’t unsee,” he might well be warning readers that there are also some things you can’t unread. And, with its surfeit of harrowing horror, many readers are likely to wish they could unread this one.
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unanswered questions hang over the family like a dark rain cloud and each has been touched by the fallout. When Claire makes an unsettling discovery about her husband, she ultimately calls into question everything she ever thought she knew about her sisters, her father’s suicide, her husband, and herself. As she digs deeper into Paul’s life, she discovers that nothing is as she believed it to be, and nothing will ever be the same again.
As characters, both sisters are flawed. Claire is particularly unlikable; she has abdicated from any hint of responsibility and simply allowed her husband to take charge of things. Despite her own infidelity, she embraces a holier-than-thou attitude which, when coupled with constant reminders of her beauty, does little to endear her to readers. Younger sister, Lydia, has, through hard work and grit, redeemed her life from its earlier dependence on drugs, but she is filled with resentment and anger. The third narrator, the girls’ father, Sam, died several years earlier, apparently a suicide, and speaks only through letters he had written to his oldest daughter after she disappeared.
The story is at its best when it is focused on the family, on the reactions and the coping mechanisms each member embraces following the disappearance of the oldest daughter. The writing is first-rate; rich detail and depth abound. The tension builds, the story unfolds in ever-increasing urgency and angst. The father’s letters to his missing daughter bring to the narrative a poignancy that borders on heartrending.
And yet, there is an overabundance of escalating graphic depravity spilling across page after page. Focused on all manner of evil perpetrated against women, it is difficult to read, sickening to the spirit, and detestable to the soul.
Yes, suspense thrillers are often about unspeakable acts and the malevolence of those who commit them. But the books that resound with readers tend to balance the “good” and the “evil” in such a way that, in the end, the reader finds that justice has been served and that satisfaction in some way mitigates the violence.
By blurring those lines, “Pretty Girls” tumbles into a disturbing, dark degeneracy. When Sam tells Claudia, “There are some things you can’t unsee,” he might well be warning readers that there are also some things you can’t unread. And, with its surfeit of harrowing horror, many readers are likely to wish they could unread this one.
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LibraryThing member purple_pisces22
This is my first book my Karin Slaughter. Are all her books this long? Felt like it went on forever in certain parts. Don't get me wrong, I love long books. I just feel that sometimes this one went on in places it didn't need to. I did enjoy the story and I look forward to reading another one of
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her books. Show Less
LibraryThing member shelleyraec
Best known for her Grant County and Will Trent crime fiction series, Pretty Girls is Karin Slaughter’s second stand alone novel.
After nineteen year old Julia disappeared without a trace, the Carroll family fell apart in a spectacular fashion. Twenty four years later, sisters Lydia and Claire are
Pretty Girls is primarily a psychological thriller but includes plenty of action and graphic violence. The fast moving plot twists and turns as Lydia and Claire are caught up in a nightmarish conspiracy and become the targets of a psychopath. Their shared narrative is full of tension as they renegotiate their relationship and heal old wounds, while working together to uncover the truth about Paul, and their missing sister’s fate.
A third perspective weaves its way through the novel. Sam is the girls’ father who was obsessed with searching for Julia until he committed suicide on the sixth anniversary of her disappearance. His narrative underscores the emotional agony experienced by the shattered families of the missing who find it difficult to move on without closure.
I’m really not sure why I didn’t find Pretty Girls as compelling as many readers seem to do. It is a dark, gritty and often page turning thriller, well written with plenty to recommend it, but it didn’t grip me as fully as I hoped.
After nineteen year old Julia disappeared without a trace, the Carroll family fell apart in a spectacular fashion. Twenty four years later, sisters Lydia and Claire are
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little more than strangers, until they are reunited at the graveside of Claire’s murdered husband, Paul. When Claire discovers some obscene videos that depict the torture, rape and murder of teenage girls on her husband’s computer she is horrified. Though a local detective assures Claire the movies are fake, one of the victims looks eerily like a girl recently reported missing and Claire finds she can’t ignore her instincts, and reaches out to the only person she feels she can trust, her sister, for help.Pretty Girls is primarily a psychological thriller but includes plenty of action and graphic violence. The fast moving plot twists and turns as Lydia and Claire are caught up in a nightmarish conspiracy and become the targets of a psychopath. Their shared narrative is full of tension as they renegotiate their relationship and heal old wounds, while working together to uncover the truth about Paul, and their missing sister’s fate.
A third perspective weaves its way through the novel. Sam is the girls’ father who was obsessed with searching for Julia until he committed suicide on the sixth anniversary of her disappearance. His narrative underscores the emotional agony experienced by the shattered families of the missing who find it difficult to move on without closure.
I’m really not sure why I didn’t find Pretty Girls as compelling as many readers seem to do. It is a dark, gritty and often page turning thriller, well written with plenty to recommend it, but it didn’t grip me as fully as I hoped.
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LibraryThing member ajarn7086
Many novels appear with the label “psychological thriller” but the promised content falls flat. Not so with this novel, this one engages the readers mind, twists it, and stirs not so gently. This is full of horror and violence, but not a lot of unnecessary explicit sexual violence. Think of
Claire and Paul are in love. Claire feels comfortable, safe, protected, and lucky to be married to Paul. He did have a tendency to over organize everything. If Paul carried a pistol, it would be a label maker. Their house was spotless, everything in its place and even labeled. The obvious coffee maker was labeled “coffee maker.” There was a jarring feeling of sterility with the predominantly white everything, but Paul was the person who kept things in order, Claire just enjoyed it. Until he died in a robbery gone wrong. And that is in chapter one.
As Claire grieves the reader finds out that she has a lot more to grieve about than a murdered husband. Julia, Claire’s sister had disappeared several years previously. Police would not investigate, convinced that Julia was a runaway. Julia’s body was never found. Sam, father to Claire, Julia, and Lydia, harassed the police for several years while writing a series of letters to Julia detailing his efforts to discover her fate. Sam and wife Helen, mother of the three daughters, divorce over Sam’s inability to move on and accept the loss of Julia, whether that loss had ended in death or desertion.
Lydia and Claire went on with their lives in the absence of Julia. Lydia chose a surrealistic lifestyle provided by drugs and predictable free sex. Claire had Paul. Early in the novel we don’t know a lot about Helen’s or Sam’s reactions to Claire’s Paul. He seems to be a person who liked to please people. Father Sam feels uncomfortable with him, but does not have solid evidence for why he feels the discomfort. Lydia does not like Paul, understandable in that he tried to rape her. No one believed Lydia’s rape story as by the time of the recounting Lydia was already deep into a lifestyle supported by money she got by stealing from her parents, getting into trouble with the police, and lying constantly.
Lydia completely broke from all members of her family, even grandma Ginny, when her story about Paul’s rape attempt was not accepted. Although geographically close, there were no phone calls, visits, or communication for almost twenty years until a chance meeting at Paul’s gravesite where Claire came across Lydia urinating on her husband’s grave. After a tense meeting where the two sisters agreed to continue disagreeing, Lydia went home to boyfriend Rick and daughter Dee. Claire went home to an empty house full of Paul’s stuff. And the newly discovered snuff film tapes.
After a bit of time for shock to wear off, Claire takes the tapes to the police. Investigators say they have seen these kinds of things before and point out to her points proving that the films were fakes. Claire has already determined that the killer depicted in the films is not Paul, but she wants to know why Paul had the tapes. She is not completely sure the films are fake and she is puzzled why the police are not more excited.
The story moves on with the aid of flashbacks and recollections by Sam (now dead, but he left notebooks), Helen (descriptions of coping mechanisms after Julia’s disappearance), and childhood recollections of Lydia and Claire (about life with Julia and life after Julia). The reader will also wonder why the police are passive. What is Agent Nolan from the FBI doing? Why would multi-millionaire Paul embezzle only three million dollars from his company? And how does Paul come back from the dead?
This is fast paced. I found it impossible to put down, read it into late one evening, and took a vacation day the following work day. Which I guess makes the novel NSFW. I will read more from this author.
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what “snuff films” implies and you get an idea of what kind of gruesomeness you will find in this work. But all of this is the acting out of a psychopath. To find out the why of the actions, refer to the author’s phrasing of how the story unfolds, “it’s like skinning the layers of an onion.”Claire and Paul are in love. Claire feels comfortable, safe, protected, and lucky to be married to Paul. He did have a tendency to over organize everything. If Paul carried a pistol, it would be a label maker. Their house was spotless, everything in its place and even labeled. The obvious coffee maker was labeled “coffee maker.” There was a jarring feeling of sterility with the predominantly white everything, but Paul was the person who kept things in order, Claire just enjoyed it. Until he died in a robbery gone wrong. And that is in chapter one.
As Claire grieves the reader finds out that she has a lot more to grieve about than a murdered husband. Julia, Claire’s sister had disappeared several years previously. Police would not investigate, convinced that Julia was a runaway. Julia’s body was never found. Sam, father to Claire, Julia, and Lydia, harassed the police for several years while writing a series of letters to Julia detailing his efforts to discover her fate. Sam and wife Helen, mother of the three daughters, divorce over Sam’s inability to move on and accept the loss of Julia, whether that loss had ended in death or desertion.
Lydia and Claire went on with their lives in the absence of Julia. Lydia chose a surrealistic lifestyle provided by drugs and predictable free sex. Claire had Paul. Early in the novel we don’t know a lot about Helen’s or Sam’s reactions to Claire’s Paul. He seems to be a person who liked to please people. Father Sam feels uncomfortable with him, but does not have solid evidence for why he feels the discomfort. Lydia does not like Paul, understandable in that he tried to rape her. No one believed Lydia’s rape story as by the time of the recounting Lydia was already deep into a lifestyle supported by money she got by stealing from her parents, getting into trouble with the police, and lying constantly.
Lydia completely broke from all members of her family, even grandma Ginny, when her story about Paul’s rape attempt was not accepted. Although geographically close, there were no phone calls, visits, or communication for almost twenty years until a chance meeting at Paul’s gravesite where Claire came across Lydia urinating on her husband’s grave. After a tense meeting where the two sisters agreed to continue disagreeing, Lydia went home to boyfriend Rick and daughter Dee. Claire went home to an empty house full of Paul’s stuff. And the newly discovered snuff film tapes.
After a bit of time for shock to wear off, Claire takes the tapes to the police. Investigators say they have seen these kinds of things before and point out to her points proving that the films were fakes. Claire has already determined that the killer depicted in the films is not Paul, but she wants to know why Paul had the tapes. She is not completely sure the films are fake and she is puzzled why the police are not more excited.
The story moves on with the aid of flashbacks and recollections by Sam (now dead, but he left notebooks), Helen (descriptions of coping mechanisms after Julia’s disappearance), and childhood recollections of Lydia and Claire (about life with Julia and life after Julia). The reader will also wonder why the police are passive. What is Agent Nolan from the FBI doing? Why would multi-millionaire Paul embezzle only three million dollars from his company? And how does Paul come back from the dead?
This is fast paced. I found it impossible to put down, read it into late one evening, and took a vacation day the following work day. Which I guess makes the novel NSFW. I will read more from this author.
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LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
Claire Scott is the perfect wife and is married to the perfect husband. At least she thought she was married to the perfect husband until he was murdered and she finds he was keeping plenty of secrets from her. Lydia Delgado is far from perfect, but she has turned her life around and continues to
Claire Scott and Lydia Delgado are sisters that have already lived through one tragedy. Their oldest sister, Julia, disappeared twenty-four years ago and that disappearance ripped their family apart. Lydia was already on her way to becoming a wild child, experimenting with drugs before succumbing to addiction. Claire was the quiet, perfect child that grew into the quiet, unassuming, perfect adult. Claire's life is torn apart when her husband is killed at the hands of a mugger. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse, she arrives back at her home after her husband's funeral to find out there was a burglary attempt. While trying to find documentation on the valuables in the home, she uncovers some truly nasty porn on her husband's computer. Shocked and shamed, she does the only thing she can think of and turns it over to the police. But the local police chief tells her it is only a "snuff" film and not a very good one at that. Claire doesn't quite believe him and turns to her sister Lydia for assistance. What they discover leads them to believe these "films" are linked to current and possibly past abductions/disappearances. Why is the FBI involved in a local murder case? What exactly was Paul Scott involved in before he was murdered? Can Claire and Lydia find out the truth before it is too late?
I found Pretty Girls to be a fast-paced and engrossing read. The story is just as much about the abduction/disappearance of Julia and how a family survives without closure, as it is the present murder of Claire's husband and the current abduction/disappearances. Ms. Slaughter has crafted a hauntingly beautiful story about family, secrets, betrayal, and survival. The characters are realistic and well-developed. The storylines (and there are stories within stories within stories presented) are wholly believable. There are good guys, not-so-good guys, and really bad guys, and times when it is difficult to determine who the really bad guys are from the not-so-good guys (much like life). Claire is presented as "perfect," but she is just as flawed as Lydia. I liked that they were able to overcome their past and come together as sisters in the present. Obviously, there's a lot more going on in this story, and no I'm not going to reveal everything (buy the book!). Just in case you can't tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Pretty Girls and can highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading suspense-thrillers. If you've never read anything by Ms. Slaughter, Pretty Girls is an excellent place to start.
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struggle to do the best for herself and her daughter. These two sisters come together to search for the truth in Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter.Claire Scott and Lydia Delgado are sisters that have already lived through one tragedy. Their oldest sister, Julia, disappeared twenty-four years ago and that disappearance ripped their family apart. Lydia was already on her way to becoming a wild child, experimenting with drugs before succumbing to addiction. Claire was the quiet, perfect child that grew into the quiet, unassuming, perfect adult. Claire's life is torn apart when her husband is killed at the hands of a mugger. Just when she thinks things can't get any worse, she arrives back at her home after her husband's funeral to find out there was a burglary attempt. While trying to find documentation on the valuables in the home, she uncovers some truly nasty porn on her husband's computer. Shocked and shamed, she does the only thing she can think of and turns it over to the police. But the local police chief tells her it is only a "snuff" film and not a very good one at that. Claire doesn't quite believe him and turns to her sister Lydia for assistance. What they discover leads them to believe these "films" are linked to current and possibly past abductions/disappearances. Why is the FBI involved in a local murder case? What exactly was Paul Scott involved in before he was murdered? Can Claire and Lydia find out the truth before it is too late?
I found Pretty Girls to be a fast-paced and engrossing read. The story is just as much about the abduction/disappearance of Julia and how a family survives without closure, as it is the present murder of Claire's husband and the current abduction/disappearances. Ms. Slaughter has crafted a hauntingly beautiful story about family, secrets, betrayal, and survival. The characters are realistic and well-developed. The storylines (and there are stories within stories within stories presented) are wholly believable. There are good guys, not-so-good guys, and really bad guys, and times when it is difficult to determine who the really bad guys are from the not-so-good guys (much like life). Claire is presented as "perfect," but she is just as flawed as Lydia. I liked that they were able to overcome their past and come together as sisters in the present. Obviously, there's a lot more going on in this story, and no I'm not going to reveal everything (buy the book!). Just in case you can't tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Pretty Girls and can highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading suspense-thrillers. If you've never read anything by Ms. Slaughter, Pretty Girls is an excellent place to start.
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LibraryThing member dearheart
This author is known for her gritty mysteries told from the perspective of law enforcement or the coroner. In each book we see through these folks’ eyes the horror of what a human can do. This story is quite different in that it’s told from the point of view of a victim and their family
The story actually starts out in the novella-length prequel, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. It follows a university student, Julia, who also writes for the school paper and wants to do a story about girls that have gone missing. Through her we also learn about her family before her disappearance. It’s not necessary to read this book first, although it’s the only way to really get to know Julia. This book picks up twenty-four years later with the story told from Julia’s sisters with today’s actions, along with letters their father had written to Julia over the years about what was going on and how he was still looking for her, scattered throughout.
But it’s so much more than a grieving family that was torn apart. The youngest, Claire, is married to a really rich guy and on the night we meet her, her husband dies in her arms after being stabbed during a robbery. Things quickly don’t start adding up and eye-opening revelations are uncovered. It’s obvious that some in law enforcement can’t be trusted so who do you turn to with the horror you uncover?
This book isn’t going to be popular with everyone. There are some really horrific scenes described. I had trouble as I wanted/needed to get away from the story while being drawn in as I had to know what happens. I purposely had to set it aside to get some space from it and couldn’t wait to finish the book.
Well written? Absolutely. The characters are well fleshed out with details that might not seem important that often figure in later in the story. Like any good mystery there are enough twists and revelations to keep things interesting. And you will end up liking the entire family even though you probably won’t care for any of them at first.
Would I read the book again later? No. The author did a great job on the horror aspect of it and it took a lot of my energy to get through the story.
Read as a ARC via Edelweiss.
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members; how a horrific event can drastically change all of their lives. The story is more along the lines of psychological thriller.The story actually starts out in the novella-length prequel, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. It follows a university student, Julia, who also writes for the school paper and wants to do a story about girls that have gone missing. Through her we also learn about her family before her disappearance. It’s not necessary to read this book first, although it’s the only way to really get to know Julia. This book picks up twenty-four years later with the story told from Julia’s sisters with today’s actions, along with letters their father had written to Julia over the years about what was going on and how he was still looking for her, scattered throughout.
But it’s so much more than a grieving family that was torn apart. The youngest, Claire, is married to a really rich guy and on the night we meet her, her husband dies in her arms after being stabbed during a robbery. Things quickly don’t start adding up and eye-opening revelations are uncovered. It’s obvious that some in law enforcement can’t be trusted so who do you turn to with the horror you uncover?
This book isn’t going to be popular with everyone. There are some really horrific scenes described. I had trouble as I wanted/needed to get away from the story while being drawn in as I had to know what happens. I purposely had to set it aside to get some space from it and couldn’t wait to finish the book.
Well written? Absolutely. The characters are well fleshed out with details that might not seem important that often figure in later in the story. Like any good mystery there are enough twists and revelations to keep things interesting. And you will end up liking the entire family even though you probably won’t care for any of them at first.
Would I read the book again later? No. The author did a great job on the horror aspect of it and it took a lot of my energy to get through the story.
Read as a ARC via Edelweiss.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dearheart
This author is known for her gritty mysteries told from the perspective of law enforcement or the coroner. In each book we see through these folks’ eyes the horror of what a human can do. This story is quite different in that it’s told from the point of view of a victim and their family
The story actually starts out in the novella-length prequel, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. It follows a university student, Julia, who also writes for the school paper and wants to do a story about girls that have gone missing. Through her we also learn about her family before her disappearance. It’s not necessary to read this book first, although it’s the only way to really get to know Julia. This book picks up twenty-four years later with the story told from Julia’s sisters with today’s actions, along with letters their father had written to Julia over the years about what was going on and how he was still looking for her, scattered throughout.
But it’s so much more than a grieving family that was torn apart. The youngest, Claire, is married to a really rich guy and on the night we meet her, her husband dies in her arms after being stabbed during a robbery. Things quickly don’t start adding up and eye-opening revelations are uncovered. It’s obvious that some in law enforcement can’t be trusted so who do you turn to with the horror you uncover?
This book isn’t going to be popular with everyone. There are some really horrific scenes described. I had trouble as I wanted/needed to get away from the story while being drawn in as I had to know what happens. I purposely had to set it aside to get some space from it and couldn’t wait to finish the book.
Well written? Absolutely. The characters are well fleshed out with details that might not seem important that often figure in later in the story. Like any good mystery there are enough twists and revelations to keep things interesting. And you will end up liking the entire family even though you probably won’t care for any of them at first.
Would I read the book again later? No. The author did a great job on the horror aspect of it and it took a lot of my energy to get through the story.
Read as a ARC via Edelweiss.
Show More
members; how a horrific event can drastically change all of their lives. The story is more along the lines of psychological thriller.The story actually starts out in the novella-length prequel, Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. It follows a university student, Julia, who also writes for the school paper and wants to do a story about girls that have gone missing. Through her we also learn about her family before her disappearance. It’s not necessary to read this book first, although it’s the only way to really get to know Julia. This book picks up twenty-four years later with the story told from Julia’s sisters with today’s actions, along with letters their father had written to Julia over the years about what was going on and how he was still looking for her, scattered throughout.
But it’s so much more than a grieving family that was torn apart. The youngest, Claire, is married to a really rich guy and on the night we meet her, her husband dies in her arms after being stabbed during a robbery. Things quickly don’t start adding up and eye-opening revelations are uncovered. It’s obvious that some in law enforcement can’t be trusted so who do you turn to with the horror you uncover?
This book isn’t going to be popular with everyone. There are some really horrific scenes described. I had trouble as I wanted/needed to get away from the story while being drawn in as I had to know what happens. I purposely had to set it aside to get some space from it and couldn’t wait to finish the book.
Well written? Absolutely. The characters are well fleshed out with details that might not seem important that often figure in later in the story. Like any good mystery there are enough twists and revelations to keep things interesting. And you will end up liking the entire family even though you probably won’t care for any of them at first.
Would I read the book again later? No. The author did a great job on the horror aspect of it and it took a lot of my energy to get through the story.
Read as a ARC via Edelweiss.
Show Less
LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Read for Review (Harper Collins)
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.00
First Thought when Finished: Blond Hair, Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter was a brilliant introduction to a new series!
Quick Thoughts for a Short Book: This was a fantastic way to introduce a new series and also
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
Overall Rating: 4.00
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.00
First Thought when Finished: Blond Hair, Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter was a brilliant introduction to a new series!
Quick Thoughts for a Short Book: This was a fantastic way to introduce a new series and also
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sets a timeline. I really enjoyed getting a glimpse not only into the MO of the big bad (can't really say Serial Killer because I'm still not sure which is also pretty brilliant) but also a glimpse into the beginnings of the case. You know that moment before the police know things are connected? When it is just reporters, hunches, and those on the streets. Really that moment before a case becomes a case. Those moments you hardly ever see in thrillers. This intrigued me and I can't wait to see how it plays out in Pretty Girls!Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
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LibraryThing member JudithDCollins
Depending on what part of the country you rest your head, (sooner or later) get prepared with a tantalizing prequel BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES by the southern queen of international crime fiction, Karin Slaughter! Get a glimpse of the upcoming ride of your life, setting the stage for her latest new
Being a huge Karin Slaughter fan, (also a Georgia gal), I anxiously await every book she cranks out. Trust me when I say PRETTY GIRLS, is definitely one you will not want to miss – making my Top Book List for 2015.
I happened to be fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook, PRETTY GIRLS, prior to learning there was a prequel; could not hit purchase audiobook, fast enough, when learning of BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES.
Now, if you want a match made in heaven, buy the audiobook, ; Kathleen Early, narrator, and Karin Slaughter are in perfect sync – "what a delivery"!
In PRETTY GIRLS, we learn of three sisters, one of them missing and two of them estranged — and the special bonds that unite them. The Carrolls, an ordinary Southern Georgia family, has suffered grief, loss, and tragedy. Twenty-four years ago, a traumatic disappearance of a daughter, a sister; Julia----an experience ultimately changing the course of each member of the family. Her body has never been found.
In BLONDE HAIR BLUE EYES, (love short stories) –a great introduction and backstory of Julia. Readers learn of events of Julia Carroll, a nineteen-year-old attractive blonde hair, blue eyes student of journalism attending the University of Georgia, in Athens.
She is obsessed with a report of a fellow college student, (similar in age, hair color, eyes, and looks). She has been missing for five weeks. Beatrice Oliver, is missing and a homeless woman-both taken off the street; gone without a trace. Julia, a features' writer for the college campus newspaper, wants to write a story about the abduction and delve further into the events leading up the tragedy.
As always, the suspense, drama, and the intensity is high, keeping you hanging for more about these beautiful girls, and what psycho has in store. Read both – Well done! 5 Stars for both.
BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES . . .
Gentlemen really do prefer blondes . . According to new research, the average American male would describe their 'perfect woman' as having blonde hair, blue eyes and - perhaps surprisingly - a graduate degree, per a recent survey by WhatsYourPrice.com.
The BHBE trait, could be a misfortune; high on stalker/serial-killer radar!
Sounds as though we will get a new Will Trent series, coming soon, “The Kept Woman”. Cannot wait!
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standalone, PRETTY GIRLS. Slaughter is on fire!Being a huge Karin Slaughter fan, (also a Georgia gal), I anxiously await every book she cranks out. Trust me when I say PRETTY GIRLS, is definitely one you will not want to miss – making my Top Book List for 2015.
I happened to be fortunate enough to listen to the audiobook, PRETTY GIRLS, prior to learning there was a prequel; could not hit purchase audiobook, fast enough, when learning of BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES.
Now, if you want a match made in heaven, buy the audiobook, ; Kathleen Early, narrator, and Karin Slaughter are in perfect sync – "what a delivery"!
In PRETTY GIRLS, we learn of three sisters, one of them missing and two of them estranged — and the special bonds that unite them. The Carrolls, an ordinary Southern Georgia family, has suffered grief, loss, and tragedy. Twenty-four years ago, a traumatic disappearance of a daughter, a sister; Julia----an experience ultimately changing the course of each member of the family. Her body has never been found.
In BLONDE HAIR BLUE EYES, (love short stories) –a great introduction and backstory of Julia. Readers learn of events of Julia Carroll, a nineteen-year-old attractive blonde hair, blue eyes student of journalism attending the University of Georgia, in Athens.
She is obsessed with a report of a fellow college student, (similar in age, hair color, eyes, and looks). She has been missing for five weeks. Beatrice Oliver, is missing and a homeless woman-both taken off the street; gone without a trace. Julia, a features' writer for the college campus newspaper, wants to write a story about the abduction and delve further into the events leading up the tragedy.
As always, the suspense, drama, and the intensity is high, keeping you hanging for more about these beautiful girls, and what psycho has in store. Read both – Well done! 5 Stars for both.
BLONDE HAIR, BLUE EYES . . .
Gentlemen really do prefer blondes . . According to new research, the average American male would describe their 'perfect woman' as having blonde hair, blue eyes and - perhaps surprisingly - a graduate degree, per a recent survey by WhatsYourPrice.com.
The BHBE trait, could be a misfortune; high on stalker/serial-killer radar!
Sounds as though we will get a new Will Trent series, coming soon, “The Kept Woman”. Cannot wait!
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LibraryThing member Darcia
Torturous, agonizing... and so damn good!
For me, plots are important but characters are vital. So let's start there: Characters. The two narrators are estranged sisters who come back together in the worst imaginable circumstances. These are ordinary women but they are not ordinary characters. They
Now let's talk about the plot. I have a simple word for that: Riveting. We start out with a slow boil, and the tension builds, the pace increases, all leading us to an intense, shattering conclusion. The last quarter of the book almost killed me. I kept putting it down because I couldn't take it, then I'd pick it back up because I couldn't wait. I saw it playing out, felt it under my skin.
This is not a book for squeamish readers. The details left me needing sunlight and dog hugs. The author brings us right to the brink with the characters. The experience is both shattering and profound.
If you haven't read anything by Karin Slaughter, read this one. Then read everything else she's written.
For me, plots are important but characters are vital. So let's start there: Characters. The two narrators are estranged sisters who come back together in the worst imaginable circumstances. These are ordinary women but they are not ordinary characters. They
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are damaged and strong and funny and flawed. They are not created simply to move the story forward. Their personalities bring multiple dimensions to the story, showing us the family dynamics and all that went into who they became. Now let's talk about the plot. I have a simple word for that: Riveting. We start out with a slow boil, and the tension builds, the pace increases, all leading us to an intense, shattering conclusion. The last quarter of the book almost killed me. I kept putting it down because I couldn't take it, then I'd pick it back up because I couldn't wait. I saw it playing out, felt it under my skin.
This is not a book for squeamish readers. The details left me needing sunlight and dog hugs. The author brings us right to the brink with the characters. The experience is both shattering and profound.
If you haven't read anything by Karin Slaughter, read this one. Then read everything else she's written.
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LibraryThing member chettsgenie
'Pretty Girls' is a gripping thriller that centres around missing girls. As a young girl goes missing, the sisters of a girl who disappeared many years before begin to unravel a chilling mystery.
I was very quickly pulled into this story and could not put it down until I read the whole thing from
Overall this is another excellent, edge-of-seat read from an author who knows how to build up nerve-shredding tension levels and create complex plots and characters. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of thrillers.
Note: I received an advanced copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in return for my honest review.
I was very quickly pulled into this story and could not put it down until I read the whole thing from
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start to finish. The characters were complex and the way the story unravelled was intense and satisfying. I started out not liking one of the two main characters very much, but my sympathy for her grew as the reasons for her behaviour became more obvious. Some parts of the story really took me by surprise, and I was pretty much on the edge of my seat the whole way through!Overall this is another excellent, edge-of-seat read from an author who knows how to build up nerve-shredding tension levels and create complex plots and characters. I would highly recommend this novel to fans of thrillers.
Note: I received an advanced copy of this novel from Netgalley and the publisher in return for my honest review.
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LibraryThing member Twink
I am eagerly awaiting the release of Karin Slaughter's next book, Pretty Girls. (Sept 29/15) Okay, hopping up and down. And then I discovered this new short story from Slaughter - Blond Hair, Blue Eyes - a quick fix for the short term. And even better - it's the prequel to Pretty Girls!!
Athens, Georgia 1991. University of Georgia. Although Julia's family lives in town, she has chosen to live on campus - and "reinvent herself, be the person she had always wanted to be: strong, confident, happy, content..." But she's a bit worried too - five weeks ago another young, beautiful girl went missing. And now Julia is obsessed with her disappearance. She pitches it as a story to her journalism prof and her research only serves to ramp up her interest - and her anxiety...." All those pretty girls. All missing. Or taken. Or being kept. Or maybe their bodies just hadn't been found."
Slaughter is a master of building suspense. I found myself tensing up in my chair, not wanting to keep reading, afraid of what was going to happen. But, of course I kept going. As a reader, we're totally caught up in Julia's fears, warning her "no, don't do that...." But as with all good suspense stories (and scary movies) our protagonist goes ahead and does it anyway......And I'll leave you with that - watch for my review of Pretty Girls!
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(Squee!)Athens, Georgia 1991. University of Georgia. Although Julia's family lives in town, she has chosen to live on campus - and "reinvent herself, be the person she had always wanted to be: strong, confident, happy, content..." But she's a bit worried too - five weeks ago another young, beautiful girl went missing. And now Julia is obsessed with her disappearance. She pitches it as a story to her journalism prof and her research only serves to ramp up her interest - and her anxiety...." All those pretty girls. All missing. Or taken. Or being kept. Or maybe their bodies just hadn't been found."
Slaughter is a master of building suspense. I found myself tensing up in my chair, not wanting to keep reading, afraid of what was going to happen. But, of course I kept going. As a reader, we're totally caught up in Julia's fears, warning her "no, don't do that...." But as with all good suspense stories (and scary movies) our protagonist goes ahead and does it anyway......And I'll leave you with that - watch for my review of Pretty Girls!
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LibraryThing member nbmars
This latest standalone thriller from Slaughter is one of the scariest books I have read in a long time, and one of the most disturbing, as well as being up to Slaughter’s high standards of excellent writing.
Young pretty teenage girls have been going missing in the Atlanta area. When a new girl is
Claire’s older sister Lydia, who was closer to Julia, has had a much harder life. She was addicted to drugs and alcohol for a long time, and struggled with poverty and single parenting. She was cut off by her family and hasn’t seen them in eighteen years. She currently has a business and a kind and supportive boyfriend, Rick, but nothing comes easily for her.
Their stories are told in chapters that alternate with passages from a diary kept by one of the fathers whose daughter was taken.
As the plot unfolds, perhaps the scariest element is that the sisters (and you the reader) don’t know who is telling the truth, who is lying, who to trust, and who represents mortal danger.
This book gave me nightmares even after I finished it!
Discussion: Slaughter likes to bring readers’ attention to awful things done to girls and women, but in the process, she brings our attention to awful things done to girls and women! It’s pretty hard to take. And yet, as she might say, she’s not making this stuff up! … except of course, for the specific characters who do her dirty work.
Ordinarily, I try very hard to avoid books that describe very bad things happening to women, but I always make an exception with Slaughter. Her compassion as well as her anger over what can happen to women is clearly expressed and always a part of her stories.
Evaluation: Slaughter is one of the best crime writers around. The subject matter of this book is quite grisly, but it will keep you on the edge of the seat, and perhaps even educate you about a matter that is usually kept behind closed doors, considered unsuitable for newspapers.
Young pretty teenage girls have been going missing in the Atlanta area. When a new girl is
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taken, it hits two women particularly hard, because their older sister, Julia Carroll, disappeared 24 years earlier and they have been traumatized ever since; it basically destroyed their entire family. One of the sisters, Claire Scott, went on to marry a very rich man and had what should have been an ideal existence, but she now endures more heartache when she and her husband Paul are robbed and Paul is knifed to death. Moreover, while she is at the funeral, her home is burglarized.Claire’s older sister Lydia, who was closer to Julia, has had a much harder life. She was addicted to drugs and alcohol for a long time, and struggled with poverty and single parenting. She was cut off by her family and hasn’t seen them in eighteen years. She currently has a business and a kind and supportive boyfriend, Rick, but nothing comes easily for her.
Their stories are told in chapters that alternate with passages from a diary kept by one of the fathers whose daughter was taken.
As the plot unfolds, perhaps the scariest element is that the sisters (and you the reader) don’t know who is telling the truth, who is lying, who to trust, and who represents mortal danger.
This book gave me nightmares even after I finished it!
Discussion: Slaughter likes to bring readers’ attention to awful things done to girls and women, but in the process, she brings our attention to awful things done to girls and women! It’s pretty hard to take. And yet, as she might say, she’s not making this stuff up! … except of course, for the specific characters who do her dirty work.
Ordinarily, I try very hard to avoid books that describe very bad things happening to women, but I always make an exception with Slaughter. Her compassion as well as her anger over what can happen to women is clearly expressed and always a part of her stories.
Evaluation: Slaughter is one of the best crime writers around. The subject matter of this book is quite grisly, but it will keep you on the edge of the seat, and perhaps even educate you about a matter that is usually kept behind closed doors, considered unsuitable for newspapers.
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LibraryThing member Twink
A few weeks ago, I blogged about a short story by Karin Slaughter - Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes. That story was a prequel to her just released stand alone novel - Pretty Girls. The short story had me riveted, unable to stop reading until I finished.
The book? I truly couldn't put it down...... Let me
"More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teen aged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.
The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it."
Claire and Lydia are well drawn characters. I was immediately drawn to Lydia, but never overly liked Claire. But, the relationships between the main characters is believable. Excerpts from their father Sam's journals are heartbreaking as he details his attempts over the years to find the missing Julia. The aftermath and effect of a crime on a family is deftly explored.
The premise is dark and disturbing, but it is Slaughter's writing that sucks the reader in and just never lets up. There's an undercurrent thrumming beneath the surface of Slaughter's prose, ominous and seriously frightening. No spoilers - but OMG - the twists and turns that she throws in are crazy. Who is telling the truth? Who can Lydia and Claire trust? Can they rely on each other? And the bad guy? Terrifying. Slaughter's portrayal of a psychopath had me looking sideways at library patrons all week.....
Lock the door, turn up the lights - and be prepared to stay up late. Fair warning to gentle readers - this one is not for you - there is graphic violence depicted as well as some very disturbing situations.
The book? I truly couldn't put it down...... Let me
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fill you in....."More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia’s teen aged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss—a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.
The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it."
Claire and Lydia are well drawn characters. I was immediately drawn to Lydia, but never overly liked Claire. But, the relationships between the main characters is believable. Excerpts from their father Sam's journals are heartbreaking as he details his attempts over the years to find the missing Julia. The aftermath and effect of a crime on a family is deftly explored.
The premise is dark and disturbing, but it is Slaughter's writing that sucks the reader in and just never lets up. There's an undercurrent thrumming beneath the surface of Slaughter's prose, ominous and seriously frightening. No spoilers - but OMG - the twists and turns that she throws in are crazy. Who is telling the truth? Who can Lydia and Claire trust? Can they rely on each other? And the bad guy? Terrifying. Slaughter's portrayal of a psychopath had me looking sideways at library patrons all week.....
Lock the door, turn up the lights - and be prepared to stay up late. Fair warning to gentle readers - this one is not for you - there is graphic violence depicted as well as some very disturbing situations.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes by Karin Slaughter is a 2015 Cornerstone Digital publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
This novella length story sets the stage for the full length novel “ Pretty Girls”.
Julia is a college student
In the meantime, Julia still wants to belong, wants to have fun, is hoping the guy she is seeing feels the same way about her as she does about him. She's both mature and immature at times, and I so I found her character to be pretty typical of her age.
The story is atmospheric from the beginning with a palpable sense of foreboding, and by the end of this short story, I was very, very uneasy and disturbed.
The author throws out some truly frightening statistics about female victims and draws parallels between how these crimes are approached and viewed from various standpoints.
I strongly urge you to have “Pretty Girls” already on your kindle before reading this short prequel, because this story does come to a sudden and shocking stop.
Overall, this story accomplishes what it set out to do, which is to entice readers to read the full length novel.
3.5 stars
This novella length story sets the stage for the full length novel “ Pretty Girls”.
Julia is a college student
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concerned about the recent disappearance of a couple of girls who are strikingly similar in appearance. She is hoping to be a reporter/journalist and wants to write a story about rape statistics. In the meantime, Julia still wants to belong, wants to have fun, is hoping the guy she is seeing feels the same way about her as she does about him. She's both mature and immature at times, and I so I found her character to be pretty typical of her age.
The story is atmospheric from the beginning with a palpable sense of foreboding, and by the end of this short story, I was very, very uneasy and disturbed.
The author throws out some truly frightening statistics about female victims and draws parallels between how these crimes are approached and viewed from various standpoints.
I strongly urge you to have “Pretty Girls” already on your kindle before reading this short prequel, because this story does come to a sudden and shocking stop.
Overall, this story accomplishes what it set out to do, which is to entice readers to read the full length novel.
3.5 stars
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LibraryThing member ecataldi
Wow, this is one kept me on my toes. I literally had no idea how it was going to end and it kept me breathless with anticipation. Since I'm super impatient, I lost a lot of sleep and got this bad boy read in less than one day. Totally worth it. Even though Karin Slaughter is a huge New York Times
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bestselling author, I had never read anything of hers before, after reading Pretty Girls, I will certainly be reading more of her work! This psychological thriller will haunt you, it's definitely not for the faint of heart, it's gritty, disturbing, and unsettling. Claire and Lydia's older sister went missing in the early 90's and they never truly got over it. Their father committed suicide, Claire married the first man that showed her any real attention and Lydia got into hard drugs. Fast forward nearly twenty years later, Claire's husband has just died and she finds some unsettling things in his possession. New truths come to light and the sisters realize that nothing is what it seems. As if the loss of their sister was bad enough they realize there is something more sinister lurking, just below the surface. Show Less
LibraryThing member nfmgirl2
There once were three sisters: Julia, Lydia and Claire. They were typical girls, and typical sisters. They pestered one another, stole one another's clothing, fought and loved one another. Then Julia disappeared without a trace at nineteen years of age, and the family was ripped asunder and it
Claire's life seems perfect. She should be happy. She lives a life of which most people can only dream. She has a beautiful home, beautiful “things”, can afford to travel the world, spend her day playing tennis or shopping or whatever she wishes to do. So why is she so dissatisfied, cheating on her husband, and assaulting friends?
Lydia was the stereotypical middle child. She was the troublesome rebel as a teenager who became addicted to drugs and wound up running off everyone who ever really cared about her. Now as a middle-aged mother, she has straightened out her life, having fought and scratched out a good life for her and her daughter.
Claire's husband Paul has always been the perfect husband. He provides for Claire, and she can want for nothing. He is thoughtful-- he, in fact, seems to think of everything. Nothing is missed. Everything is organized and planned. He even decorated their house. But after his death, Claire discovers that Paul had secrets of his own, and there is so much that she didn't know about him.
I didn’t care too much for Claire initially. She seemed sad, self-absorbed, hard, cold, and a little whiny. But as time went on, I grew to like her more. However I never really warmed up to her.
Lydia is a different story. I liked her from the beginning, and that never changed. Strong, committed and devoted, I liked her straight-forward personality that suffers no fools.
This was my introduction to the author, and I have been converted to a Slaughter fan! I really enjoyed her writing style. Descriptive, easy to read, well-developed characters, suspenseful writing. Other than graphically disturbing violence and torture, what’s not to like?
My final word: As I mentioned before, this book is graphic and filled with disturbing images, but I found it really suspenseful. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was coming down the pike next. The author is very readable, the characters well-developed, the storyline provocative. I really, really enjoyed this story, and that feels a little "wrong", given how violent the story was, but I just can't help it. The story could get a little preposterous at times and requires some "suspension of disbelief" to get through it, but it is really a great escape if you like mystery and suspense, and you aren't put off by graphic violence of a sexual nature. I'd give two thumbs up, if it weren't for the thumbscrews and shackles!
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never healed. Now decades later, their father is dead, mother heartbroken, and surviving sisters Lydia and Claire haven't spoken with one another in a very long time after an incident involving the man that would become Claire's husband.Claire's life seems perfect. She should be happy. She lives a life of which most people can only dream. She has a beautiful home, beautiful “things”, can afford to travel the world, spend her day playing tennis or shopping or whatever she wishes to do. So why is she so dissatisfied, cheating on her husband, and assaulting friends?
Lydia was the stereotypical middle child. She was the troublesome rebel as a teenager who became addicted to drugs and wound up running off everyone who ever really cared about her. Now as a middle-aged mother, she has straightened out her life, having fought and scratched out a good life for her and her daughter.
Claire's husband Paul has always been the perfect husband. He provides for Claire, and she can want for nothing. He is thoughtful-- he, in fact, seems to think of everything. Nothing is missed. Everything is organized and planned. He even decorated their house. But after his death, Claire discovers that Paul had secrets of his own, and there is so much that she didn't know about him.
I didn’t care too much for Claire initially. She seemed sad, self-absorbed, hard, cold, and a little whiny. But as time went on, I grew to like her more. However I never really warmed up to her.
Lydia is a different story. I liked her from the beginning, and that never changed. Strong, committed and devoted, I liked her straight-forward personality that suffers no fools.
This was my introduction to the author, and I have been converted to a Slaughter fan! I really enjoyed her writing style. Descriptive, easy to read, well-developed characters, suspenseful writing. Other than graphically disturbing violence and torture, what’s not to like?
My final word: As I mentioned before, this book is graphic and filled with disturbing images, but I found it really suspenseful. It kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what was coming down the pike next. The author is very readable, the characters well-developed, the storyline provocative. I really, really enjoyed this story, and that feels a little "wrong", given how violent the story was, but I just can't help it. The story could get a little preposterous at times and requires some "suspension of disbelief" to get through it, but it is really a great escape if you like mystery and suspense, and you aren't put off by graphic violence of a sexual nature. I'd give two thumbs up, if it weren't for the thumbscrews and shackles!
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LibraryThing member tottman
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter is the best book I’ve read so far this year. She combines great characters, outstanding plot and pacing, and she absolutely takes you into the dark, dark places of human imagination and behavior.
Pretty Girls explores all the things that happen to a family when a
The action in Pretty Girls moves forward relentlessly. The unsettling part is as much the ordinary face that evil wears as it is the horrific actions that it perpetrates. Slaughter doesn’t linger over descriptions of truly terrifying crimes, but she doesn’t shy away from them. That people who can commit these crimes walk among us as our neighbors, colleagues and friends with us none the wiser is truly terrifying.
Pretty Girls is the story of sisters driven apart by one tragedy and united by another and the search it takes them on to unlock the keys to both, along with a lot more than either of them had bargained for. A terrific story that grabs you on page one and squeezes your emotions every step of the way until the very last page. One of the best books of the year and destined for a lot of awards. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
Pretty Girls explores all the things that happen to a family when a
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family member disappears. The strain it puts on a marriage, the way each family member’s life is irrevocably altered and set on a different path. And the way that not knowing what happened impacts them every day for the rest of their life. This dynamic serves as the backdrop for a story starting with another tragedy that uncovers clues that bring two estranged sisters unwillingly back together to piece together the truth.The action in Pretty Girls moves forward relentlessly. The unsettling part is as much the ordinary face that evil wears as it is the horrific actions that it perpetrates. Slaughter doesn’t linger over descriptions of truly terrifying crimes, but she doesn’t shy away from them. That people who can commit these crimes walk among us as our neighbors, colleagues and friends with us none the wiser is truly terrifying.
Pretty Girls is the story of sisters driven apart by one tragedy and united by another and the search it takes them on to unlock the keys to both, along with a lot more than either of them had bargained for. A terrific story that grabs you on page one and squeezes your emotions every step of the way until the very last page. One of the best books of the year and destined for a lot of awards. Highly recommended.
I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.
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LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
Excellent book, could not put it down. Definitely not for the faint of heart. I need to read all of Karen Slaughter's books!
LibraryThing member c.archer
What a great read! This one kept me on the edge of my seat for nearly the entire book. There is plenty of suspense and subterfuge going on, and people are not what they seem. This one would make a crazy good movie! The only warning is that there is quite a bit of explicit violence that might
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disturb some readers (Think almost Hannibal Lector level without the cannibalism). Other than that, this one gets two thumbs up from me. Show Less
LibraryThing member maggie1961
This one didn't wow me. I knew where it was going pretty much at the beginning but I found it a little slow. I didn't realize it leads into Pretty Girls, I will give that one a whirl since it sounds pretty good and sometimes short stories are too short to get you hooked in.
LibraryThing member MarlaAMadison
I have to agree with some other reviewers that there is a lot of graphic violence against women in this book.
I thought very often the author got way too wordy, which slows down the plot considerably for me. What I liked a lot was the relationship between the sisters and thought the book could have
I thought very often the author got way too wordy, which slows down the plot considerably for me. What I liked a lot was the relationship between the sisters and thought the book could have
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done a lot more to build up their first encounter. Another complaint was that the plot was unbelievable. To an extent, yes, that's true. I think the story would have been much more convincing had the plot been local, not global. Overall, though, pretty good suspense read, but not for the faint of heart. Show Less
LibraryThing member gail616
Has been awhile since a book sucked me in from the first sentence. This one did. It kept me guessing until the end. Was a fast read.
LibraryThing member Susan.Macura
Sisters Claire and Lydia have endured a tragedy in their family – the abduction and assumed murder of their older sister Julia. This event changed all of their lives, and not for the better. After years apart, events conspire to bring the sister together, and they embark on a quest for the truth,
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no matter how horrifying it is. They can never imagine how horrific the truth is. This is not a book for the feint of heart as the descriptions of what is done to these young women who are abducted and tortured are almost beyond words but it is a page-turner filled with twists and turns that make it hard to put down. I both loved it and hated it, but would definitely read another book by this author. Show Less
LibraryThing member thehistorychic
Read for Review/Listened for Fun (Edelweiss/Audible)
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.75
Character Rating: 3.25
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
Read It, Rate It Thoughts: Pretty Girls wasn't my favorite Karin Slaughter story but it was still a good twisty read! I think what was
Audio Thoughts:
Narrated by: Kathleen Early/Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
I really enjoy Kathleen's narration in almost everything that she does. She nails pacing and characterization. In fact, I think she made me like the characters more than if I had just read it. She really brought them to life.
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
Overall Rating: 3.50
Story Rating: 3.75
Character Rating: 3.25
Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)
Read It, Rate It Thoughts: Pretty Girls wasn't my favorite Karin Slaughter story but it was still a good twisty read! I think what was
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missing for me was a connection to the characters. The actual case (for lack of a better word) had all the things I expect from Karin: swerves, misdirection, and moments that you go "Oh MY!". Not caring for the characters though I just didn't care if they made it through. That kind of lessened those moments of suspense. I had the same problem with Gone Girl's last 1/3 too so please take that into consideration while reading my review. I do believe this is a beyond worthy read and fans of Karin's will enjoy it.Audio Thoughts:
Narrated by: Kathleen Early/Length: 19 hrs and 59 mins
I really enjoy Kathleen's narration in almost everything that she does. She nails pacing and characterization. In fact, I think she made me like the characters more than if I had just read it. She really brought them to life.
Part of my Read It, Rate It, File It, DONE! Reviews
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Awards
RUSA CODES Reading List (Winner — 2016)
International Thriller Writers Award (Nominee — 2016)
Bästa översatta kriminalroman (Nominee — 2015)
Globe and Mail Top 100 Book (2015)
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best: Adults (Selection — Fiction — 2015)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2015-09-29
2016-09-16
Physical description
592 p.; 7.5 inches
DDC/MDS
| 813.54 |
ISBN
0062429078 / 9780062429070
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Pages
592