Pretty Girls

Author: Karin Slaughter
Genre: Psychological Thriller, Crime Fiction
394 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2015

Synopsis
Twenty years ago Claire Scott’s eldest sister, Julia, went missing. No one knew where she went – no note, no body. It was a mystery that was never solved and it tore her family apart.

Now another girl has disappeared, with chilling echoes of the past. And it seems that she might not be the only one.

Claire is convinced Julia’s disappearance is linked.

But when she begins to learn the truth about her sister, she is confronted with a shocking discovery, and nothing will ever be the same…

My review
Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter is a shocking, graphically violent, and totally engrossing novel! As a fan of gritty serial killer stories, I must admit this one pushed the boundaries for me. The book features extremely graphic scenes of torture and abuse, making it a challenging read at times. Despite this, the storyline is immediately captivating, and I found myself eager to see what happened next. Be warned: once you start, you won’t be able to put this book down. It’s definitely a page-turner.

I’ve read several of Slaughter’s books, and true to her style, the characters in this one were well-developed and believable, and I was immediately drawn into their stories. I especially enjoyed seeing the growth of one of the main protagonists, who transformed from a weak, insecure woman into a strong, clever, and capable hero. Slaughter masterfully constructed the story, gradually unfolding the plot and revealing the truth at just the right moments. From beginning to end, the book was full of twists and turns. As Claire teamed up with her estranged sister, Lydia, to piece together the clues left by her husband, everyone became a suspect at some point, and I never knew who to trust.

If you like psychological thrillers, then this is a great story. However, be warned that it is extremely graphic and gory, with detailed descriptions of torture, sexual assault, and murder. The twisted actions of the serial killer are vividly portrayed and not left to the imagination, and if you find graphic depictions of torture difficult to handle, this book may not be for you. As a fan of dark stories, I found it intense enough to give me a nightmare or two.

Slaughter has a remarkable talent for capturing a reader’s attention, and Pretty Girls is one of her best and most graphically gruesome works. She provides precise, intricate details of a crime like no other; however, this book is not just about the depiction of a horrendous crime. It also dives into the fractures within a family and illustrates how extreme circumstances can bring estranged members together when it’s needed the most.

My recommendation: read it!