#1 internationally bestselling author Karin Slaughter returns with a sophisticated and chilling psychological thriller of dangerous secrets, cold vengeance, and unexpected absolution, in which two estranged sisters must come together to find truth about two harrowing tragedies, twenty years apart, that devastate their lives.
Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.
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.
Powerful, poignant, and utterly gripping, packed with indelible characters and unforgettable twists, Pretty Girls is a masterful thriller from one of the finest suspense writers working today.
I have been kind of bored lately with my go to reading genre, lately everything has felt so been there done that. I’ve been searching for something different, something that would jolt my senses. Pretty Girls was that something different.
I love dark mind f**kery reads and this definitely brought the mind f*ck. There’s nothing quite like a psychological thriller that leaves your mind reeling. Especially one that has you thinking you have this book figured out, and to some point you will, but then the course it ends up taking is not one you would totally expect. Therefore, it does contain some element of surprise to it. Along with being a mind twist, it held lots of corruption, brutality, lies, and descriptive (very vivid) scenes that are raw, gruesome and horrendous. Pretty Girls is NO WHERE close to being a romantic read. So if romance is what you are looking for run in the other direction. There was definitely nothing romantic about this book. What you’ll get is snuff films, abuse, kidnapping, sadism, and human degradation. Definitely NOT for someone with a light stomach.
Pretty Girls is told from three points of view. Claire’s, her sister Lydia, and their father. I found this interesting, but sometimes a bit confusing. At first, I didn’t get the whole relevance, but having all three does end up tying everything together.
Claire is one of those characters who grows on you. She starts off being a weak, oblivious, entitled chick who’s always fixated on looks and material things. She comes off as being pretty much perfect while her sister is the one who can never get her crap together. You’ll shake your head at her quite often. There were parts I thought: seriously, you can’t be that naive. And sadly, she was. But as the story progressed, so did the growth of her character. She ended up being a strong, kick ass heroine. I’m excited to say she didn’t end up on my heroines that need a swift kick shelf.
Lydia was one of my favorites from the start of the book, although her focus on weight and looks could get annoying fast. Outside of that she was pretty wicked.
Let’s just say Paul won’t leave you with butterflies. He is truly a sick, sick puppy. Holy hell, this man was a psychotic piece of work, and the readers’ find this out rather quickly. Ms. Slaughter doesn’t waste time unraveling his character at a rapid pace. Brace yourself, your eyes will be opened wide to some extreme vile acts. And keep in mind, there are somethings that can’t be unseen or unread.
The roles these characters portray will keep you on the edge of your seat. As the crimes and lives of these people unfold before you, you’ll shift between so many feels. I honestly could not peel my eyes away from the pages; I read this book in one sitting, way into the night. It was that riveting. No matter how sickened I was, I had to know what was going to happen next as the cold hard facts and nauseating truth was revealed layer by layer.
While there was some minor suspension of reality, I really enjoyed my first read by Karin Slaughter and would recommend to those who love the dark, gritty reads.
Thank you, William Morrow, for a complimentary copy of Pretty Girls
Karin Slaughter is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of fifteen thrillers, including UNSEEN, CRIMINAL, FALLEN, BROKEN, UNDONE, FRACTURED, BEYOND REACH, TRIPTYCH, FAITHLESS, COP TOWN, and the e-original short stories “Snatched” and “Busted.”
Slaughter was born in a small southern Georgia community, and now resides in Atlanta. She is widely credited with first coining the term "investigoogling" in 2006.
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