Pretty Maids All in a Row [Nesting Dolls]

Lust and Lies #4

by Marilyn Campbell

personally i think i would use these designs on boxes, trays, frames etc. thank you

Genres: Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense

35 pages, Unknown Binding

First published March 8, 1994

About the author

Marilyn Campbell has been writing fiction novels, nonfiction works and screenplays for nearly twenty years. A true thrill-junkie, she has jumped out of an airplane, raced around the Indy 500 track, driven solo throughout the United States and believes a great roller coaster ride can cure whatever ails her. She resides happily in Massachusetts with her daughter Joie and their lovable four-legged companions, Sweetie and Milk-Dud.

All of my "old" paperback books are still available in unopened condition on my personal website (autographed if desired) but I am in the process of getting them all into e-book format.
www.marilyncampbell.com

Reviews

[Lana Glover · Rating 1 out of 5]

I gave up after about 150 pages. The writing was sloppy, spelling errors throughout and jumped from character to character without any connection. I felt like I was reading something written by a kid. Dumb plot.

[Beckey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a difficult to finish read for me personal.. This a dark romance, I am going to say the romance part seemed off and forced to work for the book. The ending wasn't what I predicted or thought would of happened ...

Overall an ok story to pass the time. 3 stars

[Lisa Greer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I lost interest in it about 75 pages in and quit. Not worth reading the rest...

[BRNTerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

The e-book version of this was retitled Carnal Vengeance. I don't know if its been edited or rewritten in any way.

I first read this in 1995. I got it from Doubleday Book Club, read it multiple times and stupidly got rid of it in 2005, replaced it March 2022. I read it at least three times but not sure exactly how many.

This was pretty interesting but hard to reread already knowing who the killer is. When I first read it I didn't guess who it was. This is set mainly in Washington, D.C., and part in Florida. The women, who are in their early to mid 30s, are getting revenge on a specific group of former male college classmates who raped them at separate times/different years, by using their brains, not violence, and that's pretty damn clever. Their are six main women who are part of the Little Sister Society in the novel and more that aren't in it. That all changes when Holly enters the picture. Things take a very dark turn as far as revenge goes.

I don't like reporter David Wells at all. He's very arrogant and pushy, forceful, actually. He's a self-proclaimed "free-wheeling, unfaithful bachelor." I really disliked the Mick D'Angelo/Jerry Frampton snuff film subplot. It was too over the top. I guess the point in making one of the characters, Bobbi, have a split personality named Roberta was to show that that happened after her rape but we should have just heard about it, not heard from Roberta, as it did nothing at all for the plot. I also really disliked Holly traveling to visit her parents to tell her about her rape 13 years later. Again, it did nothing for the plot other than to give us another red herring character in her father.

[Irene S · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the opening, this book has content that some may want to avoid, which almost put me off. When a senate confirmation hearing turns the victim of a rape into a villain, Holly decides to meet with a group that has been also victimized by the fraternity looking for revenge. David, an investigative reporter, spots Holly going to the meeting. David pursues Holly to find out about the secret group of woman in addition to the attraction he feels for Holly. I received a free copy of this book from eBook Discovery. This is my honest and voluntarily given review. The stories that the woman of the secret group are hard to hear and include group rape. The story itself is very suspenseful and well written. The romance between Holly and David adds to the story. I liked the fast read, but I would be careful on who I recommended the book to.

[Twiggy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rather liked this although it did feel a bit cold and I had guessed the murderer fairly early on.

The heroine endures a horrible sexual betrayal and rape by 2 men at university and thereafter becomes emotionally frozen and sexually disinterested.

It turns out however that the men who abused her had done similar/worse things to other women and the women are out for revenge.

One of the men in question thinks that they are being set up and puts a reporter David on to the scent.

A murder spree ensues and David and Holly find themselves increasingly drawn to each other.

It was a bit of pot boiler but with a cold edge and a feeling that It could have been better.

Nonetheless enjoyable.

[Mike Schroeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book with all kinds of red herrings about who the baddie is. I enjoyed both the mutual attraction between Holly and David, and the interactions of the women in The Little Sister Society (no spoilers, read it you'll enjoy it.) Well written, exciting and fast paced. I highly recommend this read.

I received this book for free from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily review this book. This is my honest review.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to read this since I read the plot. I enjoyed this book and I enjoyed watching Holly grow. I do wish her love interests were more likable. I received this book from eBook Discovery. I voluntarily post this review. This is my honest review.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has it all: lust, FBI agents, the IRS, lesbians, journalists, liars, crooks, dual personalities, creeps and on and on. Too much for what could have been a less complicated psychological thriller.

[myreadiary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book got me hooked thinking who is the real murderess but ...... Cliffhanger.

[Shayla D. Faye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary:Holly Kaufman was one of a group of young coeds sexually violated by fraternity brothers playing a cruel game. With nowhere to turn, the girls formed a support group.Two decades later, they are still meeting. Only now, revenge is the only item on the agenda. To see their abusers pay for what they did, Holly must feed information to a reporter without implicating the group, and David Wells is the best man for the job. David smells a prize-winning story and Holly Kaufman looks like his best bet for unearthing the truth. Although seduction is his preferred tool for getting information from a woman, he’s unprepared for being the one seduced. When the former frat boys start turning up dead and minus a certain organ, Holly wants out. Unfortunately she’s a prime suspect and her only hope of being proven innocent lies with the man who is reawakening her passion and cannot be trusted.



Good lord…do you know what is this about? ANGST! Justified angst but angst none the less. Holly has been scared for life after her insane rape as a college student. Years later, her rapist is GUESS WHAT? Governor….or something. He is important and happy. Honestly a good and compelling read if you can get past the content. The whole rape topic is a delicate thing that must be taken the right way. To many people, this could be so depressing and pretty unenjoyable although it portrays a rape victims life well after the incident. It consumes Holly’s life. It haunts her every waking moment. It’s pretty dark. That’s all I have to say…it’s just dark…I couldn’t even finish it right…

keep reading by moonlight!

Shay D.Faye

[Geoff Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting novel showing the differing effects on a group of women during their college days of organised callous sexual abuse by a group of men. I enjoyed the mystery angle when the perpetrators start receiving poetic justice, and the erotic / emotional awakening of the central character Holly and the character arc of the bachelor reporter David Wells.

On reflection, the more interesting untold story is of the perpetrators: is it really possible for people to become so de-sensitised as to commit such actions, how does it happen, how do they live with themselves afterwards? In other words, on reflection, I don't really believe in the remorseless villains of the story, at least not the way they are portrayed here. There must surely be an objectification process, of sub-humanising of the victims, as occurred in Nazi Germany, for this to happen. See Spider-Man 2 for an object lesson in how to create a credibly nuanced, sympathetic villain (Doctor Octopus).

[Paul Lima · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise - a group of women who were seriously abused in college come together in a club seeking legal revenge. But the execution did nothing for me. One of the abusers is murdered. Who done it? Because of the two-dimensional writing and character interaction, I didn't care and, admittedly, abandoned the book .

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say I enjoyed this book. A little all over the place,but it kept my intrest.

[Hayley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Considering that this was written by a woman, it felt pretty misogynistic at times, in my humble opinion. I did like the interplay between the male and female leads though.

[Shay Symone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg...this book sent shavers down my spine. If I could rate it higher...

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I can see it being too graphic for some readers but of u can stomach both the stories of sexual abuse & the stoties of murder, its a great psychological thriller!

[Sabina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of a book is very boring and nothing is happening.

[Brittany · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly edited. The shift in POV was jarring and made the storyline incomprehensible.

[Joni · Rating 5 out of 5]

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