The Jills

by Karen Parkman

In this propulsive debut, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader will stop at nothing to solve the disappearance of her best friend and teammate, navigating the dark underbelly of a hardscrabble city, the grime and glamour of professional cheerleading, and her own tangled family history.

Virginia is a Jill—a professional Buffalo Bills cheerleader—living the life she’s always dreamed of. She spends her weekdays practicing, her weekends cheering, and her nights hopping between events and bars and clubs with her close-knit band of teammates, especially her best friend, Jeanine, whose dynamic friendship has given Virginia confidence in spades and allowed her to put aside her troubled past with her sister, Laura.

But one Sunday, Jeanine fails to show up for a game, and all her calls and texts go unanswered. Aided by a worried network of Jills, ex-boyfriends, and seedy fixtures of Buffalo’s criminal underground, Virginia embarks on an investigation into Jeanine’s disappearance. But as her search grows increasingly dangerous and spirals into obsession, disturbing questions about who Jeanine really is begin to emerge. Soon, Virginia finds herself wondering how well she knows her friend, if she can trust the people and institutions she thought were protecting her, and whether—when trying to save the people she cares about most—she’s capable of saving herself, too.

Part bingeable mystery, part character-driven tale of a woman claiming her own power in systems built by and for men, The Jills is a sharply observed, witty, and poignant novel about the stories that constrain us and the healing power of sisterhood.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Sports

384 pages, Hardcover

First published February 10, 2026

About the author

Karen Parkman holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop. Her work has been supported by MacDowell, Yaddo, the Sozopol Fiction Seminars, and the Vermont Studio Center. Her short fiction appears in Michigan Quarterly Review, Witness, Joyland, and other outlets. THE JILLS is her debut novel.

Reviews

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published January 6, 2026.

3.5 stars

Virginia is a Jill, a cheerleader for the Buffalo Bills (yep, that is really what they were called before they went defunct. They have an interesting real life story. They tried to unionize, got slapped down, then were disbanded when they had the nerve to speak up about pay and working conditions….those women always mouthy!). She does it because she loves to dance, but it sounds like a pretty crap part-time job that you pretty much have to pay to do. Oh, and weigh-ins!

Her best friend and fellow Jill, Jeanine fails to show up for a game and appears to have disappeared…into a world of drugs, disturbing people (some from Virginia’s past) and many, many questions.

This was quite good for a debut, part mystery, part character study and a soupçon of a look a the city of Buffalo, a rust belt town that never quite reinvented itself, all hung on the frame of life as an NFL cheerleader, which was a great set up. I really liked Virginia and I kept turning the pages. I’ll definitely look for more from this author.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Jills by Karen Parkman had all the right ingredients to be a hit for me, which honestly made the letdown sting a little more. A professional NFL cheerleader at the center of a mystery? A behind the scenes look at the culture, pressure, and sisterhood of a team like the Buffalo Bills Jills? Sign me up immediately. And to be fair, those elements were the strongest part of the book. The cheerleading world felt researched, textured, and genuinely interesting — especially if you, like me, have spent years watching Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team and love that mix of glamour, grit, and emotional investment.

Unfortunately, the mystery itself never fully came together. The plot felt overly long and scattered, somehow anticlimactic and wildly over the top at the same time. What started as a compelling disappearance spiraled into something increasingly chaotic, with twists that felt less shocking and more exhausting. There were moments that really worked and flashes of what this story could have been, but the overall execution felt unfocused and unsatisfying. I wanted sharper tension, cleaner answers, and a stronger payoff, especially given such a promising premise. In the end, The Jills lands at a generous three stars for me: parts I genuinely enjoyed, but not a mystery that ever fully stuck the landing.

[Heather~ Nature.books.and.coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐ I obviously HAD to grab this debut. I'm from Buffalo and love the Buffalo Bills. This being about Virginia, a Buffalo Bills JILLS Cheerleader, on a mission to solve the disappearance of her teammate and best friend, Jeanine, it sounded right up my alley. This was a really good mystery and I loved the look into the world of professional sports and the Buffalo setting. I thought the mystery of the story was suspenseful and entertaining. This is definitely a worthy read and I'll be interested in Parkman's future books.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.

[Britany · Rating 1 out of 5]

This did not work for me. I loved the premise - a lawsuit about the pay discrepancy between the NFL Cheerleaders "The Jills" compared to their NFL counterparts in football. The author's note was the best part about this book.

The characters were poorly drawn, the writing was overdone - so much could have been cut out, wish the author would've understood that we don't need step by step sentences to know what was going on. A huge bookish pet peeve is a normie turning detective and figuring out something that is so unbelievable it made this extremely hard to fall into this world. Drugs, a mob tie, dangerous men, and a addict for a sister - the FMC could barely show up for her job (another pet peeve) because she was so obsessed with figuring out what happened to her "best friend" - come on. There's just no way she could be sober enough to put these pieces together and get out alive.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very adventurous thriller with an exceptional setting. A propulsive debut! I really loved the writing here, I think the plot lost me a bit as the Buffalo organized crime scene intersected with the life of professional cheerleaders. This book was missing something but the writing and premise show a ton of promise. I am definitely going to keep this author on my radar.

Don’t miss the authors note at the end. I learned a lot!

the Buffalo Bills don’t have cheerleaders now but they used to, and they were indeed called the Buffalo Jills but they were disbanded in

Everyone involved in the NFL needs to make more money, from the ball boys to the referees to the concessions workers to the coaches to the quarterback- who makes the most- no one makes enough. It’s an ownership group of billionaires and the employee model is based on the premise that you are going to feel lucky to be there and the billionaires at the top really take advantage of everyone else.

There has been some progress recently but we have a long way to go!

Back to the book! I thought themes were great and the FMC was complicated and unaware of her victim hood and privilege, simultaneously.

I read this based on a review from Anna @livingmybookishlife - I don’t even think she loved the book all that much but reviews don’t need to be GLOWING in order to sell books. All they need to do is get books on our radar.

[Megan F · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book took me longer to read than any book I can recall in my recent reading history. It felt interminable, honestly. Objectively, the story is a good one, involving the cheer squad of the Buffalo bills, the Buffalo Jills. It’s a thriller with some ok twists and turns, but the rising action felt like it took 75 percent of the book to go anywhere. I feel that the protagonist could not decide whether the story was about her family, or her purportedly missing friend. Folks, I hate to say it, but the whole thing bored the heck out of me. Perhaps if it had been shortened by half and had benefitted from some prodigious editing, I would’ve enjoyed it more. It truly hurts my heart to give any book a two star rating, because authors and books are so important. I am grateful to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this arc. Perhaps some editing can happen before pub date, and this will turn into a snappy little thriller. The bones are there!

[Bethany]

I mean I OBVIOUSLY have to read this.

[Leslie - Shobizreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I read an arc of this novel. I was anticipating a thriller but it’s more of a slow burn mystery/crime book. It’s a fascinating premise of being set against the NFL cheerleader scene in Buffalo in the 90s.

It has a lot of content around addiction, parting, crime/mob life. That being said it’s not overly graphic on the violence. The first half dragged a bit but when I discovered where this was headed, I was more invested for the second half. Be sure to read the author’s note about the inspiration.

Solid debut. This won’t be for everyone given its grittiness and slower pacing. But fans of SA Cosby style novels and mob adjacent stories will enjoy it.

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is character-driven with a strong internal growth arc, it delivers enough twists and turns to satisfy thriller fans, with a cast full of intriguing and untrustworthy characters. Full review on BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/in...

[jocelyn • coolgalreading · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got this bc i'm a bills fan and wanted more w the jills tbh. i felt like this was trying to do too many things

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 🌟. Who knew the life of a cheerleader could be this dangerous? That’s what happens when you add elite cheerleading with connections to the dark underbelly of drugs and money. This book also surprised me by throwing in a lot of talk about grief, which I thought Parkman did nicely.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc.

[Alix · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

As a Buffalo Bills fan, I was really eager to pick this one up. That said, this book actually has very little to do with football or cheerleading. So if you’re going in expecting that, you might be disappointed. The real focus is the disappearance of our main character’s best friend and the personal issues she’s grappling with.

She has a complicated relationship with her family, especially her sister, who is a recovering addict. There’s a lot of guilt and anger wrapped up in her sister’s substance use and that tension plays a big role in the story. As we follow Virginia’s investigation into her best friend’s disappearance, it becomes clear that her friend was mixed up in criminal activity and involved with dangerous people.

I enjoyed the story overall, but the pacing was a little slow for me at the beginning. The last 150 pages are where things really start to ramp up and we see just how dangerous a situation Virginia has put herself in. This is definitely more of a character-driven, slow-burn thriller. It digs into why the characters do what they do, what they think they’ll gain, and whether any of it is worth it in the end. While there weren’t any huge, shocking twists, it was still an entertaining read.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The Jills” by Karen Parkman is a debut that’s premise intrigued me immediately. It centers around two best friends from the NFL Buffalo Bills defunct cheerleading/dance squad called the Jills. It speaks to the unique camaraderie and solidarity this team of women had and the very strong bond created by being part of a system that took tremendous advantage of them.
The story is part drug culture mystery, part family drama, and part self realization of one’s self worth. A complex read that could have been a bit tighter but still very enjoyable. I am looking forward to reading this authors next book!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jennifer Elliott · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
So annoying

[Jen Ryland (jenrylandreviews & yaallday)]

Karen Parkman is an author to watch! Her writing is fantastic (Iowa Writers Workshop) and she has put so many interesting ideas into her dark family drama+ amateur detective story. It all has shades of early Gillian Flynn.

The Jills is a story about female friendship, about family dynamics and coming to terms with your childhood illusions and complete misconceptions as an adult, about grief and guilt, about obsession.

The Jills almost feels like two books grafted together: the backstory of Virginia's three families (her nuclear family, her mob family, and her cheerleading family) and her still troubled relationship with her sister Laura, who is recovering from substance abuse disorder and wants to re-connect. That in and of itself could be one entire book.

Then there is the story of Virginia's fellow cheerleader Janine and Virginia's obsessive need to locate her after she vanishes: the amateur detective plot.

I felt that most of the time these two stories worked well together, but sometimes they felt at odds. This is being marketed as a mystery and I felt that at times, Virginia's emotional journey overshadowed or sidelined her detective work to an extent that might make some mystery readers unhappy. The middle of the book felt murky and a little slow, with Virginia just bouncing around among all the people (many from her past) whom she thought could help her find Janine.

I predicted the ending, but it was the ending I thought fit the story perfectly. And I will definitely read Parkman's next book! I think she's really talented.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review!

Subscribe to my amazing mystery and thriller newsletter HERE at JenRyland.com

[Sacha · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

So I'm reading the synopsis of this book, and I hear something faintly rising in the background. It's an unmistakable intro. It's a little whisper of "Thunder." Am I...performing the "Thunderstruck" dance in blue and white fringe while racing down the field in Dallas? I sure am. And that never stopped the whole time I read this book. An added bonus!

Virginia is a Jill, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader, and if you, too, started watching _Making the Team_ on CMT about 100 years ago and are now equally obsessed with _America's Sweethearts_, you also will have a tough time separating Virginia's experiences from what you've seen Kelly and Judy produce over the decades. But there's more to Virginia than just cheering, getting approached by creeps, fearing weigh ins, and being asked to do way more work than she is paid for. There's also...a missing fellow cheerleader, a strained relationship with an addict sister, and a deceased father who was maybe taken out by the mob? Virginia is struggling with more than the kick line.

I really enjoyed many aspects of this book, though at times I felt like I was operating in two different narratives that I wanted to come together more cleanly: cheer life and the external exploration of the mystery. Alternatively, I almost wanted these paths to split cleanly into two entirely different books. I also feel like the Jills would be a great backdrop for a cozy series if taken in a fluffier vs. darker direction. There's just a lot of fodder and possibility on this front.

This was a good time, a solid debut, and a promising start to my encounters with this author. I look forward to more!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Rachel Taylor at Ballantine, Bantam, Dell for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise was promising! Did not deliver. Main character needs a lot of therapy

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written and intriguing debut mystery with a fun twist: Our amateur sleuth is a Buffalo Bills cheerleader!

Though this novel is way more bogged down in drug abuse and addiction than I would have preferred, the story on the whole is very, very good, the mystery compelling, and the writing showcases some of the most well-crafted sense of place that I’ve recently had the pleasure of reading.

I found this a particularly impressive feat because the author managed it in a setting that might be described casually as having no atmosphere. How do you bring a depressed Rust Belt town to life? By refusing to idealize it and focusing on the grittiness of a place that often feels like the modern world passed it by.

Virginia is also a surprisingly well-developed and nuanced protagonist for a mystery. You won’t always like her, but she will definitely hold your interest. And you’ll be rooting for Ginny and the rest of the Jills the whole way through.

*I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

[Annie Bales · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first half more than the second half. The plot becomes a little convoluted in my opinion. It is a coming of age story for the main character, but there were some times where I was frustrated with her and the choices she would make. I wanted to jump in the book and yell at her! This is likely what Parkman was aiming for when she wrote a character with specific flaws. The theme of the book centers around the character’s main “flaw,” so to speak, and it is in your face a lot. I enjoyed the camaraderie among the women in the novel. It was interesting to learn about the world of professional cheerleading.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best you could hope for: an audience of more than seventy thousand people screaming with anticipation. A mass of shifting colors coalescing into a single entity, one heart, one gargantuan cheer droning one note. We were all here, caring our guts out. Who wouldn’t want to weep at the sight?

One thing about me is, if a book claims to explore the “seedy underbelly” of something, I’m immediately in. That, paired with the fact that the Buffalo Bills are my adopted team because the Browns are hopeless, means that I couldn’t wait to read The Jills.

The Jills is about a Buffalo Bills cheerleader, Virginia, whose best friend and teammate, Jeanine, goes missing. Virginia seems to be the only one who truly wants to do the work to find her, but as she begins to investigate Jeanine’s disappearance, she realizes that her friend was keeping secrets she never could have imagined.

The Jills is much more complex than its main plot, the disappearance of an NFL cheerleader, would lead you to believe. It’s at once a compelling mystery and a profound character study, with an immersive atmosphere and willingness to explore the darkest parts of society and human nature. Karen Parkman’s writing is so smart and intuitive, with effortless prose that still has a lot of depth. I loved the way she crafted these characters – not just Virginia, who is so interesting, but also the rich cast of supporting characters.

We also get a fascinating glimpse into the world of NFL cheerleading – the sisterhood most importantly, but also the rigorous practices, the weight and diet restrictions, and the lack of fair pay. I had no idea that NFL cheerleaders aren’t actually paid by the NFL but instead rely on sponsorships, and the Jills specifically have an interesting history: They were the first and only group of cheerleaders to unionize in 1995, and ultimately were disbanded in 2014 after suing the Bills organization for wage and labor violations.

The Jills is a memorable debut, and Karen Parkman has such a unique voice and way of looking at the world. I’ll be eagerly awaiting her next novel. Thank you to Ballantine Books for the early reading opportunity.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a novel! Parkman tackled a lot in this part-mystery and part-character study. The mystery was what hooked me, as well as the inside-look at the life of a Jill. I loved all the details tossed throughout—weigh-ins and brands and when you get money versus when you don't—that built up a whole world of what being a Jill just was. I could tell this was well-researched, and that every reveal and turn of phrase was deliberate, it gave me chills! About halfway through or so, the novel took a turn I didn't see coming, and I liked how I had no idea where it was going. I thought the last 100 pages or so could have been tighter (I just kept expecting it to be over soon, and it never was?), but other than that, it was hard to tell this was a debut. I'd definitely read more books from this author.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a ride. A thriller about Virginia, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader (or a "Jill"), who can't stop investigating her friend Jeanine's disappearance. Virginia is the ultimate oldest daughter (father died early, mother and sister are addicts) and she wants to save her friend so badly. Ginny is truly a child of Buffalo. Her father had mob ties and she is still cared for by Buffalo's major mob family, who also orbit the Buffalo Bills franchise. This novel has a wonderful sense of place: a decaying rust belt town with a lot of unanalyzed assumptions about right and wrong and people's places in the world. Ginny is like that herself and has to understand herself (and the city she lives in) while finding her friend. This novel manages to do all these things while being a real thriller. Loved it. A Michael Connelly novel for the Rust Belt. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Sierra Klawitter · Rating 3 out of 5]

“A heart-pounding search for a missing NFL cheerleader that will test the bonds of sisterhood.”
Everyone loves a good mystery. Drop me into a drug-riddled, mob-driven, 2010s, grungy city setting, and I am locked in from beginning to end. But I have mixed feelings on this one.
While some aspects of the book worked well, our main character Virginia fell flat for me. And for someone who blew open the entire case, she was utterly, frustratingly, impressively, naive. About almost everything 🤦‍♀️
I did, however, like the relationships that she had with some of the other Jills and her sister Laura.
Lots of micro themes to pick apart here, but overall an okay read.

[Maren · Rating 2 out of 5]

As a native WNYer and lifelong Bills fan, I was hyped when this book first came up in my feed. Murder and intrigue exposing the seedy underbelly of NFL cheering? Sign me up! But it soon became clear that, while the author may have been inspired by an article she read about the Jills, she had surface level understanding of the community of Buffalo, and the publicity blurb simply didn't match with the story she ended up telling.

Cheerleading really has nothing at all to do with the story, aside from some occasional references to daily routines and some strict expectations from the cheerleaders. I wish the author had leaned into the mistreatment of NFL cheerleaders more, as that was what the article she referenced uncovered, but it seems to be just a side gig to the main character, who comes across as boring, naive, and frankly, not very smart.

The inconsistencies about Buffalo and Erie County in general drove me batty. It was obvious from chapter one that the author was not from the area (which is what I had assumed from the publicity blurb -- that's my bad), and instead relied on Google Maps to comprise approximately 55% of the text (so many roadways and road trip time estimates). Setting the story in 2012 to accommodate the timeline of the Buffalo Jills did nothing for the story, which honestly felt like it should have been set in the 80s instead. The other 45% is spent repeatedly telling the reader the same facts about the other characters (especially Laura).

And so many drugs and ridiculous crime family schemes. This book would be better suited to Vegas.

Clocking in at 365 pages, it's a book that reads like the first pass after a rough edit. It needed a lot more culling and a more refined focus. Give us a wronged cheering squad fighting injustice and stereotypes! That's a story worth exploring.

[BookstagramSam · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
When I heard about this book I knew I had to read it. Being from the area, a huge Buffalo Bills fan and the knowing the history of the Jills my curiosity went to an all time high.

This is the authors debut novel and she did such a great job keeping me entertained and engaged. Part mystery part character driven this book has you winding down the what the hell is going on road!

While most would think this story to be super far fetched, I mean it is Buffalo, so you really never know 😆

Thank you NetGalley and Ballentine for the gifted copy.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this debut novel about the Buffalo Jills -a dance team who performs at Buffalo Bills games-and a member who goes missing. As a Bills fan, it was fun to read and recognize local landmarks and places. Solid mystery with heart, too.

[Genie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Go bills ♥️

[Kathryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you’re the author reading this- Buffalo would never name a football suite after Miller High Life ❤️

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this one! The Jills are professional dancer/cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills and Virginia loves the spotlight. Then suddenly one of them--Jeanine--goes missing, and no one knows what happened to her. Virginia is of course concerned but figures the police will do their jobs and find her. But she has no idea what craziness is involved in this industry or what those at the top will do to keep the "girls" under their thumb to perform and give the fans what they want!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Court · Rating 3 out of 5]

Again, I make no secret that I’m a diehard member of the Bills Mafia, so when I found there was a book based on the Bills’ (now former) cheerleaders, the Jills, I was all over it.

Sadly, it didn’t meet my expectations. In fact, it felt like it was trying to paint Buffalo as possibly the worst city in America. This was filled with drug use, addiction, drug dealing, horrible family dysfunction, and the seedy underbelly of a city. And, although I’m not FROM Buffalo, I live near enough to tell you that this is not a fair depiction of the friendly city who loves their team(s) (adding in the Sabres) and readily shovels out their neighbor’s driveway and Highmark Stadium, too.

Way too much “bad” and not enough “Bills.” Three stars is probably higher than it deserves but the Queen is generous today (or on the day I rated it when I finished it 2 weeks ago 🤣). Go Bills! 🦬💙♥️