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The Grind
Anna Zendel: suspended therapist by day, retired burlesque performer and reluctant troupe director Velvet Crush by night, 24/7 single young woman trying desperately to escape the press and her own PTSD.
Now that the alleged Darling Killer is in a coma, Anna reinvents the Chicago Cabaret as an edgy and diverse burlesque experience. Audiences cheer in sold-out shows for the familiar faces and the new… but Velvet won’t set foot on stage anymore.
Just as the new show takes off, Anna receives a gory new message on a troupe member’s body: keep performing and they live.
Anna’s stage training and psychological savvy arm her for another deadly dance, but a series of sinister accidents threaten the survival of everyone she loves while a killer watches her from the wings.
Now that the alleged Darling Killer is in a coma, Anna reinvents the Chicago Cabaret as an edgy and diverse burlesque experience. Audiences cheer in sold-out shows for the familiar faces and the new… but Velvet won’t set foot on stage anymore.
Just as the new show takes off, Anna receives a gory new message on a troupe member’s body: keep performing and they live.
Anna’s stage training and psychological savvy arm her for another deadly dance, but a series of sinister accidents threaten the survival of everyone she loves while a killer watches her from the wings.
107 pages, Paperback
First published November 28, 2014
5 people want to read
About the author
Nikki M. Pill
4 books13 followersNikki M. Pill has a BA in English and Philosophy, and an MA in Psychology. Her short story "Shadows on the Pews" appeared in Hell in the Heartland Volume I and received an honorable mention in Best Horror of the Year Volume I. She enjoys her bellydance alter-ego Moxie’s reputation as the Scariest Bellydancer in Chicago. She loves to read, cook, watch movies, do yoga, listen to music, and make things. She lives in Chicago with her husband and their intermittently grateful cats.
You can contact her, find burlesque videos and resources, check out her books’ soundtracks, read her blog, and more at www.nikkimpill.com.
You can contact her, find burlesque videos and resources, check out her books’ soundtracks, read her blog, and more at www.nikkimpill.com.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 19, 2014
I was provided with an Advance Reader Copy of The Grind for the purpose of giving an honest review.
I read and reviewed The Tease, book 1 in the Darling Killer Trilogy, last summer and enjoyed it very much, so I was thrilled and honored when the author contacted me and asked if I would review an ARC of book 2, The Grind. I'm happy to say that once again, I very much enjoyed this book.
Anna Zendel is a disgraced therapist and a burlesque dancer who is being stalked by a serial killer. At the end of The Tease, it looked like the killer had been caught - but then another character drops a line of dialogue that turns everything around and makes you realize, no, the killer wasn't caught at all. In The Grind, Anna is trying to move on from the events in book 1. She's facing an ethics hearing to determine whether or not she will be allowed to continue practicing her profession and trying to put her burlesque troupe back together. The last thing she needs is for the killer to reappear, making demands along with the killings, and for one of her new troupe members to turn out to be psycho.
The story is suspenseful and engrossing, and at times heartbreaking, balanced out with Anna's dry humor - sometimes the only thing that's keeping her sane. I enjoyed getting to know her hippie father, whose mantras bear an uncanny resemblance to Beatles songs, and chewing my nails in delicious anxiety as I watched the character who may have revealed him/herself as the killer in the last book insinuate her/himself more closely into Anna's life. The members of her burlesque troupe (hers, because she's taken over as the director), both returning from book 1 and new in this book, are a colorful and likeable bunch, and the descriptions of their acts are entertaining. The story arc is masterfully constructed; I saw the suspect character playing more of a role in Anna's life, and started to doubt my instincts about that character, then at the end, after a claustrophobic and truly scary showdown against another villain, that character drops another line that's like a punch to the gut and I realized how close to disaster Anna really is. The last part of The Grind was another one of those where I stayed up way too late to see how it all turned out.
My only problem with the book is similar to the one I had with book 1, the somewhat heavy-handed delivery of a social message. But that part is brief and soon left behind, and we return to the engaging story of Anna's attempts to deal with rabid reporters, suspicious police, psycho troupe members, her upcoming ethics hearing, tragic losses, and her growing feelings for someone whom she's afraid to love because she doesn't want him to get hurt, all while hoping to stay alive long enough to catch the real killer. It's a breathless, entertaining, well-written ride, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book.
I read and reviewed The Tease, book 1 in the Darling Killer Trilogy, last summer and enjoyed it very much, so I was thrilled and honored when the author contacted me and asked if I would review an ARC of book 2, The Grind. I'm happy to say that once again, I very much enjoyed this book.
Anna Zendel is a disgraced therapist and a burlesque dancer who is being stalked by a serial killer. At the end of The Tease, it looked like the killer had been caught - but then another character drops a line of dialogue that turns everything around and makes you realize, no, the killer wasn't caught at all. In The Grind, Anna is trying to move on from the events in book 1. She's facing an ethics hearing to determine whether or not she will be allowed to continue practicing her profession and trying to put her burlesque troupe back together. The last thing she needs is for the killer to reappear, making demands along with the killings, and for one of her new troupe members to turn out to be psycho.
The story is suspenseful and engrossing, and at times heartbreaking, balanced out with Anna's dry humor - sometimes the only thing that's keeping her sane. I enjoyed getting to know her hippie father, whose mantras bear an uncanny resemblance to Beatles songs, and chewing my nails in delicious anxiety as I watched the character who may have revealed him/herself as the killer in the last book insinuate her/himself more closely into Anna's life. The members of her burlesque troupe (hers, because she's taken over as the director), both returning from book 1 and new in this book, are a colorful and likeable bunch, and the descriptions of their acts are entertaining. The story arc is masterfully constructed; I saw the suspect character playing more of a role in Anna's life, and started to doubt my instincts about that character, then at the end, after a claustrophobic and truly scary showdown against another villain, that character drops another line that's like a punch to the gut and I realized how close to disaster Anna really is. The last part of The Grind was another one of those where I stayed up way too late to see how it all turned out.
My only problem with the book is similar to the one I had with book 1, the somewhat heavy-handed delivery of a social message. But that part is brief and soon left behind, and we return to the engaging story of Anna's attempts to deal with rabid reporters, suspicious police, psycho troupe members, her upcoming ethics hearing, tragic losses, and her growing feelings for someone whom she's afraid to love because she doesn't want him to get hurt, all while hoping to stay alive long enough to catch the real killer. It's a breathless, entertaining, well-written ride, and I am eagerly looking forward to the next book.
November 29, 2014
Taking the second part of this trilogy in a radically unexpected direction makes "The Grind" a hugely successful endeavor. Living up to its title, "The Grind" takes its protagonist Anna Zendel and puts her through a torturous wringer - physical, psychological, and emotional - in the aftermath of the series of murders surrounding Anna and the Chicago Cabaret burlesque troupe. Struggling to recover from the tragedy and revelations of "The Tease," Anna assumes the mantle of troupe leader and takes the troupe in a bold direction (a symbolic parallel of the bold directions in which author Nikki Pill takes this book). Reluctantly keeping herself out of the limelight, Anna is suddenly forced back in when The Darling Killer resurfaces with a threat of more murder if she doesn't keep performing.
Less concerned with a fast-paced plot, Pill takes us deep inside Anna's head while Anna endures all manner of stress. "The Grind" spares us no detail of the inner turmoil that wracks Anna on a daily basis, and after a point, the reader wonders how Anna is even able to get through each day. Pill makes you feel the weight of each trial Anna faces to the point where you almost dread reading the next page, because once you think Anna has been driven down as far as she can go, Pill turns the screws again. And Anna may bend, but she won't break.
Pill has expanded Anna's world in "The Grind," and the depiction of the changes made to the burlesque troupe is a fascinating development in this series. "The Tease" introduced us to the world or burlesque as it was in its infancy and the way it is traditionally seen: conventionally attractive (white) women doing beautiful and glamorous, albeit generally superficial, strip teases designed mostly for titillation and for audiences of mostly heteronormative men. With "The Grind," Pill expands the membership of the troupe and introduces us to the more modern world of neo-burlesque, which dominates the landscape today: performers from all walks of life - all shapes, sizes, colors, gender identities - where the driving force (and significant portion of the target audience) is women. The glamour and delicacy take a back seat to strong messages of acceptance of women independently of men and the male gaze. Moreover, Pill introduces us to the broader range of skills and styles brought to the burlesque world, from boylesque to aerial arts to harder-edged performance art, and takes us headfirst into a richly diverse and fascinating performing arts culture teeming with sex-positivity and body-positivity.
For as wonderful as this development is, Pill never loses sight of the main plot, which is how Anna works to keep herself and her troupe safe from The Darling Killer. Intrigue pops up in most unexpected ways and provides just one of many sources of pressure that are applied to Anna throughout the book. To go into further detail would undoubtedly spoil the experience of accompanying Anna on this journey, so I will say no more about it. The only thing left to say is that Pill's sure-handed direction of this trilogy has not only created a complex and fascinating protagonist for us to follow, but also an equally complex and fascinating world that these characters inhabit.
As I felt upon finishing Part One, all I can say now is that I am on pins and needles for the third and final installment.
Less concerned with a fast-paced plot, Pill takes us deep inside Anna's head while Anna endures all manner of stress. "The Grind" spares us no detail of the inner turmoil that wracks Anna on a daily basis, and after a point, the reader wonders how Anna is even able to get through each day. Pill makes you feel the weight of each trial Anna faces to the point where you almost dread reading the next page, because once you think Anna has been driven down as far as she can go, Pill turns the screws again. And Anna may bend, but she won't break.
Pill has expanded Anna's world in "The Grind," and the depiction of the changes made to the burlesque troupe is a fascinating development in this series. "The Tease" introduced us to the world or burlesque as it was in its infancy and the way it is traditionally seen: conventionally attractive (white) women doing beautiful and glamorous, albeit generally superficial, strip teases designed mostly for titillation and for audiences of mostly heteronormative men. With "The Grind," Pill expands the membership of the troupe and introduces us to the more modern world of neo-burlesque, which dominates the landscape today: performers from all walks of life - all shapes, sizes, colors, gender identities - where the driving force (and significant portion of the target audience) is women. The glamour and delicacy take a back seat to strong messages of acceptance of women independently of men and the male gaze. Moreover, Pill introduces us to the broader range of skills and styles brought to the burlesque world, from boylesque to aerial arts to harder-edged performance art, and takes us headfirst into a richly diverse and fascinating performing arts culture teeming with sex-positivity and body-positivity.
For as wonderful as this development is, Pill never loses sight of the main plot, which is how Anna works to keep herself and her troupe safe from The Darling Killer. Intrigue pops up in most unexpected ways and provides just one of many sources of pressure that are applied to Anna throughout the book. To go into further detail would undoubtedly spoil the experience of accompanying Anna on this journey, so I will say no more about it. The only thing left to say is that Pill's sure-handed direction of this trilogy has not only created a complex and fascinating protagonist for us to follow, but also an equally complex and fascinating world that these characters inhabit.
As I felt upon finishing Part One, all I can say now is that I am on pins and needles for the third and final installment.
January 7, 2015
I received a digital copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
The Grind is the second book in the Darling Killer Trilogy. This review will contain spoilers about the previous book.
When we last left Anna, she had put Grant in a coma after being attacked, been suspended from her job for breaking confidentiality on a patient that was highly suspicious, and became leader of her burlesque troupe. The police want to believe that Grant was the Darling Killer, but Anna has her doubts.
But the show must go on and the troupe is set to start performing again, sans Anna because she can’t anymore, it’s no longer the fun escape that it used to be. Opening night is amazing, everything goes off without a hitch, until Anna received a disturbing phone call, Grant has died from his head injury but the cops were never able to question him.
Her fears are increased when one of her troupe members is attacked (but left alive!) and painted with a message “Keep performing and they live.” Listening to advice of the Detectives, the troupe cancels their next performance, and this causes the Darling Killer to react. Anna is forced to start performing again, to protect the members of her troupe.
I liked this book just as much as the first one. Anna is a very strong woman for all she’s been through. She manages to keep going every day and she constantly worries about the safety of her family and friends. She’s tried hard to not let the killer win, she continues to do the things she loves. I admire that in a character.
The book also highlights her PTSD, which I loved. So many times in books a character goes through a traumatic experience and the effects of it are afterthoughts or not accurately described at all (this happens a lot in YA books, mental illness isn’t always described correctly or well. It is a pet peeve of mine). You really feel Anna’s anxiety and helplessness. Honestly, if I were in Anna’s position I’d probably be scared to death to ever leave my house and she is trying to open a new studio and has plans to open up a shelter for women. Go Anna!
I also loved that I still have NO CLUE who the Killer could be. I don’t trust any of the characters! None of them! As soon as I think I’ve got it figured out another character does something borderline creepy and I’m like “ohh. It could be him!”
Anyway, if you like whodunit books, this book is short, sweet, and to the point. I think you’ll enjoy!
The Grind is the second book in the Darling Killer Trilogy. This review will contain spoilers about the previous book.
When we last left Anna, she had put Grant in a coma after being attacked, been suspended from her job for breaking confidentiality on a patient that was highly suspicious, and became leader of her burlesque troupe. The police want to believe that Grant was the Darling Killer, but Anna has her doubts.
But the show must go on and the troupe is set to start performing again, sans Anna because she can’t anymore, it’s no longer the fun escape that it used to be. Opening night is amazing, everything goes off without a hitch, until Anna received a disturbing phone call, Grant has died from his head injury but the cops were never able to question him.
Her fears are increased when one of her troupe members is attacked (but left alive!) and painted with a message “Keep performing and they live.” Listening to advice of the Detectives, the troupe cancels their next performance, and this causes the Darling Killer to react. Anna is forced to start performing again, to protect the members of her troupe.
I liked this book just as much as the first one. Anna is a very strong woman for all she’s been through. She manages to keep going every day and she constantly worries about the safety of her family and friends. She’s tried hard to not let the killer win, she continues to do the things she loves. I admire that in a character.
The book also highlights her PTSD, which I loved. So many times in books a character goes through a traumatic experience and the effects of it are afterthoughts or not accurately described at all (this happens a lot in YA books, mental illness isn’t always described correctly or well. It is a pet peeve of mine). You really feel Anna’s anxiety and helplessness. Honestly, if I were in Anna’s position I’d probably be scared to death to ever leave my house and she is trying to open a new studio and has plans to open up a shelter for women. Go Anna!
I also loved that I still have NO CLUE who the Killer could be. I don’t trust any of the characters! None of them! As soon as I think I’ve got it figured out another character does something borderline creepy and I’m like “ohh. It could be him!”
Anyway, if you like whodunit books, this book is short, sweet, and to the point. I think you’ll enjoy!
December 18, 2014
Wow! What a thriller. The pace is fast and keeps going right up to the end. The Grind kept me up late. I can't wait until the next book.
Anna Zendel, the main character in the book, was a burlesque dancer and therapist in the first book in The Darling Killer series. In book 2, she is waiting to see if she will be allowed to practice therapy again and is working as coordinator/leader for the burlesque troupe, but not performing herself. The Darling Killer takes exception to that and starts to kill again with the admonition, "Keep performing and they live."
And to amp up the suspense factor, "Anna’s stage training and psychological savvy arm her for another deadly dance, but a series of sinister accidents threaten the survival of everyone she loves while a killer watches her from the wings."
So, Anna is fighting evil on 2 fronts, and she does so marvelously. She is a very human protagonist. Suffering from PTSD as a result of an attack in book one, she still manages to pull it together when it really counts. Some of the other characters are well developed while others are shallow. The shallow ones serve a purpose as well. They're important because of their reactions to what's going on around them which helps further characterize the others and move the plot forward.
The suspense is well done right up to the end. Seriously I can't wait for the third book in this trilogy. I want to know what happens next. I don't want to detail what I want to know next because it would give away spoilers.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is well written and fulfills its description of a suspense/thriller title. It's a hard book to put down.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Anna Zendel, the main character in the book, was a burlesque dancer and therapist in the first book in The Darling Killer series. In book 2, she is waiting to see if she will be allowed to practice therapy again and is working as coordinator/leader for the burlesque troupe, but not performing herself. The Darling Killer takes exception to that and starts to kill again with the admonition, "Keep performing and they live."
And to amp up the suspense factor, "Anna’s stage training and psychological savvy arm her for another deadly dance, but a series of sinister accidents threaten the survival of everyone she loves while a killer watches her from the wings."
So, Anna is fighting evil on 2 fronts, and she does so marvelously. She is a very human protagonist. Suffering from PTSD as a result of an attack in book one, she still manages to pull it together when it really counts. Some of the other characters are well developed while others are shallow. The shallow ones serve a purpose as well. They're important because of their reactions to what's going on around them which helps further characterize the others and move the plot forward.
The suspense is well done right up to the end. Seriously I can't wait for the third book in this trilogy. I want to know what happens next. I don't want to detail what I want to know next because it would give away spoilers.
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. It is well written and fulfills its description of a suspense/thriller title. It's a hard book to put down.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 1, 2015
The Grind is the sequel to The Tease, the first book in Nikki M. Pill's self-published Darling Killer mystery/crime series, where a serial killer is after Velvet, a therapist/burlesque dancer, killing women in her troupe and life in general.
After surviving the first round of attacks, thinking she actually killed the killer, Velvet is now her troupe's leader, and has big dreams for the future. Unfortunately for her, the Darling Killer isn't quite done yet, and now he's becoming increasingly unpredictable. His only demand is that she performs, but both her and the other performers don't seem to have in them anymore, particularly when he's still killing regardless of whether they do or not.
To be completely honest, and as unfair as I'm sure it is for Nikki's work, I did not manage to connect with this book. It might have been my own fault, or the fact that it's been so long since I've read The Tease, but I just couldn't manage it. To me, it felt like a typical second book in a trilogy, where the plot sounds more like filler than anuthing else. In fact, I felt like this book was more about Anna and the troupe than the mystery itself, and it just had too much outside noise.
And while I aplaud the fact that Nikki managed to end the book in a better place than it started - somewhat of a miracle - I felt like the main story didn't quite move foward at all, and these girls aren't any close to finally finding peace.
After surviving the first round of attacks, thinking she actually killed the killer, Velvet is now her troupe's leader, and has big dreams for the future. Unfortunately for her, the Darling Killer isn't quite done yet, and now he's becoming increasingly unpredictable. His only demand is that she performs, but both her and the other performers don't seem to have in them anymore, particularly when he's still killing regardless of whether they do or not.
To be completely honest, and as unfair as I'm sure it is for Nikki's work, I did not manage to connect with this book. It might have been my own fault, or the fact that it's been so long since I've read The Tease, but I just couldn't manage it. To me, it felt like a typical second book in a trilogy, where the plot sounds more like filler than anuthing else. In fact, I felt like this book was more about Anna and the troupe than the mystery itself, and it just had too much outside noise.
And while I aplaud the fact that Nikki managed to end the book in a better place than it started - somewhat of a miracle - I felt like the main story didn't quite move foward at all, and these girls aren't any close to finally finding peace.
December 28, 2014
Enjoyed the suspense a lot! Can't wait for the final installation!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews