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Pretty Girls Dancing
Years ago, in the town of Saxon Falls, young Kelsey Willard disappeared and was presumed dead. The tragedy left her family with a fractured life—a mother out to numb the pain, a father losing a battle with his own private demons, and a sister desperate for closure. But now another teenage girl has gone missing. It’s ripping open old wounds for the Willards, dragging them back into a painful past, and leaving them unprepared for where it will take them next.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Foster has stumbled on uncanny parallels in the lives of the two missing girls that could unlock clues to a serial killer’s identity. That means breaking down the walls of the Willards’ long-guarded secrets and getting to a truth that is darker than he bargained for. Now, to rescue one missing girl, he must first solve the riddles that disappeared with Kelsey Willard herself. Dead or alive, she is his last hope.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Foster has stumbled on uncanny parallels in the lives of the two missing girls that could unlock clues to a serial killer’s identity. That means breaking down the walls of the Willards’ long-guarded secrets and getting to a truth that is darker than he bargained for. Now, to rescue one missing girl, he must first solve the riddles that disappeared with Kelsey Willard herself. Dead or alive, she is his last hope.
370 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 2018
7607 people are currently reading
16021 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Brant
82 books639 followersThe mother of five children, Kylie Brant claims she began writing to save her sanity. Plotting stories became her method of escape from the reality of constant ball games, chauffeuring kids, and refereeing "minor" disagreements between her perfect offspring.
In 1992 she was elated to get a call from Silhouette offering to buy her second novel. Home with laryngitis at the time, she still managed to croak out agreement, and her career was born. A few months later she went on to sell Rancher's Choice, the first manuscript she’d written.
Kylie is married to her high school sweetheart, and they make their home in Iowa. She insists that all her heroes are based on her husband of 23 years because he possesses that most heroic of make qualities — ironing skills. Those abilities come in handy, as she juggles a full time teaching job with writing and a family.
Doing things the easy way has never held much appeal for this multi award-winning author. She graduated with high honors from the University of Northern Iowa. A graduation photo shows her in cap and gown holding her two sons, one aged 16 months and the other three weeks. She went on to obtain a teaching job working with learning-disabled children while completing her master’s degree at night and during summers.
"There was a time in my life when I could imagine myself as a life-long student," she recalls. "I actually toyed with the idea of pursuing a doctorate. But instead, my life took a spin and I ended up writing romances. I’ve never regretted it!" Her family has since been completed by the birth of another son and a set of twins, a boy and a girl.
Kylie’s books are regularly featured on bestseller lists such as Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Bookseller. With over a million copies of books in print, her novels have been distributed in 20 countries and released in seven languages.
Family and friends are the main focus of Kylie’s life. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading and flower gardening. She loves traveling, preferring beach, ocean, and room service.
In 1992 she was elated to get a call from Silhouette offering to buy her second novel. Home with laryngitis at the time, she still managed to croak out agreement, and her career was born. A few months later she went on to sell Rancher's Choice, the first manuscript she’d written.
Kylie is married to her high school sweetheart, and they make their home in Iowa. She insists that all her heroes are based on her husband of 23 years because he possesses that most heroic of make qualities — ironing skills. Those abilities come in handy, as she juggles a full time teaching job with writing and a family.
Doing things the easy way has never held much appeal for this multi award-winning author. She graduated with high honors from the University of Northern Iowa. A graduation photo shows her in cap and gown holding her two sons, one aged 16 months and the other three weeks. She went on to obtain a teaching job working with learning-disabled children while completing her master’s degree at night and during summers.
"There was a time in my life when I could imagine myself as a life-long student," she recalls. "I actually toyed with the idea of pursuing a doctorate. But instead, my life took a spin and I ended up writing romances. I’ve never regretted it!" Her family has since been completed by the birth of another son and a set of twins, a boy and a girl.
Kylie’s books are regularly featured on bestseller lists such as Waldenbooks and B. Dalton Bookseller. With over a million copies of books in print, her novels have been distributed in 20 countries and released in seven languages.
Family and friends are the main focus of Kylie’s life. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she enjoys reading and flower gardening. She loves traveling, preferring beach, ocean, and room service.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,419 reviews
July 31, 2021
Pretty Girls Dancing
by Kylie Brant can be classified as a mystery or suspense novel. The story is told from 5 different points of view in relatively short chapters. Seven years ago Kelsey Willard disappeared from Saxon Falls, Ohio. The family doesn’t have closure and has fragmented her parents and sister. Each is coping or not coping in their own way. When another teenage girl goes missing, the Willards are unprepared for the past to reignite and Whitney DeVries’ family goes through the experience for the first time.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mark Foster is called in and realizes there are similarities in the two cases. Can the kidnapper be identified? Will the Willards and DeVries get a resolution? Are Kelsey and Whitney alive?
While I never fully connected with several of the characters including Agent Foster, some were likeable while others were scary or unlikeable or failed to show significant character growth or depth. But what happens when people have secrets? How does that affect the investigation?
Despite the slow pace, the story line kept me interested. It is twisted, heartbreaking at times, and suspenseful with a dramatic ending. 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. I am in the minority on this rating. There are many readers who loved this novel, including readers whose opinion I respect. While the multiple viewpoints gives readers insight into more than one character, it broke up the flow for me.
Overall, this book had a great concept, but the flow and character depth didn’t work well for me. Despite this, I liked it, but it didn’t escalate to the next level for me.
I received a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Discussion Group Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Mark Foster is called in and realizes there are similarities in the two cases. Can the kidnapper be identified? Will the Willards and DeVries get a resolution? Are Kelsey and Whitney alive?
While I never fully connected with several of the characters including Agent Foster, some were likeable while others were scary or unlikeable or failed to show significant character growth or depth. But what happens when people have secrets? How does that affect the investigation?
Despite the slow pace, the story line kept me interested. It is twisted, heartbreaking at times, and suspenseful with a dramatic ending. 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars. I am in the minority on this rating. There are many readers who loved this novel, including readers whose opinion I respect. While the multiple viewpoints gives readers insight into more than one character, it broke up the flow for me.
Overall, this book had a great concept, but the flow and character depth didn’t work well for me. Despite this, I liked it, but it didn’t escalate to the next level for me.
I received a digital copy of this book in a Goodreads Discussion Group Giveaway. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
January 4, 2018
Pretty Girls Dancing was an engrossing mystery/suspense. It caught my attention right away, and held my interest all the way through. Most of the characters were flawed, but I really liked a few of them. Others, not so much. I throughly enjoyed the book and would love to see it turn into a series with Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation agent Mark Foster as the lead character.
This book opens with the abduction of a teenager, Whitney DeVries. Mark Foster is sent in to work the case of Whitney DeVries. In order to be thorough, he re-examines evidence and witnesses in the abduction of Kelsey Willard seven years earlier from a nearby town. Before long, he finds some commonalities in their cases and possible links to others that make him question whether the two kidnappings could be the work of a longtime serial killer. Kelsey's parents, Claire and David, are keeping secrets that could have hampered the investigation into her disappearance, and it looks like Whitney's father may have his own secrets. Kelsey's teenaged sister, Janie, who has long suffered from selective mutism due to social anxiety, becomes interested in the abduction of Whitney and gathers information that starts to break the case open for Mark. As the investigation deepens and secrets begin to come to light, Mark must figure out the ties between the two cases if he has a chance to save Whitney before it's too late.
This was a great suspense! I really liked the investigator, Mark Foster, kidnap victim Whitney DeVries, and the sister of another victim, Janie Willard. The storyline was fast paced and had plenty of action. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
This book opens with the abduction of a teenager, Whitney DeVries. Mark Foster is sent in to work the case of Whitney DeVries. In order to be thorough, he re-examines evidence and witnesses in the abduction of Kelsey Willard seven years earlier from a nearby town. Before long, he finds some commonalities in their cases and possible links to others that make him question whether the two kidnappings could be the work of a longtime serial killer. Kelsey's parents, Claire and David, are keeping secrets that could have hampered the investigation into her disappearance, and it looks like Whitney's father may have his own secrets. Kelsey's teenaged sister, Janie, who has long suffered from selective mutism due to social anxiety, becomes interested in the abduction of Whitney and gathers information that starts to break the case open for Mark. As the investigation deepens and secrets begin to come to light, Mark must figure out the ties between the two cases if he has a chance to save Whitney before it's too late.
This was a great suspense! I really liked the investigator, Mark Foster, kidnap victim Whitney DeVries, and the sister of another victim, Janie Willard. The storyline was fast paced and had plenty of action. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest review.
February 24, 2018
2.5 wish it could have been better stars.
Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. While its premise was good, that of a kidnapper/murderer/psychopath taking girls who were into ballet, the execution of this story was dull and at times haphazard.
The book was presented by contrasting, in alternate chapters a family who lost their daughter seven years ago, not yet found, and a family just twelve miles away who have just lost their daughter. The chapters are presented in alternate voices and details which connect the families, their secrets, and their present day lives. The police are convinced that this crime has been committed by a person who has taken many girls over the years, some of which have been found, being dressed in tutus and ballet attire.
So, sorry to say for me the characters were flat, and what could have been an unusual topic for a thriller turned out to be just mediocre.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for a digital copy of this novel.
Unfortunately, this was not the book for me. While its premise was good, that of a kidnapper/murderer/psychopath taking girls who were into ballet, the execution of this story was dull and at times haphazard.
The book was presented by contrasting, in alternate chapters a family who lost their daughter seven years ago, not yet found, and a family just twelve miles away who have just lost their daughter. The chapters are presented in alternate voices and details which connect the families, their secrets, and their present day lives. The police are convinced that this crime has been committed by a person who has taken many girls over the years, some of which have been found, being dressed in tutus and ballet attire.
So, sorry to say for me the characters were flat, and what could have been an unusual topic for a thriller turned out to be just mediocre.
Thank you to the author, the publisher, and netgalley for a digital copy of this novel.
December 11, 2017
*I got a free copy via Amazon First Reads (if I typed the new name wrong, please let me know) *previously known as Kindle First* All my opinions are my own:).
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2.5 stars...
Decent story. It was slow-paced but still kept me interested throughout the whole thing. Janie, Mark, and Whitney were the best drawn of the characters in the story. Everyone else felt underdeveloped.
The reveal of the Perp was anti-climatic for me and felt like it came out of left field. For me, at least. I'll give the author this, it was clever but could have been better done.
Someone mentioned this a "dark thriller" Didn't it myself personally, yes it twisted in some places but it didn't feel any more so than other thrillers I've read (Maybe I just haven't read enough of em haha) *shrugs*
Recommend? Unsure, but glad I got to try this without wasting my money or gas (not meant in a bad way).
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2.5 stars...
Decent story. It was slow-paced but still kept me interested throughout the whole thing. Janie, Mark, and Whitney were the best drawn of the characters in the story. Everyone else felt underdeveloped.
The reveal of the Perp was anti-climatic for me and felt like it came out of left field. For me, at least. I'll give the author this, it was clever but could have been better done.
Someone mentioned this a "dark thriller" Didn't it myself personally, yes it twisted in some places but it didn't feel any more so than other thrillers I've read (Maybe I just haven't read enough of em haha) *shrugs*
Recommend? Unsure, but glad I got to try this without wasting my money or gas (not meant in a bad way).
January 25, 2019
Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant is a thriller that has police rushing to find another young girl that may be the latest victim of a serial killer that has spanned decades. The story is told from multiple points of view, Whitney the latest victim, the mother, father and sister of a previous victim and Special Agent Mark Foster.
Whiney DeVries is a young teen that was flattered when an attractive boy she had met briefly sent her a friend request online. Whitney found herself chatting and flirting with the boy for quite a while before the question of should they meet was approached. When they finally made plans one night at a local park Whitney’s worst nightmare happens when it isn’t the boy but a man that kidnaps her and takes her hostage.
Special Agent Mark Foster finds himself investigating this latest disappearance and putting together the pieces that lead him to believe that a previous killer may be responsible. Over the years numerous girls were taken and believed to have been kept alive for years before their bodies were eventually found. The Willard family have been holding onto hope their own daughter would be returned but it’s been years since she was abducted.
Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant was a solid thriller that was easily to become engrossed in reading after Whitney’s abduction. Instead of only following the investigative side it gives a look into what a family has gone through that have been waiting for years for answers and how they all have their own way of coping/not coping. The chapters from Whitney got increasingly more and more eerie and unsettling as her situation is described. I wouldn’t say the wrap up with this one was overly surprising to me but still a good read overall.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Whiney DeVries is a young teen that was flattered when an attractive boy she had met briefly sent her a friend request online. Whitney found herself chatting and flirting with the boy for quite a while before the question of should they meet was approached. When they finally made plans one night at a local park Whitney’s worst nightmare happens when it isn’t the boy but a man that kidnaps her and takes her hostage.
Special Agent Mark Foster finds himself investigating this latest disappearance and putting together the pieces that lead him to believe that a previous killer may be responsible. Over the years numerous girls were taken and believed to have been kept alive for years before their bodies were eventually found. The Willard family have been holding onto hope their own daughter would be returned but it’s been years since she was abducted.
Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant was a solid thriller that was easily to become engrossed in reading after Whitney’s abduction. Instead of only following the investigative side it gives a look into what a family has gone through that have been waiting for years for answers and how they all have their own way of coping/not coping. The chapters from Whitney got increasingly more and more eerie and unsettling as her situation is described. I wouldn’t say the wrap up with this one was overly surprising to me but still a good read overall.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
January 11, 2018
I received a free e-copy of Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant from NetGalley for my honest review. This is an A++ Suspense novel. This book hooks you in from the first couple pages. This is a story of a young girl, Whitney, who was kidnapped 7 years ago and her body has still not been found. Now 7 years later, another girl, Kelsey is missing. The police believe both girls were taken by the Ten Mile Killer. This is a very tragic story that will pull on your heart strings, especially if you have children yourself. This novel was written with great characters and I thoroughly enjoyed how each character had their own version of what happened, truths, lies, secrets, etc. You get to hear how each character was affected by the kidnappings. Everyone has secrets!
January 5, 2018
Many years ago a young girl disappeared and even though a body was never found, she was presumed dead. Now another young girl has gone missing and the way to solve this case may be to take another look at the first case, opening up old wounds ... and finding secrets that have never been revealed.
Told in various voices of a broken mother, a guilt-ridden father, the sister who has never stopped hoping, the victim, and the detective who must expose the secrets and lies inn order to find a killer.
Kylie Brant is a well-known author who has never failed in well-written stories with convincible, engaging characters. This crime fiction's story line is crisp and riveting.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
Told in various voices of a broken mother, a guilt-ridden father, the sister who has never stopped hoping, the victim, and the detective who must expose the secrets and lies inn order to find a killer.
Kylie Brant is a well-known author who has never failed in well-written stories with convincible, engaging characters. This crime fiction's story line is crisp and riveting.
Many thanks to the author / Thomas & Mercer / Netgalley for the digital copy. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 11, 2018
Not a bad read... for years girls have gone missing and then located dressed as ballerinas-their bodies posed like dancers. For seven years Janie Willard has lived through the hell of her sister being taken and never found. Her parents have drifted and she has a social anxiety that her sister’s disappearance didn’t help. When another young girl is kidnapped the last seven years come hurling back towards the Willard family only to rip and tear at them like a shark attack on the innocent. The ending will leave you stunned... I never figured who the killer was... I kept guessing and the reveal completely took me by surprise.
March 6, 2018
I just finished Kylie Brant’s, “Pretty Girls Dancing” and even though the book managed to keep me guessing until the end, it had so many silly and weird plot twists I wouldn’t recommend reading it. “Pretty Girls fails primarily because its villain is a madman who kidnaps teenage girls and then forces them while in captivity to dance and train all day in order to make them a more disciplined and better person. If you wonder why I thought the novel was just average read the previous sentence again!!!. Besides the very strange central character, the story gets bogged down with various conflicts between the rest of the characters which leaves the reader guessing as to why the author would have characters lying to the police and other unexplained actions without explaining why. The author does write well at times but I found I was just wanting a resolution on the main story and for the novel to end. Maybe her other novels have a villain who is a little more intimidating than this dance instructor from hell which might make the novel go from strange to suspenseful. Until then ...⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 4, 2018
3 Stars for Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant. This mystery details the recent kidnapping of a teenager named Whitney, as well as the kidnapping of teen Kelsey that occurred seven years ago. The two kidnappings may or may not be the work of a serial killer that has never been identified. The book alternates between the point of view of Kelsey’s family members and the law enforcement officer in charge of the case. Brant creates very sympathetic characters in Janie and Claire, the younger sister and mother of Kelsey. Claire uses coping mechanisms that are nothing short of self-destructive and Janie becomes the parent in this relationship.
Brant writes a compelling mystery though the story does begin to drag a bit around the 70% mark. However, the ending of the book came as a total surprise, which to me, is the sign of a worthy whodunnit.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Kylie Brant for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review
Brant writes a compelling mystery though the story does begin to drag a bit around the 70% mark. However, the ending of the book came as a total surprise, which to me, is the sign of a worthy whodunnit.
Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Kylie Brant for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review
February 18, 2018
Excellent! This is my first book by this author and I am eager to read more of her books! I found it started a little slow but as the book went on, I became more and more invested and engaged in the characters and the story. The last 70-80 pages I was on the edge of my seat! There were family secrets, betrayal and dysfunction all wrapped up in this suspenseful thriller! I highly recommend this book!
January 6, 2018
I have read a lot of dark thrillers. I couldn't put this book down. I was sad and riveted. I needed to know who was this horrible killer. This book was different because...there was no light for me at the end of this tunnel, well there was a survivor.
But what a tough look at the families of a victim. The utter nightmare that engulfs their lives. This book was very well written. This author is a talented voice in this genre. This is a book that will stay with me.
But what a tough look at the families of a victim. The utter nightmare that engulfs their lives. This book was very well written. This author is a talented voice in this genre. This is a book that will stay with me.
December 4, 2017
1.5 STARS
Whitney, a young teen is missing, reminiscent of Kelsey a girl who vanished seven years ago.
Told from the third person points of view of Kelsey’s parents and younger sister, as well as Whitney and a detective investigating both cases as linked to a serial killer, PRETTY GIRLS DANCING is a story with a great premise and lackluster execution.
Kelsey’s sister Janie, who suffered from selective mutism and extreme anxiety was the most interesting character in the story. Despite her challenges she had the most moxie and personality. The other characters felt somewhat cliché.
The story moved at a snail’s pace, lacking the tension I should have felt. PRETTY GIRLS DANCING had its share of plausible suspects, the perp proved to be the least interesting. The ending left me feeling meh.
I chose PRETTY GIRLS DANCING as my free Kindle first choice for December. It wasn’t a terrible read, just below average and forgettable.
Whitney, a young teen is missing, reminiscent of Kelsey a girl who vanished seven years ago.
Told from the third person points of view of Kelsey’s parents and younger sister, as well as Whitney and a detective investigating both cases as linked to a serial killer, PRETTY GIRLS DANCING is a story with a great premise and lackluster execution.
Kelsey’s sister Janie, who suffered from selective mutism and extreme anxiety was the most interesting character in the story. Despite her challenges she had the most moxie and personality. The other characters felt somewhat cliché.
The story moved at a snail’s pace, lacking the tension I should have felt. PRETTY GIRLS DANCING had its share of plausible suspects, the perp proved to be the least interesting. The ending left me feeling meh.
I chose PRETTY GIRLS DANCING as my free Kindle first choice for December. It wasn’t a terrible read, just below average and forgettable.
July 4, 2022
Audio - 5 stars
Story - 3.75 Stars
Story - 3.75 Stars
January 12, 2018
This is so bad and bland and poorly constructed, when you find out whodunnit, you're like...who? Because the big reveal ends up revealing a person who has a handful of pages of dialogue and a boring name that sounds like every other male name in the book. Thank crap I read this on kindle and could later go back and search the name because I literally did not remember him ever coming up. And when I went back to check it out, I didn't remember the conversation/part of the book at all. And when I re-read all of it to kickstart my memory, I was like...him?
Seriously words don't describe how disappointing this book is. You see murder and ballet in the description and it's everything you can hope for and dream of, but it ends up being very little of both mixed in with a whole lot of blah.
Seriously words don't describe how disappointing this book is. You see murder and ballet in the description and it's everything you can hope for and dream of, but it ends up being very little of both mixed in with a whole lot of blah.
January 1, 2018
A sub-par, slow burn crime procedural that fails to deliver a compelling, twisted thriller as it is marketed as. However, for what the story was, it kept my attention , which is definitely a plus in my book.
June 2, 2018
Pretty Girls Dancing was such a good audio book! Although towards the end when I got home I definitely switched to my kindle so I could read it. It had a ton of POV's and I definitely kept losing my place on who was speaking.
Now the mystery throughout the book was so good! I kind of liked almost every character but I mostly just felt bad for them. Bad for Kelsey who disappeared a while ago. Her family has been broken before this event but it hasn't gotten better after either. I absolutely hated her dad because he didn't act like a father to his other kid or a husband to his wife. No, he was cheating on her for a while and of course Kelsey caught him in the act. Which again, made me suspect soooooo many people in this book because of so many little things or how the acted. Well, I never suspected the one person who did it though. Which means I would be a terrible detective.
Other than her dad, she had her sister and her mom. Her sister, Janie was okay - but really nothing spectacular. Then there's her mom and I just felt so bad for her. The ending made me so proud of her because she finally opened her eyes and saw what her "husband" was doing. I WAS SO PROUD!
Okay, besides Kelsey there was another victim Whitney. Once she was missing, Kelsey's cold case was reopened because everything kind of seemed to be the same MO. I liked Whitney a lot because she didn't give up on fighting for her life. Not saying Kelsey did.. but I didn't really get a lot from her POV.
Overall, this book was interesting and kept me on my toes. I was a little bored in some parts and I honestly wanted to skip so much of David's parts because I hated him. I will definitely be looking into another book by this author.
Now the mystery throughout the book was so good! I kind of liked almost every character but I mostly just felt bad for them. Bad for Kelsey who disappeared a while ago. Her family has been broken before this event but it hasn't gotten better after either. I absolutely hated her dad because he didn't act like a father to his other kid or a husband to his wife. No, he was cheating on her for a while and of course Kelsey caught him in the act. Which again, made me suspect soooooo many people in this book because of so many little things or how the acted. Well, I never suspected the one person who did it though. Which means I would be a terrible detective.
Other than her dad, she had her sister and her mom. Her sister, Janie was okay - but really nothing spectacular. Then there's her mom and I just felt so bad for her. The ending made me so proud of her because she finally opened her eyes and saw what her "husband" was doing. I WAS SO PROUD!
Okay, besides Kelsey there was another victim Whitney. Once she was missing, Kelsey's cold case was reopened because everything kind of seemed to be the same MO. I liked Whitney a lot because she didn't give up on fighting for her life. Not saying Kelsey did.. but I didn't really get a lot from her POV.
Overall, this book was interesting and kept me on my toes. I was a little bored in some parts and I honestly wanted to skip so much of David's parts because I hated him. I will definitely be looking into another book by this author.
January 26, 2018
Blah. It took me entirely too long to get through this but I just could not get into it! I thought the ideas for this book were great, I personally would have just liked to have seen them executed in a different way. This book is definitely your standard run of the mill find the serial killer thriller but I felt it was lacking some twists and turns up until the end.
One thing I really loved about this was the character of Janie Willard. I thought she was fascinating and really enjoyed her character overall and the struggles she faced losing her sister and with her anxiety problems.
Overall, I felt this book was okay which was a disappointment because the blurb got me super pumped about it but in the end I was let down. I definitely would like to give another book by this author a try and see how I like it though!
One thing I really loved about this was the character of Janie Willard. I thought she was fascinating and really enjoyed her character overall and the struggles she faced losing her sister and with her anxiety problems.
Overall, I felt this book was okay which was a disappointment because the blurb got me super pumped about it but in the end I was let down. I definitely would like to give another book by this author a try and see how I like it though!
December 2, 2017
A psychological look into the lives of 5 people effected by a serial killer.
When an already imperfect family suffers a devastating loss it shatters their foundation and causes irreparable damage. The mother, Claire Willard, a mental mess since her daughter Kelsey was taken 7 years ago. The younger sister, Janie who before her sister was taken suffered from a social anxiety and has struggled to keep her head above water even more since she went missing. And the father, David Willard who is rife with guilt over something from the past.
Mark Foster is a Special Agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, investigating the latest disappearance. He is also a father and husband whose dedication to his job with the Ohio BCI puts his marriage on the line.
Whitney DeVries, is the latest victim taken by the Ten Mile Killer. She struggles to stay alive through his sick twisted games and gains strength from personal notes she is finding in her prison from the last girl that was there – Kelsey Willard.
This was not a pretty story and for the most part is depressing. The human mind is such a fragile thing and once a crack forms it can bring even the toughest to their knees, and if they don't have the will to fight, can destroy them.
When an already imperfect family suffers a devastating loss it shatters their foundation and causes irreparable damage. The mother, Claire Willard, a mental mess since her daughter Kelsey was taken 7 years ago. The younger sister, Janie who before her sister was taken suffered from a social anxiety and has struggled to keep her head above water even more since she went missing. And the father, David Willard who is rife with guilt over something from the past.
Mark Foster is a Special Agent with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations, investigating the latest disappearance. He is also a father and husband whose dedication to his job with the Ohio BCI puts his marriage on the line.
Whitney DeVries, is the latest victim taken by the Ten Mile Killer. She struggles to stay alive through his sick twisted games and gains strength from personal notes she is finding in her prison from the last girl that was there – Kelsey Willard.
This was not a pretty story and for the most part is depressing. The human mind is such a fragile thing and once a crack forms it can bring even the toughest to their knees, and if they don't have the will to fight, can destroy them.
September 18, 2017
Hold on to your hats, Mystery Readers. People who like creepy and suspense, you might want to, too. Kylie Brant weaves an intricate plot, in which she tries something out of the norm from her other thrillers. Labeling several POV characters, throughout Pretty Girls Dancing, she lets you into their lives with deep point of view writing, which after only a few pages, I could not put down. By the time I finished this book, I could have sworn these people were real.
Ms. Brant writes superb teenage characters and if you like YA, you will be drawn in as well. She creates an unlikely cast of down-and-out heroes you'll be following throughout the book. (Guess the teacher and mother of five knows these people.)
In Pretty Girls Dancing, no one is one hundred percent good and no one is one hundred percent bad -- well..... I don't do spoilers. But the list of suspects is long, which is why I say mystery readers will LOVE this.
I read for emotion and to see good triumph over evil. In Pretty Girls Dancing, Kylie Brant delivers. I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I gladly give it five stars for its uniqueness, scintillating writing and twists and turns I never saw coming.
Ms. Brant writes superb teenage characters and if you like YA, you will be drawn in as well. She creates an unlikely cast of down-and-out heroes you'll be following throughout the book. (Guess the teacher and mother of five knows these people.)
In Pretty Girls Dancing, no one is one hundred percent good and no one is one hundred percent bad -- well..... I don't do spoilers. But the list of suspects is long, which is why I say mystery readers will LOVE this.
I read for emotion and to see good triumph over evil. In Pretty Girls Dancing, Kylie Brant delivers. I received an advanced reader copy of this book and I gladly give it five stars for its uniqueness, scintillating writing and twists and turns I never saw coming.
June 12, 2018
When a young girl goes missing in a small Ohio town, Agent Mark Foster is put on the case. It is nearly impossible not to try to find similarities to another case of a missing girl from 7 years prior and only 12 miles away.
While this book does involve the crime itself, it also focuses on how the families of the victims are changed for the worse after such a tragedy. More of the book is devoted to the internal emotions of each family member than the actual solving of the crime. I liked this book and could appreciate that aspect of it, and perhaps because the focus was on the internal struggles of the peripheral victims, I didn't guess the killer's identity accurately. Since I was surprised, I bumped up my rating from a 3 to 4 stars.
While this book does involve the crime itself, it also focuses on how the families of the victims are changed for the worse after such a tragedy. More of the book is devoted to the internal emotions of each family member than the actual solving of the crime. I liked this book and could appreciate that aspect of it, and perhaps because the focus was on the internal struggles of the peripheral victims, I didn't guess the killer's identity accurately. Since I was surprised, I bumped up my rating from a 3 to 4 stars.
December 31, 2017
Yet another mistake from the so-called privilege of being Amazon Prime member where they present
one with horrendous book choice options and you have to rely on reviews by Amazon readers to make your horrendous choice. That's what I do each month. It's a ritual. Select something horrid that I am unable to read past the first two pages or so.
Young girls being fooled by on-line predators and sneaking out of their bedroom windows to their deaths? Not so jolly.
First New Year's Resolution - Ignore the Amazon emails insisting I select one of these monthly duds.
one with horrendous book choice options and you have to rely on reviews by Amazon readers to make your horrendous choice. That's what I do each month. It's a ritual. Select something horrid that I am unable to read past the first two pages or so.
Young girls being fooled by on-line predators and sneaking out of their bedroom windows to their deaths? Not so jolly.
First New Year's Resolution - Ignore the Amazon emails insisting I select one of these monthly duds.
September 5, 2019
I really enjoyed the last half of the book, the first half seemed to go slow.
April 7, 2018
A good thriller with some twists and turns. Written from different perspectives which I like. Worth the read!
December 25, 2017
If there was a horrible cliche to be used, this author didn't miss it.
September 2, 2019
2.5 stars. A bit cliched.
January 10, 2018
Wow, just wow. Pretty Girls Dancing was my first book by Kylie Brant. I picked it up as I'm into my mysteries at the moment and also it was on kindle unlimited. I'll be honest, more often than not with Kindle Unlimited I find I can be a bit disappointed with mystery books. I don't love books with heavy police plots and most of them are like that. Still I went into Pretty Girls Dancing with an open mind and I'm glad I did.
I read this over 3 sittings. The first 30% was a little slow for me in some ways. With a story told from multi points of view it was in that initial third we were learning those characters voices, gaining back ground information and having the story set up for us. I had concerns as this story was told from a lot of points of view. Mostly from the Willard family; Claire (The mother), David (The father) and Janie Their daughter). The Willard's lost their daughter Kelsey 7 years earlier when she was abducted but no body was ever found. The book opens with Whitney (Another voice in the story) meeting a boy. Its a nice chilling opening chapter and you know its not going to end well (That's not a spoiler I should add). Then there is Mark at the BCI who is investigating the case. So as you can see, there's a few characters there who tell this story. All different. I can't say whether I liked them or not in honesty. In the opening Claire drove me nuts. I didn't mind David and found Janie's 'disability' (Really? That's what we are calling it? Sorry I just didn't get that at all) at times hard because it meant I never got a real feel of who she is with her being so quiet and having few interactions with peers etc.
The story picks up in the middle with the investigation and secrets are prominent. Do not expect this book to give you much till the last third. Yes you can work some stuff out, but its a book that takes a lot and doesn't give you much.
The last 30% flies by, literally! There's a good buildup to the climax and I admit I had suspicions (Which I'll kind of go into in a moment) but was wrong. You will wonder who you can trust, who is lying and how reliable the accounts are you are being told. Be prepared to be led around the houses! The ending worked (To a degree) and I felt all ends were tied up, bar one.
Right, here is why after reading this book and thoroughly enjoying it I'm not giving it 5 stars. When you get the BIG reveal and find out who the 'bad person' is. I then looked at all my other personal suspects. I just didn't feel it made sense. This is hard to explain without actually saying stuff that will give away the plot. But my issue was the 'connections'. There I'll leave it at that and I hope others who have read it will know what I mean.
That aside, this is a solid 4 star read. It's on kindle unlimited so if you subscribe then its a free read. Its worth paying for though too. I would happily have paid for this book as I did get a lot of enjoyment (Plus I love a good mystery) from it. I definitely will be looking at more of Kylie's work in the future.
Review posted on http://www.readbymel.co.uk
I read this over 3 sittings. The first 30% was a little slow for me in some ways. With a story told from multi points of view it was in that initial third we were learning those characters voices, gaining back ground information and having the story set up for us. I had concerns as this story was told from a lot of points of view. Mostly from the Willard family; Claire (The mother), David (The father) and Janie Their daughter). The Willard's lost their daughter Kelsey 7 years earlier when she was abducted but no body was ever found. The book opens with Whitney (Another voice in the story) meeting a boy. Its a nice chilling opening chapter and you know its not going to end well (That's not a spoiler I should add). Then there is Mark at the BCI who is investigating the case. So as you can see, there's a few characters there who tell this story. All different. I can't say whether I liked them or not in honesty. In the opening Claire drove me nuts. I didn't mind David and found Janie's 'disability' (Really? That's what we are calling it? Sorry I just didn't get that at all) at times hard because it meant I never got a real feel of who she is with her being so quiet and having few interactions with peers etc.
The story picks up in the middle with the investigation and secrets are prominent. Do not expect this book to give you much till the last third. Yes you can work some stuff out, but its a book that takes a lot and doesn't give you much.
The last 30% flies by, literally! There's a good buildup to the climax and I admit I had suspicions (Which I'll kind of go into in a moment) but was wrong. You will wonder who you can trust, who is lying and how reliable the accounts are you are being told. Be prepared to be led around the houses! The ending worked (To a degree) and I felt all ends were tied up, bar one.
Right, here is why after reading this book and thoroughly enjoying it I'm not giving it 5 stars. When you get the BIG reveal and find out who the 'bad person' is. I then looked at all my other personal suspects. I just didn't feel it made sense. This is hard to explain without actually saying stuff that will give away the plot. But my issue was the 'connections'. There I'll leave it at that and I hope others who have read it will know what I mean.
That aside, this is a solid 4 star read. It's on kindle unlimited so if you subscribe then its a free read. Its worth paying for though too. I would happily have paid for this book as I did get a lot of enjoyment (Plus I love a good mystery) from it. I definitely will be looking at more of Kylie's work in the future.
Review posted on http://www.readbymel.co.uk
August 10, 2021
Brilliantly executed plot, hard hitting suspense, and gritty, up close, and personal character development made this book impossible to put down. Both the description and dialogue are focused, purposeful, and impactful. I was on the edge of my seat during the entire story. In my humble opinion, Brant is a master storyteller.
These characters, the situations, were heart wrenching. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew each character personally, and shared every moment of their respective journeys with them. I liked how Brant developed the character of Agent Foster, including his personal struggles along with his professional ones. Will we see him again? I hope so. I also appreciated that not every character is redeemed.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed several of Brant’s books. They’re the kind of stories I know I’ll re-read and enjoy again because of their incredible depth—they’re keepers.
These characters, the situations, were heart wrenching. By the end of the book, I felt like I knew each character personally, and shared every moment of their respective journeys with them. I liked how Brant developed the character of Agent Foster, including his personal struggles along with his professional ones. Will we see him again? I hope so. I also appreciated that not every character is redeemed.
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed several of Brant’s books. They’re the kind of stories I know I’ll re-read and enjoy again because of their incredible depth—they’re keepers.
December 13, 2022
I hate this, and I can tell it's not going to get any better. DNF @ 21%.
January 24, 2018
*Review copy via the publisher
Pretty Girls Dancing is a mystery thriller with the emphasis on mystery and told in the third-person from the viewpoint of the multiple characters.
While its a decent read, the pacing is slow and I would have liked to see more of the thriller aspect.
The characters are rather undeveloped and I don’t know them well enough to have a vested in their individual stories. Actually, I feel as though the book is more a superficial overview of a story with so much potential.
There are some surprises, but for the most part, the plot is quite predictable and I suspect the book may prove to be forgettable.
Full review: https://crushingcinders.com/pretty-gi...
Pretty Girls Dancing is a mystery thriller with the emphasis on mystery and told in the third-person from the viewpoint of the multiple characters.
While its a decent read, the pacing is slow and I would have liked to see more of the thriller aspect.
The characters are rather undeveloped and I don’t know them well enough to have a vested in their individual stories. Actually, I feel as though the book is more a superficial overview of a story with so much potential.
There are some surprises, but for the most part, the plot is quite predictable and I suspect the book may prove to be forgettable.
Full review: https://crushingcinders.com/pretty-gi...
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