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Violet Darger #1
Dead End Girl
Her body is broken. Wrapped in plastic. Dumped on the side of the road. She is the first. There will be more.
The serial killer thriller that "refuses to let go until you've read the last sentence."
The most recent body was discovered in the grease dumpster behind a Burger King. Dismembered. Shoved into two garbage bags and lowered into the murky oil.
Now rookie agent Violet Darger gets the most important assignment of her career. She travels to the Midwest to face a killer unlike anything she's seen. Aggressive. Territorial. Deranged and driven.
Another mutilated corpse was found next to a roller rink. A third in the gutter in a residential neighborhood.
These bold displays of violence shock the rural community and rattle local law enforcement.
Who could carry out such brutality? And why?
Unfortunately for Agent Darger, there's little physical evidence to work with, and the only witnesses prove to be unreliable. The case seems hopeless.
If she fails, more will die. He will kill again and again.
The victims harbor dark secrets. The clues twist and writhe and refuse to keep still. And the killer watches the investigation on the nightly news, gleeful to relive the violence, knowing that he can't be stopped.
The serial killer thriller that "refuses to let go until you've read the last sentence."
The most recent body was discovered in the grease dumpster behind a Burger King. Dismembered. Shoved into two garbage bags and lowered into the murky oil.
Now rookie agent Violet Darger gets the most important assignment of her career. She travels to the Midwest to face a killer unlike anything she's seen. Aggressive. Territorial. Deranged and driven.
Another mutilated corpse was found next to a roller rink. A third in the gutter in a residential neighborhood.
These bold displays of violence shock the rural community and rattle local law enforcement.
Who could carry out such brutality? And why?
Unfortunately for Agent Darger, there's little physical evidence to work with, and the only witnesses prove to be unreliable. The case seems hopeless.
If she fails, more will die. He will kill again and again.
The victims harbor dark secrets. The clues twist and writhe and refuse to keep still. And the killer watches the investigation on the nightly news, gleeful to relive the violence, knowing that he can't be stopped.
516 pages, Hardcover
First published April 12, 2017
21820 people are currently reading
11762 people want to read
About the author
L.T. Vargus
52 books1,101 followersLex Vargus is the co-author of over 20 thriller and horror novels.
FIND LEX ON:
Amazon - Twitter - LTVargus.com
BOOKS BY LT VARGUS
The Violet Darger series
The Victor Loshak series
The Charlotte Winters series
FIND LEX ON:
Amazon - Twitter - LTVargus.com
BOOKS BY LT VARGUS
The Violet Darger series
The Victor Loshak series
The Charlotte Winters series
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,290 reviews
August 18, 2024
Not Plausible!
True, the book contains a lot of action, but it’s at the expense of a plausible story.
Too many times does too many incidents occur that are not allowed for an FBI agent. For any police, too.
For anyone at all.
Two stars. 💫💫
True, the book contains a lot of action, but it’s at the expense of a plausible story.
Too many times does too many incidents occur that are not allowed for an FBI agent. For any police, too.
For anyone at all.
Two stars. 💫💫
July 2, 2017
Not impressed ...FYI - Spoilers!
If Violet "smirked" just once more, I swear I was going to delete the entire stupid book. Pages of crap supposedly the inner thoughts of a psycho sex killer?! NOT. The in-fighting about male territorial turf among blues and feebs? Overdone. The guilt-tripping of said LEO's? Not buying it. It was all one big screw up including the ending. NO FBI AGENT ACTS LIKE SHE DID ... running off without a word, immediately after capturing the alleged killer, ALONE? No phone? No nothing? NO WAY. From the minute Violet walked out of her hotel room, leaving an escapee alone in the room ...with her gun, laptop, case files, keys, luggage, everything??? Then, she does it AGAIN?? Dud book. Enraging at times it was so off, it insults women in law enforcement everywhere. Either know procedure better or find a new genre, Vargus.
If Violet "smirked" just once more, I swear I was going to delete the entire stupid book. Pages of crap supposedly the inner thoughts of a psycho sex killer?! NOT. The in-fighting about male territorial turf among blues and feebs? Overdone. The guilt-tripping of said LEO's? Not buying it. It was all one big screw up including the ending. NO FBI AGENT ACTS LIKE SHE DID ... running off without a word, immediately after capturing the alleged killer, ALONE? No phone? No nothing? NO WAY. From the minute Violet walked out of her hotel room, leaving an escapee alone in the room ...with her gun, laptop, case files, keys, luggage, everything??? Then, she does it AGAIN?? Dud book. Enraging at times it was so off, it insults women in law enforcement everywhere. Either know procedure better or find a new genre, Vargus.
June 30, 2021
Mundane
Book had too much minutia and boring details and really made me not want to continue. For books I dump and do t finish, I always give them a one. Sorry, I was hoping for a new series but just couldn’t get into it.
Book had too much minutia and boring details and really made me not want to continue. For books I dump and do t finish, I always give them a one. Sorry, I was hoping for a new series but just couldn’t get into it.
March 20, 2018
I am dumbfounded at how highly rated this book was. I found it to be incredibly disappointing. I don't know how anyone thinks this is a "fast paced exhilarating thriller." It was way too long and way too slow. I had to start skimming the last 100 pages. Great! They finally catch the psycho at the end who we already know who it is the whole time. I was hoping some crazy twist to prevail, guessing that maybe Detective Loshak was the killer himself and the reasoning for being so sick. What was the point of that detail to the character? Literally no surprise. You're reading 500+ pages of a cycling dragged out story. Seriously, don't waste your time! If you want a great psychological and twisted thriller read "The Girls He Adored" by Jonathan Nasaw.
May 5, 2017
Dead End Girl is a tightly woven, fast-paced, tension-laced thrill ride. How do I know? Because it's 496 pages long and it felt like reading a novella. For pretty much two days I did nothing but read this book and wish it would never end. By the end of the first chapter, Violet felt like an old friend; I just wanted to hang out and watch her solve grisly serial murders forever.
Because of the serial killer and the FBI trainee with the haunted past chasing him, the obvious comparison is Silence of the Lambs—and don't get me wrong, if you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl. But with the story taking an active interest in Violet Darger's life outside of the case, Dead End Girl—and likely all of the Violet Darger series—will also be a favorite among lovers of J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniels mysteries. At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves.
Because blood and gore are great, and tracking down sickos is fun, but the living aren't the only characters who haunt the pages of Dead End Girl—the victims come to life, too. The authors have presented us with people, not Doll Parts, individuals who had names, families, flaws, senses of humor, and dreams before death turned them into front page fodder, clickbait, and short appositives that left more room for sensationalizing their grisly end. At its heart, that's what Dead End Girl is all about—forcing us to reevaluate our own voyeuristic interest in death, as well as the snap judgments about people that we make every day.
Dead End Girl is an intriguing and entertaining start to what I hope is a long, long run of Violet Darger novels. If the whole series was available today, I'd buy them all and binge-read them straight through, but since it's not, I'm waiting on the edge of my favorite reading chair for the next one. If you love the serial killer genre, then this is a must-read for you.
Because of the serial killer and the FBI trainee with the haunted past chasing him, the obvious comparison is Silence of the Lambs—and don't get me wrong, if you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl. But with the story taking an active interest in Violet Darger's life outside of the case, Dead End Girl—and likely all of the Violet Darger series—will also be a favorite among lovers of J.A. Konrath's Jack Daniels mysteries. At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves.
Because blood and gore are great, and tracking down sickos is fun, but the living aren't the only characters who haunt the pages of Dead End Girl—the victims come to life, too. The authors have presented us with people, not Doll Parts, individuals who had names, families, flaws, senses of humor, and dreams before death turned them into front page fodder, clickbait, and short appositives that left more room for sensationalizing their grisly end. At its heart, that's what Dead End Girl is all about—forcing us to reevaluate our own voyeuristic interest in death, as well as the snap judgments about people that we make every day.
Dead End Girl is an intriguing and entertaining start to what I hope is a long, long run of Violet Darger novels. If the whole series was available today, I'd buy them all and binge-read them straight through, but since it's not, I'm waiting on the edge of my favorite reading chair for the next one. If you love the serial killer genre, then this is a must-read for you.
Read
July 14, 2025I tried.
This has to be the most unthrilling thriller I've attempted to read in a while. It's about a rookie agent who always wanted to be an FBI profiler but instead spends her days doing paperwork. She gets called in on a serial killer case because the agent in charge appears to be sleepwalking his way through the job. So, she's basically his babysitter, I guess. Anyhow, it stars out when a dead woman is found in a grease dumpster and off we go.
From there, we learn every detail about everyone who has any slight moment in the story. The boring-est of boring details. What they're eating, wearing even sometimes how they're pooping. And what they ate to cause such a mess of a poop. I wish I were kidding. Agent Violet Darger does her best but let me tell you, her best is not very good and I kinda see why she was stuck doing paperwork. At one point, she drinks with a witness and then shares a hotel room with this witness and leaves her stuff lying around all willy nilly as she's passed out. Her cash. Her keys. Her badge. Her gun? I mean, COME ON. When she awakens from her stupor she realizes, oops, my car is gone and so is all my money. My bad🫣 She is a tragic case of a TSTL character, if I ever met one. She gave me some major secondhand embarrassment.
And the killer is so cliche that even he admits his backstory is a cliche story. He hates women because mama was cruel and abusive and hit him with a coat hanger. Dude, can we get some therapy to deal with these mommy issues?
It's soon after that, at about the 34% mark, that I had to DNF this one. The 34% I read was dreadful. I’ll ask my friends how it ends, if they manage to finish.
This has to be the most unthrilling thriller I've attempted to read in a while. It's about a rookie agent who always wanted to be an FBI profiler but instead spends her days doing paperwork. She gets called in on a serial killer case because the agent in charge appears to be sleepwalking his way through the job. So, she's basically his babysitter, I guess. Anyhow, it stars out when a dead woman is found in a grease dumpster and off we go.
From there, we learn every detail about everyone who has any slight moment in the story. The boring-est of boring details. What they're eating, wearing even sometimes how they're pooping. And what they ate to cause such a mess of a poop. I wish I were kidding. Agent Violet Darger does her best but let me tell you, her best is not very good and I kinda see why she was stuck doing paperwork. At one point, she drinks with a witness and then shares a hotel room with this witness and leaves her stuff lying around all willy nilly as she's passed out. Her cash. Her keys. Her badge. Her gun? I mean, COME ON. When she awakens from her stupor she realizes, oops, my car is gone and so is all my money. My bad🫣 She is a tragic case of a TSTL character, if I ever met one. She gave me some major secondhand embarrassment.
And the killer is so cliche that even he admits his backstory is a cliche story. He hates women because mama was cruel and abusive and hit him with a coat hanger. Dude, can we get some therapy to deal with these mommy issues?
It's soon after that, at about the 34% mark, that I had to DNF this one. The 34% I read was dreadful. I’ll ask my friends how it ends, if they manage to finish.
Read
June 21, 2017DNF
About 25% or so I decided it was time to put this book down and walk away. It was so slow moving, other than the gore there wasn't much to keep my attention.
From all the high ratings, maybe it got better. I'll never know. I did skim to the end and read the last 10%, just so I could find out the who done it aspect.
About 25% or so I decided it was time to put this book down and walk away. It was so slow moving, other than the gore there wasn't much to keep my attention.
From all the high ratings, maybe it got better. I'll never know. I did skim to the end and read the last 10%, just so I could find out the who done it aspect.
June 7, 2017
Who doesn't like a fast paced suspense novel? You know, something that just grabs you from the beginning and won't let go. Well the answer is obviously these authors.
This book was just way too long. About 200 pages too long to be more precise. There was no fast pace and there were way too many times that I said out loud "I just can't read this anymore." Look, I understand the need to be descriptive in psychological thrillers, but describing every bite of a sandwich, every smell in the air and every god knows what minuscule little unnecessary detail is just too much. This just drug on WAY TO LONG. And then......as you would suspect......boom, here's the ending, that's it, nothing more. All that droaning on and on and then the authors finally figured out how to fast pace a book.
So here's the thing. The book (after cutting out 200 pages of irrelevant material) is actually good. Great story line, likable characters, interesting plot, all the makings of a Patterson-esque series. I can only hope that the follow ups to the Violet Darger series undergo some serious editing before publication, otherwise the character will die of boredom before even getting to the plot.
This book was just way too long. About 200 pages too long to be more precise. There was no fast pace and there were way too many times that I said out loud "I just can't read this anymore." Look, I understand the need to be descriptive in psychological thrillers, but describing every bite of a sandwich, every smell in the air and every god knows what minuscule little unnecessary detail is just too much. This just drug on WAY TO LONG. And then......as you would suspect......boom, here's the ending, that's it, nothing more. All that droaning on and on and then the authors finally figured out how to fast pace a book.
So here's the thing. The book (after cutting out 200 pages of irrelevant material) is actually good. Great story line, likable characters, interesting plot, all the makings of a Patterson-esque series. I can only hope that the follow ups to the Violet Darger series undergo some serious editing before publication, otherwise the character will die of boredom before even getting to the plot.
May 16, 2021
Slow, overly detailed, and just boring; this book was extremely disappointing. Dead End Girl was the first book I've read of L.T. Vargus and Tim McBain's and it might be my last. I found myself skimming through paragraphs because of irrelevant details that had no significance to the story itself.
However, the biggest issue I had with this book was how the authors presented the main character, Violet Darger. On every page that mentioned Violet, the authors would switch between her first and last name. In one sentence they would address her as Violet and in the very next Darger. At first, I thought that it was a third person involved in the conversation, but nope... just the authors' switching back and forth on her name.
If you are looking for a suspenseful thriller, don't look to this book. I would not recommend it to anyone unless you are wanting to be tortured and bored.
However, the biggest issue I had with this book was how the authors presented the main character, Violet Darger. On every page that mentioned Violet, the authors would switch between her first and last name. In one sentence they would address her as Violet and in the very next Darger. At first, I thought that it was a third person involved in the conversation, but nope... just the authors' switching back and forth on her name.
If you are looking for a suspenseful thriller, don't look to this book. I would not recommend it to anyone unless you are wanting to be tortured and bored.
May 26, 2017
Very ok
This book wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I felt no affinity for any of the characters, especially Violet. She annoyed me and seemed way too naive to be an FBI agent. Then there was the over explanation of every little thing. Many times I wanted the story to move along already. It's like, ok I get it, he's sad. All-in-all, if you're looking for a good series go with John Sanford or Mo Hayder.
This book wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. I felt no affinity for any of the characters, especially Violet. She annoyed me and seemed way too naive to be an FBI agent. Then there was the over explanation of every little thing. Many times I wanted the story to move along already. It's like, ok I get it, he's sad. All-in-all, if you're looking for a good series go with John Sanford or Mo Hayder.
November 19, 2018
Wow, what a long rollercoaster ride! The book started off full of excitement, tension and mystery but then slows down. A chapter or two later it becomes a page turner again then slows down. It appears the author is attempting to stretch out the story. There were 119 chapters one third of them were slow and looong two thirds were fast reading and exciting.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. The story was enjoyable and creative.
All in all, I enjoyed the book. The story was enjoyable and creative.
March 29, 2018
This is one of the best Thrillers i have read recently there has been so many I will have to give this book 5 stars it was a page turner grab it if you want a good grizzly story about a very sick serial Killer
he really takes the cake this guy pleased this is only fiction
we wouldn't want sickos like him in society
he really takes the cake this guy pleased this is only fiction
we wouldn't want sickos like him in society
December 29, 2022
A serial killer has struck for the third time in Athens, Ohio and the FBI sends in it’s most talented profiler, Agent Violet Darger. Although still a novice, Darger’s boss also sends her to Ohio to “babysit” the vet agent heading the investigation. Although he wrote a book about serial murderers, apparently Agent Loshak is a slacker when it comes to paperwork and communication. When Darger arrives, she brings attitude and a haunted past. She also has the tendency to cause colossal eye-rolling screw-ups that make you yell at the book.
The book is not original in plot or character, but it was still engaging. There are some twists tossed in but it’s a familiar storyline: agent profiles and tracks killer, local law is not exactly thrilled but they cooperate, killer is introduced and is creepy, chemical reaction between agent and hot detective, agent screws up, vet agent steps in to save investigation (ask me how mad I was when that occurred), killer gets desperate, red herrings and more red herrings, agent faces off with killer…nothing new.
Except, while the authors have made Darger a hardass, they have also given her a soft side, one that is compassionate and sympathetic towards the victims. Sometimes it was a bit overboard on the heart of gold but it was nice to read about a hardass with a heart. I liked her relationship with the hot Detective Luck and his Luckmobile; sufficiently prickly and sexy. The killer is definitely broken and irredeemable, his narrative is in present tense, and I wouldn’t want to be his neighbor.
But, I have to be honest, while I really liked the book there were some elements that drove me crazy. The authors truly did not have to tell me every single move a character made to get from their car to the hotel room or narrate every detail involved in the singular task of opening a laptop or, worse, describe the nuances of a cop taking a stinky dump in a gas station bathroom. Twice. I was extremely annoyed vet Agent Loshak was missing for about 99% of the investigation but when Darger is duped, almost derailing the investigation, he shows up to finally do his job and “save” her butt. (A low point in the book, in my book.) And, I’ve got to know, are there ANY FBI/cop/mystery novels out there where the MALE protagonist forgets his cell, in a huff mind you, to go out and impulsively chase the bad guy?? And towards the end, I did find myself skimming over the killer's lengthy inner conversations with himself about how screwed up he is. Trust me, we caught on about 400 pages ago.
Anyhow, I do like Agent Violet Darger, there is something engaging about her and will pick up the next book in the series. Maybe she’ll remember her cell phone next time.
The book is not original in plot or character, but it was still engaging. There are some twists tossed in but it’s a familiar storyline: agent profiles and tracks killer, local law is not exactly thrilled but they cooperate, killer is introduced and is creepy, chemical reaction between agent and hot detective, agent screws up, vet agent steps in to save investigation (ask me how mad I was when that occurred), killer gets desperate, red herrings and more red herrings, agent faces off with killer…nothing new.
Except, while the authors have made Darger a hardass, they have also given her a soft side, one that is compassionate and sympathetic towards the victims. Sometimes it was a bit overboard on the heart of gold but it was nice to read about a hardass with a heart. I liked her relationship with the hot Detective Luck and his Luckmobile; sufficiently prickly and sexy. The killer is definitely broken and irredeemable, his narrative is in present tense, and I wouldn’t want to be his neighbor.
But, I have to be honest, while I really liked the book there were some elements that drove me crazy. The authors truly did not have to tell me every single move a character made to get from their car to the hotel room or narrate every detail involved in the singular task of opening a laptop or, worse, describe the nuances of a cop taking a stinky dump in a gas station bathroom. Twice. I was extremely annoyed vet Agent Loshak was missing for about 99% of the investigation but when Darger is duped, almost derailing the investigation, he shows up to finally do his job and “save” her butt. (A low point in the book, in my book.) And, I’ve got to know, are there ANY FBI/cop/mystery novels out there where the MALE protagonist forgets his cell, in a huff mind you, to go out and impulsively chase the bad guy?? And towards the end, I did find myself skimming over the killer's lengthy inner conversations with himself about how screwed up he is. Trust me, we caught on about 400 pages ago.
Anyhow, I do like Agent Violet Darger, there is something engaging about her and will pick up the next book in the series. Maybe she’ll remember her cell phone next time.
April 30, 2017
Violet Darger if you glance at it quickly looks like Violent Danger, hmm?
This was really good. The closer I got to the ending the harder this was to put down! I don't usually seek out serial killer type books because they can be so over-the-top disturbing. This one definitely had some gruesome stuff but it was well written & stopped the descriptions at just the right point in my opinion.
The main character was like-able, a bit flawed for sure, but in a realistic way. I’m looking forward to reading more of her adventures.
This was really good. The closer I got to the ending the harder this was to put down! I don't usually seek out serial killer type books because they can be so over-the-top disturbing. This one definitely had some gruesome stuff but it was well written & stopped the descriptions at just the right point in my opinion.
The main character was like-able, a bit flawed for sure, but in a realistic way. I’m looking forward to reading more of her adventures.
June 3, 2019
Violet Dagar, FBI Thriller, Book . The story is fast-paced and intricately woven.
A victim is found wrapped in plastic. Dumped on the side of the road. Just the first of other victims to come in this psychological thriller.
Reviewed in Le Coeur de l'Artiste http://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de-...
A victim is found wrapped in plastic. Dumped on the side of the road. Just the first of other victims to come in this psychological thriller.
Reviewed in Le Coeur de l'Artiste http://www.djadamson.com/le-coeur-de-...
October 10, 2020
You know what I actually enjoyed this book even though it was almost 500 pages and probably don’t need to be but I’m not totally against it 🙌🏻 I really liked the characters and I kinda liked the plot and how drawn out it was because the author did a pretty good job at describing details to the tee which I enjoyed
April 26, 2017
Awesome crime/thriller/suspense novel. Steady but fast action with lots of twists and turns takes us on this journey and since I love the authors, I can't wait to see what comes next for Violet-I know it wlll be amazing!
June 1, 2022
Heads will roll
What a twisted story about a serial killer called the doll parts killer,(hated the name) who cut his prey into pieces. The book was near excellent and the characters are quite memorable. Violet, the newbie FBI agent, Loshak, seasoned FBI agent and Luck, the local detective. And there's an assortment of local police officers that seem so real as you read about the search for the serial killer. The heroine definitely annoyed me at times. She had a great heart but she was pretty abrasive at times. The way she treats Luck got to me even though it was realistic but her good deeds far outweigh the bad. Such a great slew of characters made for a very entertaining read. Very gory though and a tad dark, but you feel as if you are with them as they investigate. There is so much going on and the ending was just perfect. I really enjoyed this read and it's free in KU. I can't wait to read the next one.
What a twisted story about a serial killer called the doll parts killer,(hated the name) who cut his prey into pieces. The book was near excellent and the characters are quite memorable. Violet, the newbie FBI agent, Loshak, seasoned FBI agent and Luck, the local detective. And there's an assortment of local police officers that seem so real as you read about the search for the serial killer. The heroine definitely annoyed me at times. She had a great heart but she was pretty abrasive at times. The way she treats Luck got to me even though it was realistic but her good deeds far outweigh the bad. Such a great slew of characters made for a very entertaining read. Very gory though and a tad dark, but you feel as if you are with them as they investigate. There is so much going on and the ending was just perfect. I really enjoyed this read and it's free in KU. I can't wait to read the next one.
September 29, 2017
I was reading another book when I started this book. I didn't mean to read it right away, I just wanted to see what it was like. Four hours later I was in bed and should have been asleep for three of those hours and I couldn't sleep. So maybe don't start this book at bedtime...lol. It's a page turner, I didn't notice how long this book is until I finished it.
This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying.
I love Violet Darger. She has the most stressful job imaginable. Not just because she has to catch a killer, but also because she's a woman working almost exclusively with men, and she has to prove herself every day. I love how she's an expert profiler, but she's also a human being with anxieties who says the wrong things sometimes and wrestles with self doubt. And I identify with her because aren't all women natural born detectives? We can analyze a situation to death and we can usually sniff out people's motives, but we always get caught trusting the wrong person because we feel for them, or saying the wrong thing in the heat of the moment because we are personally invested in the situation.
Don't we all have a grim fascination with the horror of what people are actually capable of? Remember when you first heard about somebody like Ed Kempter or Ted Bundy? Women live with the very real possibility of being stalked, assaulted, or murdered by someone they know every day. And we know that. But even knowing that we sometimes still trust the wrong person. We have all thought about what we think we would do in a situation like that. But you just never know until it happens to you, do you?
What's inside the mind of a killer? We all feel powerless sometimes. We all want to feel a sense of control. Some of us would go much further to assert that control than others, though. Some of us would kill for it.
Everybody is talking about a series and I have to say I had the exact same thought, like what happens to Violet Darger next? I can't wait to find out. Dead End Girl would make a great movie or TV series.
This book reminds me of some of my favorite books in the crime thriller genre - Dark Places by Gillian Flynn, The Collector by John Fowles, the Mr. Mercedes trilogy by Stephen King, and of course Silence of the Lambs. It's not a glimpse...it's a good long look inside the mind of a killer. It's fast paced, it's scary, and it's satisfying.
I love Violet Darger. She has the most stressful job imaginable. Not just because she has to catch a killer, but also because she's a woman working almost exclusively with men, and she has to prove herself every day. I love how she's an expert profiler, but she's also a human being with anxieties who says the wrong things sometimes and wrestles with self doubt. And I identify with her because aren't all women natural born detectives? We can analyze a situation to death and we can usually sniff out people's motives, but we always get caught trusting the wrong person because we feel for them, or saying the wrong thing in the heat of the moment because we are personally invested in the situation.
Don't we all have a grim fascination with the horror of what people are actually capable of? Remember when you first heard about somebody like Ed Kempter or Ted Bundy? Women live with the very real possibility of being stalked, assaulted, or murdered by someone they know every day. And we know that. But even knowing that we sometimes still trust the wrong person. We have all thought about what we think we would do in a situation like that. But you just never know until it happens to you, do you?
What's inside the mind of a killer? We all feel powerless sometimes. We all want to feel a sense of control. Some of us would go much further to assert that control than others, though. Some of us would kill for it.
Everybody is talking about a series and I have to say I had the exact same thought, like what happens to Violet Darger next? I can't wait to find out. Dead End Girl would make a great movie or TV series.
June 15, 2021
I have been looking for a new crime series and I have struck gold with this one!
There is just something about the characters and the writing that had me buying all the books in the series (and the companion series) before I was even halfway through book 1.
The graphic depiction of the crimes and the resulting gore is actually one of the things that I like most about this book. I’m just that kind of person - I like some blood and description of the murdery bits. So keep that in mind if you are more on the squeamish side.
The characters are well rounded and act in realistic ways throughout the story. I enjoyed learning more about our mains Darger and Loshak throughout this book and am looking forward to getting to know them better as I continue with Violet’s series and the companion series that focuses on Victor.
There were plenty of instances where I was looking squinty-eyed at certain characters, as I thought they might be the baddie, and I did pick up on the clue that not everything is as tied up as it seems to be, but then got too caught up in the story analyse it properly. So I gave myself ½ a pat on the back for figuring out a (very) small part of the mystery early.
All in all a solid first instalment. I am eager to start reading the next book!
5 stars - New crime series that is a bit graphic\gore-filled. Just how I like them!
There is just something about the characters and the writing that had me buying all the books in the series (and the companion series) before I was even halfway through book 1.
The graphic depiction of the crimes and the resulting gore is actually one of the things that I like most about this book. I’m just that kind of person - I like some blood and description of the murdery bits. So keep that in mind if you are more on the squeamish side.
The characters are well rounded and act in realistic ways throughout the story. I enjoyed learning more about our mains Darger and Loshak throughout this book and am looking forward to getting to know them better as I continue with Violet’s series and the companion series that focuses on Victor.
There were plenty of instances where I was looking squinty-eyed at certain characters, as I thought they might be the baddie, and I did pick up on the clue that not everything is as tied up as it seems to be, but then got too caught up in the story analyse it properly. So I gave myself ½ a pat on the back for figuring out a (very) small part of the mystery early.
All in all a solid first instalment. I am eager to start reading the next book!
5 stars - New crime series that is a bit graphic\gore-filled. Just how I like them!
September 15, 2019
Dead End Girl started off nicely with introduction to Violet Darger as she helped local police catch a serial killer. Average plot but Violet was likable until half of the book....when the investigation was put on a sideline and here came romance follow by cliche after cliche of everything from Violet got duped, her past reveal (tactless), punishment from boss and so on. Those cliches not only boring but turned Violet’s character into a childish, whining, weak and naive rookie when at first she was smart, mature and confident. The story was pretty dragging with unnecessary subplots and the killer’s POV were slowing everything down. I like Violet at the beginning but as I said above I am not so sure if I should read the next book, though.
March 1, 2019
Found the names so annoying put the book down
Great story line, some of the writing a bit weak, but the names of the characters was a deal breaker. Every time the name Darger came up my brain paused and asked if it Dar ger or Darg er. I hated both but preferred the 2nd. There were several other names i found equally difficult to pronounce. I found myself stumbling over the names just too annoying it was giving me a headache. Sorry, could have been a good book but just to painful to read.
Great story line, some of the writing a bit weak, but the names of the characters was a deal breaker. Every time the name Darger came up my brain paused and asked if it Dar ger or Darg er. I hated both but preferred the 2nd. There were several other names i found equally difficult to pronounce. I found myself stumbling over the names just too annoying it was giving me a headache. Sorry, could have been a good book but just to painful to read.
August 12, 2017
Dead End Girl
Read this one with the lights on. I thought I had the killer pegged, boy was I wrong! I'm a big fan of mystery, horror books, and this takes the prize. Several times the author was so convincing in her descriptions that I actually found myself stretching, yes, that good! I've never read a book that did that before, and creepy me,loved it. This author has a new fan!
Read this one with the lights on. I thought I had the killer pegged, boy was I wrong! I'm a big fan of mystery, horror books, and this takes the prize. Several times the author was so convincing in her descriptions that I actually found myself stretching, yes, that good! I've never read a book that did that before, and creepy me,loved it. This author has a new fan!
May 10, 2017
Heartstopping
This is my first L.T.Vargas book but it sure won't be my last. I couldn't put this thriller down. It grabbed be and pulled me in from beginning til end. I've already ordered the next Violet Darger book. Pageturning psychological thriller!!!
This is my first L.T.Vargas book but it sure won't be my last. I couldn't put this thriller down. It grabbed be and pulled me in from beginning til end. I've already ordered the next Violet Darger book. Pageturning psychological thriller!!!
May 17, 2017
Great thriller. I didn't expect to find it so gripping and such a good read. Great characters. Engaging story. Scary bad guy. Just the whole package. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller.
December 23, 2018
Took me awhile to read because so busy with Christmas stuff but it was very good. FBI profiler Vargas comes to investigate a serial killer the have named the Doll Parts killer. Book gets very intense at the end, will definitely read next book in the series!
April 14, 2017
Great book! Fantastic mix of thriller, mystery and horror. Lots of clues and twists and turns, however, don't be fooled...the big reveal may surprise you! It did me, enjoy!
June 2, 2019
A page turner that keeps you guessing until the end! I was sure I had figured everything out - and then a twist at the end dropped my jaw! A good read.
March 21, 2022
Highly impressed. The way the character and story was written I must say the authors definitely did the creepy, psycho, deranged serial killer thriller much justice. Vivid and gory details about death and sadistic ways of someone’s who has lost their minds. Someone who feels inadequate and inferior to the human race until they become obsessed with power. Power over someone who can’t defend themselves of course. They get off on witnessing what their victims go through, the fear in their eyes, the knowing how close they are to death. It was sickening to read, so much so I’d lost my appetite and had to put the book down a couple times. Just…whoa. The characters development was great. I do hope that Detective Darger becomes more of a badass. Being that she was technically a newbie her rookie mistakes were a bit cringey. Enjoyed most of the characters as well especially Luck and Loshak. I’m actually looking forward in reading the entire series.
January 9, 2025
I think I found a couple of mystery writers that I can put on my favorites list. This is a great police procedural mystery. Very well written. Lots of action, twists and turns, and a huge suprise ending. It's Violet Darger's first case as an FBI special agent. She's sent to Athens, Ohio to profile a serial killer. But because of her past, the young girls being murdered brings back a lot of memories she doesn't want to think about. This isn't just a mystery. There are several side stories that meld with the main story as well. This is a very entertaining read. If you haven't read this series, then you need to right away. I highly recommend this series.
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