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Games for Dead Girls
In the vein of Jennifer Hillier and Lisa Jewell, Jen Williams melds grisly urban legends and macabre secrets in a haunting and propulsive read that will linger long after the last page.
When Charlie was eleven, she created a monster…
In the seaside town of Hithechurch, England, eleven-year-old Charlotte meets Emily, a clever and secretive girl her own age with a dark family history. In an attempt to get rid of Emily’s abusive father, Charlie and Emily perform a ritual to try and summon the spirit of a Hithechurch girl of urban legend—named Stitch Face Sue by Charlie—who was killed by pirates and supposedly haunts the town in a quest for revenge. When it appears that the macabre game they've invented is working, Emily becomes obsessed with Stitch Face Sue, and ropes in another girl—but the game goes tragically wrong when the new girl is killed. Charlie and Emily are caught trying to hide the body, and both are carted away to institutions.
Past meets present when Charlie returns to Hithechurch as an adult to research a book on the folklore of the area, but is drawn into the cases of several girls who have mysteriously vanished. And she has other motives for coming back as well. Emily has published a bestselling memoir on the fateful incident from their childhoods, one that lays the blame squarely at Charlie’s feet. Outraged, Charlie scours the town for evidence to back up her side of the story—and in doing so exposes an older, even darker tale.
Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls’ disappearances, but someone is watching, and her own past is nipping at her heels. In a town haunted by tragic disappearances and unrelenting urban legends, Charlie's determination for truth is laced with secrets buried deep in Hithechurch's past.
When Charlie was eleven, she created a monster…
In the seaside town of Hithechurch, England, eleven-year-old Charlotte meets Emily, a clever and secretive girl her own age with a dark family history. In an attempt to get rid of Emily’s abusive father, Charlie and Emily perform a ritual to try and summon the spirit of a Hithechurch girl of urban legend—named Stitch Face Sue by Charlie—who was killed by pirates and supposedly haunts the town in a quest for revenge. When it appears that the macabre game they've invented is working, Emily becomes obsessed with Stitch Face Sue, and ropes in another girl—but the game goes tragically wrong when the new girl is killed. Charlie and Emily are caught trying to hide the body, and both are carted away to institutions.
Past meets present when Charlie returns to Hithechurch as an adult to research a book on the folklore of the area, but is drawn into the cases of several girls who have mysteriously vanished. And she has other motives for coming back as well. Emily has published a bestselling memoir on the fateful incident from their childhoods, one that lays the blame squarely at Charlie’s feet. Outraged, Charlie scours the town for evidence to back up her side of the story—and in doing so exposes an older, even darker tale.
Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls’ disappearances, but someone is watching, and her own past is nipping at her heels. In a town haunted by tragic disappearances and unrelenting urban legends, Charlie's determination for truth is laced with secrets buried deep in Hithechurch's past.
400 pages, Hardcover
First published April 18, 2023
60 people are currently reading
4852 people want to read
About the author
Jen Williams
37 books1,635 followersJen Williams lives in London with her partner and their small ridiculous cat. Having been a fan of grisly fairy tales from a young age, these days Jen writes dark unsettling thrillers with strong female leads, as well as character-driven fantasy novels with plenty of adventure and magic. Her debut novel, The Copper Promise, kicked off the Copper Cat trilogy in 2014, and since then she has twice won the British Fantasy Award for her second trilogy, the Winnowing Flame. Her first thriller, Dog Rose Dirt, was published with HarperCollins in July 2021. Jen has two upcoming releases in 2023: Games for Dead Girls with Harpercollins, and Talonsister with Titan. When she’s not writing books she enjoys messing about with video games and embroidery, and also works as a part-time bookseller and a freelance copywriter.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 305 reviews
April 28, 2024
Hmm… creepy creature folkloric stories, missing girls, a small town with dark secrets are the best themes I never get tired to dive into without thinking! But there are some executional issues about this book. There are 3 different timelines with three interesting storylines but those stories’ progressions are extremely slow and their convergence takes too much time. You already lose your patience and you also lose your interest! You don’t want to know what will happen next because as you reach to the half you realize nothing juicy, earth shattering, mind bending happens. The town’s history and folklore take unnecessarily too much part of the chapters so this book turns into something flat, boring. You push yourself too hard to reach the finish line. Unfortunately that’s exactly what happened to me!
The book opens with Charlie and 10 years old niece Katie’s storyline. They moved into trailer for a special holiday out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves as her niece aimlessly enjoys the seaside. But we sense Charlie has other agenda, introducing herself with other name, dying her hair not to be recognized.
And the storyline is Charlie’s past where she finds her dear friend, starting attending the rituals to summon the spirit of Stitch Face Sue: a folkloric creature! And third line is about the doctor whose cognitive skills got affected after an accident, ends up with a pretty woman who accidentally falls and damages her face which also affects her self esteem.
Eventually those storylines get intercepted but as I told before I already lost my concentration and I did my best to finish the execution.
Overall: it’s solid, flat three starred read for me. There’s so much potential and I wish the author didn’t open up so many storylines because it was like juggling too many balls and dropping them all. It wasn’t bad reading experience but I expected so much more. I’m still curious to read more works of the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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The book opens with Charlie and 10 years old niece Katie’s storyline. They moved into trailer for a special holiday out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves as her niece aimlessly enjoys the seaside. But we sense Charlie has other agenda, introducing herself with other name, dying her hair not to be recognized.
And the storyline is Charlie’s past where she finds her dear friend, starting attending the rituals to summon the spirit of Stitch Face Sue: a folkloric creature! And third line is about the doctor whose cognitive skills got affected after an accident, ends up with a pretty woman who accidentally falls and damages her face which also affects her self esteem.
Eventually those storylines get intercepted but as I told before I already lost my concentration and I did my best to finish the execution.
Overall: it’s solid, flat three starred read for me. There’s so much potential and I wish the author didn’t open up so many storylines because it was like juggling too many balls and dropping them all. It wasn’t bad reading experience but I expected so much more. I’m still curious to read more works of the author.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
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June 3, 2023
My thanks to Crooked Lane books, Jen Williams and Netgalley. There was just something about this damn story! I'll confess that I was hooked from the very beginning. As I read along, I kept finding inconsistencies...I loved that!😜 Also, I discovered a bit of graffiti in a cave wall that said "Bango Skank wez here!" Great Easter egg and tribute to Stephen King! Bango shows up "graffiti wise" in many of his books! 😍 This story was pretty damned near perfect! Only the ending brought it down to 4 stars. It didn't suck, but it wasn't all that I hoped for! I'm not saying much about this book. Read it!
May 4, 2023
DO NOT READ THE GOODREADS BLURB IF YOU MIGHT READ THIS BOOK - MAJOR SPOILERS
Charlie grew up with a love for scary stories and telling tall tales. Her family always vacationed at a small seaside town in England, where one summer, she met Emily. That was the same summer that a tragedy shook the small town and changed Charlie’s life forever. As an adult, she revisits the town to research a book on folklore but begins to receive messages from a mysterious person who seems to be stalking her. Charlie soon discovers that her past is on the verge of being exposed and finds herself in a race against time to expose the truth about that summer before everything she’s worked for crumbles around her.
This was an atmospheric and somewhat creepy read that was enjoyable. This work has three timelines/plots that are incorporated throughout the book – one timeline is set in the 1950s/60s and follows a young boy; the next is set in the 1980s when Charlie was eleven; and the third is set in the present when Charlie is an adult. There’s major disconnect between the three timelines initially that made the work feel disjointed, but they do begin to converge in interesting ways. I don't think the work was quite balanced in the amount of time it spent focused on certain things in certain timelines - it did detract from the tension and suspense that could have been present in the current and 1980s timelines.
I can’t say much about it, but there was a larger reveal that happened in the central portion of the book that was absolutely fantastic. The final reveal wasn’t surprising. But it was done well, and I wasn’t sure about the motivations, so I still enjoyed it. I did feel that the ending was lacking – I didn’t mind how it ended, but it felt rushed and was less impactful than I wanted from all that buildup.
This read was entertaining, and I do recommend it if you’re interested in smalltown mysteries and spooky secrets. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Charlie grew up with a love for scary stories and telling tall tales. Her family always vacationed at a small seaside town in England, where one summer, she met Emily. That was the same summer that a tragedy shook the small town and changed Charlie’s life forever. As an adult, she revisits the town to research a book on folklore but begins to receive messages from a mysterious person who seems to be stalking her. Charlie soon discovers that her past is on the verge of being exposed and finds herself in a race against time to expose the truth about that summer before everything she’s worked for crumbles around her.
This was an atmospheric and somewhat creepy read that was enjoyable. This work has three timelines/plots that are incorporated throughout the book – one timeline is set in the 1950s/60s and follows a young boy; the next is set in the 1980s when Charlie was eleven; and the third is set in the present when Charlie is an adult. There’s major disconnect between the three timelines initially that made the work feel disjointed, but they do begin to converge in interesting ways. I don't think the work was quite balanced in the amount of time it spent focused on certain things in certain timelines - it did detract from the tension and suspense that could have been present in the current and 1980s timelines.
I can’t say much about it, but there was a larger reveal that happened in the central portion of the book that was absolutely fantastic. The final reveal wasn’t surprising. But it was done well, and I wasn’t sure about the motivations, so I still enjoyed it. I did feel that the ending was lacking – I didn’t mind how it ended, but it felt rushed and was less impactful than I wanted from all that buildup.
This read was entertaining, and I do recommend it if you’re interested in smalltown mysteries and spooky secrets. My thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
April 15, 2023
Overall a very creepy, atmospheric read. So, so, so slow though. Better editing would have made this one a lot better.
This book is told in three timelines. The first is when Charlie was eleven years old and her family comes to the seaside town of Hithechurch, England for a holiday in a caravan. There she meets another young girl, Emily. Charlie has a very active imagination, taking stories and embellishing them. She takes a story of a local girl who escaped pirates by dressing as a scarecrow, now a local legend called Stitch-Faced Sue, and creates an elaborate game for the two of them to give offerings to Stitch-Faced Sue in order to have wishes granted. This eventually goes horribly wrong.
The second timeline is the present day, when Charlie has returned to the caravan as an adult, ostensibly to research for a book on local folklore, but she gets caught up in a series of missing girls in the area. Later, the real reason for her visit is revealed.
The third timeline is a bit more mysterious, starting in the 1950s, about a young man and his life. Eventually, the three timelines converge to make a cohesive story, but it takes an extremely long time to get there. Readers may lose patience. If I didn't have such a stubborn streak I would have given up long before the story started to make sense.
Overall, I think there is too much time spent in the past and the initial part of the present day, and not enough time revealing what went on between those two timelines. It's hinted at, but never fully revealed until almost past the time when anyone would care. The overall way that things play out is actually pretty interesting and surprising, but you want readers to care enough to get there and I don't think very many will have that kind of stamina with the plodding pace.
Fortunately, I was able to get an audiobook copy so that I could get through it while I was doing other things. The narrator is decent, but speaks quite slowly and deliberately, so once I increased the playback speed I was able to enjoy the audiobook more.
Intriguing premise, but the execution is lacking.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
This book is told in three timelines. The first is when Charlie was eleven years old and her family comes to the seaside town of Hithechurch, England for a holiday in a caravan. There she meets another young girl, Emily. Charlie has a very active imagination, taking stories and embellishing them. She takes a story of a local girl who escaped pirates by dressing as a scarecrow, now a local legend called Stitch-Faced Sue, and creates an elaborate game for the two of them to give offerings to Stitch-Faced Sue in order to have wishes granted. This eventually goes horribly wrong.
The second timeline is the present day, when Charlie has returned to the caravan as an adult, ostensibly to research for a book on local folklore, but she gets caught up in a series of missing girls in the area. Later, the real reason for her visit is revealed.
The third timeline is a bit more mysterious, starting in the 1950s, about a young man and his life. Eventually, the three timelines converge to make a cohesive story, but it takes an extremely long time to get there. Readers may lose patience. If I didn't have such a stubborn streak I would have given up long before the story started to make sense.
Overall, I think there is too much time spent in the past and the initial part of the present day, and not enough time revealing what went on between those two timelines. It's hinted at, but never fully revealed until almost past the time when anyone would care. The overall way that things play out is actually pretty interesting and surprising, but you want readers to care enough to get there and I don't think very many will have that kind of stamina with the plodding pace.
Fortunately, I was able to get an audiobook copy so that I could get through it while I was doing other things. The narrator is decent, but speaks quite slowly and deliberately, so once I increased the playback speed I was able to enjoy the audiobook more.
Intriguing premise, but the execution is lacking.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
March 30, 2025
**2.5-stars rounded up**
Games for Dead Girls is the latest release from Jen Williams. This is the second novel I have read from Williams and unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about either one.
In this story, we are following multiple timelines. One is a past perspective when two girls, Charlie and Emily, become friends in the small Seaside town of Hithechurch, England.
In an effort to try to rid Emily of her abusive father, the two girls perform a ritual to summon the spirit of a local legend, a girl killed by pirates, who Charlie dubs, Stitch Face Sue.
Even though they are unsuccessful, Emily becomes obsessed with the idea of Stitch Face Sue and of summoning her. When the two recruit another young girl into their friendship group, the end result is disastrous.
The new girl is killed and Emily and Charlie get caught trying to hide her body, after which they're both sent to institutions for the remainder of their childhood.
Another perspective is Charlie in the present. Now an adult, Charlie has returned to Hithechurch under the guise of researching a book about the local folklore.
That's not her only reason for being in town though. Emily has released a memoir regarding the incident that changed the course of their lives and she's laying all the blame at Charlie's feet.
Charlie is determined to find the evidence she needs to prove that what Emily is saying is false.
Then there is a third, more mysterious perspective, of a man in Hithechurch decades before Charlie and Emily meet.
Eventually, the three perspectives as one story starts to make sense. Unfortunately, for me, it lost some of the impact because it was such a slog getting to the conclusion.
In my opinion, I felt like the perspectives didn't flow well, one into the other. It felt jarring to me and also a bit confusing keeping track of what was going on amongst the different times. I feel like nothing was memorable enough to stand out, so it made it more difficult to follow.
I liked the idea behind this, the legends of a small seaside town influencing some local kids to do terrible things. I like that premise. I also think the reason behind Charlie coming back to town was kind of fun and made sense as far as motivation for her current actions.
This reminded me a lot, a lot, a lot of The Dead Girls Club. I personally enjoyed this one a little more, because at least I never rolled my eyes at anything the MC was doing.
Unfortunately, neither one of them really delivered the dark atmosphere and engaging plot that I was hoping for.
At the end of the day, while I wasn't crazy about this one, I can see that there is a good story in here, somewhere. Hence the 2.5-stars rounded up.
With this being said, this will probably be my last-go with this author. Just know, it's not her, it's me. I just don't seem to be the right fit for her style of writing, but I know there are many Readers out there who will be.
After all, as I always say, there's a Reader for every book and book for every Reader. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite book!
Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback.
Games for Dead Girls is the latest release from Jen Williams. This is the second novel I have read from Williams and unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about either one.
In this story, we are following multiple timelines. One is a past perspective when two girls, Charlie and Emily, become friends in the small Seaside town of Hithechurch, England.
In an effort to try to rid Emily of her abusive father, the two girls perform a ritual to summon the spirit of a local legend, a girl killed by pirates, who Charlie dubs, Stitch Face Sue.
Even though they are unsuccessful, Emily becomes obsessed with the idea of Stitch Face Sue and of summoning her. When the two recruit another young girl into their friendship group, the end result is disastrous.
The new girl is killed and Emily and Charlie get caught trying to hide her body, after which they're both sent to institutions for the remainder of their childhood.
Another perspective is Charlie in the present. Now an adult, Charlie has returned to Hithechurch under the guise of researching a book about the local folklore.
That's not her only reason for being in town though. Emily has released a memoir regarding the incident that changed the course of their lives and she's laying all the blame at Charlie's feet.
Charlie is determined to find the evidence she needs to prove that what Emily is saying is false.
Then there is a third, more mysterious perspective, of a man in Hithechurch decades before Charlie and Emily meet.
Eventually, the three perspectives as one story starts to make sense. Unfortunately, for me, it lost some of the impact because it was such a slog getting to the conclusion.
In my opinion, I felt like the perspectives didn't flow well, one into the other. It felt jarring to me and also a bit confusing keeping track of what was going on amongst the different times. I feel like nothing was memorable enough to stand out, so it made it more difficult to follow.
I liked the idea behind this, the legends of a small seaside town influencing some local kids to do terrible things. I like that premise. I also think the reason behind Charlie coming back to town was kind of fun and made sense as far as motivation for her current actions.
This reminded me a lot, a lot, a lot of The Dead Girls Club. I personally enjoyed this one a little more, because at least I never rolled my eyes at anything the MC was doing.
Unfortunately, neither one of them really delivered the dark atmosphere and engaging plot that I was hoping for.
At the end of the day, while I wasn't crazy about this one, I can see that there is a good story in here, somewhere. Hence the 2.5-stars rounded up.
With this being said, this will probably be my last-go with this author. Just know, it's not her, it's me. I just don't seem to be the right fit for her style of writing, but I know there are many Readers out there who will be.
After all, as I always say, there's a Reader for every book and book for every Reader. If the synopsis sounds intriguing to you, absolutely give it a go. You could end up finding a new favorite book!
Thank you to the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback.
April 1, 2023
“If you want to stop her, find what you buried together.”
Charlie returns to the seaside town of Hithechurch, England after receiving this cryptic message. When she was eleven years old, she invented a story about Stitch-Faced Sue in order to entertain her friends. However, this spooky tale changed the course of their lives. She returns under the guise of researching the town’s folklore. Who knows about what she and her friends did all those years ago? And, why have so many girls gone missing in this town? Could Stitch-Faced Sue actually be real?
I listened to the audiobook while following along with the ebook. I really enjoyed the audio, which was narrated by Mary Woodvine. I highly recommend listening to this one.
This slow-burn thriller is part mystery, part ghost story, and sprinkled with a little bit of horror. It includes a gullible protagonist, a predictable plot with non-existent policing, and convenient reveals. Despite these issues, I did enjoy this book! If you go into this knowing what to expect, you won’t be disappointed.
However, please avoid reading the Goodreads synopsis, as it will spoil the book!
3.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 4/18/23
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of Games for Dead Girls in exchange for an honest review.
Charlie returns to the seaside town of Hithechurch, England after receiving this cryptic message. When she was eleven years old, she invented a story about Stitch-Faced Sue in order to entertain her friends. However, this spooky tale changed the course of their lives. She returns under the guise of researching the town’s folklore. Who knows about what she and her friends did all those years ago? And, why have so many girls gone missing in this town? Could Stitch-Faced Sue actually be real?
I listened to the audiobook while following along with the ebook. I really enjoyed the audio, which was narrated by Mary Woodvine. I highly recommend listening to this one.
This slow-burn thriller is part mystery, part ghost story, and sprinkled with a little bit of horror. It includes a gullible protagonist, a predictable plot with non-existent policing, and convenient reveals. Despite these issues, I did enjoy this book! If you go into this knowing what to expect, you won’t be disappointed.
However, please avoid reading the Goodreads synopsis, as it will spoil the book!
3.5/5 stars rounded down
Expected publication date: 4/18/23
Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of Games for Dead Girls in exchange for an honest review.
May 5, 2023
Legends, folklore, missing girls, mysteries and murder taking place at a seaside town in Hithechurch, England what more could one ask for!
The story takes place with the character of Charlie ( Charlotte/Sarah) taking her eleven year old niece with her on a vacation to the the seaside town that her family visited every summer while she was growing up until a tragic nightmare tore her and three other families apart leaving Charlie still trying to pick up the pieces of her life that now has been threatened again by a book being written about that horrific summer of pain, loss and confusion which shattered her childhood and stole her future until now and Charlie must find a way to stop that book from being published.
Charlie loved to make up horror stories as a child and she created one around the legend of "Stitch Face Sue" that a summer friend named Emily completely believed, so the girls created rituals trying to summon this spirit who would carry out their wishes as long as they made small sacrifices to her. The sacrifices were innocent enough because Emily was the only one who believed the stories that Charlie would make up until Charlie started believing in the spirit herself and the tragic consequences that would follow two little girls caught up in the make believe stories of their own imaginations will never be forgotten by anyone who lived in or near the little seaside town during that sweltering, hot summer of nightmares which took place in 1988.
The book' blurb had everything I look for in a story. It sounded dark, exciting with horror blended into the mix that was just too irresistible to resist reading. The story was reminiscent of the true American story of "Slenderman"
where two twelve-year old girls believed in a widespread internet fiction story about a horrifically, frightening monster-man who lived deep in the forest and only appeared to certain individuals. A truly frightening fictional story that turned into a bizarre real life horror story!
The storyline was very good but the execution could have been so much better. There were three timeline's occurring that just took too long to merge together. Too much of a slow-burn although the chapters were short which was a big plus. The book had a lot of promise but there were too much extraneous information and so many characters written in that the thoughts and emotions which were expressed didn't carry the depth that the author may have wanted to convey to the reader. I don't blame the author in any way for this, I hold the editor responsible because the story itself was enticing, spooky, dark and should have been emotional as well.. Unfortunately, the book was not a scary thriller for me because I couldn't get a grasp on deep feelings that Charlie was going through. The words were all there (too many) but the emotions were severely lacking.
Many parts of the story felt incomplete especially with the niece. I knew the outcome but why didn't the story explain what happened to her instead of just erasing her from Charlie's life. Did Charlie ever have a niece? Was she pretending to have a niece or was she delusional about this fact until she faced the truth head-on? I feel bad about this book because I wanted to love it and it really had all the elements for a terrific horror novel. But........
Again, a good editor would have made the necessary changes to bring this author's vision to life instead of the reader having to keep backtracking to keep the facts and characters straight. I would definitely read another book by Jen Williams because she has great, imaginative writing skills but just needs a really good editor (imo).
I want to thank the publisher "Crooked Lane Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 SLOW-BURN 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
The story takes place with the character of Charlie ( Charlotte/Sarah) taking her eleven year old niece with her on a vacation to the the seaside town that her family visited every summer while she was growing up until a tragic nightmare tore her and three other families apart leaving Charlie still trying to pick up the pieces of her life that now has been threatened again by a book being written about that horrific summer of pain, loss and confusion which shattered her childhood and stole her future until now and Charlie must find a way to stop that book from being published.
Charlie loved to make up horror stories as a child and she created one around the legend of "Stitch Face Sue" that a summer friend named Emily completely believed, so the girls created rituals trying to summon this spirit who would carry out their wishes as long as they made small sacrifices to her. The sacrifices were innocent enough because Emily was the only one who believed the stories that Charlie would make up until Charlie started believing in the spirit herself and the tragic consequences that would follow two little girls caught up in the make believe stories of their own imaginations will never be forgotten by anyone who lived in or near the little seaside town during that sweltering, hot summer of nightmares which took place in 1988.
The book' blurb had everything I look for in a story. It sounded dark, exciting with horror blended into the mix that was just too irresistible to resist reading. The story was reminiscent of the true American story of "Slenderman"
where two twelve-year old girls believed in a widespread internet fiction story about a horrifically, frightening monster-man who lived deep in the forest and only appeared to certain individuals. A truly frightening fictional story that turned into a bizarre real life horror story!
The storyline was very good but the execution could have been so much better. There were three timeline's occurring that just took too long to merge together. Too much of a slow-burn although the chapters were short which was a big plus. The book had a lot of promise but there were too much extraneous information and so many characters written in that the thoughts and emotions which were expressed didn't carry the depth that the author may have wanted to convey to the reader. I don't blame the author in any way for this, I hold the editor responsible because the story itself was enticing, spooky, dark and should have been emotional as well.. Unfortunately, the book was not a scary thriller for me because I couldn't get a grasp on deep feelings that Charlie was going through. The words were all there (too many) but the emotions were severely lacking.
Many parts of the story felt incomplete especially with the niece. I knew the outcome but why didn't the story explain what happened to her instead of just erasing her from Charlie's life. Did Charlie ever have a niece? Was she pretending to have a niece or was she delusional about this fact until she faced the truth head-on? I feel bad about this book because I wanted to love it and it really had all the elements for a terrific horror novel. But........
Again, a good editor would have made the necessary changes to bring this author's vision to life instead of the reader having to keep backtracking to keep the facts and characters straight. I would definitely read another book by Jen Williams because she has great, imaginative writing skills but just needs a really good editor (imo).
I want to thank the publisher "Crooked Lane Books" and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!
I have given a rating of 3 SLOW-BURN 🌟🌟🌟 STARS!!
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January 25, 2023DNF
So... Not good. The story drags. The characters - I couldn't connect with any of them. There are three timelines that follow three different treads that I'm sure will connect sooner or later. But I just didn't care about any of them.
I'm continuing with my stricter DNFing policy - it worked well for me last year. I'm dropping any book I'm not invested in, and sadly this is one of those books.
So... Not good. The story drags. The characters - I couldn't connect with any of them. There are three timelines that follow three different treads that I'm sure will connect sooner or later. But I just didn't care about any of them.
I'm continuing with my stricter DNFing policy - it worked well for me last year. I'm dropping any book I'm not invested in, and sadly this is one of those books.
November 11, 2022
I loved this book- it was so creepy and well-written. The story centers on Charlie and goes back and forth from when she was a pre-teen to current time as an adult. In the prior timeline, Charlie meets a friend named Emily and they conspire to conjure up a ghost based on local folklore to rid Emily of her abusive father. In the latter timeline, Charlie is back in the same location digging into the past when a girl goes missing; she finds out at the same time that her former friend Emily is writing a tell-all book about how things went very bad that summer when they were kids.
This book was downright scary at parts- the author did a great job in creating the right atmosphere and getting the reader to immerse themselves in how Charlie was feeling. Charlie herself was a mostly likeable character and the things that she did when they were kids felt really authentic. I felt for her even when she was making terrible decisions and felt her fear and uncertainty like it was my own. There are also a few really big twists in the book that I didn't see coming at all (which is rare for me!), and I loved the way that the author explained all the various happenings and tied up the loose ends so all of the different pieces of the narrative fit together perfectly.
Overall, I was thrilled to have read this book and have already recommended it to others. Looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was downright scary at parts- the author did a great job in creating the right atmosphere and getting the reader to immerse themselves in how Charlie was feeling. Charlie herself was a mostly likeable character and the things that she did when they were kids felt really authentic. I felt for her even when she was making terrible decisions and felt her fear and uncertainty like it was my own. There are also a few really big twists in the book that I didn't see coming at all (which is rare for me!), and I loved the way that the author explained all the various happenings and tied up the loose ends so all of the different pieces of the narrative fit together perfectly.
Overall, I was thrilled to have read this book and have already recommended it to others. Looking forward to seeing what this author comes up with next. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
November 8, 2022
This was just ok for me. The mystery kinda dragged on for a good majority of the book. There was three different timelines which I’m not a fan of and the ending was anticlimactic.
In a tiny seaside town in England eleven year old Charlie meets Emily. They pair team up to try to get rid of Emily’s abusive father by summoning the spirit of Stitch Face Sue. Stitch Face Sue was one of the towns local legends and Emily becomes obsessed with her. When their pleas to the spirit appear to be working, they bring along another girl but everything goes wrong and the girl is killed.
In the present Charlie returns to the small town to research the local folklore. Almost immediately she is distracted by reports of local girls going missing. In addition, her ex best friend Emily just released a memoir about what happened to them as kids. This enrages Charlie and she is determined to find the evidence that will back up her side of the story.
Games For Dead Girls is available April 18,2023
Thank you to netgalley and crookedlanebooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
In a tiny seaside town in England eleven year old Charlie meets Emily. They pair team up to try to get rid of Emily’s abusive father by summoning the spirit of Stitch Face Sue. Stitch Face Sue was one of the towns local legends and Emily becomes obsessed with her. When their pleas to the spirit appear to be working, they bring along another girl but everything goes wrong and the girl is killed.
In the present Charlie returns to the small town to research the local folklore. Almost immediately she is distracted by reports of local girls going missing. In addition, her ex best friend Emily just released a memoir about what happened to them as kids. This enrages Charlie and she is determined to find the evidence that will back up her side of the story.
Games For Dead Girls is available April 18,2023
Thank you to netgalley and crookedlanebooks for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
July 31, 2023
Hithechurch, a peaceful, out-of-the-way seaside town in Kent. When Charlie was young, she would visit with her family, making friends and playing down by the beach. Their favourite was telling scary stories; silly games of make-believe that would twist and weave old wife’s tales to scare each other. They would laugh and try to shake off the shiver than ran down their backs and made the hair on their necks stand on end.But what if it wasn’t all make-believe?
Years later Charlie returns to Hithechurch with her niece, researching a book on folklore. As she delves deeper into the history of the area, she finds something disturbing: a decades long history of women going missing. Could the stories be true?
Charlie is about to find out some games are deadlier than others.
What an epic slow burner with twist after twist… I could not put this down! Part mystery, part urban legend/ghost story this double time line story is filled with scares, tension, atmosphere and heart. I honestly don’t want to say too much and give anything away because the book was so fricking good that you should just let it speak for itself and go and read it… Now!
Years later Charlie returns to Hithechurch with her niece, researching a book on folklore. As she delves deeper into the history of the area, she finds something disturbing: a decades long history of women going missing. Could the stories be true?
Charlie is about to find out some games are deadlier than others.
What an epic slow burner with twist after twist… I could not put this down! Part mystery, part urban legend/ghost story this double time line story is filled with scares, tension, atmosphere and heart. I honestly don’t want to say too much and give anything away because the book was so fricking good that you should just let it speak for itself and go and read it… Now!
January 3, 2023
"Games for Dead Girls"
How badass is that title?
The book also also has a great cover with the title in all Red. So, a long time, in the seaside town of Hithechurch, ago young Charlie (eleven years old) meets up with another young girl named Emily who has a abusive father. So they do what needs to be done with all abusive fathers and attempt a secret ritual to summon "Stitch Face Sue" to take care of him. But unfortunately this one goes bad, as most evil rituals do, and another girl is killed.
FLASH FORWARD! Grownup Charlie returns to Hithechurch (Jeez if you move to a town with that name you should really expect evil shenanigans) to research the folklore of the area. But she finds more local girls are missing and her ex-bestie has written a book about what happened to them and blames Charlie. Not on my watch! Charlie instantly puts on her detective badge and starts to get to the bottom of this.
The good: This book is messed up! I love dark and sinister books where the author "Goes there" And it had short chapters which are now a must with me. If you love evil books then you will love this one!
The bad: IT IS SO SLOW. This book has three timelines that move about the pace of me doing the household chores my wife loves to give me. Like I love the ominous tone of the book but I thought it could have picked up some.
But still a great read. Not really a beach read but maybe a three in the morning, can't sleep read?
I really appreciate Crooked Lane Books for giving me the chance to review this book and it has a publication date of April 18, 2023.
Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.
How badass is that title?
The book also also has a great cover with the title in all Red. So, a long time, in the seaside town of Hithechurch, ago young Charlie (eleven years old) meets up with another young girl named Emily who has a abusive father. So they do what needs to be done with all abusive fathers and attempt a secret ritual to summon "Stitch Face Sue" to take care of him. But unfortunately this one goes bad, as most evil rituals do, and another girl is killed.
FLASH FORWARD! Grownup Charlie returns to Hithechurch (Jeez if you move to a town with that name you should really expect evil shenanigans) to research the folklore of the area. But she finds more local girls are missing and her ex-bestie has written a book about what happened to them and blames Charlie. Not on my watch! Charlie instantly puts on her detective badge and starts to get to the bottom of this.
The good: This book is messed up! I love dark and sinister books where the author "Goes there" And it had short chapters which are now a must with me. If you love evil books then you will love this one!
The bad: IT IS SO SLOW. This book has three timelines that move about the pace of me doing the household chores my wife loves to give me. Like I love the ominous tone of the book but I thought it could have picked up some.
But still a great read. Not really a beach read but maybe a three in the morning, can't sleep read?
I really appreciate Crooked Lane Books for giving me the chance to review this book and it has a publication date of April 18, 2023.
Advance Reader Copy given free for honest review.
Read
October 17, 2022DNF - the glacial pace meant that I would not finish this book in this lifetime.
April 3, 2023
this was such a pleasant surprise of a book! very gruesome, creepy and atmospheric thriller with horror/folklore elements, reminded me of CJ Cooke books. it has a bit of a slow start and it’s more of a slow burn as opposed to propulsive, but for me it was still a page-turner as i kept wanting to find out what happened, and Williams has several well-times reveals throughout the book instead of saving everything for the ending.
April 12, 2023
Ummm, not buying it.
I liked the idea, the book cover, the description, but the execution fell flat for me.
Also, the story was too crazy. I didn’t buy it.
It felt like lots of unfinished ideas thrown together and being like - “hmm, that’s good, let’s add that!” but the execution never took one of the elements to the finish line.
It was an ok book but I was expecting more.
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
I liked the idea, the book cover, the description, but the execution fell flat for me.
Also, the story was too crazy. I didn’t buy it.
It felt like lots of unfinished ideas thrown together and being like - “hmm, that’s good, let’s add that!” but the execution never took one of the elements to the finish line.
It was an ok book but I was expecting more.
Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley!
April 21, 2023
In the vein of Frankenstein and Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde, comes Games For Dead Girls. The story of what horrors, humans, even children, can create but are unable to send back. Supernatural powers are hidden within the caves of southern England and within the psyches of these adolescent girls. Charlie was at the center of a horrific crime as a child. As an adult, she lives under a new identity. When a teenage girl, Cheryl, goes missing decades later in the same seaside town, Charlie returns to the scene of the long-ago violence. Feeling compelled to put her shocking memories to rest by helping to find Cheryl but anxious to avoid recognition, Charlie poses as a folklore researcher and begins collecting information about Cheryl and other missing girls. The novel’s grim setting is a caravan park on the coast where a warren of caves served as hiding spots for pirates and smugglers for centuries. As one person notes, "the caves are a liminal space, neither part of the sea or the land; anything can happen there". The secrets buried in the caves contributes to the feel of the caravan park as a vortex where people go missing. Alternating between time periods, the book revolves around the park. In chapters designated “1988,” Charlie is on holiday with her large extended family during the heyday of the park. At that time, Charlie is a typical kid except for her obsession with gruesome horror stories. By raising the stakes again and again in one of her imaginary games she unknowingly has built suspense across multiple timelines, until the stakes get higher than anyone, including Charlie, could ever have imagined. The story moves quickly across a fractured landscape, with surprising twists revealing one unexpected connection after another. As the smaller mysteries are resolved, this complex thriller pulls the alternating time frames together in a surprising and very satisfying resolution. If you love horror stories...you will eat this one up...if it doesn't get you first.
February 12, 2023
Games for Dead Girls is a psychological mystery thriller by Jen Williams. This author was new to me and I chose it based on the intriguing premise. The story unfolds across three timelines and multiple POV. In the present we have Sarah who along with her niece arrive in the seaside town under the guise of writing a book on the town folklore. We get flashback chapters set in the 80s when our main character is a young teen on holidays with her family where she meets and befriends a girl who will change her life. Then we also have a third storyline set in the 60s with a male narrator. Finding out how all these storylines converge will keep you turning pages. With elements of horror, mystery and thriller, this not to be missed read will have you hooked.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an arc of this book.
Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for an opportunity to read an arc of this book.
April 2, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
I was really disappointed in this one until about 2/3 through, and then it hooked me, so this book was thus saved from a two star rating. (And I feel I have to note, even though it hooked my interest, I still sort of thought the plot was kind of dumb.)
I know Jen Williams as a fantasy author whose books have been on my TBR for SOOOO LONG and I have never read a single one. When I saw that she was releasing a thriller, and it was about two girls who mess around with local legends and something bad happens, I clicked 'Request' so fast. But honestly, while the first 2/3 of the book aren't BAD, they are SOOOO SLOOOOWWW. We spend so much time with characters doing very little, seemingly so the author could drop in slight clues that would make sense at the end of the book. Which did happen! Except the narrative she's dropping these clues into is not interesting. (Also, all of the "twists" are obvious.)
Also! This book has not one, not two, but THREE separate timelines. I'm sorry, but that is too much, and it doesn't work. One of the timelines was so tedious to get through, and it took away my focus and mental energy from the other two timelines. I think she could have introduced this guy's backstory in a much different way that would have been interesting instead of what we have here.
Also also! There was just A LOT going on here, and as can happen when a book has too much going on, none of it was really explored or expanded upon to my satisfaction.
The book is narrated by Mhairi Morrison, and as always she does a fantastic job. Her voice is so soothing.
I was really disappointed in this one until about 2/3 through, and then it hooked me, so this book was thus saved from a two star rating. (And I feel I have to note, even though it hooked my interest, I still sort of thought the plot was kind of dumb.)
I know Jen Williams as a fantasy author whose books have been on my TBR for SOOOO LONG and I have never read a single one. When I saw that she was releasing a thriller, and it was about two girls who mess around with local legends and something bad happens, I clicked 'Request' so fast. But honestly, while the first 2/3 of the book aren't BAD, they are SOOOO SLOOOOWWW. We spend so much time with characters doing very little, seemingly so the author could drop in slight clues that would make sense at the end of the book. Which did happen! Except the narrative she's dropping these clues into is not interesting. (Also, all of the "twists" are obvious.)
Also! This book has not one, not two, but THREE separate timelines. I'm sorry, but that is too much, and it doesn't work. One of the timelines was so tedious to get through, and it took away my focus and mental energy from the other two timelines. I think she could have introduced this guy's backstory in a much different way that would have been interesting instead of what we have here.
Also also! There was just A LOT going on here, and as can happen when a book has too much going on, none of it was really explored or expanded upon to my satisfaction.
The book is narrated by Mhairi Morrison, and as always she does a fantastic job. Her voice is so soothing.
November 1, 2022
And now…..
Back to my regularly scheduled dramatic rants on my love for blood, guts, gore, twist, shrills and of course some sleepless nights.
Well, lookey on over here for a book that checks off every box on my twisty little soul sucking list.
Drumroll please…..
Games For Dead Girls
This book fed my soul . It’s beyond disturbing, twisted, dark and has given me nightmares since I read it. This is my go to book suggestion for anyone who asks for the most traumatic book I have ever read . This is one of those books everyone says they can handle and then the minute they conclude they find their hands shaking in fear . I won’t lie to you. There was no “walks around the neighborhood” after this one .
So although you may call yourself a psychological thriller lover please proceed with caution, this is not the book for anyone looking for a boy meets girl and maybe gets annoyed and disappears for a bit kind of thing .
Enjoy my little soul suckers….
5 stars
Back to my regularly scheduled dramatic rants on my love for blood, guts, gore, twist, shrills and of course some sleepless nights.
Well, lookey on over here for a book that checks off every box on my twisty little soul sucking list.
Drumroll please…..
Games For Dead Girls
This book fed my soul . It’s beyond disturbing, twisted, dark and has given me nightmares since I read it. This is my go to book suggestion for anyone who asks for the most traumatic book I have ever read . This is one of those books everyone says they can handle and then the minute they conclude they find their hands shaking in fear . I won’t lie to you. There was no “walks around the neighborhood” after this one .
So although you may call yourself a psychological thriller lover please proceed with caution, this is not the book for anyone looking for a boy meets girl and maybe gets annoyed and disappears for a bit kind of thing .
Enjoy my little soul suckers….
5 stars
October 16, 2025
Games for Dead Girls is a mystery thriller book with horror elements that follows Charlie, a woman who is on holiday with her niece, Katie, in a seaside town in England. Charlie is there to also find more information about the local folklore, but she ends up uncovering some secrets that can put her life in danger. Besides, when she was a child, Charlie spent a summer holiday camping in the same place, a summer that ended up in tragedy.
This book was very engaging. I was hooked from the start, and the various timelines kept me interested and helped maintain the mystery of the story. The plot takes its time to move things along as the reader is slowly given pieces of information that, bit by bit, help unravel the mystery while also building the tension.
The characters were very interesting, and I felt they were complex, with flaws and issues, and some of them, quite damaged. Without spoilers, I will say I wish we had spent a bit more time with the characters at the end, but I found their arcs to be quite satisfying.
Overall, a gripping book, I listened to it on audio and I really liked it, and I would highly recommend it if you want to be both intrigued and a bit terrified.
This book was very engaging. I was hooked from the start, and the various timelines kept me interested and helped maintain the mystery of the story. The plot takes its time to move things along as the reader is slowly given pieces of information that, bit by bit, help unravel the mystery while also building the tension.
The characters were very interesting, and I felt they were complex, with flaws and issues, and some of them, quite damaged. Without spoilers, I will say I wish we had spent a bit more time with the characters at the end, but I found their arcs to be quite satisfying.
Overall, a gripping book, I listened to it on audio and I really liked it, and I would highly recommend it if you want to be both intrigued and a bit terrified.
April 21, 2023
3 stars ~ [5.60/10]
Jen Williams's The Winnowing Flame series is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series and I've liked her recent foray into thrillers, but they're just ok for me. Enjoyable in the moment, but kind of forgettable and a little too reliant on the twist being the thing that people remember about them. And, unfortunately the twists just aren't that fresh for me to relish in the cleverness. I do really like the way she writes atmosphere and I thought Stitch Face Sue was very creepy - creepy enough that it made me want to read a horror from this author. I think the talent she's shown in fantasy and the way she is able to write atmosphere in her thrillers would potentially be a winning recipe for a great horror story.
Jen Williams's The Winnowing Flame series is one of my all-time favourite fantasy series and I've liked her recent foray into thrillers, but they're just ok for me. Enjoyable in the moment, but kind of forgettable and a little too reliant on the twist being the thing that people remember about them. And, unfortunately the twists just aren't that fresh for me to relish in the cleverness. I do really like the way she writes atmosphere and I thought Stitch Face Sue was very creepy - creepy enough that it made me want to read a horror from this author. I think the talent she's shown in fantasy and the way she is able to write atmosphere in her thrillers would potentially be a winning recipe for a great horror story.
August 4, 2023
I knew after reading A Dark and Secret Place that I would always read Jen Williams' thrillers and was so excited to get a copy of Games for Dead Girls. This is an atmospheric slow burn, and I thought Williams did an impressive job setting the scene. The book alternates back and forth between Charlotte (Charlie) and Emily as children from when they first meet to what happens next, and Charlie as an adult who is not only trying to hide from her past but also trying to solve the case of missing girls in Hithechurch. I enjoyed how the two different stories worked in tandem with each other until we find out what happened in the past and get fully immersed in Charlie's present. I loved the exploration of urban legends in the area (which is how the book actually starts), and how that became a very real scenario for the girls. There was another viewpoint as well that popped up on occasion, but you can just wait and see for that.
The end of the book gets SO creepy, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen. There are things that readers will probably find implausible like Charlie carting her niece Katie around an area where young girls are going missing, but I was so lost in the story that I wasn't even thinking about those things. I also loved the audiobook and Mhairi Morrison was the perfect person to narrate and bring Charlie to life. I would highly recommend the audio to keep yourself invested as well, and audiobooks are my favorite thing when there is a book that is on the slower side. Especially when the narrator adds to the atmosphere which Morrison certainly did. I did find myself getting a little confused about who some of the characters were, and I would recommend making sure you are paying attention. I am such a huge fan of Williams and Games for Dead Girls was just as dark and delicious as I was hoping it would be.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The end of the book gets SO creepy, and I was definitely on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what was going to happen. There are things that readers will probably find implausible like Charlie carting her niece Katie around an area where young girls are going missing, but I was so lost in the story that I wasn't even thinking about those things. I also loved the audiobook and Mhairi Morrison was the perfect person to narrate and bring Charlie to life. I would highly recommend the audio to keep yourself invested as well, and audiobooks are my favorite thing when there is a book that is on the slower side. Especially when the narrator adds to the atmosphere which Morrison certainly did. I did find myself getting a little confused about who some of the characters were, and I would recommend making sure you are paying attention. I am such a huge fan of Williams and Games for Dead Girls was just as dark and delicious as I was hoping it would be.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 30, 2023
here is a lot going on in this book, so you need to pay attention. Little things that seem unimportant become huge clues. Things are never really what they seem, and all characters are unreliable and sketchy. Keeping all this in mind, doesn’t that make you want to read the book more? Lol
The timeline hops from childhood to present day. So much is linked between the two narratives, but you don’t realize it until the middle of the book. The common thread is the missing girls, and an urban legend. I think the sense of the supernatural, of the urban legend being real, is what held my attention through the whole book. I wanted a ghost to be the killer, kidnapper, because a real person is so much more scarier. And OMG that reveal is down right dark.
It’s so hard to not see myself in this story. I love camping, and the excitement felt as a kid when making temporary friends in the campground. Making up games and stories to keep the friendship going, is exactly what I did. I love it when storylines seemed to be picked from my past.
Games For Dead Girls is a fantastic thriller, that goes dark just enough to make your hairs stand up. The story is told so well, and is captivating all the way through until the end. As an audiobook, the narrator helped keep the story moving. The emotion in the voice, brought you back in time and pulled you to the present. I bounced from audio to print with this book, and am very glad I did. I felt a deeper connection with the audio giving a voice to the characters.
The timeline hops from childhood to present day. So much is linked between the two narratives, but you don’t realize it until the middle of the book. The common thread is the missing girls, and an urban legend. I think the sense of the supernatural, of the urban legend being real, is what held my attention through the whole book. I wanted a ghost to be the killer, kidnapper, because a real person is so much more scarier. And OMG that reveal is down right dark.
It’s so hard to not see myself in this story. I love camping, and the excitement felt as a kid when making temporary friends in the campground. Making up games and stories to keep the friendship going, is exactly what I did. I love it when storylines seemed to be picked from my past.
Games For Dead Girls is a fantastic thriller, that goes dark just enough to make your hairs stand up. The story is told so well, and is captivating all the way through until the end. As an audiobook, the narrator helped keep the story moving. The emotion in the voice, brought you back in time and pulled you to the present. I bounced from audio to print with this book, and am very glad I did. I felt a deeper connection with the audio giving a voice to the characters.
April 7, 2023
Thank you to @crookedlanebooks for always being amazing and for my #gifted copy! I have no idea why this is only scored 3.87 on Goodreads because this book was damn good! It gave off Karin Slaughter vibes to me.
For all my friends who are faint of heart, this may not be for you. This book creeped me out in all the good ways. Told from dual timelines and from a few different POVs, I loved how it all weaved together at the end. I really enjoyed Charlie’s POV. Williams did a great job of writing someone at the age of early teenage years. The antics the girls get up to and the games they played are so reminiscent to my childhood, I mean who hasn’t played with a Ouija board or tried to conjure the dead?! The story lines are so well developed you really feel you have an understanding for all involved.
I loved the atmosphere and the location of this one. The setting just added to the creepy vibes this gave off and the tense, unease you get around strangers. All the creepy caves near the caravan park really set a tone.
The storyline of Derek and Dr. Grafton made me go into a deep dive on the old google to look up the first cases of plastic surgery during WWI and what they did to help soldiers that were injured in unfortunate ways during war. (I highly recommend checking that out, its truly fascinating if you are into that sort of thing)
The ending of this was full throttle, high octane cuckoo bananas and I loved every minute of it. It terrified me and I may have broken a few fingernails. I was pleasantly surprised with this. For those who like the dark, gritty, and twisted ones-pick this up.
For all my friends who are faint of heart, this may not be for you. This book creeped me out in all the good ways. Told from dual timelines and from a few different POVs, I loved how it all weaved together at the end. I really enjoyed Charlie’s POV. Williams did a great job of writing someone at the age of early teenage years. The antics the girls get up to and the games they played are so reminiscent to my childhood, I mean who hasn’t played with a Ouija board or tried to conjure the dead?! The story lines are so well developed you really feel you have an understanding for all involved.
I loved the atmosphere and the location of this one. The setting just added to the creepy vibes this gave off and the tense, unease you get around strangers. All the creepy caves near the caravan park really set a tone.
The storyline of Derek and Dr. Grafton made me go into a deep dive on the old google to look up the first cases of plastic surgery during WWI and what they did to help soldiers that were injured in unfortunate ways during war. (I highly recommend checking that out, its truly fascinating if you are into that sort of thing)
The ending of this was full throttle, high octane cuckoo bananas and I loved every minute of it. It terrified me and I may have broken a few fingernails. I was pleasantly surprised with this. For those who like the dark, gritty, and twisted ones-pick this up.
April 16, 2023
ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.
The narration of this book worked perfectly for the setting and characters! She’s very easy to listen to for hours and I always can identify who is supposed to be speaking. The story takes place is a small coastline English town and Eva’s multiple characters stories during many different timelines. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s one of those books that connects all the storylines and by the end, everything makes sense and all the pieces fall into place. If you’re into thrillers and mysteries, this book will probably interesting you!
The narration of this book worked perfectly for the setting and characters! She’s very easy to listen to for hours and I always can identify who is supposed to be speaking. The story takes place is a small coastline English town and Eva’s multiple characters stories during many different timelines. I don’t want to give anything away, but it’s one of those books that connects all the storylines and by the end, everything makes sense and all the pieces fall into place. If you’re into thrillers and mysteries, this book will probably interesting you!
December 9, 2022
I couldn't make it through this whole book, unfortunately. It moved so slow and the writing style just didn't work for me.
I appreciate the opportunity to read and review, thank you Netgalley. It just doesn't seem to be the book for me.
I appreciate the opportunity to read and review, thank you Netgalley. It just doesn't seem to be the book for me.
October 24, 2022
This book wasn interesting enough to stick to the end. The plot was good, and I liked it. My main issues were more with the way how the events were presented. Something in a way things were revealdes didn't stick with me like a mystery we waited for so long, wasn't as spectacular as I though it will be. Also, the fact of the prison sentence for main character wasn't reliable for me. I personally think for what she did being so long, she had much shorter time. I give this book 3 stars and recommed it for people who like criminal cooks with gothic vibe.
April 21, 2023
This was a uniquely haunting and incredibly atmospheric read! It’s a psychological thriller with a side of horror and some gothic vibes.
This is a slow burn that’s told through three different timelines that eventually converge in a satisfying way. As a heads up, there’s a lot going on with this one so make sure to pay close attention!
Now this might not be for everyone as it’s definitely out there but I found it’s disturbing and twistedness quite intriguing!
3.5 rounded to 4 for goodreads
This is a slow burn that’s told through three different timelines that eventually converge in a satisfying way. As a heads up, there’s a lot going on with this one so make sure to pay close attention!
Now this might not be for everyone as it’s definitely out there but I found it’s disturbing and twistedness quite intriguing!
3.5 rounded to 4 for goodreads
October 26, 2022
While I am one who usually enjoys a slow burn, this was a bit harder to get into. I kept losing focus the first half of the book. The second half was better when it picked up a bit and the overall story was good. Maybe the writing style just wasn't for me. I did like this, I just wasn't crazy about it. Three Stars.
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.
Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.
November 23, 2022
Charlie and her niece Katie are on Holiday in Hithechurch, England. The village is full of folklore and women going missing in the area. .
This was an eerie read that held my attention. Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!
This was an eerie read that held my attention. Thanks NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC!
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