Title: Dead Girls
Author: Graeme Cameron
Published: May 21st 2018
Publisher: Harlequin – Mira
Pages: 304
Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Thriller, Suspense
RRP: $29.99
Rating: 3.5 stars
I may not remember everything, but I know he won’t hurt anyone else. I won’t let him.
It’s been two months since a serial killer brutally attacked police detective Alisha Green and left her for dead. Two months since she could effortlessly recall simple things, since her mind felt remotely sound. The nameless killer thinks he knows her, thinks she’s just another dead girl among many. Ali Green plans to show him he’s dead wrong about that.
Ali has two enemies now: the dangerous man she’s hunting, and her own failing memory. As explosive new evidence comes to light, and conflicting accounts from a witness and a surviving victim threaten both her investigation and her credibility, she begins to question what is and isn’t real. And now Ali has no choice but to remember the past…before it buries her.
My review:
In 2015, author Graeme Cameron burst onto the psychological thriller and crime fiction scene with his book, Normal. A book that takes a comprehensive look at all facets of a serial killer, this one haunted me for some time after I finished the novel. Cameron is back with a brand new and astute novel that sees the return of his characters from the first novel. Dead Girls is a standalone, so readers can make the call as to whether or not they need to read the first, Normal, to better appreciate Dead Girls.
Dead Girls picks up two months after a serial killer unleashed a brutal attack on police detective Alisha Green, an attack she barely survived. Although Alisha is still standing, the attack has left her with a lasting impairment, her mind is scattered. Where once Alisha could recall anything and everything in great detail, now she struggles. Alisa is hell-bent on revenge and is set to prove to the killer still out there that she will beat him, at any cost. Contending with a clever serial killer and a failing mind, Alisha is up against the odds. But, this case is turned on its head when some new evidence is turned up. However, when both a witness and another surviving victim provide their account of the killer and his actions, Alisha’s version of events is put under the microscope. Alisha must dig into the depths of her mind and uncover the truth before the killer strikes again.
After enjoying my reading experience of Normal in 2015, when an opportunity came my way to review Graeme Cameron’s latest and follow on from his previous book, I happily accepted Dead Girls to read. For the most part I was pleased with this book and my decision. There were a couple of pitfalls to this book though which I will attempt to illuminate for you.
As I mentioned in my opening, Dead Girls is a book that follows on from Cameron’s previous novel, Normal. Dead Girls is a standalone, so there may not be a need to seek out Normal. For me, it is a few years and many, many books since I read Normal, so perhaps if I had more time, a re-read of Normal may have sufficed. While Normal focussed on the inner workings of a serial killer at work, Dead Girls is more a police procedural. It is a suspense filled cat and mouse game between the killer and those chasing him, namely survivor Alisha. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel very much and I’m sure it will appeal to psychological thriller fans.
The prologue to Dead Girls really sets the scene for what is to come in this novel. It certainly whet my appetite! Dead Girls is very faced paced, almost relentless and the action remains consistent throughout the book. Cameron has a distinctive style of writing, there are moments in the book that border on satirical dark humour and I didn’t quite know what to make of it! Cameron is also a very clever writer who enjoys toying with the reader’s mind. There were plenty of moments in this book where my suspicions were wrong and when I went back to the drawing table, they were again incorrect. You really need to be on the ball with this one!
On characterisation. There are a lot of characters that come in and out of this novel, which at first put me off a little as I grappled with who was who and what part they played in the novel. Once this settled down, I developed a firm grip on the protagonists, I felt much better about this novel. I will advise you that the perspectives shift in this novel, from first to third, so you need to have a clear mind while reading this. Alisha, the lead, also suffers from memory loss, so her thoughts are often scrambled and confused. There is a real blurring of the lines between perceived reality, versus imagination. However, I think this is Cameron’s intention, to make us doubt Alisha. It all adds to the unreliable narrator aspect of this thriller.
Overall, I found Dead Girls to be a gripping detective based mystery. There is plenty of movement in this novel, which is maintained for the entire book. Dead Girls is intense, dark, twisted and full of tension. At times you just want to yell ‘watch your back’ to the characters in this novel, it is that kind of read. I will be on the look out for future titles by Graeme Cameron.
Dead Girls by Graeme Cameron was published on 21st May 2018 by Harlequin – Mira. Details on how to purchase the book can be found here.
To learn more about the author of Dead Girls, Graeme Cameron, visit here.
*I wish to thank Harlequin-Mira for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
