The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes

The Shining Girls

By Lauren Beukes

  • Release Date: 2013-06-04
  • Genre: Mysteries & Thrillers
Score: 4
4
From 363 Ratings

Description

Now an Apple TV+ series starring Elisabeth Moss: the girl who wouldn't die hunts the killer who shouldn't exist in this "expertly chilling" twist on the serial killer novel from the award-winning author Lauren Beukes (San Francisco Chronicle).

Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future. Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times.

At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of these shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing without a trace into another time after each murder -- until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on an impossible truth . . .

“Utterly original, beautifully written, and I must say, it creeped the holy bejasus out of me. This is something special.” —Tana French

Reviews

  • A pleasant surprise!

    5
    By adip2017
    I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did! I found the characters gripping and the story intriguing. The timeline does jump around from character to character so if you do not like that style of writing, this is probably not for you, but I really enjoyed the depth it brought.
  • Leroy - July 2022

    2
    By Slaterdoginsc
    I tried to enjoy this, but there was too much jumping around chapter to chapter. No depth. Cliched characters. Almost like “The Girl on the Train” by Paula Hawkins. I guess non-linear narration is considered a style now. Read Zadie Smith’s “White Teeth” if you want interesting characters and a satisfying plot.
  • Not Shining Girls

    1
    By Jefferson Speed
    Poorly written, gory but unconvincing
  • The shining girls

    1
    By StellaBlue1969
    This book is a waste of time. The timeline is difficult to follow which is fine because at that point you don't care enough to follow. There is no depth to the characters and often no discernible motive for their actions. There do exist some nice passages but overall the story didn't support the characters.
  • Creepy and captivating

    5
    By K O J&j
    I could not put it down! Once you start you are hooked on the fast-paced, ever-changing plot and sinister villain. It's definitely not for the faint of heart, but if you like crime mysteries, you'll love it. Really well-done fiction.
  • Meh...

    2
    By BoomMama
    While the plot was a good concept, the story/writing itself was a snooze. It was hard to really get into the book until the end...and then it ended!
  • Time traveling serial killer

    4
    By tsierer
    Interesting concept and well-written. This book was hard to put down!
  • Fantastic with complex narration

    5
    By Tbeth09
    Loved this book- the variation of narrators, Kirby's strong character, and the atypical thriller element of time-travel were unexpected and made this book un-put-down-able.
  • Great murder mystery story!

    5
    By Tferrari
    A real page turner murder mystery with a twist of time travel, very entertaining.
  • Vastly Over-rated

    2
    By choate76
    I downloaded this book immediately upon release and was immediately disappointed; and this was supposed to be "the" book of the summer. Hardly. Go grab Tana French and leave Lauren Beukes at home. Her characters are flat; her suspense is lackluster; her intrigue, non-existent. My 14-year old writes more creative plot twists than this muck… So sad that this book rec'd so much UNdeserved hype.