I adored this debut novel and literally put everything on hold while I read it! It's both haunting and heartbreaking as the story unfolds about an unlikely friendship between Clara, a sometimes-visionary sixteen-year-old and Lily, who flees to her hometown of Atlantic City after a bad breakup. Both women are flawed and broken in their own ways, caught up in circumstances beyond their control. Clara was abandoned by her mother and lives with her Aunt Des as they scam tourists with tarot readings and pickpocket unsuspecting victims. Lily, filled with anger at her boyfriend, accepts a minimum wage job at a spa after working in an art gallery in New York. Who could predict their lives would intersect as they connect over Clara's disturbing and random visions--a bloody tooth, a baby's screams--even as we see murdered women in a muddy marsh that aren't discovered until the end. As the body count grows, the tension increases as Clara is forced into prostitution by Des in order to make their rent. There is so much more to this storyline; Luis, the mute, deaf janitor, the many women who have fled to make a better life for themselves--only to be drawn into selling their bodies. The writing is poignant and the book is often difficult to read as it's gritty and violent, but overall we are left with the recognition of the human condition as we are not always able to control the environment in which we live; and yes, we need to SEE more often!

Two Women become unlikely friends in Alantic city during a hot humid summer filled with murder. Clara is a palm reader/psychic who begins to have visions of violence against women. Are Clara’s visions connected to the two murdered women who are down in the marshland waiting to be found? The beginning of the story dragged and for a thriller it didn’t really hook the reader. There were a lot of different POV’s throughout the story which made the story hard to follow and at times hard to focus on who was saying or thinking what.
The ending felt rushed for a rather slow an and dry book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC

Realistic, raw, and atmospheric with flawed character trying to eek out a living the tale shines a light on many of the hardships and struggles of economically depressed areas while pulling you into a suspenseful mystery.

The murders, the mystery of them and Clara’s visions combined with the POVs of the victims and their stories pulls you in. This does lessen the suspensefulness of the tale. In fact, it wasn’t until the last few chapters that I found myself holding my breath.

Full review will post at Caffeinated Reviewer on March 4, 2020. Link provided.

I just couldn't connect to this book for some reason and found it really boring and a struggle to get through. I think I was confused as I read bits and pieces at different times and had to constantly figure out whose POV I was reading from. It's difficult to do when the chapters are so long and I'm just thinking "who is this" the whole time instead of immersing myself in the book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a review copy of this title!

Emanating from two dead women, lying in a marsh in Atlantic City:
"The world was always conspiring to make young women vulnerable while labeling it as "fun." Made it seem like we were in control, like we were making all the choices, and then it was our fault when things went wrong. Us and our short skirts, our makeup, our taste for rum, for liking the things we were told to like, wanting what we were told to want."

When "Please See Us" opens, there are two dead women lying undiscovered near a rundown hotel, and before long there will be more. These dead women add a bleak chorus to what's going on, and their "voices" are one of the best things about this novel, which is strange and compelling but not completely satisfying.

Set in Atlantic City, that sad and failing resort, where Clara and Lily struggle to survive. They are both from the area, otherwise there would be no reason for them--or anyone--to be there. High school dropout Clara is initially trying to support herself and her addict aunt as a psychic. That will change as her aunt finds other income streams for her. She has something of a psychic gift, which connects her to Lily, who has come home from her art career in New York after a humiliating experience that has damaged her trust in everyone around her.

This novel goes to surprising places and Caitlin Mullen does her best to make it clear why these young women are trapped in AC, but things reach the point where it's like those movies where everyone says "whatever you do, DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR!" And then, of course, someone DOES. That one last trick, that one last lie, they don't have to, but they do.

Because of that, this is not quite a five star book, but it is evocatively written. suspenseful, and where it goes in the end is deep and disturbing. Caitlin Mullen is a writer to watch.

~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader

What an incredible debut novel! Following the unlikely friendship of two women, both struggling to move forward with their lives while living in a dying Atlantic City. Women are disappearing and Clara and Lily are searching for answers and trying to stay safe. Two women with very different stories yet they both grew up in Atlantic City and want nothing more than to break free of the curse of this fallen city.

As a former Atlantic City vacationer, I was intrigued just reading the title description and it made the read that much more enjoyable as I was able to imagine and remember places mentioned in the book.

A real edge of your seat kind of book - I found myself so invested in these character's stories and I struggled to put it down. Incredibly tragic and sad stories of women who were never able to break free of the shady side of this city and never seemed to have a fighting chance. My heart ached for each of them - broken women and their stories. All held back by something or someone in their lives, just trying to get beyond this crumbling boardwalk. Fabulous book - HIGHLY recommended!!

I so enjoyed this wonderfully written book, even though or maybe because, I found it necessary to put down at times, some parts were just hard to read about.

This "Thriller" is so much more than that label. Its thoughtful, intuitive, both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The characters so fully envisioned.

Highly recommend.

I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review..

I really enjoyed this book! Dark psychological thriller told from many POVs. This was the total human experience. It dips in to so many emotions like family love or hate, figuring out who in this world you can trust and trying to trust our own basic instincts.
This book pushes all of the human boundaries.
Highly recommend. Love the author’s writing style.

A thriller and a mystery and a well plotted character study. Please See Us stands out from the world of thrillers. The characters are detailed and interesting. The setting in Atlantic City, which becomes the end of the earth for young women at the end of their fortunes, is richly detailed. I needed to know what happens to these women, even though I well knew the demise of the city around them. Please See Us stands out from the pack of thrillers and was a great read.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I really enjoyed this book, perfect for biography and auto-biography enthusiasts. This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

Please See Us is an atmospheric mystery with strong character development. Readers looking for a fast-paced dark mystery will be pleased with this debut novel written by Caitlin Mullen. The writing is excellent making Mullen an author to watch out for in the future.

Suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the declining tourism industry, Atlantic City is becoming a ghost town with businesses closing every day. Clara, a teenager being raised by her Aunt Des, is a psychic tarot reader struggling to keep their shop open on the boardwalk. After a reading with the uncle of a missing girl, Clara begins to have visions, and as women keep disappearing, the visions become more frequent. Lily is a woman returning home after a bad breakup. She becomes friends with Clara, and together try to find the missing women before even more disappear.
I couldn't believe this was a debut author. The description of a struggling tourist town just added to the menacing atmosphere of the book. The character buildup and the way the chapters jump between characters was great. I look forward to more books by this author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Probably more 4.5 but I didnt want to just give it 4.
Clara sees things in such detail that I felt I could see them too. The way the girls are weaved together and intertwined was so interesting. I've already recommended this book to a few friends for when it releases. Thanks #netgalley for the free ARC!

I was not a fan of this book. The plot was interesting at first, but the rest of the story seemed to drag on. I personally didn’t find interest in the psychic parts of the book or all of the top-detailed encounters among the prostitutes. I think the plot had potential but overall did not keep my attention. The ending also didn’t wow me.

Please See Us is a debut novel not to be missed! Told through descriptive details, you can almost feel yourself there in the sidelines of Atlantic City, watching as it’s light diminishes from its former glory. The story is told through multiple points of view, which I always enjoy, but this one has a special way of telling the viewpoint of the victims - the Jane Doe’s. As the mystery plays out there is also the story of Clara and Lily and their connection to each other and to the true to life dangers that women face. This is a slow burn novel but it also pulls you in to find out what will happen to these women. I found myself thinking about this story when I wasn’t reading it and couldn’t wait to be able to steal some time away and finish it. Thank you to NetGalley and Galley Books for the ARC!!

This is a dark story about life in the Atlantic City underbelly. Promoted as a fast-paced psychological thriller, I would call it more of a descriptive novel. The descriptions are very well written but nearly bring the narrative to a standstill in this excruciatingly slow placed novel. Told from nine different perspectives (the ninth added two-thirds of the way through the book), it was difficult to follow and I found myself not caring about any of the characters.

If you spent time in Atlantic City during the "boom years"- when casinos were packed with hustlers, seniors, and dreamers looking to hit it big; the boardwalk was lined with salt water taffy, tacky t-shirts, and even tackier souvenirs; the Ferris wheel soared over the ocean crammed with kids on summer vacation-but haven't been there recently-the state of the once bustling gambling mecca will be a shock. Many of the casinos are bankrupt-the ones still open are a shell of their former selves; the boardwalk is empty, the store fronts boarded up and abandoned. The setting of Please See Us is depressing, the plot even more. There's a killer on the loose, but authorities don't want the public to know for fear of scaring away the few remaining tourists. Caitlin Mullen introduces the victims in a sharp but engrossing way-they narrate from beyond the grave with tales of their lives and how they wound up discarded in the marsh that lines the city. The chapters from these anonymous "Janes" are riveting-most are "ladies of the night" or runaways, and their desperation ozzes off the page. Then there's Clara-the teenage tarot card reader living in squalor with her scam artist aunt. Clara sees things- distrubing visions of how the Janes met their fate. And Lily, who cames back to Atlantic City with her tail between her legs after an ugly breakup with her boyfriend. Clara and Lily become tangled in the murderous mess around them, with Clara trying to make sense of her violent premonitions. Please See Us is darkly emotional-you'll feel a real connection to the nameless victims. The pace of Please See Us swings from whiplash fast to a snail's pace, alternating between the past and present in a dizzying way. Please See Us is a story of a town that went from glittering highs to devastating lows-and demolished the lives of a few lost souls along with the buildings.

Clara is a 16 year-old psychic whose mother abandoned her and now lives with her irresponsible aunt, Des. Des works in the casinos and hustles and steals to maintain her pill addiction.

Lily moves back to a dying Atlantic City after a mortifying art show opening where she learned that her boyfriend and potential client were having an affair. Down on her luck and desperate for a fresh start, Lily begins working in an upscale Spa in one of the casinos.

Atlantic City is a place with many lost souls itching for something more - more wealth, more drugs, more anonymity, more sex. It’s a place where a woman is an object and with that state is being comes power and extreme danger.

Clara’s visions begin coming more frequently and out of nowhere. She quickly senses that something is seriously wrong and the visions are providing her with breadcrumbs. When her and Lily cross paths, will they keep each other safe or be led into more danger?

I loved the writing style with the various narratives and mysterious characters. I also really enjoyed the underlying stories that were woven throughout like Lily’s experience in New York, the tragic death of Lily’s father, the mysterious paintings, and Clara’s drive to move to LA to find her mother. The writing was descriptive and really humanized the dangerous and demeaning lives of prostitutes. I did feel the end wrapped up a little quickly and some things were left hanging, though it could be argued that was also for effect.

This was a really difficult book to get into. It took me several tries to make it through the end of the story. While the plot was interesting, it was a bit convoluted and hard to follow because each chapter swapped character perspectives, which made everything feel really disjointed. In addition, I didn't find the ending to be satisfying in the least.