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.

“Games for Dead Girls” by Jen Williams is a haunting thriller that delves into the murky depths of folklore and the human psyche. The novel, set in the eerie seaside town of Hithechurch, England, follows Charlie, a woman with a dark past that’s tumultuous.

The story unfolds in alternating timelines, revealing Charlie’s childhood where she crafted a monster from felt, straw, and a pair of rusty scissors. This creation, born from the innocence of a child’s imagination, becomes a sinister symbol as young women begin to disappear from the town. The narrative cleverly intertwines Charlie’s past with the present, as she returns to Hithechurch with her niece Katie, only to find that the monster of her youth may not have been as fictitious as she once believed.

Williams masterfully weaves a tale that blurs the line between supernatural and human horror. The novel explores the concept of monsters, both real and imagined, and the terrifying realization that sometimes the two are indistinguishable. The setting of Hithechurch is a character in itself, with its gloomy sea and dangerous caves providing a backdrop that is both atmospheric and foreboding.

The plot is gripping, with a slow burn that builds tension and mystery page by page. As Charlie digs deeper into the town’s folklore and the disappearances, she uncovers secrets that are better left buried. The game she once played as a child, now turned deadly, forces her to confront the horrors of her past and the reality of her creation.

“Games for Dead Girls” has rich storytelling, complex characters, and a setting that is as haunting as the story itself. Highly recommended.

Unfortunately this one wasn't for me.

I did like that it had a creepy vibe, but overall this is a very slow book and I struggled to stay engaged. The book jumps between three timelines: first, when Charlie's a kid playing with her friend Emily and a local legend called Stitch-Faced Sue; second, when Charlie's all grown up researching folklore and stumbling into a mystery; and third, exploring his life back in the '50s. Eventually, the timelines all come together, but I felt that it took too long to get there. In saying this, there are some pretty interesting parts to the story, but I wish the bigger reveals - that had me flipping pages - could've been seeded in earlier because I spent a chunk of this book wondering if it would ever pay off.

While this one wasn't for me, I do think there is an audience for this book. If you don't mind a slow-burn mystery where the juicy parts are revealed towards the end, then this might be a book for you.

2.5 stars

Truly good, I was terrified throughout the novel. I really liked the suspense and the plot, the characters were formidable!

Another one where the book just did not live up to the synopsis unfortunately. I felt like this one just had way way too much going on at once. My brain was struggling to follow everything and everyone. I guess maybe i just don't have the attention span. I also am kind of over "spooky" stories, but that is my own personal problem.

Jen Williams weaves a chilling tale of mystery and horror in 'Games for Dead Girls,' a novel that blurs the line between the supernatural and human evil. Set in the eerie seaside town of Hithechurch, England, the story follows Charlie and her niece, Katie, as they uncover the dark secrets lurking beneath the town's tranquil facade. As Charlie delves into the town's folklore, she finds a sinister pattern of disappearances that spans decades, leading her to confront her own hidden past. With alternating timelines and a sense of creeping dread, Williams masterfully builds tension as the characters are drawn deeper into a web of malevolence and obsession. 'Games for Dead Girls' is a haunting and atmospheric read that will keep readers guessing until the shocking conclusion. Fans of Jennifer Hillier and Alex North will find themselves thoroughly engrossed in this gripping tale of horror and suspense."

Not the wildest mystery I've ever read, but the writing was good, and I enjoyed reading it overall.

The story unravels across three different timelines that do come together eventually, but it takes a while, and unfortunately, that slows the pacing down considerably. Some of the twists were pretty easy to see coming as well. I did really like the protagonist—she didn't go out of her way to run headlong into danger, and made some smart choices along the way that saved me the frustration of having to yell, "why would you do this?!" The last 20% goes by very fast, and that's the part where it (finally) starts to feel thrilling.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

"Exploring the fine line where supernatural ends and real human monstrosity begins, Games for Dead Girls is a haunting, dark read from award-winning author Jen Williams.

In the vein of Jennifer Hillier and Alex North, and told in alternating timelines, a ritualistic game turns deadly for two young girls, but it will be years before they must face the true horrors of their past.

When Charlie was eleven, she created a monster…"

I am always delighted when I book has a taste of the paranormal and that is what drew me to this book. I enjoyed the dual timelines, the horror and the thriller aspects of the book, and it was a fun fast read.

This story switches back and forth between timelines, with different characters, It would likely appeal to anyone who enjoys horror, where it isn't clear if the horror is regular human horror, or supernatural horror.

Jen is the main character. She and her family vacationed every year at a beach side trailer park when she was young. The attraction, other than the beach, is that it was next to a pirate-themed amusement park. The setting is somewhere in Great Britain.

The pirate theme is due to a local legend that pirates sheltered there many years ago. There is also a spooky legend about Switch Face Sue, who looks like a scarecrow. During one of their summer visits, something terrible happened.

Years later Jen and a young girl named Katie go back to the beach. Jen's public reason for asking questions of the local residents is that she wants to do some research for a book that she is writing about the folk tales of the area. Her real reason is that she wants to understand what happened so long ago on that visit.

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher Crooked Lane Books, and voluntarily read and reviewed it.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Fast-paced and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

I really liked the first book I read by Jen Williams "A Dark and Secret Place" but this one was not it for me. This book had multiple timelines, which I normally love, but this was so confusing. The story was slow and by the time anything interesting happened, I had lost interest. Unfortunately, this one was just not for me. I won't give up on her though.

This is eerie story where the past tragedy gets intertwined with the recent cases of the missing girls.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

"Games for Dead Girls" by Jen Williams is a chilling and captivating mystery that delves into the darker aspects of human nature. Williams' storytelling prowess shines as she weaves a tale of suspense, secrets, and psychological intrigue. The book's atmospheric setting and well-developed characters create an immersive reading experience that keeps readers eagerly turning pages. Williams skillfully builds tension and suspense, leading readers down a path of discovery where nothing is as it seems. "Games for Dead Girls" is a gripping thriller that challenges perceptions and leaves readers questioning the boundaries of truth and deception, making it a must-read for fans of the mystery and psychological thriller genres.

⭐⭐⭐

Games for Dead Girls by Jen Williams is a chilling thriller that takes readers on a journey of dark secrets and hidden horrors. Told in alternating timelines, the story follows Charlie, who created a monster when she was just eleven years old. Charlie and her niece Katie find themselves in the quiet seaside town of Hithechurch, England, where Charlie is researching the local folklore for a book. However, her research uncovers a sinister secret: young women have been going missing for decades, with no answers or bodies left behind.

The book’s cover is visually stunning, immediately capturing the reader’s attention. While the writing is solid and the atmospheric setting is a highlight, the plot suffers from being slow-moving. The three timelines, although intriguing in concept, fail to seamlessly mesh together, leaving readers confused at times. Additionally, the inclusion of Katie’s character seems unnecessary and doesn’t contribute significantly to the overall story.

Furthermore, the ending feels rushed and lacks the depth and development that the rest of the book promises. It leaves readers feeling unsatisfied and wishing for more closure. Overall, Games for Dead Girls is a mixed bag. Although it has its strengths, such as the atmospheric setting and decent writing, the slow pacing and disjointed timelines prevent it from reaching its full potential.

**ARC Via NetGalley**

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.

For a thriller I thought this one was okay. I am pretty hit or miss with them and the fact that I didn't get bored enough to bail says a lot. I sort of guess a few of the twist though that ending was a bit different and I am on the fence about it but still felt this was an okay read and would recommend others try it. 3.5 stars.

I don't know if I skipped reading the blurb for this one, but I didn't expect this story to go in the direction it went at all. It's a weird one at times, but I went with it, and really enjoyed it. I loved that it was a departure from the typical thrillers I've read lately. The book jumps around different timelines and I loved how it all came together. The folklore was great as well as the small town mystery setting. The book is definitely a slow burn, so readers will have to be patient until they get to the payoff.