All the Pretty Dead Girls

by John Manning and John Manning

One By One. . . Two decades ago, at a private women's college in upstate New York, a student was brutally attacked in her dorm room. Her assailant was never found. . . They Disappear. . . Sue Barlow... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786017988
• ISBN13: 9780786017980
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Pinnacle Books
• Length: 484 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 4.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

From Judith at J. Kaye's Book Blog

Wonder if deep within the vault of the Vatican there were the original texts of the Bible, handwritten by the actual authors. Wonder if the Vatican had kept these truths hidden, along with the original Book of Revelations that tells in detail of the rise of the Antichrist. Now suppose a copy of that leaked out over a hundred years ago to a zealous group who was determined to make the prophecy come true sooner than what was predicted... John Manning has taken all of these what ifs and composed one of the best thrillers of 2009. ALL THE PRETTY DEAD GIRLS is a mix of ROSEMARY'S BABY meets ANGELS & DEMONS. To say this book is your typical thriller would be a serious understatement. It's definitely not your fluffy weekend read.

Not what I expected

All the Pretty Dead Girls is more of a horror story and I do not like horror stories. I was in a situation that I had alot of free time so, of course, I took that book as my new serial killer book. Imagine the shock when I realized I had a different kind of book. If I had not been trapped with only one book I would have thrown it away. I had the choice of reading it or counting tiles on the floor. Relucently I started it. After the second chapter I was hooked. I have just finished it, enjoyed it, and am looking for another by him. What a surprise and I have learned a lesson.

Not your typical thriller -- have fun with this one!

This book was NOT at all what I expected. I was thinking it would be a run-of-the-mill thriller - the type with a plot that I can write in my sleep. I assumed it would feature the usual: torture, rape, and a sicko psycho predator stalking coeds because of some hideous compulsion that would be detailed in the novel. Be warned - there is murder, but the story itself is not about a psychopath attacking and murdering young girls at this private college in the Northeast - it's about the Book of Revelations and the Antichrist and satanic worship. So if you're looking for a typical suspense thriller, this book isn't what you're wanting. If, however, you want a fast paced story with a heroine you're not sure you like - this is your book. You'll find a fast paced read that might keep you up far too late at night. Enjoy!

A real page-turner

Going off to college for the first time is always an adventure, but for Sue Barlow, it promises to be so much more. She will finally be on her own, away from the stifling grasp of the grandparents who raised her after the death of her mother. Sue hopes that Wilbourne College, her mother's alma mater in upstate New York, will give her both the freedom that she has never enjoyed and information about the parents she never knew. What she finds there is far more terrifying than she could have ever imagined. All the Pretty Dead Girls by John Manning reminds me of a Dean Koontz novel or something by Clive Barker, without being quite as tightly written. The plot moves along nicely, for the most part, except for the back and forth between the past and the present, which I found a little disconcerting at times. This is definitely a "page-turner" in the most positive way and the twists of the plot surprised me more than a few times. It is not predictable or boring. I found the characters believable and pretty well fully-formed and although their dialogue sometimes falls a little flat the characters are not. I found myself conjuring them up in my mind... seeing what they would look and sound like. I enjoyed All the Pretty Dead Girls even though it runs a little more toward horror than I normally go these days. I was drawn in from the first page and read it straight through to the last. If you are a fan of Dean Koontz or Clive Barker, or even Peter Straub, I think you will enjoy All the Pretty Dead Girls.

taut horror thriller

She lived under her grandparents' thumbs as long as she can remember; her grandfather especially was a martinet as he very successfully controlled her thoughts and her activities. They are her guardians as they explained to her that her mother is dead. Sue Barlow is ecstatic when she obtains an iota of freedom by going to the mostly female Wilbourne College in Upstate New York. Her first impression of the school is a serene tranquil place where nothing bad could occur. Her first inkling that the school was not as peaceful as she thought is when a student vanishes by the college gate with blood engulfing her bike. Soon afterward Sue sees the face of a screaming young woman in Room 323 in Bentley Hall. She learns two decades ago a student was raped in that room and the perpetrator was never caught. People all over the globe are seeing visions of the Virgin who has a message for them; one they can only share with their priest. Two more students disappear and whatever Sue wishes happens. All of these seemingly unconnected events tie together to a twenty-year cycle in which students vanish, but this time the Evil One forces the dark plan of Revelation upon an unsuspecting world; Sue must choose which side she joins as the foci who will determine the fate of humanity. John Manning's tense tale starts off as a seemingly simplistic abduction thriller, but turns into a horror saga similar in tone to the early works of Stephen King. Sue is a fascinating lead character as she ponders what her grandparents mean to her after isolating her for so long. She struggles with relationships especially caring friendships. Her childhood of segregation from her peers let alone adults add to the audience sense of dread as we wonder which side she will select when she takes her "Stand". Readers will enjoy Mr. Manning's taut horror thriller due to secluded Sue. Harriet Klausner