Bad Girls Burn Slow

By Pam Ward

Book Overview

In this compelling new novel from the author of "Want Some, Get Some, " Pam Ward proves that sometimes looks are deceiving. . . With her pale skin, heart-shaped lips, and piercing gaze, ten year-old Paula is luminous. No one can believe that Margie, as bronzed-skinned as she is plain, could possibly be Paula's mother. But Margie knows better--behind Paula's innocent, girlish beauty lies the heart of a destructive soul who literally loves to play with fire, cannot control her temper, and in school, has a proven proclivity toward violence. Margie hopes that moving closer to the California waters will snuff out the mysterious, growing flame in her daughter's heart, but Bernard, their new neighbor and funeral parlor owner, immediately senses that there is something "strange" about little Paula--something that he does not want in his home or place of business. . . Bernard, a man with secrets himself, decides that his new neighbors may need a little encouragement to find another place to live. But Paula, though still a child, has keen instincts of her own. As her suspicions about Bernard unravel and lead to a suspenseful, disturbing battle of wills, the most shocking of secrets are revealed. . . Praise for Want Some, Get Some "An outstanding debut novel. . .original, fast-paced, and full of the drama that keeps the pages turning. Don't sleep." --Darren Coleman, "Essence"(R)bestselling author

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 075821801X
• ISBN13: 9780758218018
• Release Date: August 2008
• Publisher: Dafina
• Length: 291 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.0" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Bad girls do bad things...

Wow!!! This is my second read by Pam Ward and she didn't hestitate to blow me away AGAIN! She is definitely on the list of my favorite authors! I was so into this book that it was hard for me to do anything else. Pam Ward has created a colorful cast of characters and a story so rich you'll hate to be disturbed while reading it! BGBS is about two women who are both scheming their way to the top by going after the same family who they believe is the answer to all their financial troubles. There's nothing either of them won't do to secure their positions in this 'rich family'. One of the women has went so low to even get her child involved in her tangled web of lies. You'll be at the edge of your seat flipping the pages as fast as you can to get to the next page. The characters are so raw and real you'll have a hard time believing they're made up! I hope Pam doesn't make us wait too long for her next novel. She is definitely an author to watch and read. If you haven't read her first novel, Want Some Get Some what are you waiting on???

Burn, baby burn!

Ward shows once again in this new novel that she is an exciting, vivid voice. As she did in Want Some Get Some, Ward presents us with a motley cast of characters that are all bound up together in a crazy street stew. The con (cons?) that is at the heart of the story is almost beside the point as we watch with grim fascination as Bernard, Paula, Val and Margie hurtle to a frantic heart-stopping climax. The characters in BGBS are so raw and real and wonderfully drawn that each one begs for his or her own story. No one is exactly whom they seem in this book, as Ward explores the myths we create about ourselves and others create for us. What about any of us is true, and how much smoke and how many mirrors hide that truth? Ultimately this question haunts the book and once you finish reading it, you'll want to read it again to see what clues you missed that hid a terrible secret. And then you'll clamor for whatever caught-up, tangled, voyeuristic thriller Ward is working on next!