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Refresh and try again. Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Dead End Girl by L. Vargus Goodreads Author ,. Tim McBain Goodreads Author. Her body is broken. Dumped on the side of the road. She is the first. There will be more. The serial killer thriller that "refuses to let go until you've read the last sentence. Shoved into two garbage bags and lowered into the murky oil. Now rookie agent Violet Her body is broken. Now rookie agent Violet Darger gets the most important assignment of her career. She travels to the Midwest to face a killer unlike anything she's seen.
Another mutilated corpse was found next to a roller rink. A third in the gutter in a residential neighborhood. These bold displays of violence shock the rural community and rattle local law enforcement. Who could carry out such brutality? Unfortunately for Agent Darger, there's little physical evidence to work with, and the only witnesses prove to be unreliable. The case seems hopeless. If she fails, more will die. He will kill again and again. The victims harbor dark secrets. The clues twist and writhe and refuse to keep still.
And the killer watches the investigation on the nightly news, gleeful to relive the violence, knowing that he can't be stopped. A page-turning thriller packed with heart-stopping suspense. Kindle Edition , pages. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Dead End Girl , please sign up.
Refresh and try again. Anytime Jack feels nervous, his nose bleeds. Of course Casey did not want to go. The house has no electrical power, no landline and she has no reception on her cell either. This is the 30, word cliffhanging introduction to the Sovereign Spirit Saga. It was OK to start with, but got tedious after a while. It ends up that the things that happened was done by Millie's 'spirit' to protect Casey and get her away from the house that was to be on fire.
Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Jul 02, Terry rated it did not like it. If Violet "smirked" just once more, I swear I was going to delete the entire stupid book. Pages of crap supposedly the inner thoughts of a psycho sex killer?! The in-fighting about male territorial turf among blues and feebs?
The guilt-tripping of said LEO's? It was all one big screw up including the ending. From the minute Violet walked out of her hotel room, leaving an escapee alone in the room Enraging at times it was so off, it insults women in law enforcement everywhere. Either know procedure better or find a new genre, Vargus.
View all 4 comments. Mar 19, Tania Michelle rated it did not like it. I am dumbfounded at how highly rated this book was. I found it to be incredibly disappointing. I don't know how anyone thinks this is a "fast paced exhilarating thriller. I had to start skimming the last pages. They finally catch the psycho at the end who we already know who it is the whole time. I was hoping some crazy twist to prevail, guessing that maybe Detective Loshak was the killer himself and the reasoning for being so sick.
What was the I am dumbfounded at how highly rated this book was. What was the point of that detail to the character? Seriously, don't waste your time! Apr 12, eden Hudson rated it it was amazing Shelves: Dead End Girl is a tightly woven, fast-paced, tension-laced thrill ride. How do I know? Because it's pages long and it felt like reading a novella.
For pretty much two days I did nothing but read this book and wish it would never end. By the end of the first chapter, Violet felt like an old friend; I just wanted to hang out and watch her solve grisly serial murders forever. Because of the serial killer and the FBI trainee with the haunted past chasing him, the obvious comparison is Silence of Dead End Girl is a tightly woven, fast-paced, tension-laced thrill ride. Because of the serial killer and the FBI trainee with the haunted past chasing him, the obvious comparison is Silence of the Lambs—and don't get me wrong, if you liked Silence of the Lambs, you'll love Dead End Girl.
But with the story taking an active interest in Violet Darger's life outside of the case, Dead End Girl—and likely all of the Violet Darger series—will also be a favorite among lovers of J.
Konrath's Jack Daniels mysteries. At the same time, there's so much attention to detail and organic storytelling that this could easily compete with any of Stephen King's longer works. I found myself completely invested in every character, from the authorities to the killer to the victims themselves. Because blood and gore are great, and tracking down sickos is fun, but the living aren't the only characters who haunt the pages of Dead End Girl—the victims come to life, too.
The authors have presented us with people, not Doll Parts, individuals who had names, families, flaws, senses of humor, and dreams before death turned them into front page fodder, clickbait, and short appositives that left more room for sensationalizing their grisly end. At its heart, that's what Dead End Girl is all about—forcing us to reevaluate our own voyeuristic interest in death, as well as the snap judgments about people that we make every day. Dead End Girl is an intriguing and entertaining start to what I hope is a long, long run of Violet Darger novels.
If the whole series was available today, I'd buy them all and binge-read them straight through, but since it's not, I'm waiting on the edge of my favorite reading chair for the next one. If you love the serial killer genre, then this is a must-read for you. Mar 28, Rod rated it it was amazing.
This is one of the best Thrillers i have read recently there has been so many I will have to give this book 5 stars it was a page turner grab it if you want a good grizzly story about a very sick serial Killer he really takes the cake this guy pleased this is only fiction we wouldn't want sickos like him in society.
Nov 19, Erth rated it really liked it. Wow, what a long rollercoaster ride! The book started off full of excitement, tension and mystery but then slows down. A chapter or two later it becomes a page turner again then slows down. It appears the author is attempting to stretch out the story. There were chapters one third of them were slow and looong two thirds were fast reading and exciting. All in all, I enjoyed the book. The story was enjoyable and creative. Apr 25, Kate rated it it was amazing.
Steady but fast action with lots of twists and turns takes us on this journey and since I love the authors, I can't wait to see what comes next for Violet-I know it wlll be amazing! Jun 20, Tammy Zautner added it Shelves: It was so slow moving, other than the gore there wasn't much to keep my attention. From all the high ratings, maybe it got better. Jun 06, Gina Pelz rated it liked it Shelves: Who doesn't like a fast paced suspense novel? You know, something that just grabs you from the beginning and won't let go.
Well the answer is obviously these authors. This book was just way too long. About pages too long to be more precise. There was no fast pace and there were way too many times that I said out loud "I just can't read this anymore. All that droaning on and on and then the authors finally figured out how to fast pace a book.
So here's the thing. The book after cutting out pages of irrelevant material is actually good. Great story line, likable characters, interesting plot, all the makings of a Patterson-esque series.
I can only hope that the follow ups to the Violet Darger series undergo some serious editing before publication, otherwise the character will die of boredom before even getting to the plot. Apr 29, Barb rated it it was amazing. Violet Darger if you glance at it quickly looks like Violent Danger, hmm? This was really good. The closer I got to the ending the harder this was to put down!
I don't usually seek out serial killer type books because they can be so over-the-top disturbing. May 17, Paris Abell rated it it was amazing. I didn't expect to find it so gripping and such a good read. Just the whole package. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good thriller. May 10, Michael W Duggan rated it it was amazing. Heartstopping This is my first L.
Vargas book but it sure won't be my last. I couldn't put this thriller down.
It grabbed be and pulled me in from beginning til end. I've already ordered the next Violet Darger book. Although he wrote a book about serial murderers, apparently Agent Loshak is a slacker when it comes to paperwork and communication. When Darger arrives, she brings attitude and a haunted past. She also has the tendency to cause colossal eye-rolling screw-ups that make you yell at the book. The book is not original in plot or character, but it was still engaging. Except, while the authors have made Darger a hardass, they have also given her a soft side, one that is compassionate and sympathetic towards the victims.
Sometimes it was a bit overboard on the heart of gold but it was nice to read about a hardass with a heart. I liked her relationship with the hot Detective Luck and his Luckmobile; sufficiently prickly and sexy. But, I have to be honest, while I really liked the book there were some elements that drove me crazy. The authors truly did not have to tell me every single move a character made to get from their car to the hotel room or narrate every detail involved in the singular task of opening a laptop or, worse, describe the nuances of a cop taking a stinky dump in a gas station bathroom.
A low point in the book, in my book. And towards the end, I did find myself skimming over the killer's lengthy inner conversations with himself about how screwed up he is. Trust me, we caught on about pages ago. Though the characters are wonderfully colorful, the episodic structure sometimes bogs the story down. Still, the humor will carry most readers toward the end when the pace picks up and moves toward an exciting conclusion. Families can talk about how Jack's mother and father give him conflicting instructions, and disobeying either will get Jack into trouble.
How would you handle a situation like this? Do you think Jack's being grounded for the entire summer was fair punishment? Do you think Jack minded his punishment? Why do you think the author named the main character after himself? How realistic do you think this story is? Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners. See how we rate. Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization, earns a small affiliate fee from Amazon or iTunes when you use our links to make a purchase.
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Want personalized picks that fit your family? Set preferences to see our top age-appropriate picks for your kids. Dead End in Norvelt. Charming story of a small-town boy's unlikely adventures. Jack Gantos Coming of Age Sign in or join to save for later. Based on 3 reviews. Based on 5 reviews. Get it now Searching for streaming and purchasing options Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free. Get it now on Searching for streaming and purchasing options A lot or a little? The parents' guide to what's in this book. What parents need to know Parents need to know that this book is filled with comic violence and unlikely scenarios, but it also includes an overriding theme of the importance of social justice.
Continue reading Show less. Stay up to date on new reviews. Get full reviews, ratings, and advice delivered weekly to your inbox. User Reviews Parents say Kids say. Adult Written by Annie B. Excellent Book This book is fabulous.