‘Pretty Girls’ by Karin Slaughter: Afterthoughts

Anyone else find themselves on ‘booktok’? The side of TikTok where people share their book recommendations. Well, I’ve found myself heavily invested in ‘horror book-Tok’, and have compiled a list of disturbing books to read. 

This one came up time and time again, so I thought I’d give it a go. 

Pretty Girls is a crime fiction novel that focuses on a woman named Claire, whose husband is tragically murdered. On the day of his funeral, she discovers a horrendous secret - he has ‘snuff’ (murder) pornography videos on his computer. 

As a Criminology graduate, I find real-life cases like this fascinating, and so I knew instantly that I would enjoy (that might be a strong word) this book. 

What first struck me while reading this book is how easy it is to read. Karin Slaughter writes in a simplistic yet effective style, painting detailed pictures of the characters and their personalities. Just two chapters in, I already felt like I had a grasp on the characters and what I could expect from each one.

What also struck me is how fast-paced this book is. The first harrowing event happens within the first 100 pages, and it only continues to spiral from there. Claire’s shocking discovery happens just pages after this, making me excited to see what happens throughout the rest of the book. 

Before I continue, here are some potential trigger warnings if you are planning on reading this book: 

• Murder 
• Grief 
• Violent pornography 
• Graphic descriptions of violence 
• Torture 

SPOILERS AHEAD 

As somebody who has recently gone through grief, I found elements of this book difficult to read, but only because Slaughter depicts these feelings so accurately. The way Claire journeys through the grief of her husband is truly lifelike, without the unusual discovery of pornography, that is!

The hard-hitting emotions Claire experiences as a result of her family problems are beautifully written, and at times were so realistic that tears came to my eyes. 

The last chapter in particular hit me pretty hard - all of us who have dealt with death have imagined what it would be like to talk to that person one more time, and this book explores that element of grief in a way that it completely relatable. 

I have read a number of books relating to crime and violence, and this one definitely is not for the faint of heart (as you can tell by the trigger warnings). The detail Slaughter goes into is immense, making me wince at times. Saying that, she manages to discuss the horrendous issue of rape somewhat gracefully - it is graphic without being insensitive or too uncomfortable. 

Side note - I thought it was a brave move by Slaughter to make the police force in this case the ‘bad guys’. I can only imagine that portraying the police negatively might invite some criticism. With that being said, I wish they had discussed the implications of their actions/being found out nearer the end of the book, but that’s just me.

While I enjoyed reading this book and often found myself desperately wanting to know what happens next, I would not say it is one of my favourite books I’ve ever read. At times, I felt the book was incredibly fast-paced in places but not in others. I also wish they had gone into more detail at the end about the backlash from Claire’s email, and with the police like I said earlier. Maybe that is my inner Criminologist talking! 

Overall, it is a good book if you fancy a quick, easy read with elements of violence and murder.