Games for Dead Girls

A Thriller

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…


For Charlie and her niece Katie, it’s supposed to be a quiet holiday in the peaceful, out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves seem to offer up plenty of material, while Katie is just there to run wild and get some fresh air. 

But Charlie’s research reveals a deeper, darker secret, one that uncovers her own, carefully hidden past. Because young women are going missing again: a teenage girl snatched from the beach in broad daylight, and before that, other girls through the decades have vanished from the area, their families left with no answers and no bodies to bury.

Charlie’s creation was a thing of felt, straw, fury, and a rusty pair of scissors in the dark. It couldn’t be her monster. Could it? Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls’ disappearances, but she’s about to encounter a force of pure, obsessive malevolence that threatens to destroy anything in its path.
Praise for Games for Dead Girls:
“A brilliantly crafted tale of unexplained disappearances and macabre urban legends . . . Recommend to fans of Stacy Willingham, Karin Slaughter, and Stephen King.”
Booklist, starred review

“A fantastic book for anyone who grew up reading scary stories.”
Manhattan Book Review, 5-star review

“[An] atmospheric thriller . . . With surprising twists revealing one unexpected connection after another.”
Forewords Reviews

“Full of twists and turns, this had me on the edge of my seat.”
—Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of Please Join Us and Have You Seen Her

“Not only has Jen Williams found the line where ghost stories tip into true crime, where phantoms become flesh and blood, but she crosses it into something far more frightening. Games for Dead Girls is a testament to how truth will always be more terrifying than fiction, and where, at the root of every Bloody Mary, there's a young woman dying to be heard.”
—Clay Mcleod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters

Praise for A Dark and Secret Place:

"It'll give you the shivers even on those hot summer nights!"
—Barnes & Noble Newport Beach

"Thoroughly addicitve...Fans of Alex North and CJ Tudor should get their hands on this one ASAP."
—Booklist, starred review

“A fairy tale for adults with strong stomachs.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Clever . . . A Dark and Secret Place is a chilling tale.”
New York Journal of Books

"Williams uses lyrical storytelling to create an ominous story full of chilling moments...[It will] make you want to leave the lights on at night.” 
—Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“Part-Midsommar, part-Hereditary, part-Mindhunter - and entirely terrifying.”
—Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A

“Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects."
—Sarah Pinborough, New York Times Bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

“Dark as a Grimm fairy tale and brimming with secret . . . This novel will appeal to—and deeply chill—fans of true crime.”
—Megan Collins, author of The Winter Sister and Behind the Red Door

“A hugely impressive crime debut.”
—Jane Casey, Sunday Times bestselling author

“Creepy and compelling."
—Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Blood Orange

“For fans of Tana French and Thomas Harris, A Dark and Secret Place is a taut and stylish thriller . . . Riveting from the first page."
—E.G. Scott, internationally bestselling author of The Woman Inside

“Terrifying, fun, and insightful.”
—Nathan Ripley, bestselling author of Find You in the Dark
Jen Williams lives in London with her partner and their small ridiculous cat. Having been a fan of grisly fairy tales from a young age, these days Jen writes dark unsettling thrillers with strong female leads, as well as character-driven fantasy novels with plenty of adventure and magic. She has twice won the British Fantasy Award for her Winnowing Flame trilogy, and when she's not writing books she works as a bookseller and a freelance copywriter.

About

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…


For Charlie and her niece Katie, it’s supposed to be a quiet holiday in the peaceful, out-of-the-way seaside town of Hithechurch, England. Charlie is researching a book on the folklore of the area, and the gloomy sea and dangerous caves seem to offer up plenty of material, while Katie is just there to run wild and get some fresh air. 

But Charlie’s research reveals a deeper, darker secret, one that uncovers her own, carefully hidden past. Because young women are going missing again: a teenage girl snatched from the beach in broad daylight, and before that, other girls through the decades have vanished from the area, their families left with no answers and no bodies to bury.

Charlie’s creation was a thing of felt, straw, fury, and a rusty pair of scissors in the dark. It couldn’t be her monster. Could it? Charlie is set on discovering the truth about the girls’ disappearances, but she’s about to encounter a force of pure, obsessive malevolence that threatens to destroy anything in its path.

Reviews

Praise for Games for Dead Girls:
“A brilliantly crafted tale of unexplained disappearances and macabre urban legends . . . Recommend to fans of Stacy Willingham, Karin Slaughter, and Stephen King.”
Booklist, starred review

“A fantastic book for anyone who grew up reading scary stories.”
Manhattan Book Review, 5-star review

“[An] atmospheric thriller . . . With surprising twists revealing one unexpected connection after another.”
Forewords Reviews

“Full of twists and turns, this had me on the edge of my seat.”
—Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of Please Join Us and Have You Seen Her

“Not only has Jen Williams found the line where ghost stories tip into true crime, where phantoms become flesh and blood, but she crosses it into something far more frightening. Games for Dead Girls is a testament to how truth will always be more terrifying than fiction, and where, at the root of every Bloody Mary, there's a young woman dying to be heard.”
—Clay Mcleod Chapman, author of Ghost Eaters

Praise for A Dark and Secret Place:

"It'll give you the shivers even on those hot summer nights!"
—Barnes & Noble Newport Beach

"Thoroughly addicitve...Fans of Alex North and CJ Tudor should get their hands on this one ASAP."
—Booklist, starred review

“A fairy tale for adults with strong stomachs.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Clever . . . A Dark and Secret Place is a chilling tale.”
New York Journal of Books

"Williams uses lyrical storytelling to create an ominous story full of chilling moments...[It will] make you want to leave the lights on at night.” 
—Mystery & Suspense Magazine

“Part-Midsommar, part-Hereditary, part-Mindhunter - and entirely terrifying.”
—Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A

“Reminiscent of Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects."
—Sarah Pinborough, New York Times Bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

“Dark as a Grimm fairy tale and brimming with secret . . . This novel will appeal to—and deeply chill—fans of true crime.”
—Megan Collins, author of The Winter Sister and Behind the Red Door

“A hugely impressive crime debut.”
—Jane Casey, Sunday Times bestselling author

“Creepy and compelling."
—Harriet Tyce, Sunday Times Bestselling author of Blood Orange

“For fans of Tana French and Thomas Harris, A Dark and Secret Place is a taut and stylish thriller . . . Riveting from the first page."
—E.G. Scott, internationally bestselling author of The Woman Inside

“Terrifying, fun, and insightful.”
—Nathan Ripley, bestselling author of Find You in the Dark

Author

Jen Williams lives in London with her partner and their small ridiculous cat. Having been a fan of grisly fairy tales from a young age, these days Jen writes dark unsettling thrillers with strong female leads, as well as character-driven fantasy novels with plenty of adventure and magic. She has twice won the British Fantasy Award for her Winnowing Flame trilogy, and when she's not writing books she works as a bookseller and a freelance copywriter.
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