The Shining Girls

A Novel

By: Lauren Beukes

Narrated by: Peter Ganim, Khristine Hvam, Jay Snyder, Joshua Boone, Dani Cervone, Jenna Hellmuth

Now an Apple TV+ series starring Elisabeth Moss: the girl who wouldn't die hunts the killer who shouldn't exist in this "expertly chilling" twist on the serial killer novel from the award-winning author Lauren Beukes (San Francisco Chronicle).

Harper Curtis is a killer who stepped out of the past. Kirby Mazrachi is the girl who was never meant to have a future. Kirby is the last shining girl, one of the bright young women, burning with potential, whose lives Harper is destined to snuff out after he stumbles on a House in Depression-era Chicago that opens on to other times.

At the urging of the House, Harper inserts himself into the lives of these shining girls, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. He's the ultimate hunter, vanishing without a trace into another time after each murder -- until one of his victims survives.

Determined to bring her would-be killer to justice, Kirby joins the Chicago Sun-Times to work with the reporter, Dan Velasquez, who covered her case. Soon Kirby finds herself closing in on an impossible truth . . .

“Utterly original, beautifully written, and I must say, it creeped the holy bejasus out of me. This is something special.” —Tana French

Critic reviews

One of the best crime books of the decade! (CrimeReads)

"Intriguing...Beukes deals with slightly surreal things in very real ways. I'm all over it."—Gillian Flynn, O magazine

"A grisly crime thriller meets sci-fi action meets historical fiction in a wildly inventive summer page-turner."—Entertainment Weekly

"One of the scariest and best-written thrillers of the year, not to mention the most memorable portrait of a serial killer since Henry H. Holmes in....Erik Larson's 2003 nonfiction bestseller The Devil in the White City."—Chicago Sun-Times

"A triumph ... [T]he smart and spunky Kirby Mizrachi is as exciting to follow as any in recent genre fiction ... [E]ach chapter in which [Harper] appears holds a reader's attention, especially the sharply described murder scenes - some of which read as much like starkly rendered battlefield deaths out of Homer as forensic reconstructions of terrible crimes ... This book means business."—NPR.org

"[Beukes is] so profusely talented - capable of wit, darkness, and emotion on a single page - that a blockbuster seems inevitable....The Shining Girls marks her arrival as a major writer of popular fiction."—USA Today

"The premise is pure Stephen King, but Beukes gives it an intricate, lyrical treatment all her own."—Time

"THE SHINING GIRLS is utterly original, beautifully written, and I must say, it creeped the holy bejasus out of me. This is something special."—Tana French

"A tremendous work of suspense fiction. What's more, it's a fabulous piece of both time-travel and serial killer fiction, using the intersection of those two themes to explore questions of free will, predestination, and causality in a mind-melting, heart-pounding mashup that delivers on its promise."—Cory Doctorow, Boing Boing

"I loved THE SHINING GIRLS. It really is a new kind of thriller, sitting somewhere between The Time Traveller's Wife and The Silence of The Lambs. A dark, relentless, time-twisting, page-turning murder story guaranteed to give you heart palpitations. It shines."—Matt Haig, author of The Radleys

"Very smart...completely kick-ass. Beukes' handling of the joints between the realistic and the fantastic is masterful, and those are always my favorite parts, in this kind of story. Not the weirdness (which is itself superb here, and very ample) but the segue to it. The liminal instant."—William Gibson

Unreservedly recommended."—Joe Hill

"One of the summer's hottest books."—Wired.com

What just happened?!?!

I have never written a book review on audible even though I have listened to some amazing stories. This story however, had me so confused, upset at times and squirming that I had to put something down for it. This book is graphic, the story line never fully unravels so you are left wondering “what the heck!” The book came to a close like it was finally going to end but then abruptly closes leaving you with so many many questions. I don’t regret listening to it but I also don’t think I will listen to this author again. The idea behind the plot was intriguing but never fully developed. Also, there is some serious sociopathic behavior in these pages that involves animal cruelty and abuse. Several animals fail victim to the killer and I just couldn’t listen, it had me squirming across the kitchen to fast forward it through. The author may have found it necessary to really illustrate the nature of this serial killer but I could have done without it for sure. That alone would keep me from recommending this book to others. It should come with a huge WARNING label. I’m not one to get offended easily but some of the actions and behaviors of this killer has me reeling and nauseous. Read with caution.

A great read

I enjoyed the story, especially having the option of audio book. The only criticism is, a lot of words were misread such as using the word “he” instead of “she” and the mispronounced name of “Dan” the narrator used the name “Ann”. Overall it kept me wanting to hear more, especially while driving from Northwest suburbs to Chicago, to the locations where the limited series of the Shining girls renamed to “Ripple Effect” for I am the locations medic.

Time Travel Serial Killer Tale

This one was a bit convoluted to start, but once your figure out it's got a time-travel twist it makes sense. I enjoyed it thoroughly!

#SerialKiller #TimeTravel #tagsgiving and #sweepstakes

If you like gory horror novels, you will devour this one.

The language and writing are accomplished. The plot is mainly a series of short stories about interesting women who are butchered at the end of each chapter. As soon as the reader is drawn into each woman’s story, she is disemboweled. The theme might be the way men silence strong women. If so, then it’s a valid theme delivered with a sledge hammer.

Gruesome

It wasn't the worst but wasn't the best. Extremely graphic murder scenes. The storyline was just ok

Best Audible Experience Ever!

Would you listen to The Shining Girls again? Why?

Yes! The story line was so compelling. There were also so many details that it would be worth listening again to get more of those I may have missed.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

I loved that there were so many narrators. I felt like I was right there with them as they spoke. The variety of narrators made the story so much more real.

Any additional comments?

I listen to audio books during my 1-hour commute twice per day. This book made me wish my commute were longer so i could keep listening. I didn't want to put it away.

Great read!

Fast paced, gripping narrative with a multitude of characters developed through their conversations and thoughts. Some have said it is too hard to keep track of all the characters. I didn’t try and it just worked for me. I agree with those who say it leaves unanswered questions. Maybe there’s a sequel!

Smart, scary and a must have.

The book is a slow burn , but don't stop listening.
Five hours into the book is when you really appreciate the world building. The last three hours are a rollercoaster ride and the ending is perfect.

Immediately started over for second listen

So unique and engrossing! Tons of Easter eggs and winks to the gen x audience. I feel like we get some hints as to the "cause" of the sci-fi element without a direct explanation, which is fine with me. If you like serial killer fiction in the vein of true crime like the Black Dahlia mystery, you're going to wish this novel was a series!!

totally captivating

From the first page to the last, this tale unwinds and keeps you guessing. I could not stop listening!