In Games for Dead Girls, we explore the mysteries and folklore of a small seaside town called Hithechurch, where horrible things have happened, and where Charlie hopes to find out the truth…
In 1988, Charlie was a child when she dreamt up Stitch Face Sue, an urban legend she hoped would entertain the girl she met on a caravan site. In the present she travels to Hithechurch under a different name, telling people she’s looking for folklore, when the truth is a lot murkier. And in a third point-of-view, set further back in the past, a young boy yearns for a future he may never be able to reach…
Three stories, only one of them ‘now’ and it takes a little while for them to catch up to one another. But I enjoyed the way Williams gradually built up the layers of creepiness and mystery.
Genre-wise, the book is hard to pin down. It’s slower than a standard suspense thriller (which may not please some readers brought in by the dramatic title), so maybe it’s more akin to domestic suspense, but with a vital hint of horror (nb the UK cover is great and very fitting) to make it memorable.
A good read, and no doubt I’ll be back to this author for more in the future.
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