Crime thrillers are usually predictable - the villain an obvious family member. However The Dancing Girls had me hooked - the characters were vivid and intriguing, the plot believable and well-paced and the twist at the end was not one I saw coming!

I also loved how vivid the settings were, I felt fully immersed!

I will definitely be picking up the next book for sure!

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really interesting and good reads. It had really good characters. The ending of the book also surprised me. Shows how technology can be good yes, but also dangerous.

This was a fantastic debut , I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that there will be a sequel ..Jo Fournier is a lieutenant investigating a seemingly random murder of a happily married woman in an hotel room . There are no clues until in another state an almost identical woman is discovered . Jo knows she has a serial killer but she cant seem to convince anyone else . This was fast paced and entertaining with a fantastic twist that I certainly did not see coming . Brilliant .

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. This was a really good thriller and gave me food for thought. This is a debut novel and was really impressed.

In Oakhurst, Massachusetts, a woman is found strangled in her hotel room. Detective Jo Fournier is called to the scene as lead on the case. Nothing was taken from the victim, no sign of sexual assault. The only thing missing was the victim’s wedding ring. Jo discovers the victim’s name is Jeanine Hammond, a married, middle-aged woman in town for a work conference. She’s seen entering her hotel room with a man in a fedora, but unfortunately, the security cameras don’t capture his face.

With not a lot of physical evidence to go off of, Jo can’t seem to solve the case. After months pass, it seems her department has all but given up. When Jo is in New Orleans, Louisiana visiting family, she learns of another murder in the local paper. Another woman—named a Emily Carson—strangled in her hotel room. Missing wedding ring, also there for a work conference. And low and behold, another faceless man in a fedora, seen on security footage.

Just when Jo thinks her case has gone cold back in Massachusetts, she discovers that they have been dealing with a serial killer all along. And she’s determined to get to the bottom of the case before their serial killer has the chance to strike again...

The Dancing Girls is the first installment in M.M. Chouinard’s premiere crime series, Detective Jo Fournier. The plot line centers around women being murdered by a serial killer and the murders being solved by a female detective. While this arrangement is heavily frequented by crime writers, Chouinard brought something different to the table. The story is told through the perspectives of both Jo Fournier and each victim. But in addition, we get to see the perspective of our serial killer. We learn about why he kills, his childhood and how he goes about killing each woman. It’s fascinating and it drew me more into the storyline. And the twist at the end was perfectly timed and completely unexpected. I’d highly recommend this book to fans of detective/crime series. Can’t wait to see what Chouinard has in store for book two! 4/5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and M.M. Chouinard for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Loved it, loved it, loved it!! Where do I start??
If I could give it 6 stars I would! In this current climate of twists you never see coming - believe me...you will never see this coming!
Loved the charecters, cannot wait for the next book!
Jo had just the right level of sass for me, without being stereotyped into that single, can’t hold down a relationship, married to the job way!
The story was cleverly told - telling it from the killers side, jo’s point of view and the victims! If I had one teensy issue it would be the unnecessary WOW stuff! I am not a gamer so maybe that’s why - but I didn’t feel it was necessary to explain in great detail missions and quests. That, however, was the only thing I didn’t love! Best book I have read for some time - and if I am being honest, a bit gutted I have finished it!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the eARC,

What a great debut novel from M.M. Chouinard. I was immediately sucked into the plot where married women are mysteriously being murdered, and their bodies are being staged to appear as if they're dancing. I enjoyed watching the progression of the characters throughout the plot. The plot itself had a great pace and was filled with twists and turns.

Will edit for full review closer to pub date.

The Dancing Girls by M.M. Chouinard was a great debut to what is going to be a fantastic series.

When a married woman is found murdered in her hotel room, Lieutenant Jo Fournier and her team head to the scene. The only item missing appears to be her wedding ring, so doubtful it was robbery motivated, with little to go on, the case soon goes cold and Jo is told to put it into cold storage! What happened to Jeanine Hammond?

While on enforced leave she visits her Dad in New Orleans, Jo gets a call saying that there is a crime scene that sounds exactly like hers, can she garner more clues as to the identity of the killer, have they a serial killer on the hunt!!

I found this to be a fast paced thriller, but will keep you up for most of the night as you just won't want to put it down, the more information you're given, the more you want, you just have to know and THEN BAM..... a twister at the end that will blow you away, I certainly didn't see it coming but loved it, unfortunately I'd love to elaborate a bit more but would be afraid to ruin it for others.

If you love fast paced thrillers/detective series, you'll want to add this one to your list! Will be looking forward to #2.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

A different type of police thriller which was bang up to date. A very big surprise and a to be continued ending.

This book as a debut is very good. I found that the story was powerful and that the characters were relatable.

I generally do not take to series reads. However, this was book #1 so I thought I would give it a try.

I praise the author for a wonderful, even "enchanting" story. The characters (especially Martin/Peter and his targets) were well-developed and the plot definitely a winner. I had to ask my daughter if World of Warcraft was real. It did not bother me that the "plays" on the game were there, as it may have to some of the other readers.

Jo is a wonderful lead character. Her flaws and non-bullying techniques of interrogation left me liking her more and more. Her team is interesting, as well. I hope that they play out more in M.M. Chouinard's next saga.

Many Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a wonderful read!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the author for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jo Fournier has just been promoted to police lieutenant, but finds this job unsatisfactory, she prefers field work and not paperwork. When a mysterious death occurred in a hotel room of a woman from out of town, she decides to investigate even if it is no longer her task.

The woman in question was found strangled in a hotel room and apparently looks like a normal woman but she isn't satisfied with the relationship she has with her husband. Occasional meeting ended badly? And where is the wedding ring?

I like the style of the author. In the first part of the book, we see the murder, the investigation into that murder and the killer's thoughts. In the second part, we see the killer's journey to the murder, how he chooses his prey and why he has become that way. I really like seeing his childhood, his mother's  abuses that led him to become what he is and these chapters are mixed very well with the chapters in which he chooses the new victim, his method of hunting is described and the second murder is committed. In this part there is no investigation, I think only two or three chapters are dedicated to the police team that is investigating. The third part is the solution to the case with a small twist.

The book is set in Oakhurst, Massachusetts but I can't find that city on the map so I don't know if it's an imaginary name or not. Later we move to New Orleans as the killer is not stationary and has killed his "second" victim here. Second in quotation marks because in fact it is his sixth victim.

The only thing I don't understand is why the investigators say repeatedly (or at least twice) that the victims play online and no one checks what game they play? The only thing they have underestimated (and nowadays they shouldn't) is online gaming... But despite this, the case is fascinating.

I like the fact that one of the victims has the hobby of scrap-booking and is part of Stampin Up!, a company that I know even though I never bought anything from it because it isn't well known in Italy.

Often there are no funds to investigate and I was struck by the fact that we know that all these cases are connected since we see the murders or the killer talks about them, but the police can't investigate properly due to lack of money. Even the FBI doesn't participate and does not find the connection even if it is difficult to find since it is an online game. And it is clear why the victimology is different. The killer isn't interested in the physiognomy of the victim as long as she represents his personal requirements.

I loved Diana, the "third" (or seventh) victim. As soon as she was introduced, I immediately thought that something was up. At the beginning I thought she was an undercover policewoman, but after two seconds another possibility came to mind about what would have happened and I am happy to have guessed it and I must say that I was laughing on the inside so much. Just a nice final twist.

I like Jo Fournier and also the other two on the team. They aren't present that much because as said the book is very focused on the killer and on the second and third victims so we see little investigative part, but it's there, it is not totally non-existent and I liked what I read. I will definitely continue reading the series.

Review will be posted at this address on March 24 2019: https://eiencafe.com/the-dancing-girls/

This book was well written and the characters were described well. I really enjoyed this book. The pace of the story was good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone and everyone.

This book was a quick easy and enjoyable read, focused a bit *too* much on World of Warcraft jargon for me BUT the premise of the story was good and the twist - I feel somewhat improbable but highly entertaining!

What a great start to a new series and added an author to my favorites list.
The book starts out fast and never let's you go! I love a good dark twisty, edge of your seat, holds you captivated for the night kind of book, and this was one

Thank you to #netgally and the publisher for the arc.

Great book will be reading other books by this author.
Will also recommend this book to others.
Great read! 5***

A gripping and intense read. I was very excited to start this one since the blurb had fascinated me.

It was an easy book to read, the characters were interesting and I wanted to know more about them, the more the story went on.
I would recommend this book to my friends!

Jo is realizing that her new detective job might not be all she wished for but it is the job she has strived for. Jo has a case that has stumped everyone, why were these women killed and what happened in their lives t0 lead them to the killer? This book had me asking so many questions and not all of them seemed like they were answered. Will the murders ever be solved or will surprises stop the police? Thank you NetGalley.

I have read hundreds on crime novels over the years, but just couldn't get into this one at all.
Really sorry to say but I didn't engage with Fournier and found the dialogues with the teams around her quite tedious. Saying that, the narrative of the killer worked well and I found it interesting to see his process of finding his victims and the psychology of how he became a killer. I could not invest in the ending at all, I found it quite bizarre?
Clearly this book was not for me at all, so I won't add any feedback to public sites as I'm sure it'll suit other readers.
Many thanks for the review copy Bookouture and Netgalley, so sorry I couldn't provide a positive review only an honest one.

This was an exciting triller that I will not soon forget. Had some difficulty falling asleep having read it. The writer depicts some super stressful situations that have a significant impact on the lives of the characters. I highly recommend this amazing book.