My thanks to Bookouture for an eARC via NetGalley of M.M. Chouinard’s ‘The Dancing Girls’ in exchange for an honest review.

When the body of Jeanine Hammond is found in a hotel room in Oakhurst, Massachusetts newly promoted Lieutenant Josette (Jo) Fournier finds many aspects of the case perplexing. Jeanine was apparently a loving wife yet security footage captured her entering her room with a man who keeps his face hidden. Her wedding ring is missing and her body appears oddly posed.

Of course, a lot more happens and I would advise to strictly avoid spoilers. I was just blown away by its climax, wandering around going OMG. I read a lot of crime fiction so it’s wonderful when that happens.

This is the first in a new series featuring Fournier. It is told from various points of view including the killer and his victims. So we learn a great deal about the murderer and, of course, the question remains as how will they ever capture him as he is extremely intelligent and savvy in terms of forensic countermeasures.

I found this a solid police procedural with a very relatable lead character. I especially liked the dialogue between Fournier and her colleague, Detective Bob Arnett, as it felt very realistic.

I was so impressed by the interesting directions this novel took, found it totally gripping and pretty much impossible to put down. I shall certainly be watching out for future cases with Jo Fournier.

Certainly it deserves 5 stars.

Title : The Dancing Girls
Series: Detective Jo Fournier 1
Author: M.M.Chouindard
Genre: thriller
Pub Date:5/15/19
329 pages

The light in her wide brown eyes dimmed as she drew her last breath. She might have been beautiful lying there on the floor, if it wasn’t for the purple marks on her neck and the angry red line on her finger where her wedding band used to be…

When Jeanine Hammond is found dead in a hotel in the picture-perfect town of Oakhust, newly-promoted Detective Jo Fournier is thrown into a disturbing case. Who would murder this shy, loving wife and leave her body posed like a ballerina?

Jo wants to know why Jeanine’s husband is so controlling about money, and where Jeanine’s wedding ring is, but before she and her team can get close to the truth, another woman is found strangled in a hotel, arms placed gracefully above her head like a dancer.

While digging through old case files, Jo makes a terrifying link to a series of cold cases: each victim bears the same strangulation marks. But the FBI won’t take Jo seriously, and if she disobeys direct orders by investigating the killings outside of her jurisdiction, it will mean the end of the career she’s already sacrificed so much for, even her relationship.

Just as Jo is beginning to lose hope, she finds messages on the victims’ computers that make her question whether these small-town women were hiding big lies. Jo thinks this is the missing link between the victims, but she knows the killer is moments away from selecting his next victim. Will it lead her to the most twisted killer of her career in time, or will another innocent life be lost?

My thoughts
Rating: 5
Would I recommend it? yes
Will I read more of this series? yes
Would I read more by this author ? yes
WOW ,just wow what a way to start a story , it had me from the start and i couldn't stop reading it, loved how the killer meet his victims and how and why he became the person he is and why he killed , and the twist at the end , that made the story as well, now I want to read more of this series with that said I want to thank Netgalley for letting me read and review it exchange for my honest opinion.

I was granted early access for The Dancing Girls by M.M. Chouinard through NetGalley. Bookouture is set to publish this book on 05/15/19. If you are in the mood for a serial killer thriller, this is definitely for you!






Detective Jo Fournier is thrown into a mind boggling case when Jeanine Hammond is found dead in her hotel room with strange strangulation marks. This case soon connects to several cold cases and Jo begs for help solving them. The story follows her as the FBI rejects her, the suspect outsmarts her, and she starts to feel in over her head.


I actually forced myself to read this slower so that I could savor the book. I do wish that there had been more information about the killer's past, and the same with the person he meets towards the end of the book. I would have liked a little less computer detail and a little more interaction from the different victims. I liked the resolution but it felt a little bit rushed. I did love the use of Karma in the end. Overall I enjoyed Jo's detective style. She is the type of character I would follow through multiple books. Cover wise, I think the art is beautiful but I don't necessarily think it fits the story.


If you like serial killer murder mysteries, pick this book up when it is released on 05/15/19! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the advance copy! I can't wait for more books in the series!


🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is a topical and well done procedural about a serial killer who preys on married women via the internet. While Detective Jo Fournier is the lead character, you also get a very real sense of the villain and of the women. As usual, secrets and lies are at the heart of the mystery. Jo struggles with the denial of others and the big picture aspect of this but comes through in the end. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of smart female detectives and, well, let's face it, the serial killer genre.

"The Dancing Girls (Detective Jo Fournier Book 1)" M.M. Chouinard.

This is the first book in a new series.

A well written crime/thriller. Good plot, interesting characters, interesting story, fast paced, not boring. Told in different POVs. I liked that you get to enter the killer's mind. It was different (in a good way) and interesting. But I hope the next book will focus a bit more on Jo.
The story was captivating, it felt close to reality, believable and scary! The internet can be a dangerous place, you never know who's behind the screen! I must admit I've never played World of Warcraft, never even saw the game.

A good and stressful read. I loved it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

The Dancing Girls by M M Chouinard is the first book to feature Detective Jo Fournier. The story is told from multiple points of views, including the Detective, the killer and the soon to be victims. It was a different book in that we hear things from all the main player. I hope the next book we learn more about Jo as I feel there wasn't too much about her this time around. She seems to be interesting character but I am sure there is so much more to her. I loved the twist at the end of this one - definitely a unique way to go. Looking forward to more in this series.

The body of Jeanine Hammond is found in a hotel room. She has been strangled, her body positioned like a ballerina and her wedding ring is missing. CCTV shows her arriving at the hotel with a man who has managed to stay hidden. Who would want her dead? Her friends and family laugh at the idea that she was having an affair. 5 months pass and Jo has still not cracked the case. Another woman is murdered and left in a similar position. The similarities are obvious to Jo but nobody wants to admit that they may be looking at a serial killer. Can they stop this killer before he strikes again?

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

Detective Jo Fournier is struggling in her new position balancing family life and work. A body turns up of a married woman found strangled in a hotel room and this results in a cold case. Soon another body turns up across the country and it’s too similar. Can she solve the mystery before he strikes again!

Wow this was so cleverly written and an ending was bloody marvellous! Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Wow squared! This was a gem of a book and a truely wonderful start of a new series. 

I loved the way the author gave background about victim and culprit and how you could follow how the muderer's and victim's minds worked.

You often see how criminals blame their oh so unlucky youth on every thing they do later on and you might think : 'Yeah, yeah, bla bla bla', but when you look back they might not always be wrong. Maybe the police should also punish parents, friends or other members of the family because they are more than once the base for heartbreak and cruelty.

The author surprised me pleasantly with the twist and left me with an OMG feeling. 

To me this was a brilliant read and I want more. 5 stars.

Thank you, M.M. Chouinard, Bookouture and Netgalley.

Ok, I waited a few days to write my review because if I had purchased it instead of receiving an ARC in exchange for my honest review I would have probably stopped reading it. The reason wasn't because of the writing or the story, both are solid, but in the description of abuse one of the characters deals with. If child abuse is a trigger for you, I don't recommend this book. That being said, I am glad I continued on with the story, as it was a unique take on a murder mystery thriller. While I enjoyed the chapters from the killers point of view, I do hope that the next book in the series has more of the protagonist, Detective Jo Fournier. I am looking forward to the next book in this series.

A real struggle to finish this book and I was really hoping that it would improve. Unfortunately this was not the case. A predictable police procedural and a very tedious protagonist. Also do I really need to read pages of conversations between gamers. A very slow burner that never gets ignited. Not for me.
I would like to thank the author, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review

This is the first book in a new crime series which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Jo is called to a hotel where a woman's body has been found. She had been strangled and her wedding ring seems to be missing.
Jo and her team start the investigation and don’t seem to have much to go on until another body is found.
It seems there is someone targeting lone women in hotel rooms but what is the link?
We then get an insight into the killer’s mind and it’s not a pretty place.
In his mind he’s doing nothing wrong and it’s the women’s fault for being tempted by him.
There’s a great twist to this story which I had my suspicions about but when it happened, it took me by surprise.
This is a great start to a new series and if you enjoy a good crime thriller then I highly recommend it.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is the first book I've read by M.M. Chouinard and I really enjoyed it. I love a book that keeps you interested and has characters that you feel drawn to. Recently becoming the Lieutenant, Detective Jo Fournier and her detectives are on a new case. A housewife, teacher and mother was murdered while on a seminar trip. Detective Jo feels in her gut that there is something off about this killing. It doesn't feel random. The killer only took the victims wedding rings. They have a surveillance photo of a man with a fedora pulled down with her before she was killed. The leads, which are few are exhausted quickly and she was told to let go there are no other leads. Then a second killing of a housewife on a business trip happens in another state Jo happens to be visiting. The killing is very similarly and the killer only took the woman's wedding rings. Jo is convinced they have a serial killer on their hands. The other agencies are not as convinced as Jo is that this is the work of a serial killer and if she wants to pursue it they can't add manpower to her theory. Research shows another similar case in yet another state. So far Jo has learned this killer is intelligent. There is no DNA, no finger prints and no paper trail. How is the next kill selected? Can she stop him before he kills again? This story has a twist at the ending you will not guess tell it's revealed. I know I will be looking forward to book #2 and more of Detective Jo Fournier. Thank you NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this ARC. My review of the book is my honest opinion. If you like a good mystery and books on serial killers it's a great read! I read it in two sittings as I hated to put it down.

Loved this! Great start! Thought it was really good.. hope to see more. Full review up soon on the blog !

This book presents as a story about Detective Jo Fournier; however, the bulk of the book focuses on the murderer's story (and voice). I would have liked to learn more about Jo and her life. We get bits and pieces of her background but not enough. If you want a book that focuses on how a serial killer chooses his victims and his background, then you will enjoy "The Dancing Girls." I scanned much of that material in order to get at a female protagonist. There is a unique plot twist in the end. If the author continues the series, I would suggest focusing more of the story on Jo and less on the criminal.

A really solid police procedural. Lots of twists and turns. I loved the way the story unfolded and found myself gripped, wanting to know what was coming next. Looking forward to more from the author.

Wow Wow Wow M.M.Chouinard is the most exciting new author i have read for a long time. Her debut into thriller world is extremely addictive and left me wanting more.
This book has everything I love a newly promoted detective, a frustrating search for the killer, serial killer with no apparent links to his victims and a huge unexpected twist you will not see coming.
I can't emphasise enough how much enjoyment i got from reading this exciting new detective series suffice to say I'll be queuing up for the next in the series.
Well deserved 5 stars - Wow

I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for an advance copy of The Dancing Girls, the first novel to feature Lieutenant Josette Fournier of the Oakhurst, New England PD.

When the body of Jeanine Hammond is found strangled in a hotel room Jo and her team get the case. Intense investigation gets them nowhere until they find links to other similar cases, not that anybody sees the same links except the team.

I enjoyed The Dancing Girls to a point. It is well conceived and written with just enough reveals to keep the reader interested and a massive, if extremely unlikely, twist at the end. Maybe, to be fair, “extremely unlikely” is overkill but by then I had lost interest so it probably didn’t have the impact it will have on more invested readers.

The novel has an unusual approach in that it pairs the investigative narrative with not only the killer’s backstory but his wooing of his victims, in fact each part of the novel is named after a victim. This does not particularly interest me as I much prefer the emphasis to be on the investigation and in this case it has a secondary role. There is little new or fresh in the killer’s backstory and I quickly lost interest in his scheming. I skipped much of the wooing as it is set within a computer game which I have no knowledge of and less than zero interest in, if that’s possible. I was also uncomfortable with the portrayal of these gullible women. The twist sort of redeems the novel in my eyes as it is so clever.

With all the other things going on it is difficult to get a fix on Jo Fournier. She seems to be smart and dedicated, to the extent that she has nothing else in her life, but isn’t too happy in her promotion to Lieutenant as it takes her away from the front line. I’d be interested to read another novel in the series to see how she develops.

The Dancing Girls is a solid read.

An impressive start of a new series. I was hooked from the beginning till the end. I appreciate how we get different perspectives, from the killer and his victims, and our main character. It was all so very interesting. It is evident how much research the author has done. The twist towards the end is a nice touch but not that surprising. Still, it is a satisfying read and I can't wait for the next book.

Loved this fast paced thriller and this authors style of writing. I felt the plot had enough twists and turns to keep it interesting
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

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!