I chose to read this book based on the publisher's blurb, which ended up being totally misleading. The book is marketed as similar to Paul Tremblay's *Head Full of Ghosts,* but it's not even the same genre. Tremblay's book is a horror story, but I'm not so sure I'd put Walters' book in that category. It's a thriller, to be sure, but the horror element here doesn't fully pan out. It would spoil the book to explain more, but suffice it to say that there are major elements of this story that end up being red herrings, things that felt more important for marketing the story than for advancing the plot. I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and I appreciate the opportunity to read the book. I'm just sorry that I didn't enjoy the story. Then again, I wouldn't have chosen to read it if it had been more accurately described.

As a kid remember when it was fun to flick the light and say Bloody Mary and look in the mirror? Well the girls of the Dead Girls Club take it a little bit further in this one. Becca tells stories about the Red Lady, but is it possible the Red Lady is real? Heather firmly believes that this is just a story but with her past coming back to haunt her could she possibly be questioning this?

Fast forward and Becca's mother is in jail for her murder and Heather is receiving strange things in packages such as the necklace that Becca had on the night she died. Is someone trying to trudge up the past and make Heather remember what happened on that fateful night so long ago.

This one will keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out it sent me in another direction.

I remember hanging around with my own girlfriends when I was twelve. The things we talked about were much more mundane, but the dynamics between the girls felt very believable to me. Some of Heather’s behavior as an adult didn’t so much, but more because that wasn’t how I think I would have reacted in her shoes, not necessarily because her actions were always unreasonable. Her quest to find out who knew about the incident in her past definitely kept my attention though. Once her tormentor let her know that they were aware of the past I was hooked.

There were enough clues, suspects, and red herrings to keep me on my toes and keep me second-guessing myself every time I thought I had everything figured out. When I made it to the end, I’m happy to say that it was not what I was expecting, and I love it when a book manages to surprise me like that.

Excellent story! Reminiscent of Laura Lippman both is setting (Baltimore) and in tone. This story illustrates just how much damage girls can do to each other, physically, mentally and emotionally. I was forced to continually question what was real versus imagination and I'm still not 100% sure of the ending. Excellent read, highly recommend!

Heather gets a shock when she starts receiving items that belonged to her childhood best friend Becca the only problem us that Becca was murdered years before. Together with 2 other girls they were part of The Dead Girls club where they talked about serial killers and then Becca begins telling a story about the Red Lady. Is she real or urban legend? Who and killed Becca and why? If Becca was killed who or what is sending Heather her mementos from Becca?

Becca, Heather, Gia, and Rachel were four childhood friends who created a club to indulge in their fascination for horror and true crime stories. But Becca starts telling them stories about The Red Lady instead, a mythical figure persecuted for her magic and embroiled in murder and vengeance. Soon the Red Lady stories become more and more gruesome and the girls struggle with their own psyches when Becca insists that the Red Lady is real and could be summoned into their presence.

The narrative shifts between Then and Now, with adult Heather carrying on her life after Becca tragically loses hers. When mysterious trinkets from the past start appearing at her office, on her car, and at home, Heather is forced to remember that night long ago when she and Becca communed with the Red Lady for the last time. Who else knows about the terrible secret that only Heather and Becca shared?

This is part psychological thriller and part horror mystery. The characterizations may be a bit shallow but this gives the story a detached, off-kilter feeling that’s appropriate for the dread and foreshadowing that permeates both the past and present. It’s fascinating to watch the twelve year old Becca grow increasingly withdrawn from Heather over the veracity of the Red Lady’s deeds, while the adult Heather from the present devolves into delusional paranoia as someone, or something, taunts her with hints from the past. A parallel march of doom along two timelines.

The Red Lady is the unifying link between past and present. Is she real or is she a product of the girls’ imaginations? The Red Lady is alternately spooky, terrifying, righteous and sympathetic. The author has artfully made the folklore the centrepiece of this work. Was the Red Lady speaking to Becca? Did she manipulate Heather? Is she haunting the women even now?

This isn’t supposed to be a cozy mystery with a tidy ending. It’s a ghost story. The power it holds over its characters and the reader is inside our minds but real. Just think of the way we avoid mirrors and dolls and clowns after a scary movie and you’ll have a sense of what the author was trying to recreate. If you are as haunted as I was at the end then she’s probably done her job.

This is a voluntary review of an ARC distributed via NetGalley.

This was a great book to read near Halloween! It was quite scarier than I am used to but I still enjoyed it. The book takes place in the past and present. 4 friends start the Dead Girls Club and are obsessed with The Red Lady ghost tale. Heather tells the tale from the past and present. I found her to be unreliable narrator at best. I went out of my comfort zone with this book and though I enjoyed it, I think I will stay out of the horror genre. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

This book was nothing like I expected. I agree with others that said a lot was given away in the description of the book. That didn’t stop me from liking it.

Heather is a very unreliable character. She’s locked so many bad things away that it makes the story feel jumpy. How can we trust anything she says if she can’t trust herself? This is good news for me though because I love unreliable characters. I love the feeling of suspense and dread about what I’ll read next. I love being wrong on something I thought for sure was going to happen. In the same breath I hate them too. Sometimes it’s a struggle to relate to the characters. Sometimes it gets so frustrating that you start to skim read. I had all these emotions but the strongest one was content.

I honestly don’t know how anyone could be friends with Becca. She’s bossy, mean and controlling. She’s Heather’s bff and we read what happened Then and Now. What happened to Becca? That is the mystery that needs to be sold. Was it the Red Witch or something more sinister?

Overall The Dead Girls Club was an enjoyable read. While frustrated at times, it held my interest until the last page. I will definitely read this author again.

What is it with young girls and wanting to scare themselves and each other? I remember being twelve and reading Stephen King nonstop, writing scary stories, and playing light as a feather stiff as a board. The Dead Girls Club just takes it all to another level. The synopsis gives away most of the story so I won't go into it here. The ending had a small twist that made the story more interesting. The story is told in alternating Then/Now chapters. I enjoyed the Then parts more than the Now. Adult Heather Cole was super annoying, but the past parts were well done and those kept the story going for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC! d me of my childhood when I was obsessed with

When Heather was 12-years old, she was best friends with Becca. Rachel and Gia rounded out their group of friends, and the one summer they called themselves the “Dead Girls Club”, as they discussed serial killers and Becca told the other girls the story of the “Red Lady”, a witch who was horribly murdered, but maybe wasn’t actually dead.

Almost 30 years later, Heather begins receiving things in the mail that remind her of that awful summer – the summer she killed her best friend (not a spoiler – it is revealed very early on in the book). Who could be sending these things!? Who even knew what happened that night?

I really liked this. It pulled me in and kept me wanting to read. It turned out to be a pretty fast read. It is told alternating between Then and Now, as the reader slowly learns what happened that summer, while at the same time trying to figure out who has contacted Heather now. Yes, I was surprised by a couple of twists at the end. Maybe some will figure it out (at least one of the twists), but it never occurred to me! And, there were a few creepy parts, so fitting for an October read.

Ehhh.

I was reaaaally excited for this one. It's pretty much Goosebumps for adults.

When I was younger, my friends and I dared each other to do the 'Bloody Mary' rhyme- and the synopsis reminded me of this.

I know this sounds like a broken record, but the main character left A LOT to be desired.

It's October so I was wanting all the spooky reads and the synopsis for this one is sooo spooky.

Think of The Craft, Mean Girls, Hocus Pocus and Ravenswood (remember that TV show?)

In 1991, Heather Cole and her friends--Becca, Gia, and Rachel--were members of the Dead Girls Club. Self-professed lovers of serial killers and macabre, the girls exchanged stories both real--like the tales of Ted Bundy--and fake--like The Red Lady, a vengeful witch killed centuries before. Traumatized by the abusive Lauren Thomas, Becca insists The Red Lady is real and that only she can save her from the torment she experiences at home. This believe gets her killed.

Years later, Heather is now Dr. Cole, prominent child psychologist to those with tragic lives. Heather survived her childhood--and The Red Lady--but not unscathed. When a mysterious envelope arrives with the other half of her "Best Friends Forever" necklace--the very one Becca was wearing when she died the night Heather killed her--Heather is convinced someone is sending her a message. Someone knows what really happened the night Becca died, and Heather can't hide behind her lies any longer.

While marketed as a supernatural thriller, I spent a good majority of my time immersed in the plot, wondering if The Red Lady would turn out to be a real entity. As an avid thriller reader, I expected her to be fake, a figment of the children's imaginations and an explicit representation of just how powerful our minds truly are. The way the author handled The Red Lady and her story, providing evidence for both sides, made for a thrilling, eerie, and unputdownable read.

I'm quite impressed with the character development. All four friends were affected by the events of that summer. Becca lost her life, and Heather killed her. Heather, now a child psychologist; Gia, now a physical therapist; and Rachel, now a lawyer, all work in fields that allow them to help people, especially broken, injured (either physically or emotionally) individuals. The years have not been kind to these girls, and I really enjoyed seeing how that summer changed them.

I disliked very little about this book. While some character and writing quirks became distracting (e.g. the cuticle picking and the ever-constant goosebumps), I wasn't bothered so much that I was taken out of the story. Aside from that, the ending did feel a bit rushed and wrapped up rather easily. Even so, I am satisfied with the ending, and I did not foresee the final twist. That makes me one happy reader. After all, the ending is what makes or breaks a good thriller.

In exchange for an honest review, I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

This is my first book by Damien Angelica Walter's and definitely won't be my last!!!!!!!!! I loved this book and her style of writing is phenomenal!!!!!! Heather & Becca are in a club while teens that is obsessed with phantoms & legends like that. Well one of them gets killed during an obsessive with a Red Lady. Thirty yrs later Heather is haunted by what happened that night especially when she receives Becca's necklace in the mail. Which Becca was wearing that fateful night, the last time she saw her alive. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for my honest review

I was pleased to receive an ARC for this book, and wish to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a chance to read it in return for an honest review. Unfortunately, it just didn’t appeal to me, although after seeing the synopsis I was eager to read it. I found the characters extremely unpleasant, especially Heather, who was the protagonist and narrator.

The pace was slow and disjointed at first, and I thought Heather was unwinding emotionally in the present time, becoming paranoid and dwelling on unfortunate events when she was aged 12. She was frantic to discover the truth of what occurred when she belonged to a group with three other girls called the Dead Girls Club. They liked to discuss serial killers, and Becca, her best friend was obsessed with telling a folk story about the Red Woman who was a witch. Becca is killed mysteriously, and the girls parted ways.

Thirty years later, Heather is a psychologist, which defies belief. She has gaps in her memory about what happened when Becca died. After receiving a couple of mementos that belonged to Becca decades ago, Heather makes a lot of wrong decisions, neglects her patients and alienates her husband and friends. Her behaviour becomes frenzied.

The last section of the book was too dramatic and the revelations were far too over the top for my liking. By the finale, I no longer cared what had happened to Becca, and certainly was not invested in the outcome for Heather. Due to my annoyance with Heather and other characters, I failed to feel the suspense and thrills as intended. I notice that many readers enjoyed the story, so prospective readers should read the positive reviews and not be dissuaded by my opinion.
1.5 Stars.

2.5 rounded up 3

Heather Cole, a psychologist who treats troubled kids finds herself plunged back into her own childhood when a mysterious envelope shows up at her office containing a necklace she hasn’t seen since the night her best friend was murdered.

Heather and her 3 friends found themselves captivated, to the point of obsession, by all things creepy and formed The Dead Girls Club. Teen fascination with horror, serial killers and urban legends turns to something MUCH darker when Becca, Heather’s best friend, is murdered. Or was she?

Somebody knows the whole story and is baiting Heather, letting her know that her secret is no longer safe. Someone wants Heather to pay for what happened.

Talk about unreliable narrator! It is clear early on that Heather is not mentally stable. The then and now narration leaves the reader wondering how much of the then is what actually happened and how much is Heather's twisted mind.

The story is full of twists and turns and has a very dark thread that pulls the story along.

The ending left a bit to be desired and left more questions than answers. I didn’t really like the ending as it seemed too much like so many endings to books and movies in this genre.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley and for the e-Arc in exchange for my honest review!

Holy cow. Where do I even start? When I started this book I went in thinking it was going to be a good thriller. I was not expecting to read 70% of it in one day and the only reason why I didn't finish it all in one sitting was because I was reading it at work.

This book was so good. I honestly want to read it again and see if I pick up on clues in the beginning. I really thought that everything didn't happen the way Heather remembered it. And then the end. I am just at a loss for words. This was everything I needed in a spooky thriller. Now I can't wait to get my hands on a finished copy and anything else that Damien Angelica Walters writes.

First off thank you NetGalley and Damien Angelica Walters for the chance to read this before it hits store shelves in December! This book puled me in from the beginning, I love a book that has a plot like this. I also felt a tie to the characters just because I myself love to read about serial killers too, I would love to have been part of the club. I liked how the author told the story, flipping back and forth between now and then. So you could piece the story together on your own but yet you didn't have all the details yet. I didn't care for the fact that her mother was acting cold toward her, considering her best friend was gone, but it al comes out in the end. I also didn't care that the husband jumped to conclusions, I mean I can kind of see why he did but he didn't even give her a chance to explain. I think my favorite part was when she returned home and everything was just a teensy bit off kilter. Yall definitely need to read this book when it comes out.

This book was okay, but I don’t think I would read it again. I think I was under the impression it would be more of a horror or scary story. I was expecting a different ending. If I had gone into it with a different expectation it would have been fine

I'm not totally sure how I feel about this book. While it kept my interest, the ending/resolution felt kind of floppy to me, not too satisfying. It was still a good read though, so I would recommend it as one worth reading.

Not too much to say here. I will echo what other reviewers have said. The parts of the book focusing on the protagonist's childhood were great. When it moved to her as an adult the book felt off in some way and I just didn't want to keep reading further. I finished this around midnight last night since I was up fuming about the debates that were on. I think there is some promise in Walters writing, it just needs to be tightened up a bit. I thought the way that some of the characters talked to each other was weird too in some places. One of the worst parts of getting a book via NetGalley and downloading it to your Kindle is that you can't upload your notes on the book. I am too lazy to post the writing that I went what at a few times. Some of the sentences made me hard pause and wonder what the heck the author was trying to say.

"Dead Girls Club" follows Heather Cole. She and her friends back in the early 90s formed a club that was obsessed with telling stories about serial killers, death, etc. They were pretty much the hosts from Stay Sexy, Don't Get Murdered before that became a thing. The girls in the group become obsessed with a woman they call the Red Lady. When Heather's best friend Becca starts talking about the Red Lady and how she's real Heather doesn't believe her. Then Becca ends up being killed. Fast forward decades later and Heather is now a child psychologist. Heather has never told anyone what happened to Becca, but now Heather thinks that the Red Lady is out there stalking her and leaving her creepy clues about what happened with Becca.

I really can't say much about the characters. Though this book isn't written in medias res it should have been. We just get kind of pushed into the book and I felt a little lost at first. I didn't know who was who or what anyone was doing. I had to re-read sections so many times to even make sense of who was speaking sometimes.

Heather being a child psychologist was kind of laughable cause she seems to have no empathy (at least I didn't think she did) for children or the ability to relate to him. She's married to a bland dude whose name I am totally blanking on. Two of Heather's younger friends, Gia and Rachel are also kind of bland in the present, but not in the childhood portions.

So the writing is so weird to me. Walters writes the sections dealing with Heather in her childhood so well. Then it moves to the adult portion and it was just not working for me at all. The "Then" and then "Now" format seems to be a thing in a lot of thrillers written in the past few years and I wish that it be utilized a little more judiciously. Sometimes writing in that style can make the novel great when you get a third act twist or something. But this just bogged down my reading enjoyment. Also fair warning since this came up the other day, this is written in first person present tense. It doesn't bother me as a reader, but I know it bothers others, so thought I bring that up.

The flow wasn't great jumping back and forth between the "dead girls club" and present day Heather. I felt myself getting so confused while reading this ARC cause there were not clear spacing between paragraphs so that just made things worse for me. I am sure when it's published that will all get cleaned up.

The ending had a lot of plot holes I thought but at that point I was just glad to be done. A good first effort. I wouldn't re-read this in the future though.