Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman - 3 stars ***I'll be honest, this type of book isn't my usual read. I'm not a huge fan of crime novels, in particular ones with a horror vibe to them, but I actually read this really quickly and enjoyed it.
The story is about an internet persona known as 'Picasso' who preys on teenage girls, keeping them prisoner until he eventually deems it time to kill them. When he does, he paints graphic pictures of them being tortured or murdered and sends them to a TV reporter, who passes them onto the police who decipher them in order to find the whereabouts of the body.
It is told mainly from the viewpoint of FDLE Special Agent Bobby Dees, who has headed up the Crimes Agains Children (CAC) team for over ten years. He is suffering from insomnia, after the disappearance of his own daughter, Katy, nearly a year ago. His marriage is on the rocks and he feels a distinct connection with the case, leading him to believe that Picasso might have Katy. His vested interest in the crimes causes a few problems, as he struggles to maintain a healthy work/home balance.
The writing wasn't amazing; the author is a former State Attorney prosecutor, so although clearly very intelligent, she isn't a naturally descriptive writer, but it got facts across and managed to reel me in, and the characters did have a certain emotive quality to them. There were a few clichéd personalities - the mother who doesn't care, the insecure teenage girl, the frustrated cop, but somehow this book manages to make you surpass the stock characters and empathise with them. There were some gruesome happenings in here, so it's not one for the queasy or faint-hearted!It's not one I'd rush out to buy, but this book was a welcome change from my usual material, and I'd recommend it to people who like this genre; I have passed it onto my sister, who is studying Forensic Psychology, as she loves this kind of thing!
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