ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS

Author: J.T. Ellison ISBN: 0778324435 11/2007 SUSPENSE Publisher: MIRA

Some Secrets Should Stay Buried... When a local girl falls prey to a sadistic serial killer, Nashville homicide lieutenant Taylor Jackson and her lover, FBI profiler Dr. John Baldwin, find themselves in a joint investigation pursuing a vicious murderer. The Southern Strangler is slaughtering his way through the Southeast, leaving a gruesome memento at each crime scene—the prior victim's severed hand. Ambitious TV reporter Whitney Connolly is certain the Southern Strangler is her ticket out of Nashville; she's got a scoop that could break the case. She has no idea how close this story really is—or what it will cost her. As the killer spirals out of control, everyone involved must face a horrible truth—that the purest evil is born of private lies.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS hits its stride quickly, never faltering, never limping along without direction.

J. T. Ellison's fast moving debut is as smooth as a fine Kentucky bourbon, as richly textured as an intricate tapestry and as captivating as, well... a terrific thriller could aspire to be.

This newcomer has created an exciting, convoluted story bolstered with bold, interesting characters caught in a gruesome, twisty maze of murder. The intelligent, inspired ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS features a really dynamic, kick-ass female who never loses her femininity and rarely her focus while on the hunt for a clever, creepy serial killer. Career policewoman Taylor Jackson can multi-task without batting an eye or losing her cool, can cook like a dream and be woman enough to admit she's in love without fear of losing her identity to a man.

Taylor Jackson is a spectacular character, who along with her lover, FBI profiler John Baldwin (another dynamite character), provides a calming center to this otherwise wildly unpredictable suspense.

Wonderfully centered, this purposeful thriller drops readers into the middle of the characters' lives without spending much time playing catch-up on past histories. Instead, Ms. Elliot allows her people's actions to sketch their characters.

ALL THE PRETTY GIRLS entices, teases and enchants.

A helluva debut, Ms. Elliot. Thank you...

Debbie Jett