Reviews

Pretty Little Things by Jilliane Hoffman

holmstead's review against another edition

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3.0

This was a pretty good story. The one thing that really annoyed me was all the damn acronyms. That was just too much! But the action and the suspense was good enough to hold me to the end. I liked Bobby and Luann. And the very end was bittersweet. I was glad for at least one good outcome.

maddiesara's review against another edition

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dark slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

sony08's review against another edition

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5.0

What a fabulous book. Great suspense, page turner, full of twists and fab characters..

jmj697mn's review against another edition

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4.0

Absolutely captivating. I could not put this down. The only thing that prevented me from giving 5 stars was that there was a bit too much legal jargon for me. I know that it's often necessary for the back story but I found myself skimming those bits. Highly recommended for suspense and thriller fans. It is a bit of a touchy subject matter, but you can surely get that from the synopsis. I hope Hoffman writes more novels featuring Dees.

beastreader's review against another edition

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4.0

If thirteen year old, Lainey Emerson didn’t have her computer and her best friend, Molly Brosnan, then Lainey would go crazy. Lainey’s mom is constantly working, her little brother is annoying and her step father wants nothing to do with Lainey.

Lately, Lainey has been preoccupied chatting online with Zach aka “ElCapitan”. ElCapitan is Zach’s online screen name. Lainey and Zach have hits things off nicely. In fact Zach has just asked Lainey out of a date. Something goes terribly wrong and Lainey does not return. It takes two days before Lainey’s mother calls to report her missing.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Special Agent Supervisor Bobby Dees is on the case. Bobby is haunted by nightmares of his daughter going missing and he couldn’t save her. Now, Bobby has made it is mission to try and rescue as many missing children or at least solve their cases. Can Bobby find Lainey in time or will she end up a cold case?

I have never read anything by author, Jilliane Hoffman. Pretty Little Things was right up my alley. The story line was good and the characters were great. The only issue I had with this book was that I found most of the characters except for Bobby, Lainey and the killer to be interesting. I was upset that Lainey’s mom and step father showed no real interest in helping to find Lainey. The only person who fought until the bitter end was Bobby. The ending had a twist that I was not expecting. Overall, I give this book 4 stars. Pretty Little Things…shines!

ellegee89's review against another edition

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4.0

For readers of Karin Slaughter and lovers of crime/thrillers, this one is for you!

To see my full review:
http://superphlum.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/pretty-little-things-jilliane-hoffman/

suebee135's review against another edition

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4.0

Author Jilliane Hoffman does it again with her newest thriller “Pretty Little Things”.
When 13 year old Lainey Emerson fails to return home from a sleepover, the police are called in. Detectives wonder why Lainey’s mother waited 2 days to call, and why she doesn’t remember the name of the friend Lainey was supposed to be with. FDLE special agent Bobby Dees, however, has seen this kind of neglect too many times before. Parents too busy or self-absorbed to give their children the attention and supervision they need. Many times these children run away; some are “thrown away”. As head of the Crimes Against Children Squad for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Bobby has developed a talent for finding these missing children and bringing them home. This talent has earned him the nickname The Shepherd among his colleagues. It is a nickname that has made him bristle since his own daughter went missing several months ago.
Bobby’s investigation into Lainey’s disappearance leads him to believe that she is the victim of an online predator. When a local television reporter claims that he has proof of several similar disappearances that the police have written off as runaways, Bobby fears that a serial killer could be at work, preying on these vulnerable children.
This is a thriller from first page to last. Making it even more chilling is the realization that the events portrayed in this novel could very well happen for real.

cammylou's review against another edition

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2.0

Love a good mystery thriller, but this wasn't one sadly.

Way too many American-isms of saying the brand of the thing, instead of what the thing is. "He grabbed the Crest and blah blah". Just say toothpaste!! Too often I was left relying on context clues to figure out wtf they were talking about, due to all the brand names.

Tepid characters and a half-baked plot.

caseyc616's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was VERY good, I enjoyed how she twisted the storyline about Bobby's daughter, however the last chapter was a let down. She leaves you hanging somewhat, I wonder if she will right a follow up....

meg_ray's review against another edition

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4.0

I really enjoyed reading this book, it didn't seem like a long book (but this could be because I couldn't put it down!) and not as in-depth as her previous book, Retribution. It is however a nice refreshing change on the serial killer front, especially as the book jumped from each person's perspective without giving too much away and leaving enough unexpected twists to keep me reading. The end was slightly disappointing for me but the journey getting there was good enough to keep me hooked. If you are a fan of serial killer books then this one is one you can't miss.