Bad Girls Burn Slow

by Pam Ward

Moving her violence-prone daughter to California, Margie, determined to protect her destructive ten-year-old daughter, is plunged into a nightmarish world when their new neighbor, a funeral parlor owner, decides that he wants them to move. Original.

291 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.

Pam Ward is a writer and graphic designer. A UCLA graduate and recipient of a ‘California Arts Council Fellow in Literature’ and ‘New Letters Literary Award’ she has had her poetry published in "Scream When you Burn," "Grand Passion," "Calyx," "Catch the Fire,” and the newly released, “Voices from Leimert Park.” Pam operates her own graphic design studio, “Ward Graphics” as well as runs her own publishing house, “Short Dress Press.” Her first novel, "Want Some, Get Some," comes out on Kensington Books, February 2007. Pam has edited five anthologies including, "Picasso's Mistress," "What the Body Remembers," and “The Supergirls Handbook: A Survival Guide." She has had short stories printed in "The Best American Erotica, "Men We Cherish," and "Gynomite.” As an artist-in-resident for the City of Los Angeles and the City of Manhattan Beach, Pam also served as a board member for Beyond Baroque Literary Arts Foundation and has worked for many community arts and social/health organizations, including Black Women for Wellness, Summit on Gang Violence and Art Center College of Design. Currently, Pam Ward is working on her third novel, “Between Good Men & No Man at All.”

Reviews

[Cheryl Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

L.A. noir with a healthy dose of gleeful, funny pulp, this novel of scam artists trying to out-scam each other is lots of fun to read. Pam Ward seems to enjoy pushing the limits of how nasty she can make her characters, and her wicked joy is contagious. By not just blurring but totally rubbing out the line between villain and hero (not to mention black and white, male and female, even living and dead), she also reveals how a sly individual can use society's mistaken assumptions to his or her advantage.

[Saysha Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This is my second read by Pam Ward and she didn't hestitate to blow me away AGAIN! She is definitely on the list of my favorite authors! I was so into this book that it was hard for me to do anything else. Pam Ward has created a colorful cast of characters and a story so rich you'll hate to be disturbed while reading it!

BGBS is about two women who are both scheming their way to the top by going after the same family who they believe is the answer to all their financial troubles. There's nothing either of them won't do to secure their positions in this 'rich family'. One of the women has went so low to even get her child involved in her tangled web of lies.

You'll be at the edge of your seat flipping the pages as fast as you can to get to the next page. The characters are so raw and real you'll have a hard time believing they're made up!

I hope Pam doesn't make us wait too long for her next novel. She is definitely an author to watch and read. If you haven't read her first novel, Want Some Get Some what are you waiting on???

[Brittany Turney · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the book, "Bad Girls Burn Slow" by Pam Ward, Margie and her daughter Paula are a pair of con artist that pull a con on Bernard and his father. They trick Bernard into getting them to live with him in the open apartment they had. Bernard's mother has just passed away, and Margie thinks it's the best time to settle into this "broken" family. Margie claims to be a close friend to Bernard's mother. Funny thing is, Bernard and his father have never, not once seen her before. Wouldn't you be curious?

In my opinion, this book is really confusing. It jumps around when a new chapter begins. This is my first book that I've read by Pam Ward, and I wasn't to pleased. I personally think if it were more consistent, it wouldn't be that bad. My preference in books is scary/mysterious, and this didn't interest me all that much. It didn't grab my attention. Therefore, I give this book three stars. Hopefully the next book will be more interesting and more consistent.

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author was charming at a book fair and her book sounded interesting, the locale and the subject matter, but it was so badly written I couldn't get past the first chapter. Things were mis-spelled, facts were wrong if it's supposed to take place in 1985, and there were cliches everywhere. Sorry. If anyone's interested, I'll give it away but otherwise I'm going to put it in the recycling bin.

[Keyona · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me with some unanswered questions at the end. Yes it did have alot of secrets and twists but you have to get all the way to the middle of the book to get them. Overall I was not impressed.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is a quick read. The story is about a woman who uses her own child to get money from people who have lost a love one and takes advantage of them. If you like twists and turns this book is for you

[Roxana]

I didn't really care for this book. It was really inconsistent which made it confusing at times.