All the Pretty Dead Girls

by John Manning

One By One...Two decades ago, at a private women's college in upstate New York, a student was brutally attacked in her dorm room. Her assailant was never found...They Disappear...Sue Barlow arrives at Wilbourne College twenty years later. When a classmate disappears, Sue thinks it's an isolated incident. But then two other girls vanish...And Die...As fear grows on campus, Sue begins to sense she's being watched. And as the body count rises, she soon realizes that a twisted psychopath is summoning her to play a wicked game - a game that only will end when she dies.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Horror, Crime, Ebooks

503 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Born on Halloween, John has always been fascinated by the dark and scary world of horror fiction. His earliest favorites were Edgar Allen Poe, Dostoevsky, and Charles Addams. He discovered his passion for writing in the second grade. Through the years, however, publishers did not share his enthusiasm. As a staff member for many fan conventions, he was blessed to meet (and pick the brains of) authors such as Barry Longyear, Robert Asprin, Robert Adams, L. Sprague de Camp, C. Dean Andersson, John Steakley, Jr., Lynn Abbey, Andy Offett, Steven Barnes, and Larry Niven. Evidently osmosis works, for in 2011 his first novel, Black Stump Ridge, written with his long-time friend, Forrest Hedrick, was released on an unsuspecting public. It has gone on to place tenth in the Editors & Preditors Poll in the category Best New Horror Novel for 2011, as well as being placed on the 2011 Nebula Recommended Reading List. His short story,“Disclaimer,” appeared in Janet and Chris Morris’ Lawyers in Hell, released in July 2011. “Showdown at Brimstone Arsenal,” appears in the 2012 release, Rogues in Hell. He also has a short story, “Asylum,” in Michael H. Hanson’s Sha’Daa III – Pawns, published by Perseid Publishing in November 2012. His first anthology as Editor-in-Chief of Fantom Enterprises, What Scares the Boogeyman, was also published by Perseid Publishing and released in January 2013. His first book published by his own company, Terror by Gaslight was published in 2014. John lost a long hard fought battle with Leukimia in January, 2015.

Doris, RavenCon website
http://www.ravencon.com/manning-john/

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took a twist I did not expect. A little Bentley Little-ish. Seemed like a normal "kill/sacrifice the girls" kind of novel then out of nowhere - twist! But I did enjoy the story, all the same

[Olivermagnus · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book centers on Sue Barlow, an incoming freshman at Wilbourne College in upstate New York. Wilbourne is an exclusive private college that has a small student body, primarily made up of women. Raised by her extremely wealthy grandparents, Sue initially welcomes the opportunity to be on her own. She gets a bad feeling once she's there and believes that she repeatedly sees the face of a screaming woman in one of the dormitory windows.

Meanwhile Sheriff Miles Holland, investigating the disappearance of a student, soon discovers the college has been the site of similar incidents involving young women that have occurred every twenty years. The key to stopping these events lies with Bernadette de Salis, a thirteen year old girl who has experienced stigmata as well as a visit from the Virgin Mary. Bernie tells Sue that she is key to the upcoming apocalypse.

I thought this book was pretty interesting even though I rarely this genre. After a somewhat slow start, the action of the main story starts to really intrigue you. There are a lot of political characterizations in the book and some readers who care about those things might not enjoy it that much. Overall, it was a great little story with hints of Omen and Rosemary's Baby thrown in. I would definitely try another of John Manning's books if the opportunity arises.

[Valeri · Rating 1 out of 5]

First of all, the back cover summary of this book is extremely misleading. Secondly... it's just terrible. The author leads you around in circles for the first 3/4s of the book, and not in a good way. When he finally gets to the point it starts to pick up a little, but by then the story has reached its climax, leaving ending flat. Most of the characters are wanting, and the ones that seem to have potential are left in the dust. Over all, not a great read.

[Jody Werth · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this story, but I had to downgrade the book as a whole because of all the typos.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very dark

[Juanita · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: All The Pretty Dead Girls by John Manning. 4.5★'s

I was amazed how this book held my interest and I really enjoyed the subject matter. It’s about The Book of Revelations and the Antichrist among satanic cult, a vast group of people from all around the world was established before any one realized what was going on. There whole ordeal was started when Wilbourne College, a private women’s college in upstate New York was built and founded by a wealthy women a hundred and fifty years ago, secretly for the cult’s home and their worshipping the devil with the idea of taking over the world while the college was helping students with an education.

Every twenty years a few girls would go missing and the town’s sheriff, Miles Holland would look into the cases and within a few weeks the girls were not found and there names would just fade into the woodwork and they were forgotten. Until twenty years ago two girls went missing and one did make it back home to her parent’s house after being raped. As far as a few people knew she had a baby girl and soon after she died in a car accident and her grandparents raised and cared for the baby, named Susan Barlow, up until the day she was accepted at Wilbourne College on a scholarship…..

However, don’t underestimate the sheriff he has a son Perry who has become deputy sheriff and has listen to his father over the years of the information about the missing girls. So, the data has been seeded but not yet fully believable. Then we meet Dr. Virginia Marshall, a professor at the college (also an author) who teaches a course in religion and the bible but her teaching criteria of religion upsets Dean Gregory and the Board of Trustee’s. She gets called to the Deans office a few times but she is determined to be and teach what she wanted…..

As different situation, issues, and events happened the horror starts with the up-coming religious ritual bringing destruction down on the small town of Lebanon. Including a young girl, Bernadette who has been visited by The Virgin Mary with messages to share with certain people on how to stop the uprising of a devil ritual that the satanic cult has been waiting to embrace for many years. The story was fascinating and alluring in such a seductive way that it was hard to put the book down. Manning did such a great job writing and creating something that’s unbelievable but at the same time thought provoking enough to make the reader believe the story may happen some day….

[Mackenzie RM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel, All The Pretty Dead Girls by John Manning. It's his first novel and it truly is a good one!

After reading the blurb on the back I was a little wary of reading it because the blurb was a bit vague to me and didn't really seem clear as to what the story was going to be about, but I decided to read it anyways - I'm glad I did. The plot line wasn't what I expected to be at first but I quickly got into it.

Sue Barlow was an interesting character. She was such a sweet girl at the beginning, I got really attached to her as she was in the beginning, and I was surprised at how mean she got as the story progressed.

Another character I really liked was Billy Honeycutt, he seemed like a really sweet boy and I was really hoping he would get together with Sue. Their relationship together at the beginning was a bit childish and very.. distant in ways from each other.

About midway through the book things really started happening. The mystery really got going, and really hooked me in further. It was mind blowing, the new developments and all.

I'm really hoping that there is a sequel to this book because I find the end sort of dropped off. Anyways, it's a really good read; I'd certainly recommend it!

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 out of 5 stars Not your typical thriller -- have fun with this one!, May 24, 2009

This review is from: All The Pretty Dead Girls (Paperback)
This book was NOT at all what I expected. I was thinking it would be a run-of-the-mill thriller - the type with a plot that I can write in my sleep. I assumed it would feature the usual: torture, rape, and a sicko psycho predator stalking coeds because of some hideous compulsion that would be detailed in the novel. Be warned - there is murder, but the story itself is not about a psychopath attacking and murdering young girls at this private college in the Northeast - it's about the Book of Revelations and the Antichrist and satanic worship. So if you're looking for a typical suspense thriller, this book isn't what you're wanting. If, however, you want a fast paced story with a heroine you're not sure you like - this is your book. You'll find a fast paced read that might keep you up far too late at night. Enjoy!

[Toya Reads · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm sorry but what even is this book? The beginning had some promise but then somewhere along the way it just got weird. I can deal with weird, but for some reason I just couldn't deal with this. I'm only giving this one star and that's because I finished it and immediately after I was done I gave this book away. Please don't read this, I'm warning you.

[Carey · Rating 3 out of 5]

started this book without realizing it was a horror, which made the first murder a bit of a shock. overall, i thought it was not bad. finished quickly mainly because i couldn't handle the bad dreams. next will be a fluff novel for sure.

[Jim Maass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had come across this book in a secondhand store and after reading the synopsis on the back cover, it sounded like my kind of story. It was dark tale somewhat similar (But not the same) to a novel by Dean Koontz or Stephen King with a touch of Dan Brown thrown in there. Mind you those three authors are in class of their own. But anyway, as I mentioned, this is a dark story. Manning will take you on a winding rollercoaster ride, with his many characters. Some are very dark with a cruel streak, which makes this so intense. As this tale progressed, I thought I had a grip on what was happening, but I was totally shocked (In a good sense) of the conclusion of this tale. I would suggest to those who enjoy these type of tales, to grab this book and hang on for a wild ride.

[a u d r e y ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The synopsis is incredibly vague considering this is a religious end-of-times book. I found the pace and storyline to be quite good, it moved fast without feeling rushed. The whole novel covers a 4 month window and enough happens to make it realistic for a college freshman (the MC). But I couldn't get past the rapture / anti-Christ sentiment, not really my cup of tea, as it seemed almost half put together. This isn't nearly as dark or scary as many reviews lead you to believe, unless you believe in the rapture from a religious standing point I suppose...

[Lisa Macon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly.....the title is what brought me to the book....I love shows with crime and drama intermingled.....but religion too? It was almost too much for me, but I did like the aspect of more overall good vs evil.

[Sharon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was definitely different! I thought it was going to be a murder mystery, but then it turned toward the sci-fi side. I did finish it because I wanted to see where it was going to go, but it wasn’t really my thing.

[Taylor Parson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The plot and writing were great. The ending felt kind of rushed, we should have gotten more of a relationship between Sue and her mother if that's what was going to keep her from being evil. Looking past that, it was good. I recommend.

[Michael Prentice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great debut! I breezed through it. If it hadn't been a little hokey in parts, I would have given it a higher rating.

[Ashley Fasel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slow beginning but a. Very good ending

[Paschalis]

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[Ashley]

I forced myself to get about halfway through, but I just couldn't do it anymore.

[Kim Demarco · Rating 4 out of 5]

Suspenseful but kind of far fetched!

[Anja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book; All the Pretty Dead Girls by john Manning, had some good and some bad things going on. On one hand it is very exciting, a real page turner. I had to force myself from it, so that I could pick up my daughter from school. On the other hand it had a lot of faults. A few things I suspect is because of the translation into Norwegian, there was a few sentences that was badly written.

But there were several other things that I had issues with. One of them was that in almost every dialogue, one of the characters starts to think about something in the past, and by the time the person is finished, I have forgotten that there are two people talking, and get confused. The other thing is that people that aren’t really important to the story, get a thorough presentation. Some get a whole chapter, and you think that you have to pay attention to this one, but then it is it more or less. There are also contradictions like with Wally. He is sixty years old, and every morning he takes two hundred push ups and two hundred sit ups, but complains that he often is too stiff to get out of bed? And several other small details here and there.

Even though I got caught up in all these little, annoying things, I did enjoy the story. It wasn’t anything new, I have seen much of this in films or TV series, but it had a twist to it. I’m not sure if I liked it or not, the ending wasn’t great. But as light entertainment I enjoyed it. It has never felt so easy to read almost six hundred pages!

[Jeff O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'd think I'd have nothing negative to say about a book I gave 5 stars to. Well, I have two negative comments. But they have nothing really to do with the story.
1. All The Pretty Dead Girls is a VERY misleading title. If you're expecting an 80's Sorority House Slasher movie in novel form, which the title is suggestive of, that is not even close to what you're getting here.
2. This book has a few too many typos and words missing from sentences. Since that's the editor's job I don't hold it against the author and do my best not to let it distract me.

This is the first John Manning book I've ever read and I think this author might be exactly what I've been looking for. Brilliant, dark, suspenseful supernatural horror with demons and spirits and all that good stuff. He throws in just the right amount of political/religious commentary and does it very well. (If you're a right wing conservative, don't bother with this one. Or do bother with it, and think about what a douchenozzle you are.)

The last 150 pages of this book were a nonstop train ride at 6000 miles per hour and the end was nothing short of touching and satisfying. I sincerely hope you enjoy this book even half as much as I did.

[Tom M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 (Goodreads, add half stars!)

To give a sparse summary without giving the story away, Sue Barlow is a new student at the nearly all-female Wilbourne Academy in upstate Lebanon, New York. On her arrival she sees a screaming face in a dorm room that's later found to be unoccupied. During her first few weeks, some female students go missing and are later found murdered. The story continues as a suspense novel with atypical twists, containing elements of The Devil's Advocate as well as historical theology (though not in a preachy sense). If you've read Bentley Little's, "The Academy", the style of this book is similar to 'The Academy', though nowhere near as outrageous.

Manning does an excellent job of narrating, as well as fleshing out all the characters in the story in great detail. I would say about 20% of the book is dedicated to the backgrounds of all the characters, both primary and secondary, although this tends to slow the plot in the earlier third of the book. Once the narrations are finished, the book moves along fairly quickly. Overall, the book was an entertaining read and as written before, I enjoyed the twist on the typical suspense novel.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good and creepy...bringing demons and the antichrist in for that extra special creepy factor. Sue is finally independent and headed off to college. She has been brought up by her grandparents, her parents have died. She is getting her first taste of freedom...but what is the screaming girl doing in an empty room? Why does she keep seeing it. Why do people tell her her parents are still alive? Girls are going missing from this school and a local sheriff wants to get to the bottom of it, but it seems all of his efforts are blocked at the state police level. What is happening in this quiet little town? Well, it definitely sucked me in and gave me fond memories of reading early John Saul and Dean Koontz. If you don't like creepy, this isn't for you!

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is not what I thought. I was expecting a serial killer. Also, the book deserves a higher rating than 3.5. Girls at Wilbourne College, an all girls school, have been disappearing for some time. Strange occurrences have been part and parcel of the school. What is going on? Sue, finally feels free of the repressive life under her Grandparents' rule in Manhattan, but Wilbourne has its own rules where freedom seems unwelcome and control by the Dean seems the norm. Lebanon is a boring and Conservative little town, but Wilbourne is off by itself and has its own autonomy from the town. And its own secrets and organizational culture. What is going on at Wilbourne College? And who profits? A tale of good versus evil.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story, a teenager goes off to the college her mother had gone to. She is 18 and has her first car, and she is thrilled, she gets into college town and gets a ticket, charming the young policeman, she only gets a warning. The world is her oyster. She has been told her mother and father were killed when she was a child and has been raised by her grandparents, she believes in a Godly family, but which God? She looks up at a window in her college and see's the face of a girl screaming in terror, did she really see this? Strange happenings start, girls disappear, she starts to change. What is her part in the room of terror. Cults, Devil worship and the Virgin Mary. They are all here. Good read.

[T.M. Carper · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excepting a straight-forward thriller dealing with a psychopath. What I was treated to was an unexpected, fast-paced read.



A rash of sightings of the Virgin Mary across the world draws a college professor into a world of darkness in a small town where every twenty years, several teenagers mysteriously vanish--only to show up later as corpses. A cult is uncovered, but who can you trust when people of authority cover-up murder?



Now it's up to one profosser to join forces with the daughter of Satan to stop the killings--before it destroys everything.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, what the heck? I thought I was picking up your standard murder mystery type thriller and that's basically how things started but then I find myself reading a horror story involving a cult and sightings of the Virgin Mother and the Anti-Christ? I kept reading because my need for mindless reading is rather tremendous just now but if I'd had much else to choose from I'd probably have ditched this long before the increasingly predictable ending. Two and a half stars? Almost but not quite ok but I did finish it and quickly at that so an extra half star since I didn't actually throw it across the room in disgust.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I only gave this 2 stars because I actually finished reading it. I struggled, but I finished it. There were a few times I considered not picking it back up, but since the first couple hundred pages were okay-ish, I kept going. The description on the back cover of this book does NOT accurately portray the story. There were demons and alot of weird cult activity, none of which showing up until 2/3 of the way through the book. Definitely not my kind of story. I was thoroughly disappointed.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The synopsis of the book on the back cover does not tip you to the fact that this book is devil/stigmata related. Therefore, once I figured that out I was very disappointed because that type of book does not interest me at all. I was under the impression it was a murder mystery/suspense. Finished it to see how it came out but would not recommend it if you are like me and don't like that sort of thing.