Bright Young Women (Unabridged)
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
Don’t miss this “breakneck thriller” examining “our culture’s obsession with serial killers and true crime” (Harper’s Bazaar) following two women on the pursuit of justice against all odds. “A fascinating look at true crime and tabloid culture that's as thoughtful as it is gripping” (People).
A New York Times Notable Book of 2023
New York Times Editors’ Choice
Instant New York Times Bestseller
A Goodreads Choice Award Finalist
Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR, The Washington Post, Harper’s Bazaar, Kirkus Reviews, CrimeReads, Booklist, and more!
An Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
Masterfully blending elements of psychological suspense and true crime, Jessica Knoll—author of the bestselling novel Luckiest Girl Alive and the writer behind the Netflix adaption starring Mila Kunis—delivers a new and exhilarating thriller in Bright Young Women. The book opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive, including sorority president and key witness, Pamela Schumacher, are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer—and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation.
Blisteringly paced, Bright Young Women is “Jessica Knoll at her best—an unflinching and evocative novel about the tabloid fascination with evil and the dynamic and brilliant women who have the real stories to tell” (Laura Dave, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me); and “a compelling, almost hypnotic read and I loved it with a passion” (Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of None of This Is True).
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
If you’re fascinated by serial killer Ted Bundy—or bothered by the way pop culture portrays him almost as a celebrity—this novel inspired by his crimes is definitely for you. In 1978, Pamela is an industrious student at Florida State and Tina is a young widow living in Seattle. When they each experience a horrific and eerily similar tragedy, they forge a connection built on the shared purpose of bringing one terrible man to justice. In her brilliant, fictionalized take on real events, Jessica Knoll kicks the killer out of the spotlight (seriously, she doesn’t even give him a name) and focuses entirely on the intellect and resilience of the women forced into his orbit. Actress Sutton Foster (of Younger fame) narrates, capturing the characters’ pain and determination, not to mention the ocean of frustration that women live with every day, knowing they can be the target of male violence for no reason at all. This is a radical new take on crime fiction.