Murder Girls by Christine Morgan completely took me by surprise, and I love that. It came to my attention because it was edited by my internet-bestie (she might not feel the same way so don’t tell her I said that) Melodie Ladner. Melodie writes Facebook status updates that make me spit my coffee at the screen in fits of surprise laughter. So I was interested to read the work she edited.
There are five protagonists (or antagonists, depending on how you look at it). Having so many could have been confusing, or their differences could have been stereotypical like the Spice Girls. No offense to you Spice Girl fans, but you know what I mean. One’s cute, one’s athletic, one’s a stuck-up bitch. But somehow, Christine Morgan pulls this off. The characters are very different from one another, but in ways that you and I are different from our friends. And after the first chapter it’s easy to remember who is who.
Murder Girls is a satirical coming-of-age story. These five young women are figuring out how they want to live, and how they want to kill. It’s often cringe-inducing, but there’s enough dark humor sprinkled in to bring relief.
The premise is a little out there. But believing that all five girls would go along with the decision to murder is easy once you get to know them. And Morgan makes sure you get to know them all without force-feeding their stories. The setting descriptions are rich, and the scenes are easy to visualize, even when you’re rather not.
Murder Girls is a fun, suspenseful read that leaves you wanting more.