🩸 Horror Fiction

These Women

✍️ Ivy Pochoda
Reader Score
4.4
(1 review)
$29.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A literary thriller about five women connected by a serial killer in West Adams.

Pochoda shifts focus from individual heroism to collective female experience. The story avoids typical detective tropes by emphasizing the internal lives of its subjects. Each woman represents a different facet of survival in a shifting urban landscape. Their connections remain hidden until the narrative converges on the central threat. This approach highlights social dynamics over plot mechanics. The author uses her established style to ground supernatural or criminal elements in emotional reality. The result is a nuanced look at how women navigate perilous environments without clear allies.

Key Themes
female empowerment serial killer mystery West Adams community
Literary Context

The novel is set in West Adams, a rapidly changing part of South Los Angeles. It engages with contemporary American urban life and the specific social tensions of that region during the early twenty-first century.

Difficulty
●●● Challenging
Recommended For Fans Of
Tana French · Paula Hawkins · Gillian Flynn · Shirley Jackson
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 Harper Large Print 📅 2020 📖 464 pages 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780062999115

📝 Description: These Women

Ivy Pochoda, known for Wonder Valley and Visitation Street, presents a literary thriller centered on five women in West Adams, South Los Angeles. The narrative weaves together their distinct lives as they face danger and anguish. Dorian grieves her daughter's unsolved murder. Julianna, a dancer called Jujubee, resists control. Essie is a vice cop spotting a crime pattern others miss. Marella performs boundary-pushing art that endangers her. Anneke remains quiet and observant. Their careful existence fractures after two neighborhood murders connect them to a deadly obsession held by one man. The novel explores female empowerment and social change through the lens of a serial killer story. It examines loss, power, and hope within a rapidly changing community. The text balances beauty with grit, tension with grace. Pochoda creates a kaleidoscope of experiences rather than a single perspective. Readers interested in character-driven mysteries will find value here. Those seeking fast-paced action may prefer other genres. The book stands as a significant work in contemporary fiction.

💎 Our verdict on These Women

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Pochoda delivers a literary thriller that eschews standard detective conventions for a deeper examination of female survival. By weaving together five distinct women in West Adams, the narrative creates a powerful study of loss, power, and hope within a changing community. The text successfully balances beauty with grit, offering tension alongside grace. While it may not satisfy those craving rapid plot progression, it stands as a significant work for fans of psychological horror and contemporary fiction. The approach highlights how social dynamics shape individual peril, providing a nuanced look at collective trauma. This is a compelling choice for readers who prioritize emotional reality and character development over traditional mystery structures.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate nuanced, character-driven mysteries will find value in this exploration of collective female experience. The book is ideal for those interested in how women navigate perilous environments without clear allies, offering a look at social dynamics over simple plot mechanics. It appeals to audiences seeking literary depth within the horror and thriller genres, particularly those fascinated by the internal lives of subjects rather than typical detective tropes. Those who enjoy dense, atmospheric writing that grounds criminal elements in emotional reality will benefit from its kaleidoscope of experiences. However, readers seeking fast-paced action or straightforward resolutions may find the focus on individual survival facets and shifting urban landscapes less engaging.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.4
Based on 1 reviews
5
0
4
1
3
0
2
0
1
0
H
Horror Reads editorial team

Pochoda delivers a literary thriller that eschews standard detective conventions for a deeper examination of female survival. By weaving together five distinct women in West Adams, the narrative creates a powerful study of loss, power, and hope within a changing community. The text successfully balances beauty with grit, offering tension alongside grace. While it may not satisfy those craving rapid plot progression, it stands as a significant work for fans of psychological horror and contemporary fiction. The approach highlights how social dynamics shape individual peril, providing a nuanced look at collective trauma. This is a compelling choice for readers who prioritize emotional reality and character development over traditional mystery structures.

✍️ More books by this author Ivy Pochoda

Ecstasy
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Ivy Pochoda
Ecstasy
$20.00
86
Read →
Ecstasy
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Ivy Pochoda
Ecstasy
$28.00
81
Read →
These Women
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Ivy Pochoda
These Women
$16.99
81
Read →

🏛 Books from this publisher Harper Large Print

Valentine: A Thriller
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Elizabeth Wetmore
Valentine: A Thriller
$28.99
81
Read →
Goodnight Beautiful
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Aimee Molloy
Goodnight Beautiful
$32.99
81
Read →
Have You Seen Me?: A Novel of Suspense
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Kate White
Have You Seen Me?: A Novel of Suspense
$24.00
78
Read →
Leave the World Behind
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
Rumaan Alam
Leave the World Behind
$34.00
86
Read →
A Good Marriage
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
Kimberly McCreight
A Good Marriage
$29.99
81
Read →
Aurora
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
David Koepp
Aurora
$29.99
81
Read →

You might also like

See more →
Ecstasy
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Ivy Pochoda
Ecstasy
$28.00
81
Read →
These Women
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.5
1
Ivy Pochoda
These Women
$16.99
81
Read →
The Chestnut Man
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Soren Sveistrup
The Chestnut Man
$30.99
86
Read →
Micro LP
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Michael Crichton
Micro LP
$28.99
86
Read →
When the Reckoning Comes
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Latanya McQueen
When the Reckoning Comes
$27.99
86
Read →
The Accursed
★★★★★
★★★★★
4.6
1
Joyce Carol Oates
The Accursed
$27.99
86
Read →

Have a question about this item?

Ask about the edition, condition, delivery or anything else — we reply by email or phone, usually within a day.

Home Genres
Cart
Wishlist