Rating: 
Summary: Beauifully Written Mystery
Review: Dobyns beautifully arranges the stereotypical setting of small town America. His wonderful use of imagery makes this small town, Aurelius, come to life. Dobyns creates a sense of horror and fear through the ghastly crimes committed against 3 children in the town, a sexually immoral divorcee and a homosexual. The twists and turns are shocking and throughout the entire book there never is a sense of who is behind this madness. Dobyns�s near perfect use of narrative voice captures the audience, as they seem to move in to Aurelius and are as much connected to this small New England town as the parents of the three unfortunate children. Dobyns brings out the dark side of people that exist in us all. What�s more Dobyns shows how easily these gripping murders could just as easily occurred in our own �sleepy� towns.
Rating: 
Summary: Scary and Intense
Review: Everyone said it begain with the disappearance of the first girl. But it began much earlier than that.So begins Dobyn's novel, Church of Dead Girls. This compelling book presents two different genres - an engrossing thriller that will keep readers turning the pages, and a study in small-town life that may keep them up at night longer than the thriller itself. Sharon Malloy is the daughter of Aurelius's most respected physician, a typical teenage girl. When one day she disappears - seemingly into thin air - the town is thrown into a panic. And when other girls start disappearing, too, a modern-day witch hunt seems to appear. Everyone with a difference - a belief in Marxism, differing sexuality, a medical problem - is seen as a potential suspect in the disappearance of the girls. Dobyns does a great job of revealing the heart of the town, and what might lurk under any picturesque community in the face of terror. Overall, the book is highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Unusually Good
Review: I enjoyed this book. Never heard of the author, happened across it by accident and was pleased i did. Yes, it can seem a little slow, but thats the point. It builds, keeps you with the story, and flows. If you like mystery, and suspense, and just a touch of horror, this is ideal. Kathy Reichs would be proud.
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Summary: Literary Suspense created with Style and Substance
Review: I finished reading Church Of Dead Girls this weekend and have to say, that while it's far from what I expected, it was just what I needed. Here is a novel that promotes itself as a suspense story about a serial killer, when in fact it should sell itself as a portrait of the evil potential residing in us all. This book has more in common with Lord of the Flies and The Lottery than it does with Carrie and Silence of the Lambs. And while my opinion is far from expert (though I do have an English Degree), I have to say that the final chapter is one of the most well written and stimulating section of prose I have read in a very long time. Just when you think you have come to the end, Dobyns throws out a most complex issue to keep you thinking long after the book jacket is closed. Lots to think about (and maybe lose sleep over) in that chapter alone. Forget figuring out who-done-it and/or why - Focus your attention on the reactions of the town and put yourself in their shoes. I think you will see aspects of yourself in the words and actions of many of the varied townsfolk. And that is truly something to be scared of!
Rating:
Summary: Creepy and Compelling
Review: I first read this book in the fall last year, and fall is definitely the time of year to read it. I sat outside on my porch becoming more and more unsettled as I turned each page, more and more aware of the fact that I was vulnerable outdoors, and more aware of the lives being lived in each house in my neighborhood, lives that I knew nothing about. Who knows what goes on in people's heads?
Stephen Dobyns does, for one. This is a very spooky book, full of mystery and suspense-I have to say, I actually did find it scary, despite some other readers' feeling the opposite. Yes, it does start out slowly, but I found that-after the stunning image of the opening scene-to be not boring but suspenseful. We know what is going to happen. We know someone will be caught. But who, and why?
If the book has one flaw, I would say it was only that I guessed who the killer was about halfway through. But I'm not even sure that was a flaw. I think we were meant to guess. The scene involving the main character's young friend, and her encounter with the killer (trying not to give anything away) was so finely drawn, and made so oddly important, I do think Mr. Dobyns was trying to make us see-as he does throughout the book-how little we actually know about the people we see every day.
I have since reread the book and it is just as good the second time. Where is a movie adaptation when you need one?
Rating:
Summary: Creepy and thought-provoking
Review: I've only been moved to write an amazon review twice before. But this is simply one of the best books I've read in years. This is a book about three missing little girls, but it is really about a small town trying to cope with the fact that there is a monster among them. We know from the prologue that the girls are not only dead, but mutilated -- it is horrifying and brutal, and I can't imagine any reader not wanting to read on to find out how it all happened. And that's one of the amazing feats of this work. We know at the outset what has happened to the girls, yet we read on, fascinated, about the events leading up to their abduction, and the effect of the kidnappings on this small town. Tensions and suspicions mount, and suddenly every neighbor, every friend, is a suspect. And Dobyns doesn't stop with just a great, suspenseful story. He raises questions about levels of behavior that are acceptable in society, and how even the best of us slip over those barriers from time to time. This makes the book all the more frightening, because you can really see why this town finds it so difficult to accept that the killer is a trusted friend and neighbor: such acceptance forces us to consider our own secrets and infractions, and recognize that there is all too little separating us from the monster who is capable of the most heinous of acts. Yes, Dobyns tells us in the end who the killer is. But it is truly secondary -- the point throughout this novel is that it could have been anybody. And that is truly frightening!
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Summary: Review of Dobyns' "The Church of the Dead Girls"
Review: Intriguing story about the murders of three girls in a small town in Upstate New York near Utica and the small town's reaction to the murder. Dobyn's describes the Dead girls, gives us a history of the town, and then introduces us chapter by chapter into the lives of those in the town. Once we realize that the killer is among those in the town, it becomes a fascinating suspense thriller...I could not sleep until I finished the final 200 pages. The story works on many levels...the reaction of people to change in a small town, the rebellion against tradition in a small town, the horrors of murders occurring almost blindly in front of one's eyes, the ignorance of town gossip, and the curiosity of people's inner secrets... Dobyn's has a great way of unsettling the reader with each chapter and at giving us just enough clues to make us go crazy as to who the killer was.... I did not like the fact that I realized who the killer was 40 or so pages prior to the ending of the story....I thought the ending was not powerful enough though I was satisfied enough with it and accept his resolution to the mystery. Dobyns work is prophetic of how reactionary America has become because of the speculative and propaganda-like nature our government has shown in recent times with respect to our foreign policies. And Dobyns is also excellent at showing the diseased logic sown from reactionary thinking.... Great story...great read (stephen king even praises it in the reviews section of the book)...
Rating:
Summary: A great read
Review: Okay. I read quite often, and I really treasure a book as well-written as this one. Being a Master's Student in Literature, I tend to shy away from most mystery and thriller type books. I just find most poorly written. Dobyns, however, writes with a beautiful prose. Apart from having a chilling and absorbing story, the book is written with a style that should be grouped with other modern books of high literary merit. I didn't feel cheaper after reading this book. Instead, I was satisfied when it was over. This book is told through the eyes of a man similar to most of us. We can see through his eyes. We feel as though what he sees happening in the town of Aurelius after the disappearance of a young girl is something that could happen in our own towns. Nothing about this book seems at all out of place. All the characters aren't as well-developed as we may wish, but they aren't supposed to be. In real life, we don't know everything about everyone. This book is just the way it's supposed to be. It's seen through the eyes of a real human. Even though the ending isn't necessarily satisfying in the traditional thriller sense, I didn't care. This book isn't about how the murder mystery is wrapped up (even though we aren't left hanging, thank God!). It's about a small town, and how they react to a very real horror. It's a wonderful novel. Read this at night, wrapped up in a blanket, alone on your couch. It will frighten you. You will love it.
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Summary: Dark Dobyns
Review: Reading this book is an exercise in patience and perseverance. It opens brilliantly with a vivid, if graphic, depiction of the three dead girls of the title. From there on, Dobyns weaves an intricate and complex novel of just what makes up the members of the sleepy little town of Aurelius, New York. When reading the novel, you don't realize until late in the book that you have no idea who your narrator truly is. His name is never mentioned, and at times, you wonder if the narrator isn't the one responsible. Is He? No spoiler here, hopefully. The amount of detail of the characters is overwhelming at times, and you have to really pay attention to what you are reading. There are many wonderfully drawn characters and some real scenes of chilling suspense. While some of the situations and characters may initially appear "over the top," the way Dobyns weaves them into the story is highly commendable. The book, as good as it is, remains a downer. The ending is totally unexpected, and you have to wonder where the pivotal character is heading. The dark secrets and the way suspicion destroys this town is depressing, to say the least. As a novel, it is a remarkable work; as entertainment, be warned---it's one of those books that disturb you more than entertain. Worth a read if you're into cerebral mystery!
Rating:
Summary: Complex and subtle narrative, and a compelling story
Review: The Church of Dead Girls is the best novel I have read in a long time. I imagine that most readers of this review are looking for a good thriller/serial killer novel; this book is certainly that, and an excellent one. Dobyns uses some wonderful techniques to create the sort of suspense that keeps you up at night. Even the most seasoned readers of serial killer novels will be uncertain what exactly is going on until the last few pages.
But what is even more interesting, this "whodunnit" is the story about a small town that has fallen under the shadow of murder and abduction. This is not a novel about police hunting down a serial killer, but rather, a novel about what happens to the inhabitants of a sleepy rural town when they are confronted with the fact that one of them (at least) is a monster.
Still better, though, is Dobyns' masterful narrative. It takes a lot of courage to stray away from the omniscient and anonymous third person and the tell-all biographical first person narratives. Dobyns, however, has done just that. Our narrator is a real person, a teacher at the local high school. He himself plays only a minor role in the story he tells and admits to not knowing everything. Frequently the story is told in a thrid person voice, but the narrator always provides us with the source of his information, so that the feeling of authenticity is maintained. Dobyns brings this town so vibrantly alive that you begin to wonder if this is really fiction.
Dobyns has proved himself to be a masterful storyteller -- don't deprive yourself of this wonderful experience.
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