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The Jills

The Jills

A Novel

About the Book

In this propulsive debut, a Buffalo Bills cheerleader will stop at nothing to solve the disappearance of her best friend and teammate, navigating the dark underbelly of a hardscrabble city, the grime and glamour of professional cheerleading, and her own tangled family history.

Virginia is a Jill—a cheerleader for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills—living the life of her dreams: she spends her weekdays practicing, her weekends cheering, and her nights hopping between bars and clubs with her teammates, including the fearless, charismatic Jeanine, whose friendship has given Virginia confidence in spades and helped her forget her troubled past with her estranged sister, Laura.

One Sunday, Jeanine fails to show up for a game, and calls and texts to her go unanswered. Virginia embarks on an investigation into Jeanine’s disappearance, aided by a network of Jills, ex-boyfriends, seedy fixtures of Buffalo’s criminal underground, and unexpected figures from her past. But as her search grows increasingly dangerous and spirals into obsession, disturbing questions about who Jeanine really was begin to emerge.

Soon, Virginia finds herself wondering how well she knew her best friend, if she can trust the people she thought were protecting her, and whether—when trying to save the ones she loves most—she’s capable of saving herself, too.

Part bingeable mystery, part character-driven tale of a woman discovering her own strength in a system built by and for men, The Jills is a page-turning novel that brims with wit and heart while reminding us of the healing power of sisterhood.
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Praise for The Jills

“Karen Parkman’s debut offers a nuanced, incisive exploration of the world of NFL cheerleading—and the complex power of sisterhood, both familial and chosen. Spending these pages with Virginia and her teammates was a delight: Parkman views her characters through a compassionate lens, with a keen eye for authentic detail and a knack for humor. Perfect for fans of thoughtful thrillers like Liz Moore’s Long Bright River, The Jills is an observant page-turner with heart.”—Chloe Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Immortalists

“Parkman’s character-driven mystery comes roaring out of the gate with all the poise and power of an NFL athlete. With its nuanced character work, propulsive prose, and intricate web of secrets and lies, The Jills is an unforgettable debut. I couldn't put it down.”—Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Ferry Out and We Were Never Here

“Surprisingly grim and psychologically complex.”—Kirkus Reviews

“With this powerhouse debut, Karen Parkman has established herself as a brilliant new voice in fiction. The Jills is both a page-turning mystery and a moving portrait of sisterhood, offering a glimpse behind the scenes of NFL cheerleading and a fictional New York crime syndicate. I brought this book on my honeymoon and couldn’t put it down. Smart, sharply observed, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, The Jills is perfect for readers of book-club fiction and fast-paced thrillers alike. Without question one of my favorite reads this year.”—Lauren Ling Brown, bestselling author of Society of Lies
“Utterly immersive, thoroughly propulsive, and gorgeously written, The Jills is a thoughtful and empathetic look at the infinite complications of sisterhood and the dangerous lure of dreams with perilously hidden costs.”—Kimberly McCreight, New York Times bestselling author of Like Mother, Like Daughter and Reconstructing Amelia

“A thrilling mystery that offers an immersive view into the lives of NFL cheerleaders . . . Ginny narrates in an appealing voice that is both strong-willed and vulnerable. . . . It’s the best novel about cheerleaders since Megan Abbott’s Dare Me.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
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About the Author

Karen Parkman
Karen Parkman holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. The Jills has been supported by MacDowell and Yaddo fellowships, the Sozopol Fiction Seminars, and the Vermont Studio Center. Parkman’s stories have appeared in Michigan Quarterly Review, Joyland, and other outlets. She is based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. More by Karen Parkman
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