In the year 1964, Harper Curtis speaks to a little girl and discusses the impending rain. After he lies down with her, he leaves her a small gift. Although she says she doesn't want it, he claims that she will take it as that is what she always does. Moving to 1992, Kirby, who lives with her Mom and works in a job with few rewards, goes to work to find that someone is sitting at her desk. Except they're not, and it seems that Kirby is simply confused. For a while, much of Shining Girls focuses on Kirby, who doesn't really seem to know where she is. Eventually, the story moves to reporter Dan who has a news story after there was a body found in the tunnels of LaSalle. When Kirby hears of the murder, she meets with an older officer who wants her to go through some photo IDs. She won't, though, as she never saw him, which means her attacker could literally be anyone. When Kirby returns home, a dog (Grendel) appears, and it's something that she writes in her notebook. Jin-Sook, a scientist, finds a dead bee in her office before later going outside and finding an abandoned umbrella. Whilst at work, Kirby sneaks into notes related to the murder and finds the address of the possible murderer. She heads over to the house and speaks to the suspect, Pavel. Although hesitant, Kirby steps inside to talk to Pavel. He says that he did not hurt Julia and had only known her for five months. Listening to him, Kirby realises from his voice that he is not the same man who attacked her. . When Kirby returns to the flat she lives in, Grendel is now a cat. And her Mom no longer lives. Instead, Kirby lives there with her husband, Marcus.
Review of Cutline
