Pretty Dead Things - by Kelsey Cox (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Secrets emerge as a Texas beauty pageant turns deadly in this rich and addictive novel with a jaw-dropping twist from psychological suspense author Kelsey Cox.

2000: Isabelle Whitmore vanishes at Sherman Ranch in Anhalt, Texas, without a trace.

2025: The annual Lone Star Princess Pageant looms, bringing long-standing grudges to the surface. Ingrid fled Anhalt in the wake of her sister Isabelle's disappearance and has now returned, just in time for a construction crew to start digging up Sherman Ranch; the pageant brings up past traumas that Melanie can't forget; Cat, newly sober, starts to feel threatened in ways that bring back old demons; and Sarah Lynn, who comes from a long line of pageant winners, knows that losing is not an option.

When old resentments and new confrontations reach their boiling point, temperatures drop to deadly degrees as a record-setting storm brings down the state's power grid. With everyone trapped under one roof, scores will be settled, and more than one person will end up dead.

Some secrets are better left buried.

KELSEY COX'S NOVELS ARE:

"Riveting." --People

"Heart-pumping." --Nina Simon

"Jaw-dropping." --Amanda Eyre Ward

"Joins my auto-buy list forever." --Rachel Hawkins

Review Quotes

Praise for Party of Liars:

"Cox weaves a complex plot that will keep readers guessing until the last minute. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover's Verity, Tarryn Fisher's The Wives, and Freida McFadden, this is a suspenseful debut with interesting characters and narrative twists." --Library Journal

"A locked room mystery by way of an extravagant Texas Sweet Sixteen party, Party of Liars features a twisty story, multiple narrators, and lots of surprises." --Paste Magazine

"Party of Liars is my favorite kind of thriller - fun, twisty, fast-paced, and populated by characters who feel so real you'll want to invite them (well, some of them) to your next party. With this debut, Kelsey Cox joins my auto-buy list forever!" --Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author

"I couldn't put it down! Party of Liars brings the gothic house mystery to Texas, featuring a killer cast, heart-pumping pace, and well-plotted twists and turns." --Nina Simon, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night

"Party of Liars explodes from page one: a stunning debut, a riveting page-turner, a brilliant exploration of motherhood and female desire. Every character is rich and complex, and I was stunned by the jaw-dropping twist at the end. This is the novel I'm always wanting to read: dazzling, terrifying, achingly beautiful. Cox is a major new voice, and I can't wait to read what she writes next." --Amanda Eyre Ward, bestselling author of Lovers and Liars and The Jetsetters

"Party of Liars is Rebecca meets Big Little Lies--an intoxicating alchemy that's haunting, surprising, and eerie. I couldn't put down this searing exploration of madness, motherhood, and memory, set against a jaw-dropping background of Texas wealth and privilege. Kelsey Cox is a stunning talent who brings deep human insight to bear with expertly crafted and unpredictable twists. This is the thriller of the summer." --Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know

"Party of Liars with its stunning prose and simmering tension is a mesmerizing story that's part gothic horror, part psychological thriller, part contemporary glitz--the narrative is masterfully woven with plenty of twists, and deftly handles heavier subjects like postpartum depression, manipulation, and abuse. Kelsey Cox's debut is exquisite and dripping with dread--I absolutely adored it." --Ashley Tate, international bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes

"Dizzying and dazzling, Cox's debut slices through the saccharine sweetness of poisonous secrets to reveal the spongy heart of blood-soaked truths... A party to die for." --Lindy Ryan, author of Bless Your Heart

"With its beautiful but deadly setting and a complex, interconnected web of characters, Party of Liars is a page-turner equal parts juicy and poignant. The mystery is deliciously twisty, anchored by Kelsey Cox's gorgeous writing, but the real heart of the story lies with its complicated women and their sacrifices, both seen and invisible. Secrets and lies abound, readers won't know who to believe, and they will relish every shocking, unpredictable second. I predict this party will be the talk of the town." --Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Till Death Do Us Part and The Girls Are All So Nice Here

About the Author

KELSEY COX received her MFA in fiction from Purdue University and works from home in the Texas Hill Country. You can often find her writing at Mammen Family Public Library, chasing around her two young daughters, or watching British mysteries with her mom and aunts. On nights when bedtime goes as planned, she enjoys curling up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, and a book with complicated characters and a killer twist in her lap. She is also the author of Party of Liars.