This is where she had grown-up, been an almost track star in high school, graduated and left to attend college. It is also where she had to return when her father died unexpectedly of a heart attack. Juliet was almost finished with her first year of college when she gets the call about her father's death. Once back in Midway, there just never seemed to be a way to leave. Her mother became practically non-functional and there simply was not enough money for college any longer. In fact, there was hardly enough money for living.

Juliet has made the best of things, though. It is while working the desk late one night at the Mid-Night Inn when she gets quite a shock. A lovely blonde and, obviously, wealthy woman enters the lobby and requests a room for the night. As she is assigning the woman a room, Juliet realizes that she knows this woman. It is Madeleine Bell; her best friend all through high school.

It is quite clear that Madeleine has done well for herself. She asks Juliet to have a drink with her so that they can talk. The last thing that Juliet wants is to spend any time with Madeleine but she agrees to taking a break and talking with her. It seems that Madeleine wants to bury past hurts and revive their dead friendship. Juliet is not interested and says so before returning to her desk duties.

Juliet feels bad for this later and resolves to speak with Madeleine the next morning when she goes back to work. That does not work out as hoped because the next time Juliet sees Madeleine; she is hanging from a rope from a safety rail at the motel.

As Juliet begins to dig into who might have killed Madeleine, she uncovers terrible secrets that people will do anything to keep buried; even murder.

LITTLE PRETTY THINGS is an engrossing and absorbing novel about a small town and what goes on there. I was drawn in from the first page and remained riveted until the final page. There are plenty of small town characters and mysteries to go around, which will keep anyone mesmerized. I seriously recognized personality types that appeared in the townsfolk of Midway. Lori Rader-Day has captured small town life in a manner that few writers are capable of doing. For the duration of this twisted tale of the evil in this little town, I was fully immersed as if I, too, was a resident of Midway.

In LITTLE PRETTY THINGS, you will find a truly satisfying tale of murder and madness that leaves no real clues as to what is going on until that final page. It seemed that just as I thought I knew what was happening; it was only to discover that I was completely wrong. Lori Rader-Day has easily written one of the best books that I have read this year. It is pure entertainment and I cannot wait for her next literary offering!

Book Summary

Read an Excerpt