Some people just need killing, I reckon. And this particular killing has a gracious plenty of people confessing. So, which one really did the deed? A fun read.

I received a copy of "Pretty Guilty Women" from Sourcebooks (the publisher) via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I'm surprised this book isn't being released in the Spring because I could envision this as the perfect summer beach read. The premise is simple: three women head to an exclusive resort in California for the wedding of an old college roommate. During the week-long stay, old wounds will be re-opened, leaving one guest dead by the end of it with the three women (plus someone they met at the hotel) taking credit for the crime.

With the exception of Emily, I enjoyed getting to know the women and their lives. It didn't feel like there was much life to Emily, truth be told, and she seemed like the weakest friend of the bunch. I couldn't figure out her contribution to the friendship. I would have been just as happy reading a novel about the women and their relationships to each other. Toward the middle it began to feel like the writer was trying to do too much to include a twist of sorts by creating a subplot involving a woman named Sydney Banks, who, of course, wasn't really Sydney Banks. It was this subplot and the end that really gave it a "Big Little Lies" vibe for me, nor did I feel like I needed that epilogue. Parts of the book were enjoyable for me, just not that last quarter of the book, which felt like a letdown. I didn't find the book to be suspense fiction.

Oh yes, a wonderful mystery. These seem to be few and far between. LaManna captured me from page 1 and I could not put it down. The "Pretty Guilty Women" are former college friends who meet after many years for a huge, over the top wedding at a luxury resort.

They are joined by 2 outsiders, the flamboyant Lulu and the rather pathetic Sydney. Female bonding at its' best takes place quickly and the women become fast friends. Yes, a bit reminiscent of "Big Little Lies" but so well done and providing the reader with so many questions that I found it hard to put down.

Although we quickly learn that the book is about a murder investigation, we don't know who the victim is, let alone the murderer. The author cleverly inserts statements from the various guests and staff at the time of the murder.

Each of the women is totally sympathetic and the their backstories help the reader understand their current issues. The novel deals with many contemporary topics woven into the plot, spousal abuse, alcoholism, SIDS, infertility. It certainly gave me a lot to think about as I read this novel.

For a very enjoyable, light mystery, be sure to pick this up. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this lovely novel.

What an amazing domestic thriller! I loved the character development and stayed up way past my bedtime to find out what was going to happen next. I highly recommend this author.

Four different women offer four very different confessions to the death of a man found in the midst of a rehearsal dinner at a luxurious resort, each insisting they acted alone. Their stories are contradicting and confusing, posing a conundrum for the detective who must untangle their secrets.

Truth and friendship surface in surprising ways, but who is the guiltiest of them all and what really happened on that rooftop?

Pretty Guilty Women is suspense fiction at its best, in the vein of Big Little Lies and Force of Nature.

A fast read and a nice little mystery. Friends through thick and thin? Some if not all had their issues with their own self as well as one another. Nice finish.
Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy for reviewing.

The story of a murder with too many confessions, I thought the plot sounded interesting and would be a good mix of drama and a bit of a thriller side mixed in for an easy and entertaining read.

Throughout the story, you get clues from the detective's interviews with the different characters along with their first-person account of the weekend.

It was a light read filled with drama between the female characters that made for an entertaining few hours.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

Entertaining but a serious knock-off of Big Little Lies without the dark humor. More women’s melodrama than thriller. Cathartic if you’re in a certain mood.

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!