Usually i don't read books with to much mysteries but this one captived me from the first page. The worldbuilding was very important in creating the suspance and mistery and each chapter promised me a good read.

The storyline is told in two timelines connecting them together. Cora moves to small town Hickory Falls where her fiancé grew up. Driving around the town she doesn’t know yet, Cora comes across an estate sale buying a jar full of trinkets. At the bottom of this jar she finds two old wedding rings. Trying to “do the right thing”, Cora sets out to find who these rings may have belonged to. Cora’s search turns into a mystery that happened years ago and the town doesn’t want old wounds open.

This book really left an imprint due to its heart breaking nature. The small town vibe described was surreal. Cora stumbles across a missing person mystery during a sale. She then starts investigating which uncovers a love/cheating angle which the town is not so keen on speaking about.

The whole aesthetic of the book kept me hooked and the timelines woven were impeccably done. You get a feel of the characters of the 50's and Felicity and Cora are well written characters.

The climax of the book left be bereft and sad which is telling of the author's prowess. However I did feel the book could have been shorter.

I give this book 4 stars. I thank NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the E-Arc and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It was such a cute book! I felt like I was living in the town. I could easily picture characters, houses and every little detail. Although I don’t really enjoy when descriptions are longer than conversations. I understand the author wanted us to feel the environment but it was a little bit unnecessary for me. It was a great example of cozy mystery, the plot twist was amazing! I really enjoyed it! Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 ⭐️

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley!

Cora moves to a small midwestern town to be with her fiancé, and finds herself digging up a cold case from decades ago. It all starts when she finds a set of wedding rings at an estate sale, and quickly spirals. This one was more of a straightforward murder mystery rather than a thriller. No major plot twists, and unfolded in a pretty straightforward fashion.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for this eARC. I was intrigued by the premise of this novel, being someone who also loves a jar of pretty baubles myself! I loved the 50s/60s storyline, as well as the Midwest (it felt like Kansas City to me) setting. The current day storyline was not as compelling, which kept this as a 4 instead of a 5 for me. Will recommend this to my cozy mystery patrons at the library.

I was fortunate enough to be given an e-ARC. Thank you to Lilian West and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book before it publishes!

I'll give this a 4/5 stars solely because I wished it was longer!!!! Couldn't get enough of this....
The descriptions of certain settings and feelings in this book are simply outstanding. It was beautiful and captivating all at once. I didn't want to put it down and that is a sign.

Cora as a character is fun, adventurous and relatable. I was truly invested in her hunt and I shared her feelings throughout the book. This is a small town mystery adventure with plot twists from left to right - whenever you thought you knew what was going on, nope! curveball ;) Truly a clever plot for this story. The characters were all interesting in their own ways. And the parallell storyline enhances the experince even more >>> brilliantly done.

Read this as soon as you get the chance, it's a must for me! Please feel free to watch my review of this book on my booktok account @ mycozylittlebookcorner <3

#PrettyDeadThings #NetGalley

I enjoyed this book overall. The current day and past day dual timelines were written well and I liked the author's writing style. I loved Cora's character and her sense of adventure! I felt like she and I would be good friends.

Sadly this was a DNF. There was a lot of descriptions that just took you out of the story and it just felt like not a lot was going on. Others might enjoy this more than I did but it didn’t feel very thrilling or mysterious to me. I also didn’t really connect with any of the characters. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review.

I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the editor for sending me an advance copy of this upcoming title. Your hard work and dedication to this project are truly commendable, and I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to review it before its official release.

The depth and quality of this work are a testament to your meticulous attention to detail and your passion for bringing exceptional stories to life. From the engaging narrative to the well-developed characters, it's clear that a tremendous amount of effort has gone into every aspect of this book.

I am genuinely excited about this title and eager to share my thoughts and insights. Having the chance to read it in advance has been a wonderful experience, and I am confident that readers will be just as captivated by it as I am.

Thank you once again for this incredible opportunity. Your support and trust in my feedback mean a great deal to me. I look forward to continuing to work together and witnessing the success of this fantastic book.

WOW! I absolutely adored this book! The writing was done with such charm and nostalgia. I would not classify this as a thriller or even a mystery really. I mean, its a mystery, but not a dark one. I don't read "cheesy mysteries or cozy mysteries". I feel that this one kind of bordered those two territories somewhat, though. I fell in love with Clarity's character as well as Cora's. This book was a quick read. The chapters flew. It may have become repetitive at times, but it was not enough to sway my feelings about it. Lilian West is a lovely writer, and I am looking forward to more books from her in the future.

Pretty dead things opens with a woman named Cora purchasing a jar of baubles from an estate sale, in which she finds an engagement ring and a wedding ring. The story follows her in the present as she seeks to find the owners of these rings. There are also flashbacks to the 1940s-1960s where Clarity's story is revealed.

The writing itself was fine but the amount of filler in a book less than 300 pages boggled my mind. We get pages and pages of Cora describing every single thing going on in the scene around her for absolutely no reason. It takes PAGES to get through a dialogue of 5 lines.

Also, and I'm not sure if this is just a mystery novel trope, but every single heterosexual couple SUCKS. I'm talking referring to the old ball and chain type of stuff.

I think cheating storylines can be done well, but I did not find that to be the case in this book. The narrative almost tries to make you sympathize with the cheaters because the guys wife... nags? And there are multiple instances of the narrative showing that the cheating husband has a conscience.... WHILE STILL CHEATING.

"Lewis, however, was not like other men. He had taken his marriage vows seriously, as well as his breaking of them, and he wanted to serve a penance for the sin."

Oh he feels BAD. Well as long as he feels BAD all is forgiven, right?

The last thing I will say is that Cora adds absolutely nothing to the plot. This story could have had potential if her character was cut entirely and we just got the flashbacks as the main narrative that eventually gets resolved 50 years later.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I loved this book and I am happy to recommend it to others. From the cover, to the description, to the whole BOOK! I was sucked in and DEVOURED it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I really love dual time line books so this was perfect for me. I liked the different time period too. This was a cozy mystery and and I really wanted to keep reading to see what happened.

#PrettyDeadThings #NetGalley intrigued me from the cover and the description. I'm not familiar with the author, but this book absolutely made my day.
Cora is living in a small Midwest town, planning her wedding and trying to fit in.
While Cora is out driving through her.
small town, she happens upon an estate sale, where she happily buys a jar of baubles.
The brightly colored buttons, marbles and brooches captures her attention, ocbut then, hidden among a few items, she finds an engagement ring and wedding band. Cora wants to return the rings, thinking that the family will want them back.
The innocent discovery reveals secrets from decades ago, giving closure to one, while devastating others.
I loved this book and I am happy to recommend it to others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Pretty Dead Things drew me in from the first page. Told in dual timelines, you just want to keep reading. The cover is pretty, but also might lead you to believe this is a cosy mystery, and I wouldn't put it in that box.
Cora is new to a small town in preparation for her wedding and new life. She finds an estate sale, with a jar full of little trinkets...marbles, buttons, and suddenly, a ring.
She decides that she needs to find the rightful owner, or at least a relative, but she stirs up a hornet's nest she can't let go of, despite just about everyone telling her to let it go...it was 70 years ago.
What she finds is a wife and young mother who went missing years before, and her disappearance seems to have been pushed aside and left to history.
This was a intriguing and interesting book. I highly recommend it.
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

#PrettyDeadThings #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley