Pretty Things

Author: Janelle Brown
Genre: Psychological Thriller/Crime Fiction
496 pages
Publisher: Random House, 2020

Synopsis
Nina once bought into the idea that her fancy liberal arts degree would lead to a fulfilling career. When that dream crashed, she turned to stealing from rich kids in L.A. alongside her wily Irish boyfriend, Lachlan. Nina learned from the best: Her mother was the original con artist, hustling to give her daughter a decent childhood despite their wayward life. But when her mom gets sick, Nina puts everything on the line to help her, even if it means running her most audacious, dangerous scam yet.

Vanessa is a privileged young heiress who wanted to make her mark in the world. Instead she becomes an Instagram influencer–traveling the globe, receiving free clothes and products, and posing for pictures in exotic locales. But behind the covetable façade is a life marked by tragedy. After a broken engagement, Vanessa retreats to her family’s sprawling mountain estate, Stonehaven: A mansion of dark secrets not just from Vanessa’s past, but from that of a lost and troubled girl named Nina.

Nina, Vanessa, and Lachlan’s paths collide here, on the cold shores of Lake Tahoe, where their intertwined lives give way to a winter of aspiration and desire, duplicity and revenge.

This dazzling, twisty, mesmerizing novel showcases acclaimed author Janelle Brown at her best, as two brilliant, damaged women try to survive the greatest game of deceit and destruction they will ever play.

My review
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown is a psychological drama built around a clever con-game cat-and-mouse story. While it’s often marketed as a thriller, I found it to be more of a slow-burn, character-forward psychological duel. It’s a sharp character study built around deception, power, and shifting identities, and I was never quite sure who was the cat and who was the mouse. It’s great fun!

Brown delivers a compelling, character-driven novel that intrigued, engaged, and thoroughly entertained me. The pacing can be deliberate at times, but the author’s confident, polished writing style more than makes up for it, drawing me in and keeping me fully absorbed in this clever and deceitful tale.

At the center of the story is Nina Ross, a drifter presented with the opportunity for the con of a lifetime. Still haunted by the past and seeking revenge against the wealthy Liebling family who once dismissed her as unworthy of their son, Nina also desperately needs money to help cover her mother’s cancer treatments. Her target is the family’s glamorous social-media darling, Vanessa Liebling, an Instagram influencer surrounded by admirers and followers yet quietly struggling with loneliness and abandonment.

Nina isn’t acting alone. She’s joined by her Irish boyfriend and partner-in-crime, Lachlan, whose role adds another layer of tension and uncertainty. Can Nina truly trust him to stick to the plan? Let’s just say surprises await. The dynamics and connections between Nina and Vanessa, in particular, are fascinating and often unexpected. I was constantly second-guessing where my trust should lie, and both women felt fully believable, each with a distinct and compelling narrative voice.

Told through dual perspectives and primarily set in the present, with well-placed flashbacks that deepen the character development, the novel moves quickly despite its length. At nearly 500 pages, I found the story engaging throughout, with the pages flying by. Nina’s character arc stood out most to me, but Vanessa and Lachlan were equally intriguing. Brown clearly excels at crafting believable, complex characters, and much of the novel’s strength lies in that careful, thoughtful development.

Overall, Pretty Things is a smart, well-written cat-and-mouse con game that’s absolutely worth reading if you’re looking for strong writing, layered characters, and a psychologically rich story rather than nonstop thrills.

My recommendation: definitely worth the read if you’re looking for strong writing and excellent character development!