Pretty Guilty Women

July 1, 2019
Four women confess to the murder of one man during a wild wedding weekend at a swanky California resort. The DeBleu-Banks weekend wedding extravaganza is underway at the Serenity Spa & Resort, and three college friends of the bride are about to be reunited after nearly two decades. Gorgeous and successful lawyer Kate Cross has everything she's ever wanted, except for a baby, and her boyfriend, Max, fed up with the stress of trying to conceive, dumps her at the resort's front desk. Ginger Adler is a harried and married mom of three who is tired of being the "responsible one" compared to her beloved but free-spirited husband, Frank, and hopes for some peace and quiet, which is not to be. Her 15-year-old daughter, Elsie, is up to something, and Ginger must face her ex-best friend, Emily Brown, whom she caught drunkenly making out with Frank in college. Little does Ginger know, the loss of a child years ago has Emily drowning her sorrows in alcohol and a fling with handsome Henry, whom she met, and had sex with, on the plane. Then there's elegant 68-year-old Lulu Franc, the groom's aunt, whose fifth husband, Pierce, is acting squirrelly. The wild card is young mother Sydney Banks. Kate becomes fond of the young woman and her baby, Lydia, but something's off about Sydney. The weekend is filled with bonding, lots of champagne, and no shortage of melodrama, but no one expects murder. When a man is found dead, Lulu, Kate, Ginger, and Emily each confess to the crime--as revealed in police interview transcripts with the suspects, the bride, and gossipy staff members--but their stories don't add up. Lamanna's characters aren't too deeply drawn, but they're familiar enough to connect with, and more than a few burning questions keep the pages turning: What is Lulu's husband up to? What is Sydney's real story? And, of course, who is the dead guy, and what really happened to him? An easy, breezy beach read with a clever twist.

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July 22, 2019
In this cleverly plotted mystery from LaManna (Sprinkled), a wedding weekend at the glamorous Serenity Spa and Resort on the California coast promises a much needed getaway for three college pals of the bride, but frazzled mom Ginger Adler isn’t looking forward to seeing former best friend Emily Brown after a college betrayal; Emily drowns the fallout of a devastating loss in booze; and the boyfriend of wildly successful and beautiful lawyer Kate Cross has left her at the front desk. While catching up and kvetching over plenty of champagne, the three meet 68-year-old Lulu Franc, the groom’s aunt, who’s afraid her fifth husband is having an affair. When a man is found dead, Ginger, Emily, Kate, and Lulu each confess to his murder. Police interview transcripts with the suspects, bride, and resort staff reveal lots of juicy details, and it’s clear that each woman has something to hide. LaManna’s women are flawed and relatable, and oodles of drama keep the pages turning all the way to a genuinely surprising final twist. This is the perfect summer beach read. Agent: Jenny Bent, Bent Agency.

September 1, 2019

Nearly 16 years after graduation, three friends from college attend the wedding of their fourth roommate at a California luxury resort. Emily, Kate, and Ginger haven't been in close contact with one another or with bride-to-be Whitney. The first night, they each separately bond with the groom's stylish aunt Lulu and eventually a young mother named Sydney and her baby, Lydia. Old tensions among the friends surface, and there's something odd about Sydney's story, but when a man threatening baby Lydia is murdered, they close ranks. A detective called to the scene gets four confessions, with Lulu, Emily, Kate, and Ginger all claiming sole responsibility. Murder is a crime with serious jail time, so why are they determined to prove themselves guilty? This smart, layered story built around relationships and public perceptions slowly reveals past and present conflicts from fertility to financial struggles to domestic abuse. More than one twist will shroud the truth of the man's death in mystery until almost the very end; the actual end offers another jolt. VERDICT Readers searching for their next binge read or book club selection will want to seek out this title from "Hex Files" series author LaManna.--Stacey Hayman, Rocky River P.L., OH

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2019
On the heels of the megasuccess of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies comes a puzzling whodunit with several women vying to take the fall for murder. A chilling opening scene leads straight into Detective Ramone's investigation, interviewing the main players in a series of alternating points of view. On the eve of her wedding, Whitney invites her old college friends to a full-service luxury resort for the weekend. Over the years, Ginger, Emily and Kate have grown apart. Ginger is now married with children and carries a heavy grudge against Emily, who has a painful past, while Kate is rich, beautiful, and successful but struggling to have a baby. The old friends soon meet Sydney, a young single mother, and Lulu, a possible black widow with several husbands in her past. The ladies bond over drinks and shared stories of woe as the detective pieces together each version of events to find the whole truth. Shifting narratives dotted with confessions could disrupt the momentum for some, but Pretty Guilty Women will draw in suspense readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)