Pretty Dead Things
the dazzling new thriller with a jaw-dropping twist from the bestselling author of Party of Liars
Will be published approx. on 9. July 2026
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-1-3997-3942-9 (ISBN)
Description
From the instant USA TODAY bestselling author comes a sparkling new thriller...
'Pretty Dead Things builds an exquisite, simmering tension against the backdrop of small town pageant glitz. It weaves together entangled lives, beautifully layered characters and deeply buried secrets, right to that deliciously satisfying end'
MARY WATSON, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
'I raced through this book... SO many secrets that will keep you reading late into the night!'
'The best psychological thriller I've read for a very long time'
'THE PLOT TWISTS!!!'
'Claustrophobic, poignant, layered . . . a thoroughly compelling read'
'Everything a thriller should be: fast, twisty and impossible to put down'
'The characterisation was compulsive and the twists were brilliant'
'The ending is a total game-changer that makes you want to go back and re-read the whole thing to see what you missed'
'A sharp, atmospheric page-turner with a wicked sense of timing - and a body count to match'
It was a beauty pageant . . . now it's a crime scene.
Twenty-five years ago, Isabelle Whitmore vanished without a trace during the Lone Star Princess Pageant in Anhalt, Texas. This year, the pageant is offering more than just its annual dose of rhinestone heels and plunging necklines - Isabelle's sister, Ingrid Whitmore, is back and looking for revenge.
But just as confrontations and old rivalries reach their boiling point, the temperature plummets: record-breaking snow and freezing rain bring down the state's entire power grid.
With everyone trapped under one roof, secrets will be spilled, scores will be settled - and more than one beautiful liar will end up dead.
KELSEY COX'S NOVELS ARE:
'Glamorous' Catherine Cooper
'Stunning' Ashley Tate
'Breathtaking' Valerie Keogh
'Riveting' People
'Heart-pumping' Nina Simon
'Jaw-dropping' Amanda Eyre Ward
'Pretty Dead Things builds an exquisite, simmering tension against the backdrop of small town pageant glitz. It weaves together entangled lives, beautifully layered characters and deeply buried secrets, right to that deliciously satisfying end'
MARY WATSON, SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
'I raced through this book... SO many secrets that will keep you reading late into the night!'
'The best psychological thriller I've read for a very long time'
'THE PLOT TWISTS!!!'
'Claustrophobic, poignant, layered . . . a thoroughly compelling read'
'Everything a thriller should be: fast, twisty and impossible to put down'
'The characterisation was compulsive and the twists were brilliant'
'The ending is a total game-changer that makes you want to go back and re-read the whole thing to see what you missed'
'A sharp, atmospheric page-turner with a wicked sense of timing - and a body count to match'
It was a beauty pageant . . . now it's a crime scene.
Twenty-five years ago, Isabelle Whitmore vanished without a trace during the Lone Star Princess Pageant in Anhalt, Texas. This year, the pageant is offering more than just its annual dose of rhinestone heels and plunging necklines - Isabelle's sister, Ingrid Whitmore, is back and looking for revenge.
But just as confrontations and old rivalries reach their boiling point, the temperature plummets: record-breaking snow and freezing rain bring down the state's entire power grid.
With everyone trapped under one roof, secrets will be spilled, scores will be settled - and more than one beautiful liar will end up dead.
KELSEY COX'S NOVELS ARE:
'Glamorous' Catherine Cooper
'Stunning' Ashley Tate
'Breathtaking' Valerie Keogh
'Riveting' People
'Heart-pumping' Nina Simon
'Jaw-dropping' Amanda Eyre Ward
Reviews / Votes
As twisted as a Texas rattler, Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox will leave you breathless! I couldn't put it down! -- LISA JACKSON I couldn't put this book down . . . Compelling and layered, rife with rich characters, juicy twists, and secrets upon secrets. Cox expertly ratchets up the suspense with every page, building to a finish I never saw coming! -- SOPHIE STAVA Kelsey Cox delivers an unputdownable mystery fit for a crown -- DAPHNE WOOLSONCROFT Tense, twisty, and impossible to put down, Pretty Dead Things builds from simmering small-town secrets to a high-stakes locked-room nightmare. Gripping, propulsive, and full of surprises-a dazzling, unforgettable thriller -- TIFFANY CRUM PRAISE FOR KELSEY COX'S DAZZLING THRILLERS PARTY OF LIARS with its stunning prose and simmering tension is a mesmerizing story that's part gothic horror, part psychological thriller, part contemporary glitz - the narrative is masterfully woven with plenty of twists, and deftly handles heavier subjects like postpartum depression -- Ashley Tate I couldn't put it down! PARTY OF LIARS brings the gothic house mystery to Texas, featuring a killer cast, heart-pumping pace, and well-plotted twists and turns -- Nina Simon Dizzying and dazzling, Cox's debut slices through the saccharin sweetness of poisonous secrets to reveal the spongy heart of blood-soaked truths... A party to die for -- Lindy Ryan A glamorous party in a lavish mansion and a brilliant cast of characters, none of whom can be trusted. Loved this book - can't wait to see what Kelsey writes next -- Catherine Cooper Big Little Lies meets Rebecca - the thriller of the summer -- Katie Gutierrez A delicious story of lies, ambition and manipulation which crackles with tension from the very first page, and splits the gilded world of pageants wide open. Kelsey Cox weaves an unputdownable thriller laden with breathless turns and a whiplash twist that had me on the very edge of my seat. I loved it! -- GEORGIA McVEIGHMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Trade binding
Illustrations
N/A
Dimensions
Height: 240 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-3997-3942-9 (9781399739429)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Kelsey Cox
Pretty Dead Things
the dazzling new thriller with a jaw-dropping twist from the bestselling author of Party of Liars
E-Book
approx. 07/2026
Hodder & Stoughton
€7.99
Not yet available
Person
Kelsey Cox received her MFA in fiction from Purdue University and works from home in the Texas Hill Country. You can often find her writing at Mammen Family Public Library, chasing around her two young daughters, or watching British mysteries with her mom and aunts. On nights when bedtime goes as planned, she enjoys curling up on the sofa, glass of wine in hand, and a book with complicated characters and a killer twist in her lap.