Pretty Girls

[Read by Kathleen Early]

From the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling master of suspense comes a stand-alone novel about family and belonging, justice and retribution, the decisions we make -- and the choices that haunt us. Pretty Girls also includes the chilling short story ''Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes.''

Sisters. Strangers. Survivors.

More than twenty years ago, Claire and Lydia's teenaged sister Julia vanished without a trace. The two women have not spoken since, and now their lives could not be more different. Claire is the glamorous trophy wife of an Atlanta millionaire. Lydia, a single mother, dates an ex-con and struggles to make ends meet. But neither has recovered from the horror and heartbreak of their shared loss -- a devastating wound that's cruelly ripped open when Claire's husband is killed.

The disappearance of a teenage girl and the murder of a middle-aged man, almost a quarter-century apart: what could connect them? Forming a wary truce, the surviving sisters look to the past to find the truth, unearthing the secrets that destroyed their family all those years ago . . . and uncovering the possibility of redemption, and revenge, where they least expect it.

Powerful, poignant, and utterly gripping, packed with indelible characters and unforgettable twists, Pretty Girls is a masterful novel from one of the finest writers working today.

An Amazon Best Book of October 2015: Karin Slaughter's new stand-alone novel grabs you from the start and doesn't let go - even after you turn the final page. While taking a break from her popular Will Trent and Sara Linton series, but staying true to form, Slaughter presents readers with a new set of complex characters masterfully woven together in Pretty Girls, a psychological thriller about a family torn apart by (almost) unspeakable tragedy. From the mind-blowing character of Paul, to the sweet and sensitive perspective of Julia's father, Slaughter leaves nothing left to be desired. There were more than a few times while reading Pretty Girls where I stopped myself, mid-page, taken aback - not just from the dark and twisted storyline unfolding before me, but also by the realization of how much I was loving every word. This book is certainly disturbing at times, shocking at others, and scary enough to have you checking over your shoulder while you read late into the night, unable to put it down. -- Penny Mann