Book Spotlight: Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox

 

Pretty Dead Things by Kelsey Cox

Publisher: Minotaur Books / St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: July 7, 2026

Format: Hardcover - 336 pages

               Audiobook - 9 Hours 43 Minutes

               Kindle - 327 pages

               Nook - 336 pages

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1250378842

ASIN (Audiobook): B0FP48M1Q9

ASIN (Kindle): B0FLYPRSWV

BNID (Nook): 978-1250378859

Genre: Thriller

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Book Description:

Secrets emerge as a Texas beauty pageant turns deadly in this rich and addictive novel with a jaw-dropping twist from psychological suspense author Kelsey Cox.

2000: Isabelle Whitmore vanishes at Sherman Ranch in Anhalt, Texas, without a trace.

2025: The annual Lone Star Princess Pageant looms, bringing long-standing grudges to the surface. Ingrid fled Anhalt in the wake of her sister Isabelle’s disappearance and has now returned, just in time for a construction crew to start digging up Sherman Ranch; the pageant brings up past traumas that Melanie can't forget; Cat, newly sober, starts to feel threatened in ways that bring back old demons; and Sarah Lynn, who comes from a long line of pageant winners, knows that losing is not an option.

When old resentments and new confrontations reach their boiling point, temperatures drop to deadly degrees as a record-setting storm brings down the state’s power grid. With everyone trapped under one roof, scores will be settled, and more than one person will end up dead.

Some secrets are better left buried.

About The Author

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.

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Staged by Caitlin Rother (Book Review)

 

 

Staged by Caitlin Rother

Book 2: Katrina & Goode Series

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

Format: Paperback - 412 pages

               Kindle - 407 pages 

               Audiobook - 14 Hours 19 Minutes

               Barnes & Noble (PB) - 412 pages

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1662532368

ASIN (Kindle): B0FN4KLN9M

ASIN (Audiobook): B0FXN5TPVV

Genre: Thriller

Buy The Series: Katrina & Goode

Book 1: Hooked (Publication Date: 2/1/2026)

Book 2: Staged (Publication Date: 6/16/2026)

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Book Description:

In this thrilling sequel to Hooked, the secret leaders of a deadly cabal prove to be a veritable match for the determined reporter and the insightful surfing detective who double down to expose them.

Investigative reporter Katrina Chopin is back home in San Diego on a mission (or two). The first is reheating the cold case of her parents’ murder and investigating her brother’s reported suicide. The second involves a new spate of deaths with alleged causes that just don’t smell right. She and Detective Ken Goode need each other’s help for both. But she has to keep the sexy surfer at arm’s length, because dating him is off limits. For now.

Teaming up, they make coordinated progress down each path. Digging deeper into La Jolla’s corrupt network of elites, they uncover a pattern of lies, depravity, and greed. And with every new discovery, Katrina is pulled closer to danger…and to Goode.

Sharing sexy phone calls and sunset drinks isn’t exactly following the rules, but fully crossing that line could jeopardize the case. As they start to connect the dots, they realize they must risk everything to bring down the shadowy cabal that kills to keep its secrets.

My Book Review:

In Staged, the second book in the Katrina & Goode series, author Caitlin Rother weaves a suspenseful thriller that will keep the readers turning the pages.

Homicide Detective Ken Goode and investigative reporter Katrina Chopin continue to work in tandem on a variety of investigations that puts them in danger, but nothing is going to stop them from getting the truth! From a suspected cabal corruption case; to the ongoing Fontaine murder case that takes an unexpected turn; to Katrina's determination to look into her parents' cold murder case and her brother's "alleged" suicide; their plate is overflowing, but the wheels of justice and newsworthy stories are the ultimate goal. 

Staged is a riveting thriller that easily draws the reader into this fascinating and multi-layered story. This thriller is an adrenaline rush as Ken and Katrina simultaneously work a variety of investigative cases they believe are interconnected. There are a lot of scenarios and potential suspects, it's like putting the puzzle pieces together to the solve the case. I really enjoyed the alternating third person narrative chapters following Ken and Katrina as they worked the cases with danger around every corner, while having a subtle romantic connection brewing under the surface added into the mix. The surprising twists and turns throughout the story kept me on my toes as I kept trying to figure out who the bad guys were from all the potential suspects, and the reason why the murders were all staged. This is an amazing sequel to the Katrina & Goode series!

Staged is a riveting and fast-paced thriller that definitely hooks the reader from the start.


RATING: 5 STARS 

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. 

A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

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Book Spotlight: Staged by Caitlin Rother

 

 

Staged by Caitlin Rother

Book 2: Katrina & Goode Series

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: June 16, 2026

Format: Paperback - 412 pages

               Kindle - 407 pages 

               Audiobook - 14 Hours 19 Minutes

               Barnes & Noble (PB) - 412 pages

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1662532368

ASIN (Kindle): B0FN4KLN9M

ASIN (Audiobook): B0FXN5TPVV

Genre: Thriller

Buy The Series: Katrina & Goode

Book 1: Hooked (Publication Date: 2/1/2026)

Book 2: Staged (Publication Date: 6/16/2026)

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Goodreads

Buy The Book: Staged

Amazon - Paperback

Amazon - Kindle

Amazon - Audiobook

Barnes & Noble - Paperback

Goodreads

Book Description:

In this thrilling sequel to Hooked, the secret leaders of a deadly cabal prove to be a veritable match for the determined reporter and the insightful surfing detective who double down to expose them.

Investigative reporter Katrina Chopin is back home in San Diego on a mission (or two). The first is reheating the cold case of her parents’ murder and investigating her brother’s reported suicide. The second involves a new spate of deaths with alleged causes that just don’t smell right. She and Detective Ken Goode need each other’s help for both. But she has to keep the sexy surfer at arm’s length, because dating him is off limits. For now.

Teaming up, they make coordinated progress down each path. Digging deeper into La Jolla’s corrupt network of elites, they uncover a pattern of lies, depravity, and greed. And with every new discovery, Katrina is pulled closer to danger…and to Goode.

Sharing sexy phone calls and sunset drinks isn’t exactly following the rules, but fully crossing that line could jeopardize the case. As they start to connect the dots, they realize they must risk everything to bring down the shadowy cabal that kills to keep its secrets.

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother has written or co-authored 14 books, ranging from narrative non-fiction crime to mystery and memoir. Her newest book is DEATH ON OCEAN BOULEVARD: Inside the Coronado Mansion Case (April 27, 2021). Her backlist includes HUNTING CHARLES MANSON; SECRETS, LIES, AND SHOELACES; LOVE GONE WRONG; DEAD RECKONING; THEN NO ONE CAN HAVE HER; I'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU; NAKED ADDICTION; POISONED LOVE; BODY PARTS; TWISTED TRIANGLE; LOST GIRLS; WHERE HOPE BEGINS and MY LIFE, DELETED. 

A Pulitzer Prize nominee, Rother worked as an investigative reporter at daily newspapers for 19 years before quitting the news biz in 2006 to write books full-time. Her journalism has been published in Cosmopolitan, the Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe and The Daily Beast. She has done more than 200 appearances as a crime commentator on TV, radio and podcasts, ranging from "20/20," "People Magazine Investigates," "Nancy Grace," and "Crime Watch Daily," to shows on HLN, Oxygen Network, Investigation Discovery, C-SPAN, XM Radio and PBS affiliates. She also works as a writing-research-promotions coach and consultant.

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Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (Book Review)

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Publication Date: April 21, 2026

Format: Hardcover - 352 pages

               Paperback - 352 pages

               Audiobook - 9 Hours 20 Minutes

               Kindle - 348 pages / 1.6 MB

               Nook - 352 pages / 2 MB

ISBN (Hardcover): 978-1250284549

ISBN (Paperback): 978-1250479150

ASIN (Audiobook): B0F9MJ1XQ6

ASIN (Kindle): B0F5PCBV62

BNID (Nook):  978-1250284556
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

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Disclaimer: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. I also purchased a hardcover edition of the book from my monthly Book Of The Month (BOTM).

Book Description:

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and Darling Girls comes the story of Mad Mabel. They called it murder. She called it justice.

'In 1954, at just fourteen years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder.'

In 2025, on a quiet street an elderly man is found dead by his neighbor, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. No one suspects any foul play.

Until they discover Elsie's past.

In the 1950s, her name was not Elsie. It was Mabel.

'She is known around the world as Mad Mabel. But is she mad? More importantly, is she guilty?'

When the police open a new investigation and the media descend upon her, the elderly Mabel decides it's time to set the record straight.

'In a world first, at the age of eighty-one, Mabel Waller is speaking. This is her story.'

New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth is at her finest in this twisty, compulsive thriller of friendship, family and murder. Or is it justice . . . ?

My Book Review:

In Mad Mabel, author Sally Hepworth weaves a riveting thriller that easily draws the reader into a riveting storyline that follows a woman's determination to tell her life story.

After living a lifetime of trauma, 81-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is telling the story of her life as "Mad Mabel" in an interview after a neighbor is found dead in his house and her troubled past comes back to haunt her. 

Mad Mabel is a complex and multi-layered tale told in the first-person narrative by Elsie "Mad Mabel" Fitzpatrick. Set in Melbourne, Australia, Elsie takes the reader along for the ride as she tells the story of her life in a video interview. Elsie is feisty and snarky as an older woman, but her childhood past was filled with so much trauma that no child should have ever endured. As Elsie's story unfolds, you can't help but feel for her and hope she gets the justice and peace in her life that she deserves. I love Elsie/Mabel! 

The author does a phenomenal job of delving into Elsie's life; she interweaves Elsie's troubled past with the present that kept me turning the pages until the satisfying conclusion.

Mad Mabel is a riveting thriller; it just doesn't get any better than that!

Rating: 5 Stars 

About The Author

Sally Hepworth is the New York Times bestselling author of ten novels, most recently Mad Mabel. Sally’s novels have been called “darkly charming” and praised by authors Emily Giffin and Liane Moriarty as “totally absorbing” and “fiction at its finest.”  

Sally's novels have sold millions of copies worldwide and been translated into over 30 languages.

Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her family.

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