Claire's life is perfect. She lives in a lavish area just outside of Atlanta, spending her spare time volunteering and socializing with women of her caliber (wealthy AF). It took a long time for Claire to get here. From dealing with her eldest sister's disappearance in the early 90's, coping with the estrangement from her middle sister, her father's suicide-- things were rocky for a long time. That is, until Paul. Paul loves Claire deeply, provides for them and their extravagance; she never feels as if she has to want for anything. Her relationship is secure and she's content with the sliver happiness that she's found amidst all of the turmoil. Until Paul is murdered. Claire's world comes crashing down around her and just when things don't seem that they can turn any more sour, she discovers brutal obviously homemade snuff porn on Paul's computer. From here, Claire is sent on a journey that links her past with the present, her old life with her new, and is left with more questions than answers. Who killed all those pretty girls?

I went into this book with high expectations and while I normally *hate* when I do that, I'm happy to report that they were justified. Pretty Girls is the antithesis of lackluster. It's hard to come across a thriller where all story elements are strong and not overplayed; this one outshined across every aspect. Claire and Paul's character development throughout was gripping, and intertwined so well with the plot as the story continued to unfold. The "bad guys" were easily identified early on but, that really didn't matter. The entire reach of the story became so large that pinning the disgusting humans behind it was only half the victory. Because the book is told from Claire's pov, I felt the same frustrations she did as she was trying to untangle the mess her husband made: who to trust? who to confide in? who to warn to RUN?. It became addicting to read as the web kept getting larger and larger, forcing Claire to become someone who was unrecognizable from the beginning of the book. The familial theme that ran throughout the book was beautiful. The Carroll family's history was heartbreaking but, the way they continued to persevere was genuinely touching. I planned spending the entire week reading this book and I took 2 days. Pick this up, now !!