Audiobook, Contemporary Fiction, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller

Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding

Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

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Frances Metcalfe is a married, stay at home mother of an 11-year old son who is struggling socially, as is she. She’s slightly overweight and doesn’t fit in with the other mothers of the children attending her son’s private school who go out of their way to make her feel socially unacceptable. Enter Karen Randolph, a beautiful and svelte woman who has a son the same age as Frances’ and reaches out to her. They become fast friends, as do their sons, and Frances begins to feel better about herself for the first time in years. Meanwhile, Karen’s 14-year old daughter, Daisy, is virtually ignored and is engaging in risky behavior. When she reaches out to Frances, it starts the unraveling of secrets that may be the undoing of both families.

The story is told through Frances and Daisy in the present and DJ, a young boy who’s the brother of a 15-year old girl murdered years ago, in the past. It wasn’t readily apparent how he was connected to the story and that was part of the allure. The story slowly unfolds through the storytelling of each and putting together the puzzle pieces made this quite interesting. Daisy’s behavior ratcheted up the tension significantly as she had a fierce sense of self quite uncommon for her age but also a fearlessness only found in teenagers who have no sense of mortality.

I found this story fascinating and liked the slow burn for a change. I vacillated in my suppositions, changing my deductions as more information was revealed and still ended up being surprised at some of the resolutions. This is equal parts mystery, suspense and psychological drama, which made it an intriguing brew. I like the author’s style as the transitions between narratives were pretty seamless, not just a trendy literary device. The three narrators delivered strong performances and I am glad I chose audio for this book. All were really good and fit their characters well, helping to distinguish them throughout the story. I’m definitely going to read more by this author.

Book Info

  • Release Date: July 10, 2018
  • Narrators: Cassandra Campbell, Rebekah Ross & Kirby Heyborne
  • Audio Length: 8 hours, 32 minutes

 

 

 

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(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)

Published by Jonetta | Blue Mood Café

34 thoughts on “Her Pretty Face by Robyn Harding”

  8. Great review, Jonetta! This was one of my favorite books of the summer. It was just so tense and heart-pounding. I love how you didn’t know what to expect next! Definitely sounds like it was a great book for an audiobook!

    Liked by 1 person

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