So Much Pretty

Cara Hoffman's debut novel So Much Pretty is a suspenseful story of a small town that experiences not one but two crimes in quick succession.

Although I had read different reviews of this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. Told by various characters, this is a story about two women involved in violent crimes. Wendy White, a young woman in the town of Haeden goes missing. When her body is discovered five months later people in town believe the crime was committed by a drifter, that no one they know could have killed one of their own. Stacy Flynn, a reporter from Cincinatti has come to Haeden to cover environmental issues, but instead finds this crime her newest news source. She is frustrated by the local reaction to Wendy's disappearance and their lack of belief that someone they know could have killed her. Alice Piper and her family have lived in Haeden for several years. Not originally from the small town, they have more education and some off the grid ideas they don't share with others. Alice is also extremely intelligent. When she becomes involved in a second crime the entire town is affected.

This is one ending I didn't see coming at all. Although I knew that White's disappearance was the main story of the novel, the changing narration and various viewpoints kept me guessing up until the end. While I didn't love So Much Pretty I also feel like this is one novel that will continue to make me think about it for a while after I have read it. Hoffman is a new author, one I would happily read again.