Pretty Dead Girls

What makes a good mystery is thinking you know where the author is headed, only to discover that you are delightfully wrong.

What does not make a good mystery is an author throwing out so many obvious red herrings that you figure out who didn't dunit.

With Pretty Dead Girls, Monica Murphy does a bit of both.

It's clear, based on how entrenched Penelope is in believing so, that the girl she believes is behind the murders of some of Penelope's peers is not the true perpetrator. You know this because you also know that Monica Murphy is not dumb. She is, however, writing from the perspective of a teenage girl, and teenage girls are, on occasion, dumb.

Penelope, rightfully so, is freaking out, even as she's trying to stay in control, both of herself and the Larks, a club whose members are being murdered. She also finds herself forming a surprising (to her) friendship with Cass, a mysterious sort of boy whom she has overlooked throughout high school. Cass has his own theories about the culprit, and the two team up to find out which of them is right.

Murphy drops scant clues as to the identity of her killer, but that didn't bother me too much. I liked the element of surprise. The only thing I couldn't reconcile is that it takes someone with a certain amount of intelligence and cunning to do what this person did, and you see absolutely no evidence of that. Maybe that's the point? It's always the ones you least suspect? It's always the better actors?

I liked Cass so much. I liked his backstory, and I liked how he made himself vulnerable. I like how Murphy builds the romance and intrigue between him and Penelope. I also liked Penelope's relationship with her parents. Unlike many YA books, the parents aren't caricatures. They aren't one-dimensional. They love their daughter and support her, even as they also want to protect her.

While this book may lack the emotional punch I've come to expect and enjoy from Monica Murphy's books, it's nonetheless a solid mystery, sure to please teen girls and YA mystery fans.

This story was a perfect way to start my new year and get out of a book slump! It was captivating and it draws you in because of so many factors. There's drama, death, trying to guess the killer, relationships, etc. The story felt like a cross between Mean Girls, Veronica Mars, and Gossip Girl, with a Monica Twist!

PDG literally had me guessing for a majority of the book. I LOVED how when the killer's thoughts were written that you don't know their gender. Just when you think you have it all figured out, there is something that happens to key you in that you are very wrong and to keep guessing.

Penelope is a well developed character in this story. She is a Queen Bee in the school but her inner dialogue reveals that she is much more than just the mean girl everyone thinks she is.

Case is a very well developed character and I LOVED that there were multiple aspects to his history to help develop that character. I can't say more without spoiling parts of the story but he's definitely not what you expect.

I can't recommend this book enough. It was a new genre/style (YA suspense) for me to read but I would like to read more of the same, especially by Monica!

This was a fantastic read! It's a nice blend of Pretty Little Liars and Mean Girls with lots of thrills to keep you on the edge and turning page after page. The story has a nice pace and the writing is excellent. Not always the most likable characters but perfect for the story.

When a young girl turns up murdered in their small town of Cape Bonita, rumors begin to fly almost immediately. Since the girl was one of The Lark's (a group of the most popular girls in school) of course everyone looks at them first. With all the secrets and lies swirling around The Larks don't know what to think or who to believe.

This one will definitely keep you guessing right up till the end. I highly recommend you read it.