The arrival of a young man in a small town sparks, hoping to leave his past behind him, but everything changes when he takes a job in a peculiar old shop and meets a lonely single mother... A hypnotic gothic thriller and a mesmerising study of identity and obsession.
When Teddy Colne arrives in the small town of Rye, he believes he will be able to settle down and leave his past behind him. Little does he know that fear blisters through the streets like a fever. The locals tell him to stay away from an establishment known only as Berry & Vincent, that those who rub too closely to its proprietor risk a bad end.
Despite their warnings, Teddy is desperate to understand why Rye has come to fear this one man and to see what really hides behind the doors of his shop.
Ada moved to Rye with her young son to escape a damaged childhood and years of never fitting in, but she's lonely and ostracised by the community. Ada is ripe for affection and friendship, and everyone knows it.
As old secrets bleed out into this town, so too will a mystery about a family who vanished fifty years earlier, and a community living on a knife edge.
Teddy looks for answers, thinking he is safe, but some truths are better left undisturbed, and his past will find him here, just as it has always found him before. And before long, it will find Ada too.
My Thoughts:
Many thanks to Anne Carter and the amazing publishers OrendaBooks for an eARC to review.
So, what can I say about 'So pretty', coming from OrendaBooks I knew I was in for a treat, and it certainly was!!
I thought 'So pretty' was author Ronnie Turner's debut but I was wrong, she already released another novel 'Lies between Us' which I need to check out.
'So Pretty' has it all suspense, intrigue, creepiness, dark as hell, ingredients for a great novel.
It starts a bit slow but I think it's intentional as the story gradually builds up to an amazing disturbing end. The chapters alternate between Ada and Teddy two lonely souls fleeing from their past.
I Love Ronnie's writing, it's calculating, descriptive and very effective at conveying her thoughts. I was captivated from the start.
"The smell of her in the air. I follow it, holding everything she held. The books, the bell jars, the cotton and lace. I hold them to my banging heart, breathe her in until my lungs are full and she is deep in my skin."
Love quotes from the book. Highly recommended 5*****
About the author
Ronnie Turner grew up in Cornwall, the youngest in a large family. At an early age, she discovered a love of literature and dreamed of being a published author. Ronnie now lives in Dorset with her family and three dogs. In her spare time, she reviews books on her blog and enjoys long walks on the coast. She is currently working on her second novel.
Ronnie's debut novel, Lies Between Us, will be published by HQ Digital in October 2018.
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