I’ve always been a fan of psychological thrillers, and I rarely find ones that are genuinely disturbing to me – but Pretty Girls is exactly that. This is easily one of the darkest and most twisted books I’ve ever read.

In the 1990s, 19-year-old Julia Carroll goes missing from her college, never to be seen again. Her family is never the same. In the aftermath, her parents separate, and her father – unable to uncover what happened to his daughter – eventually takes his own life. Her sister Lydia spirals into addiction and cuts off contact with the rest of the family. Meanwhile, Claire, only 13 at the time of Julia’s disappearance, is largely overlooked for the remainder of her childhood.

In the present day, Lydia has been in recovery for years and is raising a teenage daughter of her own. Claire, on the other hand, appears to have built a perfect life, married to her wealthy husband, Paul, who was orphaned as a teenager.

Everything changes when Claire and Paul are mugged in an alley, and Paul is fatally stabbed. After his death, Claire discovers evidence in his home office suggesting he may not have been the man she thought he was. In her search for answers, she is forced to reunite with Lydia despite their strained relationship, and together they begin uncovering truths their father was never able to find.

This book is packed with twists I genuinely didn’t see coming. Just when you think you understand where the story is heading, Slaughter pulls the rug out from under you. At no point did I feel like I knew what would happen next.

That said, this novel is very dark, often to the point of being difficult to read. And yet, I couldn’t put it down. It has that “watching a car crash” quality – you don’t want to look, but you can’t look away. You need to know what happens next.

It’s also longer than many of the books I typically read, clocking in at 432 pages. If you’re looking for something immersive to get you through a road trip (and bonus points if you have Kindle Unlimited) this is definitely one to consider.

However, it’s important to note that the content is far more disturbing than most psychological thrillers. I would strongly recommend checking content warnings beforehand if you’re sensitive to graphic material. Personally, I’m not sure I would have picked it up if I’d known just how intense it would be going in. It was a bit outside my usual comfort zone, as I tend to avoid overly graphic violence.

I’d seen this recommended everywhere in my reading groups, so I had to give it a try. It was definitely a change of pace from what I normally read. And I’ll be honest, I’m glad I finished it in broad daylight, because this is not one I would have wanted to read in the dark.