Lovely Girls: A Thriller

by Margot Hunt

Overview

In this chilling story from USA Today bestselling author Margot Hunt, a mother and daughter try to start over in an idyllic town only to get caught up in cliques, mind games…and murder.

After the sudden death of her husband, Kate Turner is looking for a fresh start for herself and her teenage daughter, Alex. They relocate to the beachside town of Shoreham, Florida, where all is not as sunny as it seems.

Although Kate makes fast friends with a trio of fellow moms, their daughters take an instant dislike to Alex, who attempts to document their bullying in her video diary. Kate brushes off Alex’s concerns—until she receives a series of chilling warnings about the clique of moms from other parents and neighbors. As it becomes harder for her to ignore the malicious undercurrent she senses among her new friends, Kate grows increasingly unsure of who to believe—and who to trust.

As small-town gossip weaves a harrowing web of jealousy, deceit, and betrayal, Kate and Alex discover that whether you’re in or out, the status quo can turn on you deadly fast.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781662504334
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	03/01/2023
Pages:	302
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Margot Hunt is the USA Today bestselling author of Best Friends Forever, For Better and Worse, and The Last Affair. Her work has been praised by Book of the Month, and her Audible Original Buried Deep was a number one bestseller. You can stay up to date on Margot’s books and upcoming projects on her website, www.margothunt.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Lovely Girls

“What happens when mean girls are raised by tiger mothers.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Mean girls grow up to be mean moms with mean daughters in this entertaining domestic thriller from Hunt.…Small-town gossip and teenage angst drive the brisk plot, which is elevated by fully fleshed-out characters and a palpable realism. Hunt remains a writer to watch.” —Publishers Weekly

“I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough—mean girls, mean moms, the new girl in town, capped off by a superb mystery…Margot Hunt has such a deft hand with the clues that you’ll never see it coming.” —J. T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author

“When a body washes up on a Florida beach, anyone could be the killer—or the victim—in a town where the girls are raised to be ruthless and the mothers will stop at nothing to protect them. Pages turn themselves in this deliciously devious tale!” —Wendy Walker, International bestselling author

“Every parent’s nightmare…Hunt takes mean girls to a whole new level in her new novel, Lovely Girls. You won’t want to miss this one!” —Debra Webb, Amazon Charts bestselling author

Praise for Best Friends Forever

“[Best Friends Forever] constantly pushes forward, asking readers to question every conclusion and warning them to never completely trust anyone.…The characters are well drawn, speaking easily for themselves and standing out as unique people who feel real.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Will please fans of psychological thrillers, especially those featuring unhinged, vengeance-seeking women.” —Booklist

“Best Friends Forever is a clever thriller that asks how far we’ll go to protect our friends. Margot Hunt will keep you guessing until the final, satisfying twist.” —Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author of The Ex

“Margot Hunt’s richly drawn women wrap their hands around your throat and don’t let go. A suspenseful page-turner that kept me puzzling over who did it until the last few pages. Fantastic!” —Cate Holahan, author of The Widower’s Wife

“Best Friends Forever is a page-turner of a read, delving into the often fraught world of female friendships and the wreckage left behind when they implode. The women at the heart of this novel are full of secrets kept from loved ones, each other, and most of all, themselves. You may think you know how this story is going to end. But trust me, you don’t.” —Amy Engel, author of The Roanoke Girls

“Margo Hunt’s cleverly constructed thriller kept me guessing till the very end.” –Peter Swanson, author of The Kind Worth Killing and Her Every Fear

“Friends or husbands? To whom do women tell more truth? Give more allegiance? Margot Hunt shocks and astounds as she explores these tugs of loyalty in Best Friends Forever, a psychological thriller that kept me off balance even after turning the last page.” —Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street

Praise for The Last Affair

“The action hurtles toward an astonishing conclusion. Fans of Paula Hawkins and Megan Abbott will be gratified.” —Publishers Weekly

“This gripping psychological thriller explores the reasons two marriages are unhappy and the ways vengeance-seeking women pursue their target.” —Booklist

From the Publisher

2022-12-14
A teenage girl navigating the high school food chain finds herself at the center of a mystery as either a victim or a potential perp.

For what may be the first time in her life, Kate Turner has made an almost-impulsive choice: to move with her teenage daughter, Alex, from Buffalo to a new home in Shoreham, Florida. Grief does funny things to a person, and Kate hasn’t been sure how to deal with the sudden death of a husband she no longer loved or even really liked. But vacationing in Shoreham was one of Kate’s last happy memories, so here they are. Settling into their new home, Kate makes nice with a clique of moms with daughters at Alex’s school and feels like she may be fitting in, with a potentially closer relationship with chef Joe Miller. Alex has her own struggles, presented in video diary entries interspersed with chapters narrated by Kate. She hasn’t been herself since her dad’s death in a car accident when she was driving, and her biggest relief is her longtime love of tennis. But the Shoreham Lady Panthers are unwelcoming despite Alex’s solid skills. Though Kate is friendly with the mothers of the team’s members, the girls are queen bees who ignore Alex at best or take note of her simply to bully her. Alex wants to keep her head down but can’t help but goad Daphne, who’s at the top of the food chain. Wrong move by Alex, whose sense of principle supersedes self-preservation. A death introduced early in the book is clearly linked to the bullying, and it seems only a matter of time before Alex is either offed or held responsible when someone else is.

What happens when mean girls are raised by tiger mothers.

Kirkus Reviews