Pretty Dead Things

Praise for Pretty Dead Things:AMAZON EDITORS PICK FOR DECEMBER BEST MYSTERY, THRILLER & SUSPENSE!2025 THORPE MENN LITERARY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER!“[For] readers who enjoy cold cases with dual timelines.”—Library Journal“The cozy-mystery vibe of the story and the setting will be alluring to readers … One can hope this is not the last we will hear from small-town sleuth Cora.”—Booklist“Atmospheric … An exciting mystery novel in which a family’s secrets are exposed and a small town’s hidden truth comes to light.”—Foreword Reviews“A solid duel-timeline novel, with some well-timed twists.”—Red Carpet Crash“Pretty Dead Things is an atmospheric, instantly absorbing page-turner. Lilian West delivers a richly detailed, expertly plotted novel that will instantly transport you back and forth in time. Pretty Dead Things has it all - an intriguing mystery, a forbidden love affair, secrets worth dying for, and a jaw-dropping ending.”—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest and Everyone Is Watching“Pretty Dead Things is a total treat for mystery lovers. Set in a perfectly-rendered small town with some very juicy secrets, it’s both a satisfying page turner and a poignant exploration of the cost of forbidden love. Lilian West has crafted a gripping, propulsive story that spans decades and will keep readers guessing right up until the satisfying end!”—L. Alison Heller, author of The Neighbor’s Secret

Lilian West has worn many hats―attorney, magazine editor, freelance writer, and author―and has found a way to combine her legal and writing backgrounds into a communications career while pondering her next novel. Her articles about film directors, celebrity bodyguards, artists, and national musical performers have been featured in multiple magazines, as well as her work focusing on community programs and area entrepreneurs. Lilian currently resides with her husband and their two sons in a Kansas City suburb.