A con of a lifetime. But who is conning whom?

Nina Ross has the chance for the con of a lifetime. With her Irish boyfriend Lachlan, she travels to Lake Tahoe to scam Vanessa Liebling, a wealthy heiress, out of millions. But it's not all about the money for Nina, though she desperately needs it to pay for her mother's illness. Revenge is also on the table; revenge against the Liebling family who never considered her good enough for their son and drove her family out of town. As both Nina and Vanessa's past is revealed, you begin to wonder, Who is conning whom? 

I loved the interplay between Nina and Vanessa, as the same events are retold from each perspective to change your perception of the story. Although important, the retelling of each woman's life did drag at times, yet the intrigue between the women kept me invested enough in the story to keep pushing forward.

Unfortunately, the ending lost some of its suspense. I feel like Brown could have extended the last quarter of the book, building more to a grand finale. As it was, the backstory took so long that the ending twist was adequate instead of excellent. I wouldn't consider Pretty Things to be particularly exceptional, but good enough when you just want a standard thriller. A solid three stars for me.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.