Pretty Baby

Mary Kubica

A chance encounter sparks an unrelenting web of lies in this stunning new psychological thriller from national bestselling author Mary Kubica.

She sees the teenage girl on the train platform, standing in the pouring rain, clutching an infant in her arms. She boards a train and is whisked away. But she can't get the girl out of her head…

Heidi Wood has always been a charitable woman: she works for a nonprofit, takes in stray cats. Still, her husband and daughter are horrified when Heidi returns home one day with a young woman named Willow and her four-month-old baby in tow. Disheveled and apparently homeless, this girl could be a criminal—or worse. But despite her family's objections, Heidi invites Willow and the baby to take refuge in their home.

Heidi spends the next few days helping Willow get back on her feet, but as clues into Willow's past begin to surface, Heidi is forced to decide how far she's willing to go to help a stranger. What starts as an act of kindness quickly spirals into a story far more twisted than anyone could have anticipated. (from Netgalley).

My Thoughts

Heidi sees a very young girl with a baby on the train platform. It appears that she is homeless, so out of the blue, Heidi invites the girl, Willow, to stay in her home with her baby. Heidi’s husband and daughter are flabbergasted. Who is this young girl and why would Heidi open their home to a stranger?

This story is told in three voices: Heidi’s, her husband Chris’, and Willow’s. Willow’s story starts in the past, how she came to have a baby and ended up being homeless. Chris and Heidi’s part of the story has to do with the present. Chris is trying to figure out what the heck is going on with his wife and who this young girl really is. But the most important piece of the story has to do with Heidi. On the surface she appears to want to help Willow and her baby. But when all is said and done, we get to find out what her real motive is.

This was pretty exciting! Willow’s story is sad and Heidi turns out to be bonkers. The story started out fast paced and never slowed down. There were some interesting twists and turns. This is the first book I’ve read from this author and I sure liked her style. She is definitely an author I will read again.

My thanks to Harlequin/Mira, via Netgalley, for allowing me to read this for an unbiased review