Secrets emerge as a Texas beauty pageant turns deadly in this rich and addictive novel with a jaw-dropping twist from psychological suspense author Kelsey Cox. 2000: Isabelle Whitmore vanishes at Sherman Ranch in Anhalt, Texas, without a trace. 2025: The Lone Star Princess Pageant is about to begin, but this year it’s offering more than an annual dose of rhinestone heels and plunging necklines. Competition is stiffer than ever ―and long standing grudges are about to resurface. I ngrid fled Anhalt in the wake of her sister Isabelle’s disappearance and has now returned, just in time for a construction crew to start digging up Sherman Ranch; the pageant brings up past traumas that Melanie can't forget; Cat, newly sober, starts to feel threatened in ways that bring back old demons; and Sarah Lynn , who comes from a long line of pageant winners, knows that losing is not an option. When old resentments and new confrontations reach their boiling point, temperatures drop to deadly degrees as a record-setting storm brings down the state’s power grid. With everyone trapped under one roof, scores will be settled, and more than one person will end up dead. Beauty dies. Secrets never do. KELSEY COX'S NOVELS ARE: "Riveting." ― People " Heart-pumping." ― Nina Simon "Jaw-dropping." ― Amanda Eyre Ward " Joins my auto-buy list forever." ― Rachel Hawkins Praise for Pretty Dead Things: "I couldn't put this book down! Set in the world of glittering Texas beauty pageants, PRETTY DEAD THINGS is compelling and layered, rife with rich characters, juicy twists, and secrets upon secrets. Cox expertly ratchets up the suspense with every page, building to a finish I never saw coming!" ―Sophie Stava, author of Count My Lies Praise for Party of Liars : "When someone plunges from the balcony of a possibly haunted Texas mansion, characters with dark secrets propel the search for the killer and victim in this riveting thriller." ― People "Party of Liars is a true whodunit in its brilliant setup and delivery, and Cox has cemented herself as an author to watch in the thriller genre with a novel that navigates multiple points of views, secrets, lies, twists, and a complicated web of relationships and motives." ― Texas Highway Magazine "Cox weaves a complex plot that will keep readers guessing until the last minute. Perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover's Verity , Tarryn Fisher’s The Wives , and Freida McFadden, this is a suspenseful debut with interesting characters and narrative twists." ― Library Journal "A locked room mystery by way of an extravagant Texas Sweet Sixteen party, Party of Liars features a twisty story, multiple narrators, and lots of surprises." ― Paste Magazine " Party of Liars is my favorite kind of thriller - fun, twisty, fast-paced, and populated by characters who feel so real you'll want to invite them (well, some of them) to your next party. With this debut, Kelsey Cox joins my auto-buy list forever!" ―Rachel Hawkins, New York Times bestselling author "I couldn't put it down! Party of Liars brings the gothic house mystery to Texas, featuring a killer cast, heart-pumping pace, and well-plotted twists and turns." ―Nina Simon, New York Times bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night " Party of Liars explodes from page one: a stunning debut, a riveting page-turner, a brilliant exploration of motherhood and female desire. Every character is rich and complex, and I was stunned by the jaw-dropping twist at the end. This is the novel I'm always wanting to read: dazzling, terrifying, achingly beautiful. Cox is a major new voice, and I can't wait to read what she writes next." ―Amanda Eyre Ward, bestselling author of Lovers and Liars and The Jetsetters "Party of Liars is Rebecca meets Big Little Lies --an intoxicating alchemy that's haunting, surprising, and eerie. I couldn't put down this searing exploration of madness, motherhood, and memory, set against a jaw-dropping background of Texas wealth and privilege. Kelsey Cox is a stunning talent who brings deep human insight to bear with expertly crafted and unpredictable twists. This is the thriller of the summer." ―Katie Gutierrez, bestselling author of More Than You'll Ever Know " Party of Liars with its stunning prose and simmering tension is a mesmerizing story that's part gothic horror, part psychological thriller, part contemporary glitz―the narrative is masterfully woven with plenty of twists, and deftly handles heavier subjects like postpartum depression, manipulation, and abuse. Kelsey Cox’s debut is exquisite and dripping with dread―I absolutely adored it." ―Ashley Tate, international bestselling author of Twenty-Seven Minutes “Dizzying and dazzling, Cox’s debut slices through the saccharine sweetness of poisonous secrets to reveal the spongy heart of blood-soaked truths… A party to die for.” ―Lindy Ryan, author of Bless Your Heart "With its beautiful but deadly set