Pretty as a Picture

Pretty As a Picture by Elizabeth Little, 338 pages

Movie editor Marissa is desperate for a job, so she doesn't say no to an opportunity to work with megalomaniac director Tony Rees, despite coming in halfway through filming and not seeing a script first... or even knowing where she's going to work on the movie. Soon, anxiety-ridden Marissa is spirited off to a small island off the coast of Delaware, the site of a decades-old murder that is the focus of Tony's passion project. But Marissa can't figure out why the previous editor left so quickly, or why nobody will talk to her. There's definitely something wrong, and it's doing nothing to help her nerves.

Full of movie references and behind-the-scenes tidbits, this is an exhilarating thriller with a very relatable protagonist. Her discomfort with people and particular locations (a watery cave, a creaking fire escape) definitely rang true in a way I've never seen in thrillers. Fantastic story, and a fun escape.