cover image You Look Beautiful Tonight

You Look Beautiful Tonight

L.R. Jones. Thomas & Mercer, $16.99 trade paper (350p) ISBN 978-1-66250-888-2

In this devilishly twisty standalone from Jones (The Poet), an unassuming librarian gets more than she bargained for from a digital admirer. Nashville librarian Mia Anderson is accustomed to being overlooked, and after her friend encourages her to sign up for a dating app, Mia starts receiving messages handwritten on her coffee cups at a local café. She’s surprised to learn they’re being left by Adam Roth, an attractive civil engineer she met on the app but has never seen in person. Before long, Adam is sending Mia expensive clothes and encouraging her to wear them, change her appearance, and stand up for herself more. Mia is enchanted—until Adam’s manipulations turn sinister and people close to her start turning up dead. As the body count rises and Adam urges Mia to take control of her life lest he do it for her, she’s terrified and tries to predict who he’ll target next. Jones reveals her characters’ secrets and motives slowly, expertly ratcheting up the pace before an explosive conclusion. This white-knuckler is not to be missed. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency. (May)