This is a murder story within film sets. It's interesting, but the plot didn't hold together very well for me.
Thanks a lot to NG nad the publisher for this copy.

Marissa Dahl is a film editor. She is possibly on the autistic spectrum, maybe OCD, definitely introspective and incredibly talented. So when she is hired to edit a crime thriller being filmed by award winning director Anton (Tony) Rees, she accepts.

The movie, based on a real crime, the murder of a young woman years earlier, is being filmed on Kickout, anisland off the Delaware coast, accessible only by boat. As soon as she arrives, Marissa realizes something is wrong. The locals resent the film crew, mysterious and dangerous things are happening on the set and Tony wants Marissa to stay away from the actors and backstage workers. That doesn’t keep her out of danger and the threats to the film continue. Who is behind these random accidents? Will the movie ever be finished? And why are Navy Seals guarding the set?

Pretty as a Picture is a locked room mystery if you consider an isolated island a locked room. Marissa is a delightful character, full of both insecurity and charm. I hope this is the first in a new series. The idea of a murder mystery set on a film set is unique, especially with the lead character as part of the crew. I enjoyed all the explanations of how film editing is done. Other characters also stand out. Suzy and Grace, the teenage daughters of the on site chefs, are amusing as is their podcast. Elizabeth Little is an author to watch and this is a 5 star read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pushkin Press and Elizabeth Little for this ARC.

'Pretty as a Picture' by Elizabeth Little is set in the claustrophobic world of a closed film set.

Marissa Dahl, a socially awkward but successful film editor accepts a job with Tony Rees (Director) on what appears to be a doomed vanity project. The film is set to be a faithful re-enactment of a murder, with the audience asked to act as jury. The previous editor has been sacked under mysterious circumstances, a series of accidents have happened on set, and Marissa is forced to sign a 9 page NDA and relinquish her mobile phone. Due to the filming taking place on the location of the murder, those involved continue to live and have influence on set.

In many ways this novel reminded me of a plot for Murder She Wrote or Columbo. Many of the characters were bigger than life and allowed more license than is really plausible. There were times I had to be reminded it was set in modern times, rather than in the 1980's or 90's. However, for me there were several things that elevated it. These were Marissa's unique perspective of the world (certainly modelled on someone with an autistic spectrum disorder), the in-depth film knowledge and references, the use of modern references (.e.g the podcast recording) and the ensemble detecting, rather than one person being the star.

Overall this was a very enjoyable book and one I felt sad to have finished. It would make an excellent summer holiday read, as well as a novel for people who enjoy films and who dunnits.

Marissa accepts a job as editor on a movie without reading the script and is sent to the location immediately as the previous editor was sacked. The film is shrouded in secrecy and when Marissa arrives on set it becomes clear that it is the story of an unsolved murder that actually happened at that location and the film has been beset by problems. It takes roughly a third of the novel before Marissa is on set and the ‘whodunnit’ aspect of the story commences. This was the slowest, least enjoyable part for me. Once Marissa becomes embroiled in figuring out what is actually going on, it becomes an easier and more entertaining read that moves quite quickly. There are a large number of characters to get to grips with (which befits the film set scenario) but all are dealt with very superficially so it is hard to become invested in any in order to become suspicious of them. For me this meant it could have been any of them that were the culprit and I didn’t really care who it was. Overall, I found Marissa to be a likeable protagonist and this to be an easy, quick read.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn’t connect with the characters or writing style. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good book, of course—everyone has different tastes so if the description appeals to you, give it a go.

A fantastic read by a new author for me. I am converted as a fan and absolutely cannot wait to read more. This is unique and original. I have been pulled in and unable to put this one down.
I cannot say anything negative about this gorgeous book. it has been a fantastic read.

Clever and well written. A captivating, quick read with great character development and an intriguing plot. It's also funny. A good read.

From the synopsis, I had high hopes for this book. It sadly didnt reach those heights and left me struggling to finish.

This American novel is tells the story of film editor Melissa who accepts a job on a secluded film set. The film she's working on is based on a real-life (in the story) murder but, as no-one was convicted, Melissa sets out to find out what actually happened. Transcripts from a podcast appear in the novel and I found the Americanisms a bit disjointed but overall this is a fun read poking fun at the burgeoning true crime industry.

3 for neutral. Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I will update if able to finish at a later date, but I just could not finish, as it was too slow paced for me and lost my attention while trying. Could be my mood, as I’m a moody reader. Will update, when and if I’m able to finish,

If you are on the hunt for a cynical book then look no further! This book has a fantastic story and I absolutely loved the narrator and all those one liners. I did get a bit confused with the story line at times but I would still recommend it!

I don’t like to leave negative reviews but sadly I found this book to be very disappointing. I love true crime podcasts and film history so I expected this book to be right up my street but unfortunately I found it quite dull. The protagonist reminds me of Eleanor Oliphant (this is not a compliment, sorry) and so if you ever posed the question ‘what if Eleanor Oliphant had to solve a murder?’ then maybe this is the book for you, but I just found the characters irritating. The sections based on the true crime podcast read like a snarky parody written by someone who disparages similar podcasts (which I presume is not the case?!). I really wanted to enjoy this mystery but I would not be able to recommend it.

I found this book very mediocre. The protagonist's character development was fairly strong, but I found the other characters quite odd & hard to get to know, & unrealistic. It's a very pop-culture-y novel with the podcast plot, and the two young girls trying to solve the crime, however it was all very cheesy & quite forgettable. If you're looking for an easy read then this is definitely it, but I just felt it didn't hit the mark where it tried to be clever or funny or dark.

trigger warning
<spoiler> anxiety, panic attacks, mental illness, trauma </spoiler>

Do you know those job offers that sound too good to be true? Well, this is one of them. And Marissa intends to find the hitch.

So, Marissa needs a job, possibly one that will bring her prestige, and her agent urges her to take this job - although she is not told any details apart from that transport has been booked. She had to sign 16 pages NDA, so she doesn't think that asking questions will get her far, and things are moving so quick that it doesn't seem to matter.

Once Marissa gets to the movie shoot, she quickly realises that something is not right. There are more accidents than normal on the set, and since she replaces the former editor, she is thrown in the middle of a group of people who already have decided on allegiances and feuds.
Additionally, the set is based on an island, but to make it even more insular, all characters live in the same hotel which also doubles as background for the movie, so they're constantly crossing each other's paths.

Not only is she late to the game, she is very, very introverted, up to the point at which I was wondering if she might be autistic. Because on one hand, she needs a certain amount of solitude, and on the other hand, a little bit of socialising is okay, provided she knows the rules. She can't read people at all, which makes being in her head in an investigation interesting.

I liked this book a lot. Marissa's depiction is solid in all her weirdness, and I finished the book in two sittings, surprised because it didn't feel like 350 pages.
Will look up what else the author has written.

The arc was provided by the publisher.

This book... I do not even know where to begin. I absolutely loved it, could not put t down. I loved this unlikely heroine Elizabeth Little created, she felt so pulpably living, in the flesh, humanely imperfect. Just real, I loved how her monologue is driving the story forward and how she manages to make sense of the world through (motion) pictures. Weird, but a loveable weird. The story is good and everything is there for a reason, everything has a purpose. I did not feel like skipping a page or even a sentence - it is such a gripping prose.

Marissa Dahl, a film editor, is signed onto work on a true-crime movie without even reading the script. Despite the unusual nature of the job and the unconventional interview process, she jumps at the chance to work with director Tony Rees, renown for his work and for being demanding. As she gets to set, things are a little odd. With accidents, indiscretions and firing of staff, there's a host of unknown scandal and chaos that Marissa has to try and navigate through. if that wasn't enough, the real-life murder the film is due to be based upon hasn't actually been solved properly, so she finds herself working alongside two teen girls in an amateur investigation of who actually committed the crimes. Her navigation is made even more difficult because as she's on the spectrum, she has to work a little harder to survive in a world of human interactions and awkwardness.

I think this book had SO much potential, however, I found the writing style a little mediocre and as the story flits from her experience and a reflective true-crime podcast script it felt a little disjointed and clunky to follow. There are also a whole host of movie references or name-checks that I didn't quite understand or get, but if you're a film buff like Marissa then it's likely you'll understand these more and I'm guessing the references will add a little more enjoyment to the plot. The insight into the film industry and the editing process was interesting to learn about too, and was told in a manner that is simplistic enough without being patronising.

The murder mystery element of the story is a little lacklustre and is not the focal point as the synopsis/blurb would suggest. I'd say the majority of the plot instead focused on Marissa, being deeply anti-social and quite unlikeable. There are many moments where I was like OKAY I GET IT, SHE'S AWKWARD, which I think draw away from what should be a fascinating concept. It's too slow-paced and predictable to pack any kind of real punch in its field.

*Thanks to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for the advanced copy

A diverting enough read, but not much more than that. The characters feel flat and under-developed and there's just not anything new here. Except for the film setting, I feel like I have read this same book many times before. It's not a bad read if you are stuck at home and want something to zoom through, but the twists all seem pretty pat and it's not a book that will stick with me.

“Mothersmucker”.

Having not worked for a while, Marissa Dahl, film and TV editor slightly in the spectrum, accepts a job to work with the legendary film director Tony Rees. From the start she finds that the situation is somewhat off. She doesn’t get a script and she has to go in blind. But when she arrives on the remote island of Kickout, of the coast of Delaware, where they are shooting the movie, Marissa realises that things are worse that she imagined. She discovers that the movie is about an unsolved decades old murder that happened right there, that her predecessor has been mysteriously fired, half the crew has quit and strange events keep on happening. Can she unknot the mystery with the help of Grace, Suzy and Gavin?

Elizabeth Little has delivered a very clever thriller. Even if somewhat predictable sometimes, the characters are very well thought through and so endearing. Marissa’s awkwardness and clumsiness is perfection.

Hilarious and witty, I thoroughly enjoyed this book which should delight the cinephiles and thriller lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Pushkin Vertigo for the opportunity to read this advance copy.

The summary of the plot was absolutely intriguing, however the novel itself, unfortunately, fell flat. On the plus side, I really enjoyed the movie production language and the references to movies.

Loved the film setting mixed with the crew characters! Can't resist a good murder novel. I sometimes felt that the pace was right for me but an enjoyable read nonetheless!