Pretty Deadly

A fast-paced fairy tale with a deadly twist

By Kelsey Josund | Narrated by Grace Noble

Cinna would quite literally kill for the throne….

For years, Cinna has been forced to serve her wealthy cousins rather than attend society events alongside them. She has waited for the chance to prove herself and exact revenge. When a ball at the castle is announced, promising to bring many powerful people to town, she seizes the opportunity to strike.

She bets her best friend, Johann, a small-time thief and con man, that she can land a greater score the night of the ball than he can. They embark on parallel heists. But as their plots unfold, things begin to unravel. By the end of the night, the castle’s on lockdown, a duchess is dead, a mansion has burned to the ground—and Cinna hasn’t even stolen anything.

Or has she captured something far more valuable than gold and jewels?

Paperback Edition Published by Darkstroke Books (October 26, 2021)
Audiobook Edition Produced by All She Wrote Productions (September 20, 2022)

 

"...a gripping tale that will appeal to lovers of suspense novels. Betrayal, deceit, scheming, manipulation, and elements... The plot was brilliant and airtight! I never saw the many twists and turns coming."

Jennifer IbiamReader’s Favorite

"Josund knows how to spin a fantasy. She takes some of the familiar building blocks and constructs something fresh and different, which will delight steadfast fans and new ones alike. ...Josund has a firm grasp on the heist theme and pulls it off convincingly and entertainingly. ...It's easy to see the parallels between this novel and Cinderella, but this version is a more exciting and mature fairytale for adults. ... If you like leading ladies with attitude and an agenda, you will love Pretty Deadly by Kelsey Josund."

Tammy RugglesReaders’ Favorite

About Kelsey Josund

Kelsey Josund is a software engineer and author of scifi, fantasy and young adult fiction, including a series of forthcoming feminist retellings of classic childhood fairytales.

Originally from Seattle, Kelsey loves getting outdoors and living in places that allow her to escape to the mountains on the weekends. She cares deeply about the ecosystems that humans impact and that impact them in return. Her writing explores these themes through the prism of the traditional coming-of-age arcs of science fiction and fantasy. Kelsey is particularly interested in stories and characters that complicate the traditional and familiar, leading her to rediscover old tales from new and unexpected angles.

With a passion for storytelling in all its forms, Kelsey approaches writing fiction the same way she approaches writing code: she likes to know where it’s going, but wants to figure out the details as she goes. She believes good software is a lot like a good story–full of neat and clever solutions to tricky problems, beautiful at a granular level but also from a distance.

Kelsey lives and works in Silicon Valley, California with her partner and their cat. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University, and is currently plotting her return to the Pacific Northwest and working on her next novel.

For more information, visit www.KelseyJosund.com.

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