Too Pretty to Die

Eva Rae Thomas #13

by Willow Rose

Four women went on a weekend of fun to Miami. Four best friends who were inseparable.
No one returned.

The story made national headlines, and even after weeks of searching for them, they were never found.
What happened to them?
Are they still alive?

Ten years later, the teenage children of those same four women decide to take a trip together against the wishes of their families.
They are followed by a TV crew doing a true crime show. They’re returning to Miami to find out what happened to their mothers.

When they unearth the mutilated body of one of their mothers, they know they are in way over their heads, and soon they realize nothing is what it seems as this vicious killer is getting ready to chase them down.

FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is called in to help when the second body is recovered from the trunk of a burnt-out car in the swamps outside Miami, bringing her old flame Matt to help.

Soon, she realizes she is hunting down a serial killer unlike any other she has encountered, who will next come after someone she loves.

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 31, 2023

About the author

Willow Rose is a multi-million-copy best-selling Author and an Amazon ALL-star Author of more than 100 novels.

Several of her books have reached the top 10 of ALL books on Amazon in the US, UK, and Canada. She has sold more than three million books all over the world.

She writes Mystery, Thriller, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural thrillers, and Fantasy.

Willow's books are fast-paced, nail-biting pageturners with twists you won't see coming. That's why her fans call her The Queen of Scream.

Willow lives on Florida's Space Coast. When she is not writing or reading, you will find her surfing and watch the dolphins play in the waves of the Atlantic Ocean.



Connect with Willow online:

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Inbox already stuffed? Send the word: “ebooks” to 31996 to get a text alert with news about new releases, giveaways, and bargains from Willow.

Reviews

[Kimberly R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book!

Four women went on vacation three years ago and disappeared. Now the women’s children are doing a reality show in hopes of finding out what happened to their mothers. Eva and her ex work with the show to discover what happened to the women. This was a very twisted read that I couldn’t hardly put down.

[jj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Willow Rose fir my ARC copy of this great read. This mystery is about 4 good friends who decide to go away on a girls trip to Miami. They were all
Married with children. On their fun trip to Miami they acted as if they were still young & single, partying, drinking, flirting, having fun. They were invited as a group to go elsewhere & there starts the events.

Eva Rae Thomas, one of the best FBI agents, was called in to help solve this mystery. It turns out that a tv show was trying to film about the missing women & brought in their now grown children on this case. As they were filming bits & pieces of the incident surface & Eva Rae really needs to get to work.

I totally recommend this sit on your seat mystery.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

When past decisions come back to haunt you!

So many twists and turns, haunting discoveries and hindsight that makes you wish you had made a different choice....but Eva Rae is stuck with the decisions she has made and knows that her punishment for pushing Matt away is seeing him happy with someone else and she is left alone, holding their daughter tight.
How can one girly get away become four families worst nightmares? Simple....betrayal by someone they all trusted, jealousy and anger caused them to lash out and that started the chain of events that lead to today's horrific revelations....and it is all a sick game to punish one person, no matter how many others must suffer on the journey. I read this on Kindle Unlimited.

[Michael Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As usual, Ms. Rose takes an idea or what-if from real-life headlines, adds strong characters, vivid descriptions, and her special magic of coupling several sub-plots to deliver an intriguing, twisting, turning tale. It pulled me in, keeping me on the edge of my seat, turning pages right to the final twist that reveals the satisfying solution. If you like good mysteries that are easy to read and keep you guessing, this is the author for you – I highly recommend all her books. I received an advance copy of this book, but I also bought it, to support this great author. This review is my honest opinion. I’m always eager to read her next book!

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good Read, But Not Willow's Best

I have enjoyed this series immensely. But in the previous book, Say It Ain't So, her daughter gets into the pronoun thing and changes per name (which I disliked just because it's "current"). In Too Pretty to Die, she's back to normal with no reference. Plus I wish I had kept track of how many times the characters growled. Come on...sure they were frustrated or angry or whatever other descriptive word you'll find in a thesaurus.

I do love Willow Rose novels. Her writing quality is slipping; perhaps just more editing going forward?

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining mystery relationship! listening 🎵🌆

This kindle e-book novel is from my Kindle Unlimited account book 13 of 17

Eva Rae and Matt go to Miami to appear on a crime reality show. Bodies start showing up that appear to be missing women from three years ago. Eva Rae and Matt are in the middle of the investigation. Then Matt goes missing and the truth comes out leading to the arrest of the killer.

I would recommend this series and author to readers of romantic family and friends relationship adventure mystery novels 🌃🎇 2025 👒😎🎶

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven't read the Eva Rae Thomas series, you should. She is an FBI profiler although she tries to be an ex-FBI profiler. She doesn't give up until she solves the case. Her life is messy chaos but she is very relatable. Kids, family, marriage, divorce, more kids, more love, more FBI cases. This book was over too soon. In this one, 4 mothers go missing while on a trip. Three years later their children are trying to find answers while being filmed for a TV show. Suddenly, bodies are being found. Who is the killer? Why are the bodies being found now? Who is the killer targeting?

[Robin Okane · Rating 5 out of 5]

great story kept me guessing

Willow never disappoints the only problem now is waiting for the next release. Hopefully it won’t be to long to wait💕

[Connie Charron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this new case for Eva Rae Thomas to be different from the previous cases. Maybe it's just because her & Matt aren't together anymore. That doesn't stop them from going to Miami together to work on a TV show that Eva Rae has really no interest in working on but she needs the money to repair her house from wear & tear as well as thousands in electrical work to repair hurricane damage. Matt talked her into taking the job by offering to go with her.

The situation is horrible from the start, exactly what Eva Rae was worried about. Once a body is found, it goes downhill from there. Signs that the body spent a long time in saltwater but was found on land proves that someone moved the body, but why? The body is identified positively and is linked to the TV show. A second body is discovered, and even though identification is incomplete, the TV show decides they know who it is, but they're wrong. Someone on the show is manipulating the situation, and it's up to Eva Rae to figure out who and why. Will Matt and Eva Rae survive this case? Will they find their way back to each other, or will their split be permanent?

Excellent read with twist at the end that you won't see coming.

[Raynise A. Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible book

This plot is so contrived and the writing is terrible. Nothing follows police procedure and the events conveniently move the stir along in highly unprovable and unrealistic ways.

[TrishAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story in Willow Rose's "Eva Rae Thomas Mysteries" series.
FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is finding life difficult, the house needs extensive repairs and she doesn't have the money to pay for them, she is thrown a lifeline by a reality TV company but it is a lifeline that she doesn't want to take.
Eva Rae's ex, Detective Matt Miller, encourages Eva Rae to take the job and offers to help her.
Ten years ago, four woman from Russell Springs, Kentucky went on female only break to Miami, determined to have a good time...................none of them returned, they disappeared without a trace.
A reality TV company that attempts to solve cold cases contacted the teenage children of the four women and filmed them as they attempted to discover what happened to their mothers...........Eva Rae didn't agree with their methods and when a body was found it was obvious that the teenagers were out of their depth.
This story runs parallel with a second story and has the reader wondering where on earth does this fit into the main story but the author manages to twist and turn the storyline and brings it all together beautifully and surprisingly at the end.
I love the obvious chemistry between Eva Rae and Matt but it didn't work out before, even though they have a child together and Matt has a new beautiful young girlfriend but the "will they, won't they keeps you wondering. A great story.
I received a free copy of this book and my review is voluntary.

[Talia C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not overly thrilled with this book.. I mean, it was good!! Don't get me wrong there, but it didn't seem to flow as easily as the other previous books.

Eva Rae needs some extra money to fix up her house from the hurricanes, to do so, she takes a job with a film company who are wanting to tape the whole investigation. Sounds pretty simple, however it was more of a dramatized event that seemed so untrustworthy right from the beginning.

This has multiple views so you do get to follow both Eva Rae as she investigates, and the children of the parent who disappeared, plus a third view that I am not sure fit in very well.. I mean, at the end it kind of made sense but not really. There was no way to know the answer to "who is the killer", which in a crime novel (at least in my opinion) I want to be able to try and figure it out as I am reading. With the previous books in the series, for the most part, you are able to guess and make assumptions as to who the killer is. We weren't given enough facts of clues in this book to even come to the conclusion until it was written out for us at the end.

I did almost tear up at the funeral at the end though!! Their story couldn't end there and I found myself preparing for the ultimate bad news, but i digress.

This series is a great read for those just getting into crime thrillers or who want something a little less grotesque than other novels.

[DianaRaven · Rating 5 out of 5]

TOO PRETTY TO DIE by Willow Rose is the thirteenth installment in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series. Ms. Rose knows how to create characters that you love and hate. As the author has confessed, she has a crazy, twisted mind, but that’s who she is. So get ready for another twisted murder mystery story.

Three years ago, four long-time friends took a vacation to Florida, leaving husbands and children home. They are enjoying themselves and feeling like they're in their 20s, not their 40s. Then, they just seem to vanish, never to be heard from again.

As usual, Eva Rae has a lot on her plate:  two hurricanes have caused damage to her aging home, and she can't afford to due the repairs. Stressed and refusing to let her ex or sister help, Eva finally gives in and agrees to do a reality TV true crime show featuring four teens looking for answers why their mothers never returned home. 

There are also two story lines to follow, creating many twists, turns, and suspects that make it difficulty to figure out how they fit together. Not to worry, as usual, the author brings them together in an exciting and shocking conclusion.

I could not put this book down and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good thrilling mystery. I did receive an ARC of this book, and this is my voluntary and honest review.

[Merry Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another edge of your seat thriller that grabs you from the very beginning and doesn't let go until the surprise ending! Every book in this series is amazing and they get better and better. When Eva is asked to be on a crime reality TV show, she is reluctant but realizes the money will help her fix up her house from the last storms and with her ex Matt along with her, she agrees. The case is about the disappearance of four mothers three years ago who went on a girl's weekend to Miami and never returned, never to be found. Now the daughters of the missing women decided against family advice to decide to take a weekend like their mothers did. The situation for Eva starts of bad and continues downhill when the first body of one of the women shows up and then a second. It is obvious to Eve Rae they were moved. Someone seems to be manipulating the situation, especially seeming to toy with Eva Rae. With Matt, she is bound to find the murderer before he puts his sights on the daughters of the missing women and on Eva Rae herself. With so many twists and turns and red-herrings, we are taken on a roller coaster ride while turning page after page until the surprise end. When you think you got it figured out - you didn't! This is a great series with really great characters! I received and ARC of this book but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

[Voracious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Pretty to Die is the 13th book in the Eva Rae Thomas Mystery Series. Eva Rae Thomas is an FBI profiler who has had a producer unceasingly try to get her to agree to be on a tv show they are making where they are reviewing a cold case in which 4 women went on a vacation together and were never heard from again. The premise of the show is to retrace their known steps with the four oldest children of the women while discussing the case with Eva Rae (if they can get her to do the show) for her insights on the case. Eva Rae wants nothing to do with it but due to the costly damage to her home from the last couple of hurricanes she finally agrees because she needs the money for repairs.Then the case becomes much more interesting as new evidence turns up. Eva no longer cares whether she fulfills the terms of her contract, she needs to follow the evidence and solve the mystery so they can close this case and give those kids some answers once and for all.

I found Too Pretty to Die very hard to put down. It was a definite page turner for me. The mystery was very captivating. And in true Willow Rose fashion a twist I could not see coming. I always look forward to the next Willow Rose book. They are always a good read.

I received an ARC of this book. My opinion is voluntarily given.

[Remington Arquette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read in the Eva Rae Series. I caught onto the FBI agent's background rather swiftly. It was like I'd known her (her type) from the detective shows my father would sometimes ask me to watch with him, which I rather enjoyed. They all seemed to follow the same plan of action. The structure of this story was just that, almost as if an outline had been drawn up and the boxes filled in with the story's details. It was good reading--don't get me wrong. Swift. I don't believe there was any one chapter longer than ten pages. And always was the chapter handed off neatly to the next; I just kept turning the pages until I was done. I was impressed that the writing was clean of sex scenes or curse words. Even the action sequences were tamped down considerably. Very nice. Something that is rarely done these days. However, when I was finished reading the book, I felt . . . Nothing in the story surprised me. Yes, it kept me guessing and engaged, though I never really felt anything for the characters or the author's storyline. It seemed to be a book that had been turned out following a tried and true recipe, a factory-efficient method, a formula that worked--as is evident by Ms. Rose's popularity. Yet me, I was expecting something more, something of substance instead of just the same old same old. But then again, that's just me.

[Laure · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva Rae reluctantly agrees to appear on a reality television show about true crime when she realizes how much it will cost to fix up her old house, Matt encourages her to do it, and even agrees to help her out. Three years ago, four women travel to Miami for a fun, girls only get-away. They all disappeared, the case even made national headlines, but the women were never found. Now their children are in Miami hoping that they will finally get answers. When the body of one of those women is found Eva Rae quickly realizes that there is a serial killer on the loose.
I love Eva Rae, she is a well written and unique character who is stubborn, and doggedly determined to find out the truth about the criminals she hunts, and the crimes they have committed. All the characters in this book are compelling and realistic. I highly recommend this suspenseful, riveting read that is full of surprising and unexpected twists in the plot. This book kept me guessing until the very end.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

[Maria Costantino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four women went on a weekend of fun to Miami. Four best friends who were inseparable.
No one returned.

The story made national headlines, and even after weeks of searching for them, they were never found.
What happened to them?
Are they still alive?

Ten years later, the teenage children of those same four women decide to take a trip together against the wishes of their families.
They are followed by a TV crew doing a true crime show. They’re returning to Miami to find out what happened to their mothers.

When they unearth the mutilated body of one of their mothers, they know they are in way over their heads, and soon they realize nothing is what it seems as this vicious killer is getting ready to chase them down.

FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is called in to help when the second body is recovered from the trunk of a burnt-out car in the swamps outside Miami, bringing her old flame Matt to help.

Soon, she realizes she is hunting down a serial killer unlike any other she has encountered, who will next come after someone she loves.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too Pretty To Die - a review by Rosemary Kenny.

FBI profiler Eva Rae Thomas is in the thick of things yet again, in Willow Rose's scintillating detective masterpiece Too Pretty To Die, Book 13 in her great Eva Rae Thomas Mystery series.

Why would four 30-something friends go AWOL after a fun vacation in Miami and never be heard from again? Three years on, shocking new evidence comes to light and with it a twist in the tale that you'll never see coming.

Dual storylines, past and present, plus a sub-story about Eva Rae herself, bring all the threads together in the present day - putting Eva Rae and her loved ones' lives on the line.

Grab yourself a copy of Too Pretty To Die today to find out who makes it home. You'll be amazed -and your murder-mystery bookshelf will gain a new favourite!

[Laura Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read all the books in the series, and I have to say that starting with book #11 the plots do not make sense. Part of the thrill of reading a mystery is trying, as a reader, to put together clues and guess who the bad guy is. That does not mean you are always right but when you are not you can recall the clues to the correct answer were there. That does not mean I am against twists in plots. On the contrary, I welcome them. But not when they are brought in out of the blue. Well, from book #11 in the Eva Rae series the writer arrives to conclusions with information obtained out of nowhere. This is frustrating and irritating.
Maybe Willow is in a hurry to get the next book out? Also, the use of the "then" so frequently can be boring. Hopefully the writer took time before writing book 14 which will be out by the end of November

[Cindy Provance Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

To PrettyTo Die

Well this was yet another great book!! I love Eva Ray Thomas. She always gets her guy in this case her girls. A Tv series on crime , Missing persons embarks on filming 4 teens in their quest for finding out what happened to their mothers3 years earlier. The tv crew hound Eva Ray to help. She does not want to be involved but needs money to repair her home that was damaged in two hurricanes. After pressure from mom, sister and her ex Matt Eva caves and takes the job. The thing is they appear on the surface. Bodies pop up everywhere. Matt gets kidnapped by someone that had me guessing. Both Matt and Eva Ray realize they both still love each other very much and if each makes it they will confess. Wait till the epilogue you’ll need to get a box of tissue ready.

[Susan Hamann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four long-time girlfriends take a vacation and make it into a grand party. But then they disappeared - all four of them. From the prologue, we have a good idea of what happened - maybe. But the rest of the book takes the reader on two seemingly unrelated journeys. As is often the case in Willow Rose books, there are two different stories, in two different timeframes. In addition to the mystery that Eva Rae is trying to solve, there is another story. The reader is likely to try to puzzle out both stories. The author does tie them together beautifully in an exciting conclusion.

Another masterful Eva Rae story. I flew through the book because I enjoyed it so much.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of the book. This is my honest review.

[Jacquetta Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 teens who lost their moms during a girls only get away, now search for them in the town they went missing in. It's a question that would be hard to face when you are a child a mother never came back home to.
I know how I would feel if I never could go home to my children. The 4 teens hoped the women were still alive and they would be found and reunited with them.
I was heartbroken for the teens, heartbroken for the husbands. The questions that would come up. Are they still alive? I don't think I would have gone the same route looking for my mom but I guess we don't have to make that decision.
I really enjoyed reading Willow Rose's books again and I would recommend anyone who loves mystery to read the book you will love it.

[Maddi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the fourth Willow Rose book I’ve read, and while I thoroughly enjoyed the last three and found them completely engrossing, this one fell short for me. The storyline lacked the intrigue and suspense I’ve come to expect from her books. Unfortunately, the plot just didn’t hold my interest in the same way.

The biggest disappointment was the ending—it felt far-fetched and unrealistic. The sudden discovery of all the dead women came across as overly dramatic and not very well thought out. It lacked the depth and believability that usually make her twists so compelling.

Overall, while I’m still a fan of Willow Rose’s writing and will continue reading her work, this particular book didn’t quite hit the mark.

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eva Rae is swimming in debt and sinking fast. Her old house needs major repairs, and her bank account can't begin to cover it. She agrees to do a reality TV true crime show about four missing women. The women's children will also be on the show, and Eva's job is to try and solve the case. Matt is eager to go with her to do the show. As things progress, Eva has a feeling that something isn't right. Soon one of the missing women's body is found, very conveniently for the taping of the show in Eva's mind. This opens up the cold case to a hot one. You won't believe the way it goes down! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. In the beginning four women go on a trip to Miami. No one returns. Three years later, their children go to Miami. A network wants to film a reality show. And then the reality show asks Eva Rae Thomas, to help. Then the mystery begins. As the bodies start showing up. What is going on. Eva Rae Thomas. With her ex husband Matt to help her find out what is going on.. Every time you think you know, what is going on. There is another twist to the story. And you find out you are wrong. One of the best things in Willow Rose’s books, just about the the you thing you know what is going on, you don’t.

[Louise Pledge · Rating 5 out of 5]

How I love everything Willow Rose writes, especially the Eva Rae Thomas series! I hope they never end. This one grabbed my attention from the very start, and few books do that to me, anymore, I read so much. If you're familiar with the stories, you won't be surprised that, shortly after it starts, we find Eva Rae and Matt arguing. This continues throughout as they take on a project they'll be working together on, namely, four women who disappear on a "girls' trip". They all have children the same age who refuse to believe that their moms are not alive, so they want someone to find them.

Quite a few good twists throughout, and I am so grateful that it's a "clean" book.

[Liz Krummell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books are so close to being really good. The bodies in the boat were found 1 year ago had been there for 3 years and they are found and are able to be brought to the surface and reburied??? The boyfriend was good with that??? How have they even survived that long? The person who found them just happens to figure - hey I bet if I plan this complicated thing and get the kids here - I can get Eva Rae involved???? She got information from Pastor Mark, as did Eva Rae that the cops ignored??? The end was good but getting there led to some leaps of faith. Hopefully her and Matt are happy for a book or two

[Ellen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Four women, with children about the same ages, away for a weekend, of fun and too many drinks. Years later the children of these four were approached
by a TV show that wanted to dig further and find answers. With the profiler Eva Rae sinking in debt with house repairs to do the interviewing. Eva soon realizing something else is at play when a body now shows up. Matt her ex is with her.
Its a fast pace plot, finding what would drive someone to murder all four.
Given ARC. for my voluntary review...releases May 31

[Mary Brannian · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A million thoughts rushed through my mind as I wondered what to make of this news. The bodies had been moved; that much was clear. But why?" - Eva Rae

Finding herself in ever increasing financial difficulties forces Eva Rae into accepting a role in a reality show; one she isn't sure is a good idea. When up bodies began to turn up, Eva Rae was sure it was a mistake...

So many questions, so little time! I raced through this book, careening from scene to scene! Loved it! I couldn't put it down!

"If you give me another chance, dear God, I will never let her go. I promise." - Matt