PRETTY WANTED

This conclusion of the Pretty Crooked trilogy follows the continuing adventures of Willa and Aidan.

Picking up where Pretty Sly (2014) left off, Willa and Aidan, on the run, make their way to St. Louis, where Willa hopes to learn more about her murdered mother. Although she doesn’t expect to solve the cold case, as she uncovers clues and speculates about their meanings, she becomes obsessed with following the trail to its end, no matter that she and Aidan have become fugitive celebrities, with the whole nation following the hunt. The two begin staying past closing time in public buildings to find safe places to sleep overnight, in the daytime managing their shrinking funds to eat and move on as Willa uncovers more clues. They break into houses and race from pursuers until they finally get help. Ludwig keeps pulses racing as she gets Willa and Aidan into and out of close scrapes, introducing drama with Aidan’s increasing carelessness, which causes Willa to wonder if she’s made a mistake in choosing a boyfriend. Is he really just a rebellious little rich boy? Things become even more complicated when a more emotionally mature potential love interest enters the picture. Ludwig maintains suspense all the way to the climax, when it looks like the criminals might just win after all.

A satisfying close to this trilogy that began with a clever high school prank and morphed into a full-scale action adventure.