Pretty Things

Janelle Brown

62 pages 2-hour read

Janelle Brown

Pretty Things

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2020

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Character List

Meet the key characters, with insights into their roles, motivations, and relationships—spoiler-free.

Major Characters

Nina is a resourceful and intelligent con artist who targets affluent individuals she deems morally corrupt. Driven by the urgent need to pay for her mother's expensive cancer treatments, she relies on social media to track her marks. To infiltrate the Liebling family estate, she adopts the serene persona of yoga instructor Ashley Smith, though her cynical worldview often clashes with this peaceful facade.

Key Relationships

Daughter of Lily Ross

Romantic Partner of Lachlan O'Malley

Deceptive Tenant of Vanessa Liebling

Childhood Friend of Benny Liebling

Robber of Alexi Petrov

Supplier to Efram

Evicted by William Liebling IV

Vanessa is a wealthy heiress and Instagram influencer seeking to reinvent her public narrative after a series of personal tragedies. Behind her carefully curated online persona, she struggles with profound loneliness and the heavy legacy of her family's estate. She unwittingly rents her cottage to con artists who view her as their next major score.

Key Relationships

Older Sister of Benny Liebling

Daughter of Judith Liebling

Daughter of William Liebling IV

Landlord and Target of Nina Ross

Landlord of Lachlan O'Malley

Ex-fiancée of Victor Coleman

Friend of Saskia Rubansky

Supporting Characters

Vanessa's brother is a social outcast who prefers drawing in notebooks to participating in the affluent lifestyle expected of him. Diagnosed with mental health conditions and heavily medicated since childhood, he is a sharp observer who sees through the facades of his family and peers. His early friendship with Nina remains a significant memory for both of them.

Key Relationships

Younger Brother of Vanessa Liebling

Son of Judith Liebling

Son of William Liebling IV

Teenage Friend of Nina Ross

Lachlan is a charismatic Irish immigrant, failed actor, and skilled con artist who partners with Nina in her heists. To help infiltrate the Stonehaven estate, he adopts the persona of Michael O'Brien, an English professor and writer. He is calculating, emotionally detached, and routinely pushes Nina to ignore her conscience during their jobs.

Key Relationships

Romantic Partner of Nina Ross

Deceptive Tenant of Vanessa Liebling

Acquaintance of Lily Ross

Associate of Efram

Lily is a former grifter with past connections to the Mafia who raised Nina on the move to avoid the law. Currently battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, her mounting medical bills serve as the primary motivation for Nina's criminal activities. She is fiercely protective but instilled a highly cynical worldview in her daughter.

Key Relationships

Mother of Nina Ross

Acquaintance of Lachlan O'Malley

Secretly Connected to William Liebling IV

The late matriarch of the Liebling family, Judith struggled with severe mental health issues and the isolating atmosphere of the Stonehaven estate. Her tragic death by suicide profoundly impacted her children, leaving a haunting legacy that shapes Vanessa and Benny's present lives.

Key Relationships

Wife of William Liebling IV

Mother of Benny Liebling

The domineering and wealthy patriarch of the Liebling family, who built his fortune in California real estate. William is a cold, status-obsessed man who fiercely guards his family's prestige, often acting ruthlessly toward anyone he considers beneath his social class.

Key Relationships

Husband of Judith Liebling

Father of Benny Liebling

Antagonizer of Nina Ross

Secretly Connected to Lily Ross

A finance worker with political ambitions whose mother is a senator. He initially enjoys Vanessa's glamorous lifestyle but eventually tires of the demanding, inauthentic nature of her social media presence, prompting their breakup.

Key Relationships

Ex-fiancé of Vanessa Liebling

A successful fashion blogger and Instagram star with over a million followers. She helps launch Vanessa's social media career by tagging her in photos and integrating her into a highly visible online circle.

Key Relationships

The egotistical and predatory son of a Russian oligarch. He flaunts his immense wealth on social media, making him the perfect initial target for Nina's surveillance and burglary scheme.

Key Relationships

Victim of Nina Ross

An antique dealer from Israel who acts as a fence for Nina and Lachlan's stolen items, moving them to a free port in Switzerland for a cut of the profits.

Key Relationships

Fence for Nina Ross

Fence for Lachlan O'Malley