PRETTY DEAD THINGS

A jar full of trinkets leads a prospective bride to probe a decades-old mystery.

Ever since she moved to the Midwest, Cora’s had a lot of time on her hands. Her future husband, Elliott, insists they live apart, since his conservative family would be scandalized by premarital cohabitation. But he also says there’s no point in her working, since once they’re married, he’ll support them both. Some brides would be busily occupied with wedding plans, but Elliott’s mother seems to have that covered, with very little use for her future daughter-in-law’s opinions on the matter. So, browsing estate sales seems like a good enough way for Cora to while away the hours. When she discovers a diamond ring and a wedding band in a jar of random items she buys for $5, she becomes obsessed with finding their rightful owner. Beverly, the woman who sold her the jar, has little interest in the rings, but she suggests that her sister Ruth might know something about it. But it’s the third sister, Hazel, who opens the door to a startling series of revelations about her family, including the mysterious disappearance of her mother, who was her father’s second wife. West’s portrayal of the sisters is often heavy-handed in contrast to her descriptions of Cora, who seems vague and unmoored, with no profession, precious little family, and zero insight into her relationship with her boorish fiance. The mystery of the rings’ ownership gets solved, but Cora remains an enigma even to herself.

A small-town drama that packs an equally modest punch.