Little Lies

by Heather Gudenkauf

In this riveting prequel to her novel Little Mercies, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf explores how even the smallest lies can have far-reaching consequences.

When the body of a woman is discovered in a local park - with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting beside her - veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past.

Ellen's professional duty is to protect the child, but she's not equipped to contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her time is running out. And the stakes are high: if she fails, another mother is sure to make the ultimate sacrifice.

• ISBN10: 1459256174
• ISBN13: 9781459256170
• Publish Date: 1 May 2014 (first published 1 January 2014)
• Publish Status: Active
• Imprint: Mira Books
• Format: eBook
• Language: English

Reviews

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

I've read 3 of Heather Gudenkauf's four novels. I did enjoy "Little Lies," a short story and prequel to Little Mercies. Although I enjoy her longer works more as she is the master as weaving multiple story lines and building tension which is harder to do in just 40 pages, I would recommend "Little Lies" for those readers who are unsure about whether Gudenkauf is an author they want to explore.

She deals with some tough subjects in every one of her works and "Little Lies" is no exception. It gives readers a quick peek at Gudenkauf's narrative style and can easily be read in a single sitting. And while "Little Lies" is a prequel to Little Mercies, the "Little Lies" storyline does wrap up and there is no nagging need to continue on to Little Mercies which I reviewed in September of last year.

This review was originally posted on Second Run Reviews.

[kimbacaffeinate]

Espresso Review:

A body of a woman is discovered at the local park beneath a statue of Leto, the goddess of motherhood. Sitting silently alongside her is the dead woman’s four-year son. Ellen Moore a social worker, recently back from maternity leave is called to assist with the young child. The crime scene immediately reminds her of a similar unsolved case that happened almost a decade ago. The tale that unfolds is fascinating as Ellen pieces together events, looks out for the interest of the frightened young boy and tries to protect one from the past. Gudenkauf delivered a well-paced, easy flowing mystery with realistic characters that the reader can identify with. Despite its short length the tale is developed and kept me on edge as we along with Ellen pieced together clues. Little Lies does not rely heavily on procedure but on old-fashioned detective work.  As Ellen pieced together clues she took on one heck of a ride. Suspects, clues and links fell into place and never felt forced. I am looking forward to reading Little Mercies and more of Gudenkauf’s brand of mystery and suspense.

Little Lies is the perfect short story to enjoy on a rainy afternoon with a nice cup of flavored coffee.This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer