Little Lies by Heather Gudenkauf

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.

Reviewed by Terri M. LeBlanc on

3 of 5 stars

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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.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 4 January, 2015: Finished reading
  • 4 January, 2015: Reviewed