WINNER OF THE RICHARD AND JUDY SEARCH FOR A BESTSELLER COMPETITION
'A blistering debut from a major new voice. I couldn't put it down. Authentic, compelling, unflinching and tender and written with real verve and assurance' ERIN KELLY
'Debut novels don't come better than this one, which begs the question - Caz Frear, where have you been?' RICHARD MADELEY
'Taut, gripping, surprising and original - a fabulous read' JUDY FINNIGAN
'Caz Frear's ability to write tight, tense dialogue with a dark comedic slant is brilliant. I read Sweet Little Lies in one sitting, it is a terrific debut' LYNDA LA PLANTE
'BRILLIANT! Unputdownable and great writing. Recommended' MARIAN KEYES
'An astonishingly confident and individual voice' ANN CLEEVES
WHAT I THOUGHT I KNEW
In 1998, Maryanne Doyle disappeared and Dad knew something about it?
Maryanne Doyle was never seen again.
WHAT I ACTUALLY KNOW
In 1998, Dad lied about knowing Maryanne Doyle.
Alice Lapaine has been found strangled near Dad's pub.
Dad was in the local area for both Maryanne Doyle's disappearance and Alice Lapaine's murder - FACT
Connection?
Trust cuts both ways . . . what do you do when it's gone?
FOR FANS OF ERIN KELLY AND BELINDA BAUER, GET READY FOR THE SUSPENSE NOVEL OF THE YEAR.
'A killer premise. An original voice. An utterly compelling story that will keep you up all night' FIONA CUMMINS, author of Rattle
'Impossible to put down' ALEX GRAY
'The best debut I've read in a very long time' WILLIAM RYAN
'An incredibly strong and confident voice that has hit the page fully-formed' CATHERINE RYAN HOWARD, author of Distress Signals
'A perfect storm of a crime novel . . . one of the best novels in this genre' LIZ LOVES BOOKS
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear was an in interesting read. It took a while for me to get into the story, and there was a time I considered giving up on it. There was so much family drama, which I monopolized the story. However, I stuck with it, and I am glad I did, because the story got better and once it did, there was no turning back. I had to know who did it and why.
The author weaved a complex tale where we see the past colliding with the present. It goes to show that actions from our past always intertwine with our present. No matter how long it takes, your past will eventually catch up with you.
I found the mystery element quite intriguing, as the victim had many secrets and she was no saint, hence there were several suspects, with her husband being the main one. DCI Cat Kinsella, the protagonist, strongly believes her father knows something about the murder based on his association with the victim 18 years ago. The question is does he know more than he lets on or is it sheer coincidence.
The mystery took a turn I never expected. I will not be going into details, but I will say this much it has a connection to an old case.
Cat proved to be a rather complex character with daddy issues. As a child, she worshiped her father, but the hero worship turned sour, when she caught him in what her eight-year-old mind considered a lie. As an adult, she was estranged from her father and her siblings. However, the current case led to opening of old wounds and she finds herself confronted with the pain from her past.
She has a good relationship with her colleagues, however with this current case; she is not truthful with them. They have no idea she and her family are connected to the victim. This added to the intensity of the story as I kept wondering what would happen if the truth came to light.
One can sometime tell the gist of a story based on its title. In Sweet Little Lies, most of the characters are liars. Lies permeated their lives, making them unreliable characters. One is never sure what to believe until the truth reveals itself.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Despite the slow start, Sweet Little Lies proved to be an interesting and complex mystery featuring characters that kept me on my toes.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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16 June, 2019:
Finished reading
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16 June, 2019:
Reviewed