I was lucky enough to be given a copy of this for review via Netgalley.
Little Black Lies is a thriller set in the Falkland Islands. A child has gone missing and it’s not the first time that this has happened. The book is told from the viewpoint of three characters, Catrin, Rachel and Callum. A couple of years previously Catrin lost her two children in an accident. She has never come to terms with what happened, and so unlike her husband she has not been able to move on. She blames her ex best friend Rachel for the accident and we quickly find out Catrin is planning to kill her. Rachel herself has never been able to get over the accident and is being destroyed by the guilt she feels. Callum is an ex-soldier who is suffering with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and is trying to deal with this whilst also trying to support Catrin in the run up to the anniversary of the death of her two children.
This is the the second novel I’ve read by Sharon Bolton (review here) and just like the previous one I really enjoyed this book. The story, although based on the idea that there may be a serial child abductor, is much more than that. In fact this is almost a secondary story through the novel. The focus is on relationships, guilt and grief. The broken friendship between Catrin and Rachel, with both Rachel and Catrin struggling to move on from the accident, the ex-soldier who is in love with Catrin, and the relationships between those who live in such a small community.
The setting of the Falkland Islands was really interesting. I imagine most people always think of the Falkland Islands simply being somewhere we went to war over, however this book manages to portray the Islands as a somewhat imposing but beautiful place. There is obviously a real sense of community so the idea of a child going missing is difficult for them to believe. Catrin’s work as an animal conservationist and her actions within her job whilst slightly upsetting to read at times again helped give a real sense of the bleakness of life of the Islands.
The story itself soon draws you in and there are plenty of twists and turns throughout that really keep you guessing. The ending comes as a bit of a shock, but personally I think it was fantastic. This was a bit of a slow paced book, despite only being based over 4 days, but that is actually a really good thing as it ensures that the tension is built up fully before the pace suddenly quickens.
This was a really good story that if you are a fan of psychological thrillers I would definitely recommend.
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