Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

Little Black Lies
By Sharon Bolton
Published by Transworld (2 July 2015)
ISBN: 978-0593068202

Publisher's description
What's the worst thing your best friend could do to you?

Admittedly, it wasn't murder. A moment's carelessness, a tragic accident - and two children are dead. Yours.

Living in a small island community, you can't escape the woman who destroyed your life. Each chance encounter is an agonising reminder of what you've lost - your family, your future, your sanity.

How long before revenge becomes irresistible?

With no reason to go on living, why shouldn't you turn your darkest thoughts into deeds?

So now, what's the worst thing you can do to your best friend?

My verdict
Little Black Lies is filled with secrets, lies, betrayal, suspense and intrigue. I read it in just a few hours, yet the story lingered in my mind for some time afterwards. It's chilling, nail-biting and breath-holding writing at its best.

Three years after the tragic death of her two sons, Catrin is still struggling to cope with her grief. Her childhood friend Rachel, who was responsible for the accident, is no longer part of Catrin's life. When a child goes missing and the search begins, Catrin's memories haunt her and her hatred of Rachel grows and grows.

The Falklands provide the perfect location for this story - a chilling remote island setting. In such a small community, everyone knows each other. When tragedy strikes, it's far more difficult to forget and move on if the people involved don't move away. In Little Black Lies, Rachel still lives close by and has a family of her own, while Catrin's suffering continues.

Not only is this book a roller coaster read, filled with twists and turns, but it's very well-researched, especially the local wildlife and history of the Falklands community. The book is set in the mid-1990s, which is only 12 years after the Falklands War. The War is still very raw in the minds of the island residents, which adds to the story's background and gripping atmosphere.

Sharon Bolton has been one of my favourite authors for years, and I think that Little Black Lies may be her best standalone novel yet. I held my breath for most of the last third of the book. There were so many red herrings that I had no idea which way the plot was going to go. I was drained and exhausted by the final page.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves well-researched chilling thrillers that leave you with goosebumps.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.