View source for Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

{{infobox1
|title=Little Black Lies
|author=Sharon Bolton
|reviewer= Zoe Morris
|genre=Thrillers
|summary= When children go missing a whole community unites, but as they are forced to look inwards at themselves, secrets and lies come bubbling to the surface in this thrilling thriller that’s a disturbing but entertaining reading
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=368
|publisher= Bantam Press
|date=July 2015
|isbn=978-0593069202 
|website= http://www.sjbolton.com/
|cover=059306920X
|aznuk=059306920X
|aznus=059306920X
}}

Catrin is a mother without children. It’s a horrible situation to be in, and a role that will define her for the rest of her life. A few years ago, her two boys were killed as a result of her best friend’s actions. It was an accident but that doesn’t make it any better. And Catrin can neither forgive nor forget.

''We were inseparable…until the day she killed my sons'' As tag lines go, that one’s a killer if you’ll excuse the pun, and sent a shiver straight done by spine. Catrin is a mother without children. It’s a horrible situation to be in, and a role that will define her for the rest of her life. A few years ago, her two boys were killed as a result of her best friend’s actions. It was an accident but that doesn’t make it any better. And Catrin can neither forgive nor forget.

Part of it is their home. This book is set in the Falklands which confused me constantly. I kept thinking they were all in the Shetlands or somewhere, until something happened and reference was made to how far they were from the UK. But either way, they live in a small, island community and the two women cannot avoid or escape each other. Throw in some ex-lovers who live virtually on your doorstep and you do start to wonder why people don’t up and move, start a new life elsewhere where no one knows you and your history. But as something of a nomad, that’s easy for me to say.

For now, though, they all live together on the islands. A peaceful place where people don’t lock their front doors or cars. Like a certain remote part of Cheshire I know. A nice place where nothing bad happens. Until now. A child has gone missing, and it’s not for the first time. While Catrin knows what happened to her sons, a few other families are not as lucky. This is the third time a young boy has vanished without a trace, but the locals remain optimistic. This time they will succeed. This time he will be found and reunited with his grieving family. This time will be third time lucky.

There are lots of details that bring this story to life without really adding to the core plot. I liked them though, and enjoyed learning about the wildlife, and the remnants of the war, and the deep sea diving. They added another dimension to the characters, which made it hard to believe some of the rumours that then started to appear. As for the ending – wow! It knocked me sideways and I couldn’t talk for a few minutes. It was brilliant and unexpected and just ooooh, another shiver. What a place.

This book is a thrilling ride from start to finish, and new stories emerge all the time stealing the focus from Catrin’s original aim. While you know something sad may happen at the end, you almost get frustrated when the story takes a different turn and you’re left uncertain about whether she will achieve her goals. The woman has lost so much. She deserves this, in a sick sort of way.

I enjoyed the mystery element of this story. There are a lot of unknowns in the book and for every one you figure out, two more spring up. Nothing is as it seems, nobody is without secrets, and the lies aren’t just as little as the title suggests.

Highly recommend, my thanks go to the publishers for supplying this book. 

[[Under Your Skin by Sabine Durrant]] and [[After The Fall by Charity Norman]] may appeal if you like mysteries and family dramas respectively.

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