Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
Buy Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Thrillers
Reviewer: Zoe Morris
Summary: A wonderfully unusual mystery through the eyes of an investigating officer, this travels from Ireland to London and back again uncovering dirt along the way.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 480	Date: June 2017
Publisher: Zaffre
ISBN: 978-1785763359
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In 1998 a girl called Maryanne disappears in Ireland. In 2017 a woman called Alice is found dead in London. In both cases, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella is coincidentally close by, but she's more worried by the fact her father is too. And he cannot be trusted.

As premises go, this one is great for a mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Cat narrates this story and it's a delicate balance between work and home, what she knows from the investigation and what she knows, or maybe just suspects, from her personal life. But although there is no love lost between her and her father, she has a lot at stake if her connection comes out. Cat is a great narrator with a sharp eye (befitting of her role) and a sharp tongue to match. I loved her comment that in London when a building is called Something Mansions it's most likely a sh*t hole. Her fear over her father's involvement is palpable and set as it is in the run-up to Christmas, the enforced family time does nothing to diffuse the situation.

I read a lot of thrillers but very few from inside the police control room, and this one was brilliant for whizzing you straight to the heart of the action and watching the investigation unfold. What might feel monotonous to the police officers involved – waiting for leads, hanging around, interviewing people but getting little useful intel – were all interesting for me though if it were my 40th case rather than my 1st I can see how I might have felt a little different.

There is a lot going on in this story especially as the mysteries of Maryanne's disappearance and Alice's death begin to unravel. It's a little bit of a stretch at times but I was nonetheless hooked as some grimy details began to surface and in a happy way, I was filled with disdain about the state of humankind. It was so deliciously messed up, and as I sat far away from it all, in my lovely Cheshire barn conversion, trying to finish the last chapter before my evening sailing lesson, I found myself completely submerged in the story, willing it to a sensible conclusion.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending us a copy to review. It was a super read that left me with a glint in my eye.

It's a few years old now, but Under Your Skin by Sabine Durrant is still a great read in a similar vein, and highly recommended.

Caz Frear's DC Cat Kinsella's Novels in Chronological Order

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