Media Reviews
"Starred Review. Each of the main characters has a strong and compelling voice; the story unfolds in sections, each from the point of view of a different character, which adds texture and depth to what is a suspenseful and psychologically rich thriller, much in the mold of Tana French's The Secret Place (2014)." - Booklist
"Starred Review. This brilliantly plotted thriller, filled with lies and betrayals, builds to an unexpected, mesmerizing ending." - Publishers Weekly
"Bolton leaves it to Catrin's intended victim to bring her story home, but Rachel's narrative lacks the bite of the earlier two. In the end, what might have been a searching look into the fine line between mishap and crime ends in a cascade of improbability." - Kirkus
"Although the lyrical descriptions of a distant and strange place are striking, it's the skillfully developed suspense and the portrait of parents' terror when a child goes missing that grips throughout this tale." - Library Journal
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Reader Reviews
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Nanette S. (San Pierre, IN)
Little Black Lies This is a very good story about three characters Rachel, Catrin and Callum, where each describe their reaction to the disappearance of a third missing child in the last two years in the Falkland Islands. Each character has a story to tell about their lives and how they intertwine amongst each other. I like how the story was told, getting a separate version through each character and how each character related to each other through their own words.
Terri O. (Chapel Hill, NC)
Compelling psychological thriller--highly recommended Little Black Lies is the best kind of thriller, the kind that grabs the reader early on and doesn't let go until the very end. I literally did not want to put this book down. The plotting is intricate and brilliant, the characters are well developed and believable, and the setting is beautifully described as well as integral to the plot. The book offers an emotionally wrenching portrait of profound grief as well as profound guilt caused by one thoughtless act that destroys lives and friendships, and it poses questions about what such damaged people might be capable of. The book kept me guessing until the very end, and the final resolution was believable and satisfying. This book would appeal to anyone who enjoys a good mystery or thriller, particularly fans of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books and Peter May's Lewis Trilogy.
Kathleen S. (St Louis, MO)
Couldn't Put It Down I have read Sharon (S.J.) Bolton's works before so I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to review her latest book, "Little Black Lies."
Set in the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, the islands are remote, barren and inhabited by few. There are still minefields there from the Falkland War.
Suddenly and with rapid succession, children begin to disappear from the island. The islanders all know each other so it is with reluctance that they begin to suspect one of their own.
This story revolves around 3 main characters: Catlin; her childhood best friend, Rachel; and, Catlin's former lover Callum.
The book is divided into 3 sections with each section devoted to each individual character's voice. I loved how this moved and developed the story line, with each character telling his or her side of the story.
The plot moves smoothly and rapidly, and I was able to read 100 pages at a sitting without realizing how my time flew.
This is an excellent stand-alone book that will surely be a bestseller. This book is suitable to mystery book clubs, general book clubs and individuals who like well plotted thrillers.
Annette S. (Duluth, GA)
A Page Turner The setting of this book is the Falkland Islands ten years after the Argentinian invasion of 1982. Few know about the Falklands but after reading Little Black Lies you will.
For the last three years children have gone missing in this closely-knit community. Three narrators tell the reader their version of what has happened.
This a dark tale of secrets and lies along with the question - What do we really know about other people?
Little Black Lies is the first book I have read by this author but I have already purchased the first book in her Lacey Flint series. I look forward to reading all of her books.
Monica G. (San Antonio, TX)
Could Not Put It Down! Children are going missing in the Falkland Islands and someone knows who's taking them.
It's been some time since I've read something as tightly suspenseful as Little Black Lies. From the first page through the last, the author keeps us tightly wound, slowly increasing the tension as we move through the three main characters' narratives until everything comes together in a denouement largely satisfying, if not somewhat convenient. I enjoy books that offer up main characters that are not easily likeable and this book delivers in droves. The islands themselves, also play into the story. Rugged, lonely, and beautiful, they are the perfect setting for the overwhelming sadness and loss that permeate this story. I also appreciate how each character's narrative shone a light on the others which in turn, changed the way we, the reader, may have seen them. All in all, a taut, suspenseful read with an ending you think you saw coming, just not in the way you thought you did!
Patricia S. (New Canaan, CT)
Don't miss this book! This novel entices you from the very beginning as you wonder what has happened to 3 little boys who disappeared on the Falkland Islands. This is a rugged landscape, not a big city, where cruise ships come to see the penguins, so there are always tourists arriving on the islands. Could it be one of them? The tension keeps building throughout this novel, one which was hard to put down as clues mount up. It's narrated by 3 people who have more than a vested interest in the case.
Ms. Bolton's descriptive writing not only draws you into the story, but enhances its readability. ("The reflected moon fell whole and undamaged from the sky … with stars around like litter". She likens the dead bird in Coleridge's poem the Rime of the Ancient Mariner to one of the children. )
The tension mounts as whales pile onto the beach, and another child goes missing. Just when you think you know the answer to the missing boys, you're led in another direction—which doesn't stop until you turn the last page. One of the best novels I've read in ages and bound to be ripe for discussion. Two days after finishing the book, it's stayed in my head, and I find myself wanting to re-read it again to see what I missed as I was hustling through each page to find the answer to this mystery. Don't miss this book!
...16 more reader reviews
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