Title: Sweet Little Lies
Expected
publication: 29 June 2017
My
Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟
“Justice? That’s a bit of a lofty goal. I’ll settle for the
basic rule that says bad people get punished.”
Book Description:
DC Cat Kinsella’s past and present collide when a current
murder investigation throws up links to the disappearance of a girl she knew as
a child, and who was never found. Worse still, Cat has always suspected that
her father was somehow involved in the events of that long ago summer. Forced
to confront her worst fears and suspicions, she may not only be putting her
career in jeopardy, but also find more than she bargained for.
My musings:
I really enjoyed Sweet Little Lies, especially the character
of Cat, a plucky young detective who added a lot of depth and enjoyment to this
interesting police procedural. Although it got off to a bit of a slow start for me, I
soon found myself engrossed in the storyline, which threw up some interesting
questions and premises. What would you do if you had to investigate a murder
that may be connected to events in your past your own parent may have been
involved in? Cat’s relationship to her father has always been troubled, to put
it mildly, but deep down she is still a young woman who needs to be loved and
lay her trust in her family.
Switching between past and present, we get to know an
eight-year-old Cat, who still thinks her father is a hero; and an older, wiser
and somewhat disillusioned Cat, whose father has long toppled from the pedestal
and who she can now see in the cold stark light of reality. As main
protagonist, Cat is a well-rounded and interesting character who I could root
for, and felt her inner turmoil as she weighs up confessing her own involvement
in the case against keeping quiet and running a parallel investigation of her
own, knowing that her career would be on the line if anyone ever found out
about it. The work dynamics within the murder squad are well-drawn, and added
further depth and authenticity to the story. The plot is interesting and throws
a few curveballs, offering that surprise twist at the end I had definitely not
seen coming. And best of all, the mystery is unraveled slowly and
methodically, as more clues are being unearthed by Cat in the process of her
investigation – which always adds greatly to the suspense for me.
Summary:
Sweet Little Lies is a promising debut novel by an author to
watch – I really liked the character of DC Cat Kinsella and hope to see her
back in many more police procedurals in future. The mixture of personal family
conflict and Cat’s professional life added a new dimension to this novel, which
set it apart from many books of the same genre. I really enjoyed Sweet Little
Lies and don’t hesitate to recommend it to lovers of mystery and crime.
Quotes:
“ I feel like we’ve walked onto a Bing Cosby film-set and
pissed on the fake snow.”
This isn’t Scooby Doo, we’re the police.
The martyrdom of the dead is the bane of a murder detective’s
life. It’s hard to pinpoint the truth when people are too busy polishing the
halo.
Thank
you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the free electronic copy of this novel and
for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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