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Innocent Little Crimes
Lila Carmichael, outrageous, bawdy comedienne, is a rich and powerful woman in television. But, it's not enough she has everything she desires; for fifteen years she has been obsessively orchestrating payback to five unsuspecting, former schoolmates—“friends” who played a nasty trick on her, and now it’s her turn for revenge.
Under the flattering auspices of a cozy college reunion, these unsuspecting classmates are invited to Lila’s private island for a weekend from hell where Lila forces them to play a vicious parlor game—a psychological “Ten Little Indians,” where one by one Lila’s guests are figuratively killed-off. Yet, revenge turns bittersweet when the weekend is over and one guest is dead.
A psychological spinoff of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" that Publisher's Weekly calls "A page-turning thrill ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through."
Under the flattering auspices of a cozy college reunion, these unsuspecting classmates are invited to Lila’s private island for a weekend from hell where Lila forces them to play a vicious parlor game—a psychological “Ten Little Indians,” where one by one Lila’s guests are figuratively killed-off. Yet, revenge turns bittersweet when the weekend is over and one guest is dead.
A psychological spinoff of Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" that Publisher's Weekly calls "A page-turning thrill ride that will have readers holding their breaths the whole way through."
234 pages, Paperback
First published October 15, 2011
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November 9, 2024Dnf'd at 50%. I had enough. Despicable characters and not in a good way. Story not interesting enough to push through.
March 27, 2012
A cross between Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians" and William Golding's "The Lord fo the Flies," Ms. Lakin's story is a chilling account of what happens when you bully the wrong person.
The setting: A remote island in the Puget Sound. A brewing storm on the horizon. Five desperate and venial schoolmates, each with their secret sins and back-luck stories, converge on Lila Carmichael's funhouse mansion for a reunion of their Thespian club.
They eat, drink, cast aspersions and pretend to enjoy themselves until a parlor game orchestrated by Lila goes gruesome. Written before the hit TV series Survivor, Ms.Lakin nevertheless presents a highly disturbing account as former friends gang up and turn on each other to ensure their own survival.
After tearing each individual to pieces in the most humiliating manner, Lila Carmichael, like Satan the Devil, then entices the victims with promises to fulfill their ultimate desires if they'd only deliver up one of their own, the chosen sacrifice.
What follows is human nature at it's lowest and most degrading as the story draws to its tragic conclusion.
Ms. Lakin's story held me entralled, without letting me go until I finished it at 2:00 am in the morning. While the action and dialogue grabbed my attention, the longish backstory near the end had me on pins and needles, impatient for the finale. For me, there were too many violins playing to excuse Lila Carmichael for her atrocious behavior, including a stern and unloving father and a weak mother. But that's just me. I don't like making excuses for the villain.
But the ending was totally worth it, sad and pathetic. The moral of the story? If you're cruel to someone, look over your shoulder, and don't ever accept an invitation to a mansion on a remote island.
The setting: A remote island in the Puget Sound. A brewing storm on the horizon. Five desperate and venial schoolmates, each with their secret sins and back-luck stories, converge on Lila Carmichael's funhouse mansion for a reunion of their Thespian club.
They eat, drink, cast aspersions and pretend to enjoy themselves until a parlor game orchestrated by Lila goes gruesome. Written before the hit TV series Survivor, Ms.Lakin nevertheless presents a highly disturbing account as former friends gang up and turn on each other to ensure their own survival.
After tearing each individual to pieces in the most humiliating manner, Lila Carmichael, like Satan the Devil, then entices the victims with promises to fulfill their ultimate desires if they'd only deliver up one of their own, the chosen sacrifice.
What follows is human nature at it's lowest and most degrading as the story draws to its tragic conclusion.
Ms. Lakin's story held me entralled, without letting me go until I finished it at 2:00 am in the morning. While the action and dialogue grabbed my attention, the longish backstory near the end had me on pins and needles, impatient for the finale. For me, there were too many violins playing to excuse Lila Carmichael for her atrocious behavior, including a stern and unloving father and a weak mother. But that's just me. I don't like making excuses for the villain.
But the ending was totally worth it, sad and pathetic. The moral of the story? If you're cruel to someone, look over your shoulder, and don't ever accept an invitation to a mansion on a remote island.
March 14, 2015
Anna and I like a good murder mystery to listen to in the car. This was not a "good mystery." In fact, it was barely a mystery at all. The only "mystery" was what did characters B, C, D, E, F, and G do to character A in college. After a few chapters it becomes nearly impossible to relate to or care about any of the characters so we just kept listening to see which of them would die and which would be the killer. But, even that was ultimately disappointing.
Anna's prnouncment at the end was, "Well, that was about nothing."
We should have cut our loses after the first few hours.
Anna's prnouncment at the end was, "Well, that was about nothing."
We should have cut our loses after the first few hours.
October 23, 2012
The book started off okay, but didn't carry through. Not a riveting story line. The characters did not convince.
July 23, 2017
I am torn between this book because I loved the characters but there were just too many issues for me.
I loved the characters. Cynthia was probably my favorite because I could relate to her the most and she was frustrating to read but heartwarming to see someone who has so much faith and hope. After her I probably enjoyed Millie the most and possibly Peter as well.
Della was heartbreaking. A terrible person that I would probably never want to be friends with but I was content with her end. However, either the author has had the worst experience with men or she despises men a lot because the men in this story just have no redeeming qualities. They are terrible people from beginning to end which made them one dimensional to me. But very easy to hate.
Lila. I just didn't like her. There was that soft spot in me that was like well I understand why she hated them. She had a right to. And she is clearly a but lost in the head with her plans for Davis. But the reason and story given rose very little sympathy out of me. I think if she had contracted an STD from that time I would have been in her corner cheering but the plan was just so petty. And the actual taking them down revenge scene actually bored me. You could basically guess everything Lila was about to reveal.
However, the message of the story was easy and clear to see even if the end left me dissatisfied. Overall I was captivated though by Lila and while I am happy I don't know anyone like her she was fun to read.
I loved the characters. Cynthia was probably my favorite because I could relate to her the most and she was frustrating to read but heartwarming to see someone who has so much faith and hope. After her I probably enjoyed Millie the most and possibly Peter as well.
Della was heartbreaking. A terrible person that I would probably never want to be friends with but I was content with her end. However, either the author has had the worst experience with men or she despises men a lot because the men in this story just have no redeeming qualities. They are terrible people from beginning to end which made them one dimensional to me. But very easy to hate.
Lila. I just didn't like her. There was that soft spot in me that was like well I understand why she hated them. She had a right to. And she is clearly a but lost in the head with her plans for Davis. But the reason and story given rose very little sympathy out of me. I think if she had contracted an STD from that time I would have been in her corner cheering but the plan was just so petty. And the actual taking them down revenge scene actually bored me. You could basically guess everything Lila was about to reveal.
However, the message of the story was easy and clear to see even if the end left me dissatisfied. Overall I was captivated though by Lila and while I am happy I don't know anyone like her she was fun to read.
August 30, 2013
It only gets one star because I liked three characters. Other then that, it would have had none. Frankly, I really hated this book. I got it because it sounded like this Asian horror movie, Reunion. Same idea of a class reunion where the bullied girl gets her revenge. Except, it wasn't as interesting as Reunion.
In this book, we have Lila, a very disgusting and vulgar woman who somehow has like Oprah-like status in Hollywood for her bawdy comedy shows. I couldn't see it. When her comedy routines were shown, it was mediocre and unfunny. She bitterly follows and destroys the lives of six people who had played a cruel prank on her in college. Granted, the prank was cruel, but she went way over board.
**Spoilers**
She sends a fake shrink to ruin the life of Della. I screamed "Illegal" when I read that. Wasn't she getting her pills from him as well? That means he was not only pretending to be a medically licensed doctor, but he was falsely prescribing pills. That's a federal offense! I felt sorry for Della (even though she was not one of my favorite three characters) because she had tried to get help and was barred from that due to Lila's manipulations.
She plans on blackmailing Dick. Granted he deserved that (I had not problem with that part), but she also went after his wife Milli, who was not a bad person. She was a weak person, but not bad. Lila only cared about hurting them.
She destroyed Johnny's career. I had a hard time believing that Lila had so much power in Hollywood that she could keep Johnny from ever getting ahead in directing. Again, I was screaming "Illegal".
She paid Davis' girlfriends to leave him and then crowed about the fact that she owned the lending company that he used so that the money he got from them was really hers. She was obsessed with him, to the point where she didn't want him married and went after his fiance so she'd break up with him.
Cynthia, the fiance, was one of the three I liked, and she was innocent in all of this. She had no connection to the past, but Lila was ready to hurt her just to get Davis to marry her. Peter was another character I liked. His only crime was one I could understand: he couldn't take seeing his lover die from AIDs. Davis was my third favorite. While he was cruel in the past, he had a redemption and had the brains to think about suing Lila. Too bad about the ending.
The flashback to Lila's past felt very tacked on and out of place. If it was to make us feel sorry for her, it failed. I didn't care about her childhood. She was a nasty piece of work, and nothing changed that.
This has already been deleted off my Kindle.
In this book, we have Lila, a very disgusting and vulgar woman who somehow has like Oprah-like status in Hollywood for her bawdy comedy shows. I couldn't see it. When her comedy routines were shown, it was mediocre and unfunny. She bitterly follows and destroys the lives of six people who had played a cruel prank on her in college. Granted, the prank was cruel, but she went way over board.
**Spoilers**
She sends a fake shrink to ruin the life of Della. I screamed "Illegal" when I read that. Wasn't she getting her pills from him as well? That means he was not only pretending to be a medically licensed doctor, but he was falsely prescribing pills. That's a federal offense! I felt sorry for Della (even though she was not one of my favorite three characters) because she had tried to get help and was barred from that due to Lila's manipulations.
She plans on blackmailing Dick. Granted he deserved that (I had not problem with that part), but she also went after his wife Milli, who was not a bad person. She was a weak person, but not bad. Lila only cared about hurting them.
She destroyed Johnny's career. I had a hard time believing that Lila had so much power in Hollywood that she could keep Johnny from ever getting ahead in directing. Again, I was screaming "Illegal".
She paid Davis' girlfriends to leave him and then crowed about the fact that she owned the lending company that he used so that the money he got from them was really hers. She was obsessed with him, to the point where she didn't want him married and went after his fiance so she'd break up with him.
Cynthia, the fiance, was one of the three I liked, and she was innocent in all of this. She had no connection to the past, but Lila was ready to hurt her just to get Davis to marry her. Peter was another character I liked. His only crime was one I could understand: he couldn't take seeing his lover die from AIDs. Davis was my third favorite. While he was cruel in the past, he had a redemption and had the brains to think about suing Lila. Too bad about the ending.
The flashback to Lila's past felt very tacked on and out of place. If it was to make us feel sorry for her, it failed. I didn't care about her childhood. She was a nasty piece of work, and nothing changed that.
This has already been deleted off my Kindle.
October 31, 2012
As groups of thirty-somethings drive to the Anacortes Ferry on their way to a party in the San Juans, I almost wish I were with them enjoying the wonderful scenery. But this celebration hides the cruelties of youth and vicious threats of revenge in C.S. Lakin’s Innocent Little Crimes. And all the crimes and criminals are guilty.
Fifteen years ago, these students starred in a play together. Shy Lila left herself open to teasing when she fell for the leading man and a cruel joke ensued, but now, while all the others have failed in their chosen careers, Lila’s the winner, the success, the party-thrower. Their reunion story might read like the movie The Big Chill, but instead, as one of the characters declares, it’s “[m]ore like the Big Chill faces the Big Chilly San Juans.”
All the characters are guilty in some way, even the most reluctant conspirator, and all face punishment in this tale while snatching at dreams. The author allows her readers into each character’s head, allowing us to see their motivations and delusions, then stepping aside for editorial analysis. It makes for a fairly slow read as each character faces and responds to truth and memory, but the prologue’s promise of something more keeps pages turning with a crash of San Juan waves to its conclusion once the set-up’s complete. As disaster looms, it’s not clear how any can move on.
This thought-provoking tale carries wise reminders of deep hurts so thoughtlessly caused, proving unkindness to be neither innocent nor little, even in the guise of revenge. But there’s hope as well in the ending of the tale, revealing guilt and punishment as only one part of the path.
Disclosure: I met the author online and was lucky enough to get a free ecopy of this novel.
March 20, 2012
The book Innocent Little Crimes by CS Lakin was a great read.Spoiler Alert. It reminded me of when kids are bullied in school-they never forget who and what happened to them. The main character was a sad, shy, withdrawn child who grew up, and was the same in college. She thought she'd found a good friend in her roommate and the actors group at college. It was only when she walked back in the stage door that she heard what they really thought about her. Although what her so called friends did to her (which they thought was just funny, and nothing more)was horrific, what she planned for fifteen years to destroy their lives was worse. She turned out rich and bitter, and ready for revenge. Lila's home life was not for the weak. Her father being overly religious to the point of being abusive and her mother going right along with it-made for a very isolated childhood. It makes you stop and think about the words and actions you use on others. She was so gullible, and wanting someone to care about her so badly that she ignored the obvious. I found the end very interesting due to the fact that Lila realized that the revenge she planned for years ended up having no gratification for her at all. It ended so differently than Lila thought. I give it five stars. Very enjoyable read. L.L. Helland/Laura Stolmeier
September 22, 2012
I began this book with high expectations because I really like CS Lakin's work. This one did not impress me as much and I'll attempt to give my reasons.
When writing reviews I generally assess a book on three fronts: how much the story engages me, how well it is written, and how involved I become with the characters.
To begin with the story did not engage me, and in this instance the characters cannot be separated from the story because I didn't like any of them. And if I can't like the characters then the story has an uphill battle.
Lila Carmichael is an incredibly successful comedian. She's overweight and not particularly attractive. As a young woman she escaped her bible-bashing father by going to college and eventually found her way into the college theatre scene. Something happens within the theatre group that warps her thinking. One weekend fifteen years later she invites the principals of that group to a reunion. The events during that reunion highlight the mean-spiritedness of them all, guests and hostess alike.
The characters may not have appealed to me and hence the story, but it is a well written one.
When writing reviews I generally assess a book on three fronts: how much the story engages me, how well it is written, and how involved I become with the characters.
To begin with the story did not engage me, and in this instance the characters cannot be separated from the story because I didn't like any of them. And if I can't like the characters then the story has an uphill battle.
Lila Carmichael is an incredibly successful comedian. She's overweight and not particularly attractive. As a young woman she escaped her bible-bashing father by going to college and eventually found her way into the college theatre scene. Something happens within the theatre group that warps her thinking. One weekend fifteen years later she invites the principals of that group to a reunion. The events during that reunion highlight the mean-spiritedness of them all, guests and hostess alike.
The characters may not have appealed to me and hence the story, but it is a well written one.
October 30, 2015
This book's description got me at "Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None" and lost me close to the end when I realized that my expectations will not be fulfilled and the book is kinda similar to The Lord Of The Flies. Through the main character, Lila, we're faced with the reality of bullied kids or teens that are haunted their whole life by the things they have been through...and if they're a bit crazy who knows what might happen.
August 26, 2012
Combine one part Agathie Christie, one part “Lord of the Flies” and a hefty measure of Roseanne Barr. Blend with strong character development, excellent writing, a solid story and glaze liberally with selfish human nature. Yields one fine serving of "Innocent Little Crimes".
June 20, 2024
Lila Carmichael organises a reunion. Each of the guests were old college colleagues. Each of them have forgotten what they did to Lila back in college. They are all on the edge of going under and each believes that their former friend will bail them out, but the now famous and wealthy has other ideas. She invites them to play an after dinner game called Wolves, where one by one, each guest is picked off. But the revenge takes a turn as the weekend draws to a close …and one guest is dead for real.
October 27, 2017
Well written story. I had a hard time liking or identifying with any of the characters. Only one of them was a good person. Two of the women seemed to make a better life for themselves. That is why there is a 2 star, it was okay, rating. I thought I was buying a mystery, but it was a drama. My mistake.
June 18, 2019
Gripping
This could easily be made into a Agatha Christie-like movie. Not quite as good as Agatha Christie, but well written and very enjoyable. The dialog is good and the story keeps moving and keeps the reader engaged. And almost most importantly, well written, good grammar, and great editing. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
This could easily be made into a Agatha Christie-like movie. Not quite as good as Agatha Christie, but well written and very enjoyable. The dialog is good and the story keeps moving and keeps the reader engaged. And almost most importantly, well written, good grammar, and great editing. I will definitely be looking for more from this author.
January 24, 2017
Interesting novel about promises. ego. friendship vs. acquaintenship, revenge and lies. Friendship brooks no lies or holding back, but when ego and goals get in the way, watch out. It is only acquaintenship then.
October 4, 2019
Entertaining Read
After finishing two heavy politically based books in a row, I needed something more entertaining to read. This book and its story were more than satisfactory, a roller coaster ride of revenge.
After finishing two heavy politically based books in a row, I needed something more entertaining to read. This book and its story were more than satisfactory, a roller coaster ride of revenge.
January 25, 2021
Good read!!
August 6, 2018
Really enjoyed this from the start. Kept me on my toes. I real page turner.
March 21, 2017
I enjoyed this story. I felt the control Lila exerted over the lives of her former classmates was a bit far fetched, even though she was rich. However, I veered between thinking she was psychologically disturbed and pitying her. The fact they all thought she owed them something after having treated her badly was not. I liked the follow up at the end.
June 3, 2013
C. S. Lakin’s INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES reminds me a lot of the 1973 Stockard Channing TV movie, “The Girl Most Likely To . . .” In both, an innocent, trusting, kind-hearted fat girl is brutally tormented by her so-called college friends. In both, the poor traumatized girl runs away and is hit by a car. In the Stockard Channing movie, she has plastic surgery, becomes beautiful, and exacts her revenge. In INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES, she becomes a super-successful and super-rich comedian . . . and exacts her revenge. What worked in “The Girl Most Likely To . . .” doesn’t quite work in INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES, mainly because the reader doesn’t learn about the cruel college prank until the novel’s third act. Without a reason to sympathize with the novel’s protagonist, readers are left wondering whether any of the despicable characters in this novel are worth caring about.
Lila Carmichael is not attractive – she’s fat and homely and she’s suffered greatly at the hands of her tyrannical minister father and passive mother. When she became involved in a thespian group at Evergreen College in Washington, she believed she had finally found some real friends. But she eventually learned that her so-called “friends” were only setting her up for a cruel prank. The revenge she plans for them plays out fifteen years later, after she has become rich and famous, when she invites them to her sixteen-million dollar retreat off the coast of Washington. There, she leads them through a “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” style party game where her guests are forced to rip each other to shreds for her amusement. As Lila explains it, “All those innocent little crimes just keep adding up, don’t they? Meaning, we’re really all a bunch of mean, selfish murderers. So, who’ll cast the first stone?” Later, she has them running around in the dark during a ferocious storm while she tells her sad life story to her assistant.
The problem is, because we don’t hear her sad story until so late in the novel, there’s no sense of justification for Lila’s actions against her former friends. These are not likeable people –drugged-out wannabe actress Della Romans, mediocre film director Jonathan Levin, corrupt city councilman Dick Ferrol, his whiny and weak wife, Millie, and gorgeous but shallow real estate developer Davis Gregory. It’s Davis who hurt Lila the most back in college, and it’s Davis she most wants to humiliate now. Had we seen what these people did to Lila back in college, perhaps what happens during that weekend fifteen years later would have seemed justified. As it is, it all seems tedious. I hated all of these people – including Lila. As one of the minor characters says, “That’s it! I’ve had enough. This is hateful. You’re all hateful.” That pretty much says it. By the time I learned the story of Lila’s life, it was just too little too late. I understood what had motivated her, but it was all ultimately pitiful and very, very sad.
That may have been Lakin’s point. As in most revenge stories, Lila’s vengeance backfires in the end. As clergyman Douglas Horton once said, “While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself.” While most of INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES prompts the reader to delight (in a black-comedy sort of way) in the suffering of vile and loathsome people, there is a suggestion in the end that none of it is funny at all. Interestingly, Lila blames her college “friends” for the bitterness that has defined her, yet it is that same bitterness that led to her hugely successful career as a darkly funny comedian. This sort of irony elevates INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES above what seems at first to be just an elaborate pecking party. In the end, Lakin pulls off what she wasn’t able to do throughout the novel – she gets us to look at ourselves, to consider our own “innocent little crimes,” and to wonder whether what Oscar Wilde said is really true – do we really end up “kill[ing] the thing [we] love”?
INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES is well written and professionally edited. I liked the ending much more than I did the first two-thirds of the novel, and I do appreciate what Lakin set out to do here. That she wasn’t totally successful should not prevent readers from giving this a look. While it’s not everything that it could have been, it is the kind of book that will leave you thinking. And that’s a very good thing.
[Please note: I was contacted by the author and asked to read this book; I borrowed the Kindle version through the Kindle Lending Library; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
Lila Carmichael is not attractive – she’s fat and homely and she’s suffered greatly at the hands of her tyrannical minister father and passive mother. When she became involved in a thespian group at Evergreen College in Washington, she believed she had finally found some real friends. But she eventually learned that her so-called “friends” were only setting her up for a cruel prank. The revenge she plans for them plays out fifteen years later, after she has become rich and famous, when she invites them to her sixteen-million dollar retreat off the coast of Washington. There, she leads them through a “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” style party game where her guests are forced to rip each other to shreds for her amusement. As Lila explains it, “All those innocent little crimes just keep adding up, don’t they? Meaning, we’re really all a bunch of mean, selfish murderers. So, who’ll cast the first stone?” Later, she has them running around in the dark during a ferocious storm while she tells her sad life story to her assistant.
The problem is, because we don’t hear her sad story until so late in the novel, there’s no sense of justification for Lila’s actions against her former friends. These are not likeable people –drugged-out wannabe actress Della Romans, mediocre film director Jonathan Levin, corrupt city councilman Dick Ferrol, his whiny and weak wife, Millie, and gorgeous but shallow real estate developer Davis Gregory. It’s Davis who hurt Lila the most back in college, and it’s Davis she most wants to humiliate now. Had we seen what these people did to Lila back in college, perhaps what happens during that weekend fifteen years later would have seemed justified. As it is, it all seems tedious. I hated all of these people – including Lila. As one of the minor characters says, “That’s it! I’ve had enough. This is hateful. You’re all hateful.” That pretty much says it. By the time I learned the story of Lila’s life, it was just too little too late. I understood what had motivated her, but it was all ultimately pitiful and very, very sad.
That may have been Lakin’s point. As in most revenge stories, Lila’s vengeance backfires in the end. As clergyman Douglas Horton once said, “While seeking revenge, dig two graves - one for yourself.” While most of INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES prompts the reader to delight (in a black-comedy sort of way) in the suffering of vile and loathsome people, there is a suggestion in the end that none of it is funny at all. Interestingly, Lila blames her college “friends” for the bitterness that has defined her, yet it is that same bitterness that led to her hugely successful career as a darkly funny comedian. This sort of irony elevates INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES above what seems at first to be just an elaborate pecking party. In the end, Lakin pulls off what she wasn’t able to do throughout the novel – she gets us to look at ourselves, to consider our own “innocent little crimes,” and to wonder whether what Oscar Wilde said is really true – do we really end up “kill[ing] the thing [we] love”?
INNOCENT LITTLE CRIMES is well written and professionally edited. I liked the ending much more than I did the first two-thirds of the novel, and I do appreciate what Lakin set out to do here. That she wasn’t totally successful should not prevent readers from giving this a look. While it’s not everything that it could have been, it is the kind of book that will leave you thinking. And that’s a very good thing.
[Please note: I was contacted by the author and asked to read this book; I borrowed the Kindle version through the Kindle Lending Library; the opinions expressed here are my own.]
May 1, 2013
'Despite her great success, Lila had become bitter and cruel.' This is the essence of this book which the author refers to as a psychological thriller. She states her aim as wanting to look at the motives and motivation of her characters and in this writer's humble opinion she achieves this.
At first I wondered about the significance of the prologue, but by the end of the novel I understood. The structure of the book is not linear, and as such it may take a little more careful reading. The characters are introduced through their own chapters. Lila Carmichael, overweight, rich comedian with her assistant Peter. Della Roman is a tortured soul heavily reliant on medication such as valium. Jonathan Levin is a dubious film director with expensive tastes. Dick Ferrol is married to Millie and is in trouble with the law having been issued with a supeona. Davis Gregory is the charmer who bends the rules when it comes to financial deals and is recently engaged to Cynthia.
They are all invited to a college reunion on Lila's remote private island. The thunderstorm prefigures the clash which will happen later that weekend. The game of volley ball on the beach highlights the competitive nature between Jonathan and Davis. The centrepiece of the novel is the 'destructive game' hosted by Lila exposing all their guilty secrets. Lila also reveals how she has been the destructive force undermining their lives, exacting her revenge.
The book then goes back in time to explain about Lila's childhood and her dominating father and acquiescent mother. The way she escaped to college, her talent for learning lines by rote and her role in the play, orchestrated by her guests. After her discovery of their treachery she works in bars and is given her start in comedy. Interspersed with this story is the guests pursuit of Davis on the island. He is to be Lila's prize and the forfeit for putting all their lives back on track.
The book ends with what happens to each of the characters after the devastating weekend. Finally ending with Lila's final TV appearance. There is a suggestion that even though she had her revenge it has not made her happy.
I have not read enough psychological thrillers to determine if this book suffers from not having a linear structure – Ian McEwans Enduring Love certainly did. However it is well put together and the conclusion is logical and satisfying. There is sufficient detail to make it believable, but not overly technical. This is obviously a writer who is good at what she does and I find her blogs very interesting and useful as well.
At first I wondered about the significance of the prologue, but by the end of the novel I understood. The structure of the book is not linear, and as such it may take a little more careful reading. The characters are introduced through their own chapters. Lila Carmichael, overweight, rich comedian with her assistant Peter. Della Roman is a tortured soul heavily reliant on medication such as valium. Jonathan Levin is a dubious film director with expensive tastes. Dick Ferrol is married to Millie and is in trouble with the law having been issued with a supeona. Davis Gregory is the charmer who bends the rules when it comes to financial deals and is recently engaged to Cynthia.
They are all invited to a college reunion on Lila's remote private island. The thunderstorm prefigures the clash which will happen later that weekend. The game of volley ball on the beach highlights the competitive nature between Jonathan and Davis. The centrepiece of the novel is the 'destructive game' hosted by Lila exposing all their guilty secrets. Lila also reveals how she has been the destructive force undermining their lives, exacting her revenge.
The book then goes back in time to explain about Lila's childhood and her dominating father and acquiescent mother. The way she escaped to college, her talent for learning lines by rote and her role in the play, orchestrated by her guests. After her discovery of their treachery she works in bars and is given her start in comedy. Interspersed with this story is the guests pursuit of Davis on the island. He is to be Lila's prize and the forfeit for putting all their lives back on track.
The book ends with what happens to each of the characters after the devastating weekend. Finally ending with Lila's final TV appearance. There is a suggestion that even though she had her revenge it has not made her happy.
I have not read enough psychological thrillers to determine if this book suffers from not having a linear structure – Ian McEwans Enduring Love certainly did. However it is well put together and the conclusion is logical and satisfying. There is sufficient detail to make it believable, but not overly technical. This is obviously a writer who is good at what she does and I find her blogs very interesting and useful as well.
September 14, 2012
This is a review of the upcoming paperback edition of Innocent Little Crimes
A Great mystery of a weekend in hell!
In the style reminiscent of Ten Little Indians, five friends reunite for old time sake where their most secret wishes will be realized: to get Lila Carmichael’s help with their financial troubles or thwarted ambitious plans. Lila Carmichael is a wealthy and accomplished comedienne with fans tracking her every move on television and in the news. Lila invites five of her old friends to spend a weekend in the San Juans Islands, for a college reunion. This weekend would rekindle old times when they were members of a Thespian society, dreaming of great acting parts in the future.
Lila became famous despite her abusive father’s obsession with religion, and who starved her to atone for her sins. At the age of 12, Lila had to search hard for the sins, supposedly, she had committed. Nothing in Lila’s past prepared her to become an actress. She was fat, unattractive and boys didn’t give her the time of day, but she kept dreaming of acting by learning parts of other thespians members acting on stage. One day, Lila hoped she would be famous.
When Della Roman leaves the group to go to Hollywood where real actors of the screen are, Lila lands the main role. Little did she know it was a bet between the four remaining friends to make her a laughing stock? To everyone’s surprise, Lila succeeds in her first role on stage. From that moment on, her star rose high with fame.
Her five friends, Della Roman, Jonathan Levin and his wife Millie, Dick Ferrol, and Davis Gregory hop the ferry to her private island to take advantage to be Lila’s guest. But little did they know what awaited them on this mystery weekend of hell.
This fast-paced, psychological novel of past grievances that must be redeemed held my attention until I read the last page. I loved Innocent Little Crimes! A must read!
A Great mystery of a weekend in hell!
In the style reminiscent of Ten Little Indians, five friends reunite for old time sake where their most secret wishes will be realized: to get Lila Carmichael’s help with their financial troubles or thwarted ambitious plans. Lila Carmichael is a wealthy and accomplished comedienne with fans tracking her every move on television and in the news. Lila invites five of her old friends to spend a weekend in the San Juans Islands, for a college reunion. This weekend would rekindle old times when they were members of a Thespian society, dreaming of great acting parts in the future.
Lila became famous despite her abusive father’s obsession with religion, and who starved her to atone for her sins. At the age of 12, Lila had to search hard for the sins, supposedly, she had committed. Nothing in Lila’s past prepared her to become an actress. She was fat, unattractive and boys didn’t give her the time of day, but she kept dreaming of acting by learning parts of other thespians members acting on stage. One day, Lila hoped she would be famous.
When Della Roman leaves the group to go to Hollywood where real actors of the screen are, Lila lands the main role. Little did she know it was a bet between the four remaining friends to make her a laughing stock? To everyone’s surprise, Lila succeeds in her first role on stage. From that moment on, her star rose high with fame.
Her five friends, Della Roman, Jonathan Levin and his wife Millie, Dick Ferrol, and Davis Gregory hop the ferry to her private island to take advantage to be Lila’s guest. But little did they know what awaited them on this mystery weekend of hell.
This fast-paced, psychological novel of past grievances that must be redeemed held my attention until I read the last page. I loved Innocent Little Crimes! A must read!
June 16, 2012
Lila Carmichael is a bawdy, outrageous television comedienne who has hit it big. Really big. But fame and money haven’t brought her happiness. She’s still rankling from a cruel joke that five fellow students in a college theater group played on her 15 years ago.
Hell-bent on revenge, she invites them to a weekend reunion on her private island off the coast of Seattle. They’re excited by her invitation because she’s now in a position to help them, and most of them need her help and influence.
They’ve forgotten all about their prank, but Lila hasn’t. Once they’re trapped on her island in a raging storm, she turns on each of them and exposes the dark underbellies of their lives.
C.S. Lakin opens Innocent Little Crimes with a prologue that takes place after the weekend is over. A local boatman returns to the island on Sunday afternoon to take the five guests back to the mainland. As his boat approaches, he sees a group of four standing on the beach with a bulky shape wrapped in a canvas tarp at their feet.
The prologue tells us that this weekend won’t end happily, but it’s not a spoiler. We know someone will die, but now we want to know who and why. Lakin ramps up the suspense throughout the novel. Her pacing is masterful as she weaves the backstory of Lila’s youth with the mounting tension on the island.
Innocent Little Crimes is a page-turner, but it’s much more than that. Character is integral to this novel, and Lakin digs deep into her characters and develops the emotion that rules each one of them. And in doing so, she taps into her readers’ emotions. Larger-than-life Lila is the standout character. She’s consumed by her need for revenge, and readers can all relate to her. Most of us, at one time in our lives, have experienced similar feelings, although maybe not as strongly.
This is a book that resonates with readers long after its final page.
Hell-bent on revenge, she invites them to a weekend reunion on her private island off the coast of Seattle. They’re excited by her invitation because she’s now in a position to help them, and most of them need her help and influence.
They’ve forgotten all about their prank, but Lila hasn’t. Once they’re trapped on her island in a raging storm, she turns on each of them and exposes the dark underbellies of their lives.
C.S. Lakin opens Innocent Little Crimes with a prologue that takes place after the weekend is over. A local boatman returns to the island on Sunday afternoon to take the five guests back to the mainland. As his boat approaches, he sees a group of four standing on the beach with a bulky shape wrapped in a canvas tarp at their feet.
The prologue tells us that this weekend won’t end happily, but it’s not a spoiler. We know someone will die, but now we want to know who and why. Lakin ramps up the suspense throughout the novel. Her pacing is masterful as she weaves the backstory of Lila’s youth with the mounting tension on the island.
Innocent Little Crimes is a page-turner, but it’s much more than that. Character is integral to this novel, and Lakin digs deep into her characters and develops the emotion that rules each one of them. And in doing so, she taps into her readers’ emotions. Larger-than-life Lila is the standout character. She’s consumed by her need for revenge, and readers can all relate to her. Most of us, at one time in our lives, have experienced similar feelings, although maybe not as strongly.
This is a book that resonates with readers long after its final page.
June 19, 2013
Revenge is best served cold...this seems to be the credo of famous comedienne Lila Carmichael, when she invites six former college friends to her weekend retreat in the San Juan Islands. For it has been fifteen years since they all betrayed her, while they were each aspiring actors enjoined in the production of Picnic.
They are each hoping for something from Lila...something to enrich their lives and help them move up in their careers.
What they get instead is a wicked parlor game that turns ugly. And deadly.
Throughout the story, we catch glimpses of what formed Lila: her restrictive and religious upbringing; her insecurities; her issues with her weight. And then we see how one horrible prank that the others scarcely even recall set her life on its course. One that led to bitterness and joy in hurting others, and to the vengeful weekend.
The setting for the weekend was lovely, however, and I did enjoy the journey there, as well as the beautiful surroundings. Even though the weekend was stormy and cold.
Parts of the story were intriguing, but soon I felt bogged down with the flashbacks that could have been more interesting earlier in the tale. "Innocent Little Crimes" is a character study that showcases errors in judgment and the high cost of pranks, especially when played on someone vulnerable.
None of the characters were likeable, in my opinion, and even as I felt some empathy for Lila's childhood, her reactions to it only made me dislike her. The same could be said for most of the others. In the end, each one is left with much less than he or she had...and I had to wonder if any of them learned their lessons. This one was a book that made me ponder consequences and left me feeling relieved to turn the last page. 3.5 stars.
They are each hoping for something from Lila...something to enrich their lives and help them move up in their careers.
What they get instead is a wicked parlor game that turns ugly. And deadly.
Throughout the story, we catch glimpses of what formed Lila: her restrictive and religious upbringing; her insecurities; her issues with her weight. And then we see how one horrible prank that the others scarcely even recall set her life on its course. One that led to bitterness and joy in hurting others, and to the vengeful weekend.
The setting for the weekend was lovely, however, and I did enjoy the journey there, as well as the beautiful surroundings. Even though the weekend was stormy and cold.
Parts of the story were intriguing, but soon I felt bogged down with the flashbacks that could have been more interesting earlier in the tale. "Innocent Little Crimes" is a character study that showcases errors in judgment and the high cost of pranks, especially when played on someone vulnerable.
None of the characters were likeable, in my opinion, and even as I felt some empathy for Lila's childhood, her reactions to it only made me dislike her. The same could be said for most of the others. In the end, each one is left with much less than he or she had...and I had to wonder if any of them learned their lessons. This one was a book that made me ponder consequences and left me feeling relieved to turn the last page. 3.5 stars.
January 11, 2013
I thouroughly enjoyed this book. I found it to be a surprsingly good page turner. The book is about a group of people who went to college together and are now in their thirties. Four of them played a horrific trick on a very niave, self-concious and unconfident young girl who just wanted to find friendship and be loved, whilst one (her best friend as such) who sort of knew what was going on stood in the background and allowed it to happen becasue she was afraid of losing the man she thought she loved and being shunned from the group.
Now fifteen years on and all of them have pretty much failed life in one way or another, except Lila, who has become a famous and extremely rich comedienne. Knowing what their lives have become Lila invites them to her big mansion on an island for a reunion. On their mind is only one thing, Lila is rich and maybe she can help them out of their pickles in life but for Lila this is going to be a weekend solely for revenge for their part in her humiliation which has left her bitter and scarred for life. Only at first they have no idea why she is so intent on dredging up the past until it all comes flying to the surface and everyone is made relive the terrible crime they committed, which unfortunately results in one of their untimely deaths and goes to show that revenge truly is bittersweet!
Now fifteen years on and all of them have pretty much failed life in one way or another, except Lila, who has become a famous and extremely rich comedienne. Knowing what their lives have become Lila invites them to her big mansion on an island for a reunion. On their mind is only one thing, Lila is rich and maybe she can help them out of their pickles in life but for Lila this is going to be a weekend solely for revenge for their part in her humiliation which has left her bitter and scarred for life. Only at first they have no idea why she is so intent on dredging up the past until it all comes flying to the surface and everyone is made relive the terrible crime they committed, which unfortunately results in one of their untimely deaths and goes to show that revenge truly is bittersweet!
June 27, 2013
Lila Carmichael is rich, famous and fat but to the outside world she has it all. Lila is out for revenge and will stop at almost nothing to get it.
She decides to have a reunion for her college buddies after fifteen years so they can all see if they achieved what they hoped for.
We will meet Davis, who is extremely handsome, Dick who wants to get into politics, Millie is rather shy and sometimes almost pathetic to be accepted into the group, and then there is Della who is beautiful, Johnny who plans on making it big in Hollywood directing.
All of these people are surprised at the invitations but have no idea of what this reunion is all about. When it is over everyone’s lives will be changed forever and one person will die in this game.
Lila has invited them all plus Cynthia who is Davis’s fiancé for this weekend and to play a game called “Wolves” to see who is strong enough to survive. We will learn secrets about each of these people who were friends but drifted apart after college and the theatrical group they were all members of.
If you like fast paced action and true revenge then this book is a must read as you will not believe just how far someone will go to get and possibly ruin peoples lives.
She decides to have a reunion for her college buddies after fifteen years so they can all see if they achieved what they hoped for.
We will meet Davis, who is extremely handsome, Dick who wants to get into politics, Millie is rather shy and sometimes almost pathetic to be accepted into the group, and then there is Della who is beautiful, Johnny who plans on making it big in Hollywood directing.
All of these people are surprised at the invitations but have no idea of what this reunion is all about. When it is over everyone’s lives will be changed forever and one person will die in this game.
Lila has invited them all plus Cynthia who is Davis’s fiancé for this weekend and to play a game called “Wolves” to see who is strong enough to survive. We will learn secrets about each of these people who were friends but drifted apart after college and the theatrical group they were all members of.
If you like fast paced action and true revenge then this book is a must read as you will not believe just how far someone will go to get and possibly ruin peoples lives.
June 20, 2012
"You know immediately that someone, or maybe more than one, will die—but who?”
A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER THAT DOESN'T LET GO
March 26, 2012
By Ken Farmer
Susanne Lakin does a masterful job of allowing the characters do the storytelling in "Innocent Little Crimes". She has that rare quality not telling the story to the reader, but bringing the reader into the story from page one. One instantly becomes immersed in the personality of the characters, especially Lila Carmichael, a somewhat hateful and vindictive person who invites her former acting club from high school for a gathering at her private island. You know immediately that someone, or maybe more than one, will die. But who? Lakin's treatment of this psychological thriller is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, the best-selling novelist of all time.
The pacing is excellent and keeps you on the edge. Lakin's word pictures are so good you'll think you're watching a movie. This is definitely a novel that needs to be a permanent resident in your collection because you'll want to read it over and over--the greatest compliment any book can ever get.
A PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER THAT DOESN'T LET GO
March 26, 2012
By Ken Farmer
Susanne Lakin does a masterful job of allowing the characters do the storytelling in "Innocent Little Crimes". She has that rare quality not telling the story to the reader, but bringing the reader into the story from page one. One instantly becomes immersed in the personality of the characters, especially Lila Carmichael, a somewhat hateful and vindictive person who invites her former acting club from high school for a gathering at her private island. You know immediately that someone, or maybe more than one, will die. But who? Lakin's treatment of this psychological thriller is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, the best-selling novelist of all time.
The pacing is excellent and keeps you on the edge. Lakin's word pictures are so good you'll think you're watching a movie. This is definitely a novel that needs to be a permanent resident in your collection because you'll want to read it over and over--the greatest compliment any book can ever get.
August 20, 2013
Welcome to Devil's Island...
What happens when six unsuspecting people (five involved people actually and one fiancee added on) are brought to a outlandish island in the middle of the San Juan Islands for a reunion?
Hosting the reunion is Lila Carmichael, a brash, crude comedian (visualize Roseanne Barr) and Lila has been holding grudges against these not-very-nice people for many years.
"Innocent Little Crimes" explores a sadistic trick played on one of the gathered many years ago, guilt, people that don't feel guilt even though they should, and especially revenge. This is a fine psychological thriller.
The author herself admits the book was inspired by Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" made into the movie "Ten Little Indians." I can definitely see that influence on the story.
Well-written with finely sketched weaselly characters, lovely word pictures of Washington state and the San Juan Islands, and a super story brought together for one weekend at Devil's Island.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
What happens when six unsuspecting people (five involved people actually and one fiancee added on) are brought to a outlandish island in the middle of the San Juan Islands for a reunion?
Hosting the reunion is Lila Carmichael, a brash, crude comedian (visualize Roseanne Barr) and Lila has been holding grudges against these not-very-nice people for many years.
"Innocent Little Crimes" explores a sadistic trick played on one of the gathered many years ago, guilt, people that don't feel guilt even though they should, and especially revenge. This is a fine psychological thriller.
The author herself admits the book was inspired by Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" made into the movie "Ten Little Indians." I can definitely see that influence on the story.
Well-written with finely sketched weaselly characters, lovely word pictures of Washington state and the San Juan Islands, and a super story brought together for one weekend at Devil's Island.
NOTE: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 9, 2015
The cover definitely lured me into this read.
Very interesting story that was well put together. Lila's motivation was done perfectly. I loved her characterization. She felt very real. I also liked the way she kind of morphed into this person. She was just interesting all on her own.
I also liked how everyone came to be on the island. They all needed something from the one person they thought was nothing. It just made it easier to enjoy Lila all the more.
The one thing that I really didn't like was the way this ended. I felt like I got absolutely no closure. I was left with a gaping hole of expectation.
The ending, for me, is just as important as the story as a whole. Endings, I think, are hard to do, because you want to leave the reader on a high, yet satisfied. Some authors take the risk to completely annihilate you, but this was just really anticlimactic. You're on a high, and then you're completely let down. And it really did the shadow the whole read for me, hence only 3 stars.
Very interesting story that was well put together. Lila's motivation was done perfectly. I loved her characterization. She felt very real. I also liked the way she kind of morphed into this person. She was just interesting all on her own.
I also liked how everyone came to be on the island. They all needed something from the one person they thought was nothing. It just made it easier to enjoy Lila all the more.
The one thing that I really didn't like was the way this ended. I felt like I got absolutely no closure. I was left with a gaping hole of expectation.
The ending, for me, is just as important as the story as a whole. Endings, I think, are hard to do, because you want to leave the reader on a high, yet satisfied. Some authors take the risk to completely annihilate you, but this was just really anticlimactic. You're on a high, and then you're completely let down. And it really did the shadow the whole read for me, hence only 3 stars.
October 22, 2012
This was nothing more than planning and executing revenge against a group of college students 15 years after a heart-breaking prank was played against now famous Lila.
Lila was hurt and distrustful of people, holding onto bitterness against others and for so long a time, nursing her hurts. She is finally able to gather these people together, trying to ruin those who've moved on with their lives and had forgotten about their years-earlier prank. She was somehow able to garner private information about each and every participant, throwing their short-comings and sins into their individual faces and into the faces of each other. It reminded me of a pack of wild animals as she egged the others on as they hurled their own insults and "bit" at each other with their angry and spiteful words, dredging up one another's past sins and hurtful behaviors.
He who is without sin cast the first stone.
Lila was hurt and distrustful of people, holding onto bitterness against others and for so long a time, nursing her hurts. She is finally able to gather these people together, trying to ruin those who've moved on with their lives and had forgotten about their years-earlier prank. She was somehow able to garner private information about each and every participant, throwing their short-comings and sins into their individual faces and into the faces of each other. It reminded me of a pack of wild animals as she egged the others on as they hurled their own insults and "bit" at each other with their angry and spiteful words, dredging up one another's past sins and hurtful behaviors.
He who is without sin cast the first stone.
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