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Cat Kinsella #1
Sweet Little Lies
In this gripping debut procedural, a young London policewoman must probe dark secrets buried deep in her own family's past to solve a murder and a long-ago disappearance.
Your father is a liar. But is he a killer?
Even liars tell the truth... sometimes.
Twenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she's never been able to banish these ghosts. When she's called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn't get out much, has been found strangled.
Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice's husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat--her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn't telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?
Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds...
Your father is a liar. But is he a killer?
Even liars tell the truth... sometimes.
Twenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she's never been able to banish these ghosts. When she's called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn't get out much, has been found strangled.
Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice's husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat--her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn't telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?
Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds...
368 pages, ebook
First published June 29, 2017
2170 people are currently reading
29443 people want to read
About the author
Caz Frear
5 books705 followersCaz Frear grew up in Coventry, England, and spent her teenage years dreaming of moving to London and writing a novel. After fulfilling her first dream, it wasn’t until she moved back to Coventry thirteen years later that the second finally came true. She has a degree in History & Politics, and when she’s not agonizing over snappy dialogue or incisive prose, she can be found shouting at Arsenal football matches or holding court in the pub on topics she knows nothing about. Sweet Little Lies is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,082 reviews
July 31, 2017
Wowza! What a cracking debut novel "Sweet Little Lies" is! I defy anyone to start reading this and not be hooked after the first few pages.
Cat Kinsella was always a daddy's girl. When 17 year Maryanne Doyle goes missing in the summer of 1998 Cat's dad denies ever knowing her. However, Cat knows he's lying after seeing him flirting with Maryanne and giving her a lift while she was hitch hiking. Cat's relationship with her dad is never the same again. Whilst working as a DC in London eighteen years later, Cat is involved in the investigation of a murdered woman found near her father's pub. When evidence begins to link the death to Maryanne, Cat can't help but have doubts about her father again. Could he be a murderer?
Children are so trusting and believing of grown ups, so it's quite understandable that Cat felt the way she did after her father denied knowing Maryanne. But with unbreakable family bonds, can Cat come clean about what she knows about her father and will she ever forgive him for originally lying to the police? There's a tremendous storyline to this book that has quite a disturbing main plot to it but it's a superbly crafted police procedural with some interesting and well portrayed characters. Cat is particularly compelling, so natural and human you can't help but like her. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "Sweet Little Lies", you'll be glued to the pages and won't be able to put it down.
I can see why this book won a Richard and Judy competition - it's a brilliant debut novel written by Caz Frear, a refreshing new author with boundless talents and excellent writing skills.
A well deserved 5 stars.
Cat Kinsella was always a daddy's girl. When 17 year Maryanne Doyle goes missing in the summer of 1998 Cat's dad denies ever knowing her. However, Cat knows he's lying after seeing him flirting with Maryanne and giving her a lift while she was hitch hiking. Cat's relationship with her dad is never the same again. Whilst working as a DC in London eighteen years later, Cat is involved in the investigation of a murdered woman found near her father's pub. When evidence begins to link the death to Maryanne, Cat can't help but have doubts about her father again. Could he be a murderer?
Children are so trusting and believing of grown ups, so it's quite understandable that Cat felt the way she did after her father denied knowing Maryanne. But with unbreakable family bonds, can Cat come clean about what she knows about her father and will she ever forgive him for originally lying to the police? There's a tremendous storyline to this book that has quite a disturbing main plot to it but it's a superbly crafted police procedural with some interesting and well portrayed characters. Cat is particularly compelling, so natural and human you can't help but like her. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend "Sweet Little Lies", you'll be glued to the pages and won't be able to put it down.
I can see why this book won a Richard and Judy competition - it's a brilliant debut novel written by Caz Frear, a refreshing new author with boundless talents and excellent writing skills.
A well deserved 5 stars.
September 16, 2018
A big sigh of relief!! I am having much better luck with the police procedurals I am reading. Enjoying my break, really who knows if or when I'll go back, from psychological thrillers. Love this debut novel from Frear. Cat Kinsella, is such a great character, flawed but so very genuine, real. A London based DC, when the novel opens, she is trying to recover from a horrifying crime scene, seeing the department's psychiatrist. When a woman is murdered, it brings Cat back into action. This murder will take her back into her past, and she fears she knows who is involved.
Trails go back and forth from Ireland to London, and their crime connections. What I most enjoyed in this novel, was watching how Kat changes, grows. The scenes are vivid, the atmosphere rather dark and bleak, and the characterizations are wonderfully constructed. The case is intriguing and the look into Kat's past, interesting. The ending was also unexpected, how it all ties together very fitting, and the conclusion both different and satisfying.
I'm hoping this is the start of a new series, as I am very interested to see where the author takes Cat next.
Also, this was my first successful audio of a fiction book. The narrator was Jane Collingwood and I thought she was awesome.
ARC from Edelweiss.
Trails go back and forth from Ireland to London, and their crime connections. What I most enjoyed in this novel, was watching how Kat changes, grows. The scenes are vivid, the atmosphere rather dark and bleak, and the characterizations are wonderfully constructed. The case is intriguing and the look into Kat's past, interesting. The ending was also unexpected, how it all ties together very fitting, and the conclusion both different and satisfying.
I'm hoping this is the start of a new series, as I am very interested to see where the author takes Cat next.
Also, this was my first successful audio of a fiction book. The narrator was Jane Collingwood and I thought she was awesome.
ARC from Edelweiss.
September 1, 2018
"Some fears can never be shared. Some fears are so cataclysmic that to share them would be tantamount to suicide."
When Cat was eight years old, Maryanne Doyle, a pretty teenager from the Irish town where Cat's family was on holiday, disappeared. Cat and her older sister were both reasonably obsessed with Maryanne, as was nearly every male in town.
While no one could figure out where Maryanne could have gone, Cat knew one thing: her father told a lie when he said he didn't know anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. And their relationship was never the same after that day.
Eighteen years later, Cat is a Detective Constable with London's Metropolitan Police Force. Still a little on edge after the troubling end to her last case, she is quickly thrown into a new case, this one dealing with the murder of a young wife named Alice Lapaine. Cat and her colleague believe Alice's husband is the prime suspect in her murder once more and more information is uncovered about their relationship, but all that changes when the police department receives a phone call which links Alice to Maryanne Doyle.
Cat doesn't know what to do. When she starts putting the facts together, including the fact that Alice's body was found not far from the pub her father runs, she wonders if the suspicions she's had about her father all these years really were warranted. Could her father really have been responsible for Maryanne's disappearance? Could he have harmed Alice, too? If she divulges her connections to Maryanne, she'll be taken off the case, and the more that she gets involved, the more she puts her job at risk. But the more she tries to get to the bottom of her father's involvement, the more danger she's in of ruining their relationship—and her relationship with the rest of her family—for good.
The deeper the police force digs into the cases, the more twists and secrets they uncover. Cat wants to help solve the cases and bring the killers to justice, but at the same time, she's afraid of what she might find out.
Sweet Little Lies is a great read—tremendously compelling, full of many twists and turns that keep you guessing, even though I had a few suspicions that proved warranted. Cat is a fascinating character, desperate for approval, craving love and stability, and yet unwavering when she believes someone has done something wrong. (She's not quite as vigilant about her own transgressions, but hey, she's human.)
I thought the book started a little slowly, but once it picked up steam I couldn't get enough of it. Caz Frear is a terrific storyteller, and it's hard to believe this is her first book. I saw this listed somewhere with the subtitle "Cat Kinsella, #1," so I'm hoping another book with Cat is in the works.
There are so many mysteries and crime novels out there, but Sweet Little Lies is definitely worth adding to your list. Plus, if you're a Fleetwood Mac fan, not being able to get the song "Lies" out of your head while you read might be an added bonus!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
When Cat was eight years old, Maryanne Doyle, a pretty teenager from the Irish town where Cat's family was on holiday, disappeared. Cat and her older sister were both reasonably obsessed with Maryanne, as was nearly every male in town.
While no one could figure out where Maryanne could have gone, Cat knew one thing: her father told a lie when he said he didn't know anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. And their relationship was never the same after that day.
Eighteen years later, Cat is a Detective Constable with London's Metropolitan Police Force. Still a little on edge after the troubling end to her last case, she is quickly thrown into a new case, this one dealing with the murder of a young wife named Alice Lapaine. Cat and her colleague believe Alice's husband is the prime suspect in her murder once more and more information is uncovered about their relationship, but all that changes when the police department receives a phone call which links Alice to Maryanne Doyle.
Cat doesn't know what to do. When she starts putting the facts together, including the fact that Alice's body was found not far from the pub her father runs, she wonders if the suspicions she's had about her father all these years really were warranted. Could her father really have been responsible for Maryanne's disappearance? Could he have harmed Alice, too? If she divulges her connections to Maryanne, she'll be taken off the case, and the more that she gets involved, the more she puts her job at risk. But the more she tries to get to the bottom of her father's involvement, the more danger she's in of ruining their relationship—and her relationship with the rest of her family—for good.
The deeper the police force digs into the cases, the more twists and secrets they uncover. Cat wants to help solve the cases and bring the killers to justice, but at the same time, she's afraid of what she might find out.
Sweet Little Lies is a great read—tremendously compelling, full of many twists and turns that keep you guessing, even though I had a few suspicions that proved warranted. Cat is a fascinating character, desperate for approval, craving love and stability, and yet unwavering when she believes someone has done something wrong. (She's not quite as vigilant about her own transgressions, but hey, she's human.)
I thought the book started a little slowly, but once it picked up steam I couldn't get enough of it. Caz Frear is a terrific storyteller, and it's hard to believe this is her first book. I saw this listed somewhere with the subtitle "Cat Kinsella, #1," so I'm hoping another book with Cat is in the works.
There are so many mysteries and crime novels out there, but Sweet Little Lies is definitely worth adding to your list. Plus, if you're a Fleetwood Mac fan, not being able to get the song "Lies" out of your head while you read might be an added bonus!!
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com, or check out my list of the best books I read in 2017 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2017.html.
November 27, 2018
At the center of this excellent debut novel is a twenty-six-year-old London police woman named Cat Kinsella. Estranged from her family, her father in particular, she lives alone in a tiny room, devoting her life to her work as a homicide detective while she's haunted by developments that occurred eighteen years earlier when she was a child on vacation with her family in Ireland.
While on that vacation, Cat and her older sister, Jacqui, struck up a friendship with a budding teenage girl named Maryanne Doyle. Just before Cat's family left Ireland, Maryanne suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again. Cat knows that her randy father, a tavern owner and a minor fixer for a crime boss, had been with Maryanne just before she disappeared, although her father steadfastly denied it when the family was questioned by the police in the wake of Maryanne's disappearance. In the years since, Cat has been tormented by the fear that her father may have had something to do with the girl going missing. This has been the source of a great deal of tension between her and her father, even though she has never really articulated her suspicions to him.
Fast forward to the present day when a young married woman named Alice Lapaine is found strangled in London, not far from the tavern that Cat's father still operates. Cat's team is assigned to investigate the case, and initially the victim's husband looks like an excellent suspect. But Cat is stunned when the investigation reveals that "Alice Lapaine" is really none other than the long-lost Maryanne Doyle.
Cat knows that she should immediately come clean with her supervisors about her link to the victim, especially since the body was found so close to her father's establishment. But no one else on the team makes the connection and Cat struggles to maintain the secret while she attempts to unravel the twin mysteries of where Maryanne Doyle has been all these years and how she's wound up murdered now.
This is a very dark and moody story, part psychological suspense novel and part police procedural. Cat Kinsella is a complex and interesting protagonist, and Frear expertly weaves a complex plot that offers up one surprise after another. The settings are very well done. My only concern about the book was the huge coincidence that would have the long-gone girl, Maryanne Doyle, turn up dead and Cat Kinsella be assigned the case. ("Of all the gin joints in all the world...")
Still, that's a minor complaint, and I really enjoyed this book a lot. I see it's billed as "Cat Kinsella #1," and I very much hope that we will not have to wait long for #2. This is a fresh and unique character, and I can hardly wait to see where Frear takes her next.
While on that vacation, Cat and her older sister, Jacqui, struck up a friendship with a budding teenage girl named Maryanne Doyle. Just before Cat's family left Ireland, Maryanne suddenly disappeared, never to be seen again. Cat knows that her randy father, a tavern owner and a minor fixer for a crime boss, had been with Maryanne just before she disappeared, although her father steadfastly denied it when the family was questioned by the police in the wake of Maryanne's disappearance. In the years since, Cat has been tormented by the fear that her father may have had something to do with the girl going missing. This has been the source of a great deal of tension between her and her father, even though she has never really articulated her suspicions to him.
Fast forward to the present day when a young married woman named Alice Lapaine is found strangled in London, not far from the tavern that Cat's father still operates. Cat's team is assigned to investigate the case, and initially the victim's husband looks like an excellent suspect. But Cat is stunned when the investigation reveals that "Alice Lapaine" is really none other than the long-lost Maryanne Doyle.
Cat knows that she should immediately come clean with her supervisors about her link to the victim, especially since the body was found so close to her father's establishment. But no one else on the team makes the connection and Cat struggles to maintain the secret while she attempts to unravel the twin mysteries of where Maryanne Doyle has been all these years and how she's wound up murdered now.
This is a very dark and moody story, part psychological suspense novel and part police procedural. Cat Kinsella is a complex and interesting protagonist, and Frear expertly weaves a complex plot that offers up one surprise after another. The settings are very well done. My only concern about the book was the huge coincidence that would have the long-gone girl, Maryanne Doyle, turn up dead and Cat Kinsella be assigned the case. ("Of all the gin joints in all the world...")
Still, that's a minor complaint, and I really enjoyed this book a lot. I see it's billed as "Cat Kinsella #1," and I very much hope that we will not have to wait long for #2. This is a fresh and unique character, and I can hardly wait to see where Frear takes her next.
November 11, 2017
Even though it feels like it took me FOREVER to finish this book, I rather enjoyed it. It was clever with good characterization as well as a compelling plot. It was not as fast-paced as I had expected it would be, but never boring either. I am a fan of mystery books (or books in general) that are really about the characters and the way their story weaves into the plot as a whole, which very much was the case in this one. It reminded me a little of Jane Casey's books, both in terms of the style and the story. So if you, like me, are a fan of her books or Tana French or Nicci French, you should give this one a try. I can see it becoming a series and I will definitely keep and eye on this author in the future!
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com
January 8, 2025
**3.5-stars rounded up**
Twenty-six year old Cat Kinsella is a DC with the Metropolitan Police Force, her dream job. After a less than stellar childhood, Cat has made her own way in the world and tries to keep the past just there; in the past.
As we all know though, the past frequently comes back to haunt us and Cat's about to learn that lesson the hard way.
When Cat gets called to work a murder scene very near the pub that her estranged father still runs, old memories get stirred up, throwing Cat's brain into overdrive.
Additionally, the victim, a housewife named Alice turns out to be very much linked to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing from Ireland almost two decades ago. Is this a coincidence?
Cat's family met Maryanne while they were vacationing in Ireland just before she went missing and Cat has never forgotten her. Maryanne could do that; make an impact.
But the biggest takeaway from that time for Cat, was that her father was a liar and perhaps worse. After Maryanne's disappearance, he was questioned by police and lied to them.
He said he never met the girl and that wasn't true. In fact, her father may have known Maryanne very well; certainly more than he should have.
Cat has always suspected he knew what happened to her and it definitely drove a wedge between them. Could he also be involved with this current case?
Cat has to solve this mystery now, or risk it continuing to haunt her forever. Thus, Cat and her team dig into the investigation. It goes deep and gets twisted.
Sweet Little Lies is the first book in Caz Frear's Cat Kinsella Mystery series. Incidentally, this was a debut novel.
This was also the 7th-book that I picked up for my TBR Haul-Project. I hauled this back in August of 2018, when it was my BOTM pick for the month. I was originally so stoked for it and then it sort of fell off my radar.
I'll admit it took me a little while to really get invested in the mystery, but Frear definitely brought it around in the second half. I think initially I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and what was happening.
Like the whole Alice / Maryanne thing, I'm not sure if I wasn't paying well enough attention at first, but it took me a minute to get a grasp on that.
Once I started really focusing in on it, the investigation became gripping and intense. Cat's personality, although dry to me initially, really began to grow on me. I'm sure she'll continue to grow as a character in future installments.
I am definitely interested in moving on with this series. Overall, a I found this to be a compelling Police Procedural!
Twenty-six year old Cat Kinsella is a DC with the Metropolitan Police Force, her dream job. After a less than stellar childhood, Cat has made her own way in the world and tries to keep the past just there; in the past.
As we all know though, the past frequently comes back to haunt us and Cat's about to learn that lesson the hard way.
When Cat gets called to work a murder scene very near the pub that her estranged father still runs, old memories get stirred up, throwing Cat's brain into overdrive.
Additionally, the victim, a housewife named Alice turns out to be very much linked to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing from Ireland almost two decades ago. Is this a coincidence?
Cat's family met Maryanne while they were vacationing in Ireland just before she went missing and Cat has never forgotten her. Maryanne could do that; make an impact.
But the biggest takeaway from that time for Cat, was that her father was a liar and perhaps worse. After Maryanne's disappearance, he was questioned by police and lied to them.
He said he never met the girl and that wasn't true. In fact, her father may have known Maryanne very well; certainly more than he should have.
Cat has always suspected he knew what happened to her and it definitely drove a wedge between them. Could he also be involved with this current case?
Cat has to solve this mystery now, or risk it continuing to haunt her forever. Thus, Cat and her team dig into the investigation. It goes deep and gets twisted.
Sweet Little Lies is the first book in Caz Frear's Cat Kinsella Mystery series. Incidentally, this was a debut novel.
This was also the 7th-book that I picked up for my TBR Haul-Project. I hauled this back in August of 2018, when it was my BOTM pick for the month. I was originally so stoked for it and then it sort of fell off my radar.
I'll admit it took me a little while to really get invested in the mystery, but Frear definitely brought it around in the second half. I think initially I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and what was happening.
Like the whole Alice / Maryanne thing, I'm not sure if I wasn't paying well enough attention at first, but it took me a minute to get a grasp on that.
Once I started really focusing in on it, the investigation became gripping and intense. Cat's personality, although dry to me initially, really began to grow on me. I'm sure she'll continue to grow as a character in future installments.
I am definitely interested in moving on with this series. Overall, a I found this to be a compelling Police Procedural!
August 14, 2018
Maryanne Doyle was the teenage girl all the others wanted to be. Long raven curls, piercing blue eyes, and a body to die for. When Cat Kinsella met her as a child while on vacation with her family she was in awe of her. She even gave her her most prized possession her Tinkerbell pendant because Maryanne expressed to her how much she loved it.
A few days later Maryanne Doyle disappeared.
Cat's father is questioned in the disappearance but he informs them that he didn't know her. Cat knows he's lying. She was with him when he picked her up hitchhiking. She also witnessed them having and argument in which "blackmail" had come up. Being just a child she bites her tongue and never says anything about her fathers lie but it takes it's toll on their relationship in so many other ways over the years that follow.
Cat is now a detective in London where a beautiful housewife, Alice LaPaine, has been murdered. Her team is investigating how it happened but Cat has cause for concern. Alice's body was found not far from the door to her fathers bar. Is it possible that her father murdered both Maryanne and Alice? You'll have to read it to find out.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Initially, going in, I thought this was a psychological thriller. My bad for not really reading the synopsis. This is most definitely a police procedural which was such a welcome surprise for me. I tend to go overboard with all the twisty roller coaster psych thrillers that this change of pace came at precisely the right time. Cat Kinsella is a wonderful character, flawed yet likable. I definitely look forward to reading more of this series. For a debut I'd call this quite impressive. 4 stars!
Thank you to Heather @ Harper Collins who was kind enough to send me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
A few days later Maryanne Doyle disappeared.
Cat's father is questioned in the disappearance but he informs them that he didn't know her. Cat knows he's lying. She was with him when he picked her up hitchhiking. She also witnessed them having and argument in which "blackmail" had come up. Being just a child she bites her tongue and never says anything about her fathers lie but it takes it's toll on their relationship in so many other ways over the years that follow.
Cat is now a detective in London where a beautiful housewife, Alice LaPaine, has been murdered. Her team is investigating how it happened but Cat has cause for concern. Alice's body was found not far from the door to her fathers bar. Is it possible that her father murdered both Maryanne and Alice? You'll have to read it to find out.
I enjoyed this book tremendously. Initially, going in, I thought this was a psychological thriller. My bad for not really reading the synopsis. This is most definitely a police procedural which was such a welcome surprise for me. I tend to go overboard with all the twisty roller coaster psych thrillers that this change of pace came at precisely the right time. Cat Kinsella is a wonderful character, flawed yet likable. I definitely look forward to reading more of this series. For a debut I'd call this quite impressive. 4 stars!
Thank you to Heather @ Harper Collins who was kind enough to send me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 5, 2024
Still playing catch up with my reviews. Here is another one, I want to share on Goodreads.
With this one I am excited to say was a wonderful debut novel.
This is a London-based thriller featuring DC Cat Kinsella.
Cat isn't exactly the empathetic type (with live people), but she is with murder victims.
She is a believably flawed, self-deprecating, and quite human character that I really enjoyed.
And she gets along with her older partner - DS Luigi Parnell, a devoted husband and father, who is generally well-liked in the department.
As readers, we are dropped right into the middle of a crime scene - and it isn't pretty.
As Cat and her partner dig into the victim's life, something comes up that turn's Cat's life upside down. And this is a spoiler I am not going to share. Just know it has an impact on the story.
As readers we will find that this isn't just a murder mystery with twists (shocking twists, by the way) it's about Cat learning her way into her herself and her career.
All I will say is this, if you haven't read this by now, you might want to put this on your "must read" list soon!
With this one I am excited to say was a wonderful debut novel.
This is a London-based thriller featuring DC Cat Kinsella.
Cat isn't exactly the empathetic type (with live people), but she is with murder victims.
She is a believably flawed, self-deprecating, and quite human character that I really enjoyed.
And she gets along with her older partner - DS Luigi Parnell, a devoted husband and father, who is generally well-liked in the department.
As readers, we are dropped right into the middle of a crime scene - and it isn't pretty.
As Cat and her partner dig into the victim's life, something comes up that turn's Cat's life upside down. And this is a spoiler I am not going to share. Just know it has an impact on the story.
As readers we will find that this isn't just a murder mystery with twists (shocking twists, by the way) it's about Cat learning her way into her herself and her career.
All I will say is this, if you haven't read this by now, you might want to put this on your "must read" list soon!
August 23, 2018
Nothing really excites me more than when I read a debut that knocks my socks off, and Sweet Little Lies was one hell of a stunning first novel. It’s mostly a police procedural with a psychological thriller feel to it and it’s also part dark family drama which made for a combination I couldn’t get enough of.
Cat is a detective who has made her job her life, nothing earth shattering there, but the complexity with which Frear developed her made her a standout character, the type I won’t soon forget. Her past is intriguing, especially her relationship with her father and trying to decide if her memories from her childhood related to her current case was so fascinating. You have the recollections of an eight year old child, isnshe even remembering things exactly as they happened or is it all muddled up with time and age? A constant guessing game and one that I totally failed, Frear delivered in the end and totally pulled the wool over my eyes.
This does require a tiny bit of patience for readers who only enjoy fast paced narratives, I love a good old slow burn when the payoff is worth it and it totally was here. Just when I thought things were all wrapped up with a neat bow Frear shook me up again and delivered a new shock, she’s GOOD not only at characterization and plotting one hell of a story but also at writing, plain and simple. There’s some sardonic humor and wit sprinkled in to a mostly sharp style, a lethal combination that gets me every time. I see Goodreads says this is the first in a series and I couldn’t be happier, I would love to read more about Cat!
Sweet Little Lies in three words: Assured, Cunning and Authentic.
Cat is a detective who has made her job her life, nothing earth shattering there, but the complexity with which Frear developed her made her a standout character, the type I won’t soon forget. Her past is intriguing, especially her relationship with her father and trying to decide if her memories from her childhood related to her current case was so fascinating. You have the recollections of an eight year old child, isnshe even remembering things exactly as they happened or is it all muddled up with time and age? A constant guessing game and one that I totally failed, Frear delivered in the end and totally pulled the wool over my eyes.
This does require a tiny bit of patience for readers who only enjoy fast paced narratives, I love a good old slow burn when the payoff is worth it and it totally was here. Just when I thought things were all wrapped up with a neat bow Frear shook me up again and delivered a new shock, she’s GOOD not only at characterization and plotting one hell of a story but also at writing, plain and simple. There’s some sardonic humor and wit sprinkled in to a mostly sharp style, a lethal combination that gets me every time. I see Goodreads says this is the first in a series and I couldn’t be happier, I would love to read more about Cat!
Sweet Little Lies in three words: Assured, Cunning and Authentic.
October 1, 2018
Cat Kinsella is a detective. Her latest case has a connection to her past, and brings back old memories. When Cat was a little girl, a teenager named Maryanne went missing. Cat and her family had recently met Maryanne, and Cat has always suspected her father knew something about Maryanne's disappearance. Cat's newest case has a connection to Maryanne, and Cat wants to finally uncover what happened to Maryanne.
This appears to be a fantastic new crime fiction series. At least, I hope it is going to be a series. Cat Kinsella is a detective, and has some great qualities found in female protagonists in this genre - smart, tough, and determined. Of course, Cat has some personal issues to overcome as well, making her a realistic and compelling character.
The mystery was intriguing, and has just the right amount of twistiness. Great for fans of British crime fiction. Slow-burning, dark, and clever.
This appears to be a fantastic new crime fiction series. At least, I hope it is going to be a series. Cat Kinsella is a detective, and has some great qualities found in female protagonists in this genre - smart, tough, and determined. Of course, Cat has some personal issues to overcome as well, making her a realistic and compelling character.
The mystery was intriguing, and has just the right amount of twistiness. Great for fans of British crime fiction. Slow-burning, dark, and clever.
September 24, 2017
As family Christmases go, asking your father if he has an alibi before the turkey has even been digested might seem a little ill-advised. For everyone but DC Cat Kinsella that is, whose relationship with her father, Michael McBride, saw him go from hero to zero when as a trusting eight-year-old and the apple of his eye she discovered he had lied. Seventeen-years-later it is this single event that has influenced the course of their relationship, left Cat with a boat load of hang-ups and ensured that the McBride clan are as dysfunctional as they come. The scars of that summer holiday of 1998 to Mulderrin, on the west coast of Ireland, have left Cat short of trust and a rather chippy madam with a fierce loyalty to her now deceased mother, a fractious relationship with her father and a firm belief in seeing justice delivered and criminals punished. All Cat knows for sure is that the fateful holiday coincided with local seventeen-year-old, Maryanne Doyle, disappearing from the village and her father denying even knowing the girl, let alone giving her a lift to town, flirting with her and being involved in a ‘heated disagreement’ with her. With Maryanne still missing all these years later, the doubts about her father's involvement in events and his questionable business practices has set in motion a bitter enmity that has left Cat spoiling for a fight. As for concrete facts though, Cat is in the dark and whilst supposition, theories, and conjecture remain, when all is said and done, she has no proof of her father's involvement, but it doesn’t stop the niggling doubts lingering.
Now twenty-six-years old, a DC in the Met and after freezing at a crime scene DC Cat Kinsella is clinging by her fingertips to her place on the Murder Investigation Team and attending compulsory police counselling sessions. As Cat contemplates how to avoid a family Christmas, her team are called out in the early hours of the morning to the discovery of a woman's body, identified as thirty-five-year-old Alice Lapaine, of Thames Ditton. Found strangled to death with evidence of knife wounds, her body is discovered behind Exmouth Market and within spitting distance of where Cat spent the first eight-years of her life, residing above the pub her father ran. And the very bad news is that her father is now back as resident landlord once again, therefore posing the question, is his proximity to this second crime an uncanny coincidence or something decidedly fishy? As connections between Maryanne Doyle and the deceased Alice Lapaine surface, a jittery Cat sees herself faced with choosing either her family or her job and weighing up potential charges of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice by keeping her bosses, DS Luigi Parnell, and supportive queen of comical put-downs, DCI Kate Steele, in the dark.
Brimming with an eclectic and humorous cast, Sweet Little Lies is essentially a straightforward police procedural but coloured by an emotive psychological angle with Cat’s personal involvement in the case. Cat is a feisty and determined young woman with a softer side as evidenced by the guilt she feels at deceiving her colleagues and the worry that her dilemma unleashes. Frequently cynical and often flippant, she deflects every awkward situation with a wealth of humour, however Caz Frear never neglects her plot, which is cram packed full of jaw-dropping twists at every turn. Initial concerns that the bawdy humour might overwhelm the plot proved completely unfounded and what actually ensues is a gritty and intriguing investigation. Detailing the revelations that come to light risks spoiling the enjoyment of other readers, but expect some pretty sinister disclosures and a potential romantic interest for Cat. But as to whether Michael McBride is involved… watch and wait! Of the characters involved, the one who I felt a little at odds with was the deceased Alice Lapaine, albeit only described in the past tense, but she seemed rather sterile and left me questioning the plausibility of her awkward marital circumstances and recent history.
With well-timed fleeting flashbacks after every unexpected discovery to the holiday in Mulderrin, there are some witty reminders of the late 1990s trends, from the clothes right through to the music of the era and Caz Frear manages a highly convincing presentation of an eight-year-old Cat’s voice, something that frequently escapes even the most well established authors. Packed with incisive humour and authentic dialogue which evoked memories of Belinda Bauer, despite the eventual unravelling stretching credibility somewhat, Sweet Little Lies is teeming with feel-good enthusiasm and an absolute pleasure to read. I look forward to seeing if Caz Frear follows this stunning debut up with another DC Cat Kinsella investigation, although my concern is that without the personal involvement of Cat’s father, it may be hard to match the high stakes element. However, on the strength of this belting page-turner, I wouldn’t bet against it! A gripping mix of lies, suspicion and genuine intrigue with excellent characterisation and a roller coaster plot. Recommended!
Now twenty-six-years old, a DC in the Met and after freezing at a crime scene DC Cat Kinsella is clinging by her fingertips to her place on the Murder Investigation Team and attending compulsory police counselling sessions. As Cat contemplates how to avoid a family Christmas, her team are called out in the early hours of the morning to the discovery of a woman's body, identified as thirty-five-year-old Alice Lapaine, of Thames Ditton. Found strangled to death with evidence of knife wounds, her body is discovered behind Exmouth Market and within spitting distance of where Cat spent the first eight-years of her life, residing above the pub her father ran. And the very bad news is that her father is now back as resident landlord once again, therefore posing the question, is his proximity to this second crime an uncanny coincidence or something decidedly fishy? As connections between Maryanne Doyle and the deceased Alice Lapaine surface, a jittery Cat sees herself faced with choosing either her family or her job and weighing up potential charges of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice by keeping her bosses, DS Luigi Parnell, and supportive queen of comical put-downs, DCI Kate Steele, in the dark.
Brimming with an eclectic and humorous cast, Sweet Little Lies is essentially a straightforward police procedural but coloured by an emotive psychological angle with Cat’s personal involvement in the case. Cat is a feisty and determined young woman with a softer side as evidenced by the guilt she feels at deceiving her colleagues and the worry that her dilemma unleashes. Frequently cynical and often flippant, she deflects every awkward situation with a wealth of humour, however Caz Frear never neglects her plot, which is cram packed full of jaw-dropping twists at every turn. Initial concerns that the bawdy humour might overwhelm the plot proved completely unfounded and what actually ensues is a gritty and intriguing investigation. Detailing the revelations that come to light risks spoiling the enjoyment of other readers, but expect some pretty sinister disclosures and a potential romantic interest for Cat. But as to whether Michael McBride is involved… watch and wait! Of the characters involved, the one who I felt a little at odds with was the deceased Alice Lapaine, albeit only described in the past tense, but she seemed rather sterile and left me questioning the plausibility of her awkward marital circumstances and recent history.
With well-timed fleeting flashbacks after every unexpected discovery to the holiday in Mulderrin, there are some witty reminders of the late 1990s trends, from the clothes right through to the music of the era and Caz Frear manages a highly convincing presentation of an eight-year-old Cat’s voice, something that frequently escapes even the most well established authors. Packed with incisive humour and authentic dialogue which evoked memories of Belinda Bauer, despite the eventual unravelling stretching credibility somewhat, Sweet Little Lies is teeming with feel-good enthusiasm and an absolute pleasure to read. I look forward to seeing if Caz Frear follows this stunning debut up with another DC Cat Kinsella investigation, although my concern is that without the personal involvement of Cat’s father, it may be hard to match the high stakes element. However, on the strength of this belting page-turner, I wouldn’t bet against it! A gripping mix of lies, suspicion and genuine intrigue with excellent characterisation and a roller coaster plot. Recommended!
January 9, 2020
Sweet Little Lies is my first audio book for 2020. The story was aptly set in London over the Christmas period.
DC Cat Kinsella is quite new to the job of DC and had a bit of a tough time during a previous case she worked on. Reluctantly she has agreed to seek help from a therapist.
Just before Christmas, a body of a woman is found in Leamington Square gardens near to the public house her estranged father runs. After days of investigating they get a tip off that there is a link to an old case, eighteen years previous, a young girl called Maryanne Doyle disappeared.
Maryanne Doyle once lived in Mulderrin, Ireland. The same village Cat’s grandmother lived and the same village she spent a summer, with her mother, father and siblings when she was 8 years old...... and the same summer Maryanne disappeared!
Does Cat know more than she realises and can she unravel the complex web of truth and lies?
Good plot with a satisfying number of twists and well developed characters.
The audible version was narrated well.
DC Cat Kinsella is quite new to the job of DC and had a bit of a tough time during a previous case she worked on. Reluctantly she has agreed to seek help from a therapist.
Just before Christmas, a body of a woman is found in Leamington Square gardens near to the public house her estranged father runs. After days of investigating they get a tip off that there is a link to an old case, eighteen years previous, a young girl called Maryanne Doyle disappeared.
Maryanne Doyle once lived in Mulderrin, Ireland. The same village Cat’s grandmother lived and the same village she spent a summer, with her mother, father and siblings when she was 8 years old...... and the same summer Maryanne disappeared!
Does Cat know more than she realises and can she unravel the complex web of truth and lies?
Good plot with a satisfying number of twists and well developed characters.
The audible version was narrated well.
September 19, 2018
Thank you Caz Frear for writing my kind of mystery! I absolutely loved this debut police procedural. Sweet Little Lies brought to mind Tana French and her Dublin Murder Series. Frear’s book takes place in London, with glimpses of Mulderran, Ireland, where an alleged abduction and murder took place decades ago. Met Police Detective Constable Cat Kinsella was a child when Maryanne Doyle disappeared from the Irish vacation spot. Cat, now in her mid-twenties, has always been convinced that someone very close to her had a hand in the disappearance, and later a murder. Cat is a complex character who comes from a family of what might be called “lowlifes.” Growing up, the family lived above, and hung out in her father’s bar where her father’s associates included known mob figures. Her handsome father was a poor excuse for a husband to Cat’s deceased mom and has always had a penchant for much too young women. Unlike Cat, her siblings accept their dad’s immoral behaviors. Cat’s career choice in law enforcement pushes her even further away from the family. She leads a self-imposed life of isolation and work and appears uninterested in changing. Since her life is dominated by work, Frear introduces us to Cat’s work colleagues, who are as interesting as her family members. The suspects and tertiary characters are intriguing and provocative.
If you’re looking for an addictive mystery or police procedural, pick up Sweet Little Lies. I’m already looking for a way to get my hands on the second book in this series (if anyone sees it on NetGalley or elsewhere, please let me know!). Like French’s books, I immediately want to devour the next in the series it’s not scheduled for publication until June 2019.
If you’re looking for an addictive mystery or police procedural, pick up Sweet Little Lies. I’m already looking for a way to get my hands on the second book in this series (if anyone sees it on NetGalley or elsewhere, please let me know!). Like French’s books, I immediately want to devour the next in the series it’s not scheduled for publication until June 2019.
November 3, 2020
Caz Frear, forgive me.
I walked backwards into this series. Sorta like putting your socks on over your shoes. I grabbed Shed No Tears #3 when it came out and was smitten with Cat Kinsella. The Book Angels slid a copy of Stone Cold Heart #2 my way and I was delighted. And after much searching, Sweet Little Lies #1 made its way to my shelf. All caught up and waiting anxiously for #4.....just picturing you finalizing that one.
Here's the deal with Cat Kinsella. She's a twenty-six year old detective constable working with the Metropolitan Police in London. Cat is still a work in progress overcoming a very iffy childhood with a father who leans toward the illegal side of the street in his comings and goings. She's in constant friction with her sister and brother and throws herself into her work. Not much time for a social life or a better place to lay her head at night.
But sometimes worlds collide. DCI Steele has just put her on a new case involving a strangling victim. In order to take on the new assignment, Cat must undergo sessions with the police counselor. Cat witnessed a recent mind-blowing case in which the remnants still haunt her. She's anxious to take on the new case which shows parallels to a crime committed years ago. Cat still imagines that her father was somehow involved. There's a tug-o-war inside herself with daughter/police officer issues.
Caz Frear has created an honest, in-your-face, don't-care-what-you-think main character with Cat Kinsella. I think we all enjoy an ongoing storyline in which the focus character has many personal demons creeping about. Caz Frear gives life to Cat with quirky dialogue and comeback lines. Our girl lives and breathes as a detective and she certainly has the eye for it.
Consider your approach into this series. Backwards or forwards, it's a winner.
I walked backwards into this series. Sorta like putting your socks on over your shoes. I grabbed Shed No Tears #3 when it came out and was smitten with Cat Kinsella. The Book Angels slid a copy of Stone Cold Heart #2 my way and I was delighted. And after much searching, Sweet Little Lies #1 made its way to my shelf. All caught up and waiting anxiously for #4.....just picturing you finalizing that one.
Here's the deal with Cat Kinsella. She's a twenty-six year old detective constable working with the Metropolitan Police in London. Cat is still a work in progress overcoming a very iffy childhood with a father who leans toward the illegal side of the street in his comings and goings. She's in constant friction with her sister and brother and throws herself into her work. Not much time for a social life or a better place to lay her head at night.
But sometimes worlds collide. DCI Steele has just put her on a new case involving a strangling victim. In order to take on the new assignment, Cat must undergo sessions with the police counselor. Cat witnessed a recent mind-blowing case in which the remnants still haunt her. She's anxious to take on the new case which shows parallels to a crime committed years ago. Cat still imagines that her father was somehow involved. There's a tug-o-war inside herself with daughter/police officer issues.
Caz Frear has created an honest, in-your-face, don't-care-what-you-think main character with Cat Kinsella. I think we all enjoy an ongoing storyline in which the focus character has many personal demons creeping about. Caz Frear gives life to Cat with quirky dialogue and comeback lines. Our girl lives and breathes as a detective and she certainly has the eye for it.
Consider your approach into this series. Backwards or forwards, it's a winner.
January 6, 2019
4.5/5 stars for this masterful procedural from a talented debut crime writer. There’s something about the tried-and-true police procedural that always keeps me coming back for more—and finding an author who can write a police procedural in as fresh, modern a way as can Caz Frear is a genuine treat.
Read my full review on the CBTB blog! http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2018/9...
Read my full review on the CBTB blog! http://crimebythebook.com/blog/2018/9...
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August 1, 2018Why I Love It
by Louisa Luna
As the author of a mystery-thriller with a tough but damaged female protagonist, I thought this story about a detective with a troubled past was familiar territory and was confident I would see the twists coming a hundred pages out. Um, not the case. Sweet Little Lies surprised me over and over again.
While investigating a seemingly routine murder case in London, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella is drawn into a maze of cover-ups reaching all the way back to the disappearance of a teenage girl 18 years prior. But what’s even more unsettling than a two-decade-old mystery is that Cat has never been able to shake the feeling that her gangster father was involved in the crime. Now, Cat can no longer ignore the past as the clock ticks for her to find the killer.
When I finished Sweet Little Lies after a 48-hour binge of subway-reading, ignoring-boss’s-phone-calls-at-day-job-reading, crossing-the-street-reading (not recommended), late-night-after-kid-goes-to-bed-reading, I did a thing I do with my favorite mysteries: I went back to the beginning and read the first 20 pages again. Only then did I realize Caz Frear’s mastery, how the seemingly non-magic beans she dropped along the way grew into gloriously unpredictable and yet completely satisfying intertwined stalks of character and plot. Not only did this book keep me guessing until the end, it was also a sharp portrait of the many ways in which parents and children hurt and save each other. Fans of Tana French will love this. I did.
Read more at: https://www.bookofthemonth.com/sweet-...
by Louisa Luna
As the author of a mystery-thriller with a tough but damaged female protagonist, I thought this story about a detective with a troubled past was familiar territory and was confident I would see the twists coming a hundred pages out. Um, not the case. Sweet Little Lies surprised me over and over again.
While investigating a seemingly routine murder case in London, Detective Constable Cat Kinsella is drawn into a maze of cover-ups reaching all the way back to the disappearance of a teenage girl 18 years prior. But what’s even more unsettling than a two-decade-old mystery is that Cat has never been able to shake the feeling that her gangster father was involved in the crime. Now, Cat can no longer ignore the past as the clock ticks for her to find the killer.
When I finished Sweet Little Lies after a 48-hour binge of subway-reading, ignoring-boss’s-phone-calls-at-day-job-reading, crossing-the-street-reading (not recommended), late-night-after-kid-goes-to-bed-reading, I did a thing I do with my favorite mysteries: I went back to the beginning and read the first 20 pages again. Only then did I realize Caz Frear’s mastery, how the seemingly non-magic beans she dropped along the way grew into gloriously unpredictable and yet completely satisfying intertwined stalks of character and plot. Not only did this book keep me guessing until the end, it was also a sharp portrait of the many ways in which parents and children hurt and save each other. Fans of Tana French will love this. I did.
Read more at: https://www.bookofthemonth.com/sweet-...
November 20, 2018
Young Detective Constable Catrina (Cat) Kinsella hasn't had the easiest of lives--she didn't get along well with her father and her mother has since passed away. At twenty-six, Cat is in counseling after a traumatic incident while on the job, and she spends most of her nights alone, plagued by insomnia. She isn't close to her family, including her father, sister, or brother. Her latest case is that of thirty-five-year old Alice Lapaine, who is found murdered and dumped in Leamington Square. Alice too led a solitary life, spending weeks away from her husband, Thomas, who quickly becomes the team's top suspect. But then they receive a call--Alice isn't Alice, but rather Maryanne Doyle, a teenager who went missing in Ireland nearly twenty years ago. Suddenly, Cat's world is upside down. After all, she knew Maryanne, whom her family met while visiting Cat's grandmother when Cat was eight. And Cat has always suspected her father had something to do with Maryanne's sudden disappearance. Cat chooses not to tell her DCI about the linkages between Maryanne and her father, but this choice may have serious consequences: for Cat, her career, and her entire family.
"I feel it's necessary to make clear that I know nothing about what happened to Maryanne Doyle, the girl who went to Riley's for hairspray and never came back. I have my suspicions, of course. I speculate plenty, especially after white wine. But when it comes right down to it, I actually know nothing. The same cannot be said of my father."
This was an interesting, complicated tale. The mystery aspect of it was actually really fascinating, with the linkages slowly building between Alice and Maryanne, as we try to figure out what happened between Maryanne disappearing as a teen, her becoming Alice and then winding up murdered. Overall, I really enjoyed that part of the book. Frear has a lot of good surprises for us, and I was kept guessing for most of the novel.
The personal side of the book was a little harder for me. Don't get me wrong, I did like Cat. She certainly is a complicated character. I have to admit that characters that don't tell the truth or narratives that revolve around this aspect of keeping the truth hidden can be a bit of a pet peeve of mine. So basically an entire book that involves the main character keeping such a big secret (my Dad knew my murder victim, who was found a few paces outside the pub he owns)--that was tough for me. The more involved Cat gets in her case and the more entwined the case becomes with her own life and past: ugh. It all felt a little wrong and icky for me.
Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed this book more if the personal ties to Cat weren't there, or weren't so strong. I recognize they existed to give her depth and add more to the story and case, but they just made me uncomfortable and almost added an extra layer to the mystery that I felt wasn't necessary. Things were already twisty enough, it seemed as we didn't need this whole additional convoluted element with Cat's family. But maybe that's just me and my aversion to lying and such. (I don't even like when this happens in movies and eventually you know it's all going to come out and bad things will happen.)
This is not a simple book, and the story told is a perplexing and sophisticated one: you really have to be ready to follow along. On the plus side, it's original, and the characters are rather unique. I'm intrigued that it looks like Cat will be part of a series. I did like this book, even if some elements were a little harder for me to enjoy, and it was well-written. I'd certainly pick up the next book in a series and perhaps if her family wasn't so entwined in her case, enjoy it even more. 3.5 stars for this one.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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"I feel it's necessary to make clear that I know nothing about what happened to Maryanne Doyle, the girl who went to Riley's for hairspray and never came back. I have my suspicions, of course. I speculate plenty, especially after white wine. But when it comes right down to it, I actually know nothing. The same cannot be said of my father."
This was an interesting, complicated tale. The mystery aspect of it was actually really fascinating, with the linkages slowly building between Alice and Maryanne, as we try to figure out what happened between Maryanne disappearing as a teen, her becoming Alice and then winding up murdered. Overall, I really enjoyed that part of the book. Frear has a lot of good surprises for us, and I was kept guessing for most of the novel.
The personal side of the book was a little harder for me. Don't get me wrong, I did like Cat. She certainly is a complicated character. I have to admit that characters that don't tell the truth or narratives that revolve around this aspect of keeping the truth hidden can be a bit of a pet peeve of mine. So basically an entire book that involves the main character keeping such a big secret (my Dad knew my murder victim, who was found a few paces outside the pub he owns)--that was tough for me. The more involved Cat gets in her case and the more entwined the case becomes with her own life and past: ugh. It all felt a little wrong and icky for me.
Honestly, I probably would have enjoyed this book more if the personal ties to Cat weren't there, or weren't so strong. I recognize they existed to give her depth and add more to the story and case, but they just made me uncomfortable and almost added an extra layer to the mystery that I felt wasn't necessary. Things were already twisty enough, it seemed as we didn't need this whole additional convoluted element with Cat's family. But maybe that's just me and my aversion to lying and such. (I don't even like when this happens in movies and eventually you know it's all going to come out and bad things will happen.)
This is not a simple book, and the story told is a perplexing and sophisticated one: you really have to be ready to follow along. On the plus side, it's original, and the characters are rather unique. I'm intrigued that it looks like Cat will be part of a series. I did like this book, even if some elements were a little harder for me to enjoy, and it was well-written. I'd certainly pick up the next book in a series and perhaps if her family wasn't so entwined in her case, enjoy it even more. 3.5 stars for this one.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in return for an unbiased review (thank you!).
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July 19, 2017
I had heard good things about Sweet Little Lies so of course I had to check it out to see what it was like.
Sweet Little Lies is the winner of the Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and I can see how it won. Packed with unreliable narrators, twisty and with plenty of diffferent themes and avenues explored it definitely follows the psych thriller rules in that sense!
Caz Frear has a great writing style, and a knack for creating characters that the reader will love to hate I think. One thing that made me smile was reading about my hometown and a nightclub from the 1990’s. I love feeling a connection like that when I’m reading, and its not often that Galway gets a mention!
Sweet Little Lies is an interesting tale. It has good plot and divisive characters and it deals well in showing how relationships and secrets can destroy lives.
Recommended!
Sweet Little Lies is the winner of the Richard & Judy Search for a Bestseller competition and I can see how it won. Packed with unreliable narrators, twisty and with plenty of diffferent themes and avenues explored it definitely follows the psych thriller rules in that sense!
Caz Frear has a great writing style, and a knack for creating characters that the reader will love to hate I think. One thing that made me smile was reading about my hometown and a nightclub from the 1990’s. I love feeling a connection like that when I’m reading, and its not often that Galway gets a mention!
Sweet Little Lies is an interesting tale. It has good plot and divisive characters and it deals well in showing how relationships and secrets can destroy lives.
Recommended!
April 1, 2020
Me ha gustado, está francamente bien. Además, cosa rara, me ha caído bien la detective Cat Kinsella y también el sargento Parnell, y hasta la jefa Steele jajajajaja. Como he visto por ahí que hay además otro libro que le sigue a este, el 2º de la serie, (Corazón despiadado) alla que voy a por él. Recomendable. Pd: me he despistado y le había puesto 2 estrellas, son 4 estrellas. Mil perdones 🤗
November 2, 2018
Review now completed. Well done! A Highly satisfying read!
Cat Kinsella is a young woman now in her 20’s, and a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police, who tries to abide by the police procedures and rules, but sometimes being both human and being police, finds it hard to do just that. Her childhood and family and upbringing may have had something to do with that ingrained behavior. She reflects much on her younger years; is stubborn in believing what she believes, but over time and in some instances, things she recalls are not as clear as she remembers them to be. Other things are actually worse than what she remembers them to be!
She’s got to work all this out in her heart and in her head while investigating a disappearance/murder of someone she knew as a child that may or may not have some bearing with her father who had an eye for the ladies, and as a widower now, still does, much to Cat’s chagrin. Cat is referred to see a police psychologist for counseling per her boss, after falling apart during a recent case. Both her boss, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Steele and her partner, Detective Sergeant Parnell, are very supportive of Cat, and as the story continues, Cat steps up physically and emotionally, but sometimes she does fall back. She does have a weakness in her character. Cat wants to do her best, to continue to earn respect from her boss and partner, her colleagues, keep her current job, and put the bad guys away. But sometimes things don’t always work out the exact way you want it to. Sometimes, Cat is really pushing a fine line in her job. The stress of this new case and the stress of her dysfunctional family and the complicated dynamics of the two are at times, enough to unhinge her. She tries hard to not let her feelings or emotionality become noticeable to others, most especially her partner and her boss, and most especially, her counselor. She definitely tries to put up a good front, however, these folks can see through her; but they’re testing her, trying to help her, making her work harder and boosting her self confidence and mental health in different ways, especially with this latest case, while still keeping an eye on her.
Oh, What a twisted tale we have here!
Cat is not on great terms with her sister, most especially not with her brother, Noah, and is especially testy with her father. Her father has some secrets to hide from years past, besides openly being a womanizer. Her mother, whom she thought the world of, had issues of her own and certainly was not saintly, though Cat firmly thought she was. There was an “Uncle” Frank who was sketchy, and easy for an 8 year old to figure out he was not who he appeared to be. An 8 year old whose family lived upstairs over a rowdy bar that her father worked and eventually managed for/with Uncle Frank. And that’s a whole other story in itself!
There’s a lot of reminiscing going on in Cat’s head through the book. I don’t know about you, but there are things I recall from my early days that are clear and others that are not so clear. I’ve made some assumptions where maybe I shouldnt have, because 1) I was too young to understand them and 2) only saw it through my eyes and did not know the full story. And that’s what we experience here, which heightens what is the truth and what is not. Who is lying, who is not and why?
We go through a lot of police procedurals and I enjoyed reading them and of the camaraderie of the team, through tough times and times they were able to kick back and joke and laugh or go out for a nightcap. I liked DCI Steele’s character and personality - she was tough; no nonsense when and where needed to be; open and compassionate when she would let her walls down. I liked the close work partnership and warm friendship of DS Parnell and Cat.
Excitement starts kicking up even more with this missing person who is not who she appears to be. And the story takes off in multiple directions, with possible multiple suspects, identity switches, money laundering, murder, prostitution, betrayals, human trafficking, etc. You really had to pay attention (no distractions!) at the end when all the loose threads of the story were tied into place. Well, maybe not all of them, but most of them. And you’ll find out why that is so.
I look forward to more publications from this new author. She has set a precedent with this, her first book, and now has a following of very satisfied readers, myself included.
Cat Kinsella is a young woman now in her 20’s, and a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police, who tries to abide by the police procedures and rules, but sometimes being both human and being police, finds it hard to do just that. Her childhood and family and upbringing may have had something to do with that ingrained behavior. She reflects much on her younger years; is stubborn in believing what she believes, but over time and in some instances, things she recalls are not as clear as she remembers them to be. Other things are actually worse than what she remembers them to be!
She’s got to work all this out in her heart and in her head while investigating a disappearance/murder of someone she knew as a child that may or may not have some bearing with her father who had an eye for the ladies, and as a widower now, still does, much to Cat’s chagrin. Cat is referred to see a police psychologist for counseling per her boss, after falling apart during a recent case. Both her boss, Detective Chief Inspector Kate Steele and her partner, Detective Sergeant Parnell, are very supportive of Cat, and as the story continues, Cat steps up physically and emotionally, but sometimes she does fall back. She does have a weakness in her character. Cat wants to do her best, to continue to earn respect from her boss and partner, her colleagues, keep her current job, and put the bad guys away. But sometimes things don’t always work out the exact way you want it to. Sometimes, Cat is really pushing a fine line in her job. The stress of this new case and the stress of her dysfunctional family and the complicated dynamics of the two are at times, enough to unhinge her. She tries hard to not let her feelings or emotionality become noticeable to others, most especially her partner and her boss, and most especially, her counselor. She definitely tries to put up a good front, however, these folks can see through her; but they’re testing her, trying to help her, making her work harder and boosting her self confidence and mental health in different ways, especially with this latest case, while still keeping an eye on her.
Oh, What a twisted tale we have here!
Cat is not on great terms with her sister, most especially not with her brother, Noah, and is especially testy with her father. Her father has some secrets to hide from years past, besides openly being a womanizer. Her mother, whom she thought the world of, had issues of her own and certainly was not saintly, though Cat firmly thought she was. There was an “Uncle” Frank who was sketchy, and easy for an 8 year old to figure out he was not who he appeared to be. An 8 year old whose family lived upstairs over a rowdy bar that her father worked and eventually managed for/with Uncle Frank. And that’s a whole other story in itself!
There’s a lot of reminiscing going on in Cat’s head through the book. I don’t know about you, but there are things I recall from my early days that are clear and others that are not so clear. I’ve made some assumptions where maybe I shouldnt have, because 1) I was too young to understand them and 2) only saw it through my eyes and did not know the full story. And that’s what we experience here, which heightens what is the truth and what is not. Who is lying, who is not and why?
We go through a lot of police procedurals and I enjoyed reading them and of the camaraderie of the team, through tough times and times they were able to kick back and joke and laugh or go out for a nightcap. I liked DCI Steele’s character and personality - she was tough; no nonsense when and where needed to be; open and compassionate when she would let her walls down. I liked the close work partnership and warm friendship of DS Parnell and Cat.
Excitement starts kicking up even more with this missing person who is not who she appears to be. And the story takes off in multiple directions, with possible multiple suspects, identity switches, money laundering, murder, prostitution, betrayals, human trafficking, etc. You really had to pay attention (no distractions!) at the end when all the loose threads of the story were tied into place. Well, maybe not all of them, but most of them. And you’ll find out why that is so.
I look forward to more publications from this new author. She has set a precedent with this, her first book, and now has a following of very satisfied readers, myself included.
August 14, 2018
3.5 stars, rounding to 4 for Goodreads.
I always love the father/daughter dynamic in books since I have a very close relationship with mine. This one isn't as loving, but still the bond is there - even if Cat does know her father is lying about the disappearance of her friend and is now suspicious about the death of another woman.
This is slightly different than most police procedurals as we have a team that actually works well together without any misogynistic undertones and there are more dynamics in side stories as we switch from past to present timelines. I will say that at times it ran really slow for me and I would find myself putting it down without any real manic desire to read more. However, I am glad that I stuck with it as it did get better as I continued along.
There are a few revelations that come about as the story proceeds but nothing that makes you gasp or is all that surprising. I think the pacing has something to do with this as it slowly unravels for the reader. I did enjoy that this is told straight through Cat's eyes and there's no flipping of POVs.
An absolutely solid debut that divides it's story between family conflicts and the investigation in itself.
I always love the father/daughter dynamic in books since I have a very close relationship with mine. This one isn't as loving, but still the bond is there - even if Cat does know her father is lying about the disappearance of her friend and is now suspicious about the death of another woman.
This is slightly different than most police procedurals as we have a team that actually works well together without any misogynistic undertones and there are more dynamics in side stories as we switch from past to present timelines. I will say that at times it ran really slow for me and I would find myself putting it down without any real manic desire to read more. However, I am glad that I stuck with it as it did get better as I continued along.
There are a few revelations that come about as the story proceeds but nothing that makes you gasp or is all that surprising. I think the pacing has something to do with this as it slowly unravels for the reader. I did enjoy that this is told straight through Cat's eyes and there's no flipping of POVs.
An absolutely solid debut that divides it's story between family conflicts and the investigation in itself.
June 27, 2017
What happens when the trust has gone?
Cat Kinsella was always a daddy's girl. Until the summer of 1998 when she sees her father flirting with seventeen-year-old Maryanne Doyle.
When Maryanne later disappears and Cat's father denies ever knowing her, Cat's relationship with him is changed forever.
I was expecting Sweet Little Lies to be suspenseful, but it was more of a police procedural. Although I thought the mystery was rather intriguing at times, ultimately I did not find it all that compelling of a read. Parts of it felt really drawn out and I had a hard time wanting to pick it up and read it when that happened. The main character, Cat was not all that likable to me either. The good thing about this book is that I did not figure all the details of the mystery out. On a random note, since finishing this I've had the Fleetwood Mac song stuck in my head.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for giving me a copy of this book for review.
Review also posted at https://writingsofareader.blogspot.com/
Cat Kinsella was always a daddy's girl. Until the summer of 1998 when she sees her father flirting with seventeen-year-old Maryanne Doyle.
When Maryanne later disappears and Cat's father denies ever knowing her, Cat's relationship with him is changed forever.
I was expecting Sweet Little Lies to be suspenseful, but it was more of a police procedural. Although I thought the mystery was rather intriguing at times, ultimately I did not find it all that compelling of a read. Parts of it felt really drawn out and I had a hard time wanting to pick it up and read it when that happened. The main character, Cat was not all that likable to me either. The good thing about this book is that I did not figure all the details of the mystery out. On a random note, since finishing this I've had the Fleetwood Mac song stuck in my head.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for giving me a copy of this book for review.
Review also posted at https://writingsofareader.blogspot.com/
April 11, 2021
If you are in the mood for a slow burn police procedural with a kickass female lead, look no further than Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear. This is a debut novel to boot, and I was very impressed by both the mystery and Frear's writing. I thought the whole thing had a very slow burn quality, but as I listened to the audiobook I didn't mind one bit. I LOVE police procedurals, and you definitely get all the things that come with one in this book. I really liked Cat and found the dynamic between her and her dad very intriguing, as well as how the murdered woman ended up tying in with her family. There isn't anything too gory in this book either, so if you aren't a fan of a lot of violence or gore, this is a great one to try.
The audiobook is very well done, as narrated by Jane Collingwood. It is just under 12 hours but let me tell you, it goes QUICK. I found myself completely immersed in the investigation and loved the way Collingwood brought Cat to life for me. She narrates every book in the series and trust me when I say I am A-OK with it! I had no idea who the killer would end up being and was very surprised by the ending. Both who the killer was, and some intrigue involving Cat and her family totally shocked me. I really appreciated that Frear didn't inundate the reader with all of Cat's backstory, even though you definitely still get to know her a bit. Sweet Little Lies was mostly about the case, and what a case it was. So glad I finally picked this one up, and I am excited to see what book 2 brings me!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The audiobook is very well done, as narrated by Jane Collingwood. It is just under 12 hours but let me tell you, it goes QUICK. I found myself completely immersed in the investigation and loved the way Collingwood brought Cat to life for me. She narrates every book in the series and trust me when I say I am A-OK with it! I had no idea who the killer would end up being and was very surprised by the ending. Both who the killer was, and some intrigue involving Cat and her family totally shocked me. I really appreciated that Frear didn't inundate the reader with all of Cat's backstory, even though you definitely still get to know her a bit. Sweet Little Lies was mostly about the case, and what a case it was. So glad I finally picked this one up, and I am excited to see what book 2 brings me!
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 13, 2022
Este libro llevaba tiempo detrás de leerlo, me lo recomendaron, lo propuse para una conjunta y salió, así que, como dicen, la ocasión la pintan calva. Es el primero de la serie de la agente de la policía Cat Kinsella, una joven con traumas y que se lleva mal con su padre. Esta investigación hará que vuelva a verlo, que dude de él y hasta ahí puedo contar. El título le va bastante bien a la historia. El asesinato de una mujer desatará la trama de esta historia que hará ver que no es oro todo lo que reluce y que hay cosas que es mejor hablarlas antes de que se enquisten. Me ha gustado el desarrollo de la historia, la descripción de los personajes, algunos anodinos, otros no tanto como parecen y otros a los que te gustaría tener en tu vida. Una historia que me ha entretenido bastante y me ha hecho querer seguir con la serie.
December 25, 2018
4.5 because rounding up is my aesthetic.
This is 352 pages long and definitely worth it. Cat Kinsella is interesting, intelligent, and real. She doesn't fuck around and I love that. Also, there's a sequel??!!
This is 352 pages long and definitely worth it. Cat Kinsella is interesting, intelligent, and real. She doesn't fuck around and I love that. Also, there's a sequel??!!
August 3, 2019
It took me forever to read this debut
I’d read it
Put it down
Cat kinsella
Detective
Met
A body in the square
Alice
Who is she
The past is haunting
Your present is the reflection of the past
I may read the second book
I’d read it
Put it down
Cat kinsella
Detective
Met
A body in the square
Alice
Who is she
The past is haunting
Your present is the reflection of the past
I may read the second book
September 15, 2018
Enjoyed this quite a lot. Michelle and Larry H wrote excellent reviews for this title.
June 18, 2019
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear was an in interesting read. It took a while for me to get into the story, and there was a time I considered giving up on it. There was so much family drama, which I monopolized the story. However, I stuck with it, and I am glad I did, because the story got better and once it did, there was no turning back. I had to know who did it and why.
The author weaved a complex tale where we see the past colliding with the present. It goes to show that actions from our past always intertwine with our present. No matter how long it takes, your past will eventually catch up with you.
I found the mystery element quite intriguing, as the victim had many secrets and she was no saint, hence there were several suspects, with her husband being the main one. DCI Cat Kinsella, the protagonist, strongly believes her father knows something about the murder based on his association with the victim 18 years ago. The question is does he know more than he lets on or is it sheer coincidence.
The mystery took a turn I never expected. I will not be going into details, but I will say this much it has a connection to an old case.
Cat proved to be a rather complex character with daddy issues. As a child, she worshiped her father, but the hero worship turned sour, when she caught him in what her eight-year-old mind considered a lie. As an adult, she was estranged from her father and her siblings. However, the current case led to opening of old wounds and she finds herself confronted with the pain from her past.
She has a good relationship with her colleagues, however with this current case; she is not truthful with them. They have no idea she and her family are connected to the victim. This added to the intensity of the story as I kept wondering what would happen if the truth came to light.
One can sometime tell the gist of a story based on its title. In Sweet Little Lies, most of the characters are liars. Lies permeated their lives, making them unreliable characters. One is never sure what to believe until the truth reveals itself.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Despite the slow start, Sweet Little Lies proved to be an interesting and complex mystery featuring characters that kept me on my toes.
The author weaved a complex tale where we see the past colliding with the present. It goes to show that actions from our past always intertwine with our present. No matter how long it takes, your past will eventually catch up with you.
I found the mystery element quite intriguing, as the victim had many secrets and she was no saint, hence there were several suspects, with her husband being the main one. DCI Cat Kinsella, the protagonist, strongly believes her father knows something about the murder based on his association with the victim 18 years ago. The question is does he know more than he lets on or is it sheer coincidence.
The mystery took a turn I never expected. I will not be going into details, but I will say this much it has a connection to an old case.
Cat proved to be a rather complex character with daddy issues. As a child, she worshiped her father, but the hero worship turned sour, when she caught him in what her eight-year-old mind considered a lie. As an adult, she was estranged from her father and her siblings. However, the current case led to opening of old wounds and she finds herself confronted with the pain from her past.
She has a good relationship with her colleagues, however with this current case; she is not truthful with them. They have no idea she and her family are connected to the victim. This added to the intensity of the story as I kept wondering what would happen if the truth came to light.
One can sometime tell the gist of a story based on its title. In Sweet Little Lies, most of the characters are liars. Lies permeated their lives, making them unreliable characters. One is never sure what to believe until the truth reveals itself.
Conclusion/Recommendation
Despite the slow start, Sweet Little Lies proved to be an interesting and complex mystery featuring characters that kept me on my toes.
June 30, 2017
Cat Kinsella was always a bit of a daddy’s girl. But when seventeen year old Maryanne disappears and Cat’s father lies about having known her, their relationship changes forever. Now, years later, Cat is a DC working in London. When the body of a woman is found near her father’s workplace, all Cat’s fears about him being a killer return.
Cat is flawed and carries around a ton of baggage. She’s currently in therapy after suffering a bit of a meltdown at a crime scene but her issues are mostly connected to her father and past events. I found it hard to warm to her adult self but eight year old Cat was lovely. We get to know her through diary entries, written when she still worshipped her father and then ultimately caught him in a lie. There were some interesting family dynamics but I failed to see the significance of Cat’s brother. It’s clear something is going on in that relationship but it’s never really explained which I found a bit annoying.
Sweet Little Lies is quite slow and I admit I struggled with it and almost considered throwing in the towel altogether. However, I persevered and I’m glad I did as there is a rather intricate plot tying the past to the present. With a host of unreliable characters and a few twists and turns, this had all the potential of being a great crime fiction story. I just felt it had a bit too much angst and not enough action to really hook me.
My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for the advanced copy, which I received via Netgalley.
Cat is flawed and carries around a ton of baggage. She’s currently in therapy after suffering a bit of a meltdown at a crime scene but her issues are mostly connected to her father and past events. I found it hard to warm to her adult self but eight year old Cat was lovely. We get to know her through diary entries, written when she still worshipped her father and then ultimately caught him in a lie. There were some interesting family dynamics but I failed to see the significance of Cat’s brother. It’s clear something is going on in that relationship but it’s never really explained which I found a bit annoying.
Sweet Little Lies is quite slow and I admit I struggled with it and almost considered throwing in the towel altogether. However, I persevered and I’m glad I did as there is a rather intricate plot tying the past to the present. With a host of unreliable characters and a few twists and turns, this had all the potential of being a great crime fiction story. I just felt it had a bit too much angst and not enough action to really hook me.
My thanks to Bonnier Zaffre for the advanced copy, which I received via Netgalley.
February 25, 2019
This is the first offering in the Detective Constable Cat Kinsella police procedural series. Just 26-years-old, Cat is being mentored by her bosses Detective Sargeant Parnell and Detective Chief Inspector Kate Steele. [By the way, she would fit right in on the set of the BBC Scott & Bailey series.] Frear has chosen to explore the difficulty of investigating a murder when the officer knew the victim and is highly suspicious that her family was complicit in some way. What deserves more of her loyalty—her family or her job serving the public?
And what are ‘sweet little lies’? They are the lies we tell ourselves. Needless to say, Frear’s characters spout sweet little lies continuously, proving to be unreliable narrators as the plot twists to its final conclusion. Recommend.
And what are ‘sweet little lies’? They are the lies we tell ourselves. Needless to say, Frear’s characters spout sweet little lies continuously, proving to be unreliable narrators as the plot twists to its final conclusion. Recommend.
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