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Little White Lies
Don’t miss Philippa East’s gripping and suspenseful new novel, I’LL NEVER TELL, available to pre-order now!
‘Breathtaking suspense. A phenomenal talent’ HOLLY SEDDON
‘Terrifically engaging’ JO SPAIN
‘Addictive. I couldn’t put it down’ PHOEBE MORGAN
She only looked away for a second…
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.
But seven years later, Abigail is found.
And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Addictive, edge-of-your-seat dark women’s fiction perfect for fans of Heidi Perks, Sophie Hannah and Lisa Jewell
What readers are saying about LITTLE WHITE LIES
‘Worth far more than five stars and definitely one of my favourite books of this year’
‘Hooked me in from the opening paragraph, and never let go, I loved everything about it ‘
‘I was desperate to find out the truth about what happened to Abigail and just when I thought it was over another twist took me completely by surprise’
‘This was a 'heart in your mouth' read from page one. . . . 5 stars.’
‘The ending is so tense and exciting I hardly dared breathe!’
‘Breathtaking suspense. A phenomenal talent’ HOLLY SEDDON
‘Terrifically engaging’ JO SPAIN
‘Addictive. I couldn’t put it down’ PHOEBE MORGAN
She only looked away for a second…
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.
But seven years later, Abigail is found.
And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Addictive, edge-of-your-seat dark women’s fiction perfect for fans of Heidi Perks, Sophie Hannah and Lisa Jewell
What readers are saying about LITTLE WHITE LIES
‘Worth far more than five stars and definitely one of my favourite books of this year’
‘Hooked me in from the opening paragraph, and never let go, I loved everything about it ‘
‘I was desperate to find out the truth about what happened to Abigail and just when I thought it was over another twist took me completely by surprise’
‘This was a 'heart in your mouth' read from page one. . . . 5 stars.’
‘The ending is so tense and exciting I hardly dared breathe!’
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 4, 2020
489 people are currently reading
8459 people want to read
About the author
Philippa East
8 books194 followersPhilippa East is a fiction writer with HQ/HarperCollins and she also works as a clinical psychologist.
Philippa East grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to train as a Clinical Psychologist. In 2015, she left the NHS to work in private practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award for best debut of 2020.
Philippa’s has since released three further psychological thrillers: SAFE AND SOUND, I’LL NEVER TELL and A GUILTY SECRET. If you’ve read all of those, don’t worry! Philippa is already busy working on her next.
Philippa lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.
You can find Philippa on Bluesky: @philippaeast.bluesky.social and on Facebook: @philippa_east_author. Also, don’t forget to click the “Follow” button on her Amazon Author page to keep up to date with Philippa’s book news and brand new releases.
Philippa East grew up in Scotland before moving to Oxford and then London to train as a Clinical Psychologist. In 2015, she left the NHS to work in private practice and dedicate more hours to writing. The result was her debut LITTLE WHITE LIES, which was longlisted for The Guardian's Not-The-Booker Prize and shortlisted for the CWA "New Blood" Award for best debut of 2020.
Philippa’s has since released three further psychological thrillers: SAFE AND SOUND, I’LL NEVER TELL and A GUILTY SECRET. If you’ve read all of those, don’t worry! Philippa is already busy working on her next.
Philippa lives in the beautiful Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat. She loves reading (of course!) and long country walks, and she also performs in a local folk duo called The Miracle Cure. Alongside her writing, Philippa continues to work as a psychologist and therapist.
You can find Philippa on Bluesky: @philippaeast.bluesky.social and on Facebook: @philippa_east_author. Also, don’t forget to click the “Follow” button on her Amazon Author page to keep up to date with Philippa’s book news and brand new releases.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 550 reviews
November 21, 2019
Wowza! What a belter of a book! Abigail White has been missing for seven years. Now aged 15, she walks into a police station in London clutching the hand of six year old Tonia Dillon, also missing. She returns home to her mother Anne, stepfather Robert and their twins Laurie and Sam. This should have been a happy reunion but it’s not. What is revealed is a very tense and emotional suspense thriller that keeps your attention throughout. The story is told by Anne, Abigail’s cousin Jess to whom she had been very close and briefly by Lilian, Jess’s mum and Anne’s sister.
This is a very well written novel with a number scenes where your jaw drops in shock at what unfolds. The characters are very good too. Abigail is understandably a tense mess after what she suffers during her captivity and I really feel for her as apart from Robert and Jess, nobody scoops her up and gives her much warmth and love. Anne’s reaction is strange and you don’t know why there are so many barriers between them until the whole thing unravels. The book contains all the characters a good book needs - several you like, one or two you puzzle over, one bitch, one who’s controlling and cold. As you read on, the whole family scenario feels wrong, not normal so it’s very intriguing. You have so many questions in your head to try to scrape past the all the secrets, guilt and lies to get to the truth of this deep mystery at the heart of it. There are a lot of fascinating, tense and dramatic scenes and things you don’t see coming and you just hope this fractured family can heal. The ending is so tense and exciting I hardly dare breathe!
Overall, most definitely my kind of book. It’s one I would recommend for fans of the twisty, suspense genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories, Harper Collins for the ARC.
This is a very well written novel with a number scenes where your jaw drops in shock at what unfolds. The characters are very good too. Abigail is understandably a tense mess after what she suffers during her captivity and I really feel for her as apart from Robert and Jess, nobody scoops her up and gives her much warmth and love. Anne’s reaction is strange and you don’t know why there are so many barriers between them until the whole thing unravels. The book contains all the characters a good book needs - several you like, one or two you puzzle over, one bitch, one who’s controlling and cold. As you read on, the whole family scenario feels wrong, not normal so it’s very intriguing. You have so many questions in your head to try to scrape past the all the secrets, guilt and lies to get to the truth of this deep mystery at the heart of it. There are a lot of fascinating, tense and dramatic scenes and things you don’t see coming and you just hope this fractured family can heal. The ending is so tense and exciting I hardly dare breathe!
Overall, most definitely my kind of book. It’s one I would recommend for fans of the twisty, suspense genre. Many thanks to NetGalley and HQ Stories, Harper Collins for the ARC.
January 30, 2021
Intriguing, suspenseful, and a compulsive page-turner!
LITTLE WHITE LIES by PHILIPPA EAST immediately hooks the reader with the return of a missing child and keeps you totally intrigued and teases you almost immediately that there are secrets surrounding her disappearance. It definitely added some dread to the storyline and had me wondering what in the world had happened and what that secret might be.
PHILIPPA EAST delivers a story that is packed full of secrets, lies and some interesting familial relationships. The story is told in a dual narrative between the mother of Abigail, the girl who had been missing for 7 years, and Abigail’s cousin, Jess. I absolutely love multiple POV’s, but I thought that having Jess as one of the main voices here was a little bit awkward.
I am not really sure I liked that the secret was repeatedly reminded to us and then when the lie was revealed I felt it was a little lacklustre and didn’t add up to all the foreboding and dread that you felt while reading it. I thought it would be a little bit more sinister.
Overall it was a very good story that kept me entertained and turning those pages. I enjoyed the author’s writing, the story, the mystery surrounding Abigail’s disappearance and all the drama that unfolded. I would recommend it. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
LITTLE WHITE LIES by PHILIPPA EAST immediately hooks the reader with the return of a missing child and keeps you totally intrigued and teases you almost immediately that there are secrets surrounding her disappearance. It definitely added some dread to the storyline and had me wondering what in the world had happened and what that secret might be.
PHILIPPA EAST delivers a story that is packed full of secrets, lies and some interesting familial relationships. The story is told in a dual narrative between the mother of Abigail, the girl who had been missing for 7 years, and Abigail’s cousin, Jess. I absolutely love multiple POV’s, but I thought that having Jess as one of the main voices here was a little bit awkward.
I am not really sure I liked that the secret was repeatedly reminded to us and then when the lie was revealed I felt it was a little lacklustre and didn’t add up to all the foreboding and dread that you felt while reading it. I thought it would be a little bit more sinister.
Overall it was a very good story that kept me entertained and turning those pages. I enjoyed the author’s writing, the story, the mystery surrounding Abigail’s disappearance and all the drama that unfolded. I would recommend it. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
February 3, 2020
Great idea for a book wherein a 15 year old returns home 8 years after going missing, the return doesn’t go as smoothly as the family expected and it turns out there are 2 secrets as to why
The problem is the 2 secrets are at best underwhelming and at worst totally ridiculous and the other problem is it takes 300 pages to get to them, and its a long 300 pages, one whole chapter was describing redecorating a room and the paints using to do so, the author over described everything ( imo ) and it was repetitive, as said when the secrets arrived it was more a ‘oh’ than a OHHHHHHH and the ending way off on a tangent that yes was unexpected but was again unbelievable
No this book wasn’t for me and as say was a good premise with a bounty of possibilities that sadly were not taken
3/10
2 Stars
February 4, 2020
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Little White Lies by Philippa East. (2020).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free advance readers copy of this novel; published 1 February 2020**
Anne White looked away for a second and her daughter was gone. That happened seven years ago. Now Abigail is coming home and Anne must finally face the truth about what happened the day Abigail disappeared...and face up to the little white lie she told...
I quite enjoyed this novel; it's a really great debut for the author! The narrative alternates between the viewpoints of Anne (Abigail's mother) and Jess (Abigail's cousin). It is clear very quickly that while she is thrilled to have her daughter back, Anne is holding in a secret that may have something to do with her daughter's disappearance. As a mother it was very easy to have sympathy for Anne and it was horrifying to imagine this scenario happening to my own child. Jess is the same age as Abigail and they were two peas in a pod before Abigail's difference so Jess is also thrilled to have Abigail back but struggles with that fact that Abigail has obviously changed after her seven year disappearance. This was an intriguing and very gripping read that had me racing through the pages to find out the full story. Happily recommend!
*www.facebook.com/onewomansbbr
Little White Lies by Philippa East. (2020).
**Thank you to Harlequin Australia for sending me a free advance readers copy of this novel; published 1 February 2020**
Anne White looked away for a second and her daughter was gone. That happened seven years ago. Now Abigail is coming home and Anne must finally face the truth about what happened the day Abigail disappeared...and face up to the little white lie she told...
I quite enjoyed this novel; it's a really great debut for the author! The narrative alternates between the viewpoints of Anne (Abigail's mother) and Jess (Abigail's cousin). It is clear very quickly that while she is thrilled to have her daughter back, Anne is holding in a secret that may have something to do with her daughter's disappearance. As a mother it was very easy to have sympathy for Anne and it was horrifying to imagine this scenario happening to my own child. Jess is the same age as Abigail and they were two peas in a pod before Abigail's difference so Jess is also thrilled to have Abigail back but struggles with that fact that Abigail has obviously changed after her seven year disappearance. This was an intriguing and very gripping read that had me racing through the pages to find out the full story. Happily recommend!
December 5, 2019
I really struggled with this book. I just found it very hard to read, long drawn out and boring with not much happening. It was a bit far fetched and unbelievable. Not for me I'm afraid
January 30, 2020
The premise of Little White Lies sounded like a book that I was going to get lost in. I was disappointed. I enjoyed the book but found it dragged in places, jumped about quite a lot without warning and the ending left me confused. It seemed to come out of nowhere and I am not really sure where it all came from.
But in saying that, the main part of the story was good. Abigail White was missing for 7 years. At age 15 she walked into a police station and is turned home. Her family are so happy to have her back but her mother Anne is worried that her little white lie will come out. She did not tell the truth 7 years ago about how her daughter was taken and now police are seeing the holes in the story. Her cousin and best friend Jess is thrilled to have Abigail home and wants to have things back how they used to be. But she can see that something is not right and tries to help her with her trauma.
The lie was not what I was expecting, I thought there might be more to it than that. Overall it was a good story.
Thanks to Harlequin Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased
But in saying that, the main part of the story was good. Abigail White was missing for 7 years. At age 15 she walked into a police station and is turned home. Her family are so happy to have her back but her mother Anne is worried that her little white lie will come out. She did not tell the truth 7 years ago about how her daughter was taken and now police are seeing the holes in the story. Her cousin and best friend Jess is thrilled to have Abigail home and wants to have things back how they used to be. But she can see that something is not right and tries to help her with her trauma.
The lie was not what I was expecting, I thought there might be more to it than that. Overall it was a good story.
Thanks to Harlequin Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased
November 16, 2019
The title of this book caught my eye, I had started reading it, before I realised it was about a missing child. It seems like I’m drawn to this topic like a moth to a flame!!
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, when her mother Anne took her eyes off her at the railway station and she disappeared into thin air!!She had been missing for seven years when she walked into a police station with another girl that had also been abducted. The police are still looking for the man who took the girls.
Abigail’s family have put their life’s on hold, hoping now that they can carry on as normal. Anne is thrilled to have her daughter back but what secrets is she and her sister Lillian hiding. Abigail has come back a changed girl after the horrors she endured.
The story alternates between the perspective of Anne (Abigail’s mother) and Jess (Abigail’s cousin)
This book kept me intrigued and I read it in one day. I liked that we got to see how all of Abigail’s family were affected differently by her reappearance. How one tiny mistake had a tidal effect on all of the family and could not be reversed!!
A griping story, that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, when her mother Anne took her eyes off her at the railway station and she disappeared into thin air!!She had been missing for seven years when she walked into a police station with another girl that had also been abducted. The police are still looking for the man who took the girls.
Abigail’s family have put their life’s on hold, hoping now that they can carry on as normal. Anne is thrilled to have her daughter back but what secrets is she and her sister Lillian hiding. Abigail has come back a changed girl after the horrors she endured.
The story alternates between the perspective of Anne (Abigail’s mother) and Jess (Abigail’s cousin)
This book kept me intrigued and I read it in one day. I liked that we got to see how all of Abigail’s family were affected differently by her reappearance. How one tiny mistake had a tidal effect on all of the family and could not be reversed!!
A griping story, that I would definitely recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
November 14, 2019
Oh,What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive! Whenever we deceive others,in order to make things better for ourselves in the moment,we deceive ourselves most of all.
It has been seven years since Anne's eight year old daughter Abigail vanished without a trace. Seven years of searching, living for the day that she would be able to hold her beloved daughter in her arms again and with the guilt of what happened on that fateful day in the London tube station.
And now,unbelievably,the day that she has always hoped for has miraculously arrived. Abigail has been found,she just walked into a police station in London and the officers there realised that she was on the missing persons database. Anne is overjoyed to have her daughter back but also terrified of how much Abigail remembers from the day she went missing.
Because Anne told a little white lie all those years ago,and if the truth was ever uncovered,it would shatter the image of perfection that Anne has strived so hard to create.
The chapters of this heartstoppingly brilliant thriller alternate between Anne and her fifteen year old niece Jess. I was never really certain wether I liked Anne or not,she was a complex character who I wouldn't say had any redeemable qualities and was also very indecisive. But her struggles to make decisions for herself were unsurprising considering she had spent her entire life living in the shadow of her controlling sister Lillian. Now that was one character that I definitely didn't like,not even a tiny bit for various reasons. Lillian had a mantra that she expected everyone to live by,you could easily imagine her having those little wooden quote signs scattered around her home with we are fine,we are happy,we are perfect written on them. Poor Jess was treated more like a child of a much younger age and kept in the dark about anything that was even remotely connected to her beloved cousin because in Lillian's world,if you didn't talk about it,then it hadn't happened. Absolutely nothing or no one was permitted to tarnish the image of Lillian's perfect life and family. I loved Abigail's dad Robert,he was a fantastic,loveable character and Jess's dad Fraser who constantly found himself torn between keeping his Lillian happy and honestly answering Jess's questions. My heart went out to poor Abigail who must have felt like she had escaped one prison just to find herself trapped in another one. Living with her mum's overbearing attempts to make up for the mistakes of the past and her constantly insisting that everything was fine. Whilst below the surface,a boiling pot of secrets,lies,manipulations,obsessions and deceit was bubbling away,and would eventually overflow resulting in more than one person getting very badly burned.
Little White Lies is a expertly plotted,unputdownable,suspenseful thriller that had me hooked in from the very first page and frantically turning the pages,totally captivated by the gripping story. The characters were vivid and realistic.There was quite a few twists and turns along the way including one jaw dropping reveal that had me sitting in my comfy chair doing a very bad impersonation of omg cat. The feeling of dread is never far away,the reader can't help sensing that something bad is going to happen,a feeling that only intensified as the story unfolded. This is an extremely well written debut thriller that I couldn't put down and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future. Worth far more than five stars and definitely one of my favourite books of this year. Very very highly recommended.
Many thanks to HQ Stories and Philippa East for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
It has been seven years since Anne's eight year old daughter Abigail vanished without a trace. Seven years of searching, living for the day that she would be able to hold her beloved daughter in her arms again and with the guilt of what happened on that fateful day in the London tube station.
And now,unbelievably,the day that she has always hoped for has miraculously arrived. Abigail has been found,she just walked into a police station in London and the officers there realised that she was on the missing persons database. Anne is overjoyed to have her daughter back but also terrified of how much Abigail remembers from the day she went missing.
Because Anne told a little white lie all those years ago,and if the truth was ever uncovered,it would shatter the image of perfection that Anne has strived so hard to create.
The chapters of this heartstoppingly brilliant thriller alternate between Anne and her fifteen year old niece Jess. I was never really certain wether I liked Anne or not,she was a complex character who I wouldn't say had any redeemable qualities and was also very indecisive. But her struggles to make decisions for herself were unsurprising considering she had spent her entire life living in the shadow of her controlling sister Lillian. Now that was one character that I definitely didn't like,not even a tiny bit for various reasons. Lillian had a mantra that she expected everyone to live by,you could easily imagine her having those little wooden quote signs scattered around her home with we are fine,we are happy,we are perfect written on them. Poor Jess was treated more like a child of a much younger age and kept in the dark about anything that was even remotely connected to her beloved cousin because in Lillian's world,if you didn't talk about it,then it hadn't happened. Absolutely nothing or no one was permitted to tarnish the image of Lillian's perfect life and family. I loved Abigail's dad Robert,he was a fantastic,loveable character and Jess's dad Fraser who constantly found himself torn between keeping his Lillian happy and honestly answering Jess's questions. My heart went out to poor Abigail who must have felt like she had escaped one prison just to find herself trapped in another one. Living with her mum's overbearing attempts to make up for the mistakes of the past and her constantly insisting that everything was fine. Whilst below the surface,a boiling pot of secrets,lies,manipulations,obsessions and deceit was bubbling away,and would eventually overflow resulting in more than one person getting very badly burned.
Little White Lies is a expertly plotted,unputdownable,suspenseful thriller that had me hooked in from the very first page and frantically turning the pages,totally captivated by the gripping story. The characters were vivid and realistic.There was quite a few twists and turns along the way including one jaw dropping reveal that had me sitting in my comfy chair doing a very bad impersonation of omg cat. The feeling of dread is never far away,the reader can't help sensing that something bad is going to happen,a feeling that only intensified as the story unfolded. This is an extremely well written debut thriller that I couldn't put down and I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future. Worth far more than five stars and definitely one of my favourite books of this year. Very very highly recommended.
Many thanks to HQ Stories and Philippa East for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
February 8, 2020
Fifteen year old Abigail is returned to her parents after being held captive for seven years. She had been abducted when she was just eight years old. The fa ily try to bond again. But the secrets behind what happened that day and then there's the guilt of the family members that were involved. Also there is a teenager trying to make sense of what happened that day. At the trial the missing pieces are put together.
This is a hard ook to read but once you start reading, youmwill ot want to put it down. The story is full of secrets, lies and twisted relationships. The story has a dual narrative that told by Abigail's mum and her cousin, Jess. We don't find out what really happened until the abductor is brought to trial near the end of the book. This is one of the best missing people stories that I have read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Philippa East for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard ook to read but once you start reading, youmwill ot want to put it down. The story is full of secrets, lies and twisted relationships. The story has a dual narrative that told by Abigail's mum and her cousin, Jess. We don't find out what really happened until the abductor is brought to trial near the end of the book. This is one of the best missing people stories that I have read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Philippa East for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2020
Fifteen year old Abigail is returned to her parents after being held captive for seven years. She had been abducted when she was just eight years old. The fa ily try to bond again. But the secrets behind what happened that day and then there's the guilt of the family members that were involved. Also there is a teenager trying to make sense of what happened that day. At the trial the missing pieces are put together.
This is a hard ook to read but once you start reading, youmwill ot want to put it down. The story is full of secrets, lies and twisted relationships. The story has a dual narrative that told by Abigail's mum and her cousin, Jess. We don't find out what really happened until the abductor is brought to trial near the end of the book. This is one of the best missing people stories that I have read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Philippa East for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a hard ook to read but once you start reading, youmwill ot want to put it down. The story is full of secrets, lies and twisted relationships. The story has a dual narrative that told by Abigail's mum and her cousin, Jess. We don't find out what really happened until the abductor is brought to trial near the end of the book. This is one of the best missing people stories that I have read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Philippa East for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 11, 2020
- thanks to @harlequinaus for sending the copy my way💕
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter. But seven years later, Abigail is found; and as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Little White Lies is classified as 'thriller' in Goodreads, but it did not feel very 'thrilling' at all. The idea of the book was quite interesting: a teenager returning home after seven years away from her family. There are so many intriguing questions that needed an answer: who kidnapped her? Why did she not ask to return home when she showed up at the police station? Was the mother involved? Why was she captured in the first place? Unfortunately, the development of a story that sounded quite promising was utterly underwhelming.
This is no doubt, one of the most slow-paced books I've ever read. Nothing meaningful happens until around page 260, and the effort to get there was not worth it. From the beginning, the story is driven by trying to find out what Abigail's mother involvement in her kidnapping was, however, the revelation was bland and disappointing, especially considering how Anne is CONSTANTLY hinting that the kidnap was her fault.
I was not able to connect with any of the characters, especially with Jess, who's perspective seemed entirely irrelevant. Anne and Abigail felt superficial and emotionally vacant, which made it hard to empathise with what should have been impactful storylines.
Overall, Little White Lies was not my cup of tea. I love thrillers, but I could not find anything exhilarating about this one - with dull and forgettable characters, the story drags on unnecessarily only to conclude in a far-fetched, unbelievable ending. I hope other readers get to enjoy this one way more than I did!
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter. But seven years later, Abigail is found; and as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…
Little White Lies is classified as 'thriller' in Goodreads, but it did not feel very 'thrilling' at all. The idea of the book was quite interesting: a teenager returning home after seven years away from her family. There are so many intriguing questions that needed an answer: who kidnapped her? Why did she not ask to return home when she showed up at the police station? Was the mother involved? Why was she captured in the first place? Unfortunately, the development of a story that sounded quite promising was utterly underwhelming.
This is no doubt, one of the most slow-paced books I've ever read. Nothing meaningful happens until around page 260, and the effort to get there was not worth it. From the beginning, the story is driven by trying to find out what Abigail's mother involvement in her kidnapping was, however, the revelation was bland and disappointing, especially considering how Anne is CONSTANTLY hinting that the kidnap was her fault.
I was not able to connect with any of the characters, especially with Jess, who's perspective seemed entirely irrelevant. Anne and Abigail felt superficial and emotionally vacant, which made it hard to empathise with what should have been impactful storylines.
Overall, Little White Lies was not my cup of tea. I love thrillers, but I could not find anything exhilarating about this one - with dull and forgettable characters, the story drags on unnecessarily only to conclude in a far-fetched, unbelievable ending. I hope other readers get to enjoy this one way more than I did!
August 3, 2020
What did I think?
I have been trying to read more mysterious and exhilarating books so I was certainly grasped by the storyline. For the first section of the book, I felt I was kept on my toes anticipating a huge, coming plot twist.
Thank you so much to HQ stories for sending me this copy to read and review!
Head over to my blog to read the rest of my review on Little White Lies!
https://secretsofabookworm.home.blog/...
I have been trying to read more mysterious and exhilarating books so I was certainly grasped by the storyline. For the first section of the book, I felt I was kept on my toes anticipating a huge, coming plot twist.
Thank you so much to HQ stories for sending me this copy to read and review!
Head over to my blog to read the rest of my review on Little White Lies!
https://secretsofabookworm.home.blog/...
July 1, 2020
This debut work by Philippa East was only okay for me. I've seen lots of great reviews for this one, so take my review for what it's worth, but for me, it barely hit the 3-star mark.
The premise was intriguing - Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her 8-year-old daughter, Abigail. Seven years later, Abigail walks into a police station holding the hand of a younger girl, and both girls are returned home to their families. Once Abigail is home, Anne struggles to connect with her daughter, and you know from the beginning that Anne has a big secret about the day Abigail went missing that only her sister, Lillian, knows about. There was so much that could have been done with that teaser, but honestly, I felt completely let down when the "big secret" was revealed. It was rather benign and just didn't warrant 300 pages of guesswork and drama.
The storyline is told from the POV of Anne and Abigail's cousin, Jess, who was also Abigail's childhood best friend. Much (and by much, I mean way too much) was made about the strong connection the two girls shared before Abigail's kidnapping, and while Jess does offer some interesting insight into Abigail's behavior, there were too many odd rabbit trails with Jess's best friend, Lena, and clothes, and paint color for the walls - none of which added anything meaningful and instead made the plot drag in parts. There is somewhat of a "twist" at the end, but again, it was rather far-fetched and just didn't blow me away.
Maybe I expected more of a fast-paced thriller, rather than a slow-burn journey to one big unknown secret that consumes so much of the book. It wasn't an awful book by any means, but it just didn't wow me. 3 stars.
The premise was intriguing - Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her 8-year-old daughter, Abigail. Seven years later, Abigail walks into a police station holding the hand of a younger girl, and both girls are returned home to their families. Once Abigail is home, Anne struggles to connect with her daughter, and you know from the beginning that Anne has a big secret about the day Abigail went missing that only her sister, Lillian, knows about. There was so much that could have been done with that teaser, but honestly, I felt completely let down when the "big secret" was revealed. It was rather benign and just didn't warrant 300 pages of guesswork and drama.
The storyline is told from the POV of Anne and Abigail's cousin, Jess, who was also Abigail's childhood best friend. Much (and by much, I mean way too much) was made about the strong connection the two girls shared before Abigail's kidnapping, and while Jess does offer some interesting insight into Abigail's behavior, there were too many odd rabbit trails with Jess's best friend, Lena, and clothes, and paint color for the walls - none of which added anything meaningful and instead made the plot drag in parts. There is somewhat of a "twist" at the end, but again, it was rather far-fetched and just didn't blow me away.
Maybe I expected more of a fast-paced thriller, rather than a slow-burn journey to one big unknown secret that consumes so much of the book. It wasn't an awful book by any means, but it just didn't wow me. 3 stars.
February 27, 2020
7 years ago Anne White experienced every mother’s nightmare. Her 8 year old daughter disappeared in broad daylight, never to be seen again. Abigail White was pictured leaving the busy train station after being separated from her mother but no other leads were ever found.
On a day like any other Anne receives a phone call from the police station. Abigail has been found. Now 15 Abigail simply walked into the local police station, hand in hand with another young girl. Overjoyed to see her daughter Anne is keen to bring her home. Knowing she has been through a deep trauma, she attempts to give Abigail as much time and space as possible. Allowing her to spend the majority of her time with her cousin Jess as they were extremely close before her abduction. But Abigail still seems distant. Does she now class this as her home? Does she miss her previous life? Is she happy? Or more importantly, does she remember her mother’s grave mistake?
The story is told from two perspectives, Anne and Jess. Having both an adult and child’s take on things is always interesting. I feel like I enjoyed the first half more than the second, the ending being a little lacklustre. After a lot of build up throughout I was expecting the secrets to be juicer, more sinister. Overall it was a good story. 4 stars from me. ✨
On a day like any other Anne receives a phone call from the police station. Abigail has been found. Now 15 Abigail simply walked into the local police station, hand in hand with another young girl. Overjoyed to see her daughter Anne is keen to bring her home. Knowing she has been through a deep trauma, she attempts to give Abigail as much time and space as possible. Allowing her to spend the majority of her time with her cousin Jess as they were extremely close before her abduction. But Abigail still seems distant. Does she now class this as her home? Does she miss her previous life? Is she happy? Or more importantly, does she remember her mother’s grave mistake?
The story is told from two perspectives, Anne and Jess. Having both an adult and child’s take on things is always interesting. I feel like I enjoyed the first half more than the second, the ending being a little lacklustre. After a lot of build up throughout I was expecting the secrets to be juicer, more sinister. Overall it was a good story. 4 stars from me. ✨
September 13, 2020
📚 Hello Book Friends! LITTLE WHITE LIES by Philippa East is a family drama/mystery about a family whose daughter was adducted when she was eight years old. Seven years later, their daughter is reunited with them and her mother must now face the truth of what really happened on that day she disappeared. The book is well-written, and the characters are realistic. I could feel all the emotions and pains that naturally come to parents who lose a child and the difficulties of reconciliation after a long separation. The author knitted a complex plot that came together spectacularly at that end. I love that the book was written in the voices of Abigail’s mom and cousin. It added perspective to the story. This is a great read!
🙋🏼♀️ Thank you, HarperCollins Canada for sending me an ARC of this astounding book. LITTLE WHITE LIES by Philippa East is available at your favourite bookstore.
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March 21, 2020
If you like:
-domestic drama and suspense
-slow burn plot
-multiple POV's
I'm afraid I have to agree with those who didn't enjoy this one! This had great promise, but never really delivered.
Why it didn't work for me:
- While I'm a fan of multiple POV's, I thought having Jess as an MC was awkward.
I think for this one to have really worked and feel like an actual thriller, it needed Abigail's voice and past storyline from the time she was kidnapped.
I liked how the story starts off with a call from the police and takes place in the present,after Abigail is found. But the plot was long drawn out and the "ah-ha" moment, took waay too long to get there!
- The pacing was slow and monotonous. There was too much repetition that I started skimming through the whole book.
Sorry..I really wanted to like this one, but didn't. 🤷♀️
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for providing me with an advanced copy. 🥂
-domestic drama and suspense
-slow burn plot
-multiple POV's
I'm afraid I have to agree with those who didn't enjoy this one! This had great promise, but never really delivered.
Why it didn't work for me:
- While I'm a fan of multiple POV's, I thought having Jess as an MC was awkward.
I think for this one to have really worked and feel like an actual thriller, it needed Abigail's voice and past storyline from the time she was kidnapped.
I liked how the story starts off with a call from the police and takes place in the present,after Abigail is found. But the plot was long drawn out and the "ah-ha" moment, took waay too long to get there!
- The pacing was slow and monotonous. There was too much repetition that I started skimming through the whole book.
Sorry..I really wanted to like this one, but didn't. 🤷♀️
Thank you Harper Collins Canada for providing me with an advanced copy. 🥂
February 24, 2020
This was my first complete audiobook, most times I would listen to the first half, then read when the going got thrilling. But I heard this book completely as the author made me completely addicted to it, with my curiosity slowly building up, as I heard every chapter.
Abigail was found after 7 years. She had been taken by someone when the mother Anne's attention was diverted for a split second. Then came the attenuation of Abbie into her family back along with revelation of truths.
My first book by author Phillipa East, and I loved listening to the words by the two narrators. The story was told in the mother Anne and cousin Jesse's POV, and they narrated her entire life to me along with the family drama between the rest of the members.
The narrators, Antonia Whillans and Madeleine Hyland, made the story come alive, though I admit I liked the one reading Anne's parts. I found her to be more expressive. The story was well written, the details had me taking some quick breaths. I knew there was an underlying secret. And wanting to get to it became my primary focus.
The story had different characters, each adding to the layered existence of Abby and her life post comeback. I loved how the author kept the truth hidden, yet in the entire book, I felt its presence. Just a wisp of a shadow that felt beyond my reach. The audiobook gave me the feels and painted the aura of the story well.
Overall, this was a gripping listen where the characters and story and plot twists were spaced brilliantly. The author wrote one twisty book which was a pleasure to listen to.
Abigail was found after 7 years. She had been taken by someone when the mother Anne's attention was diverted for a split second. Then came the attenuation of Abbie into her family back along with revelation of truths.
My first book by author Phillipa East, and I loved listening to the words by the two narrators. The story was told in the mother Anne and cousin Jesse's POV, and they narrated her entire life to me along with the family drama between the rest of the members.
The narrators, Antonia Whillans and Madeleine Hyland, made the story come alive, though I admit I liked the one reading Anne's parts. I found her to be more expressive. The story was well written, the details had me taking some quick breaths. I knew there was an underlying secret. And wanting to get to it became my primary focus.
The story had different characters, each adding to the layered existence of Abby and her life post comeback. I loved how the author kept the truth hidden, yet in the entire book, I felt its presence. Just a wisp of a shadow that felt beyond my reach. The audiobook gave me the feels and painted the aura of the story well.
Overall, this was a gripping listen where the characters and story and plot twists were spaced brilliantly. The author wrote one twisty book which was a pleasure to listen to.
March 24, 2020
My review on my website. www.bookread2day.wordpress.com. Twitter@bookpage5
I read this in paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed every word every sentence and every chapter. Little White Lies is an incredible first book, that I can see this is going to be a top bestseller. All the characters were buzzing with things they are thinking, saying and then there are some lies, that I’m not going to spill.
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, no one ever found her, but Abigail’s mother Anne White, always believed that her daughter would return home. She left everything in her bedroom just as it was the day her daughter disappeared. After 7 long painful year’s Abigail is finally coming home.
Abigail had walked into a police station with a six year girl, Tonia, who was missing. The police then discovered Abigail had been missing too.
Anne had missed her daughter so much that she just couldn’t wait to hug her daughter, and do all the things that mother and daughter do together. But the police need to find out who took Abigail and Tonia and carefully question Abigail.
I urge readers to read this special story, that leaves you with the fact you won’t be able to stop thinking about Little White Lies.
I can’t stop thinking about what will new author Philippa East write about next? One thing I do know I will be reading it.
I read this in paperback
I thoroughly enjoyed every word every sentence and every chapter. Little White Lies is an incredible first book, that I can see this is going to be a top bestseller. All the characters were buzzing with things they are thinking, saying and then there are some lies, that I’m not going to spill.
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, no one ever found her, but Abigail’s mother Anne White, always believed that her daughter would return home. She left everything in her bedroom just as it was the day her daughter disappeared. After 7 long painful year’s Abigail is finally coming home.
Abigail had walked into a police station with a six year girl, Tonia, who was missing. The police then discovered Abigail had been missing too.
Anne had missed her daughter so much that she just couldn’t wait to hug her daughter, and do all the things that mother and daughter do together. But the police need to find out who took Abigail and Tonia and carefully question Abigail.
I urge readers to read this special story, that leaves you with the fact you won’t be able to stop thinking about Little White Lies.
I can’t stop thinking about what will new author Philippa East write about next? One thing I do know I will be reading it.
May 9, 2021
I continue to be restless with my reading. Maybe that is reflected in my ability to enjoy a good book.
Anyway..... this started out as a riveting story of a little girl, Abigail, kidnapped by a stranger at age 8 being returned to her family seven years later. What follows is Abi’s struggle to understand the intervening years and to re-establish her place in her family.
The story is told from the alternating perspectives of her mother and her cousin, Jess, who is the same age and with whom she had an inseparable bond before the “event”. This constant struggle to adjust to this new life with her family is understandably a major obstacle in everyone’s life. But something is amiss and everyone close to Abi seems to realize this, as does Abi. Tidbits of info are dropped periodically as the characters are developed which at first are intriguing but at some point become commonplace, simply begging the matter to move along. It becomes too much of the same thing, although in some odd way it allows the characters to develop, revealing subplots and curious agendas.
As I said, my being restless found this repetitive ploy somewhat annoying, yet it served its purpose.....turn the page to find the answer or at least the next breadcrumb! But this family understood they could never be the same as they were seven years ago,however they didn’t know what to do or how to become a family again.
About three quarters of the way through the story just when you think the tension has reached its peak.... well the ride amps up and up like a rollercoaster chugging to its highest point you know a drop is just over the ridge, but you don’t know how steep, or fast, or is it straight ahead to the end ! Nope! Here’s where the fast and furious drop snakes and jilts around corners with no end in sight!
This is where the unexpected arrives and lives are changed forever. How can you not be after such a harrowing experience. Perhaps they really all just realize they aren’t the same people but they are the same family. While that part has to be predictable the story could have ended many different ways.....happily ever after or forever changed or what was that?
Well, you will have to read to find out.
What I enjoyed most about this book was the character development without dwelling on horrific events of child abduction. We know that must be an unfathomable experience, and it is not taken lightly or glossed over, but the author focuses on how the experience is managed and how people are changed by it.
April 3, 2020
dnf @ 80%
This was so beyond boring, I couldn't care less about any of the bland characters.
UPDATE: I actually did finish it + lets just say I wish I had left it as a DNF
This was so beyond boring, I couldn't care less about any of the bland characters.
UPDATE: I actually did finish it + lets just say I wish I had left it as a DNF
August 22, 2020
I just didn’t bond with this book whatsoever! It is advertised as a thriller, and the blurb fully leads readers to believe this will be the case. However, nothing particularly thrilling actually took place within the book until we enter the last third of it. Even when the author does introduce twists and turns, they fall short of being anything to write home about. I guessed the first ‘twist’ from the beginning, when the reader sees Anne feeling responsible for her daughter’s kidnapping. The author built this up to be something extraordinarily awful on Anne’s part, but it just...wasn’t? I don’t think anyone short of a saint would read what happened on that fateful day and truly believe there was any malicious intention or neglect there! The mystery of the kidnapper themselves was also poorly engineered, his connection to the family randomly introduced at the end of the novel with very little build up. Even then, I had guessed from the moment it was mentioned that Abigail’s father, Preston, had been in foster care, that this would have something to do with it. The book contains severe topics of rape, yet this is glossed over with a couple of likes akin to ‘oh dear Abigail must have been so scared, but we’re not actually sure she needs a counsellor because she seems fine, oh but why won’t my daughter talk to me😭’. It’s just not a good book, and I hate leaving negative reviews, but I absolutely couldn’t recommend this even just on the basis of not handling such issues with the proper respect for their sensitivity.
The only reason I am giving this book two stars is down to a decent beginning, written in a way that means you do believe the rest of the book will lead to something impressive. In addition to this, I enjoyed the eery, delusional, toxic relationship between Jess and Abigail. I feel like there was so much potential for this novel, and I’m disappointed how basic and disjointed it felt.
The only reason I am giving this book two stars is down to a decent beginning, written in a way that means you do believe the rest of the book will lead to something impressive. In addition to this, I enjoyed the eery, delusional, toxic relationship between Jess and Abigail. I feel like there was so much potential for this novel, and I’m disappointed how basic and disjointed it felt.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2019
Emotionally taut, poignant and raw, Little White Lies is a beautiful thriller about the bitter cost of lies and the enduring quality of a mother’s love.
The story begins with what usually is the ending for most thrillers: a kidnapped child is returned. And so the story thoroughly and unflinchingly explores the emotions of that return: how do you reconnect with the child you once had; who is the girl in front of you now; and what should you really tell her about the day she disappeared?
Little White Lies is more than just a heart-thumping, racing thriller. It is a detailed exploration of a heart breaking and being pieced back together, as well as the consequences of guilt in the face of a mistake nobody was ever supposed to know.
The story begins with what usually is the ending for most thrillers: a kidnapped child is returned. And so the story thoroughly and unflinchingly explores the emotions of that return: how do you reconnect with the child you once had; who is the girl in front of you now; and what should you really tell her about the day she disappeared?
Little White Lies is more than just a heart-thumping, racing thriller. It is a detailed exploration of a heart breaking and being pieced back together, as well as the consequences of guilt in the face of a mistake nobody was ever supposed to know.
January 13, 2021
DNF at ~20%
Seems like the story itself is not bad but it failed to grip me. At first, it did, though. But a few chapters after lost me for good. I'm not even curious about what secrets Annie hides or why we have also Jess's POV.
February 3, 2020
My review on www.bookread2day.wordpress.com. Twitter@bookpage5
I thoroughly enjoyed every word every sentence and every chapter. Little White Lies is an incredible first book, that I can see this is going to be a top bestseller. All the characters were buzzing with things they are thinking, saying and then there are some lies, that I’m not going to spill.
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, no one ever found her, but Abigail’s mother Anne White, always believed that her daughter would return home. She left everything in her bedroom just as it was the day her daughter disappeared. After 7 long painful year’s Abigail is finally coming home.
Abigail had walked into a police station with a six year girl, Tonia, who was missing. The police then discovered Abigail had been missing too.
Anne had missed her daughter so much that she just couldn’t wait to hug her daughter, and do all the things that mother and daughter do together. But the police need to find out who took Abigail and Tonia and carefully question Abigail.
I urge readers to read this special story, that leaves you with the fact you won’t be able to stop thinking about Little White Lies.
I can’t stop thinking about what will new author Philippa East write about next? One thing I do know I will be reading it.
I thoroughly enjoyed every word every sentence and every chapter. Little White Lies is an incredible first book, that I can see this is going to be a top bestseller. All the characters were buzzing with things they are thinking, saying and then there are some lies, that I’m not going to spill.
Abigail went missing at the age of 8, no one ever found her, but Abigail’s mother Anne White, always believed that her daughter would return home. She left everything in her bedroom just as it was the day her daughter disappeared. After 7 long painful year’s Abigail is finally coming home.
Abigail had walked into a police station with a six year girl, Tonia, who was missing. The police then discovered Abigail had been missing too.
Anne had missed her daughter so much that she just couldn’t wait to hug her daughter, and do all the things that mother and daughter do together. But the police need to find out who took Abigail and Tonia and carefully question Abigail.
I urge readers to read this special story, that leaves you with the fact you won’t be able to stop thinking about Little White Lies.
I can’t stop thinking about what will new author Philippa East write about next? One thing I do know I will be reading it.
February 19, 2021
Abigail was abducted at the age of 8 and miraculously returned to her family 7 years later. She and her family struggle in the aftermath of it all.
Was really promising had there been any conversation or anything at all going on!
An extremely boring, slow paced book with bland two dimensional characters that I could neither empathize with or relate to.
Was really promising had there been any conversation or anything at all going on!
An extremely boring, slow paced book with bland two dimensional characters that I could neither empathize with or relate to.
June 26, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
‘Here she was, my cousin, whose absence had always fallen like a shadow on our friendship. The playmate Lena could never quite replace. Lena had stopped believing she would come home. But here she was, returned. Real.’
Little White Lies is the debut novel from British author Philippa East. A contemporary psychological fiction novel that looks at the return of a kidnapped girl after years away from her family, Little White Lies examines truth, lies, regret, pain, family estrangement and trauma. Little White Lies was a riveting, but emotionally difficult read.
What is the harm in telling a tiny little white lie from time to time? This concept is examined in Philippa East’s debut novel. Little White Lies is the story of a mother, her young daughter and a missing person’s case. When Anne loses her daughter one day at a busy train station, it takes seven years for Abigail to finally make it home. In the meantime, Anne has been racked with extreme guilt, but she is also hiding something, that will come back to haunt her when her daughter returns. As mother and daughter struggle to reconnect, Anne is worried that Abigail will remember what happened the tragic day she disappeared.
We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t tell a lie or two. However, this turns into a living nightmare for Anne, the main protagonist and mother figure in Philippa East’s debut novel, Little White Lies. A tense, complex, sensitive and twisty novel, Little White Lies looks at the devastating loss of a young child to a family unit and the aftershocks this event has in the long term. The shock return of Anne’s missing daughter after seven years away sends the focal family unit of this tale in a complete spin.
I was interested to learn of the author of Little White Lies, Philippa East’s background. I feel East has really drawn on her strength in the field of psychology, delivering a powerful novel that rips apart a family unit and a kidnapping case. This is tricky terrain, but East takes it in her stride, Little White Lies is an assured and informed debut. The author is clearly versed in the area of family dynamics following the loss of a child and she delves into the repercussions of the unexpected return of a child. Little White Lies is a story that allows the reader to play around with the scenarios it presents and step into the difficult shoes of the characters. I think the presentation of the main subject matter was realistic and compelling.
Little White Lies is delivered in a double point of view style narrative. The unfolding story is told through the perspectives of an adult, the missing child’s mother, along with Jess, a cousin who is exactly the same age as the missing girl. These perspectives were contrasted well and although it was hard at times to connect to Jess, as she was quite immature, I could see that her perspective was needed to provide an overall picture of this fascinating story. The chapters are quite short, which helped me race through this novel in a short time frame. East ensures that her readers are thrown off kilter more than a few times thanks to some well plotted and unexpected plot twists. Overall, I found the pace in this novel to be pretty swift, which will afford fast readers the opportunity to read Little White Lies in a sitting.
With themes of family, relationships, trauma, loss, remorse, mental anguish, confusion, guilt, lies, estrangement, disconnection and secrets circulating around this novel, Little White Lies is an emotionally draining tale. Thanks to some clever plotting and underhanded narrators, this one really pushed my assumptions out the window!
It is definitely worth turning to debut novelist Philippa East’s first novel, Little White Lies if intricate and entangled psychological based thrillers match your preferences.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
‘Here she was, my cousin, whose absence had always fallen like a shadow on our friendship. The playmate Lena could never quite replace. Lena had stopped believing she would come home. But here she was, returned. Real.’
Little White Lies is the debut novel from British author Philippa East. A contemporary psychological fiction novel that looks at the return of a kidnapped girl after years away from her family, Little White Lies examines truth, lies, regret, pain, family estrangement and trauma. Little White Lies was a riveting, but emotionally difficult read.
What is the harm in telling a tiny little white lie from time to time? This concept is examined in Philippa East’s debut novel. Little White Lies is the story of a mother, her young daughter and a missing person’s case. When Anne loses her daughter one day at a busy train station, it takes seven years for Abigail to finally make it home. In the meantime, Anne has been racked with extreme guilt, but she is also hiding something, that will come back to haunt her when her daughter returns. As mother and daughter struggle to reconnect, Anne is worried that Abigail will remember what happened the tragic day she disappeared.
We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t tell a lie or two. However, this turns into a living nightmare for Anne, the main protagonist and mother figure in Philippa East’s debut novel, Little White Lies. A tense, complex, sensitive and twisty novel, Little White Lies looks at the devastating loss of a young child to a family unit and the aftershocks this event has in the long term. The shock return of Anne’s missing daughter after seven years away sends the focal family unit of this tale in a complete spin.
I was interested to learn of the author of Little White Lies, Philippa East’s background. I feel East has really drawn on her strength in the field of psychology, delivering a powerful novel that rips apart a family unit and a kidnapping case. This is tricky terrain, but East takes it in her stride, Little White Lies is an assured and informed debut. The author is clearly versed in the area of family dynamics following the loss of a child and she delves into the repercussions of the unexpected return of a child. Little White Lies is a story that allows the reader to play around with the scenarios it presents and step into the difficult shoes of the characters. I think the presentation of the main subject matter was realistic and compelling.
Little White Lies is delivered in a double point of view style narrative. The unfolding story is told through the perspectives of an adult, the missing child’s mother, along with Jess, a cousin who is exactly the same age as the missing girl. These perspectives were contrasted well and although it was hard at times to connect to Jess, as she was quite immature, I could see that her perspective was needed to provide an overall picture of this fascinating story. The chapters are quite short, which helped me race through this novel in a short time frame. East ensures that her readers are thrown off kilter more than a few times thanks to some well plotted and unexpected plot twists. Overall, I found the pace in this novel to be pretty swift, which will afford fast readers the opportunity to read Little White Lies in a sitting.
With themes of family, relationships, trauma, loss, remorse, mental anguish, confusion, guilt, lies, estrangement, disconnection and secrets circulating around this novel, Little White Lies is an emotionally draining tale. Thanks to some clever plotting and underhanded narrators, this one really pushed my assumptions out the window!
It is definitely worth turning to debut novelist Philippa East’s first novel, Little White Lies if intricate and entangled psychological based thrillers match your preferences.
*I wish to thank Harlequin Australia for providing me with a free copy of this book for review purposes.
February 2, 2020
Anne White only looked away for a second, but that's all it took to lose sight of her eight year old daughter. While the search for her continued, it was as though she vanished into thin air that day.
Seven years later, miraculously, Abigail is found and is coming home. Now Anne must face exactly what happened that day and the secrets she left behind.
I had no idea what to expect from this one going in, as clearly it involves a missing child. That said, while there was mention of the circumstances around exactly what happened to Abigail in that duration, it wasn't canvassed at length and the story was much more of a mystery that focused on leading us to find out what happened that day. While this was a difficult read in places, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and drama and enjoyed the authors writing. Fabulous.
Thank you to Harlequin Books Australia for this advance review copy.
Seven years later, miraculously, Abigail is found and is coming home. Now Anne must face exactly what happened that day and the secrets she left behind.
I had no idea what to expect from this one going in, as clearly it involves a missing child. That said, while there was mention of the circumstances around exactly what happened to Abigail in that duration, it wasn't canvassed at length and the story was much more of a mystery that focused on leading us to find out what happened that day. While this was a difficult read in places, I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and drama and enjoyed the authors writing. Fabulous.
Thank you to Harlequin Books Australia for this advance review copy.
February 6, 2020
*4 Stars*
ARC kindly received from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review.
From the moment I started this book, I knew there was a secret that was going to come out. The story is written so that you realise that. With that being said, it hooked me from the start, and whilst I didn't really connect with any of the characters, I sure as hell wanted to know what on earth had happened.
The story flicks between the POV of the mother of Abigail, the girl who had been missing for 7 years, and Abigail's cousin Jess. It would've been interesting to get some POV's from Abigail herself, but in saying that, I think by not writing her POV, it adds the mystery of finding out what the secret was.
I was thrown at the end when the truth all comes out. Once things start to unravel, they really unravel, and it all leads up to a very interesting conclusion. One that I did not see coming at all.
This one keeps you guessing the whole time. If you're looking for a good mystery, this is it.
Review also on my blog - Little White Lies by Philippa East
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ARC kindly received from Harlequin Australia in exchange for an honest review.
From the moment I started this book, I knew there was a secret that was going to come out. The story is written so that you realise that. With that being said, it hooked me from the start, and whilst I didn't really connect with any of the characters, I sure as hell wanted to know what on earth had happened.
The story flicks between the POV of the mother of Abigail, the girl who had been missing for 7 years, and Abigail's cousin Jess. It would've been interesting to get some POV's from Abigail herself, but in saying that, I think by not writing her POV, it adds the mystery of finding out what the secret was.
I was thrown at the end when the truth all comes out. Once things start to unravel, they really unravel, and it all leads up to a very interesting conclusion. One that I did not see coming at all.
This one keeps you guessing the whole time. If you're looking for a good mystery, this is it.
Review also on my blog - Little White Lies by Philippa East
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February 12, 2020
⭐️⭐️.5/5 - I was really looking forward to Little White Lies so I’m a little disappointed that it fell into my ‘just ok’ category😭 The concept was good: missing child returns home to her parents after 7 years, but I spent the majority of this book waiting for something to happen, which in all honesty probably says more about me as a thriller reader than the book lol😳 I had a hard time connecting with the characters so I don’t feel like this will be a memorable read for me. Has anyone else read this!? SO curious to know how everyone found it!
April 11, 2021
2.5/5
As always, I wish I had enjoyed this more. Simply put, the synopsis makes this book sound a lot more suspenseful and sinister than it actually is. This is, by no means, a thriller - at least in my opinion. The pacing didn't work for this book, in that there was a lot of repetition with Anne walking on eggshells around Abigail. I really just wanted more communication - while I definitely understand it's a difficult situation to deal with, there were so many moments where the opportunity arose and it simply wasn't taken. The thrilling action really only takes place around 70-80 pages away from the end, which is far too late for me.
I didn't necessarily dislike most of the characters - honestly, I didn't really have much of an opinion on many of them. However, I have to admit that I did not like Jess at all. She had this personality where she made Abigail's kidnapping very much about herself and would find any way to benefit from it, which really just made me hate her. She was incredibly selfish, naive and very childish for a 15-year-old. She has an awful obsession with Abigail - as someone with sisters, I can assure you that her level of obsession was absolutely abnormal.
The reveal of what actually happened to Abigail was perhaps the most interesting part of this story and I think it would have worked better if the trial was an element interspersed in odd chapters throughout the story rather than as three chapters right at the end. This definitely would have increased the suspense and elevated the book to true thriller status. I did have a moment of thinking "okay, this wasn't so bad" when the reveal occurred, but it wasn't really enough to redeem the book as a whole.
Realistically, I wouldn't recommend this book as an amazing thriller. I will, however, say that it would be good for people who like a slow burn reveal, or who enjoy a character study more than a problem + solution story.
Thank you to HQ and Philippa East for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
As always, I wish I had enjoyed this more. Simply put, the synopsis makes this book sound a lot more suspenseful and sinister than it actually is. This is, by no means, a thriller - at least in my opinion. The pacing didn't work for this book, in that there was a lot of repetition with Anne walking on eggshells around Abigail. I really just wanted more communication - while I definitely understand it's a difficult situation to deal with, there were so many moments where the opportunity arose and it simply wasn't taken. The thrilling action really only takes place around 70-80 pages away from the end, which is far too late for me.
I didn't necessarily dislike most of the characters - honestly, I didn't really have much of an opinion on many of them. However, I have to admit that I did not like Jess at all. She had this personality where she made Abigail's kidnapping very much about herself and would find any way to benefit from it, which really just made me hate her. She was incredibly selfish, naive and very childish for a 15-year-old. She has an awful obsession with Abigail - as someone with sisters, I can assure you that her level of obsession was absolutely abnormal.
The reveal of what actually happened to Abigail was perhaps the most interesting part of this story and I think it would have worked better if the trial was an element interspersed in odd chapters throughout the story rather than as three chapters right at the end. This definitely would have increased the suspense and elevated the book to true thriller status. I did have a moment of thinking "okay, this wasn't so bad" when the reveal occurred, but it wasn't really enough to redeem the book as a whole.
Realistically, I wouldn't recommend this book as an amazing thriller. I will, however, say that it would be good for people who like a slow burn reveal, or who enjoy a character study more than a problem + solution story.
Thank you to HQ and Philippa East for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
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