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thegeekybibliophile's review
4.0
Each Little Lie is the first book I've read of Bale's, but it won't be the last. This psychological thriller will keep you guessing from start to finish!
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.
I received an advance reading copy of this book courtesy of Bookouture via Netgalley.
yvo_about_books's review
4.0
Finished reading: June 25th 2017
"How do I prove my innocence, when all this evidence says I'm guilty?"
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
Spoiler
!!Happy publication day!!
I've been looking forward to read another Tom Bale thriller ever since I finished reading All Fall Down last year, so I was stoked when I heard a new thriller was going to be published. What stands out as soon as you start reading the first page is the writing style and how easily Each Little Lie is able to grab your full attention. And not only that, but Tom Bale is a master of plot twists and is able to leave you absolutely clueless about the what and why of the things that are happening to the main character Jen. And that is a feeling I absolutely love when it comes to my psychological thrillers! I do have to say that after All Fall Down I was expecting this story to be a whole lot more intense, dark and twisted... Don't get me wrong, Each Little Lie is without doubt a great thriller, but the pace is a bit slower and overall the story just didn't make the same impact on me. Especially the first half of the story, while intriguing and very well executed, felt a bit slow and left me waiting for a little more action. The second half mostly made up for that feeling and the final stretch of Each Little Lie was without doubt intense. There is also no doubt that the whole intrigue around what is happening behind the scenes is real and the plot twists and revelations are very well executed. I had a few theories about who was behind it all, but I didn't guess the full truth about what was going on until the very end. As for the characters: they might not be exactly likeable, but their development is very realistic and it was especially interesting to see how Jen reacted AND acted to the things happening to her. All in all still a very good psychological thriller even though it wasn't as intense or twisted as I was expecting.
Jen Cornish is currently going through a nasty divorce and trying to make the best of the situation for the sake of her seven-year-old son Charlie. Then one day an impulsive good deed to help someone has turned into a disaster... Setting off a chain of events that will quickly go out of control. Jen is arrested for a crime she didn't commit, but all the evidence seems to be confirming her guilt instead. Is someone setting her up, or is she losing her mind? If she wants to keep Charlie, she will have to find a way to clear her name... But that might be even more dangerous than she initially guessed.
P.S. Find more of my reviews here.
hainyh's review
3.0
I had really mixed feelings about this book, hence the middle-of-the-road three stars. It started out really well, with a fast-paced plot that planted lots of seeds of doubt in my mind and left me with a lot of questions. I was a little dubious of the plot to begin with, given that the main protagonist, Jen, finds some lost keys and decides to let herself into the owner's house to leave a note - now in reality, who would really do that? I was able to look past that however as the plot was keeping me guessing and i could sense a good storyline.
After the first quarter, i must admit the plot started to drag and i really had to try hard to persevere with this book, as i wanted to find out what was going on. Further still, and the story got quite complicated - some may find it easy to keep up with what was going on, but I personally felt there were too many characters introduced which made it difficult to follow and recall who was who; several times i had to flick back a few pages to refresh my memory. Not only that, but the plot became a little far-fetched, with espionage, Jen being framed for a crime, and too many details which in reality would not have come together so cleverly as they have done in this book.
As for the ending, I unfortunately found it to be fairly inconclusive. There remained a lot of questions (although the epilogue did address a few of these) and there were a few plot points left unfinished.
This is the first book I've read by Tom Bale, and although this one wasn't for me, I've heard great praise for his other books so would definitely look at reading his others.
After the first quarter, i must admit the plot started to drag and i really had to try hard to persevere with this book, as i wanted to find out what was going on. Further still, and the story got quite complicated - some may find it easy to keep up with what was going on, but I personally felt there were too many characters introduced which made it difficult to follow and recall who was who; several times i had to flick back a few pages to refresh my memory. Not only that, but the plot became a little far-fetched, with espionage, Jen being framed for a crime, and too many details which in reality would not have come together so cleverly as they have done in this book.
As for the ending, I unfortunately found it to be fairly inconclusive. There remained a lot of questions (although the epilogue did address a few of these) and there were a few plot points left unfinished.
This is the first book I've read by Tom Bale, and although this one wasn't for me, I've heard great praise for his other books so would definitely look at reading his others.
suspensethrill's review
4.0
It's safe to say I was hooked on this story from beginning to end. I have seen lots of reviewers who were wary of the premise; how could anyone in their right mind enter someone else's house to return their lost keys and think that was the best idea? I'm going to touch on that below, but needless to say since this is fiction, if you can suspend your need for a realistic catalyst, I think you'll enjoy this story as well. One of my favorite attributes to Bale as an author is how, as a man, he can write such relatable female characters. In each book of his that I've read I feel as though he has taken some of my darkest fears and deepest worries as a parent and brought them to life; this could be due to the fact that he was, for a time, a stay at home parent himself and fully involved in child rearing. I always find the tiny details he places in his stories of various emotions and fierce protection of the mothers he creates to be what has placed him in my circle of favorite authors.
I really want to stay away from talking about the plot, but I did want to mention that yes, the premise here is quite out there for most folks. What really got me thinking though was how quick we are to judge what other's do without thinking of how we might act under similar circumstances. I began pondering how, as a mother of two small ones, I am constantly exhausted and walking around in this state that is relatable to the people in the Claritin commercials before they pull that blurry film off and get to be "Claritin Clear". I have done more than my fair share of stupid things solely under the umbrella of being depleted. Our main character Jen is a single mother strapped with more anxiety and stress than any one person should shoulder, but unfortunately is rather common these days. Long story short, this train of thought is what initially caused myself to stop and dig deep to feel for this poor woman.
Overall I was really pleased with this one; it was very different from his previous novels I've read, but I feel Bale did a fantastic job crafting this slow burning suspense with heightened emotion. If you enjoy your crime fiction focused more on the characters than high action, you may want to give this a go.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
I really want to stay away from talking about the plot, but I did want to mention that yes, the premise here is quite out there for most folks. What really got me thinking though was how quick we are to judge what other's do without thinking of how we might act under similar circumstances. I began pondering how, as a mother of two small ones, I am constantly exhausted and walking around in this state that is relatable to the people in the Claritin commercials before they pull that blurry film off and get to be "Claritin Clear". I have done more than my fair share of stupid things solely under the umbrella of being depleted. Our main character Jen is a single mother strapped with more anxiety and stress than any one person should shoulder, but unfortunately is rather common these days. Long story short, this train of thought is what initially caused myself to stop and dig deep to feel for this poor woman.
Overall I was really pleased with this one; it was very different from his previous novels I've read, but I feel Bale did a fantastic job crafting this slow burning suspense with heightened emotion. If you enjoy your crime fiction focused more on the characters than high action, you may want to give this a go.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my copy via NetGalley; it was a pleasure to provide my honest thoughts here.
bibliophilebookclub's review
4.0
I am a big fan of Tom Bale’s books so I was thrilled to be able to read and review Each Little Lie as part of the blog tour.
Each Little Lie focuses on Jen, and her son Charlie. One day, Jen finds a set of keys on her neighbours lawn, and ends up setting herself on a very treacherous course. When Jjen is arrested for a crime she did not commit, it becomes a race against time to get those she loves to believe her, and to clear her name.
Tom Bale has a gift for turning the innocuous, normal and ordinary life decisions into something far more sinister than one would expect. I’ve said that before, and I stand by it, especially after reading Each Little Lie. Everyday decisions are turned into something completely different, and it goes to show that a having a good moral compass doesn’t always work in your favour. The fallout is what keeps the reader turning those pages!
Each Little Lie is a compulsive age-turner, with elemetns of a psychological thriller combined with a hefty dose of humanity. It is gripping, and more than a little scary in the sense that the author can essentially ruin a person’s life between the pages.
I look forward to each new Tom Bale book, and I am never disappointed!
Highly recommended!
Each Little Lie focuses on Jen, and her son Charlie. One day, Jen finds a set of keys on her neighbours lawn, and ends up setting herself on a very treacherous course. When Jjen is arrested for a crime she did not commit, it becomes a race against time to get those she loves to believe her, and to clear her name.
Tom Bale has a gift for turning the innocuous, normal and ordinary life decisions into something far more sinister than one would expect. I’ve said that before, and I stand by it, especially after reading Each Little Lie. Everyday decisions are turned into something completely different, and it goes to show that a having a good moral compass doesn’t always work in your favour. The fallout is what keeps the reader turning those pages!
Each Little Lie is a compulsive age-turner, with elemetns of a psychological thriller combined with a hefty dose of humanity. It is gripping, and more than a little scary in the sense that the author can essentially ruin a person’s life between the pages.
I look forward to each new Tom Bale book, and I am never disappointed!
Highly recommended!
itsallaboutthebooksuk's review
5.0
Gosh I was super excited to hear Tom Bale had a new book coming out, having read See How They Run and All Fall Down and loving them I couldn’t wait to get reading Each Little Lie.
Jen Cornish, single mum to Charlie is on her way to work one day when a man she see’s regularly on her travels drops his keys. Jen then makes a decision that will not only put herself in danger but her son Charlie too and all she thought she was doing was a good deed.
Tom Bale has a way of taking a really simple situation, one that many people could find themselves in and turning it into something quite terrifying. I put myself in Jen’s situation and asked myself what I would do? Would I have done things differently? Yes I probably would have and I was willing Jen to make the right decision but her decision then turns into a terrifying tale that had me totally gripped and turning the pages as fast as I could.
Jen was a likeable character, a single mum going through a messy divorce and trying to do her best for her son Charlie. I couldn’t help feeling the fear Jen was feeling as she goes through the ordeal that she does but her determination to find out why really made her quite interesting and I found myself really fitting along with Jen to reveal the truth.
As the story develops the suspense builds and I was questioning each character, I had everyone pegged at some point as being involved in Jen’s downfall. My little brain was just whirring with possibilities and theories but Tom Bale doesn’t make it easy for readers to figure out and it wasn’t until nearer the end everything fell into place and by that point I think I may have turned blue from holding my breath so many times.
Tom Bale has written another cracker here with Each Little Lie. It’s full of suspense and tension and it gives you goose bumps. It’s a real page turner involving lies and manipulation with a plot that just draws you in from the beginning. It really is a cracker and one I highly recommend.
Jen Cornish, single mum to Charlie is on her way to work one day when a man she see’s regularly on her travels drops his keys. Jen then makes a decision that will not only put herself in danger but her son Charlie too and all she thought she was doing was a good deed.
Tom Bale has a way of taking a really simple situation, one that many people could find themselves in and turning it into something quite terrifying. I put myself in Jen’s situation and asked myself what I would do? Would I have done things differently? Yes I probably would have and I was willing Jen to make the right decision but her decision then turns into a terrifying tale that had me totally gripped and turning the pages as fast as I could.
Jen was a likeable character, a single mum going through a messy divorce and trying to do her best for her son Charlie. I couldn’t help feeling the fear Jen was feeling as she goes through the ordeal that she does but her determination to find out why really made her quite interesting and I found myself really fitting along with Jen to reveal the truth.
As the story develops the suspense builds and I was questioning each character, I had everyone pegged at some point as being involved in Jen’s downfall. My little brain was just whirring with possibilities and theories but Tom Bale doesn’t make it easy for readers to figure out and it wasn’t until nearer the end everything fell into place and by that point I think I may have turned blue from holding my breath so many times.
Tom Bale has written another cracker here with Each Little Lie. It’s full of suspense and tension and it gives you goose bumps. It’s a real page turner involving lies and manipulation with a plot that just draws you in from the beginning. It really is a cracker and one I highly recommend.
mistysbookspace's review
4.0
I want to thank Bookouture for providing me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
This was actually the first book I have read by this author and I ended up really enjoying it. The premise of this story is pretty unrealistic for most people but honestly who really knows how they will react in a similar situations until they are faced with the choice. Also since this is a work of fiction it doesn't really bother me especially since Bale was able to make it come across as believable.
Most of this book is told from Jens POV which I really enjoyed. You get a few chapters here and there from some other perspectives which at first caught me off guard because I was reading from Jens POV and then all of a sudden like 8 chapters in it was something else altogether and it was like I was reading 2 different stories but luckily it all came together and made since. By far I enjoyed reading from Jens POV the most.
Jen is a single parent and she's such a strong fierce female character and all around good person which I give Bale credit for writing a great female lead character. One thing that seemed a little out of character for Jen was how fast she started doubting herself. It actually kind of got on my nerves because it was like every time she would see something she would second guess herself and be like maybe I didn't actually see it and I am losing my mind. I understand what she was going through could make anyone go a little crazy but this happened right from the get go.
Pretty much every man in this novel except for Charlie and Jens dad are douche bags of some sort. The only male character who sort of redeemed himself was Charlie's dad Freddie but I still feel like he needs to grow a pair. There was one other character who is actually just a side character but he stood out to me because he was an amputee. There wasn't really much to his character but I loved the small inclusion of an amputee because I myself am and amputee if you didn't know.
One other thing I am not entirely sure how I feel about it is how it ended. The only thing I will say is that I was left feeling like there wasn't any justice really. After reading the authors note I completely understand but I really wanted to see a particular character get what was coming to them.
This is a slow burn mystery/thriller that is suspenseful and full of twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning and on the edge of my seat with anticipation and I would definitely recommend you give this book a try if it interests you.
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