Three Little Lies - Laura Marshall - Review AND Giveaway

Laura Marshall follows up the success of her debut novel, Friend Request, with the just released Three Little Lies.

Three Little Lies is told over the course of fifteen years, flipping back and forth between then and now. In 2005, teenage Ellen is happily drawn into Sasha's family life - until an event on New Year's Eve changes the lives of everyone concerned. In 2017, Sasha goes missing. And Ellen is afraid that the past is not done with them all. Questions arise - how well does she really know Sasha.....

I always enjoy a back and forth narrative. It lets the reader take those pieces from the past and apply them to the mystery in current day. Marshall directs the reader's attention back and forth between possible suspects, but sharp readers may suss out the whodunit before the last pages.

Although Three Little Lies is a mystery, it also explores teenage angst, friendship and coming of age. Those early years definitely affect the future. Ellen is the lead character and she fills the 'good' role. The others are all damaged, suspicious and have questionable motives. And are all pretty unlikable.

I do feel the timeline could have been tightened up a bit, but overall a solid read.  Here's an excerpt of Three Little Lies.

"Laura Marshall was born in Melbourne, Australia, where she has lived all her life and currently resides with her two young sons. She has a degree in journalism and has a career in advertising. She is currently a partner at the creative agency Mr Smith." You can connect with Laura Marshall on her website, like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter. 

And if you'd like to read Three Little Lies, I have a copy to giveaway, courtesy of Grand Central Publishing. Enter using the Rafflecopter form below, open to US and Canada, no PO boxes please. Ends Sept 15/18.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Death of A Ghost - M.C. Beaton

I've always enjoyed M.C. Beaton's Hamish MacBeth series. But in this latest book, Death of a Ghost, I've found that Hamish has developed an edge - one I don't like.

I do like the sleepy village of Lochdubh, its quirky inhabitants and the ginger policeman who easily solves cases, but works even harder to not get the credit. But I didn't find the homey, cosy feeling I was looking for in this newest entry.

I was immediately put off by a distasteful 'joke' in the first few pages  It's not a joke, it's not PC and quite frankly I can't see any female reader finding it funny. (Yes, it involves the letters CN and T. Pick a vowel.) Curiosity kept me reading. And there were more harsh words and ugly tones from Hamish. He's just not nice any longer. He was always a bit tetchy, but it was not nasty or crude.

The plot line of Death of a Ghost is very, very busy. Lots of players, more than one body and  lots of clues. Hamish and his partner Charlie seem to careen from one situation to another. I do like this new partner - he's a good sort. Familiar supporting cast members do appear, but even they seem to have gotten darker. The ongoing feud with Blair has taken a murderous turn. And even likable lush Jimmy isn't the same. I found the writing choppy and uneven.

This was a series I used to read to nursing home residents. But no more. And sadly, no more for me either. This is the end of the road for me and Hamish. And I think it might be time for Hamish to retire.  Read an excerpt of Death of a Ghost.

The Dead Will Tell - Linda Castillo

The Dead Will Tell is the sixth entry in Linda Castillo's series featuring Kate Burkholder.

Burkholder was born into the Amish community that surrounds the town of Painters Mill, but chose to leave. She's now the Police Chief of that community. Her background makes her invaluable when dealing with the Amish community. Her calm manner and determination to solve cases make her an ideal cop.

When a man is found hanging in his barn, it looks like a case of suicide. But a clue left at the scene says murder. When another death happens on the heels of the first, Kate finds the common ground between the two deaths. It's the past that connects them. Thirty five years ago, an Amish father and his four children were killed in their home and the wife and mother was never found. What has stirred this up after all that time? Has the mother returned after all these years? Who wants revenge?

Kate is an likable, engaging character. Castillo includes an ongoing personal storyline for Kate, bringing some romance to her books. Kate has now moved into with Agent John Tomasetti. Tomasetti has his own troubles - the man responsible for killing his wife and child has just been freed from prison. And he's having trouble accepting that. I'm not as enamoured of him as Kate is. And I still don't get why Kate only calls him by his last name?!

The whodunit is nicely played - not overly hard to solve, but still enjoyable. And Castillo includes a nice little twist. Procedural details aren't overly employed, instead Castillo moves things along with deductions and action. Although I must admit, the killer and their impetus is more than a little twisted. Castillo's premise and use of the Amish community and their way of life is interesting and different enough to separate it from other series. An easy read for the porch, not earth shattering, but entertaining.

Fans of Iris Johansen would enjoy this series. Read an excerpt of The Dead Will Tell. You can find Linda Castillo on Facebook.