About the Book
After a lifetime of secrets how far would you go for the truth?
An unputdownable new psychological thriller, full of twists you won’t see coming, from Chris Curran.
Your whole life has been a lie…
One email is all it takes to turn Eve’s world upside down. It contains a picture of her true birth mother, Stella, and proves that Eve’s entire life with her adoptive parents has been a lie.
Now she must unravel the mystery of Stella’s dark past. But what Eve finds will force her to take enormous risks, which put her – and her new-born baby – in immediate danger…
My Thoughts
All the Little Lies is a thriller about Eve. She is married and heavily pregnant when she sees a newspaper article about a woman that she knows must be her birth mother. She has been raised by her adoptive parents but has never been told anything much about the woman who gave birth to her. This leads Eve to start asking questions and the life she thought she knew begins to unravel!
I’ve read and enjoyed Chris Curran’s previous novels but All the Little Lies is definitely her best yet! I was gripped from the opening chapter and was under this book’s spell all the way to the end! The novel is told from two perspectives – Eve in the present and Stella in the past. Some of the other characters feature in both time lines, which is great because you see what they’re telling Eve in the present but you also hear what Stella was going through and how they made her feel.
This novel is a slow-burn but the pacing is exactly right because you need time to see all the threads of the story and to see how things begin to fit together. It also gives you the sense of what Eve is going through – the way it can be slow to find information about something that happened a long time ago. I really felt like I was right along with her in the search for answers.
I loved how Eve’s story alternates with Stella’s and so you get a picture slowly forming of what happened. I felt so sorry for Stella. She had a difficult upbringing and when she finds herself pregnant, alone and short of money she struggles to see how she will cope with a baby. David part owns the gallery that shows some of Stella’s paintings and he offers her help. I think he always meant well but the way Stella’s story unfolds from here is initially heart-breaking and ultimately shocking!
As this novel goes along I became more and more distrustful of just about every character! I was questioning everyone’s motives and trying to work out who had things to gain or lose if Eve were to find out certain things. I did think Eve was too trusting of people at times but I could understand why; she was vulnerable and hurt and was looking for someone who would be completely honest with her. She desperately wants to believe that when she asks questions that people are telling her the honest truth. I was so sympathetic towards her and was hoping there would somehow be a happy ending for her.
The title, All The Little Lies, is one of the most perfect I’ve seen! I loved the way that all the little lies add up in this novel to be much bigger, life-altering lies. You can see how someone does something and justifies it at the time by telling themselves they’re doing it for the best of everyone involved. But then it leads to more lies and then more, and it spirals out of control into a huge lie of which there is no way out!
All The Little Lies is such a great thriller! It’s a brilliant story with great characters and a plot with twists and turns that have you reading just one more chapter (and one more, and one more… until you look up and find it’s 2am!) because you just have to know how it’s all going to work out for Eve. It’s gripping, engrossing and so hard to put down! I definitely recommend this book!
I received a copy of this book from the author. All thoughts are my own.
All the Little Lies is due to be published on 15th February and can be pre-ordered from here now.
I’ve previously reviewed Her Deadly Secret by Chris Curran
A previous guest post from Chris Curran – Crime Series or Standalone
About the Author
All the Little Lies is Chris Curran’s fourth psychological thriller for Harper Collins Killer Reads. She lives in East Sussex and writes, standing up, in a room with no view. When inspiration falters she finds tea (Earl Grey, hot) and a bout of ironing are very therapeutic. In breaks between books she dusts, cooks, walks by the sea and reads – but mostly reads.
Find her at https://chriscurranauthor.com/
Twitter @Christi_Curran
Instagram: chriscurranwriter
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This sounds like a gripping and intense read. Your review was amazing – definitely going to read it!
Brilliant review! I love that the pace is perfect for the reader to understand all that’s going on!
I love this kind of compulsive read, Hayley. It sounds wonderful, especially the pacing! I’m off to add it. Terrific review!
I’m really looking forward to reading this ine
Oh, this stories where secrets from the past come back to haunt can be so effective! It sounds as although these characters are very well-drawn, too. I’m glad you enjoyed it so well.
Isn’t it great when the author continues to wow you with their books. I love this genre and will be adding her to my reading list.
I love books about secrets and lies, and a secret about one’s parent really hits at the core of our emotional lives. I love the sound of this one. Thanks for your great review.
I must go and add this to my wishlist. Fab review.
Happy to have found your blog 😀
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Great review Hayley. Sounds like something I would really enjoy. I always enjoy books with secrets to learn.
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