This is one of those books that makes you lose sleep, I stayed up way too late for several nights in a row reading it, I kept thinking just one more chapter, it is a book that you get really involved with.
A very decent debut crime novel, intelligent and believable with plenty of tension and pace.

This debut story is part mystery and part police procedural. I admit I wasn't sure at first as it took me a while to warm to the lead character, Cat, but she definitely won me over and by the end I loved her! (Anyone who can "do a little Shirley Bassey" is fine by me.)

By the time you get to the middle of the book there are twists-a-go-go and by the end you can see how cleverly it has been written. There were many points in the second half where I gasped out loud and the ending is really good.

I don't know what's next for Cat, but I hope there is more to come from Caz Frear. Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Zaffre for the ARC of Sweet Little Lies.

I really enjoyed getting to know Cat she has her flaws but she was quite a compelling character especially as her past is revealed. With her dysfunctional family to worries in her career it's easy to be pulled into her life. Cat has a straight talking personality that was so entertaining and quite a few times I found myself smiling at her comments and observations. I thought that Cat's colleagues were a brilliant addition to the story especially Luigi Parnell they really made a great team. As events take place you can feel her indecision over whether to explain any connection that her family has with Maryanne. 

The plot unfolds at a steady pace which I didn't really mind as it meant that the characters were developed well and I got a better feel for them. This book is filled to the brim with secrets and lies which kept me on my toes waiting for the next revelation. The flashbacks to Cat's childhood are interesting and her 8 year old self is a complete contrast to who she grew up to be. Mainly down to trust issues, I guess in Cat's case once the trust has gone its hard to move on from and can affect your entire future. There are a few surprises along the way and this really helped to keep the momentum going right until the very end.

A good mix of crime, suspense and intrigue!

With thanks to Emily at Bonnier Zaffre for my copy. This is my honest and unbiased opinion.

When I first read the back of the book I was intrigued and really looking forward to reading Sweet Little Lies. I’d planned on reading a few chapters one evening before bed, what I didn’t expect was to still be awake at 2am still reading. This is one of those books where you say “just one more chapter”.
8 year old Cat is on holiday with her family when Maryanne Doyle goes missing, disappearing after seemingly going out for a can of hairspray. When the police come round asking questions and Cat’s Dad lies, the bond between Cat and her Dad is ruined.
Skip forward 18 years and Cat is now working as a Detective Contestable with the Met, called in to investigate the murder of a woman who’s body has been dumped not far from her Dads pub Cat has to try and find out what happened to this woman while also facing her past when secrets and lies surface once again.
Cat Kinsella is a great character, she’s flawed but full of determination. Having been referred to a therapist after having a big wobble at a crime scene it’s clear that there’s more than just this that is bothering Cat and slowly through out the book we find out her story. Told in the first person Cat’s personality real comes through and you really can’t help but like her and want the best for her even when you know that the decisions she is making may be a bit risky.
Caz Frear has written a fantastic debut, the plot was excellent and I really didn’t see where it was going and was shocked at where it ended up. I’m not going to give any spoilers away but I will say it’s full of secrets, lies and revelations. Sweet Little Lies will take you on a journey and spit you out at the end, leaving you wanting more and I really hope we will get to read more about Cat Kinsella in the future. I think this would make a brilliant series

Sweet Little Lies is a sharp, intelligent novel which offers a more emotive side to the usual police investigation novels, because DC Cat Kinsella’s own family may be snarled up in their most recent case: the murder of Alice Lapaine, and an older case involved Maryanne Doyle.

We follow Cat and the team as they investigate a series of murders, some recent and some from years ago. Cat herself is a conflicted character with her own problems and issues, and she has various flaws which she’s well aware of, and is struggling with a troubled relationship with her own family which was interesting to read about. I look forward to future novels with her in as she seemed a likeable, smart character who I enjoyed reading about, as are her family members.

The case itself swings between fast paced and intriguing to a little slower; in fact the story in general did slow down at some points, and I found myself less gripped by the novel, but it soon picks up again. I was also aware that this made the book more realistic – police investigations can’t always be all go go go!

There are some humorous observations by Cat which kept me entertained throughout and made me laugh, and the fact that the novel really delves into Cat’s life adds an extra dimension to the story.

I really enjoyed Sweet Little Lies and feel that it's something a little different.

DC Cat Kinsella’s past and present are thrust together when a current murder investigation links to the disappearance of a girl she knew growing up, and who was never found. To throw more curiosity in the pot, we learn that Cat has always suspected that her father had some involvement during that summer long ago. Cat is forced to confront her suspicions and worst fears, as she unfolds the mystery of what happens to Maryanne putting her job in jeopardy and perhaps biting off more than she can chew.

I really enjoyed Cat as our protagonist and young detective, and I found it particularly interesting with the great detail there was in the police procedural. Within the first chapter I knew I would find this book hard to put down, as the story line was incredibly engrossing. I loved that the investigation was personal to Cat as it cast some interesting questions and premises. Realising your Dad could be connected to a murder, and how your feelings would effect you carrying out your job and the personal feelings involved- all which I would find incredibly hard and messy to deal with.

I found the switching between the past and present a great way for us the reader to find out who Cat is and what she was like as an eight year old, who believes her father is a hero; and also an older and wiser Cat whose father had been dropped from her high expectations and someone who she can now see through. The plot is brilliantly played out with a few curveballs, offering us suspense and a great surprise twist at the end which I definitely didn’t see coming! Having a surprise at the end of a crime thriller such as this is so important for me, and Caz absolutely nailed it. The ending isn’t rushed, but unravelled slowly and methodically as we gather more and more clues by Cat in her investigation.

Sweet Little Lies is a brilliant debut novel from an author I’m definitely wanting to read more from very soon, if you love crime thrillers then Caz Frear with Sweet Little Lies is your next stop!

Whilst on holiday in Ireland with her family, eight year old Catrina is unwittingly drawn into a missing persons investigation. Teenager, Maryanne Doyle; loud, brash and very much in your face, goes missing. Catrina doesn’t know what happened to Maryanne but she is sure of one thing. Her father lied to the police. He claimed to not have known the teenager but Catrina vividly remembers Maryanne hitch hiking and her dad picking her up. After all, Catrina was in the car as well. Fast forward 18 years and Catrina is now DC Cat Kinsella with the Met’s Murder team. Called to investigate the brutal murder of Alice Lapaine, the team find nothing but a secretive husband and a lot of dead ends. Can Cat find out what happened to Maryanne all those years ago, exactly what part her father played in her disappearance AND solve a motiveless murder at the same time…?

So many delicious secrets! This is a wonderfully intricate tale which I found hard to put down. I was immediately drawn to the feisty Cat Kinsella. She absolutely made the book for me and I couldn’t tear myself away from reading about her exploits. How I loved her dry wit, her gutsy determination and her adorable relationship with Acting DI Luigi Parnell. I found myself caring about what was going to happen to Cat, whether she would discover the truth and whether it would be the truth she actually wanted to hear.

For me, the characters in a book are one of the most important factors. I feel Caz Frear deserves high praise for the cast of characters she has created in this novel. After finishing the book I can still bring to mind certain scenarios, conversations and interactions between her creations. They all stand tall, each one an individual.

Would I recommend this book? I would. It’s an excellent debut and I’m excited to see what Caz Frear has in store for us in the future. It’s a gripping read, full of suspense and intrigue, chock full of lies and deceit from a sometimes dubious cast of characters.

Four and a half out of five stars.

I chose to read and review an eARC of Sweet Little Lies. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Who is the dead really?

When Cat Kinsella was eight, the girl she wasn't sure whether to admire or dislike, Maryanne Doyle, goes missing. Cat is a precocious little girl and she knows about the very “tarty” Maryanne and the men. All the men. Married, unmarried…..so she knows when her Dad denies having had contact with Maryanne that this is a lie. A blatant one.

The book moves from 1998 where an eight-year-old Cat narrates, to the present day and Cat is now a detective. She’s just worked a harrowing case where a little girl was found wandering about the scene of her mother's murder, and for some reason this impacted on Cat very hard - so much so that lady boss Parnell forces her to seek psychological counselling. The thing is, Cat isn't that good about opening up to anyone...least of all in counselling.

When she is called to the scene of another body - also a mother, this time just dumped out of a car onto the pavement, Cat has to deal with the very real effects of anxiety while keeping her mind on track because Parnell is watching Cat as she suspects Cat’s mental health isn't what it should be. Ah, if only Parnell knew!!

But Cat is nothing if not determined to find this killer, with or without sleep. What bothers her most though, is the location of the body. That is, until the identity is revealed….

Then everything changes in the blink of an eye.

This is a police procedural novel but it's a brilliant thriller too. I really enjoy Ms Frear's writing style. The way the timeline moves between Cat as a little girl and Cat as an adult is excellent. Parnell is also a very good character - from the start I envisaged her as a very tiny, determined Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada.

On the surface Sweet Little Lies is a book about disappearance, suspicion and murder, but it's also a book about family and the weird and wonderful dynamics that exist between the mind of a very human detective and the sweet little lies everyone else believed.

I loved it and would love to see this on the big screen. Please note that it is a British thriller - in other words don't expect SWAT and guns and such. There is plenty to keep you busy though, so many lies and not all of them sweet, and so little time for Cat to find the truth. Lot of twists and unexpected revelations. Sit back and enjoy!

Hint to the author - I really hope to read more Cat Kinsella books.

Elsa

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I can see exactly why this book won the Richard and Judy Search for a Bestseller Competition, what a find Caz Frear is! I was absolutely addicted to Sweet Little Lie, it has a gripping storyline right from the start and a female protagonist that you're not quite sure you should care about quite as much as you do!

It was the characters that really made this one for me. DC Cat Kinsella is a police officer on the edge! She lies, she drinks (and has other questionable habits!!) and her life is a mess. But in the flashbacks to an 8 year old Cat on holiday with her family in Ireland, we see a very different side to her and have to watch as family secrets start to play their part in the destruction of that sweet, caring and intelligent little girl. Watching the developments on that life changing holiday for Cat through her own eyes, we see things as she does and understand why from that moment onwards she has issues with her father. This is a father/daughter relationship that has shaped Cats life and not for the better! There has been a massive breakdown in family trust but what is the truth? Cat is about to find out when the past raises its ugly head once more.

I think "page turner" is probably the best description for Sweet Little Lies! I had no idea where it was going or who to believe as Cat investigated a case that was far too close to home for her to be objective.   I loved the contrast between Cats cold and mistrusting relationship with her father and the warm camaraderie she shared with her partner DS Luigi Parnell ("as Italian as a bacon sandwich") who was a very obvious father figure to her even if she didn't realise this hereslf. And I had no idea who to trust so felt the same feelings of frustration and determination as Cat was forced to discover the truth about her father and what had happened on both to Maryanne Doyle on that holiday and Alice Lepaine in the present day. 

Well worth popping onto your holiday reading pile this summer!

I want to thank Caz Frear, Bonnier Zaffre and Netgalley for giving me this book for my honest review!
Review by Stephanie
4.5 Stars
I have hit the debut writer jackpot lately and Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear is another book that FLOORED me! I am loving the trend of new amazing writers and I don't want it to stop ever!
WOW This book....where do I begin without giving anything way? The description was so vague and I think that added so much to this book because I didn't know what to expect and let me tell you I got something so different from what I expected this book to be! Caz Frear did an amazing job crafting a sorry that had me guessing what was truth and what was told to us to be true....that sentence prob makes no sense but once you read this amazing book you will be like OMG Stephanie was sooo right! Caz does an flawless job with this book! She had me questioning everything, everyone and every possible possibility!

Sweet Little Lies is a police procedural novel with a bright, funny, intelligent detective at its heart.

DC Catrina (Cat) Kinsella is working in London when Alice Lapaine's body is found. There is nothing particularly unusual about this, murders unfortunately do happen. Particularly in London.

But Alice Lapaine's isn't actually Alice Lapaine.

She's Maryanne Doyle, a teenager who disappeared from Mulderrin when Cat was eight and on holiday there with her family.

Cat remembers Maryanne's disappearance as if it were yesterday.

Her Father was questioned about the teenagers sudden disappearance, as she was friends with Cat's elder sister. He lied and Cat knew this, but at eight years old remained silent, and was not questioned herself. But she has never forgotten what happened.

Alice Lapaine's husband has no idea of his wife's previous identity, but that doesn't mean he isn't under suspicion. Their marriage wasn't exactly perfect. Cat doesn't think that he did it though. She's more concerned about where Alice/Maryanne's body was found... Very near to her Father's pub.

Once again she knows she must remain silent or risk losing everything.

Cat is a complex and troubled character, determined to do the right thing, even if that means having to betray family or keep secrets from those who trust her. What starts of as a relatively slow novel, soon gathers pace, and the ending will (probably) leave you open mouthed. It was certainly unexpected...

I found Sweet Little Lies to be a great story. Cat is a police officer who uses her Mother’s maiden name. If she used her actual surname her secret would have been revealed and she wouldn’t have had the involvement with the case that she did. I loved her character and the volatile relationship that she had with her family. Her closest relation was her older sister but that relationship was at times difficult. When the body of Alice Lapaine is found near to her father’s pub I could barely wait to see how she would handle the situation and if she would reveal secrets from her childhood.
I liked the flashbacks to the family holiday in Ireland. The way she was teased over her fascination over pop groups at the time, her desire to be noticed by the older girls in the village, the locals and the way local places were described. The ‘pot-holey’ road being one of them. And then when it became more sinister when a local teenager disappears.
The investigation was a convincing one, showing a realistic pace. Murder isn’t always quick to solve and the team had days with no information coming in. The team was also convincing, all the officers were different with their strengths and weaknesses but Cat was willing to learn from each of them even if they weren’t people she liked.
I didn’t work this mystery out, the murderer and the reasons why the murder happened were cleverly hidden. I did find the ending a little abrupt but it didn’t stop me enjoying the book.
I would love this to become a series. I thought all the characters were strong enough to appear in further books and I would love to see what Cat does next.
With thanks to the publisher for the copy received.

This was a good story, with interesting characters. I wasn’t expecting most of the twists which felt great and most of my theories were obliterated. It kept me on my toes the entire time.
I wish I had felt more of a connection to the main character though.

Maryanne Doyle went to buy hairspray and never came back on 31st May, 1998... Murdered???
In the present time, a woman is found murdered and dumped at Leamington Square close to the pub, McAuley's...
The first line caused me to pick up the book and the second, to continue with it. Both these lines created such a high note of suspense and mystery in my mind that the pages turned all by themselves.
The entire story is written solely in the voice of DC Catrina Kinsella in two timelines 1998, when Maryanne Doyle disappeared and in the present time when a woman, Alice Lapine is found murdered. There is police investigation during both the times, and Catrina is involved in both.
In 1998, when Maryanne disappeared from the area of Mulderrin, everyone was questioned including eight year old Cat and her father Michael.... He lied about knowing Maryanne and Cat knew he lied.. But yet she was quiet...
In the present time, the woman, Alice Lapine is found close to the bar owned by Cat's father... Coincidence??? Cat doesn't believe in coincidence....
She is part of the police team that investigates this murder. All possible suspects including the husband Thomas Lapine are looked into. A public appeal for further information about Alice is sent, which brings to light a shocking fact by an Irish man, Aiden. He thinks she is his sister and her name is Maryanne...
Alice Lapine is Maryanne Doyle
Shock... Silence... Goosebumps...
And Cat is again right in the middle of it all. Neither can she open her mouth and claim knowledge about Maryanne of 1998 and put her dad in trouble nor can she be silent about the death of the present Maryanne. All that she thought was true, was a lie yet not a lie. Her childhood facts were
Fact no 1 - her father knew Maryanne
Fact no 2 - her father had a role in her disappearance
Fact no 3 - her father killed Maryanne but... No, that wasn't a fact.... Maryanne was not murdered in 1998 but in the present time close to her father's bar. Her fear came from the fact that if her dad wasn't involved then, was he involved now???
The entire story is an investigation into the life of Alice / Maryanne, her disappearance, her name change and her murder. Each part reveals a facet about Maryanne's past life which puts Cat more in a dilemma. Her silence may cost her, her career. There are sharp twists and turns which make the book a fast read.
Caz Frear, in her debut, writes well in some parts, builds up the pace slowly, weaves the past into the present, in a deliberate manner. The police team is well rounded especially, the relation between Cat and her immediate senior Parnell is heart warming, so is her love for her nephew, Finn.
The only problem I had is, throughout the book, Cat rambles on and on, going on tangent lines in her mind, sometimes with self deprecating humour and sometimes with cynicism. This spoils the reading a bit but luckily in the latter half the investigation proceeds at a fast rate, so Cat has no time to ramble.
This police procedural works at a level where clues are revealed and mysteries are unravelled all leading to the finale which is mind blowing and unexpected....
Cat's last line in the book goes like this
Dad and I are bonded for life now because I'm not just a keeper of his secrets but he's the keeper of mine...

Sweet little lies by Caz Frear.
WHAT I THOUGHT I KNEW: In 1998, Maryanne Doyle disappeared and Dad knew something about it? Maryanne Doyle was never seen again.
WHAT I ACTUALLY KNOW: In 1998, Dad lied about knowing Maryanne Doyle. Alice Lapaine has been found strangled near Dad's pub. Dad was in the local area for both Maryanne Doyle's disappearance and Alice Lapaine's murder - FACT Connection?
Trust cuts both ways . . . what do you do when it's gone?
An absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters. What a shocker of a read. Gripping from start to finish. 5*. Netgalley and bonnie zaffre.

I was expecting Sweet Little Lies to be suspenseful, but it was more of a police procedural. Although I thought the mystery was rather intriguing at times, ultimately I did not find it all that compelling of a read. Parts of it felt really drawn out and I had a hard time wanting to pick it up and read it when that happened. The main character, Cat was not all that likable to me either. The good thing about this book is that I did not figure all the details of the mystery out. On a random note, since finishing this I've had the Fleetwood Mac song stuck in my head.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Bonnier Zaffre for giving me a copy of this book for review.

Cat Kinella has a problem. She thinks her dad killed a young woman named Maryanne 18 years ago. Now, she is called to a murder scene for a young woman named Alice who has been murdered. Good and bad. Good: it turns out her dad couldn’t have murdered Maryanne because she and Alice are the same person. Bad: Alice was murdered very near Cat’s dad’s bar. So, just like you would expect in one of these books, Cat does not come clean with her boss regarding her connection to the victim or her concerns regarding her father. Instead, she pursues the case even as it gets closer and closer to her own past. At 479 pages, this book is long. But Frear uses those pages to develop several wonderful characters and explore the complexities of their relationships. I look forward to more books from this author.

Blooming heck! This book took me round the block a few times. In both directions! I am so glad that I read it on a day when I didn't have anything else major planned cos the couple of times I did have to put it down, I felt completely bereft and chomping at the bit to get back to it.
Cat Kinsella is a detective in London. She is part of the team called to the discovery of a woman's body dead and dumped. Identified initially as Alice Laplaine, it soon transpires that she is actually Maryanne Doyle who went missing from Ireland eighteen years go when she was just seventeen. The same Maryanne Doyle who Cat remembers her father denying knowledge of to the Police at the time of her disappearance, despite her witnessing an interesting exchange between the two only days earlier. Cat knows that she really should declare her personal interest in the case but being as how she is still trying to bounce back from witnessing a shocking scene in the line of duty and wanting to prove herself, coupled with the fact that she really needs to be in at the sharp end of the investigation, to know exactly what is going on, she remains silent. What happens next is a rather convoluted peeling back of layers, some kept to one side, others discarded until the really rather shocking truth is finally uncovered.
I am still undecided as to whether I still want to slap Cat for all the risks - both personally and professionally - that she took during this story. I guess, with the benefit of hindsight, knowing what happens, I think she made the right call but it was touch and go as I was reading it as to whether I thought she was doing the right thing. Even now, in the future beyond the book, I am not convinced that things won't ever come back to bite her in the bottom! Still, her inclusion into the heart of the investigation made for a great spin on the story.
The story is told in two timelines. One being set in Ireland eighteen years ago and concerns itself with Cat's family holiday to Ireland to visit her (now deceased) mother's family and the disappearance of Maryanne Doyle. The other is set in London in the present day where Cat is investigating her death. I found the two storylines to be very well woven together. With just the right amount of information from the past injected into the present at just the right times in order to complement and progress the story.
Despite my issues with her behaviour I really liked Cat as a character. Especially her relationship with surrogate father figure Parnell. I really did feel for her with respect to her family situation, especially her relationship with her sister being strained and only still connected by Cat's love for her nephew. And then, throw in her brother and now-fallen-from-his-pedestal father, we have a bit of a dysfunctional family. And like all dysfunctional families, lack of communication is a core enabler, which becomes evident as the story begins its final stages.
Plotting was excellent. I really didn't know where we were going at all for the most part of the book. I definitely didn't see it going in the direction it ending up going in. And it's a direction that is a bit hard hitting and nasty at times. I'd like to be able to give a content warning but spoliers prevent me from being specific so I would advise that if you are sensitive to some of the big issues that could pop up in this genre of book, that you do seek advice before starting this book.
Pacing was a bit different in this book, it wasn't completely linear. usually we have a slow start and then the pace ramps up towards the end. This book didn't really do that. The pace was partly dictated by the setting. The scenes in Ireland moved at a slower pace than those in London. Also, the beginning was slightly more pacy than the middle and then it just took off towards the end. This didn't bother me too much as the slower paced middle coincided with the investigation stalling a wee bit, which in itself is completely credible.
For a debut novel, which I believe this is, it's a corker. I have tried to find out whether, as well as being a debut, it's also the start of a series of books staring Cat and possibly Parnell. Part of me really wants it to be as I don't think I'm ready to say goodbye to Cat just yet as I personally think she has much more to give as a character.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

A really good read which has been brilliantly written. The plot is serious but this book made me laugh so many times. Everything in the book feels real and I was totally captivated by it. I would definitely read more books by this author.

Really enjoyed this book. Full of suspense and surprises along the way. A really great read and very well written. Would like to read more by this author