Little Black Lies
by
Sharon Bolton
Order:
USA
Can
Minotaur, 2016 (2015)
Hardcover, Softcover, e-Book
Reviewed by Lyn Seippel
S
haron Bolton's latest thriller takes place on the Falkland Islands during a three day period in November, 1994, twelve years after the Falkland Islands War. It is narrated by three main characters who were all involved, in some way, in a tragic accident that took place three years prior.
C
atrin Quinn, a reclusive and lonely whale researcher, is haunted by her two dead sons. She wonders if she has what it takes to kill. Catrin's lifelong best friend Rachel Grimwood is remorseful and deeply depressed. And Callum Murray, a Scotsman and former paratrooper who stayed on after the British victory against Argentina, suffers PTSD with memory loss.
W
hen Catrin docks after a research dive, she learns that a three-year-old boy, Archie West, has gone missing. With the anniversary of the death of her own sons approaching, Archie's disappearance hardly touches Catrin. But, reluctantly she joins the search.
A
rchie's is the third unresolved disappearance in two years, but he police won't admit there may be a pattern to the disappearances. When Callum Murray asks Catrin to check a nearby boat wreck with him, they find the dead body of one of the earlier missing children. It's no longer possible to deny that there is a child killer on the island.
B
olton isn't afraid to give her characters faults. They have troubling thoughts and their actions aren't always commendable, but it's impossible not to care about what happens to them. The Falkland Islands offer a fresh setting. Descriptions of the stark beauty of the islands, the variety of wild life and references to the Falklands' recent war bring to life a remote area of the world. Plot twists, changing narratives and suspenseful pacing make this novel one you don't want to miss.
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