Book Review: Three Little Lies

Author: Laura Marshall

Publication Date: September 4, 2018

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. Then long-buried secrets resurface, Ellen realizes she may not know Sasha -- or what she's capable of -- at all.

2005: 17 year old Ellen falls under the spell of glamorous newcomer, Sasha. As Ellen is welcomed into Sasha's family, she doesn't see the darkness that lies beneath their musical, bohemian lifestyle. At a New Year's Eve party, events come to a dramatic head, resulting in a court case (in which Ellen is a key witness) that means family life at the Corner House will never be the same again.

2018: Now 30, Ellen and Sasha are still entwined in each other's lives and sharing a flat in London. When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. She has gone missing like this before and the police won't take it seriously, but long-buried events in their shared past mean that Ellen has good reason to be frightened - not only for Sasha, but also for herself. Finding out the truth about what really happened on New Year's Eve twelve years ago puts Ellen in terrible danger, and forces her to confront not only the past, but how well she really knows her best friend.

Since I loved Laura Marshall’s debut novel, Friend Request, I knew that her newest novel would be added immediately to my to be read list. The characters in this new novel were very similar to the ones in Friend Request. I like to be surprised, I like to follow multiple point of views, and I like when characters share a strong bond, several secrets, and then one of them goes missing. Not only does this book have alternating timelines, but the characters and their backstories are intriguing and not always subtle. Ellen and Sasha are different, yet they bonded over shared pasts, problems, and peril.

Laura Marshall’s writing is intense – this is the best word that I can think of to describe it. My favorite part of Marshall’s writing is her ability to write flashbacks that add to the story and do not confuse the reader. Her style is very identifiable – I would know her writing anywhere. To me, this is a good thing! Authors should all carry their own notable writing style that sets them apart from all others!

I never in a million years imagined I would be here, in this unknown landscape where none of my friends can, or would want to, follow me. I would swap places with any of them in a heartbeat.

My hands touch the bench tighter and tighter. One of the screws that holds the seat to my legs is coming loose and the sharp edge of it digs into my palm, but I welcome the pain, increasing the pressure until I feel the wetness of blood, because it dulls the voice in my head: the one that tells me that Karina is speaking the truth, and even worse, that this is all my fault.

Or is there someone else in the house?

She stepped forward to pour some wine into the empty mug in my hand, and as she did so, I caught the tail end of a secret little smile that wasn’t meant for me.

***A free copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest review***