Little Liar – Lisa Ballantyne

Psychological Thriller
5*s

I can’t resist an author that pushes the boundaries of their readers beliefs and Lisa Ballantyne is prepared to do just that in Little Liar.

The premise is quite straightforward. Upstanding businessman Nick Dean is at home when his life is ripped apart when the police come to his door and accuse him of inappropriate touching of young girl. And this girl is young, just twelve years old. She is part of a group he is teaching drama to at a local school. Nick Dean also has a wife and two children so the consequences of the accusation rock every facet of his life.

Angela Furness is the girl who has stated that Nick Dean inappropriately touched her. He did so behind the stage when he asked her to help with some equipment. She was too shocked to do anything at the time… There seems to be no reason for her to make anything up, sure she’s angry, she’s been violent at school but could this explain why?

The opening scene of the book is a fight between Angela and another girl called Jasmine. She’s no longer the keen child she was when she moved from primary to secondary school but in the intervening period her parents have split up, she’s a little girl angry at the world. Is she ripe for exploitation too?

Lisa Ballantyne is one of the ‘brave’ authors who challenge the orthodox views on subjects. I initially became a fan on reading The Guilty One which has the premise of one child killing another, one of the most inflammatory storylines you could choose and yet she wrote a thoughtful novel that challenges the masses to think about the story behind the headlines and appreciate the tragedy in its entirety and not from only one perspective. She works a similar feat within Little Liar. There is doubt about Angela’s story, she’s not painted as an appealing child but the reader is fully aware that at just twelve  she can’t be considered  on a par with a predatory adult. Nick’s story isn’t clear cut either. During any police investigation of this nature, secrets are bound to be unearthed, and some of those secrets may be hard for the friends and relations to handle. His guilt, or innocence, is up for judgement, have no qualms about that – you will judge and maybe your views will change with the evidence, maybe they won’t.

With both Nick and Angela under the microscope as the accusation seeps into their life it is natural that the wider family becomes involved. What happens if part of the family believes in your guilt and the others don’t. Well one thing for sure in fiction it tends to raise the tension to unbeatable levels. I needed to know the answer, and also what life would look like for all those we met along the journey.

With superb characterisation alongside the fearless nature of the twists and turns the author takes us through, this book was gripping with a capital G. The subject matter is a tough one but the author handles it sensitively, there aren’t graphic scenes of abuse but there is a real connection of the range of emotions that those at the centre, and on the side-lines, experience. Most of all this is a book that will make you think!

I’d like to thank the publisher Piatkus for allowing me to read a copy of Little Liar prior to publication in eBook format on 2 August 2018 and in paperback on 21 February 2019.

First Published UK: 2 August 2018
Publisher: Piatkus
No of Pages: 368
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Amazon UK
Amazon US

This Week in Books (July 25)

Hosted by Lipsy Lost & Found my Wednesday post gives you a taste of what I am reading this week. A similar meme is run by Taking on a World of Words

I am currently reading The Lighthouse by P.D. James who was one of the early crime writers who got me hooked on the genre but I didn’t ever get around to reading this, the thirteenth in the Adam Dalgliesh series.

Blurb

Combe Island off the Cornish coast has a bloodstained history of piracy and cruelty but now, privately owned, it offers respite to over-stressed men and women in positions of high authority who require privacy and guaranteed security. But the peace of Combe is violated when one of the distinguished visitors is bizarrely murdered.

Adam Dalgliesh is called in to solve the mystery quickly and discreetly, but at a difficult time for him and his depleted team. Dalgliesh is uncertain about his future with Emma Lavenham, the woman he loves, Detective Inspector Kate Miskin has her own emotional problems and the ambitious Anglo-Indian Sergeant Francis Benton-Smith is worried about working under Kate. Hardly have the team begun to unravel the complicated motives of the suspects that there is a second brutal killing and the whole investigation is jeopardised when Dalgliesh is faced with a danger more insidious and as potentially fatal as murder. Amazon

The last book I finished was the compelling and unflinching story by Lisa Ballantyne called Little Liar which will be published on 2 August 2018.

Blurb

The accused

While Nick Dean is enjoying an evening at home with his family, he is blissfully unaware that one of his pupils has just placed an allegation of abuse against him – and that Nick’s imminent arrest will see the start of everything he knows and loves disintegrating around him.
Because, mud sticks, right? No matter if you’re innocent or guilty.

The accuser

When Angela Furness decides that enough is enough – she hates her parents, hates her friends and, most of all, despises what has recently happened at school – she does the only thing she knows will get her attention: calls the police. But Angela is unaware that the shocking story she is about to tell will see her life begin to topple.

Because, once you’ve said what you’ve said, there’s no way back, right? No matter if you’re innocent or guilty. Amazon

Next I’m planning on reading The Poisoner by Stephen Bates which is another of my 20 Books of Summer 2018 reads.

Blurb

In 1856, a baying crowd of over 30,000 people gathered outside Stafford prison to watch the execution of a village doctor from Staffordshire. One of the last people to be publicly hanged, the ‘Rugely Poisoner’, the ‘Prince of Poisoners’, ‘The greatest villain who ever stood trial at the Old Bailey,’ as Charles Dickens described him, Dr William Palmer was convicted in 1856 of murdering his best friend, but was suspected of poisoning more than a dozen other people, including his wife, children, brother and mother-in-law – cashing in on their life insurance to fund his monstrously indebted gambling habit.

Highlighting Palmer’s particularly gruesome penchant for strychnine, his trial made news across Europe: the most memorable in fifty years, according to the Old Bailey’s presiding Lord Chief Justice.

He was a new kind of murderer – respectable, middle class, personable, and consequently more terrifying – and he became Britain’s most infamous figure until the arrival of Jack the Ripper. The first widely available account of one of the most notorious, yet lesser-known, mass-murderers in British history, The Poisoner takes a fresh look at Palmer’s life and disputed crimes, ultimately asking ‘just how evil was this man?’ With previously undiscovered letters from Palmer and new forensic examination of his victims, Stephen Bates presents not only an astonishing and controversial revision of Palmer’s entire story, but takes the reader into the very psyche of a killer. Amazon

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph (July 17)

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Vicky from I’d Rather Be At The Beach who posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

This week I’m sharing the opening paragraph of Little Liar by Lisa Ballantyne which will be published in eBook format on 2 August 2018.

Blurb

The accused

While Nick Dean is enjoying an evening at home with his family, he is blissfully unaware that one of his pupils has just placed an allegation of abuse against him – and that Nick’s imminent arrest will see the start of everything he knows and loves disintegrating around him.
Because, mud sticks, right? No matter if you’re innocent or guilty.

The accuser

When Angela Furness decides that enough is enough – she hates her parents, hates her friends and, most of all, despises what has recently happened at school – she does the only thing she knows will get her attention: calls the police. But Angela is unaware that the shocking story she is about to tell will see her life begin to topple.
Because, once you’ve said what you’ve said, there’s no way back, right? No matter if you’re innocent or guilty.

In a gripping tale of two families torn apart by one catastrophic betrayal, Little Liar illustrates the fine line between guilt and innocence, and shows that everyone has their secrets, even those we ought to trust the most… Amazon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro

1

Angela

Fight, fight, fight.

Angela looked down at her knuckles and saw they were red. It wasn’t her blood. The crowd had formed so fast, pupils from her year – twelve-and-thirteen-year-olds – being elbowed out of the way by lads of fifteen. The ring of people around her pulsated as one. The eye of the fight, where she stood, was only three or four feet wide. Kids pressed as close as they could to get a look, climbing on shoulders and pulling on school bags, but they also stayed back, gave room for the violence, so that the circle where Angela stood contracted and diluted like an iris. She didn’t know how many people surrounded her. Everyone wanted to watch a fight and a girl fight was even better, so long as it was a real one.
This was a real one. She hadn’t started it, but she was going to finish it. She was going to teach Jasmine a lesson.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Wow – I have obviously led a sheltered life having witnessed very few fights in my life although I do remember a couple in the school playground…

Anyway this seems to be the forerunner to Angela’s call to the police… I want to read more, do you?

Redemption Road – Lisa Ballantyne

Psychological Thriller
5*s

Redemption Road psychological novel told at a steady pace, one where the past meets the present in a book that provides much food for thought as well as a cracking good story.

Margaret Holloway holds a managerial position in a secondary school, driven and committed when she leaves the school one December evening she is caught up in a horrific multi-vehicle pile-up on the motorway near her home in Loughton. Margaret is rescued by a mystery man but she soon becomes obsessed not with the accident but the man who saved her life and her childhood. Margaret’s childhood is a mystery, not least to herself as she is unable to remember a period of it culminating in a stay in hospital.

In the past we move to the highlands of Scotland where we meet journalist Angus who is desperate for his big scoop which he sees syndicated by the nationals across the land however he is reduced to writing about mundane local matters instead. Well that is until seven-year-old Moll is abducted on her way to school. Seizing his chance Angus visits her parents, Kathleen and John where he thinks he has found a detail that is worth closer investigation.

Big George starts his tale from Thurso near John O’Groats in 1985 and despite never having made it to that part of the world the descriptions made me feel that I had, a touch only emphasised by the authentic details of the time, excerpts of songs, the need to use coins to telephone anyone and cars in need of constant repair quickly transported me to that age.

With each chapter alternating between the three narrators their respective beliefs and characters are revealed in layers, a touch that I particularly like. With both men in need of redemption the ultimate question is will they find it? The downside of the alternate narratives is that as the story progresses it is easy to predict the next part, I didn’t mind being caught up in the drama but for those looking for a thrilling read with twists and turns, this isn’t the book for you. It is a much quieter type of read but for me it was utterly compelling as I needed to know exactly how all the strands were resolved. Having said that as Big George is part of the gangland scene in Glasgow and Angus is a misogynistic religious fanatic there are scenes which are violent; this may be a story about family secrets but some of them aren’t pretty!

I chose this book after having thoroughly enjoyed The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne for the perception of the underlying issues the story was about, this one was equally satisfying for the same reasons. I like books where the characters are multi-faceted and this one entirely fits that bill as the motivations in respect of the character’s actions are slowly revealed. This is a book which on reflection has far more going on than may first be apparent.

I’d like to thank the Little Brown Book Group for allowing me to read a copy ahead of the paperback publication date of 16 July 2015 in return for my honest opinion.

This Week In Books (July 15)

Hosted by Lypsyy Lost & Found my Wednesday post gives you a taste of what I am reading this week. A similar meme is run by Taking on a World of Words I am currently reading Redemption Road by Lisa Ballantyne See yesterday’s post for the synopsis and a taster from this book I have recently finished The Disappearance of Emily Marr by Louise Candlish, one of my 20 Books of 2015! Challenge Blurb

Arriving on the windswept Ile de R� off the coast of France, Tabby Dewhurst is heartbroken and penniless, unable even to afford a room for the night. Then she overhears a villager repeating aloud the access code to her front door and, hardly believing her own actions, Tabby waits for the villager to leave and lets herself into the house . . . And so she enters the strange, hidden world of Emmie, whose sudden offer of friendship is at odds with her obsession with her own privacy. Soon Tabby begins to form suspicions about Emmie, suspicions that will lead her back to England – and to a scandal with shattering consequences. Amazon

Next up I am looking forward to reading The Anatomy of Death by Felicity Young Blurb

At the turn of the twentieth century, London’s political climate is in turmoil, as women fight for the right to vote. Dody McCleland has her own battles to fight. As England’s first female autopsy surgeon, not only must she prove herself, she must prove that murder treats everyone equally… After a heated women’s rights rally turns violent, an innocent suffragette is found murdered. When she examines the body, Dody McCleland is shocked to realize that the victim was a friend of her sister—fueling her determination to uncover the cause of the protestor’s suspicious death. For Dody, gathering clues from a body is often easier than handling the living—especially Chief Detective Inspector Pike. Pike is looking to get to the bottom of this case but has a hard time trusting anyone—including Dody. Determined to earn Pike’s trust and to find the killer, Dody will have to sort through real and imagined secrets. But if she’s not careful, she may end up on her own examination table… Amazon

What are you reading this week? See what I’ve been reading in 2015 here

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph (July14)

Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the opening paragraph (sometime two) of a book she decided to read based on the opening. Feel free to grab the banner and play along.

My current read is Redemption Road by Lisa Ballantyne which is due to be published in paperback on 16 July 2015.

Blurb

The crash is the unravelling of Margaret Holloway. Trapped inside a car about to explode, she is rescued by a scarred stranger who then disappears. Margaret remembers little, but she’s spent her life remembering little – her childhood is full of holes and forgotten memories. Now she has a burning desire to discover who she is and why her life has been shrouded in secrets. What really happened to her when she was a child? Could it have anything to do with the mysterious man who saved her life?
Flitting effortlessly between past and present, this is a suspenseful, gritty and emotionally charged journey of an estranged father and daughter, exploring the strength of family ties and our huge capacity for forgiveness. NetGalley

~ ~ ~

First Chapter ~ First Paragraph ~ Intro

Margaret Holloway
Thursday 5 December 2013

Margaret Holloway wrapped her scarf around her face before she walked out into the school car park. It was not long after four o’clock, but a winter pall had shifted over London. It was dusk already, wary streetlamps casting premature light on to the icy pavements. Snowflakes had begun to swirl and Margaret had blinked as one landed on her eyelashes. The first snow of the year had always brought a silence, dampening down all sound. She felt gratefully alone, walking out into the new darkness, hers the only footprints on the path. She had been too hot inside and the cold air was welcome.

Please note that this was taken from a proof copy

Do you want to know more? Please leave your thoughts and links in the comments box below

Stacking The Shelves (April 11)

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you’re adding to your shelves, be it buying or borrowing. From ‘real’ books you’ve purchased, a book you’ve borrowed, a book you’ve been given or an e-book they can all be shared!

From good old NetGalley I have Redemption Road by Lisa Ballantyne whose first novel The Guilty One was definitely a five star read for me.

Blurb

The crash is the unravelling of Margaret Holloway. Trapped inside a car about to explode, she is rescued by a scarred stranger who then disappears. Margaret remembers little, but she’s spent her life remembering little – her childhood is full of holes and forgotten memories. Now she has a burning desire to discover who she is and why her life has been shrouded in secrets. What really happened to her when she was a child? Could it have anything to do with the mysterious man who saved her life?
Flitting effortlessly between past and present, this is a suspenseful, gritty and emotionally charged journey of an estranged father and daughter, exploring the strength of family ties and our huge capacity for forgiveness. NetGalley

Redemption Road is due for publication on 1 July 2015

From Bookbridgr I have a copy of The Lost Art Of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

Blurb

Set in the 1950s, in an England still recovering from the Second World War, this is the enchanting story of Penelope Wallace and her eccentric family at the start of the rock’n’roll era.
Penelope longs to be grown-up and to fall in love, but various rather inconvenient things keep getting in her way. Like her mother, a stunning but petulant beauty widowed at a tragically early age, her younger brother Inigo, currently incapable of concentrating on anything that isn’t Elvis Presley, a vast but crumbling ancestral home, a severe shortage of cash, and her best friend Charlotte’s sardonic cousin Harry… Bookbridgr

The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets is also due for publication on 1 July 2015

From Amazon Vine I have a copy of What She Left by T.R. Richmond

Blurb

Who is Alice Salmon? Student. Journalist. Daughter. Lover of late nights, hater of deadlines.
That girl who drowned last year.
Gone doesn’t mean forgotten.
Everyone’s life leaves a trace behind.
But it’s never the whole story.
“I will stand up and ask myself who I am. I do that a lot. I’ll look in the mirror. Reassure myself, scare myself, like myself, hate myself. My name is Alice Salmon.”
When Alice Salmon died last year, the ripples from her tragic drowning could be felt in the news, on the internet, and in the hearts of those closest to her. However, the man who knows her best isn’t family or a friend. His name is Professor Jeremy Cooke, an academic fixated on piecing together Alice’s existence. Cooke knows that faithfully recreating Alice, through her diaries, text messages, and online presence, has become all-consuming. But he does not know how deep his search will take him into this shocking story of love, loss and obsession where everyone – including himself – has something to hide . . . Amazon

And finally I have courtesy of Daniel Pembrey whose book Harbour Master I recently reviewed has sent me a copy of The Candidate.

Blurb

WHEN HEADHUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED: Nick Thorneycroft is a British headhunter working in Luxembourg. His company asks him to recruit a high-flying executive for the company’s Russian business. The best candidate turns out to be smart, beautiful… and mysterious. Soon the effects of Russia’s political upheaval, and the arrival of an ex-girlfriend who won’t leave him alone, make Nick’s Luxembourg life increasingly perilous; worlds collide in this gripping, atmospheric tale. Goodreads

Any of these take your fancy? What have you found to read this week? Please do share in the comments below