Emma held the photo for a long moment before her eyes focused on the girl’s face. She dropped it and let out a muted cry. The girl in the photograph was Tessa. Twenty-five years after losing her friend Tessa in a tragic accident, Emma’s life is happy and settled. She rarely thinks about the day that Tessa fell to her death, or the secret that she made Emma swear to keep just hours before. But … hours before. But when her marriage implodes, Emma and her daughter find themselves unexpectedly moving into the headmaster’s former cottage on the grounds of her old school – Denham House. And it’s here she finds the photograph: an explicit image of Tessa, looking directly at the camera.
Between catching up with old friends Marlee and Clementine, who are home for a reunion, and the demands of single parenthood, Emma has plenty to distract her… but she can’t shake the image of the photograph. Or the thought that it’s proof of something she had long suspected: Dr Brownley, now headmaster, was involved with Tessa. Was it a mistake to keep quiet about what she knew?
Marlee and Clementine have their own complex feelings about returning to their hometown. And when Emma starts to question what really happened to Tessa, each woman must deal with the consequences of decisions they made all those years ago. Because the more Emma digs into the past, the more she discovers that everyone remembers it differently, and that the innocent schoolgirls she thought she knew are hiding some very big secrets.
A page-turning novel about family drama, lies, and the secrets we keep to protect those we love. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, The Silent Wife and Kerry Lonsdale.
Readers love Good Little Liars:
‘I loved this unputdownable book! It was a thrilling, unnerving read. The characters were realistic. The plot was gripping and fast-paced. Run, do not walk, out to get this fab book.’ Netgalley Reviewer
‘Absolutely loved!… a strongly developed mystery along the lines of Ruth Ware’s The Lying Game and Donna Tartt’s The Secret History…I can’t wait to read more from Sarah Clutton!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Wow, I didn’t see that coming… Bravo!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘A fun and fast-paced read and is one that I would highly recommend to fans of Big Little Lies!’ Suse’s Book Reviews
‘Fantastic… I loved the use of language and found the story engrossing – the subject we can all understand and empathise with. A great read, highly recommended!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Great read! 5*****’ NetGalley Reviewer, 5 stars
‘An interesting story that reminded me of Liane Moriarty and Lisa Jewell… I was very curious to see how it would end!’ Princess and the Pen
‘Really great read… The author takes us on a roller-coaster… Loved all the twists and turns and how everyone was somehow connected. Great book.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I absolutely loved this book… There were so many twists and turns. I honestly thought I knew who the murderer was, I was so wrong. I was gripped all the way through.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘So vivid… kept me reading well into the night. I loved the little plot twists and was not expecting the ending at all.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I never wanted it to end.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I devoured Good Little Liars in a couple of days… It will grip you from the first page, draw you in and leave you wanting more.’ Netgalley Reviewer
‘This is a gripping read which captivated me from the beginning.’ Netgalley Reviewer
‘Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.’ Goodreads Reviewer
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A dark and twisted plot that is gritty and intense. An edgy suspense drama full of damning secrets and oh-so-many lies. An unputdownable read!
*I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley & Bookouture in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
#GoodLittleLiars #NetGalley
Twenty-five years after her friend Tessa dies in a tragic accident, Emma’s marriage implodes, resulting in Emma and her daughter unexpectedly moving into the headmaster’s former cottage on the grounds of her old school. There, to Emma’s shock, she finds an explicit photograph of Tessa. During this time Emma is also catching up with old friends who are home for a reunion and dealing with the demands of recent single parenthood. Despite the distractions, Emma can’t shake off the concern that the photo is proof of something she’d suspected – that Dr. Brownley, the current headmaster, was involved with Tessa.
Everyone will be forced to deal with difficult and uncomfortable feelings about returning home and their memories, because when Emma begins questioning what really happened to Tessa the women must all deal with the consequences of their action or inaction in years past. And everyone remembers it differently.
When I picked up Good Little Liars, it was listed in the crime fiction area, but that has been changed to literary fiction/women’s fiction which seems appropriate. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be, so I did not finish. But I do recommend Good Little Liars for fans of family/domestic drama.
I always enjoy a good mystery involving an all girls school with secrets and this one was no exception! Told from multiple points of view, it centers around Emma, her old classmates, and their families now and back then, twenty-five years ago. One of her classmates, Tessa, was killed shortly before graduating and it affected everyone – even now they live with the repercussions of that day. Officially an accident, those close to her believe it was anything but, and Emma in particular is determined to get to the truth. There is a twenty-five year reunion coming up and the mystery of Tessa’s death is just the distraction that she needs.
She still works at the school, under the headmaster Mr. Brownley, who a much loved teacher to all the girls back then. Her marriage is deteriorating and she looks to her close friend Marlee for friendship and assistance with figuring out what happened to Tessa. Marlee has just started a new job and is growing ever closer to her boss, Ben. Ben is separated from his older wife, and his stepdaughter, Clementine is a famous artist who was a classmate of Emma, Marlee and Tessa. It’s not her point of view that we see from that family, it’s her mother, Harriet’s. She also happens to be Mr. Brownley’s sister. We get a slightly different picture from her, as a parent and not a classmate.
It may sound complicated with the different characters and their relationships, but it’s not hard to follow. The women all have distinct, well-developed personalities although they are not without their faults. The story is a little slow at first, introducing the women and their current lives before delving in to the detail’s of Tessa’s death. It’s necessary world-building and didn’t stop me from quickly becoming engrossed in the story. It’s rare that I can look back and recall just about every characters name well after finishing a book, but it shows how much of an impact this author’s writing has. Stick with it and you will not be disappointed!
Twenty-five years ago, Emma Parson’s friend, Tessa died in a suspicious accident at their prestigious boarding school. Now, Emma is working in the same school, and with her class reunion approaching, she can’t help but wonder what really happened to her popular friend. Was it really an accident or was Tessa pushed to her death? I thoroughly enjoyed this suspenseful thriller! Set in Hobart, Tasmania, I was immediately engrossed in this tale of lies, secrets, and betrayal. We follow the perspectives of the main character, Emma, Harriet, who is the sister of the man Emma suspects is responsible for Tessa’s death, and Marlee, who is Emma’s best friend and a former classmate of Tessa. I really liked the characters, they were realistic and easy to relate to. I did manage to correctly put half of the puzzle together, but I was still a bit shocked when all the pieces finally came together. Good Little Liars is an enjoyable read with a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to reading more books by Sarah Clutton, especially if it’s anything like this one. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Emma accidentally clicks “respond all” to an email regarding her upcoming 25th class reunion and it opens up a real can of worms so to speak. This story focuses on Emma, Marlee and Harriet, all classmates, and the death of their classmate Tessa. There were a lot of characters and subplots to try and keep straight which I found confusing at times. This was an okay read, but not one of my favorites. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.75 out of 5 stars
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
We meet three woman, Emma, Marlee and all graduates of Denham House an extremely prestigious private school where only the wealthiest and smartest girls go. As they get close to the graduating class of 1993’s 25th anniversary the past begins to catch up with them. Right before graduation Tessa’s body was found. The case was closed quickly as a suicide. That never felt right to Emma though. She saw something right before Tessa died and feels that her death was really murder.
I would not classify this as a psychological thriller but more of a slice of life mystery. While the death of Tessa looms large in each woman’s life the things going on now are in many way far more important to the story than the mystery itself. Each character is very much a person unto themselves so you will have no problem distinguishing the woman. I enjoyed the drama, the setting and the writing. I wanted to give this a full four stars but there was just a little something holding me from doing that. it doesn’t mean this book was not a fun, quick enjoyable read or that these woman were not fun to spend time with. I would definitely pick this up and spend a few hours or days with these characters. I feel that Sarah Clutton will become a real voice in the mystery world and look forward to reading her next novel.
3.5 stars for me!
I enjoyed reading Good Little Liars: how secrets, lies and deception can linger and change so many lives as we find out 25 years later on the brink of a class reunion.
The story goes from past to present which will keep you guessing.
If you like Big Little Lies and Pretty Little Liars you will like Good Little Liars.
Well worth the read.
Thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review Good Little Liars..