[Book Review] Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear is a totally captivating crime novel that will keep you guessing! Many times, I thought I had the plot all figured out, but I had no idea how deep the darkness of this one went! What a crazy web of lies!

I snagged this book as my August Book Of The Month pick, and I’m SO glad that I did!

Let’s dive in!

My Thoughts on Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear

Oh my gosh, where to start with this one?!

The very first page totally hooked me! It was just two paragraphs and then four sentences; but those four sentences really packed a punch!

Next, there was chapter is set in 1998. I thought that this set up the story wonderfully! When I turned the page and saw the beginning of the first chapter, I was so ready to dive in to see how the present would connect to the past.

As I read on, I was very happy to see that there were occasional flashbacks that took us back to 1998! These really helped develop the main character and give us more context. I’m a total sucker for when authors use flashbacks in a way that also relates immediately to what is occurring in the present, and this author did that seamlessly. It was also very refreshing to see that this author didn’t over do the flashbacks, which can end up bogging down the story a bit.

I loved this authors writing style. It flowed so well and seemed so real! The characters also seemed very alive. Like as a reader, it felt like you actually knew these people! While reading, I found myself really imagining the story playing out in my head; this was made possible by the description of the settings, the wonderful character descriptions, and, my favorite part, the explanation of the expressions on certain characters faces.

Speaking of this novel seeming realistic, I really loved the simple little elements that were added in! Elements such as this very brief addition to a scene: Molly, our cleaner, weaves in and out of our desks, giving an extra spruce to those who take the time to acknowledge her every evening, a cursory swipe to those who think they’re too important to engage. 

From the storyline… I don’t want to say too much. This is one that you should really just dive into. I will say that time and time again, I was surprised (in a good way) to see the story take a turn. And my goodness… when it all starts coming together… So well done! However, there was one loose end. So of course, I  can’t help but wonder if there will be another book!

One more thing I wanted to make sure to note: there was a sentence in the beginning that I highlighted immediately. For some reason is just really stood out to me. Much later in the book, a very similar line was added, calling back to that original reference. I LOVE when authors do this!

I cannot believe this is her debut novel! Caz Frear is definitely an author that I will be keeping my eye on! I can’t wait to see what she does next!

My Favorite Passages from Sweet Little Lies

I was eight years old, podgy, with a head full of greasy curls and a mouth full of wobbly teeth, and I was almost certainly wearing my Pokémon T-shirt.

With her licorice-black curls and blossom-pink pout, most boys turned into cartoon clichés around her – eyes out on stalks, steam billowing from ears, blood-red hearts pumping outside their puny adolescent chests.

Thames Ditton Island glistens as evening falls, and despite the reason for our visit, it’s hard not to feel a little festive when faced with the constellation of Christmas lights flickering red, green and white among the dense canopy of trees, illuminating the river and the spectacle of Hampton Court Palace just beyond.

And for that second, the world shrinks to just us. Just his face and mine. Every smell seems to evaporate. Every color ceases to exist. And there’s a silence. I silence so laden  with fear and mistrust that it turns everything else abstract and us both to stone.

“Oh, you know what I’m talking about, I’m sure you do. Those sweet little lies you tell yourself to make life more bearable….”

Problem is, while the lie may be sweet as it from your lips, the feeling your guy is always putridly sour. And almost always bang-on.

Molly, our cleaner, weaves in and out of our desks, giving an extra spruce to those who take the time to acknowledge her every evening, a cursory swipe to those who think they’re too important to engage.

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger,” claimed Nietzsche, or Kayne West, depending on your cultural frame of reference…

“To be honest, Boss, I don’t know what shade I want my hair at the moment, so I think I’m going to have to plead the fifth on the bigger questions.”

The most devastating punishments aren’t always the legal ones.

Secrets are just gossip you haven’t been drunk enough to spill yet, you know?

My Final Thoughts on Sweet Little Lies

This is a book that I just closed 10 minutes ago, and I’m already itching to reread to see what I can pick up on easier in the book now that I know the ending! And man, what a great film this could be!

If you enjoy mysteries or crime thrillers, I highly recommend this one!

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Thanks for reading!