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Thursday, May 07, 2015

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton

Little Black Lies  

Grief.  Regret.  Secrets.  Bolton explores the effects of these experiences and more in her new stand-alone novel set in the Falkland Islands.  Beautifully written, she immerses the reader in the stark beauty of the island and its sea life; in the tangled relationships of love and friendship that have endured devastating blows; in the atmosphere of a small community that knows everything and nothing about you; and in the dismaying and very human proclivity to rush to judgment.

The novel is compelling in so many ways.  There is a mystery--over a two year period, two children have disappeared.  When a third goes missing, the community must face the possibility that one of their own is responsible.  There are the psychological aspects--the loss of a child, the effects of the Falklands War, the betrayal of a deep friendship, and the way one event damages people in different ways.  There is a sociological examination of an isolated community of people who have family histories going back generations.  And there is the fascinating ecology of the islands with emphasis on marine life which Bolton describes with such eloquent detail.

The narrative is in three parts, giving three perspective of events.  Unlike most mysteries that give you some sign posts about where you are going, Bolton's novel has the curious feeling that sometimes the sign posts have been moved, turned and are pointing in the wrong direction.  You won't know exactly where you are until you get there...and the path is a crooked one with unexpected crossroads that leave the reader in a dilemma about which direction to take.

Little Black Lies is completely different from Bolton's previous books and by far the best.  Highly recommended!
"About 60% of Falklanders are native born, some tracing their ancestry back six or more generations. Today more than 80% of the 3140 Falklanders (sometimes called ‘Kelpers’) live in Stanley, and about 1200 British military live at Mt Pleasant base. The rest of the islanders live in ‘Camp,’ the name given to all of the Falklands outside Stanley."  Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/falkland-islands#ixzz3ZSMJHmSx).
Read in April; blog post scheduled for May 7.

NetGalley/St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books

Psychological Mystery.  May 19, 2015.  Print length:  368 pages.

16 comments:

  1. Sounds really good, I will go looking for it.

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    1. It was not what I expected, but in the best way possible!

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  2. Great review, Jenclair! You know I will read this one! ;-)

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  3. Bolton at her best--in my opinion! :)

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  4. I'm so excited Bolton has a new book out; she's a favorite of mine! And I'm just a little jealous that you've already gotten to read it. :)

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    1. I love NetGalley! Not only do they offer some of my favorite authors, but I find new ones as well. I was a little surprised to find Bolton's new book offered, but you can bet I requested it immediately!

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  5. I do want to read this, having read two other books by her. Glad to hear this one is different but really good!

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    1. Although I enjoyed Bolton's "horror" novels, I liked the Lacy Flint series better--and the later Lacy Flints better than the first one. This one, however, shows a change that I would not have anticipated, and I hope Bolton will continue with this more thoughtful type of novel!

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  6. Oh, I am totally on board, especially considering your comment of 'completely different and by far the best'. Who could resist? I've enjoyed her other books so much. And such an interesting location. I know nothing about the Falklands, except for vaguely about the Falkland War. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

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    1. I did a lot of Googling about the Falkland War (which I remember, but paid little attention to at the time) and about the Falkland geography and ecology. The descriptions of the land and the penguins, sea lions, and whales really caught my interest. The characters are fascinating, but so is the setting!

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  7. So excited to see a new Bolton book. She's one of those authors you can rely on for a good story. I like that this is a standalone too. So glad you enjoyed it!

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    1. My favorite Bolton so far, and I'm hoping for more stand-alones by her. Not that I will refrain from an occasional Lacy Flint!

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  8. I have this one too. :-) I need to read it though. I am so glad you enjoyed it, Jenclair. It's coming up soon on my list of books to read.

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    1. Bolton really keeps you off-guard in this one. I found myself very curious about the Falklands and its history because Bolton created such a wonderful sense of place!

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  9. I've only read her Lacey Flint series, so I'm happy to find there is a lot more out there to discover.

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    1. I've enjoyed some of the Lacy Flint books, but I like this one so much more!

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