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A review by dovesfalling
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear
3.0
I'm surprised by the effusive reviews I've seen on GoodReads regarding Sweet Little Lies. While I think it's a fairly solid debut from Caz Frear, I wouldn't call this a triumph, or groundbreaking for the genre. It's a standard police procedural, with some characters who add elements of colour (DC Steele is the best of the lot), bogged down a bit by others (Cat Kinsella is a brat).
The book kicks off with the discovery of a body in London. Alice Lapaine is found dumped on the side of the road and when Kinsella is called to the scene, she's annoyed to find herself back in the area where she grew up. Tied in with the mystery of Alice's murder is the disappearance of Maryanne Doyle. Maryanne was an acquaintance of Kinsella's during her childhood, and last seen chatting with Kinsella's father. As such, Kinsella's distrust of her father - along with her grief over her mother's death - is rampant and unwavering. She's estranged from her family, but must make inroads in order to connect the dots between Alice and Maryanne.
Toward the end, the action kicks into gear, but I found the denouement convoluted and unlikely. I think I would read another in the series, because this IS a good debut. I'll be interested to see how Frear's talent grows as she writes more in the genre.
The book kicks off with the discovery of a body in London. Alice Lapaine is found dumped on the side of the road and when Kinsella is called to the scene, she's annoyed to find herself back in the area where she grew up. Tied in with the mystery of Alice's murder is the disappearance of Maryanne Doyle. Maryanne was an acquaintance of Kinsella's during her childhood, and last seen chatting with Kinsella's father. As such, Kinsella's distrust of her father - along with her grief over her mother's death - is rampant and unwavering. She's estranged from her family, but must make inroads in order to connect the dots between Alice and Maryanne.
Toward the end, the action kicks into gear, but I found the denouement convoluted and unlikely. I think I would read another in the series, because this IS a good debut. I'll be interested to see how Frear's talent grows as she writes more in the genre.