Laura Marshall | THREE LITTLE LIES

Plot (via Goodreads):

When Sasha North comes into Ellen's life, Ellen falls under her spell. As Ellen is welcomed into Sasha's family, she doesn't see the darkness that lies beneath their bohemian lifestyle. Not until a brutal attack changes all their lives forever.

Ten years later, Ellen and Sasha share a flat in London, still bound together by that night. When Sasha disappears, Ellen fears the worst. The police won't take her seriously, but the events of the past give Ellen good reason to be frightened.

What really happened that night? Who is telling the whole truth? These are the questions Ellen must confront when searching for her friend. But someone knows Ellen is looking. And they don't want the answers coming out . . .

Review:

Last year I read Friend Request by Laura Marshall and really loved this unique read with dazzling writing and a chilling finale. When Three Little Lies was announced, I knew I had to get a copy of it. What I was left with was a novel that was really different, and yet something I could absolutely get behind. One thing I absolutely love with a novel is alternating between timelines. Laura Marshall handles this with ease and her stunning writing is another example of how you can take a tale that is this complicated and be completely present with each twist and turn of this story. While it's not necessarily huge with suspense, this novel is a great mystery and also at times a coming-of-age tale that I found realistic and greatly paced.

Pacing is so important to me with a novel. It doesn't have to be necessarily a fast-paced read, but it needs to be cohesive with the story for me to find it effective and enjoyable. Marshall's talent when it comes to pacing is not only unbelievable, but really makes her shine above the rest when it comes to not just writing a book about a woman who is missing and finding out what happened, but living this story with these characters as if you've known them your whole adult life. I couldn't get enough of both storylines and it was like reading two novels in one. The timeline of the past could have easily been one novel with the story in the present its sequel...and I would've loved to have read them back to back. Fortunately, the pacing really kicks up as we get deeper into both storylines and I just was loving every single moment of this read. 

The characters in this novel were stunning. By that, I mean they all start off a stereotype of the kind of person they are. The popular girl, the girl on the outside looking in, the cool parents, the best friend, etc. Every character starts off with a little air of cliche and as you progress with this book, you get to really know them for who they are and each personality shines spectacularly off the pages. I loved going along on this journey with these characters and seeing them change throughout time and how they reacted to different settings and situations. It was another example of how brilliant Laura Marshall's writing is and how effective her storytelling capabilities are. By the time I was nearing the end of the book, I didn't feel like I was rushing to find out what happened to Sasha. I just wanted to keep reading and being with these characters. I loved this book throughout, but the ending and the revelation of what happened to Sasha did feel a little rushed and lackluster to me. Regardless, I was not disappointed with this ending and there were a few other shocking moments in the ending that I didn't expect or even think were possible. 

Special thanks to Grand Central Publishing for this copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 4.5/5