Sweet Little Lies: A Novel

Cat Kinsella is a young police detective under a microscope because of a near breakdown she had at a most horrific crime scene. She needs to show her boss and the team she can handle herself professionally. A woman is found murdered and dumped in a very public place. The victim’s husband is an instant suspect, but a tip leads Cat to discover the victim is not who they think she is, and who she really is leads uncomfortably close to Cat and her family, specifically to Cat’s father, something of a degenerate and liar, straining an already strained relationship. This is a convoluted case and would be difficult for any good cop, but things seem to keep circling back to Cat’s past and at times Cat seems to be circling the drain.

This debut novel by Caz Frear is a terrific opening to a new mystery series. The characters are realistic and compelling. Cat Kinsella is deeply flawed and, consequently, incredibly interesting and sympathetic. The writing is stellar. This is set in England and some of the language may make American readers feel like outsiders, but it’s a great story that that is worth time and effort.