Book Review – Little Lies

Little Lies begins with a death at Pirriwee Public School during a Trivia Night fundraiser.

Australian author, Liane Moriarty expertly conceals the details as she effortlessly moves the story back six months. We meet the three protagonists, Madeline, Celeste and Jane, at the kindergarten orientation day.

Ziggy, Jane’s son, is accused of bullying little Amabella. Amabella’s mother, Renata, wants to force Ziggy to admit that he hurt her gifted daughter. Outgoing, brave Madeline, who is celebrating her 40th birthday and has three children, including her youngest daughter, Chloe who is starting school with Ziggy, has had enough of the clique of ‘blonde bobs’ who support Renata. She sides with mousy, young Jane who helped her when she twisted her ankle on the way to the school that morning. Celeste, the breathtakingly beautiful, rich mother of twin boys, supports her best friend, Madeline.

If you think this is just a book about schoolyard politics and yummy mummies, you are wrong. Moriarty slowly peels back the layers of each of the women’s lives, until we are desperate to find out everything about them.

Madeline struggles to deal with Abigail, her daughter from her first marriage to Nathan. Nathan and his new wife, Bonnie, have a daughter, Skye who will be in the same class as Chloe. Perfect Celeste, and her perfect husband, Perry are hiding a terrible secret. Jane tells us that Ziggy is the product of a one-night stand, but leaves out the horrible details of that night. Every character, including the supporting cast, in Little Lies is believable.

This is part suburban mystery, part women’s drama and completely compulsive reading. I loved this witty, clever novel.

Amanda Patterson
5/5

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