This was definitely an interesting and different take on sexual assault when the accused is actually innocent.
It was definitely a thought provoking book that makes you turn the pages, and there are twists I wasn't expecting.

Overall, I thought it was well written and accomplished.

Thanks a lot to the publisher and netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

The accused

While Nick Dean is enjoying an evening at home with his family, he is blissfully unaware that one of his pupils has just placed an allegation of abuse against him - and that Nick's imminent arrest will see the start of everything he knows and loves disintegrating around him.

Because, mud sticks, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty.

The accuser

When Angela Furness decides that enough is enough - she hates her parents, hates her friends and, most of all, despises what has recently happened at school - she does the only thing she knows will get her attention: calls the police. But Angela is unaware that the shocking story she is about to tell will see her life begin to topple.

Because, once you've said what you've said, there's no way back, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty.

This story follows two families, that of the accused and the accuser. Nick, the accused, is a happily married man, a father of two young children and teaches drama at the local secondary school, Angela, the accuser, is a twelve year old student at the school where Nick teaches, her parents are separated and she feels the world is against her, when she accuses Nick of sexually assaulting her she doesn't realise what the consequences will be to either of their families, but who is telling the truth and will either of their lives ever be the same again?

This is the first book I've read by this author and, though it is a very harrowing subject, I couldn't put it down as I wanted to know who was telling the truth, I liked how she told the story from the viewpoints of many characters throughout the book and I certainly didn't expect that final twist. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I'd like to thank Little Brown Book Group, Piatkus and Netgalley for the auto approval, I will post my review on Amazon & Goodreads

Written by Lisa Ballantyne — Here’s an author who has already made waves with her work. Lisa Ballantyne’s debut The Guilty One was nominated for an Edgar Award in 2014 and has since been translated into nearly 30 languages, while her second book, Redemption Road, also hit the bestsellers’ list.

Little Liar is another standalone and it hits hard – literally – from the very first page. In the playground of a Croydon secondary school, two lower school girls are having a no-holds-barred fight, egged on by their fellow pupils. Angela has the upper hand over Jasmine, and as the pair are finally pulled apart by members of staff, she is gleefully clutching a handful of her opponent’s hair. It’s the final straw for the head teacher, who suspends the 12-year-old for bullying behaviour and violence towards Jasmine.

The fight, and her nonchalant reaction to it, are the first signs that something’s amiss with young Angela. This is no run-of-the-mill pre-teen. She’s overweight, stroppy (with her mother at least) and she wants to die. No wonder her next move is to try to commit suicide by taking an overdose of aspirin. Angela used to be a sweet little girl, so what’s changed her so dramatically?

In a London suburb, a young family is getting ready for Friday night at home. In the kitchen, mother Marina is making her trademark paella, while dad Nick is upstairs, bathing their two children, Luca who is six and four-year-old Ava. The happily domesticated scene is about to be shattered by a knock on the door. It’s the police, and they arrest Nick on suspicion of sexual assault on a young girl. Nick is a former TV actor who now runs his own business, called ACTUp, which runs drama workshops at schools and for companies, and the assault is alleged to have taken place at a school in Croydon.

It soon becomes clear that his accuser is Angela, and while Nick vehemently denies any wrongdoing, there’s a niggling suspicion that he’s hiding something. Meanwhile, after her failed suicide attempt, we start to get the feeling that Angela isn’t as cut and dried a character as we first assumed either…

The scene is set for a story that could have stepped right out of the pages of the tabloid newspapers, so keyed into the current psyche is it. This is #MeToo, on a wholly believable, down to earth level. An innocent young girl has been violated, while a minor celebrity must step into the media spotlight and face trial by Twitter and Facebook. No smoke without fire, right?

Prepare for some protracted reading sessions as you desperately try to sort out the truth from the bare faced lies in this densely plotted tale. The deeper in we are drawn, the more the stories of Nick’s wife Marina and Angela’s mother Donna come into play – and both women have a vitally important central role in what lies ahead. They are both convinced that the stories they’re being told are true… until, bit by bit, snippets are revealed which begin to put an entirely different slant on things. Think you can guess the outcome? You may as well toss a coin or start pulling the petals off daisies, chanting ‘he did it, he didn’t do it’.

This is the first time I’ve read a Lisa Ballantyne book and I now have her pegged as a sneaky so and so who delights in putting her readers off balance. It’s a most enjoyable experience and one I’d recommend to those who love cleverly crafted psychological thrillers with a wicked twist or two.

For more crime fiction centred on teenagers, try The Wicked Girls by Alex Marwood or 13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough.

Piatkus
Print/Kindle/iBook
£6.99

CFL Rating: 4 Stars

The story about out of work actor Nick who is teaching drama at a school, where out of the blue one Friday night he has a knock at the door, it’s the police and he is arrested for sexually assaulting one of his pupils. The pupil is a very angry disturbed young girl called Angela.

For me I felt the story was predictable but the book title is the big clue. I also found it a little clumsy at times, as there were little red herrings / flags thrown in I am supposing to try and throw you off track, but are just left. And a couple of times story departs for a quick detour.

After the bulk of the book being accused, it was a little light on evidence and the end skated quickly on the whys and whats, which felt rather strange and rushed. Having said this, I really found the authors style of writing an easy read. I wouldn’t say I enjoyed the book as I don’t think it’s easy to enjoy a book with such a dark delicate storyline, but it definitely delivered on evoking the emotions of all involved in such a volatile situation.

I was given this copy by Netgalley in exchange for this fair review. Thanks to them and the author.
I give this 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4)

I was hooked from the first chapter on this book.

Mud sticks, whether you are innocent or guilty.

I found it hard to engage with the two main characters at first but this quickly changed.

The book was full of twists.

I would highly recommend this book.

Wow! What a thought provoking story. Why has the sexual assault been raised against an innocent man but that comes across because she's obsessed with a teacher and it's actually a real happening with someone totally unexpected. Read on for an emotional rollercoaster.

An almost-13-year-old accuses her male drama teacher of sexual assault. The drama teacher insists he's innocent. Sounds like the same old story, right? Plus, given the title of the book, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's one where the child is lying and this is the story about that "exception". To be fair, that's exactly what I thought, though the book does surprise you eventually. There is no earth-shattering twist and there's a pretty big hint as to what's really going on, but one that you might miss. (I usually do miss these hints, but I didn't this time.) Overall, I rather enjoyed it, and despite being pretty sure what was going on, I did find myself wrong-footed a couple of times. There was one particular thread that the author chose to leave unanswered, <spoiler>the rape porn, I mean</spoiler> that I wasn't happy with, but otherwise a very satisfying read.

(Review copy from Netgalley)

good book, you could not help but feel sorry for Nicks wife Marina as she was not sure what to believe. You could not tell if Angela had been telling the truth about what happened.

Nick is an actor who struggles to find work so sets up a company teaching drama in schools.

Angela is a troubled young girl at a school Nick teaches at.

Nick is accused of assaulting Angela. What follows is he says, she says. The book is told from the viewpoint of Nick, Angela and their families, showing the impact on all of them.

I enjoyed this book and liked how there were bits that left you questioning both Nick and Angela.

I stayed up all night reading this book; I just couldn’t put it down. There were a couple of times when I thought I knew how it would end, but the many twists and turns made it all the more difficult. At its heart is a very emotional subject, which is treated with sensitivity. The characters were realistic, demonstrating how difficult it must be for all who are touched by abuse. There were a couple of loose ends that weren’t resolved (I can’t say what or it’d spoil the story). I’d highly recommend this book.

A different kind of genre to what I am used to, its a harrowing story about justice, what lies can do to a person, a drama teacher is accused by his 13 year old pupil of sexual abuse. I found this one hard to read but handled really well as told from all perspectives, a lot of people are terrified of being left with young people because of stories like these. A great insight into what such accusations can cause and the devastating effects on those involved.

Overall I enjoyed it for the most part although found it difficult to read in parts. A he said, she said, but who will you believe!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received a digital arc of #LittleLiar from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is told in 6 different perspectives - Angela, Donna, Nick, Marina, Betty and Stephen - which help gain a fuller picture and a much better understanding of how an allegation such as this impacts everyone involved; not just the accuser and the accused but all their families as well. This is one hell of a rollercoaster ride of emotions!! I wanted to believe Nick was innocent and that Angela had made it up to get attention. As I read the book, I had questions all the way through, but as it got towards the end of the book I was fuming!!!

I did think it was good that Lisa highlighted the flaw of our legal system whereby as soon as an allegation is made by a minor, the accused is named and shamed before any evidence is discovered; but the accuser remains nameless to protect them. Instantly the person accused has their life ruined even if it is later found that they are innocent. This needs to change

This book covers a difficult topic but was done sensitively. I will remember this for a while and would look to read more by this author in the future.

A fabulous story. A really compelling, emotionally charged take about abuse, parenting, relationships, and betrayal. A hard subject to read but really well told a great crime story x

A very intriguing read that constantly keeps you guessing as to who is the victim and what has really happened. Every time I thought I had it sussed, something changed and I had to reconsider my thoughts. It's not the easiest read given that the plot all hinges on an accusation of sexual activity with a minor but on the whole, the topic is well handled. Didn't see the twist coming at the end. Highly recommended!

I have mixed feelings about this book.
Writing about children and abuse is not a topic I would read,

I was intrigued by the synopsis as it promised to show what the implications of a school girl who states that her teacher has abused her has on the families lives of those affected. And this it does. What I wasn’t expecting was such detailed descriptions in some parts of the abuse. Not the twist at the ending that made me physically very sick.

I’m not sure this book is suited to the psychological thriller genre.

This could have triggers for some readers.

It’s a definite not for me

“JUSTICE CANNOT BE FOR ONE SIDE ALONE, BUT MUST BE FOR BOTH.” ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

I always like to set the tone for the review with a quote. I could have picked Don’t Stand So Close To Me by The Police for this one: “Young teacher the subject of school girl fantasy, she wants him so badly, knows what she wants to be…” But I feel this book goes beyond the teacher-pupil story. At its heart is justice.

Nick Dean’s world caves in around him as a student levels an accusation against him that he touched her inappropriately. It isn’t true but the general principle of being innocent until proven guilty is turned on its head in these circumstances. He is immediately suspended from teaching, and worse, not permitted to be unsupervised with his children, which causes enormous strain on his family life as his wife juggles her job and the childcare. Nick simply cannot understand why he has been accused by this girl, Angela.

Angela isn’t one of the popular girls in school. Prone to being a loner, she’s unhappy at home, regularly having stand up rows with her mum. Her parents are divorced, a common enough reason for a child to be upset, angry and bewildered. But can this really be the root of why Angela creates such a fantasy about her teacher, the only teacher who actually seemed to encourage her in her classes?

I always struggle with stories where there is an undercurrent of false accusation or injustice. It must be my inner lawyer railing against it. This novel deftly treads the line, scattering elements of doubt about what we think we know to be the truth but leaves you wondering whether justice will indeed be served, and to whom.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book.

You do often hear of sexual accusations being covered in the news but this really digs down to the turmoil in and pressure on families that this creates.
It cleverly makes you think about the accuser, the accused and his spouse, their parents and families with chapters from different people's perspectives keeping the whole story unfolding.

I thought it was very clever and I was intrigued to uncover the truth.

As others have mentioned I would have perhaps liked to have had another chapter or two at the end to tie up the loose ends but this is minor it what was otherwise excellent.

Thank you for the advanced review copy.

I spotted this book on Netgalley and applied to have an advanced review copy (although I am slightly confused by the dates - as they said it would be published in May 2019, but it appears to be on sale on Amazon already??) Anyway - it looked an interesting read - and the author has previously been on Richard & Judy's bookclub lists - so I downloaded it to read. 

Here is the blurb: 

"The accused
While Nick Dean is enjoying an evening at home with his family, he is blissfully unaware that one of his pupils has just placed an allegation of abuse against him - and that Nick's imminent arrest will see the start of everything he knows and loves disintegrating around him.
Because, mud sticks, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty.

The accuser
When Angela Furness decides that enough is enough - she hates her parents, hates her friends and, most of all, despises what has recently happened at school - she does the only thing she knows will get her attention: calls the police. But Angela is unaware that the shocking story she is about to tell will see her life begin to topple.

Because, once you've said what you've said, there's no way back, right? No matter if you're innocent or guilty.

In a gripping tale of two families torn apart by one catastrophic betrayal, Little Liar illustrates the fine line between guilt and innocence, and shows that everyone has their secrets, even those we ought to trust the most..."

I was intrigued with the book from the start.  The chapters are told by different characters - so you jump around from different perspectives - but that adds to the momentum of the storyline.

I have to say I was unsure who to believe - just when you thought you'd got it straight, something else would make you question what you thought!  It really does twist and turn. 

It's also worryingly easy to see how such a thing could happen in real life - an accusation easily made could change someone's life forever.  A few times I did want to shout at the characters to be honest with each other, as that would make life a lot easier for everyone (although possibly make the book more dull?!) 

There is a twist towards the end - which I'd actually guessed beforehand - but that didn't stop me wanting to read the book to see how it all panned out.   The end feels a little rushed - and not all of the loose ends are tied up - but overall I enjoyed it.  

I would definitely read something by Lisa Ballantyne again.

Gritty and realistic, cutting to one area that strikes primordial fear into every parent. And every adult who interacts with children, and the potential to be accused of heinous crimes against children. A good read. Sensitively written, tackling a difficult topic.

This is the first book from this author that I have read. And I actually enjoyed it.

The subject is something we keep reading about in papers and the news so if you don’t know someone personally that has gone through it, you should still be familiar enough to understand. I actually know two people who have went through either side of the story, his and hers. So, for me, this book was a great insight into both sides of the story.

I liked Nick, hated spoiled Angela, felt sorry for Donna and got irritated by Marina. Each character gave me strong feelings, which is a positive, even when the feeling is negative.

The twist at the end was something I had guessed from the start. It wasn’t that hard to guess but still shocked, nonetheless.

So, I would definitely recommend this book. And I would read from this author again.

I was sent a copy of this ebook from the publisher via netgalley but this has in no way influenced my review or opinion.