Little Liar by Lisa Ballantyne was the harrowing story of Nick a drama teacher who is accused of sexually assaulting a young student. The implications of this on both their families and wider circle has long reaching consequences for all involved.
After the first few chapters I had a strong feeling of what was going to happen with this story and I had to read it to the end to find out if I was correct.
I was invited to read this book by Little Brown Book UK and give my honest review.

Angela Furness is barely a teenager, but already she has serious anger and behavioural issues and absolutely hates living with her Mother. She is a bully, but hates herself, and her life is about to change dramatically for the worse.

Nicholas Dean is a former successful actor who now teaches drama workshops in schools to make ends meet. His wife is the breadwinner in the relationship and sometimes Nick feels inadequate. His feelings of inadequacy grow as his wife negotiates a successful account in her role.

But would this be enough to make him do something terrible?

This is very much a he said/she said novel, told from different perspectives and backgrounds, and questioning every little thing about every character all of the way through. Your suspicions will lie with each character in turn as they reveal something unsavoury about them as an individual.

Little Liar is an interesting novel as it is very hard to feel sympathy for Angela most of the way through it, due to her behaviour, even though you instinctively know that she has gone through something so terrible that you can't even begin to comprehend it.

Little Liar touches upon some very difficult subjects with sensitivity and is a very thought provoking and well written novel, and I look forward to the authors next!

Unfortunately a common enough storyline in today’s world I had no sympathy for Angela at all and never believed her story but could not quite work out who was the guilty party such destruction caused by a lie used to cover up events that Angela could not acknowledge

Oooo, I do love a good he said/she said book, especially if, as with this one, I can really get my teeth into it. One that, on the face of things, and according to the newspapers, is completely plausible and indeed based on an all too prevalent a topic these days.
Nick had been enjoying his evening with wife, Marina, and two children when the doorbell rings. On opening it, he sees it's the police. Nick has been accused of sexually assaulting Angela, a young student at the school where he works. But is he really guilty? Or is this just a story dreamt up by an angry young girl? And so begins a tale of he said/she said, where all aspects of Nick's life are unpicked. Even the small, on the face, innocuous things start to add up to build a bigger picture of him and the way he leads his life. No stone is left unturned. But, once those words are out there they can't be taken back and Nick's whole world, along with that of the rest of his family starts to fall apart. But if Angela is really lying, why? Is there more to this sorry tale than is displayed on face value? Only time, and a lot of pain will tell.
As already mentioned, there seems to be a lot of stories in the news these days about people being wrongly accused of crimes of this, and similar, natures. People's lives being torn apart on words. But words are powerful things and, with crimes of this heinous nature also being more prevalent, investigations have to happen. Lives have to be unpicked. Connections, however tenuous and innocent in their own rights, have to be linked as the picture starts to form. And that is what is most scary about the whole premise this book is based on. It was totally credible and indeed, in the way it is played out, wholly believable.
The fact that I did guess the truth quite early on probably speaks more to my typical reading habits rather than anything the author let slip as I do read a lot of this genre book, and in no way spoiled my enjoyment of what I was reading. After all, I've been wrong, very wrong, before. Sadly, for all involved here, I was right, but it didn't lessen the impact that was delivered once the whole truth came out. I did also change my mind about certain characters several times along the way as more layers were peeled back.
It almost goes without saying, given the subject matter, that this was a really emotional read. Please do take care if you have been touched by anything similar or if you are sensitive to this stuff as parts of it are quite harrowing. The author writes with real emotion and tugged at my own, hard, heartstrings on several occasions along the way. But, and this is important, the whole story is told in the most caring and sensitive way by the author rather than delivering shock after shock for tactics' sake.
Oh my, how I felt for Nick along the way, well... at the times I was on the side of his innocence. How so many small things in his life were turned around and about and how they became 2+2=5 as connections were forced. But then, I also felt for Angela too as she was so vulnerable when she wasn't being such a cow! As I read on I flitted between believing one then the other, talk about emotional rollercoaster! A sure sign of a good he said/she said story as it plays out.
And then the ending. Well, even though I guessed it, I really wasn't quite prepared for it to be right. Oh my days. And the events leading up to that ending, as things spiralled out of control. My heart was literally in my mouth as I forgot to breathe! Leaving me breathless but completely satisfied at its conclusion.
A strong storyline played out by some very well crafted characters. A book that tells an important story; one that will stay with me for a while. I'm off to check out this author's back catalogue now. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I found this book rather hard to read, even from the earliest chapters. Only because, I think, the young girl's insistence that she wants to die was horrible (though appropriate to her story and done well.)

The accused teacher is a fairly common theme in thrillers at the moment, however Little Liar has done it in a unique way, that sets it apart from other stories with a similar presence. Well written, sensitive matter handled well. Somehow I couldn't find myself enjoying it, but I have friends who would lap it up so I'm sure many will enjoy this very much.

This is the story of Nick, a drama teacher and Angela, one of his students who accuses him of sexually abusing her. The story is about the things that people hide and why, what truth is and why people lie. It's a very compelling read and I recommend it highly

Gripping - kept me guessing until the very end. Telling the story of teacher accused by pupil with layers of intrigue weaved throughout.... throughly recommend my heart was beating as worked my way through 5 *

Little Liar is the story of Nick Dean, an ex-actor who runs drama workshops in secondary schools around London, and one of his students, Angela Furness. Nick Dean is accused of sexually assaulting Angela, he is arrested, cautioned, interviewed and then let out on police bail. With Nick's bail there are some very harsh conditions, in particular, he cannot be alone with any children under 18, which includes his own. The story unfolds through Nick and Angela's voices, as well as a number of the extended family members from both sides. The way the story switches perspectives clearly adds great emotional depth and allows the reader to feel empathy for all those being affected by Nick's arrest. As a teacher myself I found the novel absolutely gripping. This subject matter can make for very difficult reading, but Lisa has handled this with such finesse, that there feels no awkwardness to reading it. As the 'accusation' unfolds and more is known so the reader cannot help but be pulled deeper into the secrets and lies that hide beneath the surface of many relationships.
Little Liar is a gripping novel that I devoured in one sitting as I could not bare to put it down, desperate to know where the story would take me. Although this is my first Lisa Ballantyne book, it will most definitely not be my last.

I enjoyed this book. Angela is 12 years old and has huge anger issues. She lives with her mum and spends weekends with her dad. She struggles with their separation. Nick is a happily married man with 2 young children. He has been running a drama course at Angela's school. His life is torn apart when Angela accuses him of a sexual assault. The story is told from several different characters' point of view, which makes it really interesting. I recommend this as a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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Excellent storyline. Wonderful main characters. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it highly.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.
A story entering the sensitive topic of potential child abuse told from the point of view of many different characters. It is not a clear cut obvious situation and there are many interesting twists and turns along the way. Very well written and quite a compulsive read, albeit not a book that I can say I loved. For me, the build up was better than the conclusion.

4****.

Read this book! Seriously, you must read this book.
This is not my usual type of read but I was sufficiently intrigued by the write ups to give it a go and I’m so glad I did.

Angela is a school girl, she accuses her teacher Nick of sexual assault. Nick denies this vehemently.
This book tells us from Angela’s perspective, Angela’s mums perspective, Angela’s dads persepctive, nicks perspective and nicks wife’s perspective.
And every perspective has a truth......

I couldn’t put it down

Thank you NetGalley and Little Brown Book group for a copy of Little Liar. This is the first book that I have read from Lisa Ballantyne and It won’t be last.
Angela Furness is twelve years old and a bully at her local school. She also has behaviour problems. She has been suspended from school after a fighting another classmate and then had a row with her mother, who has recently spilt with her husband. Angela is had enough with her life and tries to commit suicide with aspirins that she found in the bathroom cupboard. But it doesn’t work and she gets sick in front of her mother.
Nick Dean, who once acted in a TV series Scuttlers, now has his own company teaching drama workshops for school children. He is at home with wife Marina and their kids Ava and Luca. When there is a knock on the door, it’s the police Nick is being accused of abusing Angela.
I loved this book Little Liar. This was quite a quick read for me. I didn’t want to stop reading because I couldn’t work out if Angela was telling the truth or not and Nick who claimed his innocence but, then his wife founding out of watching porn etc. Is he lying and actually guilty after all. Who is telling the truth. The author wrote it in a brilliant way to keep you guessing throughout and then the twist at the end. I didn’t see that coming. This is very entertaining and I highly recommend.

A brilliant book... I am having a book hangover after a long time.. There is a stillness in me along with a restlessness. This book deals with the other side of the coin.

Mud sticks!! That is a statement of fact. Reputation, belief, trust all take years to develop and a second and few loose words to crash.

Nick, a creative art teacher and an actor, has a beautiful family with Marina and two kids Luca and Ava. Life is wonderful, filled with happiness. Dinner is a place of warmth, good food, and sharing of their love. Till the doorbell rings...

It's the POLICE!! Nick has been accused by his student of sexually assaulting her.

Life as they know it is over. Then it is a matter of he said, she said. Such an accusation is not easy to disprove...

The story revolves around the repercussions of one word uttered. The police, child protective services, social services all are forced to act. The media, the social media take slingshots at Nick and family. Everyone is affected.

This is my first book by author Lisa Ballantyne, and she blew me away with the story, with the words, with the emotions. Her characterizations pulled me into the book from the first page. The suspense in the plot kept me stuck to this book. The fear for both the characters, the need to know the truth kept me going till the end.

The whole story is a difficult concept to write, but Lisa has pulled it off. The hidden secrets slowly revealing itself, the invariable doubts which come forth, friends and family behaving differently with Nick made this book riveting. Is he really innocent? Is he hiding something?

On the other hand, Angela, the 12 year old child is filled with so much anger that it is easy to know something has happened with her, something bad. She has her own secrets which make her lash out, to hurt others. What has been done to her?

Lisa has seen to it that the twists occur at the right time to make the readers gasp. She has added the right shade of grey to the characters that keep them in shade. The twilight zone is the most difficult place to be in. It is difficult to know which scene is real and which is a mirage.

There are few minor scenes from the medical point of view which I didn't agree with. Rest of the book flows well to make this ONE OF MY MOST EXCITING READS!!

I enjoyed this book, the characters and how the story unfolds is realistic to what is happening. Angela, a school girl accuses Nick, her teacher, of touching her inappropriately. The story is written from several POV including Nick’s wife and Angela’s mother.
The author does not reveal the truth straight away so you are left to read and understand the characters making your own decision to whether or not you think Nick has done this.
It was a thought provoking read bringing up the concept of innocent until proven guilty but I didn’t love it.
I would read another book by the same author but it would not be on the top of my pile.

Easily read in a day, this was great, disturbing and full of suspicion and unexpected turns. Families torn apart and secrets long hidden. Good stuff.

Didn’t expect the ending of this book in a million years,at first I thought I knew what was happening,I knew angela was telling lies ,but didn’t realise why.great book for reading on the beach I give it five stars

I haven’t read any books by Lisa Ballantyne before so I didn’t really know what to expect, but I can truthfully say I really enjoyed this book. It was about a pupil ‘Angela’ who accuses her Drama teacher ‘Nick’ of sexual abuse but one of them is lying, but who?

Both the characters Angela and Nick are very convincing throughout the story. While reading through the book I kept changing my mind as to who was telling the truth and who was lying. I also liked hearing about how both Nick’s family and Angela’s family are affected throughout the whole ordeal.

It was very engaging... a real page turner. I just wanted to get to the end to find out who was lying.

If you're looking for a book with lots of twists and turns, and something to make you think then this is definitely the next book to read. 

I would like to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for my Advance Digital Review Copy in return for an Unbiased review.

This is a compelling,emotionally charged He said/She said tale about abuse,parenting,relationships,trust,betrayal,secrets and lies.Due to it being about an alleged sexual assault on a twelve year old girl and other issues that are raised,some parts are difficult to read but the subject is written with sensitivity and the story is not overly graphic.

We first meet the alleged victim Angela Furness just before she is suspended from school after being involved in a fight in the playground.So our first impression of her is that she is a disruptive,attention seeking,bully with a bad attitude.She doesn't get on with her mum Donna and adores her dad Stephen.

Part time actor Nick Dean has been running a drama workshop at Angela's school. His nightmare starts on a normal Friday night.He has just put his two young children to bed and is ready for a peaceful.evening with his wife Marina. Their cosy evening is interrupted by the arrival of two police officers who inform Nick that he is under arrest for the sexual assault of a minor.

Nick insists he is innocent,Angela insists he assaulted her.Who is telling the truth?

This riveting story is told from the alternating points of view of Angela,Nick,Donna,Stephen and Marina.It's very hard to feel any empathy for a character that you dislike and I definitely did not like Nick.For someone who insisted he hadn't done anything wrong,he seemed quite happy to sit around feeling sorry for himself while his and Marina`s lives feel apart around them.It's frightening how swiftly a person's life can be destroyed,despite any real evidence just because someone accuses you of doing something that you may or may not have done.In the case of an alleged sexual.assault or rape,it is understandable that the victim`s name remains anonymous but surely the name of the accused should also remain anonymous until the accused is actually found guilty.If there is overwhelming evidence that the accused is likely to reoffend then that person should be locked up until they stand trial but they should still remain anonymous.A person's life can be torn apart by the press and people on the internet and then if that person is found innocent,often or not they never receive an apology and are just expected to move on and get on with their lives.Wether Nick is proven innocent or guilty,there would always be people who believed the old addage that there is no smoke without fire.I also didn't like Stephen very much,my feelings about Donna changed as the story unfolded and I learnt more about her character.Despite her behaviour and attitude I did feel a bit of empathy towards Angela but was she an innocent victim or a manipulative liar? My favourite character and the person I felt the most empathy with was Marina as she struggled to keep life as normal as possible for their two young children and her see sawing feelings and doubts about her husband.

This well written,thought provoking story keeps you guessing and evokes a mixed bag of emotions in the reader as the drama unfolded.The characters were vivid and believable,no parts of the story came across as padding and the ending was realistic and true to life.The story would definitely cause some interesting discussions if it was read by a book group.Despite the subject matter I did enjoy this book which is the first book I have read by this author and it definitely will not be my last.

Well.... its rare I can say I read a book in a single sitting ( in my case lying! ) but I did with this
Firstly I would say the book subject may be a trigger for some people and features events and a story that some readers will find upsetting, without a doubt it will disturb any -and every reader! ( Im not keen on putting that in my reviews but in this case its warranted )

Angela is 12, hates her parents and herself, her ‘friends’ bully her, her teachers openly dislike her.........

Nick Dean is a drama teacher, he teaches Angela and he tries to include her and make her part of the group.....

One night the Police arrive at Nick’s house ( the kids have gone to bed, him n his wife are relaxing ) an accusation has been made.....

No one believes this has happened, its outrageous and surely just a troubled teenager ‘acting out’

Then the Police take his lap top.......and check is browsing history..... and Angela, well....Angela is pregnant......

And the story continues in this emotionally packed and charged story, the tension really doesn’t stop and you wonder who is guilty, who is lying, why are they lying and the horrifying conclusion left me shaking my head in shock

This book WILL stay with you, it is not an easy read but it is fantastically written, the grim atmosphere of the characters lives hits you from page 1 and the increasing despair of those involved seeps through the pages ( or kindle!) and as I said I was compelled to finish it in one sitting

Read it but be prepared for how it will affect you

10/10 5 stars