Cover Image: Three Little Truths

Three Little Truths

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Member Reviews

Three Little Truths is a tale of the women who live in Pine Road, Dublin. They correspond via their residents’ association and interact through the lives of their families.
But don’t switch off – this is a blissful, joyful and funny read, one I just loved to pieces. I kept reading until it was done- and for good measure there is a little sting in the tale too. I will now go running for Eithne Shortall’s other two books when I get a sec.
It’s worth mentioning that the interaction between Robin and Cormac, especially the initial one, is the loveliest thing I’ve read for a while, every girl’s dream.
There is something for everyone here, this book will be a big hit.
Thank you to Netgalley and Atlantic Books for the chance to enjoy.

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Three little truths is a hilarious yet also serious novel following the lives of the residents of Pine road Dublin.
With larger than life characters, I couldn’t put this book down so engrossed was I with the antics of these people. There’s Bernie, who basically rules the residents and is ‘she who must be obeyed’. Edie is desperately trying to get pregnant although husband Daniel doesn’t seem so keen. Carmel and Mike have been invaded by their daughter Robin and her four year old son Jack following the break up of her relationship with bad boy Eddy. Fiona, Ruby, Ellen, Rita Ann and Trish (local headmistress) make up the other residents of Pine road. The WhatsApp group messages between these individuals are side splittingly funny and for me my favourite parts. The novel starts though with new arrivals to the street, in the form of Martha, Robert and their two girls Orla and Sinead. All is not right with these new neighbours as Edie soon discovers, fancying herself as an amateur sleuth. I don’t think it’s revealing too much to say that the family have been the victims of a tiger raid (never heard of this before) back in Limerick, hence their move. This clearly has had an unsettling effect on both Martha and Sinead which becomes evident as the storyline evolves, raising important questions about how far you would go to protect your family as well as male attitudes towards the female population in general.
Whilst the underlying issues in this novel are serious, the author writes in such a humorous way, making me laugh out loud. She captures neighbourly grievances, the gossipy nature of individuals and the small mindedness of people beautifully and with such warmth. The cast of characters are wonderful, with Edie, I think being my favourite although it is hard to pick one!
This is a novel full of misunderstandings particularly between Edie and Daniel and Robin and Cormac, her new love interest, that are darkly comic. The Pine road Easter egg treasure hunt, organised by Ellen, would be successor to Bernie as Pine road supremo is absolutely hilarious. Despite extreme planning this event quickly turns into a complete disaster but one where truths are finally revealed. I thought I’d guessed the twist half way through but the author cleverly had me fooled. Although hugely entertaining, Three little truths is also a book about morality and forgiveness and the importance of family. I LOVED it. Many thanks to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read ahead of publication.

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What a warm, witty and clever book! I absolutely loved this ! Full of Irish humour and charm, it tells the story of a Dublin cul-de-sac and the lives of it's inhabitants. On the surface, everyone knows everyone else's business but how much do they really know? Behind these well kept fronts lie a host of secrets. I don't want to reveal any spoilers but there's no way one would predict the clever ending. I'd not read this author before but I shall be seeking out her books in future. Her storytelling is instinctive, natural and engaging . With a few deft lines we get invested in these people's lives. Her use of what's app chat messages as a storytelling device is genius! I found myself laughing out loud many times but ,in the space of a paragraph, overcome with pity or horror or empathy for the characters so brilliantly depicted. This is one of the best and most original books I've read this year and I will definitely be recommending it on social media, amazon, Twitter and good reads. A massively deserved 5,*

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An engaging hybrid of Marian Keyes and Liane Moriarty without quite reaching the elevation of either; this is hampered by it's narrative style (told sometimes by Whatsapp chat or other formats) whivch affected the flow and sometimes that emotion of the story, in my opinion. I was mostly entertained but struggled to pin it down at times; is it a romance, family drama, comedy, tragedy -it might be trying to be all at once, I suppose.

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Such an enjoyable read!
3 women; Martha, Edie and Robin move to Pine Road, each with a little bit of baggage they don’t really want to share, gradually build up an unlikely friendship and their stories unfold.
Pine Road also has an established bunch of social organisers, who regularly meet to play cards and keep in touch through the most hilarious WhatsApp messenger group. If you don’t see yourself in some of the characters, you’ll recognise them in your friends or work circles.
Highly recommended, thank you!

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Pine Road...a place with a huge mixture of characters, living in interesting little groups. With even a Whats App clique posting pretty nasty comments about other neighbours.
Martha, one of the more likeable women, has moved to escape the aftermath of a very nasty burglary/hostage situation. No one seems to understand her feelings, but she remains elegant and calm. Looked up to by Edie who wants to be like her.
Edie has her own secrets, as do most of the women.
I found that there were too many similar names....Edie, Eddy, Ellen...and was constanlty having to stop and rethink.Some of the situations were funny, some were just farcical.
Unlike many other reviewers, I didnt find a similarity to Maeve Binchy's novels ,which are much gentler and empathetic.
However, it was an interesting book. Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

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I think this book successfully provided the entire range of emotions a reader could expect to feel during a reading session! I thoroughly enjoyed it, I cared for the characters and was invested in the story. I recommend this book. Thank you!

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A tale of nosy neighbours and their intertwining stories.
An easy read, an ok story, good for the beach or for when you don’t wish to overly concentrate on your book.
Personally I prefer a bit more of a gritty read, but it’s good for fans of Maeve Binchy and similar style authors.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

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An interesting, quirky style of writing that took a bit of getting used to. All added to the overall web of a well constructed, darkly comic snapshot of modern suburbia.

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Pine Road in Dublin has a close-knit community, or does it? A new family moves in, arousing the curiosity of the neighbours - who are they, why have they moved into the street, where have they come from, and will they fit into the community?
A fun read.

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This book was an average read. I had been expecting more but it was still an ok book.
Writing style and pace were of average quality
An ok book

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Great story! The characters story lines were beautifully interwoven and very realistic - all of the people in the book really came to life, their unlikely friendships were believable. Didn’t see the twist at the end coming for a while but again, it was so well written I found myself wondering how I hadn’t! I laughed out loud a several points - would love to read more.

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Three Little Truths is a joyous read 'perfect holiday reading .Set in the suburbs of Dublin ,Pine Road is a cul de sac full of neighbours who keep an eye out for each other .When a new Family move in the Whats App Group goes into overdrive !!! Some of the most amusing things are told through this group ! I really enjoyed this book the characters are very real I felt I knew them .Many thanks to The Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

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A great read. Moments of humour, intrigue, mystery and sadness. The lives of the residents of the cul de sac are interwoven, with a few “coincidences”to boot. You get to know the three main characters and become easily invested in their stories, as well as the characters on the periphery. It is a warm and engaging story which draws the reader in and makes you want everything to work out for the best, as if they were people you really know. A few twists and turns and a few “ I thought so” moments makes for an engaging and enjoyable read. Thank you.

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I loved this book. The characters were very well developed and you could see some of your own friends and neighbours in there - Rita’s missing newspaper added a touch of amusement to the story and there was a great twist that I didn’t see at all

I felt myself desperate To know , and then living, Martha’s situation with her. The over eager member of the neighborhood group and the excellent day to day situations made this a book well worth a read

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Three Little Truths by Eithne Shortall. This is just spot-on my kinda book! With echos of Maeve Binchy, Martha, Robin and Edie just become larger than life with their fears, hopes, and dreams (oh and their secrets too!) I so enjoyed the feeling of being part of the lives of the Oine Road neighbours for a while and hate that I’ve finished the book now! So ok there’s a little bit of those major coincidences going on but overall it’s a great well-thought-out storyline that’ll keep you reading past your bedtime, or in the car, or while cooking the dinner ....you get the point. It’s great!! Loved it !

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I really enjoyed this book. I was completely drawn into the lives of all the characters, and found it a very funny, and warm-hearted read. The ending came as a complete surprise, and I would love to read more from this author.

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The three main characters are Edie Rice Robin Dwyer and newcomer Martha Rigby with her family. Pine Road is a close knit community with the residents taking their neighbourhood very seriously until things start to go wrong with all different results.
This book was a pleasure to read and made you feel as if you knew everyone who lived there. I laughed, sympathised and was shocked but could only enjoy the happenings, friendships and relationships of everyone in this book.

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Oh I loved this book! It felt like a treat! It’s the story of Pine Road in Dublin and the residents who live there. The neighbors have a Whats App group and it’s through this you see the minutiae of their lives. It’s a sneaky peak that lets you into their hearts, their minds and their homes. It’s a warm, funny and thoroughly engaging book

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I loved three little truths. It's both hilarious and interesting. You will be warned off neighborhood whats app groups for life and may never see your neighbors in the same light again.

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