Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
Having read the synopsis, I was keen to get reading. Right from the start the book engaged me, and kept me hooked tightly in until the very last page - literally.
I suppose you would call this book a slow burner, but not in the sense of a dragging story that needed to hurry along. The writing was imaginative and descriptive, and the writer did use a lot of words to say very little. This was a clever tactic though, as together with many little hints of unsaid thoughts, it really built the tension up, leaving the reader wondering.....wondering.....wondering.
Although the abductor was revealed quite early on, the reader was left guessing how this linked in. I felt it seemed a tenuous connection and this was my only disappointment within the book.
The build up towards the ending was dark, twisty and disturbing, Due to the vivid detail, I felt like I was watching rather than reading, which made for breath holding unease. The very ending was almost in the form of an epilogue. This allowed for a refreshing exhale out, until...…. is everything going to be ok or isn't it?

I didn’t read any reviews before I started this book as I noticed the star rating was a mixed bag. I can honestly say I don’t know how anyone could rate this book less than four stars.
I thought it was fantastic and very much a page turner.
You can not help but feel sympathy for both teenagers after having both their lives turned upside town at the age of eight. You really want them to get that happy ending. The question is, Will They?

Little White Lies is a satisfying mystery thriller. The writer successfully pulls the reader in to the unspoken, but often hinted at, reason for the mother’s guilt over her daughter’s abduction. Well plotted and well written and very effectively told from the viewpoints of different characters.

Anne's daughter Abigail went missing, aged 8, after becoming separated from her Mum at a tube station. Seven years later, she walks into a police station. As Abigail returns home, it is clear that she is confused and damaged. Anne is haunted by a lie she told that we only become privy to towards the end of the book. Questions are raised throughout this story, and we are kept guessing until the last moments. Complex and haunting, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.

She only looked away for a second…

Anne White only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her young daughter.

But seven years later, Abigail is found.

And as Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…

Wow what a gripping read which I couldnt put down! Well written and thoroughly entertaining! Cant wait to read more from this author. Many thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book in return for an honest opinion.

WOW! WOW! WOW! what a debut! Emotional and raw, Little White Lies is an absolutely amazing thriller, and It's only the start of the year but I feel i will not read a book to match this in 2020!


Abigail White disappeared seven years ago when she was just eight years old, now 7 years later she walks into a police station Holding the hand of another missing child.


Now aged fifteen Abigail is returned to her family, her mother Anne, stepfather Robert and her younger twin brothers but with everything that has happened the reunion is not perfect Abigail isn’t a little girl anymore, she has suffered been held captive how will she adjust to her new life?


Told through the eyes of her mother Anne and her cousin Jess, this story focuses on her return and the impact it has on the whole family, Anne is struggling and feels disconnected from her daughter and she worries about what Abigail knows and the secrets they both are holding.


Little White Lies was a thrilling and heart-pounding read and I inhaled this whole book in 1 day, when I was not reading it was constantly in my thoughts, I found this a passionate, addictive and complex look at trauma, heartbreak and the affects of crime and guilt on a victim and on the surrounding family.


In particular the authors explanation of Abigal's need for others to "feel" the fear she has to "feel" the trauma was utterly captivating, I was just in tears, put down what book your reading at the moment THIS is the book you need, get it online, or digitally but I Guarantee you will not read a better book or debut this year!

Wow. What a rollercoaster of a book. I couldn’t put it down. Completely drawn into the plot& the characters. Mothers beware, it really makes you think about your relationships

I did kind of enjoy this book, the ending was very good. But it was a slow starter with too much left unsaid. I felt like I started reading in the middle almost.
But overall it was a good read.

Losing a child is every parent's worse nightmare but what happens when your child returns home?
Anne White had long given up on her daughter Abigail every returning back after being abducted at 8 years old but 7 years later she receives a phonecall that she had long given up on receiving - Abigail has been found and can return home. You would imagine that this would be a joyous moment but Anne cannot escape the worry that the 'real truth' will come out.

Told from the perspective of Anne and Abigail's 15 year old cousin Jess we get the feeling that all is not as it seems. Abigail is withdrawn, angry and distant with her family. Is she aware of Anne's truth?

I found this a fascinating read as usually these types of books end up with the death of the missing person so it was interesting to see what happens when an abductee returns home. I did feel myself feeling frustrated by many of the characters, especially Anne and Abigail but I did find Jess a very likeable character.

The book significantly picks up pace 3/4s of the way through when the real truth emerges. I would recommend.

The writing here is excellent, with the slow burn tension and questions for the reader, juxtaposed with well-built scenes and lots of mystery

Twisty, tautly paced psychological drama. Phillipa East’s debut novel is intense, disturbing and very satisfying. Charting every parent’s worst nightmare – what if you looked away for a second and when you look back, your child is gone? And what if they returned 7 yrs later? This novel looks at what happens in the space between. Highly recommended.

I found this really slow and difficult to get in to properly. Lots of false suspense. I may have another go (but unlikely).

This book kept me turning the pages. It was beautifully written, told from more than one viewpoint which can often be confusing but worked in this book. It kept me intrigued and for a change I didn’t foresee what was going to happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased opinion.

Excellent read - complex characters with complex relationships. There is obviously something brewing beneath the early narrative and this,:and more , get slowly revealed throughout the book.
Once I was half way through found it difficult to put down.
Highly recommend this - a definite 5 star read for me.

Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a little mixed for me.
I think East is a very talented writer, and her descriptions are excellent. She is able to bring scenes to life and the settings are very vivid.
The book built tension well for the most part, but I felt towards the end the plotting wasn't the best.
I still enjoyed this book overall but I wouldn't likely read it again.

I was hooked on this book from the start. The story of how a family puts itself back together when their daughter, missing for 7 years from the age of 8, suddenly reappears. Who has had her and why does the detective think the family know him? What secrets are they all hiding? Each thinks it is their fault Abigail was taken and the sadness is how this gets in the way of showing their natural joy at her return. Only her cousin Jess, the same age, and always like an extension of each other, can get through to her, I felt for Anne, the mum, who felt it was all her fault and who couldn't allow herself to get close to Abigail. We don't find out the extent of what happened to her during those years, and only at the end does Abigail allow herself to say anything about it being a bad experience and not just her normal life. This was an easy book to read, and while my heart ached, I needed to find out what was behind the abduction. #NetGalley #LittleWhiteLies

So much revealed at the end that you finally, finally understand the trauma a missing girl was put through. The book also shows how a tightly-knit family can strangle itself unless, in this case, catastrophic events contrive to set everyone free. A painful yet surprisingly relateable story.

I got frustrated with this book in places as the author over described things and left other things unsaid. Though I do suggest you try this book for yourself and I know I will be looking for what the author comes up with next.

This was a really emotional story. It was mainly told from two perspectives, that of Abigail’s mum Anne and Abigail’s cousin Jess who is the same age as her.

I really enjoy books that are structured in this way and you could really feel the emotions that had been felt by the whole family while Abigail was absent for so long and then how everything begins to unravel after she comes back.

The family is fractured and has been for a while even though they do their best to keep everything together and show a united front. The main focus of the book is on what happens after Abigail’s return and the struggles this brings in reintroducing her to her home and family.

It’s only when the case goes to court that we hear more details of what Abigail went through and even though it isn’t explained in vast detail it is more than enough to understand just how damaging an ordeal it was, both mentally and physically.

Anne is keeping a secret from some of the most important people in the family and the burden on those that know the truth has a knock on effect to the whole family.

Although I could already sense early on what had happened the day her daughter disappeared there was still a twist that so I didn’t see coming that made this story even more complex.

This is a great insight into a parents worst nightmare. The relationships between siblings and the dynamics of family life and the thin line between love and control.

We see through this families story how the mistakes we make, the choices we decide and the lies we tell to ourselves as well as to others can change everything.

Little White Lies by Philippa East is a beautifully written and totally captivating story. I was transfixed from the outset, despite the book's unoriginal title.

Whilst at the railway station, Anne White only looks away from her young daughter, Abigail for a second, but that’s all it took for her to vanish into thin air. Seven years later, Abigail is found. As Anne struggles to connect with her teenage daughter, she begins to question how much Abigail remembers about the day she disappeared…

This delightful story alternates between the perspectives of Anne, and Jess who is Abigail’s cousin, with brief extracts from Lillian (Anne’s sister). The reunion of Abigail with her family should have been a joyous occasion, but it wasn't and so the story unrelentingly explores the emotions of that return. Philippa East has written this cleverly constructed tale complete with realistic and believable characters, and a winsome plot.

Little White Lies is a cracking début novel and Philippa East clearly has tremendous talent. I'm tickled pink that I had an opportunity to read this book, and I will certainly be keeping an eye out for future releases from the author.

I recommend this family-drama-style, emotional thriller with confidence.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from HQ via NetGalley at my request, and this review is my own unbiased opinion.