7 years ago the White family was devastated when 8 year old Abigail vanished without a trace. They think they've hit the lottery whenshe turns up alive and reasonably well, but reunification proves much harder than any of them expected, reveals family divisions, and rips open the scars of old secrets.

The book is suffused through with ominous foreshadowing that creates an oppressive atmosphere. It's tangible and well developed but it bothered me. After thinking about it over night I think I know why; it was entirely unnecessary. The trauma of reunification would have been enough - it made the added foreshadowing feel excessive and gratuitous and like the ending (which I hated) like iteas a tacked on necessity to justify what came before

The story is told from multiple viewpoints. I liked that choice but I hated Jess - her neediness was rather creepy and never fully justified by exploring her own trauma in a satisfying way. She made me feel very uncomfortable, despite getting adequate chance to explore her viewpoint.

I loved the premise of this book - how does a family cope with the return of a disappeared child and how does the child reintegrate? I also loved the first three quarters of the story and then it all seemed to unravel.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but I think I must have a different moral compass to the author as to me the incident at the station was a lot more than a "little white lie"! Also I felt the identity of the abductor was a very tenuous link, and then the bridge incident seemed tacked on to give a dramatic ending.
I realise this is a debut novel however and will look out for future books by Ms East.

Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book

A good plot, a missing child returns after 7 years - and that is just the start. Of course there are going to be complications, secrets and lots of twists and turns. Told from different perspectives the story starts to come out, emotional and shocking - and a very good read.

This book was not as good as I thought it would be from the premise. It was slow paced. Did not grip me at all. Far fetched in parts. Not terrible but not great.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Little White Lies was a frustrating book for me as I found so much of the narrative unbelievable. Abigail, aged eight, was in London with her family when she got separated from her mother and just disappeared. Seven years later, aged 15, she walks into a police station with a young girl called Tonia.

Hours later, her parents arrive from Lincolnshire to pick her up and then proceed to carry on with normal family life pretty much. Surely Abigail would be undergoing extensive debriefing and psychiatric help at this point. No one in the family seems able to appreciate the trauma that Abigail has gone through and that maybe life won’t just carry on as before.

The narrative alternates between Anne, Abigail’s mother, and Jess, Abigail’s cousin, with just one chapter from the point of view of Lillian, Abigail’s auntie. Jess is also 15 and the two girls were incredibly close before Abigail’s disappearance. I just couldn’t fathom out how Abigail goes to a music festival, the local fair and other places without an adult while only back for a short time. She is also left in the house alone too. Surely an adult would be keeping a close eye on her in those early days of being back.

None of the characters were likeable and all the adults seemed to be hiding some big secret. When the secrets finally emerged they were rather underwhelming and I felt mountains were being made out of molehills. I was also not clear why Tonia was in the story as her disappearance was never explained in the context of Abigail's.

The ending was just odd and long and drawn out. I’m still not really sure what it all was supposed to indicate. It was also strange not to hear Abigail’s voice in the story.

With thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Abigail went missing in London aged eight. Her mum, Anne, lost sight of her for a moment and she was gone.
Seven years later she is found alive and Anne has to re-connect with her daughter all over again.
But what really happened all those years ago and what does Abigail remeber.
Who is lying and who is to blame?

#LittleWhiteLies #NetGalley
Suspense thrillers couldn't be made better than this.
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...
It's ending was brilliant like I'm seeing a Hollywood movie. After a long time i read such a great thriller. It's starting was slow but overall it's an awesome read.
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this book not something I’d usually read the beginning seemed a bit slow but it ended up being a really enjoyable book

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller, it was jam packed with everything great. I couldn't turn the page's quick enough. Fantastic debut, look forward to reading more by this author.

This is a slow burner which never really ignites. The story is related from two povs: the mother, Anne who has no backbone and is completely vacuous and the cousin, Jess who is stuck being 8 years old - the age she was when her 8 year old cousin was abducted. Never do we get the abducted girl, Abigail’s pov, which makes this quite an unemotional book, both in the story and in the reader’s response.

Interesting story
well written
Good characters well developed
Nice twists and turns
Worth a Read if you like this genre

In the early stages it was slightly baffling how as i got further into the book it became one of those books you don't want to put down.
It examines the really difficult topic of a child being abducted and the relationships with those closest during the period of abduction and when the now teenager is found.
The book has a really nice turn towards the end which is well worth getting to.
Grateful for the opportunity to review this book.

A really good premise, set after the return of a missing child. It is emotionally raw and superbly written, focusing on the lasting effects trauma can have on us.

Omg. This book is amazing.
A little girl went. Issuing at the age of 8 years old. She was missing for 7 years when she turns up at a police station with a 6 year old.
The story flips between the girls mother and her cousin. A gripping story and I would definitely recommend this book.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

Eight year old Abigail was missing for seven years but now she is home. What happened to her? Where was she and the big question is whose fault was it that she was missing? Was it just another kidnapping? What is the family hiding? This is a must read that will keep you hooked to the very last page.

A dark and intense read. It was thrilling. Loved it and I was so surprised by the ending. Brilliant and well written. It is clear the author has a sound knowledge of psychological disorders x

Thanks Netgalley for the chance to review this book.
It was not my favourite book. It seemed really slow and the Mums character came across at a bit emotionless. I was disappointed as I had really high hopes for this after reading the synopsis.

Never take your eyes of your child is the motto of this fantastic piece of fiction. A mother looks away for two minutes and her child is gone. Seven years later Abigail walks into a police station with another child. Once reunited with her family cracks appear. She hates to be touched, her twin siblings are a burden, she won't talk about anything. Her mother is afraid as to how much Abigail remembers about the day she went missing.
Her cousin Jess seems to be the only person she still feels close to and all Jess wants is the Abigail that was. While Abigail's mother, step-father, auntie and uncle struggle to cope with her aloofness they also have to cope with the arrest of her kidnapper and the arrival of Abigail's biological father.
Secrets, lies, abuse and trust. This is a hell of a book, cleverly written, twisted and gripping. Highly recommended.

It took me a while to get going with this book. Usually if I am hooked I can finish one in a couple of days. This took me a little longer. The storyline itself was steady however, sometimes a little slow and the twists and turns came more towards the last quarter of the novel. Overall a good story about how one moment can change a life... Abigail was only 7 years old when she went missing, now 8 years later she is stood at the front desk of a police station with another young girl.

What happened to her? How did she go missing? What secrets are the family hiding? Will her life get back to normal?

I kept reading to give an accurate review, otherwise I would have given up on it. Anne, a mother, is a strangely detached unemotional woman. Maybe this is the point? It just did not capture me at all. It was slow, repetitive, unlikeable and not a thriller. Just did not resonate with me at all.