Truly absorbing, Little Friends is a uniquely gripping story of three families being thrown together, and staying together once tragedy strikes. Each of the adult women are strong, striking characters, though flawed in their own way. Grace stood out to me in particular, her constant, quiet strength through the trauma and difficulties she endured. Though there is much more to this book, it is ultimately the story of three women and their children, and the ways they struggled to continue against the odds. Little Friends is dark and electrifying.

Three couples are brought together through their children: Beautiful Melissa and Paul, at-one-with-nature Eve and Eric, and mixed-race Grace and Martin, one a writer under wraps, the other a writer going down the plug.

Over the course of the summer they are hardly out of each other’s company. While they are absorbed in their own attractions, dissatisfactions and secrets, they fail to notice their children running wild. Until it’s too late.

Shemilt writes intelligently and with great pacing. She skilfully juggles the plot, adding more clubs, and more, before setting the whole alight for a gripping finale. The reader is misdirected, their sympathies veering between characters, but the breadcrumbs are there to be found.

At times, I was befuddled by which child belonged to which parent, or who was married to whom.

Contains substantial passages of text in italics.

Riveting plot.

My thanks to Net Galley and publisher, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph, for the ARC.

Little Friends wasn’t for me. There’s too many characters at the introduction to the story and I just wasn’t gripped by the plot. Quite a shame since the synopsis really made me want to read this.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. I couldn’t get into this book. I gave up after a few chapters. I skipped to different parts hoping something would draw me in but I just couldn’t get into it.