The Lies and Crimes of Sweet Caroline

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Pub Date 15 Dec 2020 | Archive Date 28 Jan 2021

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Description

Born to a mother who doesn’t want her, living in a world that doesn’t understand her, fuelled by anger and hatred, Caroline dreams of a different life.To survive the one she’s been given, she channels that anger and hatred, and behind her fragile, beautiful exterior hides a woman who will do anything to get what she wants.

Together with girlfriend Leoni, she takes from those who often deserve no better, blackmailing, stealing and killing, comfortable at last in her own skin, living her own uncompromising way. But the world she has chosen to inhabit is a dangerous one, and not even Caroline is infallible. When a blackmail attempt goes wrong, her life is in danger. Has she gone too far this time?

What can a woman do when death seems inevitable?

In this dark thriller, meet a new kind of hero and walk with Caroline through the seedy underbelly of life, where sex, blackmail, revenge and even murder are all in a day’s work.

Born to a mother who doesn’t want her, living in a world that doesn’t understand her, fuelled by anger and hatred, Caroline dreams of a different life.To survive the one she’s been given, she...


A Note From the Publisher

Darren Wills is teacher by trade and has been for more years than he cares to admit. Recently, he has taken to writing thrillers, books he probably wouldn't be encouraging my students to read. He is currently writing the third book in his trilogy, a kidnapping story with a difference, and would recommend all three of these stories to anybody who likes to be on the edge of their seat when reading.

Darren Wills is teacher by trade and has been for more years than he cares to admit. Recently, he has taken to writing thrillers, books he probably wouldn't be encouraging my students to read...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781800468740
PRICE US$3.99 (USD)
PAGES 200

Available on NetGalley

NetGalley Shelf App (EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)

Average rating from 48 members


Featured Reviews

Enjoyed this book. I have never read this author but I am glad I did. Will definitely be looking for more in the future.

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A brilliant dark extremely addictive story. I love d the characters and the setting. A brilliant coming out of age story x

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This is a dark and twisted story! It was very addicting and I want to read more by this author! It was a unique plot that kept me hooked.

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Hold onto your seat you will be on a wild ride!! Omg I loved this book!! You must read this book it's amazing!!! Highly recommend

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I’ve literally devoured this in one full sitting. The story is well written and even better, oh the joy!, it’s going to have a sequel. Nothing better than loving a book and an author and knowing they’ll have a follow up! I shall be buying this for my friends as birthday gifts and recommending on social media to all. A strong 5/5.

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I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would. I always check reviews before I start a new book. And this one had very few, and they were not all that encouraging. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much. However, I found myself quite engaged in the story and enjoying both Caroline and Leoni. Sometimes the flow of the story was a little jerky from the past to present hopping. But it wasn't enough to pull me out of the story.

Overall though, this was an entertaining read, and I am looking forward to the next book (this one ends on a cliffy) to see what Caroline will get up to next.

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I guess I’m one of the odd readers that couldn’t get into or enjoy this book. I can’t really explain why, but it just didn’t grab me and I did not finish it. Maybe I will try again later.
Thanks for the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my review.

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This book had potential but it mostly stayed at a monotone, whether she was being abused, conning someone, killing someone or realizing she was in love, it never changed the tone or feel. It had a to be concluded in the next book ending which i didn't like.

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I had read the synopsis before going into this read, so I pretty much knew what to expect. It's labeled as a dark thriller, and I definitely agree with the dark part. It doesn't read like a typical edge-of-your-seat thriller so I have a hard time thinking it is one. If you like twisted story lines and even more twisted characters, then I think you'd really like this one. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the opportunity to read it.

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Dark, twisted, suspenseful tale. Caroline is born to a mother who never wanted her and neglects her more than she cares for her. As Caroline grows up she learns that she must make her own way and learns to get revenge on those who have wronged her. Darkly entertaining and difficult to put down.

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Wow this is not what I expected once I started reading this book. A young girl Caroline sweet Caroline whose mother thought of her as and intrusion makes a life for herself. Not the kind of life any mother would want for her child. Caroline grows up to become a con artist, prostitute and a natural born killer. Through her life of being bullied and ridiculed her life of crime begins at a very young age. Killing for money, killing for the love of it. Then she meets Leoni and she changes Caroline's life in a loving way. We go on the roller coaster of a girls life and the surprising end which I did not see coming. All through this book Darren Wills the author shows us the crazy life that brings Caroline to an ending she herself did not see coming. Her life with her mother Judy was far from perfect which is why Caroline turns to the crime ridden life she has, but the ending was a big surprise. Now we must read Mr. Wills next book to find out what happens.

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OMG y’all. I just knew I was going to like this book as soon as I read the description. It was so amazing and written very well. The characters were fantastic!

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I found this to be a bit of a slow burner and I did find that it quite often had too much detail and was a bit repetitive in places.

The second half did pick up and although a bit wacky I was intrigued to see what Caroline would do next!

I think overall this book wasn’t really for me so 2.5 stars rounded to 3.

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

#TheLiesAndCrimesOfSweetCaroline

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I found this book fairly enjoyable although it is VERY similar to Chloe Esposito’s Mad, Bad... series. Fans of Killing Eve would enjoy

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Dark, Twisty Suspense....
Dark, twisty suspense with a troubled and damaged protagonist, anti-hero Caroline. In search of a new existence Caroline knows no bounds, there is nothing that she will not do to satisfy her desires and fulfill her needs. She is, however, living in a perilous world and she soon takes one step too far. With well drawn characters and a suspenseful storyline this is an engaging read.

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Born to a mother who doesn’t want her, living in a world that doesn’t understand her, fuelled by anger and hatred, Caroline dreams of a different life!
Such a dark. Twisted. Crazy read! This was an edge of your seat ride.
I enjoyed the reading and writing style.

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I was immediately lured into this book by the intriguing title and a gorgeous cover. And of course, the book itself did not disappoint. I tend to read a lot of dark thrillers, especially those with twisted characters - which is certainly the focal point of this novel.

From the beginning, we know that Caroline doesn't shy away from doing bad things; having come from a difficult family background, she does what she has to do to get by. But throughout the course of this book, the reader wonders - is Caroline a resourceful yet really criminal woman, or is she a psychopath? And what would you do if you were simply good at doing bad things for a large personal gain?

Suspenseful and oddly satisfying, I enjoyed this short book, most importantly for its beautifully written characters.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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I've seen mixed reviews of this book on Goodreads but have to say that I think it's a brilliant book. While I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a thriller, I think the dark plot and insight into the main character fits in more with psychological fiction. The plot is almost biographical in that it follows the events of Caroline's life that have shaped her into the woman she is today, though these events don't appear chronologically so the reader is left guessing at first. By the end of the novel so much had happened that I'd completely forgotten about a key event which led to one interesting last development. Definitely worth reading!

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I knew nothing about this book going into it. The beginning was a little bit of a slow burn for me, but the second half had me entranced! I was so curious what Caroline was going to end up doing! Caroline was born to a mom who neglects her. Caroline grows up wanting revenge!

If you want a suspenseful quick read, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Troubador Publishing Ltd. for allowing me access to this ARC.

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A very different read for me! I like different. I read the book in one sitting, trying to figure out just where the storyline was headed. A Thelma and Louise kind of theme....plus! The reader experiences many emotions as she/he reads Sweet Caroline! If you are looking for something a little different this book may just be the one.

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Thank you to Netgalley and Matador for the arc of The Lies and Crimes of Sweet Caroline by Darren Wills.

4 stars- This follows Caroline whom was born a twin, she was born unwanted and neglected.. was she born evil or her circumstances changed her?... Caroline and her bestfriend/lover.. tries to con the rich... in what they call claim back some of their life what owes them like.. Caroline is such a dark and gruesome phsycotic person.. with a lot of plans for things but no actual emotion or feelings.. this was an easy gruesome dark thriller highly recommend.

4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Caroline hasn't had the best of childhood's, her mother has always seen her as nothing more than a nuisance and an intrusion in her life. Caroline decides to make a life for herself, and it is certainly not the life that any mother would want for their child. Caroline grows up and makes her own path as a con artist, prostitute and more shockingly, a killer. And then she meets Leoni, who changes Caroline's life in more ways than she could possibly imagine.
This book was certainly not what I had expected, and I really do mean that in a positive way! The story was well constructed, with plenty of twists and drama to keep the reader fully engaged to the very end.
The characters are well developed, with their own quirks and past stories that add to this already complex story.
I really enjoyed this book, and I would certainly recommend it to others!.

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I enjoyed this more than I thought. Caroline is a twisted character with virtually no morals or empathy for anyone save a very select few which made her interesting than if she was purely sociopathic. The end did drop off for me though and Caroline, to me, is not a continuing character. I will be unlikely to read any sequels.

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This was a perfect read after reading Inventing Ana and I loved very second of it. This is so thrilling and I hope to see more of this genre soon.

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