Frances Vick

Bad Little Girl has to be one of the best thrillers I have read so far this year, if I am being honest I picked this book not knowing anything about it. I found the description and cover so enticing that I had to read it! My background in college was in psychology so this was up my ally completely. I could not put it down It has been sitting completed on my kindle for over a week I just needed to find time to tell you how amazing it is. Thank you to Netgalley Frances Vick and Bookouture for my advanced copy of this gem. Lorna Bell is an eight-year-old Jekyll and Hyde who comes from a broken home who in the first half of the book you want to feel bad for because no child should go through everything that she has. On the opposite side of that coin you have Claire Penny the teacher with a heart of gold. I to say that this is a hard review to write without giving too much away. I can’t stress enough how much you have to read this book Lorna thrives on the attention ... she loves Miss Penny....wants to be with her all the time. She tells Miss Penny ... I'm not safe. Please help me. And Miss Penny does something unthinkable. She takes the child away from a bad situation only to find out everything is not what it seems. If you LOVE thrillers this is a must have. I can’t say I enjoyed any of the characters I felt sympathy for everyone in different ways in different parts of the book but not this over the top I LOVE this character kind of moment. A tough subject wrapped in a creepy perfect package. A must read.… (mehr)

Jenny Holloway's life was not an easy one and it certainly is not getting any easier now that her mother was found dead with a broken neck in the snow near their home. Her only solace is her best friend Freddie who has always been there for Jenny. Freddie is not the only man in her life, though. She recently started a new relationship with David. Like her, he also was caring for an ailing mother. Something Jenny understood all too well. David is not what he seems though. He might seem kind and caring, looking out for Jenny's best interest and wanting to keep her safe. Looks can be deceiving and David is a master in disguise. David is manipulative and dangerous. The only one who notices it is Freddie, but will it be too late to save Jenny from the clutches of a stalker and psychopath?

LIARS starts out in a slow pace introducing you to the characters and really digs in deep on their background. I was a little skeptical, I will admit, during the first quarter of the story. I wasn't sure how it was going to turn out as nothing really jumped right out of the pages. The build up was slow and steady, you know something is going to happen and you are anticipating it. The anticipation is what kept me glued to the story. Once it picks up, it REALLY hits you full force. I realized at that point Jenny's background was essential to the story because it gives you an understanding as to why David may have seemed like the perfect and caring boyfriend he made himself out to be.

The author, Frances Vick certainly made David one horribly creepy, obsessive and manipulative stalker/boyfriend. Just the little ways he wrapped his control around Jenny so easily made me want to personally shake Jenny, like "Wake up OMG! Can't you see what he is doing to you!" David's need for control was so subtle yet so powerful. He came across as helpful, worried, extremely caring as he manipulated Jenny at every possible turn he could. I can see why Jenny fell for him especially with the way she grew up and why she felt the need to defend his actions or to play it off as if it was nothing. Freddie was the only friend who could see through David's actions and he desperately wants to get Jenny away from him. I adored Freddie he was such a stand out character for me. He really cares about Jenny and treats her like she is family. He would do anything for her. Freddie is the best friend every girl wishes she could have.

LIARS sucks you right in and holds on tight never letting you go until the last final moments. I was hooked! This story right here proves why Psychological Thrillers ranks high on my reading list. I highly recommend you pick up a copy and immerse yourself in the psychotic rollercoaster. You are in for one heck of a ride!… (mehr)

Jenny’s mother is found dead in the snow and she feels guilty for leaving her alone. She then gets involved with a new man despite what her best friend Freddie thinks about him. I found the beginning of this book really slow and was on the point of giving up when suddenly it sprang to life and I went from hating it to loving it and from that point couldn’t put it down! What a set of characters, with secrets, lies, obsessions - a story like a hairpin bend, twisting this way and then that - fantastic!… (mehr)

I'll be honest, there is no real twist or mystery. The plot is quite clear from the get-go and only becomes more obvious as the story progresses. Still, this was an interesting story. The first half of the novel focuses on Claire and Lorna, and how victimized Lorna is at her house. In this section, the author really focused on a key issue of society: how to protect children. The author took the time to show how hard it is to get authorities to verify concerns about child abuse, and how reluctant people are when it comes to whistle-blowing. It struck a chord with me because I've heard numerous cases where people noticed something amiss but did nothing until too late; it made me sympathize and understand the desperation that Claire felt during this point in the novel. I won't lie, it dragged on a bit and the author was quite heavy-handed with some of the hints, but the plot was still interesting enough for me to want to continue. In the second half of the novel, we delve deeper into the relationship between Claire and Lorna, and see how the entrance of Marianne disrupts it. This is when things really start to heat up, and I found myself eagerly flipping through the pages. I mean, I knew the general flow that the story was going to take but it was still compelling to read! The final chapters showed that the main characters got what they deserved ... but compared to the rush that preceded it, the finale was a bit lackluster. The author also leaves the ending open, and I really didn't like the implications of it. It made me stop liking Claire's character, who I had sympathized and pitied for the most part. My final thoughts on this novel is that the author wrote an interesting thriller that deals with protecting a child but there wasn't really a twist involved in this novel. It was not the best in the genre but it was certainly not the worst.

I received this novel as an advanced copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

For more reviews, visit: www.veereading.wordpress.com… (mehr)