Such a protracted and muddled telling of a story, that was not an enjoyable read. I persevered with completing reading, but it felt like an onerous task.

A very well written story, however I found it really frustrating. The story is told in present day with flashbacks to things that happened in the past. You are never quite told all the details which is obviously to keep you guessing, but I just found it confusing. I could never quite tell who was who and if I was supposed to know something that we hadn't yet been told. I spent a lot of time going back to re-read chapters in case I'd missed something.
In the end the finale was a bit of an anticlimax. Bit disappointed by this read.

This novel drew me in from start to finish. The sense of intrigue and evil wound it's way throughout, culminating in a finale that tied in the events in a sad albeit satisfactory manner. I would love to read a sequel, as I feel several of the characters have untold stories to tell.
A fantastic debut novel!
Many Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for allowing me to read this in advance of publication.

This was a beautifully written book with a great premise of a story. I love the way the authoress writes, and the story itself, I mean what actually happened (the mysterious events with mysterious background), was a very intriguing and exciting idea.
The actual execution is not so perfect, though. For the first couple of chapters, I was very interested in finding out what was happening, what is it all about, but with time I started to get bored because everything was going so slowly. I like the atmosphere of suspense, and it was nicely created, but I felt like I knew too little and too much at the same time. The reveal of the 'big things', of the actual happenings, is dragged out until like 60-70% in the novel, and by the half it felt very tiring, because I still didn't know what exactly we are dealing with. On the other hand, I figured out the very basics of it, the nature of what happened very early, and way long before the protagonist, Robyn did. So though it is a very well thought-out mystery, at the end of the day what happened to me was that I was getting tired of Robyn finding out about things I (and everyone else in the book) already knew, while I was frustrated for the majority of the book about not getting enough clues about things that I felt like would matter more and would be more interesting. So even though the information and clues were gradually unfolded, I felt like I only got to know everything in the last chapters.
I think this was because of the main character, Robyn. She was so clueless that it was crazy annoying! I get that she is a child (on one timeline in the story), and even on the other timeline she's only a young adult, but she simply can't add two plus two together. I like that we see the happenings through a child's eyes, this is a very interesting perspective, but many times I felt like her character's behavior is a little forced. She's not simply naive, innocent and confused, but seems like outright dumb, even for a 9 year-old. I don't dare to say the that she was a badly written character, because I'm not completely sure a child couldn't turn out this way, living the way she did, not being told about anything at all that's even a bit complicated. She was an annoying person nonetheless, though.
The last 30% saved this book for me. Though the proportions (of where/when in the novel the story is told) are a bit off, this is a very good story and a great mystery in the background. I guessed the major plot twist at the end (I basically guessed everything), but it was far from being obvious, and it didn't take away much from the enjoyment. It was a clever plot twist, and looking back, I see how cleverly the hints were hidden. I'm sure many, or probably the majority of the readers will not see everything coming. I'm just not easy to surprise. :)
The very ending (I'm thinking of the last page) left me a bit unfinished, I'm really keen to find out what happens next, and unfortunately, we don't find out about it, we only get to know everything that happened in the past.
All in all, I would say this is a good first novel based on a great idea. I'm not sure this book is for everyone, but I would read another book by this author, because I feel like she would write amazing novels, given the chance of publishing more.

Absolutely loved this book. Unfortunately, I did have to put it down several times. This book keeps you guessing until the end. This book was not like any other story I have read before and the premise was very different. What I thought to be the truth was so far from it. Loved the characters and the fact that they were young when most of the incident took place and it is now them looking back as young adults. I also loved that it was the young adults that solved the mystery instead of the police. I would still love to know more of what happened to Wendy and Carol, along with Mickey. It was unclear if what happened to Mickey was a result of Ray. This is definitely a book I would recommend to my friends and family. Very quick read.

Couldn't put it down! A great concept, intriguing characters, kept me guessing! I loved it! I have already recommended it to friends!

'Don’t cry, I think, watching as she swallows hard. Crying is for bigger things than this.'

Growing up with secrets doesn’t make for any easy life, it is 1976 and Robin likes to go swimming, trail after her brother Kit, and dodge encounters with the bully Debbie and her ‘gonks’. At home, the atmosphere is heavy with the weeping of women whom her mother often tries to save from themselves, or abusive spouses. Then there is the mysterious cowboy, who like a shadow is hanging around her, offering her little presents that he says really belong to her to begin with. They are magic things, for protection. What does she need protection from, though? Her nights are spent restless with bad dreams, could they be memories?

To settle her fears, her mother always tells Robin her favorite story, about how they made their home here, ‘blown into town on a storm.’ That storm isn’t the baddest they’ll encounter. Her mother is meddling in a marriage, and the townspeople are saying terrible things about her. She is far too young to really know which way is up, angry that her mother is taking Robyn’s pitiful savings to help a grown woman, Sharon Mace and her little boy, Danny. No one is as irate though as Sharon’s husband. There isn’t much the police can do, this is the 70’s, and a wife belongs at home with her man!

What would Robin know of fathers caring enough to hunt down their wife and children, her own doesn’t even have a role in her life, is nothing but a wisp of smoke, not even a memory. Even if it’s in violence, Danny is lucky his dad cares at all. All of her inquiries into who her own might be are met with outlandish stories, ‘he is a Russian spy’, or a ‘great explorer’. Even his name is fluid, Roger today, Roberto tomorrow. She, her mother and Kit have Mathew though, the only true father they’ve ever known after ‘crashing into his life with the storm’.

Robin keeps the cowboy a secret, until her mother sees the ‘gifts’ and acts funny about it.

Jump to the future, 12 years later Robin and Kit are back in town, their old house a standing reminder of their haunting past. In retracing the steps of their old life, will she uncover the truths her mother could never divulge? The locals aren’t happy about their return, but she can’t run forever. The not knowing is killing Robyn, and she doesn’t want Kit to know the risks she has taken to find out what really happened. Maybe Eve knows something, their mother’s friend? So much has changed in their absence, and so little. Young Robyn is blinded by her naiveté, as all children are, in the early years taking what they are told for fact, no reason to doubt the parent who loves them. Robyn in the 80’s is lost, damaged and depserate for closure. The back and forth between then and now worked for the most part, but Robyn was more solid in her youth to me, more of a ghost of her former self (maybe that’s done on purpose) in the later years.

Where is their mother? Why was she so passionate about helping others, at the risk of her own little family? The one person who may know the truth is the one man they need to stay away from, the one who promised to hunt them down with the ominous threat ‘Family is blood and pain’ swearing he will teach Robyn and Kit his meaning. Does she really want the truth?

My issue is, with all the secrecy of the past, shouldn’t their mother lay low rather than bring attention to herself in such a small town? Ok, nature will out- it’s her way to save others, still one must ask, ‘why at great risk to herself and her children?’ Maybe I would have cared more about Kit and Robyn in their later years if we had a bit more filler about what they were up to after tragedy struck. Luckily I cared about Robyn as a little girl, if not as much when she was grown up because she wasn’t as real to me, so I wanted to keep reading for little Robyn’s sake. The ending was solid, one I didn’t quite predict. I admit it’s hard to be kept in the dark as a reader about some things, so I can see how it could frustrate others.When we meet Robyn in the 80’s the pace slows a bit, and I found myself looking forward to the past more. It takes a bit of a dark turn at the end. With that said, it is a good debut novel, and I look forward to Holmes future stories.

Publication Date: September 13, 2018

Agora Books

Holmes’ debut novel tells the story of two summers from the perspective of Robyn. In the first, 1976, she’s a child and in the second, twelve years later, a young adult. From the outset, there’s a wonderful sense of mystery, and the threads are woven beautifully through the two timelines before being pulled together like magic at the end.

While reading, I was plagued with questions: Where is Robyn’s mother? What happened to the man in the cowboy hat? Why have Robyn and her brother Kit come home after so many years? What exactly happened that summer to drive them away? Holmes strikes a fine balance with all of these mini mysteries, giving away enough to keep the reader interested but holding enough back to maintain suspense.

The writing here is lyrical and deeply rooted in the senses. The characterisation is strong, and I enjoyed the sense of small-town claustrophobia that pervades. The mystery at the heart of the novel kept me turning the pages and led to a most satisfactory ending.

2.75 stars

"A Little Bird Told Me" had a really interesting premise but the execution didn't really impress me. The characters in this novel all make awful decisions and are then surprised when everything falls apart. There is no real resolution to the story and the ending was just weird. The only reason I'm rating it this high is that I really wanted to know how it ended and it managed to hold my interest, but the ending itself was really disappointing.

Holmes has written a great tale about a disfunctional family, set across the 70s and 80s; the latter being when siblings Kit and Robyn return to their old neighbourhood to seek answers. The plot ticked all the boxes of your standard dramatic fiction novel, and I enjoyed it a lot!

An interesting mystery that will keep you turning the pages to put the pieces together, A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME is the tale of a family doing just the same thing - putting the pieces together years after a tragedy, trying to solve their own mysteries. An astonishing debut novel with beautiful writing, Holmes will shock you with the depth of her characters and their emotions.

Thank you to Agora Books and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for honest feedback. This was a very drawing read for me, as everything was a mystery. Even the mystery itself was a mystery...meaning that the protagonist, Robyn, and all of the other characters know what happened on the "tragic day" in question...However, there is a lot of mysterious facts surrounding why it happened.. or at least that is what you are trying to figure out the entire time. The story alternates between 1988 (present) and 1976/1977 (Robyn's childhood). Robyn and her brother Kit, have returned to their childhood home, where they haven't been in roughly 10 years, determined to find answers. Between the two time lines, with Robyn's detective work and memories, information slowly begins to eerily reveal more and more information leading to quite the dynamic apex.
The reason I am giving this book only 3 stars instead of 4, is that I found myself growing tired of being SO in the dark about so many things. At first I was so intrigued that I knew nothing, I had my detective hat on, I was ready to figure it all out...until I realized I was just confused and getting bored. I think if I would have had a little bit more information or hints of what actually happened that was so bad in Robyn's childhood I would have been all in. Maybe the "2 mysteries" were just a little too much for me, personally?

That being said, I think the writing was impeccable. In fact, I'm changing my official rating to 3.5 stars because the writing was so great. The characters were real and relatable and the emotions ran deep. When the characters were meant to be feeling certain things, I was feeling it with them...including scared and creeped out. I think fans of mysteries will enjoy this book and really look forward to reading more from Marianne Holmes in the future!

A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME is available now for pre order on amazon and will be released on September 13, 2018

I was looking forward to reading this book and certainly the beautiful lyrical prose, descriptions and characterisation were excellent.

1976 - Robyn hangs out at the lido and follows her big brother everywhere. But as the heatwave goes on, it's clear everyone is keeping secrets from her - who is the strange man following her, why is her mum always looking after crying woman and what does Kit know about the life they fled.

1988 - Robyn and Kit return to their home town and no one has moved on. It's time for Robyn to understand the events of that sweltering summer.

I really wanted to enjoy this book and it had an excellent premise, unfortunately I found it a little confusing and slow. I appreciate there was a need to build up tension and drama but the jumps from present to past lost me a little and I wasn't always sure what was happening.

The reveal at the end was good and unexpected, but it was dragged out a little too long - making it clear a big twist was coming.

I did enjoy this author's writing and would read other novels by her but this one didn't quite do it for me.

Thanks to netgalley and agora books for this e-ARC.

I was slightly conflicted with this book. I like the premise of it but wasn't overly hooked by the execution. Robyn is aware there is something bad about her father but her mother never talks about it. The book jumps between several points in time and gets a little confusing because of this. The writing is beautifully done and is ripe for analysis but the plot just doesn't grip you.

This book was very hard to read..At times it was confusing and all over the place. It also just kept dragging and never getting to the point of the story and going in circles..It took me almost a week to read and I usually read a book in a day or two. The ending was the best part of this book.

2.5
The characters and the setting were very good! The author can write and the switching of timelines was handled deftly. The set up had me wanting answers but you need quite a bit of patience for this one. At almost the halfway mark I considered throwing in the towel when I barely knew more than I did after the first chapter or two. Since I requested it I persevered.

The story does start to eventually give some twists and reveals. There were a few things that I didn’t anticipate and the author was clever to tie it all together as such. The ending was satisfying. I liked the premise, characters, twists and conclusion it just needed some action more quickly or should have been trimmed down... to keep interest.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and Agora Books for a copy in exchange for a honest review.

To be completely honest, I only read about 20% of this book. So I can only "review" what I actually read. Though the book flows well, I found the part I read to move along quite slowly. I know that's supposed to add to the build-up of the mystery but I found it to be very frustrating. I found myself not really caring about Robyn or Kit...i may, in the future, try to read this again..but for now I'm giving up.

I didn't want to put this book down,pretty much finished it in one sitting.
There were times where I was frustrated as to how vague it was on what exactly happened... but as the book went further into the story,it made perfect sense.
Both timelines had me gripped,and there was enough tension and menace to have me on edge of seat.
Everything was rolled out nicely,with reveals perfectly paced.
All good.

Read the entirety of this book this morning – a beautifully written literary mystery with a gorgeously immersive sense of place and time – anyone who ran wild through the Summers of the 70’s and 80’s will relate strongly to this story, although hopefully none of them had a Summer exactly like these…

This is also a multi layered family drama, we watch through the eyes of young main protagonist Robyn as she tries to understand and interpret adult behaviour, her own secretive nature and sense of self playing a divisive part as events unfold.

One of the huge strengths of this novel comes in the relationship between Robyn and her Brother Kit – older than her, with stronger memories of where they came from, their yin and yang is beautifully told and absolutely riveting. As is the mystery playing out on the page in front of the readers eyes…I won’t spoil it at all, this is a journey of a novel and as such best read cold.

I loved it. Clever, a little haunting, often unexpected, author Marianne Holmes is a talent to watch – her use of language brings the lives of her characters and the paths they wander to vivid, wonderful life.

Highly recommended.

I found this book very difficult to get into. The characters went easy to like and I felt like it really moved slowly in some parts. #netgalley

*I would like to thank the author/publisher/Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review*

Thank you for this early copy!

I would recommend this to anyone who loves a well-written thriller. I will be checking out more from this author in the future!