This was a great debut novel, had me gripped throughout and really would recommend it to anyone that likes a suspense filled book, I really hope the author writes a lot more, the characters were really intriguing and just brilliant.

This novel is told across two timelines - one in the baking hot summer of 1976, when Robyn and her brother Kit spend their days at the park and the Lido, relatively carefree until the arrival of the mysterious stranger whose appearance so agitates their mother, and one in 1988, when Robyn and Kit return to the village they had fled, determined to find out the truth about what happened. The problem is, the reader is none the wiser as to what they are even trying to find out about. In many ways this works well because it adds to the suspense of the novel, but it was also sometimes frustrating and made it harder to engage with the characters as you had no idea what their motivations were or what they were even trying to find out.

For me, the parts on Robyn’s childhood were much stronger - really well written and atmospheric, with a sense of unease that built steadily throughout. The 1988 parts felt a bit more rushed, and the dialogue could be a little bit clunky here and there. I think that was probably because there was so much that the author had to hold back from the reader.

Despite this minor criticism, it’s a real page turner and the pacing was good.

This book is about a past that nobody wants to unravel including the town residents. It's a slow, suspenseful read. There's touching affection and intimacy between Robyn and her brother Christopher (aka Kit) after the trauma of their half-forgotten childhood. I love the way Kit, and some other characters refer to Robyn as "Litlle Bird," What the book portrays so well is the anguish youngsters feel trying to evaluate the words and actions of adults. I recall from my childhood overhearing fragmented conversations or seeing things I didn't understand. Children are super-sensitive to atmospheres. Throughout the book, there are mysterious one-liners and actions to interpret. What went on all those years ago when Kit and Robyn were young? Twelve years later Robyn is determined to discover the truth. Kit is less motivated, and Robyn is convinced he knows more than he says. The build-up of suspense is high and taken to a new level; the imagery is superb with its fascinating attention to detail. The trustworthiness of the town's characters is dubious, but Robyn is a feisty girl and determined to solve matters. Who is the man in the cowboy hat? What does he want? Thank you to NetGalley and Agora Books.

I received an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is in badly written, it’s just not all that thrilling or psychological. Definitely more of a period piece women’s fiction book. You might like it – but that’s not for me

3.5🌟

‘Besides, if you were one half evil, wouldn’t you want to know about the other half?

In the scorching summer of 1976, Robyn spends her days swimming at the Lido and tagging after her brother. It’s the perfect holiday – except for the crying women her mum keeps bringing home.
As the heatwave boils on, tensions in the town begin to simmer. Everyone is gossiping about her mum, a strange man is following her around, and worst of all, no one will tell Robyn the truth. But this town isn’t good at keeping secrets…
Twelve years later, Robyn returns home, to a house that has stood empty for years and a town that hasn’t moved on, forced to confront the mystery that haunted her that summer.
And atone for the part she played in it.’

This was a book of two halves for me. The first half felt frustratingly slow at times, I’m glad I persevered though as I enjoyed the second half more and was satisfied with the ending. I would read more from Marianne Holmes as she has a pleasant lyrical style of writing. She portrays the frustration a child feels when they aren’t told what’s going on in their life – that not knowing the truth can cause dangerous speculation and placing blame where it doesn’t belong. It is a good debut.

Thanks to Agora books and NetGalley for this ecopy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, Marianne Holmes and Agora books for the chance to read an ARC of this novel.

From the description - Besides, if you were one half evil, wouldn’t you want to know about the other half?

Review - It’s the summer of 1976. A heat wave means perfect weather for swimming at the Lido for 9 year old Robyn (Little Bird) and her brother Christopher (Kit). The only things spoiling their perfect summer is their Mum bringing home women in tears and the town gossip about it, the bullies that mercilessly tease her, the mysterious appearance of The Man in the Cowboy Hat. Then something happens that summer. Something that changes the course of Robyn and Kit’s lives forever. Something Robyn feels she must atone for before it’s too late…..

The story switched between 1976 and 1988, when Robyn and Kit return to the village to solve the mysteries surrounding what happened and so Robyn can right her perceived wrongs. In ‘76 she is a child on the cusp of adolescence, trying to figure out adult secrets and behaviours while also learning who she is. Her sense of frustration and mistakes she makes as a result of childish naivete often left me wanting to shout at Robyn "don't tell him that" or clue her in but it was great for the story and you felt your heart break with hers as the adult Robyn is filled with deep regret for what those mistakes now mean.

The bond between Kit and Robyn and the intricacies of sibling relationships, are pivotal to this story and are well written. The author weaves the layers of the story elegantly and reveals its secrets in piecemeal; teasing you with the promise of a revelation then ending prematurely so you're left trying to decipher it's meaning.

I was so excited to be approved for this book. The premise was intriguing and I loved the fact that it was the chance to read a debut novel. There’s a thrill of the unknown, the possibility of finding a hidden gem of a story and a new voice who you just know you’ll follow the rest of their career. Just reading the introduction to the author started the book with a smile and the sense I was about to read something special. The letter from the publisher solidified those feelings and I wasn’t disappointed in hoping I’d find all those things. I will definitely be reading any future novels by this author. A wonderful book.

Thanks to NetGalley for sharing this book.

I loved the book. Will recommend this to anyone.

I was unable to put down this book. I loved all the characters (except 2).

After reading I was bit confused on the ending. At times I feel it's incomplete. But in fact, it was a beautiful way to end the book.

Sometimes, its better not to know what had happened in the past and its better to let go. I would have preferred not to know what happened. Its so terrible. But Robyn was so brave to face it and find a solution.

I enjoyed reading this book. I might modify the feedback later once my mind is settled with all the thoughts about Jemima, Robyn and Ray.

A very confused and muddled tale which was, despite all, well written with good descriptions. The book covers the summer of 1976 when the actual story happened and the main characters (Kit and Robyn) were children and also jumped forward to 1988 when they were young adults. The plot was good but executed rather poorly and I found the main character Robyn rather exasperating and weak, she always seemed to be wanting 'to tell the truth' as an adult, but didn't, and as a child kept wanting to know the truth, probably no one told her as she was a bit of a loose cannon.

I'm afraid I didn't really take to it as a book as it was slow to start, gathered pace to be all rather unbelievable ending. There are a lot of irrelevancies that crop up and never fully explained and a number of loose ends.

I find I'm only giving it three stars and that really is more for the descriptive writing than the actual book.

Robyn and her brother, Kit return to their old home after twelve years away. It has stood empty for all those years after a long hot summer, when there was a tension not only in the house but within the town. Who knows what happened that summer, who is not telling the truth and can Robyn lay rest to everything that has haunted her since the day they left.

This was a very good read. It was intriguing as the author told the story of Robyn and her brother and the circumstances of their lives and the town that didn't seem to be able to move on from past events. Robyn and her brother Kit always seemed to be running from danger and finding the secrets of their past and what a past that turned out to be. I liked how it moved from 1976 to 1988. It was only at the end after many twists and turns that the truth was revealed. I was captivated by the story Marianne Holmes presented us with. An excellent debut novel and a captivating read. I look forward to reading more from this author.

A very enjoyable story told through the eyes of a little girl, and as an adult 12 years later. The author’s characterisation and descriptive language is superb and I loved the little ladybird appearances through the book. The present tense narrative took a little getting used to, but just meant I got swept up in the story almost as if I was a spectator at their kitchen table. I didn’t see the twist at the end happening, which is always good. I devoured the book in a couple of days and would recommend.

The plot and characters in this psychological thriller were intriguing and I found it a quick and page-turning read. At the start of the novel Christopher (Kit) and his younger sister Robyn arrive by train to somewhere that featured significantly in their past although it is some time before we know exactly why they are there. It is apparent that Robyn wants to find someone who has disappeared and clues as to who this might be pop up and then are burst like bubbles. The narrative flits back and forwards between 1976 and 1988. I am not sure why the author chose these two years as it could just as easily have been 2006 and 2018. In 1976 the siblings' mother, Jemima, offers shelter and assistance to women who are victims of domestic abuse and this causes resentment amongst some of the townspeople. This is developed as a key to the 1988 narrative with threats and violence never being far from the surface. All the characters seem to be either bullies, victims or both and this is perhaps one of the main themes of the book. As I wrote above I found this an easy and enjoyable read but there were aspects of the plot I felt were neither fully explained or developed. This is Marianne Homes' first novel and I would look out for further titles from her.

I wasn’t sure what to make of this book at the beginning but by the end I was hooked. I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. I had a feeling what the relationship would be for Jemima but the book just drew you in. You really feel for Robyn and Kit and the impossible situation everyone is in where they’re all trying to protect each other but not really protecting anyone. An excellent read

I found this book description intriguing but found it a bit slow & felt it could have been better. I did enjoy it though

Intriguing and a very enjoyable mystery read, keeps you guessing until the end. I recommended this debut novel, a very interesting & well written book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The discription seemed very interesting, though after starting it, it was too slow and dint keep my interest; didn’t finish.

I thought this was a great holiday read! Intriguing enough to keep me wanting to read more, but not too heavy going.
I will look out for further books from this author

I neither loved or hated this book therefore award three stars. The story didn’t really grab me and I found the denouement a little contrived and unbelievable. I won’t be posting a review on social media as I feel it would be unfair to the author and to the many people who may not share my view.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you were one half evil, would you want to know about the other half?

A beautifully laid out mystery taking place during the summers of 1976 and 1988 with varied pace and vivid imagery, it was only the knowledge that the baby would be awake soon that had me putting this novel down; I could have easily devoured it in one sitting.

A Little Bird Told Me centres around siblings Robyn and Kit, their encounter with a sinister stranger in 1976 and their prodigal return to put things right in 1988. That there was much intrigue was clear from the first chapter, and so I was hooked from the word go. Holmes’ ability to conjure up the heat and hues of the mid-70s using succinct descriptions made it easy to picture the scenes playing out before me, and she does not rely on continual cliffhangers to keep the reader engaged.

The relationship between Robyn and her older brother is strong, realistic and serves to explain why so many secrets were kept from her - he had always known the truth would be more harmful to her than the lie, and so we are taken along on the, often frustrating, journey of a 9-year-old slowly realising the truth of her beginnings.

Whilst I found this an enjoyable read with a twist I did not see coming - a rarity for someone as used to the well-worn tropes of mystery/thrillers - I did at times get frustrated with the pacing and how far into the novel we had to delve for any hint of the truth. I could have used a few more breadcrumbs along the way. I also feel the sense of Robyn as a town pariah upon her return in 1988 was never fully explained - as a child, she could not have been held responsible for anything that took place in the summer of 1976, surely?

As a page turner, this delivered beautifully and I would highly recommend for anyone who is more patient when it comes to finding out twists than I am!

For a debut novel Marianne Holmes had set herself a very high standard to keep hitting but I feel (I know from one book) that she has a talent that will keep her publishers busy and rewarded for a long time. Plus her readers/fans on tender hooks for years to come
This is a story about Robyn (little bird) and her brother Christopher (Kit) who return to their childhood home in 1988 to find the truth of the awful events that took place in the Heatwave of 1976. The chairs alternate between the two years and the suspense build with each chapter and you will not want to put this book down. Kit wants to protect his younger sister who just wants the truth and the home town folk don't seem over I to see them again apart from Eva their Mums best friend but s she is pregnant surprised to see her even if well I let you read about that rather than spoil the story but this is not a big part but there is so much here that it needs to be read in order like all good novels. The bad guys are nasty the hero and her brother are characters you want to succeed and will love and grow to understand more and more. The years may change people but the truth remains all the same.
I'm grateful to Agora Books and NetGalley for this copy and hope you get this amazing book and enjoy it as much as I have our more even. Don't let the price fool you this is a top read and I'm sure you will have to pay a lot more for her next books.