The beginning starts out with Rosalie following her brother and friend into the Bogs, then she somehow gets turned around and lost. While she is trying to find her way out she stumbles across a skeleton. Scared she finally finds her way out but no matter how hard they look or how many people look they couldn't fine the bones. Many assume she made the whole thing up or imagined the bones bc she was scared.
Flash forward to twenty years later Rosalie still recovering after the death of her wife receives an unexpected visit from Her brother and Cora. Cora believes the bones Rosalie found are actually her sisters who went missing years ago. So trying to find the bones Rosalie and Cora open a huge can of worms and they do not know how far some people will go to keep things hidden! Great story. It was slow building but definitely hard to put down at the end of it! Definitely recommend!!

This book is slow, even more so in the beginning, but if you stick with it, leads to an exciting and satisfying ending. The story centers on Rosalie, who stumbled upon a skeleton in the curraghs (note, a curragh is a flat open plain in Ireland- I was unfamiliar with the word) behind her house as a 10-year old child, but it couldn't be found again and everyone determined she either made it up or had a wild imagination. Fast forward 20 years later, and Rosalie is living in isolation, mourning the death of her wife, Beth, when her estranged brother, Dallin, shows up with a woman who believes her sister is the body that Rosalie found all of those years ago. Cora has been searching for her sister Simone for 20 years now and has tracked her to that area. Rosalie tries to put her differences with Dallin behind to help Cora in her search of the curraghs.

Though the last quarter of the book makes it worth it, it is a really slow story to start- I kind of understood why Rosalie hid herself away from the world after Beth's death, but I had a little more trouble understanding the depth of the negative dynamic between her and Dallin, or really what made Dallin tick at all. There are a lot of really descriptive passages throughout the book that give the reader a good visual of the environment, but contribute to the overall slowness of the read,

I had a hunch as to who was hiding something, but I didn't know why and the reasons I came up with in my head differed from what I eventually found out. I thought that the mystery was twisty and well thought out, and it greatly improved my liking of the book which I had not been that excited about previously. I thought the loose ends were tied up well and what happened was believable.

All in all, I'd recommend this book who those who like mysteries, and suggest you stay with it if you think it starts out too slow. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Rosalie and her brother are out for a walk she gets lost and discovers a body. When she is found she tells the police she found a body but they don’t find it. 15 years later her brother returns with a lady who says the body Rosalie found was her sisters and they start to investigate what happened.
This was a dark twisty tale and the author built up the scenes well but it just felt a bit flat. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

Slow burner but when it got going I found myself sucked in. Very likable female characters who are human and believable. Definitely an enjoyable thriller for what your craving

The bogs can be fun to walk in. If you know your way in them. If not you can be trapped in the mud, or lost and never be found.
Rosalie is ten years old when she gets separated from her friend Beth and her brother Dillan. She has herself turned around in the blogs and is lost.
Trying to find herself back out of the bogs and to safety she discovers a human skeleton.
Dillan has run help to find his sister. Neighbors from all around are trying to find Rosalie. She finally tumbles out of the bogs and is returned home safely. She tells everyone of her discovery of the skeleton. No matter how many searches they make, or how many dogs they use. The skeleton is never found. Some of the people think that Rosalie either made up the story or was so frightened at being lost that she imagined it.
Twenty years later Cora comes to town. She has heard of the skeleton and thinks it maybe her missing sister, Simone.
Cora doesn't know the can of worms she is opening. Or the extent that someone will go to to keep skeletons hidden away.
Intriguing, titillating! You never know what you may discover!.

I can’t wait for the release date so all my friends can enjoy it as well!

Very well-done book! I now feel like I’ve visited the Isle of Man thanks to the details... I also always appreciate books with twists and turns.

when Rosalie goes to stay at her movers when she is a child she goes out walking and gets lost and finds a skeleton no one belives her years later her brother turns up on the doorstep with a young woman named Cora who belives the skeleton is her sister who went missing how this story unfold is brilliant a must read

This was a good book that had an English mystery sort of feel. The characters were like likable and the way the mystery linked to the past was intriguing. Looking forward to reading more books.

This one took me a bit to get into. There was a lot of descriptive passages at the beginning that made it hard to delve right in and get hooked onto the story. Even the description of Rosalie finding the skeleton didn't stand out too much and I thought it would have held a greater impact. That happens at the very beginning before the main story takes place in the present day, 15 years later.

We find that Rosalie is still grieving the death of her wife Beth, who was the childhood best friend of her brother, Dallin. He moved away and left Rosalie and her mother alone during hard times, so Rosalie is shocked when he just turns up one day with a woman named Cora, who believes the lost body in the marsh could be her sister, Simone, who disappeared 20 years ago. As no one really believed her story, Rosalie is surprised and thankful that someone feels she was telling the truth. She lives in her childhood home, right by the curraghs where the body was found and still thinks about it from time to time.

Rosalie helps Cora as much as she can, giving her all the details she remembers, visiting neighbors who lived in the area back then, and searching through the curraghs. Her relationship with Dallin is strained and even though he accompanied Cora on the journey, he gives Rosalie reason to doubt why Cora is only now searching for a sister that disappeared 20 years ago. And are a series of mishaps that occur just bad luck or does someone want to keep these three off of the case?

It's an enjoyable story that I feel could do with a bit more action and less introspection. There are many loose ends that aren't tied up at the conclusion, which I don't quite understand. Is it to leave way for a sequel or could the author not figure out how to bring closure so she just left it up for interpretation? Had there been greater resolution, I would have been better satisfied and inclined to read more of this author's work.

Great crime novel with lots of twists and turns! Honestly did not predict what would happen next, which is rare since I read so many mysteries. I will say the exposition was a bit too much at times (it could’ve easily been trimmed by about 50 pages) but I’d still recommend this to crime fans.

I have never heard of Rachel Bennett before this book, and I am looking forward to reading more of her thriller books.
This review contains slight spoilers.
This book is about a young girl who seen a dead body/skeleton when she was younger and no one believed her. Fast forward 15 years and she’s reliving these memories as Cora follows a lead on her missing sister.
There were parts of this book I was confused about, back story parts that I thought should have been mentioned earlier in my opinion. Unless it was intentional to make the reader on edge and guessing about was happening, as I was. I wasn’t sure Beth was even dead until a while in where they finally confirm that she had passed away, I was making assumptions based on the little parts of speech beforehand. As well as Beth and Rosalie actually being married, this was something that there were hints of but not fully mentioned until 50/60 pages in. Another thing I think could have been mentioned earlier was what was wrong with her mother, fair enough leave the part out about what happened until later. But I wasn’t even sure if her mum had dementia, cancer, crippled or if she was actually just fine.
Again I am not sure if this was left until later in the book intentionally but just some input.
I did really love this book and all the twists and turns in it made me keep guessing and sitting up to read towards the end.
Well done Rachel.

SO I requested this book because it sounded really intriguing. Unfortunately, for me, it wasn't. ALthough well written, I found the endless descriptions and exposition too much. Not one of my favorites so far this year.

Thank you to OMC and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for review consideration.

The title and blurb for this book sounded right up my alley. A little girl gets lost in the curraghs, only to emerge from the woods saying she found a dead body. Nobody believes her, and all is forgotten, until her estranged brother and strange woman show up on her doorstep. Cora is searching for her long-lost sister, twenty years missing, and refuses to leave the small island town until she searches every inch of the curraghs.

This book is a slow burn full of subtle twists and social commentary. Rosalie, the MC, takes us through grief, depression, isolation, and loss on a journey of recovery. She's lost everyone close to her, taken by death and pointed absence, and for that reason, she's shut herself off from the world. Favoring the solitude of her home to just about anything else, Dallin's arrival sends her routine into upheaval, forcing her to relive painful memories and demand answers to questions. As she slowly finds her voice, and her feet, after so many years in the dark, Rosalie finds the courage to admit transgressions and becomes tangled in the mystery of the missing sister.

Bennett's prose is beautiful and descriptive, and the characters are realistic and likeable. This was a nice change for me, as most of the characters in this genre can be a little black or white. Rosalie, Dallin, and Cora have lied. They've misled and bent the truth to suit their pursuits. But they also grow from their mistakes, engaging in important conversations that help them in more ways than they realize. Even the side characters have distinct arcs, which I really appreciated. There was enough development to keep the suspect list varied and plenty of heartbreaking secrets along the path to truth.

I will say that the reveals feel more grounded than fatalistic, so fans of high-octane thrillers or psychologically-heavy plots might not enjoy the quiet fuse Little Girls Tell Tales embodies. However, anyone looking for complex family drama, well-thought out mystery, and insightful questions about how we form relationships, this is the book for you. A beautiful read with a satisfying conclusion.

A 10-year-old Rosalie finds a skeleton while lost in the curraghs, but no one believes her.
15 years later, Rosalie's estranged brother returns to his family home, now occupied by his sister, with a woman named Cora who believes that the skeleton that Rosalie found all those years ago might be her long-missing sister. Cora vows to search every square inch of the curraghs but after a series of incidents, it quickly becomes clear that someone is trying to scare her off.

It was a very good albeit slow to start read, and I really enjoyed it.
The story is told from Rosalie's perspective. I do like first-person accounts of events so that scored a point for me right at the start.
It was a gripping and intriguing book but unfortunately, it was one of those books I struggle to rate.
The story does pick up, and I was hooked but not enough to warrant 4 stars. I like my books fast-paced and unputdownable and this story, in my opinion, despite being good failed to meet the criteria.
On the other hand, I did feel like a 3-star rating is not enough and wouldn't do the book the justice it deserves, so I'm truly torn about it. Ugh, I'd like to keep it unrated and urge you instead to check it out by yourself, but because I'm obliged to provide a rating, with a heavy heart, I'll settle for 3 with the intention to reach for previous and future books from this author.

A fantastic crime novel. Great story and I could never have guessed the ending. Lots of twists and turns and very well written. Highly recommended xx

2004: Rosalie is walking through the wild wetland behind her mother’s home on the isolated Isle of Man when she stumbles across a body. Having strayed from the path and lost her brother, Dallin, it’s hours before she’s discovered, shaken and exhausted. With a reputation for telling stories, not many believe the little girl’s tale of the body in the marsh.
2019: Dallin, estranged from his family, returns unannounced with a woman named Cora by his side. Cora’s sister went missing fifteen years ago and she believes Rosalie was the one who found her. As dangerous secrets are unearthed, Cora and Rosalie start asking questions about a girl who some would rather keep buried...
The narration of this one is superb. Although some characters are good while others were so so but it's style is so good.
Its a fresh concept and to write such book is difficult. Kudos to the author.
Thanks to NetGalley and One More Chapter for giving me an advance copy.

Young Rosalie is walking home and wanders off the path when she finds a body . When she finally makes her way home, no one believes her tale. Fifteen years later, Rosalie’s brother, Dallin comes home with Cora. Cora believes the body Rosalie found all those years ago was her missing sister. Together the two women seek the answers to a long buried truth.

When Rosalie gets lost in the curraghs as a young girl she discovers a skeleton, after searching the police find nothing but fifteen years later someone turns up asking questions. Was the skeleton real or imagined?

Little Girls Tell Tales gripped me from the beginning.
It perfectly shows how small community living works when strangers show up asking questions. I would have liked some more information / red herrings about the other islanders since I worked out the antagonist quickly. I was also left with a lot of questions that weren’t answered.
A respectable 3/5.