I really enjoyed this book. It is about Lex Wicker who works as a caretaker in the school which her and her sister attended. Lex had a plan to go to art college. The drama began at the homecoming dance. Lex went with her boyfriend Riley and they have been together for over a year and she thought she knew him completely. Lex is persuaded to take a substance by some friends and she becomes violently ill and missed the majority of the evening. In the meantime her sister, Amber, disappears from the dance and is found dead in the woods behind the school. Lex was so out of it that she wondered if she had anything to do with the death although deep down she felt that was not possible. The police were involved and they found Riley to be the murderer even though he said right from the start that he was not guilty. 15 years go by in misery for Lex. Her mother becomes an alcoholic as her sister was her mother’s “favourite” and she could not get over the death. She blamed Lex for not looking after Amber and makes Lex’s life so difficult. She had an ally with her dad but then he passed and things became a lot worse. In the days before Riley’s execution he reaches out to Lex and she decides to go and see him in prison. What she finds out completely surprises her and she decides that if Riley is not guilty then who is. Lex has carried a secret with her about that night and that is eating away at her more so since she met with Riley and she feels he knows. Riley is convinced that Lex will find out the truth but he is so near to his execution date that Lex feels she will never find the answer. Lex works out the puzzle eventually and the plot comes to an end and I enjoyed the process of getting there. The ending – well I did not expect that. A twist even at the end

It's fifteen years since Lexies boyfriend
was convicted for the murder of her sister Amber. Her life has been greatly affected since as so many townsfolk appear to believe she knew more about the event than she ever let on. Lexie has been keeping her own secret about that night for all that time. Now as his execution date approaches new information surfaces raising questions about the validity of his conviction. Lexie is torn but clearly some are keen to prevent further questioning which only drives her on to investigate more about the events of that night.
This book is powerful, hard hitting and memorable. Well written with enough twists to keep you guessing throughout.

The story is told mostly from Lex‘s perspective and this works really well as you get a very good sense of her confused emotions. Lex lives in Amber’s shadow which she cannot escape from and the sibling rivalry is also very well done. Amber may no longer be alive but you certainly feel her presence.

There are several parts to the plot that are compelling and it’s a ride right from the start. The story is told over 2 timelines. The pacing of the story is good which allows for some reflection on what has been learned. There are some tense scenes, a net of suspicion which Lex casts far and wide and the final twist is very good indeed - a real page-turner

A brilliant thriller that kept me guessing.

First publication I've read by this author.
The book jumps between present day and events of fifteen years ago when Lexie's sister Amber was murdered by her boyfriend, but as events unfold the reader is left wondering if things really happened as the court found. The day of the death penalty being carried out is only a matter of a week or so away, so Lexie face a real race against the clock to uncover the truth. Someone is throwing obstacles in her way and clearly doesn't want her to uncover the truth, but who and what have they got to be afraid of ?
An extremely solid four stars and look forward to discovering more of the works of Karin Nordin.

Lexie Wicker works as a part time custodian at her home town high school. She is trapped here by her past..

Her younger sister, Amber, was murdered after the Homecoming dance and Lexie's ex-boyfriend, Riley, is on death row for Amber's murder.

Her father has died and her mother is an alcoholic who lives in the past

With a week to go to the execution, she receives a letter from Riley asking to see her.

He claims he didn't do it and asks Lexie to find the proof to back him up.

Lexie faces a race against the clock to prove all was not right with his conviction.

A great psychological thriller from Karin Nordin!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Harper Collins Publishing for the chance to read and review this book.

Sweet Little Lies is an engaging read and a real page-turner, I couldn't stop thing about it when I wasn't able to carry on reading! A fascinating premise, fifteen years ago, Lex's sister Amber is murdered and Lex's boyfriend is found guilty of the crime the book is set in the days leading up to Riley's execution.

The writing is so well done, the plot hangs together perfectly and the characters are well-developed and complex creating real engagement with the story. The plot is pacey and will keep you turning the pages as the story unfolds, there's a real air of menace throughout the book creating an atmosphere of suspense and confusion, it's very well done. Highly recommend.

A well written thriller that keeps you guessing right up to the end and beyond. Of course when you know there's a fifteen year time difference between 'then' and now, it's definitely going to be a flip-flop novel but at least separated by chapters. What can be worse than having a murdered sister? Most people think justice will soon be delivered with time ticking down to the postponed execution, postponed because the necessary drugs to effect a lethal injection were unavailable for a time. Now the State has secured sufficient quantity of the drugs and it's literally days away until her boyfiend, the murderer of her sister is put to death.
The thing is though, she never really believed he was capable of doing it. Is there enough time to find out who really did it?
There's plenty of suspense and a deal of frustration because the majority of the novel is from the mental outpouring of Lexie (the surviving sister). Frustration because there's an aspect to the night of the murder she masks from the reader. However, there are enough clues to guess.
The very end of the novel leaves a few questions unanswered as the extent of the savagery is not logical. Furthermore, quite a lot of 'due process' is missing. This knocks a mark off a perfect five from me.

I have enjoyed this author’s other books but this one was not on par with them. Slow burner which was confusing at times. Just an ok read for me.. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

This was a really good, but complex, read. The only reason it’s not 5 stars is that I was left with too many unanswered questions at the end. The dual timelines were necessary to build up the tension but there seemed to be quite a lot of unnecessary repetition which was a bit annoying. A great read though, and one to recommend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for granting me the opportunity to read this captivating eARC.

"Sweet Little Lies" is an absolute gem of a book that had me hooked from the very first page to the thrilling conclusion. The story's allure was irresistible, and I found myself returning to it whenever I could, eager to uncover what would happen next. With its superb writing, seamless flow between past and present, and a plot that felt incredibly authentic, this novel ticked all the boxes for me. The characters were well-developed, and I found myself either liking or loathing them, adding to the story's allure.

The pacing of the book was perfect, allowing the tension to steadily build as layers of lies, secrets, deceit, and subterfuge were skillfully unraveled. Karin Nordin's writing created an intense atmosphere filled with suspense, capturing my attention from the outset and keeping me engaged until the very last page. I have no doubt that "Sweet Little Lies" will rank among my top reads this year; it was truly exceptional and left no room for any faults or shortcomings.

In summary, this book is an absolute must-read for thriller enthusiasts. Its brilliant execution, combined with its engaging plot and well-crafted characters, makes it a standout in the genre. I wholeheartedly recommend "Sweet Little Lies" to anyone seeking a gripping and riveting reading experience. Kudos to the author for delivering such a fabulous and thrilling ride.#SweetLittleLies #NetGalley

Fantastic a great book and one I could read again, hopefully it won’t be too long until the next one comes out

The opening paragraph had me intrigued, well and truly hooked.

I devoured every word like I was at my last supper desperate for more!!

Fifteen years ago at a homecoming dance, Lex's sister Amber was brutally murdered and Riley Lex's boyfriend, was found guilty of this heinous crime.

Fifteen years later Riley has been sentenced to death, but Lex is not convinced her former childhood sweetheart is guilty.

I loved the way the suspense builds with the story told over 2 timelines. We slowly find out what happened at the homecoming dance and the countdown to Riley's execution made this a nail bitting read!!!

What can I say about the ending, let's just say WOW!!

A must read addictive book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

my first read from this author and very much enjoyed. Alexandra s sister Amber is found murdered in the woods. and she still does not believe her boyfriend killed her sister. And it is only a matter of week until he goes to the chair. She does not have much of a life her mother is an alcoholic. And resents her. and her old school friend comes back into her life. and then Alexandra starts getting messages a very addictive read.

This literally kept me up all night because I just couldn't put it down! I was expecting a basic story about a teenage murder victim or about the wrong guy being arrested but it's so much more than just that...... the characters are well written and even the ones who are horrible, are still very human with human motives and reasons. The lies and deceit is so well written and so hard to unpick. You have no clue where this book is going or who's actually responsible. Its very complexly written with so many plot threats that all merge seamlessly in the end. The whole town is just brough to life so vividly with this cast of original and unique characters and the flashbacks to the night in question work so well in adding to the current timelines plot. Overall Ana amazing book

I read this book in one go over a couple of hours. Lex gets a message from Riley her ex boyfriend on death row for murdering her sister that he’s innocent and he knows what she did. This isn’t your typical “have they got the wrong guy” story, it’s better, it’s most detailed in the “why” of what happened that night, it confuses you as to who is right and who is wrong or worse, a killer. You’re guessing throughout and even when you think you know, you still don’t up until the last couple of chapters and even then, it doesn’t let you down. I’d read this over.

Tension and suspense, real edge of your seat read.
Karin Nordin has a fabulous way with words.
Extremely enjoyable read, not one to be missed.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Easy five stars!

Then: a homecoming dance, an argument, a missing dress, what has Lexie done?

Now: Lex Wicker is a part-time custodian at a high school, the lowest rung of a schools hierarchy. She is the girl, now a woman, whose boyfriend killed her sister Amber but maybe she’s the one who should have died? Riley King has been sentenced to death for Amber’s killing fifteen years ago, but everyone in the small town of Braxton Falls Ohio, believes Lex knows more than she’s ever said. It’s days until Riley‘s execution, the entire town and Lex’s mum believe firmly in his guilt, but Lex has her doubts, especially about the execution. What exactly happened that night 15 years ago that led to the brutal murder of a 16-year-old girl?

The story is told principally from Lex‘s perspective and this works really well as you get a very good sense of her confused emotions. It’s very good on the dynamics between Lex and her mother in the present day and the impact of Amber’s murder, not just on the family but also on the town. Lex lives in Amber’s shadow which she cannot escape from and the sibling rivalry is also very well done. Amber may no longer be alive but you certainly feel her forceful presence. Of particular intrigue is what Lex has concealed and that is tantalisingly dangled until nearly the end. Her characterisation is very good and throughout the novel I find her an enigmatic puzzle but I admire her determination to use the last few days to see if she can get to the truth. I like the countdown aspect to the storytelling, though not the possibility of execution. This adds another layer to the storytelling, an urgency, a race against time to test the veracity of Riley’s guilt, or otherwise.

There are several strands to the plot which is compelling and it’s twisty right from the start. The pace rises and falls which allows for some reflection on what has been learned. There are some tense scenes, a net of suspicion which Lex casts far and wide deepening the mystery and the final twist is very good indeed - a real jaw dropper.

There are some very atmospheric scenes, especially in Wynwood Forest
where Amber’s body is found. This is a place of local legend and a witchcraft element infuses with the murder and creates another good strand to the storyline. There’s plenty going on to keep you turning pages.

Whilst I do enjoy this very much as I like the way Karin Nordin writes, but there is some repetition which I can do without. I’m not sure of the sudden, brief switch of perspective towards the end which seems a bit unnecessary though overall, it’s an immersive, enjoyable read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this eARC.

Sweet Little Lies is an absolute gem of a read and one I loved from start to finish. It is one of those moreish reads that I returned to whenever I could to continue reading as I wanted to know what would happen next. This book has everything I like - great writing, a story that flowed so well, the plot line moved from past to present so seamlessly and is so believable, and characters I either liked or loathed. The pacing of the book is spot on in my opinion and I felt like I was unwrapping layer after layer of lies, secrets, deceit and subterfuge which, for me, made this such a great and absorbing read. Karin Nordin creates so much tension and suspense through her writing that certainly grabbed my attention and piqued my interest right from the start and held it to the last page. I think this book is going to be one of my best reads this year. It really hit the mark with me and I can't fault it at all. Simply a fab, brilliant read and one I'd recommend if you like thrillers.

5⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#SweetLittleLies #NetGalley
Awesome.
Sisters Lexie and Amber used to share everything, including their dream of getting out of their small town. Born only ten months apart, they once thought they couldn’t be closer. Fifteen years ago, Amber was brutally murdered in the woods, and Lexie’s high-school boyfriend was sentenced to death for her killing. Lexie is still stuck in the town she dreamed she’d leave, and everyone thinks she knew more about the night of the killing than she told. Now the execution is just days away, and the town has breathed a sigh of relief. But old secrets are finally being uncovered, and it’s clear not everyone wants the truth to be told. And time is rapidly running out…
Thanks to NetGalley and HQ for giving me an advance copy.

This is one of my favourite thrillers I have read this year. Fantastic suspenseful thriller which had me hooked really didn’t know who to trust and how it was going to end.

Lexie has lived in her sister Abi’s shadow since she was murdered as a teenager. Lexie has never moved from the area her mother hates her cause she is not her sister and her ex boyfriend is on death row for the murder of her sister. Lexie has never believed he was responsible for her murder but the evidence and a jury found him guilty. With only a few days before he is due to die Lexie try’s to find out what really happened to her sister and try to prove her ex is innocent. But there are people who will go to great lengths to make sure Lexie doesn’t find the evidence. How much danger is Lexie in and is she doing it for the correct reasons.

This was a great twisty thriller which had me on the edge of my seat and with a mouth opening ending I highly recommend this to everyone. Definitely be looking out for more books from this author.