Review: Our Little Lies by Sue Watson

How far would you go to protect your perfect life?

Marianne has a life others dream of. A beautiful townhouse on the best street in the neighbourhood. Three bright children who are her pride and joy.

Sometimes her past still hurts: losing her mother early, growing up in foster care. But her husband, Simon, is always there. A successful surgeon, he’s the envy of every woman they’ve ever met. Flowers, gifts, trips to France: nothing is too good for his family.

Then Simon says another woman’s name. The way he lingers on it, Caroline , gives Marianne a shudder of suspicion, but she knows it’s nothing – she can’t entertain this flash of paranoia.

In the old days, she’d have distracted herself by excelling at work, but Marianne left her glamorous career when she married. She’d speak to a friend, but she’s too busy with her children and besides, Simon doesn’t approve of the few she has left.

It’s almost by accident that Marianne starts to learn more about Caroline. But once started, she can’t stop, because what she finds makes her wonder: is the question she should be asking not ‘should she be jealous’, but… ‘should she be scared?’

Review

What a twisty, addictive psychological thriller! The story introduces readers to Marianne and Simon, a seemingly happily married couple, living the perfect life. Of course, being a thriller, nothing is what it seems. The cracks in this perfect marriage soon start showing, immediately Simon mentions his colleague, Caroline.  It is in the way that he says her name and talks about her that alerts Marianne that something is amiss.

The story is narrated through Marianne’s POV. At first, I found her narrations quite frustrating. She was lost in her head and simply refused to see Simon for who he was. Chapter after chapter, I kept waiting for her to wake up and smell the coffee. I mean, come on, woman! I do understand why she was so committed to holding onto the fallacy about her marriage and Simon but I still couldn’t help but get frustrated. Finally, about 40% in, the story started moving like I wanted it and I found myself completely immersed in Marianne’s life.

This ended up being quite a twisty ride. There were surprises sprinkled throughout the narrative. Each time I thought that I had everything figured out, something new came up. There are uncomfortable moments in the book. I remember one particular incident that had my stomach in knots. An event happened and just as I was basking in the high of all the drama, things took a different turn that made me want to look away but I still, couldn’t.

Our Little Lies is an absorbing, suspenseful psychological read. It is my first book by Sue Watson and definitely won’t be the last one.