Review: Little Lies by Heather Gudenkauf

Title: Little Lies    

Author: Heather Gudenkauf     

Published: March 2014, Harlequin  

Format: E-book, 45 pages   

Source: Personal copy 

In this
riveting prequel to her novel Little Mercies, New York Times bestselling
author Heather Gudenkauf explores how even the smallest lies can have
far-reaching consequences.

When the body of a woman is
discovered in a local park—with her bewildered four-year-old son sitting
beside her—veteran social worker Ellen Moore is called in to assist in
the police investigation. Positioned beneath a statue of Leto, the
goddess of motherhood, the crime is weighted with meaning and, Ellen
discovers, remarkably similar to one from a decade past.

Ellen’s
professional duty is to protect the child, but she’s not equipped to
contend with a killer. As she races to connect the dots, she knows her
time is running out. And the stakes are high: if she fails, another
mother is sure to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My thoughts: This short novella is a prequel to Heather Gudenkauf’s newest full-length novel, Little Mercies, which was just released. It introduces us to the main character in that book, Ellen Moore. I loved how we not only got to see Ellen in action – she’s a social worker – but we also got to know about Ellen as a person – learn about her family life and how she tries to balance the two.

This was my first introduction to Heather Gudenkauf’s writing and I really enjoyed it. I am currently reading Little Mercies and it’s quite intense. I have a feeling Heather Gudenkauf is going to be another go-to author for me. 

Have you read any of her previous books? If so, which would you recommend I read next?