An enjoyable thriller; I look forward to reading more by this author.

I sort of liked this book, but it took waaay longer to finish this story because it seemed to go on forever. This book dragged from the 45% mark and on, and I couldn't rationalize Jen's actions for trespassing on her neighbor's property. She was a thirty-four year-old single parent to a seven year-old boy and her justification for dilly-dallying around in her neighbor's home while he was away seemed absurd-ish. Add to the fact that the entire story was built around that one event and I didn't completely buy what this story was selling.

I liked the idea of this story, but the pacing was not desirable and my interest waned greatly by the middle of this book. The reasons behind "each little lie" was underwhelming, but the epilogue was a nice wrap-up.

I enjoyed this book. I was keen to get to know the characters and thought the plot was intriguing. It kept you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

One momentary lapse of intelligent decision leads to uncovering of deception and lies...
This 69 chapter book starts with Jennifer Cornish, a single mother, doing an utterly stupid thing. She picks up her neighbour, Alex Wilson's keys, as he rushes out in a hurry, and instead of giving it to the police, decides to write a note for him and stick it, onto the door. Unfortunately, with no pen in hand and in a hurry to do a good deed, she uses the keys and trespasses into his home to find paper and pen...
This starts the ball rolling with false charges of home vandalism and arrest, her stay in prison, then release on bail. Instead of cowering, she decides to fight back and investigate into these charges. There are many characters she comes across, each one worse than the other, pervert neighbour Russell Pearce ( too slimy ), her boss Nick ( too moody ), neighbour Alex Wilson ( too cunning ), her soon to be ex- husband Freddie ( too weak, no back bone, no guts ), her father-in-law ( too dominating, too aggressive, doesn't value anyone), and other vague, thinly etched characters like Sam, Dean.
She discovers conspiracy and deceit. Someone seems to be out to get her, to totally destroy her. She seems naive in some instances like justifying entering into neighbour's home, and clever in some, discovering the actual conspiracy. She is supposed to be a tour guide, scaling mountains, before marriage but yet, has so many doubts about herself. She even wonders if she has had episodes of blackouts and destroyed her neighbour's figurines in such an episode. But she is strong, in not wanting to take things lying down, she believes in getting to the bottom of the charges. I especially liked the fact that she does not give in to blackmail inspite of the threat of arrest. Only her love for her son, Charlie is constant and palpable in the entire book, rest of the characters come and go.
Tom Bale has put a lot of effort in this book to make it intriguing and filled with suspense. There is deceit, industrial espionage, kidnapping, manipulation, false charges, with hit men and con men abounding. Each character behaves suspiciously and has ulterior motives.
The book starts well, builds up slowly, picks up in the middle then becomes a bit outlandish at the end but I stuck on with it till the last page... I dont think the entire book has any good male character except Jen's father and her son, Charlie. The book is long but the chapters turn fast.

What stands out as soon as you start reading the first page is the writing style and how easily Each Little Lie is able to grab your full attention. And not only that, but Tom Bale is a master of plot twists and is able to leave you absolutely clueless about the what and why of the things that are happening to the main character Jen. And that is a feeling I absolutely love when it comes to my psychological thrillers! I do have to say that after All Fall Down I was expecting this story to be a whole lot more intense, dark and twisted... Don't get me wrong, Each Little Lie is without doubt a great thriller, but the pace is a bit slower and overall the story just didn't make the same impact on me. Especially the first half of the story, while intriguing and very well executed, felt a bit slow and left me waiting for a little more action. The second half mostly made up for that feeling and the final stretch of Each Little Lie was without doubt intense. There is also no doubt that the whole intrigue around what is happening behind the scenes is real and the plot twists and revelations are very well executed. I had a few theories about who was behind it all, but I didn't guess the full truth about what was going on until the very end. As for the characters: they might not be exactly likeable, but their development is very realistic and it was especially interesting to see how Jen reacted AND acted to the things happening to her. All in all still a very good psychological thriller even though it wasn't as intense or twisted as I was expecting.

What would you do if you were charged with a crime you didn't commit? Jen decides to find out who is framing her for the crime.
A page turner with lots of surprises. I enjoyed the book although a bit confusing at first, it certainly keeps you reading to find out what's next.

Well, this book had me spinning around and about! Talk about convoluted. I had loads of theories but never quite hit the mark completely. Once I had got over my issues regarding Jen's earlier behaviour being not quite there for me, I started to really get into the story. Gotta love a main character who no one believes!
Jen is a single mother going through a bit of a messy break up. She works at a local leisure centre and one day, on her way to work, she notices that a neighbour has dropped his keys. She then makes what I believe is a stupid decision. Not having the wherewithal to write a note and on the verge of being late to work if she goes back home, she lets herself into his house to leave a note there. Whilst there, she has a nose around before writing the note and taping it to the door. Then later on, the police come to her door and arrest her for breaking in and causing criminal damage. Fearing that word would get back to her husband, and thus impinge her custody battle, Jen goes all in to prove her innocence and try and find out who is framing her, and why? Desperate to do this before her ex and his powerful father get wind of her arrest, she faces a race against time to work it all out herself. But who to trust? Who is with her and, more importantly, who is against?
Sadly I never quite connected totally with Jen and I think that did mar my overall enjoyment of the book a tad. That said, the rest of the plotting was deliciously tight and convoluted right up until the end. I really needed to get to the bottom of things, mostly for me rather than Jen but when we got there, it was all explained satisfactorily albeit not quite convincingly for me. I can understand most of Jen's fears and worries especially regarding her fear of losing her child to her ex, and who am I to judge her motivations and decisions, never having been in her situation so I did give her the benefit of the doubt on more than one occasion. I also did a fair bit of shouting at her along the way as she put herself into some crazy situations.
There was rather a large supporting cast in this book and with every one that was introduced, I was caught wondering whether they were involved or just innocent bystanders. I do have to admit to getting a bit confused with some of them at times, probably a me thing as I do struggle with this stuff sometimes but occasionally I did feel a little overwhelmed.
Pacing was on the whole good but there were times when I lost my way a bit with all the convolution that was going on. I do admit to having to occasionally go back and re-read the bits that I didn't quite get first time so for me it didn't flow quite as well as it should have done.
All that said though, the race to the end was rather gripping and when all was explained, it was rather shocking the extent that certain people had gone to to frame Jen. That also made the book a little scary for me being as how easy it appeared to be even with some of the things that didn't quite work first time and is what probably tipped this from a three star book to a four star one for me. Peeling all the layers of secrets, lies and deceit away was actually quite interesting.
All in all, despite my reservations, taken as a whole, the book was a reasonably good solid read. Definitely nothing there to stop me reading the author again in the future.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

You have heard the phrase " no good deed goes unpunished"? Well, Jen finds that out the hard way. What begins as a simple good deed turns her & her son Charlie's lives upside down. This book kept me captivated from beginning to end. It is full of twists and turns and it will have you rooting for Jen and actively disliking some other pivotal characters. This book is a must read for everyone who loves books that reel you in and make you not want to put them down until you have turned the final page.

I have to start by saying I loved this book even though it's my first read of this author. It had me hooked from the very beginning and had many twists and turns in it that sometimes I wondered how it was all going to pan out. I loved the main character who you could really relate to and found myself egging her on to find out the next part of the puzzle. If you love a book with mystery, intrigue and a fast moving plot then this book is for you. I would totally recommend it.

A gripping story placing good against evil all the way through. Jen as the main character is the most endearing person but at times also seems to do stupid things which led to her being arrested but does not stop there. All the way through the reader is asking who is telling the truth and what parts of the story are giving the information to solve what is going on. Tom Bale is an excellent author and knows how to keep the reader on their toes all the way through. Highly recommend any book by this author as he writes excellent gripping stories that twist and turn all over the place. The characters are easily identifiable with people that you hear about regularly - self centred. individuals who care for nothing but themselves and the desire to win at any cost.

No good deed goes unpunished!

This one captured my interest from the outset, promising to be a great read, with themes of lies, conspiracy, manipulation and the misuse of power.

Usually, I wouldn't think twice about performing a good deed, the only negative experience perhaps being a lack of gratitude from the recipient, but never to have it blow up in your face with such ghastly repercussions! I'll have to rethink my good samaritan behaviour in future.

Although... I don't know of anyone who would have had the bright idea to trespass in order to execute their good deed. I found this and a few other unlikely incidents in the story hard to believe.

Unfortunately, as the story moved along, I found myself skimming through some parts, particularly when Jen was following up on some leads and meeting up with characters that I felt could have been done away with, without affecting the plot. It therefore failed to keep my attention, losing its tension towards the middle of the story.

The pace did pick up again, with the ending having me on the edge of my seat as to the outcome. The conclusion bringing to our attention that those with power play by a very different set of rules and consequences.

Although it was well put together with a good story line, I didn't love it or hate it, resulting in my rating of 3*

Much appreciation to Netgalley, Bookouture and Tom Bale for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I've been trying to read through my ARCs and came upon this thriller. I found the cover to be intriguing. Had I ever read Tom Bale ...well....NO.

The story starts out with the protagonist, Jen Cornish, spotting a man she recognizes. As he gets into the passanger side of a vehicle that speeds away, he drop his keys. She picks them up, and to no avail, tries to get their attention. Jen is late for work at Skyway (sports center), and while she should just take the keys to the police station, she instead drops them off inside his house, leaving him a note.

We soon find out that Jen is recently separated from her husband, Freddie. She lives is a flat, sleeps on her sofa ( 7 year old son Charlie has the bed) and avoids close relationships with other males.

To make a long review, much..much..much shorter, Charlie seems to be the brightest character of the whole bunch. There are characters I immediately don't like. Then, there are characters I think are neebish and end up rooting for in the end.

There are a many things about this book that make me want to recommend it. Yes, Jen is too trusting at times, and just plain foolish for not thinking things through. But, what I liked about her character was that she had no forced relationships. She was able to say no - or at least avoid advances - while coping with turmoil.

Of note: If you feel you are being watched, remember to go with your gut instinct. None of the - my imagination must be working overtime - crap.

All in all, I enjoyed the format. I felt the back ground slid well into the story. I liked the intricate system of espionage and details of the fat cats lifestyle. Yes, it is 69 chapters but they read quick as there are many twists and turns that keep readers on their toes.

Is there anything I didn't like? Yes, readers already had the sneak-peek with the cover. In reading the description, I felt they gave away more than necessary.

Bottom Iine: The writing is SUPERB. Just read it...READ IT.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publisher. Another great book from Tom Bale, I have been recommending his books to colleagues, he is well worth looking out for. Another great read

Jen Cornish sees her neighbour has dropped their keys but by the time she has picked them up he has disappeared in a car. After knocking on a few of her other neighbours doors and getting no response she decides to leave a note on his door telling him where he can get the keys. But Jen has no pen and foolishly decides to enter the house to find one. A mistake she will quickly regret.

Jen is separated from her husband, Freddie and they have a son called Charlie. While Jen struggles to make ends meet, Freddie's father is a wealthy man.

No way would I use a strangers keys and enter their property without permission, but then again I suppose we are not all the same. This is not the usual direction Tom Bale's books take. The pace is not fast but it is steady. The ending was a little disappointing and there are a lot of characters to try and remember.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Bookouture and the author Tom Bale for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WIsh I could give more than just five stars for this one! This book was a roller coaster ride right from the start. Fantastic gippy kind of read that made it hard to stop turning the pages.

This psychological thriller is rather different from Tom Bale's other books that I have read, the story is much less fast paced for starters. The central character is Jen Cornish, a woman who has left her husband, and is struggling to cope as a single mother taking care of her young son, Charlie. One day she spies a neighbour that she does not know, drop his keys. Jen picks them up but fails to attract his attention. She makes the momentous decision to use the keys to enter his house in search of pen and paper to leave him a note, whilst noting the artwork in the place. Jen is to live to regret her kind and thoughtful gesture, although I really can't see many other people entering the house of a stranger. The police come to arrest Jen for burglary and criminal damage as Jen's life begins to unravel.

This is a story of conspiracy, lies, distortions of the truth and deception. Jen begins to see she is being set up as she goes in search of the truth. She is worried and concerned about the implications of her arrest on her ex-husband and his dreadful father. In the meantime, she is being closely observed and both Jen and Charlie are in danger. This is novel is full of intrigue, suspense, and twists. It is a well plotted story that I did find entertaining to read, but it failed to keep me as gripped as his previous books. I sure that many will love this, it just didn't work so well for me. Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Jen’s thirty-four, divorced, and lives with her son, Charlie, aged seven, in rented accommodation in Brighton. Jen is a nice, normal person, who works as a trainer in a gym and is trying hard to make ends meet and bring up her son, until one morning, she finds a key, tries to return it to its owner, and her whole world is turned upside down.
Who can she trust? Who is lying and why are they lying? How can she sort out the mess and prove that she’s innocent when all the odds are stacked against her? Looking for answers to those questions had me turning pages impatiently.
The tension and suspense are gradually built up as Jen’s situation worsens, spiralling out of all proportion as she’s thrown into a nightmare, which shockingly, could happen to any of us.
Jen is an amazing character. She starts off as an average, even boring person, but as she rises to overcome the challenges she faces, we are introduced to another Jen, a determined, intelligent and resourceful woman, who takes charge of her dismal situation and fights for her life and the lives of the people she loves.
It’s a disquieting novel, mainly because of the strong contrast between the good, foolish and evil characters portrayed. The uncomfortable, underlying idea which remains after reading the novel is how easily and often we are lied to and manipulated by the media, the rich, the powerful and the greedy and unscrupulous.
Especially for lovers of thought-provoking, psychological thrillers, with plenty of twists and turns, and lots of action.

Another excellent psychological thriller from the most underrated author Tom Bale.
Jen Cornish is a single mother struggling to make it on her own and care for her child after leaving her husband. When rushing to get to work she sees a man that she has seen many times before as he leaves his home but today Jen notices that the stranger has dropped his keys. She tries to run after him but fails to get his attention and is left wondering what to do with his keys.
She decides to leave a note to let the man know she has his keys but doesn't have a pen and paper to leave the note so she enters his home with the keys to find pen and paper. After carrying out her good deed she continues with her day only for the police to come and arrest her for entering the home and vandalising his property.
This is a very well paced novel with a good story-line, maybe a little bit hard to believe at times bet never-the-less a very good read.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I had really mixed feelings about this book, hence the middle-of-the-road three stars. It started out really well, with a fast-paced plot that planted lots of seeds of doubt in my mind and left me with a lot of questions. I was a little dubious of the plot to begin with, given that the main protagonist, Jen, finds some lost keys and decides to let herself into the owner's house to leave a note - now in reality, who would really do that? I was able to look past that however as the plot was keeping me guessing and i could sense a good storyline.

After the first quarter, i must admit the plot started to drag and i really had to try hard to persevere with this book, as i wanted to find out what was going on. Further still, and the story got quite complicated - some may find it easy to keep up with what was going on, but I personally felt there were too many characters introduced which made it difficult to follow and recall who was who; several times i had to flick back a few pages to refresh my memory. Not only that, but the plot became a little far-fetched, with espionage, Jen being framed for a crime, and too many details which in reality would not have come together so cleverly as they have done in this book.

As for the ending, I unfortunately found it to be fairly inconclusive. There remained a lot of questions (although the epilogue did address a few of these) and there were a few plot points left unfinished.

This is the first book I've read by Tom Bale, and although this one wasn't for me, I've heard great praise for his other books so would definitely look at reading his others.

I really enjoyed this book by Tom Bale. Corruption and misery, it makes for a good tale!
Possibly Tom's best work yet