Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

An intriguing thriller about complex family relationships. The story starts with the return of a child abducted seven years earlier - when eight-year old Abigail disappeared after her mother had looked away for a moment when on a crowded tube train. apparently an exhaustive police search had produced nothing so the family feared the worst - but out of the blue Abigail was found. The novel deals with the situation form the points of view of Abigail's mother, aunt and cousin Jess. It is clear that the whole truth had never come out but the situation becomes clearer as the trial of the abductor approaches.

This is another thriller (can you tell I like them?) but I actually found it really quite unique.
Seven years ago, Anne lost her daughter. She went missing at a train station: caught on CCTV climbing the steps out to the street, and then gone without a trace. But now she's back, and Anne is happy - isn't she? Her family is finally back together, her twins have their big sister back, and they're going to find out who did this.
But Anne isn't happy. Everything isn't right. There are secrets holding her back from being happy.
As is often the case, everything is not as simple as it first seems. Abigail (the daughter)'s case seems to be solved; the abductor has been found, Abigail is home. But there are still so many questions to be answered, so many holes to be filled. Everyone seems to be hiding something - sometimes without even knowing.
I really liked the approach of this book. Ok, it's not the first time that the family has been hiding something. But the 'secrets' that come to life are... different to usual.
Actually, I kind of thought it was a bit exaggerated, honestly. As in, the secrets weren't that bad. But I won't say too much in case I spoil it for any potential readers.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was excited to find out more, to discover the truth of what happened. 4 stars.

Little White Lies is a book that will have you guessing the twist but I don’t think your going to get it, I certainly didn’t!
We start this journey with Anne White reviewing the news that her missing daughter, Abigail, has been found after seven long years. Abigail was just eight years old when she went missing on a busy London train station platform. Abigail has come to a police station with another young girl who vanished days earlier, the man who abducted them has not been found yet.
The book follows Anne’s delight of having her daughter back to the realism that she isn’t the same girl that went all those years ago as she has suffered s9me horrendous things. Anne is also hiding something that happened on the day of the disappearance that you don’t get to find out towards the end of the book but I would never have guessed it.
I really enjoyed this book and will look out for more by Philippa East in the future.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I have a daughter called Abigail who is a similar age to the Abigail in this story when she was taken. Was so easy to fall into this book and be there in the situations the family found themselves in.
I thought the twists were great and couldn't work out 18 minutes from the end, what would happen and then the twist with Abigail and Jess.... An absolutely awesome novel that got me hooked from the beginning!

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I enjoyed this story very much and felt like I knew each character personally due to the description of them. I enjoyed the storyline. This is not my usual genre but in this instance I am extremely pleased and grateful for opening up my mind to something totally different. Thanks again.

Little White Lies by Philippa East
This book opens with the return of Abigail, who has been missing for 7 years, it grips from the opening paragraph and it does not let go until you arrive, breathless at the last page.
Abigail’s return to the family is unusual; she has walked into a police station clutching the hand of a six year old girl who had also been abducted. The man who abducted the girls has not been located and there are fears he could try to snatch Abigail back.
The girl who returns to the family home is not however the one who left all those years before; she has been altered by the terrible events to which she has been subjected. For years the family have been dreaming, hoping for her return and yet when it does happen the family is dramatically affected. We know that there is a devastating secret which Anne, Abigail’s mother, has hidden all these years and we read on desperate to discover what it is.
Told from the perspectives of Anne and Jess (Abigail’s cousin) we witness the impact of Abigail’s return on everyone in the family and the way in which a small mistake can influence your whole life. A fascinating book which I will definitely recommend to all my book groups. Many thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

This debut novel by Philippa East is most certainly thought provoking. I’ve had to consider my thoughts carefully before posting a review, being in two minds whether I loved or hated it! The fact I was left unsure about the characters behaviours and the light in which they are portrayed means the author has successfully tapped into my own psyche creating many questions about responsibility, trust, protection, guilt and little white lies!!
I’m in agreement that this is a dark, chilling and unnerving storyline. From the very beginning I felt a deep sense of unease and foreboding despite the fact that after having been abducted outside a tube station seven years ago, Abigail is miraculously returned to her childhood home. It isn’t the joyous homecoming you might expect.
Told from a few perspectives, the author has used her own professional expertise to imagine what happens to a family in these rarest of circumstances. With a background in dealing with childhood trauma, Little White Lies is an extremely well written book which engaged me from the start. There is definitely a slow build up of tension with every turn of the page, making me feel quite unsettled about how events will unfold. Of course, whilst overjoyed with such a dramatic turn of events, Abigail’s family are at a loss as how to behave. Much of this storyline focuses on Anne, Abigail’s mother,and it is as though they are all stuck at the time of Abigail’s disappearance, unable to move forward and acting as if she is still that eight year old girl. How on earth would any of us know how to behave when faced with such circumstances?? Unfortunately I immediately found Anne to be a cold, detached mother, despite also having twin boys to parent,who were only nine months old when their sister was abducted. It’s clear that Anne is hiding some terrible secret but exactly what??
I couldn’t understand why Anne is so beholden to her sister Lillian, a controlling woman who is difficult to like. It’s almost like Anne is a puppet and Lillian holds the strings, expecting everyone to dance to her tune. I appreciate her sister had rescued her and Abigail from a troubled relationship many years ago but why Anne cannot trust her own instincts becomes apparent as the storyline develops.
Jess, Lillian and Fraser’s only daughter is a strange character, again someone I couldn’t particularly warm to. With only two weeks separating her and Abigail in age, they always had an incredibly close connection,which Jess thinks will have survived the past seven years. What no one in this broken family can comprehend or allow for is that Abigail is a damaged soul, exposed to untruths and unimaginable horrors and of course she is going to be undoubtedly altered from time spent imprisoned by her abductor.
Sadly I didn’t feel much empathy towards Abigail, viewing her as a difficult child prior to her abduction and I felt conflicted in my emotions as to how much she seemed to hate Anne. I can understand her distrust but equally there are other individuals here who need to shoulder responsibility too. Neither Anne nor Lillian come out of this scenario well since both are guilty of hiding the truth but the flaws in their characters prove they are ordinary human beings.
The build up to the revealing of Anne’s terrible secret is in my opinion too protracted and when it came my first thoughts were ‘oh is that it??’ leaving me feeling rather underwhelmed and disappointed. In retrospect, whilst I still think she’s only human, a stressed out angry woman who has years to regret that moment’s hesitation that leads to Abigail’s abduction, it’s so easy to pass judgement and criticise her behaviour. Later scenes between Abigail and her mother pack a powerful punch so that you totally understand how much Anne has failed to protect her child and let her down.
The ending is dramatic and strange, with the bond between Jess and Abigail tested to the extreme. I can see why the author has included these scenes as a way for Abigail to move on in her life towards a more hopeful future but wonder whether it had to happen in such a frightening way.
Highly recommend and hope this author’s writing career goes from strength to strength after such an impressive debut.
My thanks as always to the author and publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read in exchange for an honest review.

Definitely an intriguing book that keeps you guessing throughout. Phillipa East the author uses her psychologist talents very well and has produced a book that showcases that. I don’t like to give spoilers of books so won’t outline the story but suffice to say it’s a book worth reading especially if you like psychological thrillers.

My thanks to HQ for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Little White Lies’ by Philippa East in exchange for an honest review.

Seven years ago Anne White was in London with her nine-month old twins and eight-year old daughter, Abigail. She had only looked away for a second, but that’s all it took to lose sight of her daughter. The family engaged with the police in a wide search for Abigail to no avail. Her bedroom back home in Lincolnshire slowly became a cross between a shrine and an incident room, its walls covered with newspaper cuttings about Abigail and similar abductions.

Now amazingly Abigail has been found. Anne struggles to connect with Abigail, who is acting rather oddly. PTSD? Stockholm Syndrome? No more details as with thrillers of this type I believe it best to read without too many plot details to allow the suspense to build.

The narrative moves between various characters’ points of view. Who is telling the little white lies of the title?

I felt that it was an impressive debut with plenty of suspense along with twists that snuck up on me. It also explores various family dynamics. I found myself very caught up in Jess’ experiences being Abigail’s slightly younger cousin, who acutely felt her loss and struggles to understand the changes in someone she considers almost a sister.

Once I began reading, this proved to be almost impossible to put down.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Fifteen year old Abigail is returned to her parents after being held captive for seven years. She had been abducted when she was just eight years old. The fa ily try to bond again. But the secrets behind what happened that day and then there's the guilt of the family members that were involved. Also there is a teenager trying to make sense of what happened that day. At the trial the missing pieces are put together.

This is a hard ook to read but once you start reading, youmwill ot want to put it down. The story is full of secrets, lies and twisted relationships. The story has a dual narrative that told by Abigail's mum and her cousin, Jess. We don't find out what really happened until the abductor is brought to trial near the end of the book. This is one of the best missing people stories that I have read.

I would like to thank NetGalley, HQ and the author Philippa East for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book intrigued me. A kidnapped girl returning home to her family after seven years. The lies, the secrets, and the guilt all coming to fruition from when she returns through to the trial of her kidnapper.

It wasn't as gripping as I had hoped, I wouldn't class this as a thriller but more of a family drama. That said, I still enjoyed the book and flew through it quickly.

The alternating narratives between Abigail's mother, Anne, and her cousin, Jess, built the background of both the family and of Abigail herself. The family dynamics were obviously a little faulty, but I think that made it all the more interesting, trying to work out what was wrong. There were definitely some little white lies within the family.

The variety of characters was relatable too; the controlling person, the weaker one, the person who shoulders the guilt, the innocent ones. I can't say I liked them all, but as a reader I don't think you are meant to.

As a debut novel I was impressed. It was well written, flowed easily and I found I was drawn back to it when life got in the way. I will definitely look out for more of this authors work.

I absolutely loved this debut novel from start to finish and would give it 6 stars if I could! Utterly gripping, well written, hard hitting and emotional, the story kept moving and twisting right to the end. The characters and relationships were beautifully crafted and utterly believable, the end was unexpected to me but flowed well. Would highly recommend and will look for more from this talented author.

Little White Lies is the debut novel by Philippa East and I give this 3.5 stars.
Anne’s daughter Abigail, went missing from outside a London tube station when she was 8 years old and 7 years later she walks into a police station so Anne and her family try to make things as they were before Abigail was abducted but things will never be the same.
I got frustrated with this book in places as the author over described things in places and left things unsaid, this is just my opinion, so I struggled to get through a lot of it but I stuck with it and then found the end confusing. I suggest you try this book for yourself and I know I will be looking for what the author comes up with next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book through Netgalley.

As a young teen I remember watching a TV mini series about Steven Staynor who was taken at a young age and returned home as a teen.  His struggle to fit back into normal life and his parents' struggle with guilt was just heartbreaking and it's a story that has stayed with me for about 25 years.   

I think that's a major reason I was drawn to this novel at first glance.

After being missing for seven years, Abbie returns home as a teen but all is not the reunion you would expect.  As the story moves forward and details are uncovered this heartbreaking novel becomes a roller coaster of intense emotions and twists.  It's such a brilliant and breathtaking read.

Mainly told from Abby's perspective with some chapters from Jess (Abby's cousin who she shared a close relationship) and other characters, Philippa East has brought to life the anguish and devastation caused by loosing a loved one in this way but also the reality of that reunion after such a long time.  These raw emotions alone make for a compulsive read but add in some mind blowing plot twists and you've got one hell of an explosive novel.

A fabulous emotional roller-coaster of a read.

Little White Lies is a superb debut novel that crackles with an emotional suspense that builds to such a crescendo, you will be desperately uncover "the secret" that lies at its heart.
Anne White has just had the phone call that she never thought she would get. Her daughter Abigail, who was lost 7 years ago at the age of 8, has been found alive after she walked into a police station with another child. Anne is overjoyed as she thought her child was dead but when Abigail returns home, things become very difficult for the whole family as Abigail struggles to readjust to the life she lived before. And when an arrest is made in the case of Abigails abduction, the secrets and lies that have lain dormant for 7 years start to bob to the surface.
Philippa East has written a slow burning family drama with an intriguing plot line at its heart. Abigail isn't the same child who disappeared all those years ago. She has been damaged both physically and psychologically and struggles to become the daughter she knows her family want her to be. Her cousin Jess relates part of narrative to us and I do have to say that at times I struggled to remember who was talking as both Jess and Anna had a very similar "voice". A similar age to Abigail, the girls were once very close indeed but they are now living parallel lives. As the storyline builds towards revealing what actually happened the day that Abigail disappears, it's Jess who struggles the most to accept that that relationship they had has gone.
Little White Lies is an intense read that can be uncomfortable at times although nothing is ever explicitly explored. I felt empathy for everyone involved in this devastating case and that didn't change even after the big reveal although I felt that the storyline never became as emotionally charged as I expected it too. Philippa East writes beautifully and I think she has a hugely successful writing career ahead of her.

This is an addictive and intelligent debut novel from author and therapist Phillipa East. It’s a tale of a family coping with the aftermath of an abduction. Abigail White has been missing for seven years, after becoming separated from her mum, Anne, on a trip to London. Now aged 15, Abigail walks into a police station along with a younger girl. The novel flits between Anne’s viewpoint and that of Abigail’s cousin Jess. Jess and Abigail were born only four months apart and we’re more like twins than cousins. They had a special connection, and even after seven years apart Jess still feels she knows Abigail better than anyone. Her friend Lena warns Jess that Abigail has gone through a significant trauma and will have changed in ways they can’t see. Soon after her arrival at the police station, detectives discover that Abigail was taken from outside the tube station by a stranger. It seems that he was in the right place at the right time, just as Abigail became separated from her Mum and twin brothers. Anne had been trying to manage Abigail, the twins, a buggy and the train doors. Detective McCarthy has experience with abduction cases and uses his expertise to ask some probing questions: how did Abigail manage to wander off the platform and up to the street above, is this just a crime of opportunity or is there any chance at all that the family know this man?


Anne and her sister Lillian are close, but they are different. Lillian is the older sister and the ‘fixer’ who is organised, sensible and it seems to Anne as if she never makes mistakes. Anne’s life has been more complicated. Abigail’s birth father became an addict, causing difficulties with finances and the safety of their new family. With Lillian’s help, Anne left and despite trying to maintain contact with Abigail he has largely been absent. Anne then met Robert who has always considered Abigail his own daughter, creating a stable family unit for the first time. It is hard to imagine that Abigail could simply slit back into her family as if she never left. Anne is beset by doubts and concerns. Will Abigail expect her bedroom to be as if she never left? Can they let Jess back into her life at once or will she need time to adjust? Have the years of captivity and sexual abuse left her daughter so damaged she won’t recover? There is also the hint of a secret surrounding the moments before Abigail’s disappearance that day. Anne wonders what Abigail remembers and whether they should talk about that day. Lillian advises her to leave it alone. The tension between them and Anne’s concerns kept me hooked. To me, Abigail feels like a ticking time bomb and I found myself waiting for her to explode.

I felt that the author understood the psychology of trauma and she depicted beautifully the way a crime like this affects everyone around the victim. The trauma ripples outwards into the family like a drop of water on the surface of a pond. I really liked the insidious way that secrets are shown to damage trust and erode relationships. The depiction of Abigail is very cleverly written because it delves into the complexity of the relationship between the captor and the child. For example, Anne is startled by the findings of an educational psychologist who concludes that Abigail must have been home schooled. It seems strange that a man who has emotionally and sexually abused a child for seven years, would be concerned about their education. It made me think about the relationship between the child and the abductor. We can accept the negative aspects, but it is harder to accept that Abigail might have positive feelings toward her captor. It is as if, in order to survive mentally, she has had accepted captivity as her reality; when Cassingham abducts a younger girl it prompts her to act, but it still takes her a long time to find her voice again and be angry about her experience. The concern I had was whether Abigail would ever accept her new reality at home with her family.

I enjoyed the character of Jess and her struggle to understand the cousin who was once as close as her shadow. Can she trust that the same Abigail even exists any more? Can they jump back into easy familiarity or will Jess have to get to know this new Abigail who is the sum of her experiences? I truly empathised with her internal struggle between supporting her cousin and keeping the friends she has made since Abigail disappeared. Abigail might find it hard to fit when she has missed out on seven years of music and other popular culture. She is awkward, not knowing what to wear, how to do her hair or even how to speak. There is a gulf between her and other 15 year olds that might be too wide to bridge. It might be embarrassing for Jess, but for Abigail the frustration could be too much to cope with. She can’t find anyone who shares or truly understands her experience.

This was a great read, with believable characters facing a parent’s worst fear; their child has gone missing. I enjoyed the different perspective, focussing not on the abduction and police operation but on the issues faced when the child returns. It explores the family’s happiness and relief, only to find a relative stranger in their midst. Alongside this central narrative, East also explores the complexity of modern family relationships, and poses the question of whether we truly know the people we love and live alongside. Within the relationship of Jess and Abigail, we see the pains of growing up and fitting in, particularly the realisations that our elders are fallible and the World might not be as safe as we imagine.


I would like to thank NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the story of a young girl who was abducted, but after seven long years, returned to her family. It's about how difficult it was for her to adjust to being with them, and how she had to learn to trust them. It also tells how hard it was for her family as, obviously, she was not the same person who was abducted. Mistakes were made along the way, but they got there in the end.

I wasnt sure if I'd like this book when I started it but I was wrong. 

It pulls you in and doesn't let go till the end. The writing makes your imagination run wild.

If you like suspenseful, tension filled story. Then pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free copy of this in exchange for an honest review. Little White Lies does an excellent job of building a mystery, setting the reader up to brainstorm potential answers, and... is underwhelming in its ending. The lies told really are little and don't really surmount to anything, and while I enjoyed the read I don't find this to be the so-called thriller people are making it out to be. It reads more like a family drama and I did enjoy the characters (particularly the two girls) as well as their dynamics for all of their flawed realism.

The last ten percent or so was probably my favourite part of the book as it was the first time I was really hooked on what was going to happen, whereas the majority of the plot meandered and dragged. Nonetheless I enjoyed the book as a whole, saving quotes from it and investing in the characters so would recommend as a quick read!