This was a fun one, with characters you love to hate! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a psychological thriller with 2 hollys as the main characters. We begin by meeting Holly jones living in Florida with husband Hugh and 2 children. All of a sudden she bumps in to her old school friend ‘the other Holly’ who seems to have entered and weaselled her way back in to her life from when they knew each other back in the UK. She soon starts having suspicions that Hugh and other Holly are having an affair. The book flicks between parts of the different Holly's and I liked how different view points help us understand what is really happened and who is the reliable narrator .
The book is full of lies and secrets between families and friends.

I enjoyed this story! I like the characters and the plot and I felt that, despite some smaller things, I overall found myself satisfied at the end!

In Tiny Daggers, Caroline Corcoran crafts a tense and emotionally charged thriller where the past relentlessly catches up with Holly, threatening not only her life but also the safety of her family. The novel excels in its detailed storytelling, weaving a rich backstory that deepens the suspense and gives the narrative a strong emotional core.

Corcoran’s writing is immersive and precise, gradually revealing the layers of Holly’s history and the dangers lurking beneath the surface. The careful balance of past and present events creates a compelling tension that keeps readers invested in Holly’s fight for survival.

With well-developed characters and a plot that steadily builds toward a gripping climax, Tiny Daggers is a powerful exploration of how secrets can unravel even the strongest foundations. It is a well-crafted thriller that will resonate with fans of psychological suspense and family drama alike.

Expat Holly Jones seems to be living her best life in Miami. Far away from her past in London, she now has it all: a perfect house, gorgeous friends, a great job, and a loving family. But Holly's carefully curated life hits a speed bump when she runs into her ex best friend from childhood, Holly Wild. When the two Hollies were at school, Holly Wild was the frumpy unassuming friend, but now Holly has had a major glow up. Quickly she inserts herself back into Holly Jones's life, marriage, even getting a job where Holly works. Was this chance meeting really just a coincidence? Is Holly Jones just being a bit paranoid or could the other Holly really be out to take over her life?

I'm not going to go into too much detail because I don't want to give too much away, but this wasn't my cup of tea. In Tiny Daggers you have all of the elements of a good domestic thriller, but in my opinion something just didn't work for me. While I liked the separate aspects like an unreliable narrator, multiple perspectives and timelines, and short chapters, all together I wasn't as interested as I thought I would be. To be fair I am definitely going to try something else by this author, this just wasn't the read for me at this time.

Thank you to NetGalley, Caroline Corcoran, and Thomas & Mercer/ Amazon Publishing for this ARC! Publication date was July 1st 2025.

A well written story that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
The characters draw you in and keeps you flipping the pages.
The characters were all realistic and very well developed.
I really enjoyed the writing style. I found myself hooked, turning the pages.

Tiny Daggers is a story about motherhood, friendship, lies, deceit, betrayal, and jealousy. Two Hoolies, one is good the other is bad, and one is going to take over the other's life. They'll fight for relationships, family, jobs, but they have "small minds" and live in "small worlds" (at least in my opinion) it can be true but it's too much of a stereotype. It's entertaining but not really my "cup of tea".
I thank the author, her publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC.

Expat Holly Jones has built the perfect life for herself in Miami but then she randomly bumps into a ghost from her past, Holly Wild, someone she shared a lot of history with but hasn’t seen in years and soon she turns up everywhere. Is this really a chance reunion or is there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface? At school they were known as good Holly and bad Holly. But which is which?

I really like the concept of this one as it sounded like it would be a fun, unique read. After finishing this though I’m not really sure how I feel about it. On one hand I enjoyed the mean girls vibe and the relationship between the characters was interesting to read, however I found the overall plot quite disjointed and got confused at times which character I was reading. I didn’t really feel much for any of the characters and felt this ended up being more of a drama genre wise, as it ended up not being the fastest paced book. Overall an interesting story and an easy summer read, but felt a bit repetitive and long winded. 2.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Tiny Daggers - Caroline Corcoran
Hmmm… I can’t quite put my finger on why this didn’t work, but something just felt off from the start. I went in expecting a tense, gripping psychological drama, but what I found was a meandering story that struggled to hold my attention. It’s not often I finish a book I’m not enjoying, but I kept going in the hope it would shift gear or surprise me. Sadly, it never really did.
The pacing was my biggest issue — it dragged for long stretches, and the plot felt padded out with repetition. I kept waiting for that turning point, the moment everything clicked into place, but it just never came. The characters didn’t help either; I found them difficult to connect with and, at times, quite grating. When no one is especially engaging, it makes it harder to care about what’s happening to them.
And I have to mention the mosquitoes. Honestly, the constant references were maddening. I know it’s meant to reflect the slow psychological build-up — little things gnawing away — but it was too much. I’m currently being tormented by the real thing, so reading about them on top of that was borderline torture.
I wish I had more positives to mention, but for me, this one just didn’t deliver. There was potential in the premise, and the writing itself wasn’t bad, but the execution fell flat. If you’re more patient than I am and don’t mind a very slow burn (with a lot of insect metaphors), it might be worth a try — but it wasn’t for me.

This was such an intense and twisty read as Holly Jones's carefully curated life unravels when a ghost from her past resurfaces.

I enjoyed this book. The storyline was entertaining and a fun read. It was a little confusing at times but I was quickly able to figure out what was going on. I like how many twists and turns this book had; they were all great. This is definitely a psychological thriller you don’t want to miss.

A twisted thriller. Holly has moved from England to America for a ‘Miama Wives’ life. Everything is golden sunshine until her school best friend, also Holly, suddenly turns up and now seems to be in every part of her life. Then things really start to fray, and their teenage past secrets’ come into play. The only question left is will that annoying mosquito just bite or kill? Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

3.75 Stars

I really enjoyed Tiny Daggers by Caroline Corcoran. The plot is layered and intriguing, and the shift that happens midway through the book completely caught me off guard—in the best way. It added a whole new dimension to the story and kept me hooked.

Corcoran does a great job building tension and writing characters that feel real, even when they're difficult or flawed. That said, while the journey was gripping, the ending wasn’t my favourite part. I was expecting more from the conclusion—it felt a little underwhelming after such a strong build-up.

Still, it’s a solid read with plenty of twists and turns. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unexpected developments and emotional depth, Tiny Daggers is definitely worth picking up.

Caroline Corcoran's novels are always full of brilliant twists and Tiny Daggers is no exception. Holly and Holly went to high school together in London, and now meet again over 20 years later in Miami. They've been living completely different lives after a shared event as teenagers changed their paths irreparably.

What's great about the book is the twists and turns, and you never really know which character you actually like. I love the way that motherhood and perimenopause are weaved in too, with Miami unsure at times whether she's paranoid or just lost her identity.

I'll definitely read it again, as I'm sure I missed clues that hint at the (completely unexpected) shocking conclusion! Tiny Daggers is a must read, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Heidi Perks.

The most dangerous predators in Miami don’t bite. They brunch.

Expat Holly Jones has built the perfect life for herself in an exclusive area of the beautiful house, the enviable family. So the last person she expects to bump into one morning is a ghost from her old life in London, someone she hasn’t seen in over twenty the other Holly, Holly Wild.

Single, sexy, and a world away from the frumpy sidekick she was at school, Holly Wild quickly becomes an unavoidable part of Holly Jones’s life. She is everywhere—in her home, in her marriage, and especially in her head. Is this really just a chance reunion or is there something more sinister lurking behind her seemingly flawless facade?

As the oppressive heat intensifies, Holly Jones is haunted by memories she’s spent decades trying to bury. Is she being paranoid or is Holly Wild really out to steal her life? At school they were known as Good Holly and Bad Holly…but as their twisted game of cat and mouse escalates, it’s no longer clear which one is which…

Loved loved loved this. The drama, the intensity, and the anticipation of what comes next was done expertly. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Expat Holly Jones has built the perfect life for herself in an exclusive area of Miami: the beautiful house, the enviable family. So the last person she expects to bump into one morning is a ghost from her old life in London, someone she hasn’t seen in over twenty years: the other Holly, Holly Wild.

I struggled to keep going with this book, it seemed so disjointed and difficult to follow. It was a different read for me and now I know why. It's written well enough but I didn't like any of the characters.

The first 1/3 of this book I was getting a little bored. Then we got to part two and everything was flipped on its head. It made the first third make so much more sense. The twists in this book were expertly executed. I couldn’t have seen them coming from a mile away. I was afraid that I’d have a hard time distinguishing between the two Hollys but the author did a good job at individualizing them and giving them distinct character voices. Their past was extremely interesting and I liked the ominous inclusion of the media throughout the beginning. Overall, is a pretty standard domestic mystery with great twists! It’s worth the build up of the beginning.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for providing the copy of Tiny Daggers by Caroline Corcoran. This was a well-written book and engaged me right away! None of the characters were very likeable; Holly Jones was at first, but I got tired of how over-the-top she was with her neediness. Then comes Part Two and we get Holly Wild's POV! Some of the reveals were expected but others were a shock. I can’t say much more because I don’t want to give away spoilers, but this book had me reading far into the night to find out what happens in the end. 4 stars

First off I want to say I love the front cover it is so eye catching and would definitely make me want to pick it up.
The book had me gripped from the start and I didn't put it down until I had finished reading it. A fantastic read

Just when I thought this would be fighting for my own rage at the injustice of it all, it ended better than I could have expected. Obviously, my rating of this story has more to do with how it made me feel than the technical aspects. I’m not one who appreciates slow burn stories yet I understood how the building of the tension and the sequencing of events were necessary to drive the point of this story. Women and Just Desserts. I’ve always found it both amusing and ridiculous how virtue signallers are often closeted judgeridoos.