Oddly enough this is the second consecutive book that I read set in the mid nineteen sixties. Little Deaths finds us in Queens, New York. Ruth Malone is a single mother and a cocktail waitress. Divorced from her husband Frank, he is fighting her for custody of their children Frankie Junior and Cindy.

Ruth is an interesting woman who was never going to be able to settle for suburban bliss. Feeling trapped in her marriage and by her needy young children she needs to escape to her job in the bar just to feel alive. Flirting with the customers makes her feel normal and leads to a couple of unwise relationships.

One morning Ruth walks into her children's bedroom and the two beds are empty. The children are missing. When the police arrive to investigate and find the missing children they make immediate assumptions about Ruth as a parent. Her house is dusty and untidy, the garbage is full of empty alcohol bottles but Ruth herself is immaculate. Impeccably dressed in an attractive way and with full make-up on she doesn't fit their preconceptions of a scared and frightened mother.

When the body of little Cindy is found a short distance from the apartment that same day the speculation about what happened has already started. Letters have been uncovered in Ruth's room between her and a number of men, men who aren't her husband, and soon she is painted as a woman of loose morals. A good time girl whose children were getting in the way.

Much of the story is from the point of view of Pete Wonicke, a rookie reporter on a New York tabloid. He has wrangled his way onto the story in the absence of the senior reporter and it soon starts to take over his life. As the police struggle to find the evidence that they need to convict, Pete finds himself on a mission to find out the truth. He is convinced that Ruth is innocent.

It isn't always the easiest story to read. The murder of young children is never a pleasant subject and it was even worse to discover that Little Deaths is actually based on a real life case in New York. I found myself reading everything I could find on Alice Crimmins. This is a fascinating whodunnit that I couldn't put down and the final twist will take your breath away.

Supplied by Net Galley and Picador in exchange for an honest review.

Set in the mid-1960s, 'Little Deaths' by Emma Flint tells the story of Ruth Malone, a 26-year-old recently divorced single mother whose two young children Cindy and Frankie go missing from their home in Queens, New York. After they are both found dead in separate locations days later, it doesn't take long for the police to suspect that Ruth had something to do with their disappearance. However, in the absence of any hard evidence, they draw their conclusions purely from what they consider to be her stylish appearance and unconventional behaviour following the murders. Meanwhile, local journalist Pete Wonicke becomes determined to prove Ruth's innocence.

'Little Deaths' is based on a true story, inspired by the murder trial of Alice Crimmins who was accused of killing her two children in similar circumstances. The first half of 'Little Deaths' unravels slowly, making the point repeatedly that Ruth is treated unfairly by her neighbours, the press and the police because of their biased assumptions and rigid expectations. On the surface, Ruth appears to be completely detached from what has happened. She refuses to play the victim, doesn't show her grief in the ways that people expect, continues to go to work at a cocktail bar, has affairs, drinks a lot and makes an effort with her appearance. The story is largely told from Pete's perspective which keeps the reader at arm's length from Ruth and adds further mystery to the reasons behind her actions and what she may or may not be capable of.

Despite the very evocative setting during a time when the United States was undergoing a huge amount of social change, the public shaming aspect of Ruth's case feels all too relevant. There are an alarming number of parallels regarding the portrayal and scrutiny of women in general as well as those perceived to be victims in similar real-life cases today, whether it is by powerful media outlets with a large audience or lone internet trolls. It shocked me more when I realised that I wasn't that surprised by how Ruth was treated by those around her and that such prejudice still exists albeit in different forms.

Flint's careful unveiling of Ruth's character is compelling and her debut novel is an intriguing exploration of how outward appearances are not always what they seem.

New York, 1965, and its hot, so very hot. Ruth mother of Cindy and Frankie, separated from her husband trying to make ends meet working as a cocktail waitress, wakes up one morning to find her children gone. When their gruesome remains are found suspicion falls on Ruth.
Hot on her case, and leading the enquiry, police officer Devlin, repeatedly questions her, newspapers closely scrutinise her lifestyle, her relationships with men,and her apparent lack of grief.
One particular journalist, Pete,becomes obsessed with her, determined to prove her innocence, determined to see all that is good in her.
As the summer heat subsides the heat on Ruth intensifies. Did Ruth really kill her children and if not, then who did.
From the very first page this is a novel that holds your attention throughout. A novel that explores obsession, and grief, that continually challenges the reader. to look deep inside the characters, that are at the heart of the novel. Flint forces us to question our perceptions of people, what we see day to day. Do we really know what a person is like away from the public eye??
It is hard to believe that this is a debut novel, so well is it written. I am sure it is going to be one of the big hits of 2017.