Our Little Lies: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller with a brilliant twist Paperback – October 9, 2018

I love how Sue Watson crafts stories that are both thrilling and empowering.This one is very reminiscent of Girl on the Train, but with a very original take.

With Our Little Lies, the talented Sue Watson delivers another domestic thriller that left me on the edge of my seat, breathless with anticipation of what would happen next. She creates characters that are extraordinarily complex and well developed which gives me, as a reader, a sense of knowing and caring about the characters and the ability to relate to the events occurring around them.This story was riveting because it explores the reality of marriage and relationships and what goes on behind closed doors instead of what the outside world sees and makes assumptions about. Additionally, this story gave me a sense that truth can be subjective, depending on the perception of the narrator. Marianne Wilson is such a character. Married to successful surgeon, Simon, she has a beautiful home, three children and a life that, on the outside, everyone envies.On the inside, Marianne is a woman who is highly paranoid and struggles with what is reality and what is fantasy, manufactured by her mind in times of anxiety. Her greatest struggle lies in whether her husband is cheating on her. He’s done it before, numerous times, or has he? Marianne doubts herself and when her husband says another woman’s name, she could let it go, but the way he says it, caressingly, lovingly, starts Marianne on a path of paranoia, suspicion, and delusion she can’t separate fact from fiction and has numerous gaps in her memory. I didn’t agree with a lot of decisions and choices Marianne makes but I understood why she did. To further complicate matters, it was apparent to me that Simon was verbally, mentally, emotionally, and physically abusive to Marianne. He gaslights her incessantly, blaming her for anything and everything, breaking her down into a mere shell of a woman who is all too eager to accept blame and responsibility for the slightest of infractions, such as throws and pillows not perfectly displayed on the couch. For Marianne, Simon’s love and acceptance is vital to her survival.As much as I felt bad for Marianne, it was a challenge for me to discern whether Marianne is mentally ill or not. I absolutely loathed Simon. He’s a terrible husband and absentee father. He never misses an opportunity to degrade Marianne, questioning her ability to be the perfect mother and wife. He has perfectly isolated Marianne away from having friends or career or even hobbies that may bring her a sense of accomplishment or pleasure. He’s a vile, despicable character and I desperately wished Marianne would have found the strength and presence of mind to save herself, take the children, and leave, but as victims of domestic violence know all too well, they have limited options without friends, family, or money.A major plot twist in the final 5% brings closure but it felt rushed and I would have preferred a different outcome, but still found this story very intense and very enjoyable.My Final Verdict: I highly recommend Our Little Lies by Sue Watson to readers who love nail-biting thrillers that catapult the reader into a story where the lines between right and wrong, good and evil are not clear.

It was okay, the first part was really drawn out and repetitive, the second half of the book was a bit more interesting abut the twist wasn’t as shocking it was easy to figure out. An entertaining but forgettable read.

I loved this book!Thank you to the author for not writing the multiple narrator perspective (alternating between two or three characters), as I am pretty worn on that approach. I love a good unreliable narrator and that is exactly what you get with this book. You are just waiting to see what kind of chaos these characters are going to unleash on each other.I figured out the “twists” early on, but even with that said, I really enjoyed this book. Well written, well developed characters, and a fascinating story.I highly recommend this one if you enjoy a good thriller.

I’ve read other books by this author that are exceptional, but not this one. It was really slow moving. I appreciate how the author perfectly described how the husband made the wife “ill” but there was a lot of repetition. My heart goes out to the daughter in this novel. Child abuse even absorbed and not seen has a devastating effect on children as I know too well.

This one was amazing!! Twists and turns everywhere and just when thought I'd had it all figured out.... NOPE!! I did NOT see that end coming! Loved reading this book, found it hard to get things done because I just kept coming back to it. The characters were brilliant, I loved some and really hated some. Great story, very "psychological" and entertaining. Definitely read this! Can't wait to read more by Sue Watson.

I really enjoyed the end of this book-but I almost didn’t get there.So much of this book was cringey-difficult to read as the main character fought between her realities.While I’m not sorry I read this there were many times I wished I wasn’t going to finish. Thanks to my English teacher and a 20 year old challenge-I did.

Great ending!! Absolutely loved this book! I actually haven't read a book by Sue that I haven't liked but this one gets to you!!! Loved it!

Recommend this author ..cracking read … you can’t put it down !!! She’s such a fabulous author

TW: abuse, gas lighting, infant death, adulteryMarianne seems to have the perfect life. 3 kids, surgeon husband, beautiful home. Not is all as it seems, Simon is abusive and controlling, and he cheats… or does he? Marianne was wrong before but she is certain that he is now, after all, he mentioned her name… “Caroline” … didn’t he?This book is full of twists and turns. Marianne has a history of false allegations and erratic behaviour but Simon, her husband’s true self comes out and he’s an abusive and cruel gas-lighter who is horrifyingly good at hiding it.As someone who was in a relationship like that it was a hard read and a bit triggering. All the interactions with Simon stressed me right out.Marianne starts off as exasperating as well but she grows on you as she becomes more aware of her situation. This also brings to light that in situations of abuse, children observe, are aware and are just as affected even if the abuse isn’t directly in front of them.There’s a twist at the end that I didn’t see coming as well.All in all this was a good although tense read.

the idea is not bad but the. book. is. slow. af. you just understand what is going on in the middle of the book and those 150 pages could easily be 1 chapter. the ending doesn't make much sense either and there are a few pieces that feel like were not proof read BUT as entertainment / to pass the time it was ok so 3 stars it is.

Si vous voulez un descriptif quasiment chirurgical de l emprise exercée sur une femme au sein du foyer conjugal, il faut lire ce livre !Plus qu un thriller, c'est une descente dans l enfer de la manipulation

Intelligent and clever!!!