Review: Little Girls Tell Tales by Rachel Bennett


Print Length: 400 pages
Publisher: One More Chapter (May 29, 2020)

From Goodreads.com:  Some of the boggy ponds were so deep that if a girl stepped into one it would swallow her forever…

2004: Rosalie is walking through the wild wetland behind her mother’s home on the isolated Isle of Man when she stumbles across a body. Having strayed from the path and lost her brother, Dallin, it’s hours before she’s discovered, shaken and exhausted. With a reputation for telling stories, not many believe the little girl’s tale of the body in the marsh.

2019: Dallin, estranged from his family, returns unannounced with a woman named Cora by his side. Cora’s sister went missing fifteen years ago and she believes Rosalie was the one who found her. As dangerous secrets are unearthed, Cora and Rosalie start asking questions about a girl who some would rather keep buried…


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My Rating: 3 stars out of 5

The descriptions of the curraghs on the Isle of Man (which I later found out is a real place) are beautifully descriptive. The author makes it easy for the reader to visualize both the wetlands as well as Roslie's home and garden. The characters were all well-fleshed out (for the most part, although I don't know why it was necessary to make Dallin such an unlikeable character).


 The story was interesting in theory. Rosalie as a child stumbling across a skeleton while lost in the curraghs, a skeleton that no one else was able to find despite extensive searching ends up leading a woman there twenty years later in search of her missing sister. Where this story lost it for me was in the execution of the story itself. At times, things just seemed to drag on - even when it was obvious someone didn't want Cora poking around, it didn't make me feel like I was on the edge of my seat. I couldn't even say it really made me worry about the character's safety. There were also a lot of other little things thrown in here and there that just either didn't make sense or were unnecessary to the plot. And the ending seemed to be a bit... off (plus we never learn if they do end up finding Simone's body or not although we are told the police are going to re-open their search of the curraghs for it). 

 I'm sure this story will appeal to those who enjoy slow-burn novels over ones that are more fast-paced. I would give this author another shot simply based on how well they described the surroundings. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.


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                          Little Girls Tell Tales is available from Amazon.com

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