Review: Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie

Title: Little Voices

Author: Vanessa Lillie

Published: October 2019, Thomas & Mercer

Format: Paperback, 336 pages 

Source: Author / Little Bird Publicity

Summary: 

The voice in her head says he’s guilty. She knows he’s innocent.

Devon
Burges is in the throes of a high-risk birth when she learns of her
dear friend’s murder. The police quickly name another friend as the
chief suspect, but Devon doesn’t buy it—and despite her difficult
recovery, she decides to investigate.

Haunted by postpartum
problems that manifest as a cruel voice in her head, Devon is barely
getting by. Yet her instincts are still sharp, and she’s bent on proving
her friend’s innocence.

But as Devon digs into the evidence, the
voice in her head grows more insistent, the danger more intense. Each
layer is darker, more disturbing, and she’s not sure she—or her baby—can
survive what lies at the truth.

My thoughts: It’s no surprise that I love a good psychological thriller, but when you read so many, it’s hard to find one that sticks out, one that you can say held you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Luckily I can without a doubt, say that Vanessa Lillie’s debut novel…I repeat, debut novel… does just that. 

What I loved most about this book is that it captures so many different emotions. It was so easy to feel all that Devon was going through throughout the story – the whole spectrum of emotions that she went through. It is completely relatable and understandable, yet it also gives you that sense that just maybe she isn’t quite reliable and so that question niggles in your mind as to whether you can totally trust her. She is a deeply flawed character, yet that makes her so compelling.

I also loved that Devon is so driven to solve the murder of her friend despite going through her own issues. She has severe postpartum depression and it is manifesting as voices in her head. You could feel her anxiety as she was working this case; she desperately wanted to get to the bottom of it, but it was trying for her, being out in certain situations. And what a case it turned out to be. This was definitely not a run-of-the-mill murder by any means. 

I loved that this book kept me guessing all the way through. I kept thinking I had figured out who the killer was, only to find out my guess was way off when new information was uncovered during Devon’s investigation. This definitely kept me on my toes and eager to see how it would all play out.

I cannot recommend this book enough. It totally consumes you and once you start reading it, you will be hard-pressed to put it down. I loved that not only were there a few twists that took me by surprise, but there was one final shock that totally shook me! I am still flabbergasted that this is a debut novel…Vanessa Lillie is most definitely going on my list of must-read authors! I cannot wait to see what she writes next!!!