Fragile Lies by Laura Elliot

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A passionate love affair that has spanned the decades devastates three families’ lives when the romancing couple are involved in a hit-and-run accident.
As Killian lies in a coma, watched over by his devoted family, Lorraine Cheevers leaves her Dublin home with daughter Emily, her marriage to Adrian in ruins and feeling likes she has lost everything she was once knew. As she settles despondently into her new country home in a small village with Emily hating everything about it, Lorraine feels nothing will ever be the same. For Michael, Killian’s father, his life will never be same without the son he loves so much but who he feels he let down; motivated by regrets, guilt and anger he is determined to find the person who mowed down his son and left him to die; and so, the lives of Lorraine and Michael become entwined, leading to discoveries and a lot of heart searching.
I really do not want to give more than this away because this is an extremely strong and well-written story full of surprises which slowly unfold and make the plot that much more intriguing.
The five main characters, Lorraine, Michael, Adrian, Virginia and Ralph are very intricate characters with layers of complex emotions and I enjoyed how they developed throughout the book and how that development made me change my mind about each of them as I continued to read.
As for the plot, with background stories of the characters and clues slowly revealed the reader is immersed into a story that tells of decades of love, betrayal, deceit and frailty with a dark undertone, all of which makes for a truly riveting read. There is a sting in the tail for one character who thoroughly deserves the punishment they are dealt and the promise of a lasting reward for others but I am giving no clues because although the truth becomes clear soon enough it is so much better to be able to read the book and discover the nuances which lead to the truth yourself. I think I can promise that it is a book that will not disappoint with its fabulous and novel depiction of love and betrayal; I for one was hooked into it and savoured the delicious twists and ending with relish and satisfaction.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookcouture for the ARC of this book.