Little Black Lies
4.1
17
5
1
Paperback
USD
13.5
$13.50
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781455583737 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Grand Central Publishing |
| Publication date: | 02/17/2015 |
| Series: | Zoe Goldman Series , #1 |
| Pages: | 352 |
| Sales rank: | 318,651 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.20(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.10(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Little Black Lies
4.1 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
17 reviews.
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I picked up this book not sure what to expect. By the first page, I was engrossed. The author has a way of conveying Zoe's zippy mind that is wonderful, and all too real for those of us who love people with ADHD. The whole book is about the brain, and how its wiring can go wrong, or right. Her characters are also terrific. The doctors are just as crazy as the patients in the Psych Ward! Best of all, she captures all the beauty, warmth, and snow of Buffalo. A great read!
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It was pretty good with twists and turns
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Great idea and premise for a psychological thriller. Loved the characters. The only reason I'm giving it only 3 stars is that the ending was too easy to figure out. After reading the reviews I was hopeful that it was going to be something unexpected
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Did not guess the ending...really good book.
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loved it!
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Spooky but funny! Really loved all the psychiatry. Would definitely recommend this one.
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Excellent writing, loved Zoe's voice. The ending was shocking!
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Even after the finality of my 3-out-of-5-star rating for Little Black Lies, I still find the premise completely fascinating. The psychological thriller genre is one among my favorites, and combined with my personal/professional interest in the field (I'm currently studying psychopathology), I couldn't resist picking this one up. While the originality of the plot and extensive psychiatric research and experience that went into this book impress me greatly, I do have to say this book isn't exactly the thriller I expected—or wanted—it to be.
Dr. Zoe Goldman has a tragic past, having lost her birth family in a housefire as a baby. As an adult though, she's doing quite all right because she doesn't remember any of it. This was a fabulous starting point—I love the idea. Sudden dreams and flashbacks of the fire, which she hasn't had since she was a very young child, coincide with the arrival of her newest patient, Sophia Vallano, a beautiful sociopath who murdered her own mother. As both the nightmares and paranoia intensify and Zoe's own psychiatric care begins to go awry, she becomes obsessed with questions about her birth mother's death, including what really happened in that fire, especially when her adoptive mother begins to slip up on Zoe's own life facts, which are too eery to be due to the dementia.
The premise is excellent, and in summary, the book sounds complete. Completely for me. Unfortunately the poor characterization and technical annoyances disappointed me immensely, rendering the book to fall short of what I was initially hoping for.
Pros: Original plot // Interesting medical/psychiatric background and terminology // Creative intentions
Cons: Not the most stylistically written // Inevitable, not-so-frightening D.D.S. // Hopeful premise, but overall not memorable or remarkable // Romance subplot not only is irrelevant/disjointed, but also cringe-worthy and clichéd // Zoe is a straightforward, no-nonsense protagonist, but rather irritating and unlikable // Weak secondary characters
Verdict: Slow paced, technically flawed, and lacking in developed and believable characters, Little Black Lies was a let-down for me all-around—mostly due to my enormous anticipation for it as a psychological thriller. Psychological and at times thrilling? Well, sure, but it's not one of those searing, edge-of-your-seat, mind-blowing thrillers, mostly due to its languid, stretched-out rising action and unavoidable climax. There are moments in the story, especially regarding the solidly researched and written medical topics, that did indeed excite me, but overall Sandra Block's debut novel doesn't particularly stand out to me as a top recommendation.
Rating: 6 out of 10 hearts (3 stars): Decent for a first read, but I'm not going back; this book is decidedly average (whatever that means!).
Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Wunderkind PR!).
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Excellent Psychological Thriller! The cover is creepy, isn’t it? I can’t help but think it’s Zoe’s patient, Sophie, lurking in the shadows!! Zoe is a psychiatrist working on her residency, and is assigned a patient: Sophie, who has been a lifelong patient in psychiatrist hospitals. As a new transfer, Zoe works at establishing a relationship with her so that she can help Sophie work on her issues (which are a lot!).
It’s a great novel that has a bad romance, murder mystery, and family secrets. Zoe has an ill-fated love relationship, dealing with the impact her mom’s dementia has on their relationship, flashbacks from a traumatic event, addressing her medical condition (ADHD), and trying to figure out who her biological mom is. This book has a lot of secrets, which the reader will eventually understand how they all come together and how Zoe handles the news. Psychology enthusiasts will enjoy the nod to Freud that is sprinkled throughout the novel. It also showed the vulnerable side to Zoe and how she is just as human as the patients she sees.
Readers will enjoy the fast paced novel and will freak with the “out of nowhere” nail file scene. Hold on to your seats as Sandra Block takes you into the world of Dr. Zoe Goldman, who has enough baggage and secrets to keep you entertained…add into the mix a mental patient, and you have a whole lot of crazy to keep you fixated to this novel, until the very end!-Books in the Burbs
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When I got request to do a review I did not even remember having read it. Writing was fine but ending was in sight early on .
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3.5/5 Little Black Lies is Sandra Block's debut novel.
Zoe Goldman is a resident on the psychiatric ward of a Boston hospital. Balancing her work and personal life becomes even more challenging for Dr. Goldman when a difficult patient is assigned to her. This woman killed her mother as a teenager. Her case spurs Zoe to again try to piece together memories from her own past. She's adopted, has ADHD, fragmented nightmares and more. And the only woman who may have the key to unlock the past is succumbing to dementia.....
Block has crafted a calculated suspense novel with an eye for the finish line - and the final twist. I must admit the twist was a good one. But careful readers will suss out the reveal before the final chapters. Although I did, it didn't detract from my finishing or enjoying the rest of the book to confirm my suspicions. Some plot points do seem quite coincidental though, as do some actions and omissions on Zoe's part in investigating her past.
A love interest does add a nice side plot to a novel. Block includes two for Zoe - one (Mike) absolutely works. I really still can't figure out Jean-Luc's yes/no/maybe so inclusion in the story - it seemed extraneous to me.
Block is herself a doctor and the medical jargon (prescriptions) procedures, (hypnosis, therapy. etc.) diagnoses and treatment of mental illness absolutely reflect her 'insider' knowledge.
Those looking for a entertaining, light suspense novel will find it in Little Black Lies. Sandra Block is working on the second Zoe Goldman book.
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It seems that now I can no longer order n Nook book and read it. I first need to "unlock the purchase", which I have not been able to do after many attempts. Looks like my Nook purchases are history.
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