Little Threats Review

Author: Emily Schultz

Genre: Mystery Suspense

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons

Release Date: August 4, 2020

Purchase Link: Amazon

My Rating: 4

Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book.

Both a taut whodunit and a haunting snapshot of the effects of a violent crime, Little Threats tells the story of a woman who served fifteen years in prison for murder...and now it's time to find out if she's guilty.

Review:

In 1993, twin sisters Kennedy and Carter are living the good life.  That all changes one night when Kennedy's best friend Hayley is murdered at a party in the woods.  Kennedy becomes a suspect when accused by a boy and since she has no memory of the night in question, she accepts a plea deal and serves fifteen years in prison.  Meantime, Carter begins dating Haley's brother and questioning the sister she thought she knew.  Fast forward fifteen years and it's 2008 and Kennedy is finally free.  But is she?  While her life stopped in prison, the world kept turning, moving forward.  What kind of life can she expect when her own twin sister now questions her innocence.  When a Crime Podcaster comes to town asking questions, tension builds and secrets threaten to escape.  With the secrets come new suspects just as Kennedy's memories begin returning.  Are any of them safe?

Little Threats pushes all the right buttons for a fantastic thriller.  The twisted plot line is driven by a dark, threatening undertone with creepy vibes.  The story unfolds through three points of view - that of Kennedy, Carter, and Haley's brother.  I found myself burning through pages searching for answers right up until the shocker ending.  Little Threats is an intense, dark, gritty family saga suspense thriller.  Highly recommended.

Synopsis:

In the summer of 1993, twin sisters Kennedy and Carter Wynn are embracing the grunge era and testing every limit in their privileged Richmond suburb. But Kennedy's teenage rebellion goes too far when, after a night of partying in the woods, her best friend, Haley, is murdered, and suspicion quickly falls upon Kennedy. She can't remember anything about the night in question, and this, along with the damning testimony from a college boy who both Kennedy and Haley loved, is enough to force Kennedy to enter a guilty plea.

In 2008, Kennedy is released into a world that has moved on without her. Carter has grown distant as she questions Kennedy's innocence, and begins a relationship with someone who could drive the sisters apart forever. The twins' father, Gerry, is eager to protect the family's secrets and fragile bonds. But Kennedy's return brings the tragedy back to the surface, along with a whole new wave of media. When a crime show host comes to town asking questions, believing the murder wasn't as simple as it seemed, murky memories of Haley's death come to light. As new suspects emerge and the suburban woods finally give up their secrets, two families may be destroyed again.

Emily Schultz is the co-founder of Joyland Magazine. Her newest novel, Little Threats, is forthcoming from GP Putnam's Sons for November 2020. Her novel, The Blondes, released in the U.S. with St. Martin’s Press and Picador, in France with Editions Asphalte, and in Canada with Doubleday. It was named a Best Book of 2015 by NPR and Kirkus. The Blondes was produced as a scripted podcast starring Madeline Zima, which has also been translated into French.

Schultz's writing has appeared in Elle, Slate, Evergreen Review, Vice, Today's Parent, Hazlitt, Minola Review, Black Warrior Review, and Prairie Schooner. She lives in Brooklyn where she is a producer with the indie media company Heroic Collective.

http://emilyschultz.com