A LITTLE BIRD by Wendy James

 A homecoming snares a young woman in a dangerous tangle of lies, secrets, and bad blood in this gripping novel by the bestselling author of An Accusation.

Running from a bad relationship, journalist Jo Sharpe heads home to Arthurville, the drought-stricken town she turned her back on years earlier. While some things have changed—her relationship with her ailing, crotchety father, her new job at the community newspaper—Jo finds that her return has rekindled the grief and uncertainty she experienced during her childhood following the inexplicable disappearance of her mother and baby sister.

Returning to Arthurville has its unexpected pleasures, though, as Jo happily reconnects with old friends and makes a few new ones. But she can’t let go of her search for answers to that long-ago mystery. And as she keeps investigating, the splash she’s making begins to ripple outward—far beyond the disappearance of her mother and sister.

Jo is determined to dig as deep as it takes to get answers. But it’s not long before she realises that someone among the familiar faces doesn’t want her picking through the debris of the past. And they’ll go to any lengths to silence the little bird before she sings the truth.

MY THOUGHTS 

This is my first book by Wendy James. I will be reading more. It was a good one that will keep you turning the pages. It was a bit slow in the very beginning but picked up quite fast.

Jo Sharpe returns home after learning her dad is not well and when she is offered a job at the local newspaper. Though it's a small town there is a lot going on. They also do not want to read any bad news. That makes it a bit difficult as Jo is also trying to figure out why her mother took her baby sister and disappeared twenty five years earlier. Why she left her and her dad with no apparent warning. Only one letter was sent and one note left. What really happened all those years ago? Jo wants to know. She needs to understand why her mom would just leaver her. Abandoned her and her dad. 

Jo also left a relationship that was heading nowhere. She needed a fresh start and wants to get to know her dad again. Maybe things can be different this time. She's more than willing to try. Her dad though is a bit stubborn and has lived with the pain of his wife taking their child and leaving. Many years of anger and drinking to deal with the anger. He was not a good dad to Jo but he did care. He cared about her whether she knew it or not.

Many things are uncovered and it almost costs Jo everything. Things that you won't see coming. Jo also has a grandmother and uncle that she's never been around or got to know. Her uncle seems a bit shady. I didn't like him very much. I really didn't like the grandmother. She was a horrible mother to Jo's mother. Even though she didn't approve of her daughter's choices I don't see how she could just turn her back on her and on her granddaughter. 

Jo goes through a lot to find out what happened to her mother and baby sister. What she finds didn't exactly surprise me but the who did. There are a few shocks in this story that I didn't see coming which is unusual for me. I liked that though. I was on edge a few times and holding my breath too. I did have a few laughs. At some antic of children. The adults are the ones you can't always trust. Jealousy is a dangerous thing at times. This book brings out a few secrets that no one knew. A few lost people. 

Connecting with a high school sweetheart, Jo may find some happiness. Though they are as different as night and day I think it would work. After all love is a mysterious thing at times. Two people who are meant to be together seem to work. 

I liked almost all the characters in this book. They are a group of complex characters that you will get to know fairly well. Some are not likable yet serve a very important part. Without a diverse group this book would have been very boring. It's not. It's a page turner that you don't want to miss. 

Told from two timelines, before Jo's mom disappeared and after Jo returns home. Getting to know both was quite interesting. I throughly enjoyed both.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #WendyJames, #LakeUnion, for this ARC. This is my own true feelings about this book.

4/5 stars. I recommend this one. It's really a good one that leaves you with all the questions answered. A few surprises at the end too.