Their story is horribly sad. The two girls became wards of the state after the tragic death of their mother. Since that time, they've been bouncing around within the system. Recently the two girls went missing from their care home.

This novel has everything from manipulation, revenge to jealousy to control and human frailty is and although it’s dramatic it is also very believable. An unforgettable read and highly recommended. Jonah, Ben, and Juliette are all sent on wild goose chases, while they ponder Keely’s controlled narrative, and possible psychopathic tendencies, as she regales them with tales her life in foster care, and the abuse and neglect she was subjected to. As the team works to find Nina, Keely’s games leave Jonah fighting through a murky fog of possibilities- The younger girl feels out of place as the older kids begin drinking, taking drugs, dancing and more. The story opens with Jonah having a quiet drink in a pub garden when his peace is interrupted by the arrival of a teenage girl, Keely, covered in blood. She tells a story about her sister, Nina, who is missing. Jonah and his team scramble to find Nina, but Keely isn’t in any hurry to give up any clues. Instead, she relates the sisters’ story very much in her own time – and it is up to Jonah and the police team to work out whether Keely is a killer or a victim. The story begins with DCI Jonah Sheens enjoying the beautiful weather (and a drink) in the pub's beer garden with his baby daughter Milly, waiting for Jonah’s domestic partner, Michelle to arrive so they can do a child handover. In this rare moment of quiet enjoyment, a young teenage girl wanders onto the grounds and is heading in their direction. With striking features and flaming red hair, she's beautiful; but it's not those attributes which draws everyone's attention. The young teenage girl stumbling into the yard is covered in blood.Little Sister was an excellent introduction to this series for me. It was an uncomfortable read at times because of the story that Keely had to tell. Orphaned, both girls were placed into care and it was not a pretty story. Gytha Lodge has written a compelling story of crime fiction which not only twists and turns but also includes darker themes at its core. That said, the plot was well- developed, and executed. The story held my interest from start to finish- I did begin to piece the puzzle together but didn’t have a clue about the motive or how everything would eventually come together. DCI Jonah is relaxing at a bar while pondering his domestic problems. A young woman with blazing red hair stumbles out of the woods drenched with blood. She deliberately approaches the bar. Jonah is concerned, but she is not forthcoming in her answers. He learns that she is 16-year-old Keely Lennox and that she and her younger sister, Nina left an abusive care home five days earlier. She says she is alright, but the missing Nina should concern him. Whose blood is it? Is it Nina's? Did Keely injure or kill someone?

I had no clue who was responsible for the crime. Lodge does a great job of keeping multiple suspects a real possibility. Overall, I’d recommend this as a good instalment in a great series. I don’t think it is the strongest of the four novels so far, but I certainly found it compelling and engaging. With no trace of Aurora found, suspicions of foul play circle the group of friends for the next thirty years. I almost stopped reading this book because I found the story so contrived. It really seemed like a plan that an author would come up with, not a 16 year old girl. I did finish the book, but I remain unconvinced about the credibility of the plot. 3,5 stars which I am rounding up because at least I haven’t read this plot before. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.Nina is one of two sisters who disappeared, but Keely turns up in a pub garden covered in blood. From the off there’s unsettling suggestions that’s something is amis. Is Keeley an innocent victim? Where’s Nina now? Why is keeley covered in blood? So many questions to hold the readers’ attention. What follows is a dark, riveting tale of resentment, jealousy, manipulation and control and revenge.

Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens is on the trail in this “riveting” ( Publishers Weekly) crime novel from the acclaimed author of She Lies in Wait, Watching from the Dark, and Lie Beside Me The narrative alternates between Jonah, Juliette Hanson, a member of Jonah’s team and the young woman. I know this won't make much sense if you haven't read this, but it is the best way I can think to explain why the narrative took such a nose dive for me.On closer inspection, Jonah discerns that she seems unharmed. When he asks if he can help her, she merely smiles and says she’s okay, but that her sister, Nina, might need his assistance. Introducing herself as Keely, Jonah learns that the sisters vanished five days ago from their children’s home apparently of their own volition. With Keely now sitting across from him in an interview room, he dives into questions that will hopefully lead his team to wherever Nina might be. The girl's name is Keely Lennox. Keely insists she is fine; but DCI Sheens is concerned, as the amount of blood on Keely means, if not her, then 'someone' has sustained a serious injury. When Keely tells DCI Sheens that it's not her he should be worried about but her sister, Nina; Jonah is understandably anxious. This was not the finish to the afternoon Sheens was expecting. Now, after seeing Keely covered in blood; Sheens and his team find themselves in a race against time to locate the missing sister. The team was definitely challenged as Keely was hinting at clues to her sister's whereabouts as she told her story about their days in foster homes and as the team tried to interpret and figure out the clues they knew Keely was weaving into the story. Keeley fascinated me. She has all the makings of a psychopath, the ability to manipulate others, lie, and she shows no signs of remorse. But as Lodge scratches away at the layers of this complex character, there’s a hint of vulnerability that allows the reader to feel a great deal of compassion for this troubled character. You feel she is very much in charge of the narration, which constantly throws doubt on her story. It felt like she was playing a game, taunting Sheen at every opportunity. From the start I was loving this, but then there was one big twist that completely turned me off from it. I was so unhappy it went the way it did. It was like someone I really liked and enjoyed and was meshing with was stripped of their identity; was stripped of what drew me to them.

Aisling's two sons, Ethan and Finn, mean everything to her. Ever since becoming estranged from her own parents, though, she's always felt like a piece of herself is missing.

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There was a lot going on here and I enjoyed the detectives figuring out the clues (though some of them felt like a bit of a stretch). I enjoy a story with an unreliable narrator and you get this in Keely. I’ve seen others say that the twist was too confusing but I didn’t feel that way- I also didn’t see it coming at all, which is rare for me. There were a couple additional twists as well, and the entire story was fast paced from beginning to end.