Three Little Truths by Eithne Shortall @eithneshortall BLOG TOUR @CorvusBooks #ThreeLittleTruths #RandomThingsTours

On the idyllic Pine Road, three women are looking for a fresh start...

Martha was a force of nature, but since moving to Dublin under mysterious circumstances, she can't seem to find her footing.

Robin was the 'it' girl in school. Now she's back at her parents' with her four-year-old, vowing that her ex is out of the picture for good.

Edie has the perfect life, but she longs for a baby, the acceptance of her neighbours, and to find out why her dream husband is avoiding their dream future.

The friendships of these women will change their lives forever, revealing the secrets, rivalries and scandals that hide behind every door...

Three Little Truths by Eithne Shortall was published by Corvus Books on 3 October 2019. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour

I've been absolutely captivated by Three Little Truths; whilst suffering with a nasty cough and chest infection, this has been the perfect medicine for me. It's an absolute delight of a read and I was hooked in as soon as I began to read.

Pine Road is a collection of smart houses somewhere in Dublin. It's unusual in this day and age to have any real sense of community, but the residents on this road really go the extra mile to ensure that nothing, and nobody is missed. The story is led by the female residents, who, as a collective seem pretty damn scary to me. I'm not sure that I'd be allowed into their gang if I'm honest!

The three lead female characters; Martha, Robin and Edie couldn't be more different, yet they are all three perfectly formed. Martha is the newest resident; her family is a mystery to the more established residents. Edie is overjoyed to be the first Pine Road resident to meet Martha properly, and takes great thrill in reporting back to the WhatsApp group.  Yes, these women have a WhatsApp group for Pine Road Gossip; in fact there's more than on WhatsApp group and these are such fun to read.

Robin is a single mother, just returned home to live with her parents. Her relationship with Eddy is over as far as she's concerned; he's a bad boy and she's only just beginning to realise that whilst life with him was easy, it wasn't 'right'.

Eithne Shortall has created a community that is endearing, frustrating and at times laugh out loud funny. There's the overbearing Bernie and her sidekick Ellen, and lots of minor characters who just add joy to the mix. I loved every one of them; I loved listening in on their plans for the Pre Easter Street Party, and I loved seeing it all unravel around them.

Nestled in amongst the comedy, this clever and astute author has dealt with some darker issues, and she's done that very well too. Whilst these don't pull the overall feeling of the book down, they do add a depth that is welcome.

How well do you know your neighbours?  Who could guess what goes on behind closed doors?

Fabulous and recommended by me.

Eithne Shortall is an author and journalist. Her debut novel, Love in Row 27, has been published in 13 languages and the TV rights have been optioned by NBC/Universal. Grace After Henry (2018) was an international bestseller. It won Best Page Turner at the UK’s Big Book Awards and was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards. Her third novel – Three Little Truths – will be published in the UK and Ireland in October, 2019 and in North America in June, 2020.

Eithne is the chief arts writer with the Irish edition of the Sunday Times newspaper and a regular contributor to RTE Radio.

Eithne was born and grew up in Dublin, Ireland. She studied journalism at Dublin City University and spent four months living in West Virginia. She lived in Paris for a year in her early twenties and vaguely thought about writing. She went to London to write her first novel, Love in Row 27, which is set there. Her follow-up, Grace after Henry, is set in – and is partly a love letter to – Dublin, where she now lives. Three Little Truths is inspired by the Dublin cul-de-sac on which Eithne grew up – though her mother wishes she’d stop telling people this.

Eithne has been a regular contributor to RTE Radio for several years. She has worked as a TV presenter with RTE, BBC Northern Ireland and she fronted a music series, entitled Ceol ar an Imeall, for TG4.

Eithne is an avid cyclist, voracious reader, eater of sweets and lover of radio. Her Mastermind topic would be the life of Lucia Joyce, twentieth century Irish visual art, 1980s teen movies or Dawson’s Creek. It depends on the day.

Website : www.eithneshortall.com
Twitter : @eithneshortall