Bad Little Girl: A gripping psychological thriller with a BRILLIANT twist

Frances Vick

Feb 2017 · Bookouture

About this ebook

‘I’m not safe – you have to help me…’

Little Lorna Bell is from a notorious family on a rundown estate. Everyone thinks she’s a nasty piece of work. The schoolchildren call her a thief. But Lorna’s hair is matted, her shoes pinch her feet and school teacher Claire Penny can’t help herself; some kids just need a bit more support, a bit more love, than the rest.

As the bond between teacher and pupil grows stronger, Claire sees Lorna’s bruises, and digs to uncover the disturbing tale behind them. Heartbroken, Claire knows she has to act. She must make Lorna safe. 

Just when Claire thinks she has protected Lorna, a chance encounter brings enigmatic stranger Marianne Cairns into their lives. Marianne seems generous and kind but there is something about her story that doesn’t quite add up. Why does she feel so at home, and why is Lorna suddenly so unsettled? 

Claire has risked everything to save Lorna. But what can save Claire from the shocking truth?

An utterly unputdownable and darkly compelling read that will have fans of The Girl on the Train, The Sister, and Gone Girl absolutely hooked.

Ratings and reviews

The writing is incredibly droll and unrealistic; I couldn't get past page 42 of this book. Everytime I picked it up, I felt like I was basically reading the same thing, over and over, written new ways. And I'm not saying this as a casual reader; from Emily Bronte, Shakespeare, and Egdar Allen Poe to modern writers like Terry Goodkind and G.R.R Martin, I love reading. I will force myself to make it through the copious battle "scenes" in every book of the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy when I pick those up for another re-read. But NOT this book. CONTAINS SPOILERS: A little child steals some erasers. Good God, how evil that child must be! The way the writer describes every adults reaction to this child's mistake, you'd think stealing was new concept to them. They all treat this extremely young child as though she murdered an entire litter of kittens and laughed about it. No rational adult in the REAL WOLRD would treat a child that way over a mistake with some erasers.

Lorna Bell is 8 years old. Kids that age don't notice the dirty clothes, shoes that don't quite fit, uncombed hair and the bruises. But they do know a thief when they see one. Not everyone likes Lorna at all. Claire Penny is a teacher. She's a truly good-hearted person who takes an interest in Lorna. Her feeling is that some kids need more loving and attention than others. Lorna thrives on the attention ... she loves Miss Penny....wants to be with her all the time. She tells Miss Penny ... I'm not safe. Please help me. And Miss Penny does something rash ...... Marianne Cairns bungles into their lives. Who is Marianne ..... why does she feel so comfortable in Miss Penny's home? Why does Lorna love "Auntie" Marianne? Why is Lorna acting up all of a sudden? Claire has risked everything in order to 'save' Lorna. This is a story of love and hate .... of lies and deceit .... of manipulation of the worst kind. If you like psychological thrillers, you MUST read this one. To be honest, I didn't like any of the characters. But that's alright ... I think it was written that way. Who to like ..or dislike? Who to trust .. or be wary of? Who is telling the truth ... and who isn't? The book is quite suspenseful and the ending came as a surprise. I wish to thank the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the Advanced Copy of this novel. The opinion expressed here is unbiased and entirely my own.

I really enjoyed the different characters, they were described so well that they really stuck out in your mind. I wasn't sure how it was going to end, but it was a surprise. Would read Ms. Vicks again.