Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Unavailable
Big Little Lies
Unavailable
Big Little Lies
Unavailable
Big Little Lies
Audiobook15 hours

Big Little Lies

Written by Liane Moriarty

Narrated by Caroline Lee

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

Currently unavailable

Currently unavailable

About this audiobook

Sometimes it's the little lies that turn out to be the most lethal.

A murder…A tragic accident…Or just parents behaving badly? What's indisputable is that someone is dead.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She's funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive.

Editor's Note

On the surface…

Don’t judge a book by its cover. The grass isn’t always greener. We’ve heard the cliches before, but “Big Little Lies” is a fresh look at the complicated dynamics often lurking just below the carefully painted facade of our lives.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateJul 29, 2014
ISBN9780698163911
Unavailable
Big Little Lies
Author

Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is the number-one New York Times bestselling author of Big Little Lies, The Husband's Secret, and What Alice Forgot, as well as The Hypnotist's Love Story, Three Wishes, The Last Anniversary, and the Nicola Berry series for children. Liane lives in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two children. www.lianemoriarty.com.au

More audiobooks from Liane Moriarty

Related to Big Little Lies

Related audiobooks

Thrillers For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Big Little Lies

Rating: 4.247184848528878 out of 5 stars
4/5

2,753 ratings248 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I enjoyed this book. It's partly a who-dunnit (and to whom); but it's also a story of friendship, genetic dispositions, domestic violence and a small community where issues and loyalties get blown all out of proportion. Great story and good pacing...it's a page-turner that leaves you something to think about.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret was the first book categorized as women’s fiction which I ever read and it instantly hooked me on the genre. In Big Little Lies, Moriarty has once again mixed a story of domestic life with tension, suspense, and mystery. Her ability to combine a story about family life with the pacing of a thriller is like that of no other author I’ve ever read. It’s thought-provoking, making you question what might be hiding behind the facade of normalcy in your daily life. I think it also emphasizes the importance of family life, making you emotionally invested in the character’s daily struggles and showing you the worst case consequences when everything falls apart. Another quality I recognized from The Husband’s Secret was Moriarty’s ability to create a diverse cast of believable women. Despite the third-person narration, it was always possible to tell whose perspective we were following.

    Personally, I think that with Big Little Lies, Moriarty has surpassed even her previous work. The women in this story are dealing with some of the toughest issues women commonly face. By contrast, in The Husband’s Secret, there is one incredibly tough situation and several normal situations. The fact that in this book, the normal collides with the impossibly difficult made the story much more emotional. Each woman in the story has relatable concerns and strengths and insecurities. Even though I hope that all of you share my lack of experience with their difficult circumstances, I also hope you’ll share my joy and sorrow watching the three of them overcome situations anyone could find themselves in throughout this challenging, beautiful book.

    This review first published at Doing Dewey.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hilarious and thought-provoking tale about the conflicts that arise among families of kindergarten students from the first day of orientation. Moriarty's characters reveal their deepest longings, fears, and utter humanity in their everyday struggles to get along and to impress one another. The stakes escalate from the misbehavior of the children to the over-the-top misbehaviors of their parents. This is a fast-paced story that will stick in your hand.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I’m not always a fan of books found on the mass paperback bestseller list, but Moriarty pulled me into this complicates story involving parents of a small school. From the very wealthy to a single mom who refuses to tell who the father of her child is, the characters have depth. The ending was surprising.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A rollicking good read. A whodunnit with wit and empathy. Kindergarten mums in a close knit community, small actions blow out of proportion and build and build. Beautifully paced and wryly observed.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I expected this book to be adult contemporary fluff, but loved it SO much. Once I got started, I was totally pulled in and couldn’t wait to finish it. I had a hunch about one character’s true identity, but overall I didn’t know what the ending would be, and that’s always a nice treat when reading a book. I’m already reading more by this author.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Overall, I really enjoyed it
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Hilarious and haunting. A story about domestic abuse, friendship and primary school mums.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This was great. It started out slow and gimmicky and why-do-I-care-about-all-these-characters-y, but the characters grew up and the plot caught speed. Moriarty explores some interesting themes, for these women and their families.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A page turner!
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    The best thing about this book is the character development. Everyone in it is so fully actualized that it gives the book a sense of depth and reality that one seldom experiences. While I figured out most of the "twists", it was still fun to watch the story unfold itself and there were several turns that I didn't anticipate. The biggest surprise for me was the moral complexity of the book. There was a depth of thought that I don't generally expect from thrillers, and it was delightful.The most disappoint aspect was that it went on a bit long well after I felt it should have ended. The best aspect was the single most satisfying killing I've ever had the pleasure to read.The vocal performance was solid and it was easy to distinguish all the characters. There was, however, for me, something tremendously annoying about how the words "Oh calamity!" were said. As you well know, if you've read the book, they do get said an awful lot.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I am a big fan of Liane Moriarty. It doesn't seem to matter what her books are about; I'm just always immediately sucked in. Sometimes it's a huge relief not to have to work to be interested in the story. I adored at least four or five of the characters (it's possible I actually want to move to Australia and live in this town with these people), and the plot twist was surprising and yet, in retrospect, seemingly inevitable.

    As always, there are deep relationship issues being explored here, especially the fraught ties between husbands and their wives, and the myriad ways in which those ties can disintegrate. There's also commentary on modern parenting, bullying, and domestic violence -- the latter of which receives thorough and realistic treatment.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A guilty pleasure of a book. Reading this made me want to watch the show. The characters are engaging, and there's so much gossip.

    I listened to the audio book, which made it even better. Australian accents, good command of tone.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this book. This is the second book I have read by this author and I can't get enough of her work. Great story. Kept me on my toes the entire time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    "rabck from maggiesma; Although set in Australia, the story could have occurred anywhere.From the beginning, you know that one of the kindergarten parent's was killed -but who & how? Accident? Murder? The book introduces most of the parents, with three of the Moms in depth, and different parts of the police interviews woven in with the back stories. Quite good."
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I downloaded this pretty much the moment I finished 'What Alice Forgot.' And thanks to Ms. Moriarty I didn't get nearly as much sleep as I planned to on this trip home because I couldn't put THIS book down, either.

    The book is told from the perspectives of three different women, all parents of kindergartners at a school that has much economic diversity. At the end (and sometimes beginning) of each chapter, there are quotes from what turn out to be statements to the police, because someone gets murdered at trivia night. But, thanks to Ms. Moriarty's clever story-telling, we don't know WHO gets murdered until very near to the end of the book. And why they do, depending on who it is, could be one of many reasons.

    I really, really enjoyed this style of storytelling. It was compelling as hell. The characters were interesting. The women weren't all one-note, or all the same. The men were probably a bit less complex, but eh. I've read loads of stories over the years where the women (if they were even in the books much) were very generic and the men complex, so I'm fine with this.

    I don't know if I should have enjoyed this book as much as I did. In some respects it did seem to be making fun of some parents and their concerns, at least a little bit. But who knows, maybe that's appropriate. I’m super excited to learn that it’s being made into a short-term series for HBO. I will watch the hell out of that.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I really want to give this 2.5 stars. Very gossipy. I read it for a book club. Not really my genre. Once the book got to the exciting part, it ended quickly. All that for just a few minutes of excitement that was not really that exciting. I did think it brought out a good point about abuse. Even nice people have their moments and should not be allowed to abuse because they are nice the rest of the time.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fast and funny. This book was just what I needed over Memorial Day weekend--relatable, flawed women doing their best in difficult situations, people who looked like they had perfect lives, but didn't. I'd seen a couple of episodes of the series, but not the whole thing. I really liked having the access to the lead characters' thoughts. I can see how they tried to give you the same access in the tv series, but it's not quite the same. I enjoyed the episodes I saw, but I think I prefer the plot of the book. I did like, though, picturing the actresses as I read the book.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I loved this! I just wanted to read it all in one sitting. It's funny, because at first I was a bit worried it was chick-lit. But there is a deeper core to this book, tackling issues that I wasn't expecting. And I think it did so in a respectful way, if not necessarily always a realistic one. I loved how the story built up whilst all the time teasing you with the climax. I thought the characters were all likeable or detestable as appropriate, and I really enjoyed the humour. Probably being the parent of a five year old helped me really tune in to the kindergarten drama the book revolves around!

    I'm excited to finally see the tv adaptation now.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Celeste, Madeleine and Jane - all mothers of the Kindergarten children. What starts with playground parents taking sides soon begins to reveal how many secrets are hidden and lies are told. Until it all comes to a head on the night of the Trivia Quiz.Ingeniously woven between snippets after the night and events leading up to it, Not only are you kept guessing on who is murdered, but also who did it. It proves again that you never know what is happening behind people's front doors.A brilliant book.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    I can't give it less because it seems truthful in its intent to raise awareness and start conversations about domestic violence. However, as is so often this case with writers of lesser talent, writing about a serious subject produces a heavy-handed moral lesson of a novel. There's little mystery, the "surprises" are obvious, and the didactic moments are plentiful. Most of the characters are cardboard. The feeble attempts at lightheartedness with these peripheral figures trivialize the novel. The novel too often seeks cheap laughs at the cliches of the "suburban wife" the "yoga woman" the "mousey one" and the character of Madeline who is just a ball of stereotypes (see labored digressions on her love of shopping, irreverent behavior, and PMS). In the end, this is young adult fiction of simple themes, ideas, and vocabulary aimed at adults who don't read anything challenging. Although it's no fault of the writer, there's a completely asinine quote from Entertainment Weekly on the back cover, "The secrets burrowed in this seemingly placid small town...are so suburban noir they would make David Lynch clap with glee." Whoever wrote that must never have seen a David Lynch production. There is ABSOLUTELY NO COMPARISON between the artistry of Twin Peaks and Blue Velvet and this simple little story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I love this book so much, I cannot adequately express it. I think I need at least two copies of this book - one to read, and one to press into other people's hands. Such real, imperfect, delicious beauty! So delicate, intricate, deep, and accessible!

    Just read it - then you'll understand how amazing it is :)
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book really should be made into a movie. It's really good and would make for a good drama movie. I really liked the suspense and plot twist. I was thinking I knew who had died but had no clue up until the end. Fabulously easy and great read. Will recommend it to friends.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What a great book! I looked forward to my daily commute so that I could hear some more. Strong characters, quirky dialogue and creative storytelling make this one of my top reads for 2017 (so far).
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fantastic, funny and dark murder mystery in the manner of a Tom Perrotta title, except in suburban Australia. Loved the female friendships, the humour mixed with really dark psychological stuff, and the suspense. Super recommended!
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Liane Moriarity writes an enjoyable book presenting the unpleasant topic of domestic violence. Her main characters are well developed. The book starts with something unpleasant happening at a school fundraising event. The suspense is maintained throughout the story.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    If I could give it more than five stars I would
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    A new boy starts kindergarten and is soon accused of bullying, resulting in the parents taking sides in a feud that eventually ends in death.The stories of three mums (single mum Jane, remarried Madeline and always-distracted Celeste) and their relationships, hopes and fears are at the heart of this book. Very funny and down-to-earth, often poignant, this book is fun and engaging, and will keep you turning the pages right up until the end.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Not a single false note.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book. I had it on my list for years, and hadn't gotten to it. (I LOVE some of Liane Moriarty's books and think the others are ok.) When I saw HBO made a miniseries of Big Little Lies, I bumped it up on my list so I could read it before watching it. I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see what they did with it in the miniseries. I assume they wouldn't have gotten the cast they did without it being good. One thing I appreciated in this book is that there was one thing I didn't see coming. It starts near the end of the book and most of the book is flashing back to times before the main incident at the beginning of the book. I figured out MANY things that happen - connections, etc. before I learned about them in the book, but there was actually a twist I hadn't figured out for sure.I'm really glad we got HBO for free, so I can enjoy it. Not sure how I feel about them expanding beyond the book, but they did that with Game of Thrones, so why not?