The White Lie by Andrea Gillies

From Goodreads

On a hot summer's afternoon, Ursula Salter runs sobbing from the loch on her parents' Scottish estate and confesses, distraught, that she has killed Michael, her 19-year old-nephew. But what really happened? No body can be found, and Ursula's story is full of contradictions. In order to protect her, the Salters come up with another version of events, a decision that some of them will come to regret. Years later, at a family gathering, a witness speaks up and the web of deceit begins to unravel. What is the white lie? Only one person knows the whole truth. Narrating from beyond the grave, Michael takes us to key moments in the past, looping back and back until - finally - we see what he sees.

My thoughts

Where to begin with this one?  I was looking forward to this book when I started it.  I'd randomly picked it off the shelves in my local Library and deep down I wish I'd left it there.

Why might you ask am I saying that I wish I'd left it there.  As I wasn't that keen on it.  I don't find it easy giving up on books and I persevered and read it all the way through.  I can't say that there were any redeeming things about it.   

Narrated by Michael who was either killed or has gone missing, this story rambles on and on.  With a large list of characters, with a family tree at the beginning of the book to help you remember who is who.  You will still get confused and wonder who is who, I know I did.  I didn't relate to any of the characters and couldn't have cared less about who did what to who.

I feel that the story could have been told in a lot less pages and would have been a far more gripping book.

Only read this if you've got time to watch paint dry as it's very similar.  3/10.