May 3rd 2017, 21:11

Little Deaths is a tense and dark mystery that will play on your mind long after you have finished it. Emma Flint’s debut novel is loosely based on a real life case of Alice Crimmins who was blamed for the deaths of her two children. Little Deaths is concerned with Ruth Malone, a single mother who is held responsible and then harassed by the police for her children going missing.

The novel cleverly portrays the terrible way women are vilified by the press, the police and partners for not grieving or behaving in ways they deem appropriate. Throughout reading Little Deaths you'll want to throw the book at various characters for being sexist pigs but you won't be able to stop reading! As the story progresses you are kept guessing at whom is responsible for the children’s disappearance...

Once I started Little Deaths, I found it hard to put down! Although it has a dark subject matter it is beautifully and expertly written. I will be sharing my copy of the book with my friends. Emma Flint was quite rightly long-listed for the Baileys Prize as Little Deaths is an impressive debut and I look forward to what she writes next.

Mar 21st 2017, 13:18

Little Deaths is Emma Flint's debut novel, a fictional account of the Alice Crimmins murder case from 1960s New York.
I did approach this book with trepidation, the thought of reading about a mother who had possibly murdered her two young children left me feeling cold. I learned pretty early on that, whilst the subject matter is, at times, hard to digest, the story is told in such a way that you feel quite removed from the horror.
We never truly get to see inside Ruth’s head, (this would probably give too much away in any case) instead the story is told through a variety of characters following or involved in the case, my favourite of which was Pete Wonicke, the reporter following the case. He seems to become obsessed with the case, his first big story, but also with Ruth herself and through his eyes it’s possible to almost feel sorry for Ruth. He puts you at the centre of the story and gives quite a different perspective than most of the other characters.
I thoroughly enjoyed being taken to 1960’s New York and whilst I found it heart wrenching in places, the way the story unfolds and wraps itself around you was a pleasant experience.
Emma Flint did a cracking job here and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Mar 13th 2017, 13:01

Having never read, or indeed heard of, Emma Flint before, I was eager to my teeth into this book. The title, Little Deaths, suggested that this was right up my street in terms of the usual genre that I like to read and although it was not the ‘knitty gritty’ type of crime fiction that I was expecting I was nevertheless hooked.

Set in the summer of 1965 in Queens, Little Deaths tells the tale of a single mother of two, Ruth Malone who is struggling with the reality of what her life has to offer versus the life that she could have had. However when her children, Frankie Jr and Cindy, go missing in the middle of the night and later turn up dead, Ruth Malone in the prime suspect.

Told from the point of view of Pete Wonicke, a young journalist trying to make a name for himself, he is torn between writing a story that sells or printing the truth. Initially Peter tries to paint a picture of a woman who is perfectly groomed, has multiple sexual partners and does not appear to be troubled by the death of her children. Despite this, he soon starts to believe that he, along with the lead detective on the case – Devlin, are mistaken and he soon becomes embroiled and obsessed with trying to prove Mrs Malone’s innocence.
Apparently based on a true story, Little Deaths shows just how damning public opinion can be. Neighbours, friends and strangers alike formed an opinion of a woman who put on a front and upheld her image even in the most desperate of times. The fact that Mrs Malone had a reputation for not meeting the standard expectations of a 1960’s traditional housewife must obviously mean that she is guilty.

Little Deaths is brilliantly written with plenty of twists and turns along the way. Flint expertly ensures that the reader changes their minds continuously and with each chapter leading one to rethink what was previously thought, I could not wait to reach the end and I certainly was not disappointed!

Feb 2nd 2017, 22:17

So much has changed for women since the sixties: sexual emancipation, equality laws, maternity rights and increasing numbers of females in positions of power and influence.

So little has changed for women since the sixties: everyday sexism remains commonplace, the gender pay gap very real and, most relevant here, women are still routinely judged in the media and are heavily criticised for the choices they make and the image that they project.

With all this in mind, Little Deaths is so much more than a crime novel. It made me feel nauseated, deeply uneasy and furious in equal measure. The story is fictional but inspired by an actual case in 1960’s New York. Alice Crimmins (in Emma Flint’s novel, Ruth Malone) discovered her two children missing from their locked bedroom in the family’s apartment. They were later found dead and Alice subjected to intense scrutiny from the police and media based mainly on her appearance and sexuality rather than the evidence of the case, eventually being convicted of their murder. She was released on appeal and the crime is unsolved to this day.

The death of the children in this story is therefore no spoiler; it is clear from the title, the dust jacket and the first pages of the story that this will be a murder case. Despite that, the way that Emma Flint builds layer after layer of history, tension and social judgement into her storytelling makes each development of the plot come as a wrench.

Little Deaths is told in alternating voices of Ruth Malone and Pete Wonicke, the reporter who follows, and becomes entrenched in, the evolving events. The voices are kept at a distance, both being third person, which gives the book a certain tone of the movie theatre. Even the name ‘Ruth Malone’ has a ring of 1950’s detective noir. By constructing her narratives in this way, readers are allowed a deeper understanding of the motivations driving these two characters. For anyone who has ever done something and not quite known why, I’m sure you’d appreciate the thoughtful explanation of a floating author!

Understanding Ruth is key to appreciating the importance of her subjugation by the police and media. It is clear from Pete’s building obsession that she inspires strong reactions in the males with whom she comes into contact, and where news reports are shown in accurate format we can see exactly how the community have formed their opinion of her. Balanced with our insight into the torment inside Ruth’s head we are challenged with a massive contrast that is painful.

“They knew nothing of guilt. They were not mothers”, we hear in Ruth’s internal monologue. The disgusted gaze of the police and media are clearly designed to break her spirit; the men are brutal and harsh. Their contempt is held up against Ruth’s own self-hatred: a female guilt that exists as a result of the society of the time (which still exists around us, by the way). That guilt is based on the portrayal of unrealistic models of the ideal female. Lover. Wife. Mother. Idealised images that are impossible to maintain, and with no margin for difference all women become touched with failure.

Despite the inclination of society to abhor this way of representing a woman - the swearing, promiscuity and disdain, Ruth is an extremely sympathetic character. She is flawed and damaged but incapable of doing anything other than surviving and I was rooting for her throughout.

Again and again our media places mothers in the spotlight and seeks to destroy them. From the tabloids who, in reporting the disappearance of Madeline McCann, claimed that her mother Kate was not distressed enough to the recent furore in the entertainment press about Victoria Beckham kissing her daughter Harper on the lips. As you read Little Deaths, these real life echoes of a world that should know better feed your discomfort.

Little Deaths is utterly readable; I struggled to put it down at the same time as I almost couldn’t bear to read another word. At its core it poses a question about the judgement of women by those around them; by men, by the media and, most worrying of all, by other women.

A phenomenal achievement. Little Deaths is one of those so-very-rare accomplishments: a lightning fast, heart-pounding, psychologically resonant crime novel that effortlessly transcends genre. If you believed that literary fiction can't be a one-sitting read, think again -- Jeffery Deaver Utterly atmospheric and with style to burn, Emma Flint's Little Deaths is a novel that troubles and transfixes from its simmering first pages all the way to its searing final words -- Megan Abbott Wrenching and real and deeply moving. I fell fast and hard under the spell of this lush, moody, film noir of a novel -- Chris Bohjalian A stunning feat . . . Ruth Malone's descent into hell is a riveting tale of bad luck, heartbreak and prejudice, written with the pace of a thriller and the rich detail of a historical novel -- Jane Casey A gripping read that is at the same time deeply real. A beautifully written and realized debut. I absolutely loved it. * Kate Hamer, author of The Girl In The Red Coat * Destined to make waves this year. In the evocative Little Deaths by Emma Flint, two young children are brutally killed in New York in 1965. Is their mother guilty of murder or simply guilty of defying society's norms? * Express * I absolutely believed in the setting: the sleaze, the corruption and the glamour. The dialogue is pitch perfect and Ruth Malone is a complex and fascinating character. This is a novel about sex, obsession and discrimination, but it's also a thriller that keeps you guessing until the last page -- Ann Cleeves Emma Flint's debut is compelling and atmospheric. * Emerald Street * Her writing is by turns gutsy, involving and vivid.The story left an overwhelmingly poignant impression on me . . . a wonderful book -- ?Janet Ellis, author of The Butcher's Hook? Involving and atmospheric and immensely gripping -- Sophie Hannah An excellent debut . . . unsparing and convincing -- The Times Book of the Month There's plenty of buzz around Emma Flint's evocative debut thriller inspired by a true crime story and filled with murder, sex and obsession during a heatwave in Sixties New York * Daily Telegraph * Guilt, loneliness and trial by tabloid are explored in this fascinating debut . . . Steaming with the heat of a New York July, Little Deaths is redolent of 60s noir . . . where Little Deaths excels is in its portrayals of different kinds of loneliness . . . this fascinating debut suggests [Flint's next novel] will be one to watch out for -- Observer Book of the Month A hotly tipped debut destined to make waves this year . . . evocative * Daily Express * As dark as any period noir and simmering with tension * Express S Magazine * I absolutely believed the setting: the sleaze, the corruption and the glamour. The dialogue is pitch perfect and Ruth Malone is a complex and fascinating woman . . . This is a novel about sex, obsession and discrimination, but it's also a thriller that keeps us guessing until the last page -- Ann Cleeves * Big Issue * Heart-pounding feminist thriller . . . a heady and haunting read * Elle * Flint gives the femme fatale back her soul . . . an engaging read * Literary Review * This is one writer who is definitely going places * Crime Scene magazine * Little Deaths convinces as a meticulously detailed period piece, a searching exploration of sexual hypocrisy and a twisty and enthralling murder mystery . . . Flint writes superbly . . . with something of the hallucinatory force of Eoin McNamee's Blue trilogy and the dark fire of Megan Abbott's early noirs . . . It's an absorbing, seductive read; I absolutely loved it * Irish Times * Accomplished . . . deftly done . . . finely observed . . . wonderfully written . . . excellent . . . gripping . . . Flint writes powerfully . . . absolutely riveting . . . a strong and confident addition to the growing trend of domestic dystopias * Guardian * A pageturner . . . A terrifying, evocative read . . . compelling * Glamour * Inspired by true events, this thrilling suspense story will make you question your loyalties at every turn * Harpers Bazaar * Blowing apart stereotypes of mothers and femme fatales, Flint has marked herself out as one to watch * Stylist * Even though Flint is British, she nails the voices with authority . . . Flint is scrupulous about centering this moody thriller in the facts, yet giving them a deeper psychological spin . . . atmospheric and plausible * Washington Post *