Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty

Someone has been killed at the annual school trivia night after an all-out brawl erupted among warring factions of parents. We don’t find out the identity of the victim until the end of the book, but on the way there we find out about the factions and what led to the war. Feisty Madeline is the heart and soul of the whitebread beachside community of Pirrawee. Loyal and outspoken, she sometimes gets it very wrong. Young single mum Jane is a newcomer with an awful secret in her past, which is made easy for the reader to guess. Beautiful Celeste has the seemingly perfect life – a lovely home, wealthy and attentive husband and twin boys, but she is living a lie. These three unlikely friends support each other through a tricky six months of personal challenges and school politics leading up to the death. A Greek chorus of other parents provide insight and misinformation about the situation leading up to the tragedy. It is no surprise to find out who died, but the identity of the person who caused the death is something of a shock twist, which nevertheless makes sense. A social study more than a murder mystery, the novel features engaging characters with breadth and depth. Its short, sharp chapters make for an easy read that is hard to put down. It has been made into a mini-series starring Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley and Nicole Kidman, which is reported to be a good adaptation despite its transportation to America.