Little Nothings
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Liv Travers never knew real friendship until she met fellow mums Beth and Binnie. The three women become soul mates as they muddle through early parenthood. Then along comes Ange… Ambitious, wealthy and somehow able to do it all.
Under Ange’s guiding presence, the group finds new vigour and fresh aspirations – bigger houses, better schools, dinners at exclusive restaurants. But Liv can’t keep up and is increasingly edged out.
When the four families take a three-week trip to a luxurious holiday resort, Liv seizes the opportunity to reclaim her place at the heart of the group, only to discover the true, devastating cost of a friendship with Ange.
Set over the course of a single, life-changing trip to a Greek island paradise, Little Nothings is a sly, suspenseful novel about female bonds turned toxic, and the desperate ends one woman will go to keep her friends close – and her enemy closer.
UK Publication | Bloomsbury, Raven | May 22 (HB), Jul 23 (PB)
US Publication | Bloomsbury | Jun 2022 (HB)
As a TV Series
Selected for Seriencamp Writer’s Vision Pitch 2024 | Pilot script available on request.
UK Press
“Mayhew is brilliant on women and the complex ways in which their relationships can turn destructive. A true single-sitting read”
- Author, Alex Marwood
“Little Nothings delivers some searing and uncomfortable truths about motherhood and female friendship. Beautifully drawn characters, thrown together in the pressure cooker nightmare that is a group holiday. Entirely and chillingly relatable”
- Author, Sarah Naughton
“Devilishly clever and beautifully written” - Author, Alice Clark-Platts
“Riveting” -Crime Monthly
“A shocking tale about loneliness, modern motherhood and toxic friendships” - Woman’s Own
“The compelling psyche of Liv, her inability to understand functioning relationships with those around her, including her husband and daughter, underpins the entire narrative, and her characterisation was both relatable and unsettling… This almost genre-defying novel encompasses physiological thriller and holiday romance in one deeply engaging story. It’s the perfect summer holiday read” - The Courier & Advertiser, Scotland
US Press
“…palpable anxiety, desperation, and rage drive the diabolical plot to a calamitous conclusion. Lucy Foley fans, take note” ~ Publishers Weekly
“Mayhew explores both the affirming side of female friendships and the darker currents of judgmental talk, financial peer pressure, and neediness. The most interesting part of the book is Liv, who’s the narrator, for she is often not a terribly sympathetic character. Yet there is something admirable in how she fights to recognize and celebrate her true, autonomous self, even if that person is inherently selfish and grudging” - Kirkus Reviews
“[Mayhew] writes relatable, credible characters, rarely defaults to cliche, and has interesting thoughts about class structures and socioeconomic realities along with her clear-eyed critique of the complex and dynamics that exist between, well, human beings. It’s a highly enjoyable novel that ought not be ghetto-ized as a beach book…” - The Arkansas Democrat Gazette
ANZ Press
“In Little Nothings, Julie Mayhew so expertly feeds your dislike of the villainess that when our protagonist, Liv, gets together with a new friend and plans her murder, you’re totally on board, if a bit taken aback by the enthusiasm you feel… Is Liv the perfect heroine, someone we really want to root for, or is she a flawed character herself? It’s wonderful stuff, the book’s title alluding to all the little nothings that Ange does to throw Liv under the bus, what Liv calls “everyday abuses”. Mayhew certainly gives Liane Moriarty a run for her money” - The Listener, NZ
“A fun page-turner set on a Greek island paradise… This book balances edge-of-your-seat tension with gossipy fun as the friendships turn toxic, leading to a disturbing twist at the end. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Louise Candlish” - The Australian
“Liv [is] a compelling protagonist that you inevitably feel deeply for… ….Ange is anything but one-dimensional; she’s a woman who gets what she wants by giving others what they need, usually attention. Her character arc in this makes for great reading, and as the novel progresses, the tension rises. It’s a one-sitting read, at times uncomfortable but always entertaining. And the twist at the end – which I won’t ruin for you here – is as disturbing as they come” -Better Reading, Australia
“And to achieve this satisfying result—this wonderful catharsis—an author cannot play nice, nor pull their punches. They must ‘really go there’—show the reader how bad things are, or were, or can be. Because without this initial acknowledgment of the awfulness of a situation, the journey to redemption and resolution means nothing, a reader feels nothing, only a sense of grievance towards the writer…”
Read Julie’s CrimeReads article The Case For Catharsis in Crime Fiction, about the writing of Little Nothings…