Scan barcode
sharonrhh's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
elliemcc11's review against another edition
3.0
This was a perfect holiday read, probably best classed as women's fiction. There wasn't a romance read so much, rather it was an exploration of relationships and truths.
Neither of the main characters were particularly likable, and both were flawed. The story was told by their alternatively viewpoints - one character in the present, the other in the past. The basic plot was that a couple with not a lot of cash get lucky and buy an amazing house on an amazing street for a knockdown price. Of course they begin to question why. It becomes clear that the other people on the street are a little guarded and are not quite telling the truth about some mystery that has happened recently. The Frasers of the title were a rich couple who had renovated the house and then disappeared in mysterious circumstances. This is not a whodunnit though, there's no blood on the carpet or murders to solve. This is a story of manipulation, lies, half-truths, and betrayal.
I would read other books by the author and thank the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy.
Neither of the main characters were particularly likable, and both were flawed. The story was told by their alternatively viewpoints - one character in the present, the other in the past. The basic plot was that a couple with not a lot of cash get lucky and buy an amazing house on an amazing street for a knockdown price. Of course they begin to question why. It becomes clear that the other people on the street are a little guarded and are not quite telling the truth about some mystery that has happened recently. The Frasers of the title were a rich couple who had renovated the house and then disappeared in mysterious circumstances. This is not a whodunnit though, there's no blood on the carpet or murders to solve. This is a story of manipulation, lies, half-truths, and betrayal.
I would read other books by the author and thank the publisher and Netgalley for this review copy.
vctoriaj's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault
Minor: Emotional abuse and Child abuse
dunksx4's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoyed this! But the ending ties up one couples end (mostly), but leaves out the other main couple. And I was more invested in one than the other
herreadingroom's review against another edition
4.0
Set firmly in well heeled suburbia, this is the story of Christy and Joe Davenport who buy 40 Lime Park Road for an absolute song. It's not long before Christy starts to question why the previous occupants left in such a hurry and what the real reason is for the bargain price they paid for their dream home. On top of this, the cold reception they receive from their new neighbours adds further fuel to Christy's quest to get to the bottom of the mystery. At times the plot appears maddeningly slow to unravel and reach its peak but this, I felt, gives reader a great degree of empathy for Christy as she tries to find answers and insight into her frustration at everyone's silence. The author deftly weaves the tale, told from both Christy's perspective and also the perspective of the previous occupant, Amber Fraser.
Brilliantly told and cleverly crafted, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read which kept me turning the pages eager to find the answer to the sudden departure myself. Highly recommended.
Brilliantly told and cleverly crafted, this was a thoroughly enjoyable read which kept me turning the pages eager to find the answer to the sudden departure myself. Highly recommended.
julie7's review
3.5
3.5 ⭐ =Quite Good.
This was certainly an easy to read, page turner.
It was a little bit samey until near the end and I must admit that I was expecting more of a twist at the end... but it was okay.
This was certainly an easy to read, page turner.
It was a little bit samey until near the end and I must admit that I was expecting more of a twist at the end... but it was okay.
m3l89's review against another edition
2.0
This is a book I have picked up so many times but never read, until now. TSDOTF starts with Christy entering her new home alone while her husband Joe is at work. Initially the author explores that familiar feeling of being in someone else's house when you first move somewhere new and the couple speculate about what would make someone redecorate fully and then move out so quickly.
The characters were introduced gradually, which is a Godsend in books like this which involve neighbours where there are lots of characters interacting with each other frequently and where allegiances change frequently.
This wasn’t for me. I didn’t warm to any of the characters, which made the book a real slog to the finish. Disappointing for me, but I am sure Louise Candlish’s legion of fans will relish this story.
The characters were introduced gradually, which is a Godsend in books like this which involve neighbours where there are lots of characters interacting with each other frequently and where allegiances change frequently.
This wasn’t for me. I didn’t warm to any of the characters, which made the book a real slog to the finish. Disappointing for me, but I am sure Louise Candlish’s legion of fans will relish this story.
rach_reads_books's review against another edition
3.0
Really invested in the characters and wanted to know how both their lives ended up but then it just finished, abruptly, which left me feeling a little cheated. Easy read if you like light thriller.
faysieh's review against another edition
5.0
I listened to the audio version of this book.
I am a fan of all Louise Candlish's books, so whether I read them or listen to them, the reading experience is always top-notch.
This particular tale had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. Set across 2012 and 2013 and located in Lime Park Road, South London, we enter the house at number 40, now occupied by Joe and Christy Davenport but only recently vacated by Jeremy and Amber Fraser.
Christy is made redundant very quickly and Joe has been promoted to partner, working long hours, so Christy fills her time people watching from her window. She can't quite understand the dynamics between the neighbours, especially when they are less than friendly towards her, and even more so when no-one turns up for their welcome drinks evening.
I loved the flitting back and forth between the two years, hearing the story unfold as told by the two central female characters, Christy and Amber. There is a lot of suspicion, lots of hidden secrets and the big question is why did the Frasers, having spent a fortune renovating their house, up and leave within the year?
Christy embarks upon a personal quest to understand and in doing so stirs up the past in a way which unsettles the residents of Lime Park Road. We are treated to Candlish's trademark analysis of human relationships and how obsessions can rule us. All very riveting!
The beautiful scenery and setting descriptions and the vivid voices of the two narrators capture the minutiae of domestic daily life and the heady, destructive powers of attraction. The unbelievable nature of one woman's ability to lie and get away with it, is astounding and there are some deliciously dark aspects to the novel, by way of next door neighbour, journalist Rob Whalen. I became desperate to know why the Frasers had left and as the secrets unravel, there are plenty of small connections and little twists to delight the reader.
The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is about addiction and how lies can escalate to the point of ruining a person's reputation. However, I am not lying when I declare I became addicted to the storyline!
A book I can highly recommend to others
I am a fan of all Louise Candlish's books, so whether I read them or listen to them, the reading experience is always top-notch.
This particular tale had me hooked from the very beginning to the very end. Set across 2012 and 2013 and located in Lime Park Road, South London, we enter the house at number 40, now occupied by Joe and Christy Davenport but only recently vacated by Jeremy and Amber Fraser.
Christy is made redundant very quickly and Joe has been promoted to partner, working long hours, so Christy fills her time people watching from her window. She can't quite understand the dynamics between the neighbours, especially when they are less than friendly towards her, and even more so when no-one turns up for their welcome drinks evening.
I loved the flitting back and forth between the two years, hearing the story unfold as told by the two central female characters, Christy and Amber. There is a lot of suspicion, lots of hidden secrets and the big question is why did the Frasers, having spent a fortune renovating their house, up and leave within the year?
Christy embarks upon a personal quest to understand and in doing so stirs up the past in a way which unsettles the residents of Lime Park Road. We are treated to Candlish's trademark analysis of human relationships and how obsessions can rule us. All very riveting!
The beautiful scenery and setting descriptions and the vivid voices of the two narrators capture the minutiae of domestic daily life and the heady, destructive powers of attraction. The unbelievable nature of one woman's ability to lie and get away with it, is astounding and there are some deliciously dark aspects to the novel, by way of next door neighbour, journalist Rob Whalen. I became desperate to know why the Frasers had left and as the secrets unravel, there are plenty of small connections and little twists to delight the reader.
The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is about addiction and how lies can escalate to the point of ruining a person's reputation. However, I am not lying when I declare I became addicted to the storyline!
A book I can highly recommend to others