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triciafee's review against another edition
3.0
I feel like I should give this four or five stars considering I raced through it in a couple of days. It's definitely a gripping read and keeps you interested. It just seems there was no great payoff in the end.
For instance, I would have liked to see the Davenport's marriage explored further since there were (I thought) real issues raised throughout the book that were never mentioned again. Also, the big "mystery" that kept me reading until well into the night turned out to be (spoiler alert?) exactly what I would have thought everyone expected all along.
I probably shouldn't complain about the ending since the journey there was an enjoyable read, and it's certainly a bigger achievement for the writer to have you really gripped throughout and a little bit let down at the end than bored throughout most of the book and finally rewarded with a satisfying twist in the last pages.
So, I would definitely recommend this as summer reading but I only give 4 or 5 stars to books that stay with me in some way, and I don't think this one will.
For instance, I would have liked to see the Davenport's marriage explored further since there were (I thought) real issues raised throughout the book that were never mentioned again. Also, the big "mystery" that kept me reading until well into the night turned out to be (spoiler alert?) exactly what I would have thought everyone expected all along.
I probably shouldn't complain about the ending since the journey there was an enjoyable read, and it's certainly a bigger achievement for the writer to have you really gripped throughout and a little bit let down at the end than bored throughout most of the book and finally rewarded with a satisfying twist in the last pages.
So, I would definitely recommend this as summer reading but I only give 4 or 5 stars to books that stay with me in some way, and I don't think this one will.
sharonrhh's review
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
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
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
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
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 against another edition
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
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
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.