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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Pregnancy, Abandonment
Cul-de-sac by Joy Fielding 369 pages
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Suspense, Drama, Mystery -Whodunit, falsely marketed as a Psychological Thriller
Triggers: False Thriller marketing, Abuse - several kinds including physical and sexual, Guns, PTSD, Drug Use
Rating as a movie: R for strong adult content, scenes of violence and rape.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
My thoughts: What is in this weed? Weed doesn't make you act like this. This book could have gotten 5 stars except for a few issues. First, false advertising, "in this riveting psychological thriller." This is not a psychological thriller. It's not a psychological drama or even a regular thriller. Marketing it as such just leads you to being disappointed when you discover it's a suspenseful soap opera with low action. I have read 2.5 other books like this one this year including, Little Deadly Secrets, which opens with a murder, The Fiancée, which has the murder 25% in and The Guest List, don't get me started. The idea is you know someone is going to die but you don't know who. The trick is the murder can only be dragged out for so long do you need to spring it on the audience before the suspense runs out and it becomes so obvious who, who, and why. I realized early on this was not a thriller so my disappointment was they took too long to get to the murder and the end was rushed. It could have gotten 5 stars but it was an easy puzzle to solve and she took so long it wasn't even a question anymore. Great characters and stories, so-so execution.
Recommend to others?: YES! If you like messy dramatic evening soap operas you'll like this story. If you need a break from thrillers it's a nice recuperation read.
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Suspense, Drama, Mystery -Whodunit, falsely marketed as a Psychological Thriller
Triggers: False Thriller marketing, Abuse - several kinds including physical and sexual, Guns, PTSD, Drug Use
Rating as a movie: R for strong adult content, scenes of violence and rape.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
My thoughts: What is in this weed? Weed doesn't make you act like this. This book could have gotten 5 stars except for a few issues. First, false advertising, "in this riveting psychological thriller." This is not a psychological thriller. It's not a psychological drama or even a regular thriller. Marketing it as such just leads you to being disappointed when you discover it's a suspenseful soap opera with low action. I have read 2.5 other books like this one this year including, Little Deadly Secrets, which opens with a murder, The Fiancée, which has the murder 25% in and The Guest List, don't get me started. The idea is you know someone is going to die but you don't know who. The trick is the murder can only be dragged out for so long do you need to spring it on the audience before the suspense runs out and it becomes so obvious who, who, and why. I realized early on this was not a thriller so my disappointment was they took too long to get to the murder and the end was rushed. It could have gotten 5 stars but it was an easy puzzle to solve and she took so long it wasn't even a question anymore. Great characters and stories, so-so execution.
Recommend to others?: YES! If you like messy dramatic evening soap operas you'll like this story. If you need a break from thrillers it's a nice recuperation read.
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
I’m not sure why I loved this book, but I did. I’ve always been a Joy Fielding fan, her characters are so well written and she has done a remarkable job with every single resident living in the cul-de-sac. This is a psychological drama (not really a thriller), and seems a bit tame compared to what I usually enjoy reading but I was drawn in immediately and enjoyed it cover to cover.
dark
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Carlyle Terrace is a sleepy suburban street. The cul-de-sac is home to five families. From the outside, all seem average, if not a little boring. How could a shooting happen in this quiet, peaceful neighborhood?
Through multiple POVs, we get to know all of the members of these families -- vivid insights into the good, bad, and ugly within each family. The behind closed doors view reveals they have many secrets and problems as well as at least one gun in each household.
This voyeur's view of these well-defined characters gives you a strong sense of what leads up to the tragic shooting in this quiet enclave. While there are many clues along the way involving most members of these five families, the suspense steadily builds as you continue to guess which troubled household has been irreparably changed and how.
I enjoyed this well-crafted domestic suspense novel that reminds you that you don't know what people are really dealing with until you walk a mile in their shoes!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and Random House for the early copy to read and enjoy.
Through multiple POVs, we get to know all of the members of these families -- vivid insights into the good, bad, and ugly within each family. The behind closed doors view reveals they have many secrets and problems as well as at least one gun in each household.
This voyeur's view of these well-defined characters gives you a strong sense of what leads up to the tragic shooting in this quiet enclave. While there are many clues along the way involving most members of these five families, the suspense steadily builds as you continue to guess which troubled household has been irreparably changed and how.
I enjoyed this well-crafted domestic suspense novel that reminds you that you don't know what people are really dealing with until you walk a mile in their shoes!
Thank you to NetGalley, Ballentine Books, and Random House for the early copy to read and enjoy.
The small insular community of a cul-de-sac or circle seems to be the newest trope for these domestic thrillers. Thankfully, this one does not get blurred in with the rest of the field. First off, however, I should warn you that you know things are wrong as no one has a dog! I don't even recall a cat. The closest we get is a beta fish. But, a neighborhood without a dog is a neighborhood where there are evil doings! The first page lets the reader know that someone is going to be killed. We spend the rest of the book learning about each of the characters, building up to that moment, and wondering which of the many deserving characters actually gets shot, and by whom. I'll admit, I had an early favorite and despite Ms. Fielding's best efforts, they had my vote for the entire book. Some times it feels good to dislike a character that much! It makes a reader keep reading!
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for a copy of the book. This review is my own opinion.
I loved this book. I always enjoy books that are about seemingly normal people and what their lives are really like behind closed doors.
In this book you are following the lives of characters living in a cul-de-sac. From the outside they all seem like perfectly normal people. You have the elderly woman who's grandson lives with her to help her, two prestigious doctors and their idyllic children, a stay at home dad and his wife, the newly divorced mother trying to find her way, and the newly married young couple.
In the beginning you know that one of the characters has died. Flashback to before the murder and the characters start telling their stories about their lives.
The character development is so good. The author does a great job of really making you feel certain ways about the characters. Some of them I wept for and some of them I wanted to tell off in real life. There were parts of this story where my heart ached. The author also does a great job of leading you to the climax without giving away too much. You feel like any of the characters could be responsible and I was shocked by the ending.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read more of her work.
In this book you are following the lives of characters living in a cul-de-sac. From the outside they all seem like perfectly normal people. You have the elderly woman who's grandson lives with her to help her, two prestigious doctors and their idyllic children, a stay at home dad and his wife, the newly divorced mother trying to find her way, and the newly married young couple.
In the beginning you know that one of the characters has died. Flashback to before the murder and the characters start telling their stories about their lives.
The character development is so good. The author does a great job of really making you feel certain ways about the characters. Some of them I wept for and some of them I wanted to tell off in real life. There were parts of this story where my heart ached. The author also does a great job of leading you to the climax without giving away too much. You feel like any of the characters could be responsible and I was shocked by the ending.
Overall I really enjoyed this book. I can't wait to read more of her work.