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Tuesday 6 March 2018

The Family Next Door


Author: Sally Hepworth
Genre: Suspense
Type: e-book
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: St Martin's Press
First Published: March 6, 2018
First Line: "I've spent my whole life wanting you."

Book Description from GoodReads:  A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.
The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.
Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.
But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.
As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.

My Rating: 3 stars

My Review: I'm a fan of Sally Hepworth 's writing and have enjoyed her previous three books. Usually, her genre is Contemporary Fiction leaning towards Women's Fiction but this time out, she's written more of a suspense read set in suburbia that begs the question ... Just how well DO you know your neighbours? If it's anything like this bunch, there's a whole lot of lying, cheating and stealin' going on.

The Family Next Door focuses around a group of women who live on the same small court in suburban Melbourne. As the book progresses, readers witness the secrets, lies and betrayals that are occurring behind closed doors. Let's just say, per capita, it's a lot of secrets!

I think this book had good bones - a solid premise, lots of characters but it grazed over the many issues it raised and the characters felt flat. I liked that some of the struggles of early motherhood are raised but didn't feel the usual emotional connection I expect from a Hepworth novel.

This is a good choice for people who enjoy a book with a toned down Desperate Housewives/Big Little Lies feel. It's an easy read with a twist or two but with a lack of depth to the characters and issues, I fear it's not a story I'll remember for long.

Even though I wasn't as enamoured with this book as I have been with her previous books, I remain a Sally Hepworth fan and look forward to reading her next bookish offering.

Disclaimer: This ARC was generously provided by the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

My reviews of Sally Hepworth's previous books:

Click the links below for my reviews ...

The Secrets of Midwives
The Things We Keep
The Mother's Promise


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