The Family Next Door by Sally HepworthMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Time taken to read - 2 days
Pages - 352
Publisher - Hodder & Stoughton
Source - Review copy
Blurb 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 Review
Welcome to your nosey wee neighbourhood, when someone new moves in everyone wants to know who she is. A family and pricey neighbourhood so when Isabelle moves in, no sign of children or a husband, curiosity is piqued. Ange, Fran and Essie are friends and eager to know more about Isabelle, her secrets and why she is there. The ladies have their own secrets/issues, Essie has post partum depression and things weren't so great when she had this before. Ange is preoccupied with her husband's fidelity and Fran has a secret that could blow her marriage apart and change her world as she knows it.
The book splits each chapter into character specific focus, each chapter is titled with the characters name so we know where the focus is for each one. Sometimes this can be an irritating style but if done well it works great, this was the case with Hepworth. You know all isn't well but you aren't sure why, with who or what drawing the reader in pretty much from the first chapter. This is my first dance with Hepworth, she creates characters and an environment where you are swept up in their dramas and reaching for the next page before you are halfway down the current one. Families, friendship, love, relationships, infidelity, intrigue are just some of the labels I can attach to this book. Whilst this was my first read by this author, it won't be my last! If you enjoy a book that immerses you in it's characters this is one for you, if I hadn't had stuff to do I would have read this in one sitting.
The blurb and the character descriptions make this one sound so interesting interesting. I want to know the secrets behind the characters. I agree thaf different voices sounds in alternating chapters can work very well when the right author crafts a book like this.
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