5.8.21

BLOGTOUR, BOOK REVIEW - The Family Across The Street by Nicole Trope

 

                                                                     BOOK SYNOPSIS

Sometimes, the most perfect families are hiding the most terrible secrets. How well do you know the people next door…?

Everybody wants to live on Hogarth Street, the pretty, tree-lined avenue with its white houses. The new family, The Wests, are a perfect fit. Katherine and John seem so in love and their gorgeous five-year-old twins race screeching around their beautiful emerald-green lawn.

But soon people start to notice: why don’t they join backyard barbecues? Why do they brush away offers to babysit? Why, when you knock at the door, do they shut you out, rather than inviting you in?

Every family has secrets, and on the hottest day of the year, the truth is about to come out. As a tragedy unfolds behind closed doors, the dawn chorus is split by the wail of sirens. And one by one the families who tried so hard to welcome the Wests begin to realise: Hogarth Street will never be the same again.

A completely gripping, twist-packed psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Sally Hepworth and Lisa Jewell...

This book was originally titled Home Sweet Home

This twist packed, at times uncomfortable to read thriller opens with a mother hearing what she thinks is a car backfiring but what she had actually heard was gun shots. The story then slips back seven hours and we are taken through the events that proceeded the gun shots from the perspectives of four vivid, realistic characters.

Logan - A tattooed ex con who is just doing his best to earn a decent living and take care of his girlfriend Debbie whilst worrying about his sister Maddy who was currently in  hospital after being badly beaten up by a unknown assailant. When Logan tries to deliver a package to a house on Hogarth Street and the person who comes to the door will only speak to him through the door and refuses to the the package, Logan's instincts start screaming at him that something isn't right within that residence. He knows that Debbie will tell him to mind his own business and if he goes to the police,they will take one look at his record and and dismiss his concerns but as he tries to get on with his day, his feelings of concern only increase and get stronger.

Gladys - A elderly woman who was the carer for her husband Lou who suffered from Parkinson's disease. Gladys and Lou's marriage had been a good one, they had travelled the world and shared many happy memories but now her soul mate was gradually diminishing and she wasn't sure if she would be able to go on once he had gone. Gladys knew that she as known as the neighbourhood busybody but she didn't care, when she was younger everyone knew everyone in their neighbourhood unlike now when you could go days without seeing or speaking to a single person. Gladys knew all her neighbours routines so she couldn't help feeling concerned when she spotted that her next door neighbour's blinds were still drawn and she realises that she hadn't heard the twins running around and screaming at the top of their lungs like they did every morning. Lou keeps telling her not to interfere and that she should mind her own business but Gladys is a stubborn old lady and is determined to discover exactly what is going on in their neighbour's house.

Katherine - Is married to John and the they have five year old twins called George and Sophie. The night before, the couple had had a blazing argument and that morning John had gone to work, screeching out of the driveway in anger. Katherine had been expecting an ordinary day and had been looking forward to getting some exercise at the indoor pool at her gym after she had dropped the twins off at school. The last thing that she had expected was to find herself and the twins being held at gunpoint in their own home. Why had their captor targeted Kathrine? What did they want? Surely they wouldn't hurt two innocent children..... Would they?

The forth character's parts were written in italics and have the reader an insight into the thoughts and noticed of the person who was holding Katherine captive. This individual's behaviour was erratic and unpredictable and some of their parts of the story as well as some of Katherine's made for uncomfortable and unsettling reading. This person had some serious issues but as the details of their background story were gradually revealed, the thought provoking question of nature vs nurture was raised. That didn't mean that their actions and behaviour were correct or justified but was it that wrong of me to feel a tiny bit of sympathy for that character?

Nicole Trope is a very talented author who knows how to draw her readers into her character's fictional but realistic worlds, keep you captivated and frantically turning the pages. Her stories very often pull at your heart strings and cause you to experience a wide range of emotions and this latest thriller is no exception. Her characters are vivid realistic and relatable and the story contains some unexpected twists and turns as the various plot threads are expertly pulled together. As always, this is a thrilling, addictive read and very very highly recommended.

                                                                             Author Bio:


Nicole Trope went to university to study Law but realised the error of her ways when she did very badly on her first law essay because, as her professor pointed out, ‘It’s not meant to be a story.’


She studied teaching instead and used her holidays to work on her writing career and complete a Masters’ degree. In between raising three children, working for her husband and renovating houses, she has published six novels. She lives in Sydney, Australia.


https://www.facebook.com/NicoleTrope/

https://www.instagram.com/nicoletropeauthor/

https://twitter.com/nicoletrope


Buy Links:


PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK OUT THE POSTS OF THE OTHER BLOGGERS WHO HAVE STOPS ON THIS BLOG TOUR














Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)