BLOGTOUR,BOOK REVIEW - The New Home by Chris Merritt

                                                                     BOOK SYNOPSIS

You never know what’s happening behind closed doors…

Freya loves her new home on a quiet suburban street. And her beautiful neighbour Emily is everything she’s ever wanted in a best friend. Finally, she has somebody to share her secrets with over a glass of wine. But as Freya watches her new friend setting the table for dinner one evening, she sees something shocking that makes her think that Emily’s life might not be as perfect as it seems. Days later, Emily and her daughter vanish…

When you meet Emily’s husband, you will think you know what he’s hiding.

You will ask yourself whether Emily and Freya really did meet by chance.

You will think you know what happened to Emily and her little girl the night they went missing.

But when you discover the truth, it will shake you to your core and you will lie awake at night wondering if you can ever really trust the people in the house next door…

Fans of Claire McGowan, Shalini Boland and Lisa Jewell will love the gripping tension and unexpected twists of The New Home. Once you start reading, you’ll be hooked!

The chapters of this addictive psychological thriller are written predominantly from the perspective of our main character Faye who at the start of the book was moving into a new house with her fiance Jack who was a doctor. On the first day in their new house their beautiful new Emily came over to introduce herself and they learnt that she had a young daughter called Thea and her husband Michael. Later on the same day Faye and Jack went to introduce themselves to their neighbour who lived on the opposite side of their house and learnt that she was a elderly woman called Cathy, someone who Jack, rather unkindly wrote off as a crazy cat lady. As time passed, Faye found herself building friendships with the two women but she was especially close to Emily although her husband Michael continued to be rude and unfriendly. Then one day Emily and young Thea mysteriously disappeared and Faye couldn't ignore the feeling that Michael was somehow involved although Jack and the police refused to take her concerns seriously. Determined to prove that her suspicions were correct, Faye started channelling her inner Nancy Drew and started her own investigation into her new friend's disappearance without stopping to think that in doing so, she might have been placing her own life in danger.

Where were Emily and her young daughter? Was Michael involved in their disappearance? Why did Faye feel that Jack was keeping secrets from her and that he was constantly dismissing everything that she tried to tell him? Was Cathy the confused old lady that she appeared to be or was there more truth in her apparent ramblings that Faye realised? 

Faye was a multi layered, complex character who definitely allowed her emotions to rule her her and actions and she was absolutely determined to uncover the truth behind Emily's disappearance despite how dismissive Jack and DI Henderson were of her concerns. I couldn't help admiring her stubborn determination but you also had to stop and wonder what was behind her obsession to uncover the truth, after all, she hardly knew Emily and why was she so certain that Michael was somehow involved? Emily could have just got fed up with her marriage to Michael and simply taken her young daughter and ran away to start a new life somewhere that they couldn't be found. Faye and Jack had moved because of Jack's new job, taking her away from all her friends and with Jack spending all his time at the hospital where he worked, maybe Faye was just bored and needed something to occupy her time? Or maybe she was harbouring secrets and had her own personal reasons for pointing the finger in Michael's direction? 

I can't say that I thought Michael was a very likeable individual and I had mixed feelings about Jack, was he genuinely concerned about Faye's mental health and wellbeing of was there a more sinister motive behind his action? I thought that Cathy was a fantastic, realistic character but could she be trusted or was she also harbouring secrets?

Interspersed throughout the book was chapters that were written from the perspective of a unknown character who had been obsessed with another character for a long time and was waiting for the perfect opportunity to carry out their twisted plan. But who was this mystery character and how did they fit into the story?

Wow.....just wow, I love this very talented author's addictive stories, you can always rely on them being extremely well written, gripping,addictive reads and The New House is no exception. The story hooks you in and keeps you guessing as the author skilfully pulls together the various threads of his story that culminates in a shocking and unexpected conclusion. The intricate plot had numerous twists and turns and the small cast of characters were vivid and relatable. This is another fantastic addition to one of my favourite author's catalogue of brilliant thrillers. Very very highly recommended

                                                                                     AUTHOR BIO

Chris Merritt is a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.

All his novels are set in London, where he lives. He began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. He specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked his interest

Chris Merritt is a British author whose crime thrillers combine psychology, suspense, and characters you care about.

All his novels are set in London, where he lives. He began writing fiction in 2014, after previous careers as a diplomat, based in Iraq and Jerusalem, and later as a psychologist working with victims and perpetrators of crime. He specialised in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which sparked his interest in telling stories about how people cope when faced with extreme adversity.

Now, he spends most of his time writing novels and drinking coffee while *thinking* about writing novels. When he's not writing, he loves climbing and playing basketball.

Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrismerrittauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drcjmerritt

Website: https://www.cjmerritt.co.uk/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjmerritt81/

Pub Day: Sept 7th 2021

Buy Links: 

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0953LNBJNcover 

Apple: http://ow.ly/ec2A50EP84U 

Kobo: http://ow.ly/7Og450EP813 

Google: http://ow.ly/ZEm950EP86M 

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