This book was such a treat! I bought the hardback format for my book shelf and I’m very happy I did. Nail-biting from the very beginning, this writer knows how to turn everyday situations into truly disturbing nightmares. A five star read for me!
Book Description
“The perfect book for thriller readers and true-crime podcast addicts…a stunning literary thriller that artfully twists and turns until the very end.”–Bustle
One of The Washington Post‘s 10 Best Thrillers and Mysteries of the Year One of Publishers Weekly‘s Best Books of the Year One of Real Simple‘s Best Books of the Year
On a bright morning in the suburbs, a family moves into the house they’ve just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it’s your house. And you didn’t sell it.
When Fiona Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband, Bram, have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years; how can another family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared–along with their two young children–when she needs him most?
As the nightmare takes hold, Fiona begins to untangle the lies that led to a devastating crime–and a betrayal so shocking it will teach her to keep her own secrets behind locked doors….
Print Length: 426 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 045148911X
Publisher: Berkley (August 7, 2018)
Publication Date: August 7, 2018
Sold by: Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B075HZ82S6
Buyers links:
US
UK
A well-executed plot that had me gasping from the outset. I noticed a few reviews that indicated this was a slow burn, but for me it was completely the opposite. Each chapter and sections of dialogue drove the story forward at an alarming rate. and I couldn’t put the book down.
Although the premise may seem a little far-fetched, as I read on it became terrifyingly believable. On Friday 13th, Fi returns home to discover something has happened to her house. The front façade is the same, but the occupants and furniture aren’t. Fi’s husband’s phone is out of service and her children aren’t at school that day. Two inconsistencies sure to send any mother into a tail spin. This is one of those stories that spring from an ordinary day at work, a simple ride home and BAM! The stuff great psychological thrillers are made of.
Written mainly in two points of view, Fi’s and Bram’s with his Word document that parallels Fi’s podcast — stories that lead up to the present day. With infidelity and divorce in the background, and latterly a ‘bird’s nest’ plan — keeping the children in the same home with alternating parental custody — things should have been working well. But they’re not when you consider the secret Bram is hiding. With Fi being the innocent party up until now, you watch two otherwise intelligent, responsible people slide slowly into a complete nightmare. A car crash, a few more affairs and a conspiracy that made my toes curl.
Fi’s neighbour, Merle, offers to help her throughout her ordeal, although I had a hard time understanding how Fi managed to deal with it. But desperate and out of sorts, what choice did she have? I found her thoughtful and compassionate, everything you’d expect. Bram is a little too treacherous for his own good, and perhaps a little weak. I kept wanting to shake him out of his stubbornness as he kept trying to cover up his mistakes, which deteriorated with each chapter. There was no way out for him and digging deeper into his dark world only cemented his failure. Secrets, both harrowing and tragic, a moral message and a few well planned twists along the way made the book a success for me. The last chapter was something I’d toyed with but thought wouldn’t happen. I think the author did a splendid job of tying up all loose ends, even if one question may have been left hanging. For me, this enhances the read because, let’s face it, who doesn’t love being confronted by a potentially shocking revelation.
This is the first Louise Candlish book I’ve read and definitely won’t be the last. Masterfully plotted, her writing is top-notch and sure to score with avid domestic thriller lovers. If you’re looking for a superior read, one with grit and depth, this is it. Our House will definitely be listed in my top ten reads for 2019.
What people are saying:
‘If 2018 brings a better book than Our House I will eat my hat. Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible’ CLARE MACKINTOSH
‘I raced through it this weekend. Such a smart idea. Twisty, warped, credible. Brilliantly plotted and compelling. Deserves to be such a hit’ SARAH VAUGHAN
‘Louise Candlish is a great writer; she inhaled me into her nightmarish world where everything we think we know is ripped from under our feet’ FIONA BARTON
”A masterfully plotted, compulsive page-turner’ Guardian ‘Keeps you guessing to the end – and beyond’ Stylist ‘Whip-smart, knowing and brilliantly plotted’ INDIA KNIGHT ‘A corker’ Evening Standard ‘Terrific premise’ New York Times
Other books by Louise Candlish
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