Title: The Family Across the Street
Author: Nicole Trope
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: August 6, 2021
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.
This one had me on my toes!
The novel opens with three gunshots ringing out from Katherine and John West's home. The Wests are a family of four—Katherine, John, and their twin children. Has John gone mad and killed his own family?
The story then rewinds to eight hours earlier.
We’re presented with multiple points of view:
*Katherine is trapped in her home with a monster who wants to harm her and her children.
*Gladys, the curious neighbor, notices that the twins haven’t left for school. Though she may seem meddlesome, she decides to knock on their door to check on Katherine. Katherine assures her everything is fine, but Gladys spots one of the children holding a sign that says "help." She leaves, deeply worried about what’s really happening inside the house.
*Logan, a delivery driver trying to leave behind a troubled past, stops by to deliver a laptop to Katherine. When he asks her to come out and sign for it, she tells him it’s not a good time. Logan takes the package back to avoid any suspicion from his boss, but something about Katherine’s tone haunts him for the rest of the day. Should he go back to see if something’s wrong?
Meanwhile, on the TV, news breaks about a man wanted for attacking his girlfriend and leaving her in a coma.
Nicole Trope masterfully weaves these storylines together, building tension and keeping you guessing until the end. I found myself fully invested in the characters' lives, hoping for a good outcome.
My favorite character was Logan. Despite battling his own demons, he showed a genuinely good soul, making his arc particularly compelling.
Cliffhanger: No
4/5 Fangs