The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Kate’s Library

Title: The Couple Next Door
Author: Shari Lapena
Pages: 308
Publisher: Viking
Genre: Thriller
Format: Hardcover
Source: Book of the Month Club

Summary:

Anne and Marco Conti are new parents to baby Cora, and they appear to have it all – their new baby, a loving marriage, a beautiful home. However, while attending a dinner party next door, a horrible crime is committed that shatters this image, revealing the truth underneath. Nobody is perfect, everything is complicated, and there are secrets everywhere.

Detective Rasbach is immediately suspicious of the seemingly panicked parents – he is determined to get to the bottom of what happened and he can’t shake the feeling that Anne and Marco are hiding something. As the story unfolds, Anne and Marco each learn the other has been keeping secrets, and that the people in their lives may not be what they seem.

This is a chilling tale of deception, desperation, and an unraveling family. How well do you really know the couple next door? How well do you know your spouse? How well do you know yourself?

Review:

This book was great. I read it in only a few days, which for me (working full time and juggling a 1-year-old and a 5-year-old) is really fast. I was looking for something fast-paced that had an element to suspense that could get me in the Halloween mood. I found the right book! I don’t often read books in the thriller or suspense genre, so this was a real treat for me.

I really enjoyed the writing in this book. Lapena does a great job revealing the true story to the reader. One thing that can drive me nuts about this genre is when the author reveals a plot twist completely out of left field (…but he couldn’t have been at the scene of the crime because it was a full moon that night and he is a werewolf! What????). Lapena doesn’t do this – there are certainly plot twists, but they’re on slow release. For each twist, although the actual details surprised me, I kind of had the feeling that there was something going on – maybe that character’s story doesn’t quite add up, or I don’t like the vibe when certain characters are in the room together.

The characters were all multidimensional. I didn’t necessarily like them all, but that’s not a requirement for me to enjoy a book. They all have flaws, they’re all human, they all have secrets. Some of them have big, horrible secrets. Some secrets are fairly small. With the exception of one character (who truly is just a horrible person), the reader is able to understand the character’s point of view (even if you think they’re wrong or selfish). All the characters have depth, and it makes for a really engaging story.

This book is certainly worth your time! If you want to pick up your own copy, consider using this affiliate link to help support Kate’s Library! 

Oh, and just another quick pitch for you. I got this book a few months ago in my Book of the Month box. If you’re not familiar with Book of the Month, it’s a great subscription service! Each month there are five books to choose from, each chosen by a different judge. Thus far, the books have been fairly new releases, they are hardcover, and they always look interesting! Want more than one book? No problem – you can add up to 2 additional books to your box for only $9.99 each (great deal for a newish hardcover)! They also have an entire stash of older books you can also throw in for $9.99. Oh, and one of the best parts? If you don’t see anything that your’e interested in you can skip that particular month. And it’s not wasted… your subscription renew just gets pushed out an additional month. You don’t lose any money. Sound interesting? Click here to use my referral link! (Thank you!)

Kate’s Library www.kateslibrary.blogspot.com