5 Star
The small suburb of Pleasant Court lives up to its name. It's the kind of place where everyone knows their neighbours, and children play in the street.
Isabelle Heatherington doesn't fit into this picture of family paradise. Husbandless and childless, she soon catches the attention of three Pleasant Court mothers.
But Ange, Fran and Essie have their own secrets to hide. Like the reason behind Ange's compulsion to control every aspect of her life. Or why Fran won't let her sweet, gentle husband near her new baby. Or why, three years ago, Essie took her daughter to the park - and returned home without her.
As their obsession with their new neighbour grows, the secrets of these three women begin to spread - and they'll soon find out that when you look at something too closely, you see things you never wanted to see.
Kathryn - 5 Star
I'm a big fan of Sally Hepworth. Her novels are usually intricately woven stories with several main characters and The Family Next Door was exactly what I was hoping for. It wasn't fast paced and it took a long time to come to a peak but I was hooked from the first few pages.
Likely being a mother and a spouse allowed me to place myself in each woman's shoes a little bit more easily. I could relate to each family in one way or another and was intrigued by the concept that you don't really know what's going on behind a neighbour's curtain. Hepworth writes in a way that gives the women the central voice but she also manages to convey the male position as well. Though not the focus she doesn't leave us guessing.
Most interesting though was that I didn't see the end coming at all. I was entirely surprised by the twists at the end...shocked even that I hadn't seen it coming. Hepworth writes books that people can relate too and then throws in a curve-ball which will make you think, really think.
Thank you to St.Martin's Press for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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Enjoyed each character's slant on "married w/ kids". Women certainly have a lot going on, sustaining every day life. A perfect example of Behind Closed Doors. I enjoyed every minute of this read.
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