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Publication date 22nd March 2018
Hodder & Stoughton
352 pages
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A gripping domestic page-turner full of shocking reveals,
perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty, Amanda Prowse and Kerry Fisher.
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.
My thoughts:
Having not been a great fan of Big Little Lies (I know, I am in a minority but it all felt a bit "Tupperware" for me, sorry) I did wonder whether I had made a huge error requesting The Family Next Door from NetGalley to review. But hey, I had put myself up to review it so the least I could do is give it a try. WOW! Am I glad I chose it! This book pulled me in from the very first pages - I felt as though I was another resident of Pleasant Court, Melbourne watching though my window at the every day lives of my neighbours. Written in a very easy to read style the author has given us a great snapshot of the residents: Essie & Ben and their two daughters Mia & Polly; Fran & Nigel and their daughters Ava & Rosie; Ange & Lucas and their boys Ollie & Will and finally new arrival to the area Isabelle.
Post natal depression is a big subject area in this story and is described cleverly but without judgment or stigma. Also, how depression can affect anyone, of any age or gender is represented. The long term effects of a traumatic event are also shown in the overall story but again I felt this was handled very well, in an understanding manner.
I love the way the story played out with each chapter feeling very much like an episode of a soap opera which made the book very well paced overall. The feelings of the various characters are expertly described from each of the mums to newcomer Isabelle who is a bit of a mystery and gets the residents talking as to where she's come from and why she's there on her own.
There are a plethora of secrets from each of the addresses in Pleasant Court - and maybe the biggest secrets come from the least likely individuals. I shall say no more as I really don't want to spoil the plotline for anyone as it is a great novel for the pages to gradually release their gems of information.
My summary: Move in to Pleasant Court for a while and indulge in the secrets hidden behind the closed doors. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!
About the Author:
Sally Hepworth is the bestselling author of The Secrets of Midwives. The Secrets of Midwives has been labelled “enchanting” by The Herald Sun, “smart and engaging” by Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Emily Giffin have praised Sally’s debut novel as “women’s fiction at its finest” and “totally absorbing”. The Secrets of Midwives was also the highest selling debut Australian fiction of the year in 2015.
Sally is also the author of The Things We Keep, published in January 2016. The Things We Keep was a Library Journal Pick in the U.S. for January 2016, and an Indie Next Pick in the U.S. for February 2016. NYT bestselling author of The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion praised The Things We Keep calling it ‘A compelling read that touches on important themes, not least the different forms that love may take.”
Both novels were published worldwide in English and have been translated into several languages.
Sally is also the author of The Things We Keep, published in January 2016. The Things We Keep was a Library Journal Pick in the U.S. for January 2016, and an Indie Next Pick in the U.S. for February 2016. NYT bestselling author of The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion praised The Things We Keep calling it ‘A compelling read that touches on important themes, not least the different forms that love may take.”
Both novels were published worldwide in English and have been translated into several languages.
Sally lives in Melbourne, Australia with her husband and two children.
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