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Monday, August 08, 2016

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Tense and twisty, The Couple Next Door will have you riveted and uncertain from beginning to end.  

  Marco and Anne's six-month-old infant is abducted and their lives begin to crumble.  The parents are distraught, but they are also wallowing in guilt--"shoulda, coulda done some things differently" kind of thing.

Suspicion and deception.  Since parents are always suspect in abductions like this, there are reasons the detective must consider whether the parents are responsible, but as secret after secret is revealed, more possibilities exist than are initially  apparent.

This is the kind of book you speed through, discovering a number of surprises along the way.  A compelling novel with excellent pacing, The Couple Next Door reveals information a little at a time to keep the reader off- balance and guessing--never quite sure of who may be guilty.  

I had trouble putting this one down.  Some things I suspected early, other things were a gradual accumulation of information.  It may hold up less well in retrospect, but as I was reading, I was completely engrossed.

Read in July.  Blog review scheduled for Aug. 8, 2016.

NetGalley/Penguin

Mystery/Suspense.  Aug. 23, 2016.  Print length:  313 pages.

9 comments:

  1. This sounds like a good suspenseful read. I'll have to add it to my list. :)

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    1. It was suspenseful! Kept me attentive all the way through. :)

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  2. I am glad you liked this one, Jenclair. It definitely sounds like an "in the moment" type novel that will really get its hooks in you. I have a love/hate relationship with child abduction novels as they play on one of my worst fears--and yet there is something that draws me to them.

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    1. I have the same feeling about crime or mystery novels involving children, but this one definitely held my interest.

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  3. I put this one on a list I am starting of recommends from you and another blog friend. Do you read hard copies or digital?
    xx, Carol

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  4. I'm so glad to hear you liked this one. It seems like there are a lot of thrillers out with this sort of premise and of course you wonder which ones are the best. I definitely want to read this one!

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    1. :) LaPena has also written a book called Things Go Flying that sounds very different, but very interesting! I'm going to have to check that one out.

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  5. I'm glad you enjoyed this book, Jenclair. The other day I almost picked up this book but changed my mind. Of course now I've to add this to my wishlist after reading your review. :)

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    1. I only gave it 3 stars on Goodreads, but the twists kept me interested and there were plenty of them. :)

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