The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth

FTC Disclosure: Thank you to partner St. Martin's Press and author Sally Hepworth for an early copy of this book which I received via Netgalley.

via Amazon

The best description I can provide as an introduction to this book is to tell you that the Family Next Door holds a candle to The Husband's Secret, a story I read and loved. This book held my attention, and I was intrigued to finish the book and find out how all the pieces of the puzzle finally came together. Once I was finished, I sat to parse out the story and share my thoughts. Essie's story was a bit unsettling, and by the end I was surprised at the turn that her plot line took. I didn't see the end with Barbara coming! Knowing the craziness a new mother can experience made sense, but there were many times that I felt the story was too far-fetched, even for fiction. Having been a mother myself, I can understand what that craziness can do to you, and could relate to Essie's post-partum error in judgment. She was the most likeable character in the entire book! Once Isabelle entered into the picture, my curiosity was piqued, and I was again surprised at the turn in the story line. Sally Hepworth expertly wove in two other stories that were equally intriguing, and  the stories of all of the neighbors and their relationships were ones that added to the book, and the reader's interest. As with many books I have recently read, there is always a neighbor or two whose life seems to good to be true, and things end up awful for them! Fans of Liane Moriarty will enjoy Sally Hepworth's The Family Next Door.

Synopsis

Small, perfect towns often hold the deepest secrets.

From the outside, Essie’s life looks idyllic: a loving husband, a beautiful house in a good neighborhood, and a nearby mother who dotes on her grandchildren. But few of Essie’s friends know her secret shame: that in a moment of maternal despair, she once walked away from her newborn, asleep in her carriage in a park. Disaster was avoided and Essie got better, but she still fears what lurks inside her, even as her daughter gets older and she has a second baby.

When a new woman named Isabelle moves in next door to Essie, she is an immediate object of curiosity in the neighborhood. Why single, when everyone else is married with children? Why renting, when everyone else owns? What mysterious job does she have? And why is she so fascinated with Essie? As the two women grow closer and Essie’s friends voice their disapproval, it starts to become clear that Isabelle’s choice of neighborhood was no accident. And that her presence threatens to bring shocking secrets to light.

The Family Next Door is Sally Hepworth at her very best: at once a deeply moving portrait of family drama and a compelling suburban mystery that will keep you hooked until the very last page.

Happy Reading!