The House Across the Street

by Lesley Pearse

Twenty-three-year-old Katy Speed has always been fascinated by the house across the street. The woman who lives there, Gloria, is the most glamorous neighbour on the avenue, owning a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill-on-Sea. But who is the woman who arrives in the black car most Saturdays while Gloria is at work? Sometimes she brings women to the house, and other times the women come with children.

Then one night, the house burns down. In the wreckage, the bodies of Gloria and her daughter are found. Katy is sure the unexplained strangers must be responsible, until her father is arrested and charged with murder.

Surely the police have arrested the wrong person? Is the rest of the street safe. Can Katy find the truth before it’s too late?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Historical, Crime

352 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2018

About the author

Lesley Pearse is one of the UK's best-loved novelists with fans across the globe and sales of over 2 million copies of her books to date. A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines that keep the reader hooked from beginning to end, Pearse introduces you to characters that it is impossible not to care about or forget. There is no formula to her books or easily defined genre. Whether crime as in 'Till We Meet Again', historical adventure like 'Never Look Back', or the passionately emotive 'Trust Me', based on the true-life scandal of British child migrants sent to Australia in the post war period, she engages the reader completely.
Truth is often stranger than fiction and Lesley's life has been as packed with drama as her books. She was three when her mother died under tragic circumstances. Her father was away at sea and it was only when a neighbour saw Lesley and her brother playing outside without coats on that suspicion was aroused - their mother had been dead for some time. With her father in the Royal Marines, Lesley and her older brother spent three years in grim orphanages before her father remarried - a veritable dragon of an ex army nurse - and Lesley and her older brother were brought home again, to be joined by two other children who were later adopted by her father and stepmother, and a continuing stream of foster children. The impact of constant change and uncertainty in Lesley's early years is reflected in one of the recurring themes in her books: what happens to those who are emotionally damaged as children. It was an extraordinary childhood and in all her books, Lesley has skilfully married the pain and unhappiness of her early experiences with a unique gift for storytelling.

Reviews

[Paromjit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lesley Pearse deploys her usual skill and expertise in evoking the past vibrantly, full of atmosphere and the period's culture and social norms. In this, her latest offering, we have Pearse's requisite strong women at the centre of a story set in the Britain of the 1960s. 23 year old Katy Speed lives with her family, her father, Albert, and her moody unhappy, problematic mother, Hilda, who makes life hard for them, and her brother. Katy finds herself entranced and mesmerised by the house across the street, where the gregarious, glamorous and friendly neighbour, Gloria, lives, although her mother frowns on and is disapproving of their neighbour. Gloria runs a dress shop in Bexhill on Sea, and often on Saturdays whilst Gloria is at work, Katy notices that women, often with children, arrive at the house in a black car. This mystery sets tongues wagging in the area, and people wonder who exactly is being bought into their community, often thinking the worst.

Then horror of horrors, the house is set on fire, and the bodies of Gloria and her daughter are found. Katy has to put her own plans on hold when the police arrest her father for their deaths after what they find in his shed. Despite the danger and the obstacles she faces, Katy is determined to uncover the truth behind the house across the street, stumbling across dark community secrets. Pearse's characterisation is authentic and stellar, with indomitable and brave women trapped in desperate situations, willing to lend a hand to others suffering in similar positions. We get an inside look at the position of women in that period of time, and the attitudes towards women that, frankly, leave a lot to be desired. This is a gripping tale that is full of suspense and tension, and the darkness that often lay behind the facades of marriages and families at the time. Many thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for an ARC.

[ReadAlongWithSue recovering from a stroke★⋆. ࿐࿔ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Congratulations to Lesley Pearse.
Her 25th year in publishing.

I remember reading her very first book. She had a sign in at one of the libraries near me.
Since then I have followed and been an avid reader of her releases.

Her style is just the same but in this book there is mystery, abduction, abuse (but not in detail)

Katy lives with her parents. Her best friend and her decide LONDON and getting a job there might be a good move. Her friends mum is supportive but Katy’s isn’t. In fact Katy’s mum annoys her big time. Her mums moods are getting beyond acceptable so why does her father put up with it?

The house across the street is questionable to Katy. What happens there with women coming and going?

When her father is arrested for a fire that takes place in the house across the road killing people Katy knows her dad isn’t capable of such an act.

So she decides to fight his corner, after all the Police think they’ve caught their man.

Then Katy goes missing.

What follows this is intense, edge of your seat moments and later on discoveries that I’d not guess in a zillion years.

The body of this story is deep, you can really get your teeth into it.

I think that these last two gritty stories she’s produced are ace.

My thanks to the publishers for sending me a proof copy. One I will treasure for years to come.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Katy Speed’s attention was drawn to the house across the street, she found herself quite often staring at the house, trying to work out the comings and goings of those who visited there. The woman who lived there was named Gloria who owned a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill -on- Sea.

One night Katy is woken to find out that the house across the street is ablaze and this is where the story takes the reader along a journey of intrigue and unanswered questions. Was the fire an accident or was it something more sinister and who was responsible?

A compelling and intriguing read which grabbed my attention from the start and had me turning the pages rather quickly. Another enjoyable read from Lesley Pearse an author who I really need to read more of. Highly recommended.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twenty three year old Katy Speed is fascinated by the house across the street. Gloria, the woman who lives there, owns a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill-On-Sea. But who is the woman who arrives in a black car most Saturday's while Gloria is at work.

This book is set in 1965. Katy Speed lives with her mother, father and brother. Her mother is never happy and always critizes everything Katy tries to do. So Katy and her best friend Jilly, decide to find themselves jobs and get a flat in London. Before she leaves the house across the street burns down and kills the two women who were inside at the times. Katy's dad has been arrested and and charged with arson and murder. Katy knows her dad is innocent and she has to try and clear his name. This story also covers women who are beaten by their husbands, some within an inch of their lives. Katy's path will cross with this issue in her search to prove her fathers innocence .

Once again Lesley Pearse has written a gripping, true to the era, hard to put down page turning read. There is some awful descriptions of violence that might upset some readers. Then we get the heartbreaking backstory to why Katy's mum is the way that she is. I just love Lesley Pearse. She has a real talent and style in her writing. I have never known one of her books to disappoint. She always does her research into whatever the topic is that she is writing about. I highly recommend this book.

[Rina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ooohh... I so wanted to like this book! I love the cover art, the idea of it, the setting of '60s. It started so strong! The characters were interesting to begin with, but then that was about it.

Once the main plot rolled, there was no more mystery as everything followed a linear pattern. Although the main idea is important and as relevant as ever, the way it was told felt like reading use cases from brochures. I understand the conversations were intended to reflect the time period of the story, but the dialogues felt dated.

All in all, a good book for beginner readers as it's easy to get into. For avid fans of mystery, you would have seen everything this book could offer before.

[Helen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really did not like this book.

I found the whole plotline ridiculousy far fetched, I didn't particularly like any of the characters either.

I ended up speed reading the last quarter of the book just so I could get to the end of it.

This was the first Lesley Pearse book I've read and I think I would certainly hesitate before I would pick up any other of her books.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The tranquil quite Sussex seaside town of Bexhill-On-Sea is at the heart of this 1960’s set page turning mystery.

Young Katy Speed has always been curious of neighbour Gloria, as most Saturday’s a black car containing a mysterious women arrives at her house.
That is until one night when the building burns to the ground and Gloria’s body is discovered in the wreckage.
Even more shocking Katy’s father is arrested and charged with murder, determined to prove he’s innocence Katy sets out to uncover the truth.

I really liked the various locations in this book as Bexhill is portrayed as quite and peaceful, where as London is caught up in the cusp of the swinging sixties.
The era is vividly brought to life, especially with what is expected with both the men and women of this time.

Katy is such a strong wield and determined character, desperate to seek the truth. In fact her boldness leads her into even more trouble!

I liked the simplicity in the writing as it really captured the sleepy town that had found itself intwined in this domestic moving drama.
The characters are likeable, especially Katy and the plot moves at a brisk pace.
Highly recommend!

[carole wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Written by one of my favourite authors. I wait each year for her new book and unfortunately this year I was left really disappointed. For some reason Lesley’s writing style has changed and I felt this book was written in the style of Enid Blyton. Some of the words were straight out of a Famous Five book and the speech of the characters quite childlike. I will have to consider if I would purchase another book as I have previously enjoyed all her other books.

[poppie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although predicting part of the ending of this novel, there was a surprise element which I didn't foresee. Thoroughly enjoyed reading this book despite some of the content.

[Amanda - Mrs B's Book Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
3.5 stars
With over ten million copies of her books sold worldwide, revered British storyteller Lesley Pearse needs no introduction. I have personally adored her novels for some time and each time I read a new novel penned by Pearse I make a vow to explore her extensive backlist. The House Across the Street is a slight departure from Pearse’s typical historical saga style novels. This new novel is much darker than Lesley Pearse’s usual fare and it is also heavy on the intrigue. It explores domestic violence, abuse, rape and abduction. It features a very likeable and curious lead in twenty-three year old Katy, a young woman who hails from the small town of Bexhill-on-Sea, but Katy longs for the bright lights of London. Katy becomes a bystander on the happenings of neighbour Gloria’s ‘house across the street’ when she bears witness to strangers, mostly women and children, coming in and out of Gloria’s home, escorted by a mysterious woman in a black car. When a fire breaks out at Gloria’s place, a tragedy takes place, two bodies are pulled from the charred ruins and this sets in motion a dangerous path for Pearse’s heroine. As we have come to expect from Lesley Pearse, the period detail is exact as Pearse expertly transports the reader to 1964, Britain. This is a time of great flux, as women in particular were exercising their right to freedom, with increased choice, looser morals, sexual freedoms and their ability to initiate divorce proceedings. This is all handled with a deft hand by Pearse, but perhaps the lasting reminder that I took away from The House Across the Street was that domestic violence is just as prevalent in the not too distant past as it is now. Pearse delivers this scathing parting reminder in her latest blockbuster novel.

[Robin Williams · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was so awful, Penguin should be ashamed for publishing it. Typos throughout the book. The author has zero knowledge of how barristers work or are referred to - they are not 'lawyers at the Inns of Court' and they work in chambers, not firms. These mistakes are inexcusable. The characters are one dimensional, the dialogue clunky and trite, and the plot simply unbelievable. Avoid at all costs!

[Nicky K · Rating 2 out of 5]

My 11 year old daughter would have thoroughly enjoyed this book 🙄

[Nicky Mottram · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio version of this book 📚- I think this is one of the worst Lesley pearse books I’ve read/listened too. The narration was good but I just found the storyline quite boring and predictable and extremely far fetched concerning Charles who after having only 1 date with the main character goes all over the country looking for her !!

[Vera Neves (Sinfonia dos Livros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Já não lia Lesley Pearse há algum tempo e já não me recordava bem o quão intensa ela consegue ser nas suas histórias e o quão rectilíneas e intensas as suas personagens geralmente são.
Neste livro temos a história de Katy Speed. Um jovem sonhadora em plena década de 60. Sonha sair da sua terrinha pacata e mudar-se para Londres, onde tudo acontece e onde quer ser bem sucedida e feliz. No entanto, quis o destino que se visse envolvida num acontecimento trágico que lhe vai virar a vida do avesso.

Opinião Completa no Sinfonia dos Livros
https://sinfoniadoslivros.blogspot.co...

[M B · Rating 2 out of 5]

How this book got over a 4 star rating is beyond me...
This is the first book of Ms Pearse's that I've read. Her writing style is extremely simplistic. It took me back to the days of Enid Blyton, although Enid's books are of course written for children and set in the early part of last century, so her writing style makes sense.
I understand that the book is set in the 1960s but even so, the book is written in an overly straightforward sort of way. It was easy to read, so I continued skimming it until the end. There was a large plot twist at the end which I didn't see coming, but the entire story seemed far-fetched and awkward to me.

[Lu Etchells · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly? This was ruddy awful! I wanted to like it; the blurb sounded compelling. Who is the real Gloria? Why would someone kill her? Why would someone set Katy’s father up? How will she get him released and his name cleared?
That alone was enough to get my attention. Throw in the fact that Pearse is one of the UK’s loved authors, with a stellar publishing career, and you can’t help but feel you must have something rather special on your hands.
All I can assume is this is not entirely indicative of Pearse’s work. You cannot possibly build a career out of this kind of writing. The story was bland and entirely predictable. There was no excitement, not really any mystery, and no thrill whatsoever. The characters were entirely bland, and actually, I found the “heroine” a right royal pain in the proverbial.
Constantly being told she is a warm, lovely, lively and compassionate individual is bad enough, but to actually find her actions the opposite, is infuriating. Putting a compassionate smile on your face and then trying to bulldoze people in to telling you their deepest, darkest secrets does not compassion create.
Worst of all, for me anyway, the dialogue was cringe-worthy. At times I actually felt like an 11 year old had written it. I appreciate this is set in the sixties, but I’m still fairly certain people had conversations like human beings, even so many, many decades ago!
I am prepared to give Pearse the benefit of the doubt, but think I’ll check out some earlier work, as many seem to agree this is far from her best.

[Alice Harrison · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible....childlike writing and a weak storyline.

[Lynn Farrell · Rating 1 out of 5]

So simple. Got half way through and thought, this book is not going to get any more interesting, so gave up. Would recommend for a 12 year old.

[Tammy]

I am astonished by the the excessive praise and recommendation this this book has received. I was looking forward to reading it because of the ratings.
What a disappointment! The writing is very immature and the characters naive.

Charles and Katy fall deeply in love on their first date. However Katy is kidnapped and Charles is desperate to rescue her before it is too late.
Although he is working against the clock Charles has time to visit an old detective friend to exchange 'their usual banter' and have a hearty meal and a few laughs before embarking on his mission.
Jilly, Katy's best friend begs Charles to allow her to accompany him.
Seemingly not in any hurry and needing a good nights sleep he agrees to meet her under the church clock at 9 the next morning.
They appear to have a lot of fun on their caper laughing alot and lingering over good meals.
Charles tries at times and even wants to turn back as his shoes are muddied.
Eventually they come across a house where in all probability Katy is being kept captive but Charles is reluctant to break in as his detective friend may not approve and they return home to regroup.
Kay, tried of waiting for her knight in shinging armour to rescue her rescues herself.
But everything turns out well in the end with Charles popping the question.
Unfortunately this book to me read more like an Enid Blyton or Hardy boys.
I would only recommended it to young readers

[Liza Perrat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite an entertaining story, if not a little "childish" sounding in places. Also, I felt the story should have ended at least a chapter before it actually did ... consequently the, very predictable, ending dragged on a little too much. However, I still enjoyed listening to this audiobook.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Lesley’s for a fair while now. I read, reviewed and loved ‘The Woman In The Wood’ and I was eagerly awaiting the release of her next (now current) ‘The House Across The Street’. Boy oh boy I was not to be disappointed.
I really felt for the character of Katy and took to her from the start. She lives at home with her father, who she adores and her mother, who to start with sounds like a total nightmare. Nothing Katy can say or do makes her mother happy and her mother snipes at her constantly. As a way of escapism, Katy watches the comings and goings of the woman across the street called Gloria. A lot of strange (I don’t mean strange as in they look odd more strange as in never seen in the area before) women seem to come and go from the house. Despite her mother’s sniping and opinionated rants, Katy likes Gloria and has sort of bonded with her. Gloria ran a dress shop, which Katy frequented and they would regularly chat. Katy is understandably horrified when Gloria is murdered and she can’t even begin to comprehend who could do something so evil. As you might imagine her mother thinks otherwise. Katy’s world is turned upside down when her beloved father is arrested and she strives to prove his innocence and hopefully find out the true culprit. Is her father innocent? Who did set the fire? Will Katy’s mother change her ways? Well for the answers to those questions and more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out because I am not going to tell you.
To say that ‘The Woman Across The Street’ is one hell of a read is an understatement. The story hits the ground running and maintains the pace throughout. I was hooked from the moment I picked the book up until the moment I put it down. The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story and because the writing is so good you become addicted to read the story. I tried to ration how much I read at one time because I didn’t want to finish the book too early but that intention soon went out the window. I had taken to the characters and was so absorbed by the story that I binge read the book over the space of a day and a half, which is good going for me. The writing, characters and the story were so good that I just couldn’t put the book down. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it came everywhere with me. I couldn’t bear to be parted from it. If I had to put the book down for some reason, then I counted down the time until I could pick it up again.
I love the way that Lesley is not afraid to tackle dark subjects which are just as relevant today as they were when the story was set. One of the major topics that she tackles in this book is domestic violence. Back when the story takes place in The Sixties, domestic violence was often swept under the carpet and many people turned a blind eye to it.
I have to say that this is my favourite book of Lesley’s so far. It’s an emotive read which features real characters with real issues and realistic scenarios. The story was end to end stuff and it kept my interest to the point where I didn’t notice how quickly the pages were turning. I would definitely recommend ‘The House Across The Street’ to other readers. I can’t wait to read what Lesley writes next. The story on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a fan of this author, I will automatically buy a Lesley book without a second thought. I have read all her books and although this hasn’t been my favourite, was still a great read. I found this a little different from the usual historical reads of Lesley and it took a little while to become invested in the main characters but Katy Speed was a character I grew to love through the chain of events as they begin to unravel. When Katy’s father is arrested for the fire of the house across the road, I loved how she wasn’t going to stop until she found out the true story. A great read 4 stars!

[Megan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is probably one of the worst books I have ever read. The plotline is poorly constructed, predictable and incredibly boring. The characters are flat with no depth and are inauthentic.

[~ Cariad ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding listen by Lesley Pearse.

Honestly, author's like this, are what Audible was made for.

[M João (Livros?gosto) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Opinião em:



https://youtu.be/DW2Szn0IemE

[Lexy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book by Pearse. When there is a fire at the house across the road everything is not as it seems.
It’s all up to Katie Speed to put the pieces of the puzzle together

[Gizella Tóth · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*
Tetszett, bár az anya pálfordulása nekem valahogy túl gyors volt. Kicsit ijesztő, mennyi családon belüli erőszak témájú könyvvel futok össze mostanában, mintha dömpingje lenne, vagy mi. :(

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way in which Lesley Pearse brings to life decades and centuries past is one of the main reason I adore her style of writing, whether it be a journey across America during the gold rush in Never Look Back, or a voyage across the sea in Remember Me, you truly get a fascinating viewpoint from her strong female protagonists. With her latest offering, The House Across the Street she doesn't disappoint. It's full of mystery and vivid detail of life in the 1960's, she deals well with difficult subject matter and it won't disappont any fans of her work. A great read.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com

This is a sweet, entertaining story set in a decade I love reading about - the 1960's. Katy's neighbour across the road dies in a house fire and her lovely father is arrested for her murder, so Katy sets out to try and prove his innocence - but things don't quite go to plan.

I really enjoyed reading about the post-war time period of the 1960's, with lots of references to society and popular culture at that time. Things were so different then, and Lesley Pearse does a great job of subtling highlighting this. The different time period is also reflected in the way the characters deal with certain situations, and the fact that many of the characters feel a bit dampened down at times, where I expected them to react more strongly but they didn't. Katy, despite not being alive during WW2, certainly felt a little childish at times, but I think that was part of her innocent, eager personality. When things got really difficult, she certainly stepped up though!

The story felt, to me, fairly gentle really, despite dealing with some very serious and important themes (which I won't list here so as not to spoil any of the story). It's a nice, easy read and will definitely appeal to anyone who likes novels set in this time period, or historical fiction in general. I tend to read novels with a bit more 'bite' and grit to them, so this made a nice change for me.

[3.5 / 5 bumped to 4/5]

Thanks to Penguin UK for sending me a copy of this novel, on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The House Across the Street is the twenty fifth novel from one of my all time favourite authors Lesley Pearse. What an incredible achievement to ave written twenty five books and to be still very much on top of your game in publishing books that readers can't wait to get their hands on as each new book is a highlight in my reading calendar. Each year I eagerly look forward to a new book from Lesley as she never fails to disappoint in providing her long term fans with stories that will reel you in from the very first page and quickly have you deeply invested in the outcome for the characters involved.

This time our attentions turn to 1964 in Bexhill-on-Sea where our main character Katy lives with her parents Hilda and Albert, her brother Rob is away at university. Instantly Katy seemed a likeable character living at a time when great changes were on the horizon. Society and the general attitude towards women were expanding in that more and more women were working outside the home, taking risks and exploring all the new fashions, trends and music that the swinging sixties had to offer. That's not to say that all aspects of women's lives were filled with happiness and contentment. Katy can see the shift in people's ways of thinking and she can visualise all the world has to offer her, she knows she needs to broaden her horizons but the one thing stopping her is the situation and feeling that exists at home. This has been ongoing for sometime and when a devastating event occurs right on her doorstep maybe this just might be the push she needs to instigate said changes in her life.

Katy is a very observant person and the more we got to know her it seemed evident to me that there was elements of her character where she was a young woman ahead of her times. Yet she couldn't fully express this due to the constraints, reprimands and out downs enforced by her mother. She works in a local solicitors office as a secretary and has an inquisitive nature. The sheer guts, determination, courage and strong will she has were show cased several times over the more the story developed. But it is her keen sense of observation and astuteness that will stand in good stead to her. The family are abruptly awoken one night as the house across the street goes up in flames. What's worse the following morning two bodies are taken from the burnt out shell that remains. Gloria Reynolds, owner of a boutique in the town, and her daughter are the victims. It soon becomes apparent that the fire was no accident and had been set deliberately. But why and who were the women that used to come and go from Gloria's house emerging from a car driven by another woman?

It's all so strange and Katy is well aware of all these comings and goings as are the other residents of the street. As Katy attempts to put the fire to the back of her mind she travels to London with her best friend Jilly to attend an interview in the hopes of starting a new stage in her life. But on her return her plans, hopes and dreams are cruelly shattered as her father Albert has been arrested and is being investigated for the murder of Gloria and her daughter. Surely he couldn't have been the one who set the fire? I will admit I had my suspicions as to who could have been responsible for the fire and when it was revealed I was disappointed in myself that I had felt this way about a character as I was very much proven wrong.

What follows is Katy's search for the truth. So many questions that need answering, justice needs to be serviced before an innocent man has his good reputation destroyed. What infuriated me was that Hilda wasn't as gung ho like Katy in seeking the truth. She came up with implausible reasons why her husband could have done it and it was just silly, surely you are meant to stand by the man you love? Katy showed the kind, caring and loving side to her. I loved how she never ever gave up in her quest no matter how difficult and dangerous the path she delved down became. Things took on a dark and sinister turn as she discovered the real reason Gloria had so many women coming to her house and I think it was brilliant to see this topic being dealt with in this book as at the time it was kept a very much dark secret and a taboo subject that many turned a blind eye to. Many people believed that what was happening to women should be allowed to happen and that they should put up with it. Gloria, even though unfortunately we never get to know her, was a person who should have been respected and admired for all that she did no matter how dangerous it was. Sadly though this was to cost her her life.

The book racked up the suspense and tension the more Katy delves deeper into a world I think she would have preferred being better off out of as the more she discovers, the more horrified she becomes. Charles, the young barrister she met whilst getting to know her new place of work in London, seemed helpful and I enjoyed seeing a spark develop between himself and Katy. She was spreading her wings but at the same time her quest to clear her Dad's name was always at the forefront of her mind. Heading back to London may provide her with some of the answers she needs. As Katy starts to uncover secrets someone very much wants hidden the book became quite dark and frankly quite terrifying.

My only issue with this book was that I felt we found out far too early who the culprit was and once that was the case, although awful things occur and there was a sense of desperation to solve things before it was too late, I just felt the reveal came too early and there wasn't really any place to go with the story once this had happened and some of the later parts felt ever so slightly flat. I would have loved a few more twists and turns and going down various paths to find the culprit only to reach dead ends and they had to start all over again. In one way I understand why the reveal was early as it set up different storylines and showcased an even different side to Katy's nature. At one point I did think would she really have talked and acted this way around a certain character that makes themselves known? But on the other hand I do strongly think an even greater level of tension would have existed if the identity and reasons would have remained a mystery for even longer.

Hilda really was a character who I could not warm to at all at any stage in this book, she wasn't in the least bit a motherly figure to Katy or Rob. Instead it was almost like the family, Albert included, lived in fear of doing something which would set Hilda off. She had a sharp tongue and offered no positive words. She was cold and hard with a heart made of stone and no wonder Katy felt the desperate need to escape and forge her own path in life. I really couldn't understand how Albert put up with her and didn't turn tail and run even when things got extremely bad and the family were getting a bad name and reputation due to the ongoing events, Hilda just sat there and didn't say a word. She should have come out and supported her family as when the going gets tough that's the time when family should stick together. There was definitely something very off about her and the way she was written and the manner in which she interacted with her family made me really dislike her.

The House Across the Street was an interesting and engrossing read which gave plenty of food for thought. There are innumerable talking points and I think it's themes will generate much discussion not to mention some of the characters who will definitely get your hackles up whilst others you have the greatest of sympathy for. The author deals with a difficult subject matter very well and doesn't spare any details or sugar coat the topic and this has always been the case with all of her previous books. I did find the very end deeply satisfying as I felt the characters and the themes explored in the book had come full circle and it was almost like a legacy was being passed down and continued. I think Never Look Back will always remain my utmost favourite book by Lesley Pearse and I think many others will agree with me as it was recently voted the fans favourite but The House Across the Street is a very good read which will please old and new readers to Lesley's work. I'm sad I'm finished reading this book and will have to wait another year to read more from this wonderful author.