Author: Shari Lepena
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: July, 2016
Genre: Thriller / Suspense
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: It all started at a dinner party. . .
A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors--a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives…
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all--a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.
Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.
What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family--a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.
My Thoughts: With The Couple Next Door, new to me author, Shari Lepena, delivers a suspenseful and intriguing story about a couple who suffer a parent’s worst nightmare when their baby daughter is kidnapped from her crib while they are next door at a dinner party. So many thoughts ran through my head as I read this story. I couldn’t understand what would compel a parent to leave their child alone after their babysitter cancels on them. Why didn’t they cancel and stay home? Why didn’t they take their daughter with them? As the story unravels, more details, lies and shocking deceptions are brought to light.
As a reader, it’s important to me to have a connection with some or all of the characters; feel empathy for their situation; care about them. All I felt for Anne and Marco Conti was contempt. The more I got to know them, the less I liked them. They are mired so deeply in their dysfunction, it’s a miracle they can drag themselves out of bed each day, much less bathe or feed themselves. That would usually be enough for me to give up on the story and chuck the book against the wall. But no, I turned into one of those annoying people who slow down to a snail’s pace in traffic when there’s an auto accident just to gawk and stare. I couldn’t stop reading this story. I had to find out what happens. I desperately needed closure on whether baby Cora is found alive, but I also needed to find out what these twisted and moronic people would do next.
There were moments when I felt sorry for Anne and Marco, but it didn’t last long. Like the Detective assigned to the case, my only concern was getting the baby back in one piece. We find out early on how the kidnapping went down, but the author does a wonderful job of throwing some red herrings into the story to keep us all guessing.
My Final Verdict: Readers who like intense plots with flawed characters that keep you engaged will enjoy this intriguing suspense story.
No comments:
Post a Comment