A good read. Admittedly, I’ve already enjoyed some of this author’s work and was thrilled to attend her talk at our local library a few years ago where I got the opportunity to learn about the life and face behind the name Lesley Pearse who spent some of her life in my local area. Never Look Back is my absolute favourite Pearse novel but The House across The Street deserves the same credit for its portrayal of time and setting, character depth as well as tugging at the reader’s heart strings. Looking forward to more from this author!

Quintessential Lesley Pearse. Juicy, addictive and leaves you wanting more. Fantastic pacing and I thoroughly enjoyed this

Lesley Pearse is one of those authors that makes you think about the story she is telling. Every story has a sub plot with it, and it is really worth the effort to read slowly and surely to make sure you savor each and every word. Recommended.

This is the first book I have read by Lesley Pearse. ‘The House Across the Street’ is a slow build as Pearse takes time to build the characters and the Sixties setting. This is a difficult book to describe: part-mystery, part-romance, part-thriller.
The house of the title is in Bexhill-on-Sea. Twenty-three year old Katy Speed is fascinated by Gloria, her fashionable neighbour, who owns a dress shop in town. Katy is also fascinated by some odd comings and goings; a black car arrives, bringing women and sometimes children to the house. Katy’s mother Hilda disapproves of Gloria, thinking there may be something illegal going on. Then one night Gloria’s house burns down and Katy’s father Albert is arrested for murder. It is at this point that the story really takes off.
The 1965 setting is well portrayed. It is a time of social change. Katy and her friend Jilly dream of escaping boring Bexhill to live and work in London. Hilda is something of a mystery; moody, cold, traditional. Mother and daughter mirror the changing times and sexual freedoms of the time. The backbone of the story is domestic violence and the lack of help available for victims in the Sixties. ‘The House Across the Street’ is a novel sympathetic to the Sixties, showing the transition after World War Two as the older generation shaped by their war experiences clash with their children who want to grab their new freedoms. Pearse contrasts the awkward marriage of Hilda and Albert, and Katy’s new friendship with a barrister at her new job, to demonstrate the changing lives of women. Katy has more opportunities than her mother, but the laws protecting women remain inadequate. At the heart of the novel lays brutality but also kindness and a sense of justice.
The second half of the book flew by as Pearse expertly handles the increasing intrigue.
Read more of my book reviews at http://www.sandradanby.com/book-reviews-a-z/

Really enjoyed this book. Lesley Pearse always creates strong female characters and Katy is no exception. Loved the swinging 60s setting and the mystery around who the perpetrator of the fire was. Another good read from Lesley Pearse and highly recommended.

Kaum ein Autor weiß Fiktion mit Fakten so gut zu vermengen, wie diese Autorin - sie vermittelt eine Dichte der Geschichte gepaart mit lebendigen Figuren, was den Leser sofort in eine andere Zeit katapultiert. Wie immer ein großes Vergnügen - ich kann kaum das nächste Buch erwarten!

I have read all of Lesley's books and have enjoyed them. I always love the characters she writes and they are fully rounded, likeable and believable. Can't wait for her next one!

It's a long while since I read any of Lesley Pearse's books although I remember enjoying them. This was a book I started reading a bit, then reading something else & coming back to it but about halfway through I had to find out what happened & read that almost in a big gulp!

Set in the Swinging 60's Katy Speed & her friend Jilly long to get a job & a flat in London away from boring Bexhill. Katy also wants to escape from her miserable, nagging mother. She is quite fascinated by the house across the street owned by Gloria, the glamorous woman who runs the local dress shop. She is shocked when awoken in the middle of the night to see that house ablaze. The shocking news that Gloria & her daughter perished in the blaze is almost overshadowed by the fact that her father is accused of starting the fire. When he is arrested & her mother seems to believe he is to blame is the final straw for Katy. She & Jilly get jobs & stay with Jilly's aunt & uncle whilst they flat hunt. But Katy is determined to prove her father's innocence & she decides to do some investigations of her own.

Lesley Pearce has always been able to capture the essence of an era. I don't usually associate her with thrillers but this book definitely comes under this category. Its was a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

Katy Speed lives in 1960s Bexhill-on-Sea where nothing really happens. Her life consists of working as a secretary in a legal practice and not terribly wild nights out with her friend. Her home life is far from comfortable with a Mother who snaps and digs at every opportunity. Then one night the house across the street goes up in flames & Katy gets caught up in the aftermath.

I wouldn't say that this is a gripping book but a reasonable read. I did hover for a second over 3 stars but felt that this was worth more that 3.5 so deserved a four star review. It was a generally good read though I felt the rushed explanations of Katy's mother's behaviour at the end were too complicated for their place in this book.

Katy is a pleasant character - a little impetuous but a good character for a heroine. In fact, most of the characters in this book are generally nice people with the exception of Katy's mother. I found Katy's mother's behaviour a little extreme especially her reaction to her husband's imprisonment. It didn't work for me and I am not sure that the explanation provided explained it.

I like the fact that this book tackled the difficult subject matter of domestic abuse. By setting the book in the 1960s the author has highlighted the fact that domestic abuse was always there but women did not get the respect or protection that they deserved or needed. It also explains some of todays reactions which are deeply intrenched in the past.

This was an interesting and enjoyable read.

I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.

This novel starts out with a tragedy that then draws you into the world of battered wives and their sad stories. It is not a story that will depress you but through the kindness of the characters Lesley Pearse has created will show you good will triumph in the end

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*.

Lesley Pearse is one of my favourite authors and so I was eager to read this book. What a fantastic compelling intruiging book - I was engrossed from the start and couldn't put this down.

As with all of Lesley's books, the characterisation was fabulous and she managed to transport me effortlessly back to Bexhill in the 1960s. A well paced story which explores some difficult themes which are written about with great care and attention. Full of emotion, courage, mystery, secrets, suspense and romance.

Be prepared to become fully immersed in this fantastic book as with all of Lesley's books. I couldn't put it down and almost read it in a day.

I highly recommend all of Lesley Pearse's books. I was sad to finish this one as it means I have to wait another year for her next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher foir the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I forgot how much I love Lesley Pearse as a writer, having not read one of her books in a while. She has a magnificent way of bring the past to life again. Set in 1960's the main character is placed so well for that timeline. Katie is in her 20's living with her mum and dad, while her brother lives away at uni. She has a slow kind of life, nothing ever exciting happens in Bexhill, where she lives, until she meed the lady who live across the road, who's world ends up turning Katies upside down.
While this is a fantastic period drama it is also has a darker feel to it and kept me totally glued right till the very end.

Thanks Netgalley, Publisher and of course the Author. Lesley Pearse is one of my very favourite authors and this book was just as good as her previous ones, perhaps even better. 5 stars

Yet again Lesley Pearse has written a book that I absolutely loved and found it difficult to put down at times. A wonderful read and one which I highly recommend.

Katy’s life was a sheltered one, with her mother, father and brother being there for her. When she found out what her neighbor was doing, helping battered wives, she is shocked at first. When this same neighbor dies in a house fire she suspects it must have something to do with these women or more likely their husbands. For the police though there is just one suspect and it is Katy's father, Albert. In his shed the police finds all the evidence they need to prosecute him. Katy knows, she can’t let that happen, her father is innocent and she has to find proof. When she comes to close to the truth, she is abducted and suffers severe beatings of the hand of a ruthless wife beater. Now she has to find a way to get out of her prison. Her friend Jilly and Katy’s new maybe boyfriend Charles starting their own search to find Katy. But will it be in time?
What a moving story about the life of the women in the early 60’s in Britain. It was hard to read how women were treated like pieces of property of their husbands and there was nobody speaking up for them. If it weren’t for the courage of women equally mistreated and fearing for their lives, finding the strength to build a new life for themselves and their children and then helping others in the same dire situation.
I chose to read this book and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK!

Katy is devastated when her father is arrested, accused of starting a fire in the house across the street which killed the mysterious Gloria and her daughter who was visiting her. Worst of all Katy's mother seems to believe the police and is not standing by her husband.

Katy decides to go ahead with her plans to move to London with her friend Jilly as she can't stand the thought of staying at home with her cold, unloving mother now that her father is in prison and her brother at university. The girls stay with Jilly's aunt and uncle until they can find a flat and Katy finds a new job.

Katy starts to investigate the life of Gloria hoping to find something to clear her father's name.
This was when Katy started to annoy me and also get herself into trouble as she starts to think she knows best and goes against everyone's advice.

There is a good back story to this as we find out what Gloria was really doing in the house across the street.

A fast-paced book that you won't be able to put down until the last page has been read.

I really loved the main characters and the brilliant plot. I read this book in one sitting and could not put it down. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

A well crafted story portraying the epithet”all is not always as it seem”. A multifaceted depiction of the time. It is a gentle thriller yet able to portray the angst associated with domestic violence . The latter being the central theme and the need for strong women to get on and support those in need. It also touches on nature versus nurture. I enjoyed the rad and thank NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

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.