Two best friends Anna and Lily have secrets they kept from each other.
And we get drip fed the secrets as we read along.
It's starts off with Dr. Taylor being found murdered, so a who done it, but for me, it read more like a neighbour drama soap.

The story was full of twists and gripping, but I did find the pacing very slow, which was frustrating cause it was such a great story.

The twist at the end of this gripping tale will stay in your head rent-free long after you have finished listening. I found it a nice change to listen to a narrator who did not change their voice for the different characters and still did a fabulous job relating the actions and emotions of each. My takeaway is that no matter what you might think, blood is thicker than water.

It was hard to out this book down. It kept me not wanting to put it down. Little twists and turns you were not expecting. Pretty believable story line also. Kind of

This story was fast paced and thrilling! There were so many good twists and turns in this book, that I had whiplash by the end. While my heart was racing from all of the drama and twists, some parts had my heart breaking for various characters.

I was entertained and gripped by this clever plot as it developed in this well crafted book. Just when I thought I knew where we were headed, the author pivoted and threw in a twist that I didn't see coming. And can we talk about the epilogue?! The ending of this book had my jaw on the floor! I just had to sit there with my thoughts for a few minutes when the book was over. This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last!

Kristin Atherton did a great job bringing the characters of this book to life. Her intonations and the way she effortlessly changed voices for each character - so impressive!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review.

#TheHouseAcrossTheStreet #NetGalley
Don't expect much from this one.
Anna King is a single mom and still lives in the same community as she did when she was a child. She now has her own child ten year old daughter Cassie. Anna and her brother were raised by her best friend Lily’s mother and father after their mother died.
Lily’s family lived across the street from Anna and the girls have been best friends ever since they were young. The night of the party, all the neighbors attend including Dr. Taylor who still lives across the street. He returned home from the party somewhat early. As the party continues Anna notices a light flickering in the upstairs windows in Dr. Taylor house. She wonders if it is a short fuse and decides to do a wellness check as Dr. Taylor lives alone.
I didn't like the starting and ending but the middle was good. MC was not likable.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for giving me an advance copy.

Trigger Warning
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3.5 Stars)

Set in England, this domestic thriller centers on the shocking murder of Dr. Taylor, a beloved figure in the neighborhood. From the outset, the narrative plunges you with dark secrets, posing the question of who committed the crime and why. The story unfolds around two families whose lifelong friendship is tested when Anna, a single mother, witnesses the murder of Dr. Taylor, Lily’s father. Anna subsequently refuses to cooperate with the investigation due to menacing threats aimed at her and her 11-year-old daughter, Cassie.

While I initially struggled to engage with the story and its characters, the pace intensified significantly halfway through. The book maintains a brisk tempo with its fast-paced chapters. The narrative structure alternates between Lily's first-person and the third-person perspectives of other characters in the novel, blending character-driven moments with plot-driven suspense. The novel sheds light on the complexities of friendships and sibling relationships, childhood trauma, and other dark themes that can be an unfortunate reality for some people.

This psychological thriller starts when the father of Anna’s best friend Lily is murdered in the house across the street. The following pages work through finding out who murdered Mr. Taylor while keeping everyone safe, including Anna’s child. The chapters varied from a single first person and multiple third person point-of-views which was odd and a bit confusing. The twist made me feel the ick, but definitely added a wow-factor. There was one female narrator, but I would have appreciated multiple narrators including a male, to account for the different characters and POV.

I'm really enjoying twisty crime fiction novels lately and this was a great read - I dipped in and out of the audio book and ebook versions as I couldn't stop reading it for long!

The House Across The Street belongs to a respected retired doctor and his family, their children Lily and George grew up across the road from her best friend Anna and her brother Tim (who are not on speaking terms since their teenage years). Both families have learnt to keep secrets in the years they've been neighbours and when Lily's dad, Dr Taylor, is murdered it starts to unravel all the lies that have been told in the past, with devastating consequences.

I'm not exaggerating when I say there are twists up until the very final page - this is a real page turning rollercoaster and whilst you might guess a couple of the twists, as I did, there are so many you'll almost have whiplash! A great read for the summer holidays if you love a gripping page turner.

“It was late. She shouldn’t have been there. Not at that hour.” Childs’ opening instantly riveted me.

Truth and lies muddle following a tragic accident that leaves the lives of two families shattered. Stunning imagery brings this story to life as it unfolds from the perspectives of Anna and Lily (and even Cassie) as the bonds of families and friendship become tenuous.

The rich warmth of Kristin Atherton’s narration brings layers of depth in storytelling.

“Anna felt a creeping tide of darkness. A darkness she couldn’t understand but which terrified her. A darkness which she sensed would steadily engulf them all…Anna knew how to take care of the people she loved. She’d do what she had to do whatever the cost. Just as she had in the past.”

Childs’ characterization enabled the reader/listener to sympathize with each character as the novel twisted and turned. Though I wanted to savor each word, I could not wait to finish to find the secrets of this small town community revealed.

Thank you to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for an audio version of this title for an honest review.

Fast-paced, twisty and captivating thriller. I love the relationship between the families. It’s easy book to read and follow! The ending is a surprise though!

I am giving this book 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

There were some really great twists in this book that I was not expecting, and the writing was well done as well.

Having listened to and read many thrillers, it is difficult to find many that are able to keep me guessing and actually surprised with the "who dunnit". And this book did an excellent job at keeping me guessing and keeping me engaged along with interested as well. And, I need to add, with a relatively believable plot line, because often I feel like that is in rare form these days.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for an advanced audio copy of this book. My opinions are all my own.

Another great psychological suspense novel from @Bookoutureaudio. I listened to the audiobook thanks to the publisher and Netgalley. I've been reading (and listening ) to a lot of books from Bookouture, and each one has impressed me. This one is by Jill Childs, an author I had not read before, and tells the story of two families who lived across the street from another, and a LOT of secrets! A lot of secrets. It begins with a murder, which our main character, Anna, discovers when she sees a light that should not be on in her neighbor's house. This leads to the gruesome discovery of a murder of her best friend's father. All that is in the typical description of the book. Who killed Dr. Taylor? That's our initial question.

The House Across the Street has five primary characters. Anna, her ten year old daughter Cassie; her brother Tim; Anna's best friend Lilly (and daughter of the dead doctor) and her brother George. But there is tension on many levels, and a lot of secrets, which you will need to sort out on your own! The book primarily uses the perspective of the two main characters, Anna and Lilly; but has a few other chapters that are from the perspective of other characters, including Anna's ten year old daughter, and her former boyfriend from a decade ago - who might be her daughter's father. Yes. Multiple story lines. And it's a book you want to pay attention to, to see if you can figure out who the answers to all the questions. I'll admit there were several things I didn't see coming!

An enjoyable book, either in audio or print. I listened to about 2/3 of it, and used Kindle Unlimited to read part. Good stuff. Jill Childs will be on my list for future reads. (Note:Amazon review submitted)

If I'd been asked to review this book midway through it, I might not have given it 5 stars. But the depth of the story line and the complex characters seemed to grow the more I listened. It's the story of two women who've been friends all their lives despite complicating factors that might have caused them to break their friendship. However, the murder of the father of one of the women plunges both families into a complex web of suspicion. This is a story of the complexities of friendship, of mysteries (who is the killer, who is the father of a child), and a touch of romance. Stick with it and you'll be quite amazed at how it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

The murder of the village’s doctor has a small pool of suspects for the police. Meanwhile, the victim’s daughter and son are devastated. The victim’s daughter Lily has the steady friendship of next-door neighbor Anna at this most difficult time. However, Lily is not the only one experiencing difficulties. While thrilled that her brother Tim is back in town, Anna’s role as a single mother has hit a few bumps. For starters, Tim left town a decade ago due to serious situation. Now that he is back, Lily is thrilled that her daughter will be able to get to know her uncle. Along with Tim’s difficulties when it comes to assimilating himself again, Anna begins having troubles.

From threatening notes to the appearance of her ex-boyfriend, a boy she loved beyond distraction, Anna’s life is being turned upside down. There is an underlying current in this latest book by Jill Childs, and it is one that gave me chills as I read the book. It is beyond clear that something terrible is weighing on Anna, and that makes for an incredible amount of tension in this story.

The relationships in this book are everything. The best-friend relationship Anna and Lily share. Lily’s loving relationship with Anna’s daughter Cassie. Anna’s relationship with her brother Tim. And the hidden relationship(s) that are revealed at just the right time. Then factor in the twists and turns, and this book will leave you thinking and even hurting a bit.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book starts off quickly and the suspense continues till the end. Information about the characters is slowly revealed which adds some thrill to the plot. I really enjoyed how it was written, how we saw the perspective of various characters throughout, sometimes this takes away from the plot and slows things down but I found it kept it fresh and revealed the secrets the reader needs to know. Definitely will be keeping an eye out for other books by this author!

The House Across The Street is a multiple POV story about a murder and all of the suspects. I listened to the audio version of this and it was a bit confusing with all the jumping around. That is the main reason for this rating.

This was a 2 star book (for me) until the end. The ending earned it another star.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an enjoyable listen, but i do have couple of issues with it.........

The narration was great.

i liked the twists and turns, but you have to wait until 3/4 way through the book for it to really get going.

I must of really got into the book because, when i had finished it, i was mad with Anna for allowing her 10 year old daughter to be left alone - especially knowing what had been done to her!!! no mother i know would of ever done such a thing!!

A book about secrets & betrayals - definetly worth a read/listen

4 stars

The House Across the Street is my first Jill Childs novel. I enjoyed her style of writing and the story itself was very well developed. I usually don’t give four stars to books where I’ve figured out the twist early on. I did accurately guess the mystery/twist in this book, but I I enjoyed the characters and the story enough for it to merit the rating. I have already looked through Childs other offerings and have a few in mind to read next!

While a neighbourhood party is underway, a respected elderly doctor is murdered in his bed, leaving those who know him completely confused and disturbed at this turn of events.

Not least Anna and Tim, the adult siblings living across the street who lost their mother early. Because as their father's close friend, Dr Taylor has treated them, as well as Anna's daughter Cassie, with affection and given them his attention over the years. His own daughter, Lily, has always been Anna's best friend, the children growing up in each other's homes.

This book was not an unadulterated success for me. I guessed almost everything well beforehand in terms of the plotline, and it seemed to take a very long time to get to the point.

I found the ending particularly unsatisfying, and not very realistic, given the motivations of and the relationships between the key characters.

I think however, that for readers who do not guess where the story is leading, the book may well have something to offer. It gets 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

This book was a ride. I had some of it figured out really early, most of it really, but there is a point at the end I didn't expect to happen.

This book has a lot of themes around found family, the secrets we can keep for each other, and breaking points. It also seems to hint at don't trust people who do things you wouldn't want done to you, which is fair. The TW is a bit of a spoiler, so I'm going to place it at the end. This was a good read overall, I'd definitely recommend it to the psychological thriller lovers out there. It wasn't for me, but I thought it was well written and well executed.



TW for sexual assault/molestation, some moments where a child is endangered.