Book Review: The Sudden Departure of the Frasers by Louise Candlish

My name is Amber Fraser. I've just moved in at number 40, Lime Park Road. You'll come to think of me as a loving wife, a thoughtful neighbour and a trusted friend.
This is a lie.
When Christy and Joe Davenport are handed the keys to number 40 on picture-perfect Lime Park Road, Christy knows it should be a dream come true. How strange though that the house was on the market for such a low price. That the previous owners, the Frasers had renovated the entire property, yet moved out within a year. That none of the neighbours will talk to Christy.
As her curiosity begins to give way to obsession, Christy finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery of the house's previous occupants- and the dark and shocking secret that tore the street apart.

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 500

Publication Date: May 21st

Ooh this book was good! Louise Candlish is so good at drawing you in and then not letting go. The story is told from Amber and Christy's perspective. Amber is the previous owner of 40 Lime Park Road and Christy the present-day owner with her husband, Joe. Joe and Christy are so excited and cannot believe their luck at getting the house for such a bargain price. It is one of the most coveted addresses in the area and they are full of excitement to have found their family home. However this all changes when none of the neighbours will socialise with them and none will explain why the Frasers left so suddenly. Christy become
s obsessed with finding out the truth, she convinces herself that she could be in some kind of danger and that something awful must have happened to Amber.
I loved the suspense that the author created. We gradually build up a picture of Amber through her chapters and the tiny snippets of information that the neighbours pass on to Christy. We don't get the whole truth until the very end though and I felt like I was holding my breath for the last few chapters.
The premise of the book is very clever, Louise Candlish takes an ordinary suburban street and turns it into a terrifying mystery. I loved Christy's chapters where she is watching everyone from her bedroom window; as she says so herself, it is very Rear Window.
As the saying goes, 'you never know what goes on behind closed doors'. The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is the perfect example of this. Louise Candlish has written a superb, modern day thriller and I urge you to read it.

Many thanks to Penguin for allowing me to review this book via NetGalley