The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
by Shari LapenaMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Hardcover, 320 pages
Published August 23rd 2016 by Pamela Dorman Books
Source: Received a print review copy from Penguin Random House Canada
Quite a rollercoaster ride and well-crafted for a first novel. The Conti's six-month-old daughter is kidnapped from her crib. The whole event starts while at the couple's next door for the evening and now that the police are investigating, the lead detective, Rasbach, can tell that everyone is either lying or not telling the whole truth. The time frame turns into almost a week. Suspicions land everywhere for the first half until the kidnapper is revealed. Now everyone's secrets are coming out and we don't know how it will ultimately end. At barely 300 pages, it is a short book and paced fast enough that I barely put it down until I'd finished. My only quibble is the author uses the phrase, "He/she almost felt sorry for him/her." over and over to the reader's distraction. The person wasn't likeable, deserved no sympathy and the people saying this? it didn't fit their personalities. Otherwise, a sharp little psychological thriller and I'd love to see where the author goes with her next book.
I hadn't taken the time to even read the book summary now I have read 2 reviews and know I need to read this one too. So many great thrillers this year.
ReplyDeleteSounds good despite the distracting phrase!
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