The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
This is the first novel by Shari Lapena that I have read, and I am pleased to report that I enjoyed it!
This thriller has a tense storyline – a couple go to their neighbour’s for dinner, leaving their baby alone in the house next door. The baby disappears during the evening…what happened? Who took the baby? Is the baby still alive?
Goodness me, this was a tense book! I think because I have two children this book was a little closer to home than some of the books I have read recently.
This novel was full of twists and turns, it ticked all the thriller boxes for me. I didn’t guess correctly, which always makes for a good read! I thought the book would be more about the couple who were hosting the party, but found the title to be a bit misleading; this novel is all about Anne and Marco, the parents who have lost their child.
I would say I enjoyed the majority of this book, but found the ending surprisingly slow. I’ve read some reviews where people have said they thought the end was too “convenient”. I didn’t think that, I just didn’t think we got to the end fast enough. The unveiling of the truth dragged out a bit.
And the characters…I wasn’t a massive fan of any of them. I couldn’t believe the stupidity of the parents. Don’t leave a baby alone in the house! I found it hard to sympathise with them as they left the child! I didn’t like Marco, the husband, at all. I thought he was very shady. I felt for Ann, who is suffering with post-natal depression, but the choices they both made left me cold.
I will definitely read more by Shari Lapena, and if you like a thriller, this is a good read.
3 out of 5