This October-themed read has a strong Desperate Housewives meets Big Little Lies feel as the Ivy Five, a powerful clique of privileged suburban moms, show their competitive, deceptive and malevolent sides in this domestic thriller that was a touch more domestic drama than thriller.
The author takes her time to acclimate her readers to the close-knit suburban location and the relationships between the characters which made some earlier sections a bit of a slow go. There are a lot of characters to keep track of with some, even among the Ivy Five, not well fleshed out and feeling more like background characters. But as the story progresses in both in the present and past, we get different POVs, witness the threats and secrets accumulate and the story picks up its pace for a satisfying twist.
While not quite as chilling and a little heavier on the suburban drama than I had expected, the story and impending reveals kept my attention and I enjoyed this read. This is a good pick for fans of Big Little Lies who want to get into the Halloween spirit.
Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Harlequin - Graydon House for my advanced copy provided in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Author: Tara Laskowski
Genre: Suspense
Type and Source: eBook from publisher via NetGalley
Publisher: Harlequin (Graydon House)
First Published: October 12, 2021
Opening Lines: Ladies and gentlemen, skulls and boys: by
the time our Halloween block party is over tonight, one of us will be dead.
Book Description from GoodReads:
GOOD MOTHERS…
Never show their feelings.Never spill their secrets.
Never admit to murder.
The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms—known as the Ivy Five—plans the event for months.
Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time.
When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year’s block party should be the best yet... until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood’s dark past—and the lengths they’ve gone to hide it.
As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They’ll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year’s block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same.
From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of domestic suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder ...
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