I finished this very quickly....the action started straight away and I was absorbed. A great thriller! I highly recommend this for anyone who loves this genre ( )

4 estrellas y media.

Me ha encantado. Me ha atrapado durante toda la lectura. Quería saber más y más de lo que realmente estaba pasado.

Uno de los libros que más me ha enganchado últimamente.

Tiene un giro inesperado prácticamente al final.

Quizás esperaba un final más espectacular tras un argumento con tanto enganche…

Aún así, lo recomiendo.

Primer libro que leo de esta escritora y ya estoy mirando algún otro suyo!!! ( )

It's a psychological thriller...and what a thriller it is. After about 20 pages the reader is caught up in the story hook, line and sinker. The story is told from the perspective of several characters, so be patient. We hear from former bad boy Logan, nosy neighbor, Gladys, and Katherine and her captor. We learn from the prologue that a dangerous situation is taking place in Katherine’s house and then we go back in time over the past few hours to see how events came to unfolded. I was drawn to the characters of Logan and Gladys. Their lives have been full of difficulties which made them intensely vulnerable. Logan’s life has been ruled by his bad choices and a terrible childhood. He is often judged for his criminal background and has feelings of guilt for his previous behavior. Gladys cares for her husband Lou who has Parkinsons. They have no children, and her world revolves around trying to make human connections to combat the loneliness. From Katherine and her captor’s viewpoint show the crisis within their family, with 5-year-old twins in danger which heightens the tension. It's a shocking story of a family being held in acute fear by someone that should love them. Be aware that there are some extremely intense and violent scenes that may greatly impact some readers. ( )

This is a true page turner full of suspense and danger. Katherine and John live with their twin 5 year olds in the house across the street from Gladys, the neighborhood busy-body. Both Gladys and a Logan, a man trying to deliver a package to Katherine, think that there is trouble at katherine's house, but neither do anything about it. It bothers both of them all day. Gladys doesn't want to call the police because she does so often and she is afraid they will not listen. Logan had deliveries to make and wants to keep his job. Besides, he has problems of his own. So, the issue at Katherine's goes on all day.
The events of the day are told from the perspective of all the characters and keeps the reader guessing how it will end.
Definitely a must read ( )

The Family Across the Street by Nicole Trope is a highly recommended domestic thriller set in Sydney, Australia.

Margo is taking care of her baby when she hears what sounds like gun shots. As she looks outside she sees the police and her older neighbor Gladys outside. When Margo steps out to ask what is going on, Gladys tells her that shots have been fired and to go back inside. At this point the novel jumps back in time seven hours earlier in the morning when it appears that things started to go wrong at the Wests' home. Logan, a delivery driver has a package for Katherine West that must be signed for, but she says she can't open the door to sign for it. This strikes Logan as odd, especially when he said he'd wait if she needed to get dressed or anything. Gladys noticed right away that the twins, George and Sophie, were quiet in the morning, rather than the loud and rambunctious five-year-olds they normally are, and she didn't see them leave for school. When she tries to stop by and talk to Katherine, she is told it isn't a good time through the closed door. She later tries to call Katherine several times but the calls are not answered. Later when she sees a sign in the upstairs window saying "Halp Us" she is certain something is terribly wrong.

The narrative is told through the perspective of Gladys and Logan, outside the Wests' home, and from the point-of-view of the adults inside the Wests' home where Katherine and her children are being held hostage. As this is a character based drama, Trope allows her characters to push plot development forward and help create a sense of unease, tension, and fear. While the drama inside the home is disturbing and dangerous, Gladys is dealing with her own problems with her increasingly incapacitated husband. While out on his deliveries, Logan learns some bad personal news and must process that information until he is in a place to deal with it.

This compelling novel sets a quick pace as it switches between the various points-of-view in short chapters. This swift shuffling between the perspectives of the four characters helps keep the tension building while you try to guess exactly what is going to happen next in the life of each character. Trope is careful to develop her characters without revealing any of the secrets she wants to keep for later and will deliberately lead you toward the action packed final reveal and confrontation. (The title was originally Home Sweet Home and then changed to The Family Across the Street, so reviews of this novel can be found under both titles.)

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Bookouture.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/08/the-family-across-street.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4177529233 ( )