
But she thought they were nice. She thought they were happy.
She was wrong.
First there’s the explosive rows. Then she catches one of them digging a grave- shaped trench in the garden.
When the truth emerges, someone would kill to cover their tracks…
Well hasn’t January just flown in!? Apologies for the short hiatus but I’m glad to be back again and bringing you some reviews for some great reads to check out. I’m starting with The Wife Next Door by Amanda Brooke. This is a chilling read which had me feeling really quite tense for the majority of the story. It’s a book where giving away too much about the storyline might affect how you feel as you read, not in a negative way, just that some storylines need you to follow the path without knowing what is coming up ahead.
Jane is recently bereaved and is faced with the task of clearing her childhood home and getting it ready for sale. She has mixed feelings; desperately missing her mum and the happy times but some memories are soured by traumatic events. Her husband doesn’t really understand and sees the process as more of a formality and a series of boxes to be ticked. Jane needs more time to get her head around everything so stays on. Spending time alone makes her more attuned to what is going on around her and soon her neighbours come to her attention. They seem deeply unhappy and Jane is really worried about their relationship but as an outsider there is little she can do except offer a supportive ear and a kind face and hope that they can move past their difficulties one way or another.
The Wife Next Door is an uncomfortable yet gripping read. There’s a sense of threat which weaves through the story leaving you as the reader never quite sure what might happen next; needing to know but being fearful of what might be coming. The story is told most in the present but we do see some flashbacks to Jane’s childhood and get to meet her parents and best friend. I like having these chapters to add some extra colour and depth to the events which unfold.
This is a story for thriller fans, it will have your heart racing and your mind whirring from the beginning!
About The Wife Next Door:
A note from Amanda: ‘The Wife Next Door stemmed from an experience with my old
neighbours, who lived behind us. One day, they unexpectedly chopped down a
tree. They got more sun and I got an uninterrupted view of their house from my
bedroom. I didn’t want to snoop, but like my main character, Jane, sometimes you
can’t help but notice what’s going on in your neighbours’ lives, and your
imagination fills in the gaps. I miss that tree, and you could say my latest novel is my
revenge for it being cut down…’
About Amanda Brooke: Amanda Brooke is an internationally bestselling author. Her debut novel, Yesterday’s Sun, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick and since then she has written eleven further books. Amanda lives in Merseyside with a cat called Spider, a dog called Mouse, and a laptop within easy reach.

