The Family Next Door is such an innocuous title, but behind the cover of this book there are secrets and lies – some of them so well hidden that you would never guess!

Pleasant Court is a very desirable cul-de-sac in Melbourne, ideally located near the beach and where the house prices have soared in recent years. Perfect for families, and populated solely by them. Until, that is, a single woman rents one of the family homes and piques the interest of the neighbours. Whilst they know nothing about her, Isabelle seems to know all about them and their family members, right down to the latest newborn.

This isn’t a novel to get complacent about; just when you think it’s a nice, gentle read about ordinary people BAM! Suddenly veneers crack and truth begins to shine through and it makes for constant, compulsive reading! Wow – who’d have thought, eh?

I relished everything about this book. The writing is clever, sleek and reeled me in .. hook, line and sinker. There is more than one revelation along the way and each and every one took me by surprise. After reading this, neighbours – and even your nearest and dearest – will all prompt more than a twinge of suspicion as they wave or call out ‘good morning’.

My thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

I’m a nosy person, one of my favourite occupations is imagine the lives of the people that live in the houses I pass on my way home. In a different age I suspect I would have been very much like my grandmother watching the comings and goings in the street. So it is unsurprising that I was drawn to this novel set in Melbourne following the lives of the people living on a cul-de-sac, Pleasant Court.

The neighbourhood includes a mother who left her daughter in a park, but three years on, Essie now has her mother Barbara close at hand as she has moved into a house on Pleasant Close too. The two women meet up regularly and Barbara is besotted with her grand-daughters. But Essie longs for a close friend, the neighbours wave and smile but they are not the type to pop in and out of each other’s houses. Then Isabelle rents the house which has been empty following a fire. Where she came from and what she does, and even her sexuality is a bit of a mystery.

In another house Angie’s real-estate business is going well, her two sons are enamoured with their X-Box and her husband is a photographer. He is gorgeous and handy in the home and yes, sometimes he is too interested in everyone else but Angie knows she is lucky. Fran is less obviously happy obsessively pounding the streets following the birth of her second daughter. What is she running from?

It is very hot, the neighbours are struggling to keep cool and Isabelle’s interest in the neighbours and their children is a bit intense.

Sally Hepworth has created a book that suits nosy people down to the ground. All of the characters are shockingly realistic with the dialogue pitch-perfect. There is a real knack to dovetailing interactions between the characters and their private thoughts and this author knows just how to make it work without resorting to the obvious sarcastic tone that many authors use to get around that gap between the public and private personas.

If the characterisation is spot-on the plot also swings gracefully over the bar. I thought I knew which direction the book was going in, I was resoundingly wrong and although the author did lead us down a path, the realisation wasn’t born from a left-field twist, the author went for a far subtler, and as a result, far more realistic swivel.

There are plenty of secrets to be uncovered which changes everything on Pleasant Close over the course of a summer and the resultant scenarios are on the whole things that you will have seen and no doubt had long intense conversations about. Despite the key storyline being unusual ultimately this book is about a variety of relationships which acknowledges that each one is different and often they can be complicated and of course that sometimes there are no easy answers. Whilst this book isn’t ‘heavy’ it does more than wrapping everything up in a pretty bow.

The overall result was a satisfying one. I felt for the characters when various secrets were revealed which meant that I had to seriously blink back those tears having stupidly decided that this would be a nice gentle book to read on a train. Sorry to the bemused man who sat opposite me!

I'd like to say a huge thank you to Hodder & Stoughton who allowed me to read The Family Next Door ahead of publication in the UK today. This unbiased review is my thanks to them, and the author Sally Hepworth for a thoroughly absorbing read.

It's been a while since I've flown through a book at g-force speed like I did this one!

I just loved getting to know the wonderful characters of Pleasant Court, and was highly entertained by the writer's skillful way in which she perfectly unravelled the story...she kept me guessing as to the motive behind single woman Isabelle moving to a family oriented neighbourhood; who the mysterious female voice in the story belonged to and what other juicy secrets were being kept by the families of Pleasant Court, who 'seemingly' had all their enviable ducks in a perfectly straight row.

The book focuses on the POV of five of the woman living in Pleasant Court...their secrets and fears, their relationships with their families and also with each other. The characters are so distinctive, so well developed and relatable, that in no way was it a challenge to keep up with the drama relating to each of the women.

The book started off with Essie suffering with post natal depression ( a major theme throughout the book), abandoning her screaming baby in the park. The story was so enticing that before I knew it, the day had passed me by and I had laid eyes on the final words of this highly addictive read.

A story encompassing the hardships of motherhood, the impact of mental illness on a family, secrets, lies and forgiveness, all happening in the 'perfect' neighbourhood setting.

I don't want to give away any more details, but know that If you're into domestic drama/suspense that will grab you like a rottweiler with lock jaw, then you cannot afford to miss out on this gem.

I can't believe this is my first encounter with Sally Hepworth's work, but it absolutely won't be my last. I was definitely feeling some Liane Moriarty vibes from this story as well.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for my ARC in exchange for my unbiased opinion of this book.

The title was worryingly reminiscent of The Couple Next Door, which I’m afraid I didn’t like at all. (I don’t like to be negative, and I rarely am - I’d rather say nothing at all. But it really was tripe.)

Anyway, happily The Family Next Door is much better and bears little resemblance to its near namesake, even if it does involve a baby going missing.

It revolves around life in a Melbourne suburb and the inhabitants of Pleasant Court, #whereeverythingispleasant. Asking for trouble, right? Ange, Fran and Essie all have husbands and children, and Essie’s mother Barbara lives close by, too. It’s a place for families, so when Isabelle (single, possibly gay) moves in, eyebrows are raised and tongues are wagging. Isabelle seems friendly enough, though, even if she does appear to know rather more about them than she should...

Pleasant though Pleasant Court is, there’s darkness behind the facade - infidelity, post-natal depression... and a possibly stolen baby. But whose?

The book has been compared with Liane Moriarty and I can definitely see the resemblance, not just in the Australian setting. Characters and story had a similar feel about them and there’s an element of mystery which is nicely realised. I’m not entirely sure the psychology of one character stands up - but it worked well in the context of the story.

A really enjoyable read with believable characters and a satisfying ending.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

I enjoyed this story of the relationships between five women who live in Pleasant Close. Each not quite as they seem, each with their own secrets.

Well-developed characters with a few twists and turns along the way and a slight Desperate Housewives flavour to it.

Having not been a great fan of Big Little Lies (I know, I am in a minority but it all felt a bit "Tupperware" for me, sorry) I did wonder whether I had made a huge error choosing The Family Next Door to review. But WOW! Am I glad I chose it! This book pulled me in from the very first pages - I felt as though I was another resident of Pleasant Court, Melbourne watching though my window at the every day lives of my neighbours. Written in a very easy to read style the author has given us a great snapshot of the residents: Essie & Ben and their two daughters Mia & Polly; Fran & Nigel and their daughters Ava & Rosie; Ange & Lucas and their boys Ollie & Will and finally new arrival to the area Isabelle.
Post natal depression is a big subject area in this story and is described cleverly but without judgment or stigma. Also, how depression can affect anyone, of any age or gender is represented. The long term effects of a traumatic event are also shown in the overall story but again I felt this was handled very well, in an understanding manner.
I love the way the story played out with each chapter feeling very much like an episode of a soap opera which made the book very well paced overall. The feelings of the various characters are expertly described from each of the mums to newcomer Isabelle who is a bit of a mystery and gets the residents talking as to where she's come from and why she's there on her own.
There are a plethora of secrets from each of the addresses in Pleasant Court - and maybe the biggest secrets come from the least likely individuals. I shall say no more as I really don't want to spoil the plotline for anyone as it is a great novel for the pages to gradually release their gems of information.
My summary: Move in to Pleasant Court for a while and indulge in the secrets hidden behind the closed doors. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

The Family Next Door is a great novel full of intrigue.
This novel is based around pleasant court and focuses on three families mainly, Essie's mother and the newcomer to the neighbourhood, Isabelle. This was a book I knew I was going to love by the end of the first couple of pages. The writing style was right up my street.
You start off by meeting Essie who has just had her second child and her mum who lives next door and her husband are relieved to see that Essie doesn't seem to be showing any signs of the post natal depression she suffered badly with last time after her first child. You then get to know Fran and her family and the Ange and her family, then Isabelle moves in next to Essie and she is a mystery to everyone. This novel shows you that you don't know your neighbours at all and they all have a secret even Isabelle. This was fantastic read and I completely went up the wrong tree with Isabelle and I love a book that does that. Sally Hepworth has a writing style I love and can't believe I haven't read anything by her before. I couldn't put this down and was read in a couple of hours.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A nice and light read, good writing with a hint of mystery.

The story spins around 4 women- Essie, Fran, Ange and the new neighbour Isabel. Each woman has their own problems, secrets and challenges and it was fun to read the world as they see it. Isabel moves to Pleasant Drive, a posh neighborhood where model families lieve happy lives. She is the only single lady in the area and everyone keeps talking about her. Is she really gay? Why did she move to Pleasant Drive of all places? She looks perfect but of course she is hiding secrets too!

We all know Fran's, Ange's and Essie's, so the characters felt real. the mystery kept the ball rolling and this could easily be devoured in one sitting by a hungry reader. I would recommend this book for people who like Liane Moriarty. Not as good as Big Little Lies but from time to time resembled it very much!

I really enjoyed this book and it had be reading more every time I picked it up. It was a lovely enjoyable read which centres around the families who live in a surburban street, Pleasant Court .The story is told through the eyes of the four main lady characters who live there. I enjoyed this as it allowed me to see how each woman perceived events from their own viewpoint.
At first glance this novel is an everyday account of suburban life but it soon captivates you to the many hidden things going on under the surface. I felt for each of the characters and their personal struggles which were all portrayed in a very human and empthatic way. Motherhood,relationships,affairs deceit,and secrets were all uncovered throughout the story. A lot of the issues I could relate to and the emotions and actions involved I felt were so true to life. There was a twist in the story which I didn't see coming and it really added to the book and had me Even more intrigued.
This book had me gripped and I enjoyed the brilliant ending. Great writing by Sally Hepworth who made me realise every family has their own personal struggle and usually there's a lot more going on behind people's doors than meet the eye!!
#TheFamilyNextDoor#Netgalley

A brilliant book that will make you wonder if you really know your neighbours. You won’t want to go to bed until you have read the next page.

Neighbours, motherhood, good characters and finding out what goes on in people’s head when you get to know them. Worth a read.

Really enjoyed this - absolutely for fans of Kerry Fisher and Liane Moriarty.

Great read, thoroughly enjoyed. Liked the characters and was interested in following their lives

I absolutely loved this. Very unnerving (in a good way!) I’ll definitely be recommending. Thank you.

Excellent book. Brilliant story and I loved the main characters. I would highly recommend this book.

A fantastic read by all means. It's not my genre at all but I wanted to expand on it and this helped me through that and this author is a phenomenal writer... much like L moriaty.that being said, I really enjoyed this. It has a feel of the desperate housewives but MUCH more.
There's families husband wife and 2 kids... the norm right? Well there's secrets events that unfold and it's quite a page turner.
I will definetly read a future book by this author.
I would like to thank netgalley for the chance to read this.

This book is riveting I was totally transfixed. The book shows you really don’t know what is going on behind the doors of others. This book follows three families in a close as they navigate life. I will be looking out for other books by this author

(One small spoiler)This is a ok novel ,I love lianne moriarty ,so to compare her I did dive in ,though she writes similar themes it’s not as gripping as liannes work or as complex
However it is a ripe rich look at motherhood really ,all the women had children in one way or another and the one who didn’t ended up pregnant so this is truly a tale of the relationships women have with one another and their family’s with a heavy emphasis on mothers
Personally wd be nice to read a character that hasn’t chosen this route or craved a baby as there are many diffirent types of women out there and we are not all mothers through choice ,so representing those also is important I think
Women are more than mothersor beating themselves up all the time ,though I did like the mental health input here and the way empathy was given to one character ,and it’s not black and white sometimes the choices we make ,
It was ok it’s not anything I haven’t read before and though readable it’s nothing new and not as funny or gritty as lianne
However who knows in the future an a few more novels it may be
Thanks to netgalley and publishers for letting me read this and give an honest review

I was so glad that I had the chance to read and review this book. If you are a fan of Liane Moriaty or Lisa Jewell then you will adore this book.
Book tells the story of families who live in Pleasant Court and goes to prove that no one really knows what goes on behind closed doors.
The book was well written and story was believable and panned out and a good pace, a few twists and turns throughout keeps the reader hooked. Don't want to give the plot away and spoil it for anyone, I highly recommend giving this book a read - you will be pleasantly surprised.






Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton, and Sally Hepworth for a ARC in return for an honest review.