When 13 year old Chloe is murdered, the residents of her street must try to hide their own secrets as the police try to solve the crime. New home owners, Nina and Conrad are soon wondering what kind of street they’ve moved into!

This book felt quite lazy in that it relied on stereotypes and you could see the flaws in each character even before they were painstakingly pointed out. I particularly disliked the fat-shaming. I guessed who the killer was early on and was really hoping that I’d be proved wrong. It would have been a much bigger twist if the most wonderful man in existence (I won’t name him as it’s a spoiler but if you’ve read it, you know who I mean) had somehow found his dark side and was the real murderer! He was a most irritating character who was completely unrealistic.

There were lots of characters in this book and it was easy to get them all mixed up. Handily, you could tell what sort of person they were by the descriptions. Fat, low cut, make up = bad. Dowdy, homely, pretty = good. Lazy writing at its finest. I did read the whole story but huffed enough that my husband asked me what was wrong. It’s just a bit silly. I’ve read other works by this author and this one falls way below her usual standard in my opinion. It won’t stop me reading her future books but I hope she returns to her usual style of storytelling! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

The story revolves around the fallout in a small community of neighbours and what happens after one of their own, a thirteen year old girl, is murdered close by. As the police investigate, they discover that most of the neighbours have secrets they’d rather didn’t come out...... as everyone is questioned, will the real murderer be found........

I am a huge Lesley Pearse fan & having read every single one of her previous publications, I was excited to be contacted by the publisher to review this book.

This didn’t seem like Lesley Pearse writing style at all.. there were so many characters introduced at once that I couldn’t remember who was who and it was very confusing... usually I can’t put one of her books down as it would play on my mind but with ‘Suspects’ I really wasn’t too fussed.

Such a shame, I really wanted to love this but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher & netgalley for the opportunity to read & review the ARC

Conrad and Nina move into their new house on the same day that a local girl is found murdered.

The book starts by introducing so many characters, all with detailed descriptions of what they look like. So many unhappy and unequal relationships. Along with some lazy fatphobic tropes. I almost gave up after less than 20%, I wish I had. I guessed the killer early on, I don’t know if it was intended to be so obvious. Overall disappointing.

I couldn’t put this book down. As always Lesley Pearce has written a highly entertaining book and isn’t afraid to tackle some difficult topics. The characters were great and believable. Was sorry when it was finished. Highly recommended

I love this fast paced thriller about a close knit community. I absolutely love the characters and was drawn in immediately. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed this story and read it over the bank holiday weekend. Lots of interesting characters all living in the same street. Conrad is the outstanding hero of the book. He is very sensitive, understanding and well liked by all. This book will make you laugh and cry. Lesley Pearse at her best.

This book has a bit of everything. There’s murder, mystery, intrigue and romance.
When Nina and Conrad move into their first home together they could never have predicted just how dark, cruel and troubled the quiet close would be.
I loved the sensitivity of Conrad, Nina and Janice. I was moved to tears at how kind they were to Amy who needed someone to listen to her.
Although there are many characters in this story, the standout person for me is Conrad. It’s good that Lesley Pearse has chosen a male hero this time.

An absolutely brilliant read. Once started I couldn't put it down. What an interesting bunch of characters each with a different story living in Willow Close. Beautifully written and a well constructed story which has a truly shocking and heartbreaking end. Very sad at times as well as having times of love and understanding.