Skip to main content

Member Reviews

Racism in America is, sadly, alive and well. In Chamberlain’s newest novel dual timelines, in 1965 and the present, collide in North Carolina. The Deep South in 1965 is no place for a biracial couple, so when a white college student falls in love with a Black Civil Rights activist, the couple must keep their relationship hidden. They soon discover that absolutely no one can be trusted with their secret. In the present a woman is moving into the house she and her husband designed, but it’s not a happy occasion; her husband has died before they could enjoy their new home. And things only get worse when strange things begin to happen in and around the house, someone doesn’t want her there. But who? And how are they connected to the secrets of the past? Readers will be able to connect with both women as they struggle to come to terms with their losses

Was this review helpful?

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain

When Ellie Hockley decides to join SCOPE and help to register black voters she sets in motion a chain of events that would have repercussions for decades.
And also when Kayla move into her home inspite of her husband dying there after a tragic accident . She soon notices strange things are happening , and worries that someone is out to get her.

Two women in two different times , trying to find themselves in a world without the men they had loved..
With regard to Ellie's story , I'll admit I knew very little about SCOPE , so that went me off to Google to educate myself.
I really enjoyed reading this novel and find Diane Chamberlain an author who writes with enough sensitivity and knowledge to keep me interested in the book . I loved the ending

Was this review helpful?

In 2010, a young woman is set to move into the house she and her late husband designed when she is visited by an older woman who warns her off in a threatening way. Kayla is already nervous about moving, after all her husband died in the house while working on the staircase so the visit unnerves her greatly,

In 1965, a young student Ellie is determined to help the civil rights movement by canvassing black people and getting them to register to vote. Her family and friends are violently opposed.

It's difficult to see the links between these two stories but it all comes together in a very satisfactory way. I loved both women's stories, especially Ellie's. The injustices and violence referred to in her story are so horrifying and written about in a sensitive way. It was great to get an insight into the civil rights movement and I feel humbled by the sacrifices of people who were only trying to get their basic right to vote.

An engrossing read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

When Ellie Hockley decides to join SCOPE and help to register black voters she sets in motion a chain of events that would have repercussions for decades.

Kayla is struggling to move into her new home after her husband tragically died there. And now strange things are happening- is someone trying to scare her away?

This dual timeline story is gripping in both eras. I didn’t know the history of SCOPE and found it very interesting. It’s hard to believe that the kind of racism depicted in this book is actually in living memory. In some ways we aren’t so far away from it but I digress. This book has likeable and unlikeable characters but they are all well written and believable. I didn’t see the final twist until the last moment and I read this book in one sitting as I was so desperate to find out what was happening.

I really felt for Ellie and Kayla, both of whom had lost the man they loved. I was pleased they were able to strike a friendship! Diane Chamberlain writes interesting stories with fabulous characters and this book is no exception. I’m certain that it will do well. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

Was this review helpful?

#TheLastHouseOnTheStreet #NetGalley
Wowsome read.
1965. A young white female student becomes involved in the fight for civil rights in North Carolina, falling in love with one of her fellow activists, a Black man, in a time and place where an interracial relationship must be hidden from family, friends and especially the reemerging Ku Klux Klan. As tensions rise in the town, she realises not everyone is who they appear to be.
2020. A recently widowed architect moves into the home she and her late husband designed, heartbroken that he will never cross the threshold. But when disturbing things begin to happen, it's clear that someone is sending her a warning. Who is trying to frighten her away, and why? Decades later, past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street..
Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for giving me an advance copy.

Was this review helpful?