Kayla, a widow, has moved into a small town in North Carolina with her young daughter. She is living in the house she designed with her architect husband, who met his untimely death on the property. Her story in 2010, runs parallel with that of her neighbour, Ellie’s, story which is set during the civil rights movement of 1965.

The dual timeline worked really well and I was captivated by the stories of both women particularly Ellie’s who, against her parents wishes, became an activist within the movement.

Prejudice is a theme which runs throughout this book. It’s an important piece of history, which is very cleverly told from the viewpoints of both women.

This is a great read. The characters were well crafted and the racial prejudice of the time was written with honesty and a real rawness making it very difficult to read in places.

The ending was unexpected and brought the book to a satisfying conclusion. I would certainly recommend this novel particularly if you are interested in this era of social history.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After reading numerous Diane Chamberlain’s previous novels I was expecting a powerful and edgy novel and I was not disappointed. A small Southern town divided in their beliefs during a volatile period of American history comes back to haunt a future generation.

It is a brilliantly written book with two main characters and timelines simultaneously being told. Love the way the connections between the dual time frames are revealed layer by layer. And the final conclusion to the entwined story was a surprise!

I thought it had a quite unique story with one character set during the civil rights movement in the 60’s and the fight for social justice and a modern day character. In 2010. Showing the power of time, family secrets, revenge and lost love.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for this Advanced Review Copy.

Right away, the book description pulled me in, and I was delighted to receive an ARC of The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain. The novel certainly didn’t disappoint!

The story covers two time periods, 1965 and 2010, and the narrative switches between each as the events unfold and, eventually, collide.

Powerfully and beautifully written, this story will move you to tears and anger and then to the other end of the emotional spectrum so that you laugh aloud, when you find humour amidst the darkness, and smile at the warmth and bravery and kindness set against secrets, bigotry, and horrific prejudice. Only one thing is certain … that we cannot ever truly know a person, nor a community, and sometimes, not even ourselves.

In 1965 a group known as SCOPE set about helping people of colour to register for the vote. This culminates in a tragedy that has repercussions right up to the present day in the story, 2010.

In 2010, a new widow and her young daughter move into the last house on a street under development, which was the dream home Kayla and her deceased husband designed and built together. Before its completion, a freak accident left Kayla alone and ambivalent about the house. However, she had no viable option but to live there. Then strange happenings and outright threats begin.

Somebody doesn’t want her there. Why?

With so many secrets, lies, and torn consciences, will the truth win out before more people die?

I fell in love and hate with the true-to-life characters, which shows a book excellently written. The pacing was fast but not overwhelming. This is a novel you live rather than read, and it will stay with me for a long time to come. The Last House on the Street gets a resounding 5 stars from me, and I shall keep an eye out for more books from this amazing writer.


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NOTE ON RATINGS: I consider a 3-star rating a positive review. Picky about which books I give 5 stars to, I reserve this highest rating for the stories I find stunning and which moved me.



5 STARS: IT WAS AMAZING! I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! — Highly Recommended.

4 STARS: I WOULD PULL AN ALL-NIGHTER — Go read this book.

3 STARS: IT WAS GOOD! — An okay read. Didn’t love it. Didn’t hate it.

2 STARS: I MAY HAVE LIKED A FEW THINGS —Lacking in some areas: writing, characterisation, and/or problematic plot lines.

1 STAR: NOT MY CUP OF TEA —Lots of issues with this book.

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

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

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.

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.

#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.