The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

◊ THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena

◊ Narrator: Kirsten Potter

◊ Audible Audio Edition

◊ Listening Length: 8 hours and 40 minutes

◊ Program Type: Audiobook

◊ Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense

◊ Version: Unabridged

◊ Publisher: Penguin Audio

◊ Scheduled Audible.com Release Date: August 23, 2016

◊ Language: English

◊ ASIN: B01IIABQYC

SYNOPSIS:

How well do you know the couple next door? Or your husband? Or even yourself?

People are capable of almost anything....

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors - a twisty roller-coaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives.

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all - a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets - secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family, a chilling tale of deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

The premise is simple: a young married couple decide when their sitter cancels that instead of skipping the dinner party they’ve been committed to—just next door at the neighbors’—they will just bring the baby monitor and check on their young daughter every thirty minutes. In the short time between their shifts the baby is snatched without a trace or a clue to the culprit. Every parent’s worst nightmare.

In the days that follow the police investigation begins, and the mother Anne’s internal dialogue moves from heartbreaking self-blame, to suspicion of her spouse, to desperate theories. Through Anne’s inner dialogue you get such a clear sense of the unbelievable pressure she and many mothers (even ones who aren’t subjected to the plot horrors of the crime thriller demands) put on themselves; the thousands of articles she would have read to stay on top of the latest threats to her baby’s health or post-baby diet; the message board surfing; the sizing up of herself against other women; the body shaming and paranoia of being labeled sexually undesirable and abandoned by her partner—all of this buzzing in the background as she struggles through postpartum depression, trying to connect with and protect what has been sold to her as the most fulfilling experience she will ever have.

• ·        I was fortunate to have the opportunity to begin reading this thriller in print and then finishing it by listening to the audio version. I highly recommend either or better yet, both!

Author Shari Lapena takes the ‘tangled web we weave’ scenario to a whole new level in her latest release, THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR.

You practically have to tie a sting at the beginning to find your way back as there are so many twists, turns and unexpected moves. It’s wonderful and keeps you guessing until the shocking end. Even if you can figure out who the real villain is, the motive may surprise you.

Narrator Kirsten Potter does a superb job giving distinct voices to the various characters. Her timing and mannerisms are spot on. She delivers the range of emotions with great zeal. Her vocals enhance the suspense and drama felt throughout the story.

Lapena has created such intricate characters you find yourself disliking and pulling for them at the same time. The secondary characters add another layer of intrigue to this thriller.

The setting quickly pulls you in. There’s a good mix of joy, heartache, suspense and disbelief for a well-balanced tale. The story is filled with a seesaw-effect of emotions. Just as you catch your breath, the story takes another turn.

THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR is a heart-pounding story that will seize your emotions as you contemplate the agony of a missing child and the fallout from bad parenting. A captivating thriller you will feel to your core.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena, Narrated by Kirsten Potter, Penguin Audio, @2016, ASIN: B01IIABQYC, Unabridged, Digital Download, Run Time: 8 Hours and 40 Minutes. (*This book is also available in hardback, paperback, eBook, and Audio CD.)

FTC Full Disclosure – Copies of this book were sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review them. However, receiving the complimentary copies did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Do you think that the way people parent has changed over the generations? What are your thoughts on going next door (with the baby monitor) and leaving the baby (for any length of time)?

The Invisible Girls and Ladies’ Night

Two intriguing audios to share with you today!

THE INVISIBLE GIRLS by Sarah Thebarge

When you find a book that blends two stories together smoothly, you’ve found a good book. When you find a book that is heart-wrenching and inspiring, you’ve found a wonderful story.

Author Sarah Thebarge has created a wonderfully, good book in THE INVISIBLE GIRLS: A Memoir.

Narrator Kirsten Potter does an excellent job bringing the story to life. Her vocalization of the emotions is an added delight to this mesmerizing story the author tells.

At 27, Sarah Thebarge’s life was great - she had an Ivy League degree, was on the way to having the successful career she dreamed of and had gotten engaged to her handsome boyfriend. Then her life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer. After surgery, months of grueling treatments and a number of losses in her life, Sarah decided to start over across the country in Portland, Oregon.

Once there, Sarah began trying to rebuild her life. A chance encounter on a train turned her world upside down again. This time, it was in a good way. She came to know and care about a young Somali refugee, Hadhi, and her five young daughters. Hadhi’s abusive husband had left them and they were on the brink of starvation as they were ‘invisible’ to their neighbors and the new world around them. As Sarah began to help Hadhi and the girls adjust to their new country, the family helped Sarah adjust to her new life after cancer.

I was touched first by how the author was able to hold onto her faith despite times of despair, anger and doubt. I was inspired by how she overcame all that she did and was able to give so much despite her own losses.

Second, I was amazed at the author’s care and concern for Hadhi and the girls. She was there when they needed someone the most and she continues to help them. Portions of the proceeds from THE INVISIBLE GIRLS goes toward the girls’ college education.

THE INVISIBLE GIRLS is a beautiful and poignant story that will tug at your heartstrings one minute and make you laugh the next. It’s a story that will have you re-examining things about your own life. This is a raw emotional story of not only surviving, but learning to live.

The end of the audio also includes an interview with author Sarah Thebarge that is both very touching and enlightening. 

Author Sarah Thebarge’s website is  http://sarahthebarge.com/theinvisiblegirls/
 
The Invisible Girls: A Memoir by Sarah Thebarge, Performed by Kirsten Potter, Oasis Audio, @2013, ASIN: B00CD8K2SW, ISBN: 978-1455523917, Unabridged, Digital Download, Listening Time: 6 Hours and 21 Minutes

FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 

LADIES’ NIGHT by Mary Kay Andrews

There are several things I know for sure when it comes to a Mary Kay Andrews’ book…..
    * When you think a situation can’t get any worse, it does.
    * When things are finally coming together, the other shoe drops and everything goes wrong.
    * And when you finish, you’re smiling because all the pieces finally fit together more perfectly than you imaged.

That’s the way of Andrews’ latest release, LADIES’ NIGHT.

Narrator Kathleen McInerney does a wonderful job bringing the characters to life. She vocalizes the characters’ emotions with great emphasis. Her cadence has listeners believing there’s more than one narrator.

Grace Stanton has an ideal life - handsome husband, gorgeous mansion, and a fantastic career as a lifestyle blogger. Then she discovers her husband, Ben, is having an affair with J’Aimee, her assistance. She drives Ben’s expensive sports car into their swimming pool and leaves.

The next thing she knows she can’t return to her home and she has to move in with her mother, Rochelle, over her mom’s bar, The Sandbox. Then her blog, Gracenotes, is hijacked by Ben and J’Aimee and she’s forced to attend divorce therapy for six weeks with four other people facing the same divorce judge.

When the actions of the divorce coach turn a bit odd, the group - including one lone male, Wyatt Keeler - head to The Sandbox for drinks and conversation.

While out running, Grace discovers a charming cottage that needs redecorating and talks the owner into letting her do it. With a new mission and a new blog, Grace begins to reinvent herself. Along the way she and Wyatt begin to connect and find that divorce therapy may not have been so bad after all.

The ups and downs of the group’s members are hilarious with touches of heartbreak thrown in. Andrews makes the characters realistic and likable. Her vivid descriptions places the listener/reader in the middle of the action. Andrews has her characters, and you, going through an array of emotions as she plays out the highs and lows of divorce.

Take a group of enraged soon-to-be exs; add in a rescue dog, a couple of well-meaning parents, a touch of mystery and mayhem; top it off with lots of humor and you have a zany story you won’t be able to let go of until the surprising end.

Andrews has done it again with LADIES’ NIGHT. It’s a fantastic story filled with fun and eclectic characters you won’t want to leave.

Author Mary Kay Andrews’ website is http://marykayandrews.com/

Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews, Performed by Kathleen McInerney, Macmillan Audio, @2013, ISBN: 978-1427230812, Unabridged, 14 Discs, Listening Time: 17.5 Hours

FTC Full Disclosure - This audio book was sent to me by the publisher in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.
 
Thanks for stopping by today. Do you enjoy stories where the characters come to life and you feel you know them or at least someone similar to them?