The Couple Next Door

Do you have neighbors? Have they ever invited you to a dinner party?

Anne and Marco Conti are a seemingly normal couple: He's a successful businessman, she's a new stay-at-home mom. Together they are raising their baby, Cora, in an affluent neighborhood in upstate New York. They seem to have it all. That is, until their next door neighbors invite them over for dinner...

Drinking occurs. Flirting ensues. And (you guessed it!) a terrible crime is committed. Now it's up to the police to piece together what happened. As the detectives search for clues, hidden pasts and secret lives are uncovered, stories crumble, and everyone — everyone — has something to hide. But who is the real culprit?

One of my favorite things about the book is how the author brings to life the panic, embarrassment and despair felt by the characters as the tension builds and everyone remains under scrutiny. Imagine a private detail of your life you never wanted to share suddenly being held under the microscope for all the world to see.

And then there is the investigation itself. The police detectives are as fully fleshed out as the suspects, and their methods as they search for the truth are fascinating. They are experts at figuring out who is lying, who knows something they may not even realize they know, and who is keeping something from them. And the solution - WOW.

Here's my two-word review of this book: HOLY CATS. I couldn't put it down! Lapena delivers reveal after reveal, each one more riveting than the last. The plot unfolds at such a dizzying pace, I didn't have time to form my own theories. I just held on tight and enjoyed the ride!

So if you're looking for something fun and entertaining to take your mind off the world for a while, pick up this riveting book. It does the trick!

It all started at a dinner party. . .

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors--a twisty, rollercoaster 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.