Book Review: The Girls Next Door by Anita Waller

Please join me in welcoming Anita Waller to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Girls Next Door.

They keep each other’s secrets. They hide each other’s lies.

They were destined to be best friends. The four girls – all born that same hot summer. There was even a newspaper article after they were born. They said there must be something in the water on Larkspur Close. They predicted a safe and happy life for them all…

More than thirty years later, it’s more than an unbreakable friendship – it’s more like a sisterhood. It’s the girls who Jess reaches out to because she’s worried about her grandparents who’ve raised her since her mother disappeared, who Erin tells about her new business idea, who Melissa calls to say she’s desperate to escape her toxic job.

But then Chantelle messages saying she’s discovered her husband is having an affair. And everything changes.

Because then her husband is found dead… And only a few people knew about his secret.

Is it just a terrible accident? Or will someone stop at nothing to keep the girls of Larkspur Close safe and happy?

*****

Four girls, growing up on the same street, both months apart. They were destined to be friends, to become a sisterhood. They have each other’s backs.

With this bond comes secrets, some of which began before they were born. When murder comes into their lives, who is doing all they can to keep these four girls happy and is the murderer closer than they think?

One of the great things about running this blog is the chance to discover new authors and Anita Waller is one such example for me. I’m not sure how I’ve managed to miss her books until now. I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Girls Next Door.

There is a calm to the beginning of this novel that sets a tone of uncertainty. I knew something was going to come along to disrupt the equilibrium – the lives of these four women who, on the surface, seem to have perfect lives.

Chantelle has three-year-old twins. These girls are her life. Yes, it’s taken a toil on her marriage but when she discovers the secret her husband, Andrew is keeping, she doesn’t know what her next step would be. When he unexpectedly dies in an accident, she has to face the unknown. I couldn’t help but feel empathy for Chantelle. Becoming a widow, especially with young children is a situation no-one wants to find themselves in and I felt that, under the circumstances, she was a strong, relatable character.

Melissa has a career in law but her boss isn’t making things easy so she quits, not knowing what to do next. When she stood up to her boss, I shouted ‘YES!’ out loud. This story line shows that there is no room for sexual harassment, in any situation. This was an important part of the story I think.

Erin owns Fully Booked. She has plans for her business. For her, the future looks bright. There’s not much I can say about Erin without giving away major plot points but, being a fan of books, she was the one I related to the most I think.

Jess is married to Mike but when he is adamant he doesn’t want a family and doesn’t rush to her side when a tragedy occurs, she knows that her life with him is over. She turns to the people who have raised her since she was one month old, her Grandparents and her friends. She has no idea where her mother is and she doesn’t care. Nora and Arthur are her parental unit and the girls her family. Jess was another one where empathy was abundant. Like Chantelle, she goes through a lot .

The relationship these four women have is a very strong theme in this novel. It’s what drives the plot and all four of them are stronger together. Their bond is one everyone hopes to have. Their chemistry is effortless. There are some heartbreaking moments in this novel, I’m not going to lie.

The tension and suspense are both built at a steady pace throughout. There are moments where the police investigation is touched upon but the main focus is the four women and therefore, the story goes between them for the most part. I really couldn’t see where the novel was going to go, how it all connected and I really did not see the end coming.

The author is great at focusing on the characters as much as on the mystery of who the murderer is. It covers friendship, secrets, lies, and how far you’d go for people you love. I was enthralled by this story and by the end, I was saying WOW. If you love your psychological thrillers and are fans of Lisa Jewell and Mark Billingham, then I recommend you add The Girls Next Door to your list.

About Anita Waller –

Anita Waller is the author of many bestselling psychological thrillers and the Kat and Mouse crime series. She lives in Sheffield, which continues to be the setting of many of her thrillers, and was first published by Bloodhound at the age of sixty-nine.

Her first book for Boldwood was published in August 2022.

Say hello to Anita via Facebook, Twitter and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter. 

The Girls Next Door was released by Boldwood Books on 25th April 2024. Click to buy on Amazon and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.