"Everything We Didn't Say" by Nicole Baart

Photo Credit: Netgalley

I'm always thrilled to get to read another Nicole Baart book, and Everything We Didn't Say (Atria Books), was no exception.

Our main character Juniper left her small town after she graduated high school when her brother became the main suspect in her neighbor's murder.  She comes back nearly 15 years later to help an ill friend, but also to repair her relationship with her daughter, and solve the murder case once and for all.

This is a dual time-line story with a lot of parallel and family drama. It's 4 stars instead of the usual 5 for me because the pace was slow at times making it difficult to stay fully engaged. However, Baart brilliantly hits you with the her signature plot twists right up until the end of the story.  I can't wait to see what she does next.

I recommend for any domestic suspense fans.

 

"The Last House on the Street" by Diane Chamberlain

The Last House on the Street (St. Martin's Press), by Diane Chamberlain, just came out this past January. Chamberlain is an author in one of the book groups I'm part of but I've never read any of her work before. I went into this book blind as to what it was about; which is something I like to do as often as I can as to not ruin any of the stories suprises. 

      This is a dual time-line/dual POV story. Our first main character is Kayla. Kayla and her husband are building their dream home when her husband tragically dies. All of a sudden those around her are advising her not to move into the house, including an eerie stranger. These warnings bring about decades old secrets that Kayla will soon unravel. 

      Our second main character is Ellie. Ellie is fighting for social justice in the 1960s. Ellie is also a side character in Kayla's POV which merges the two stories nicely at the end. As Ellie fights for justice she learns empathy, love, and unfortunatley some ugly truths. 

      This story was beautifully written. It hooked me, it made me cry. I love dual timelines, however the 60s timeline is the one that I lived for until the stories merged at the end. This story is really more about Ellie even though it first focuses on Kayla.

     

 If you like a beautifully written story that will haunt you after reading, this is for you.

 A copy of this book was provided to me for review by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.