Although Lesley Pearse has sold more than 10 million books, this is the first of her books that I have read. It’s immediately apparent that she is a natural storyteller and it was easy to get hooked into this page-turning read.
Katy Speed is in her 20s, and she is fascinated by the house across the street and Gloria their glamorous neighbour. Gloria owns a fashionable dress shop, but Katy is intrigued by the woman who arrives in a black car most Saturdays when Gloria is at work. Katy notices that sometimes the mysterious woman brings other women to Gloria’s house, other times they have children as well.
Katy’s mother Hilda disapproves of Gloria and speculates that she is harbouring criminals. Then one night Gloria’s house burns down, and in the wreckage the authorities discover the bodies of Gloria and her daughter. Katy is convinced the unexplained visitors must be responsible, but then her beloved father is arrested and charged with murder. Katy is determined to find the truth before it’s too late.
The House Across the Street is a page-turning read with great charactisation, a wonderful novel to while away a lazy afternoon.
Reviewer: Karen McMillan
Penguin Random House, RRP $38.00