STATS

Genre:	Domestic Thriller	Amazon Rating:	4.1
Publication Date:	2016	Goodreads Rating:	4.3
Point of View:	Multi-Perspective3rd Limited Present	Pages:	336

DISCLAIMER:  

1. Trigger Warnings.  Should you desire trigger warnings, please seek them out.  If you do not know where to look for said warnings, I found this article from Book Riot to be a helpful starting place.  
2. Spoilers.  I apologize in advance, but there will probably be some small spoilers.  I try to limit anything too specific to the first 25% of the book, preferably the first 10%.  Tiny spoilers may also arise during discussions of theme.  If you are sensitive to spoilers, you may want to stick to my Recommendation Blogs. 

SET UP.

Anne and Marco Conti, a young couple, with a 6-month-old baby are invited to their next-door neighbor’s dinner party. The babysitter cancels at the last minute but Anne and Marco decide to still go to the party.  They will leave Baby Cora at home because she will be sleeping anyway, however they will bring the baby monitor with them and check in on Cora every half hour to ensure nothing bad happens.  So, of course, something bad does happen, Cora disappears. Will Anne and Marco be able to discover who took the baby and why?

MY WHY; or What I Thought I’d like About This Book.

I picked this book up because I was looking for a thriller that centered around a husband and wife. I’d read Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn) years ago, along with the rest of the world, and really enjoyed the tension between the husband and the wife and their different perspectives. So I was looking for another thriller that would scratch that itch.  I believe I found The Couple Next Door on a “If you like this, you may like that” list. 

NOTEWORTHY ELEMENTS.  (You decide if they are Pros or Cons.)

1. The opening dynamic between the husband and wife. As someone who has been through the young couple with a new baby phase of life, I thought Lapena’s portrayal was very relatable and brutally honest.  This can definitely be a stressful time in a couple’s partnership as they adjust to new roles, tension and emotions are high and Marco’s and Anne’s perspectives show this strain.

2. The opening mental health threads and questions that were raised. Not only was this young couple trying to deal with their own personal expectations of parenthood versus the reality of parenthood, but Anne was also struggling with postpartum depression.  I thought Lapena did a wonderful job showing Anne’s thoughts about herself as a new mother, how it impacted her thoughts about her husband and their marriage and her thoughts about Baby Cora.  Lapena also showed how the husband was struggling to be a supportive partner.

3. Writing Style.  Lapiena’s prose was very accessible, very straightforward.
4. All the mental health threads AFTER the opening.  As the book progresses, Anne’s mental struggles shifted from just postpartum depression to lifetime struggles with “something else.” I personally just wanted to see how the postpartum was going to play out in this story.
5. Pacing.  Lapiena kept things moving and while I can say I wasn’t bored, I was exhausted by the end.  I wanted the book to be over so I could have a break from all the revelations.  However, I am not used to thrillers and thriller pacing, so this may just be the mark of this genre and I will adjust with time and further reading.

RELEVANT RESEARCH, RANDOMNESS, OR RECOMMENDATIONS

A quick glance at the reviews revealed that many people didn’t enjoy the writing style.  I will mention that I read via audiobook and I enjoyed the experience.

SUMMARY

I think this was a fine entry in the domestic thriller genre. It was NOT like Gone Girl, except maybe that none of the characters were really upstanding citizens; they were all a little dirty and gray around the edges. But by and large, the book was quick and easy to read.  Lapena’s writing style was very straightforward and the book was entertaining.  There was some suspension of disbelief necessary as the book picked up speed toward the ending, but I would recommend this book and I’m interested to read more from Lapena.

Thus concludes an in-depth review of Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door. Hope you enjoyed. See you again, once I’ve finished another book.