A suspenseful novel about a blended family in crisis after a drunk driving accident leaves the daughter of one parent dead and the son of the other parent charged with manslaughter.

The first half of the book was a little slow for me but the last half blew me away with all of the twists and turns! I think fans of Jodi Picoult would really like this novel.

House On Fire is Bonnie Kistler's debut novel. With a debut like this one, I can't wait to see what she has in store for me next time!

Thank you to #NetGalley for this great ARC #HouseOnFire
Pub Date: 12 Mar 2019

This was a quick weekend read and a great blended family drama/thriller. When their daughter dies as a result of the stepbrother, there are bound to be issues and this kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the family aspects as well as the legal ones. It took me a little while to get into but the second half of the book really drew me in. I could have done without the other subplots of the book because I found them more distracting and took away from the main plot which I was most connected to. I received this book as an ARC from the Atria Books and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read a Kindle ARC of House on FIre by Bonnie Kistler. I was drawn to the description of the story - in which a blended family suffers a tragic loss of a daughter, with the fault falling on the girl's step-brother. Pete and Leigh have been married for six years, with several children between them, two living with them and the others either away at college or with the other biological parent. Kip is 17 and at a party with alcohol when his 14 year old step-sister, Chrissy, rides her bike to the party to warn him their parents are expected home early. During the ride home, the car slides on wet roads into a tree. At first it seems as if all is well, other than the fact that Kip is turning 18 at midnight and was drinking alcohol. Chrissy ends up dying of an aneurysm several days later and charges are pressed. Bonnie Kistler's writing excels when she is describing the pain and anguish of a parent who loses a child and how such an event can tear a marriage apart. The story falters a little with the introduction of a potential client for Leigh when she returns to her law practice but it is still interesting. I also felt that the introduction of the local reverend/professor at the local college was a weaker part of the story line. Over all, House on Fire is a gripping., horrifying look at how families can be torn apart by tragedy.

I really enjoyed this novel! The plot was complex and the way the author tied it all together was excellent. A heartwrenching story that originates when two stepsibilings, one under the influence of alcohol and one under the legal driving age are involved in accident and one of them dies soon after. An accident of this nature would put a strain on any marriage, much less a step family. The subplots involving Leigh’s legal clients were very interesting and the way the author tied it all together was a shock that I did not see coming!

House On Fire by Bonnie Kistler is a fascinating book that explores the age old adage is blood thicker than water. This book is “a tightly wound and suspenseful novel about a blended family in crisis after a drunk driving accident leaves the daughter of one parent dead- and the son of the other parent charged with manslaughter”. Leigh Huyett and Peter Conley found each other five years ago and blended their families. They love each other and each other’s children. What happens to that family when a crisis occurs? Will they chose their children over each other? Does blood become the most important factor? Does a dead child beat out a living one? Are forgiveness and redemption possible? These are all issues that are explored in this very well written story. As a mom, this story really hit home and made me think…would I sacrifice a relationship with a living child to protect the memory of the one who died? There are side story lines that keep the reader engaged and keeps the book moving at a fast pace. I cant wait for Bonnie Kistler’s next book. ARC provided by NetGalley…

The happily blended family of Leigh and Peter unravels when Peter’s son, Kip, hours shy of 18, and Leigh’s daughter, Chrissy, 14, are in an automobile accident. They both seem fine until suddenly they are not when Chrissy suddenly dies in surgery for a brain aneurysm the day after the accident. It’s not clear who was driving when their truck hit the tree: was it Kip, drunk, who took immediate responsibility, or was it Chrissy, driving without a license, who asserted that she was the driver, which Kip denied?

Regardless, Kip is charged with vehicular manslaughter. The story surrounding this tragedy is excellent, and worthy of four stars.

However, there are several meaningless subplots and red herrings involving Leigh and her legal practice that have no bearing whatsoever on the arc of the story, and, for me, make the family tragedy far less powerful. Had these sidetracks been omitted, this would have been a great read. Sadly, they made this book not terribly interesting to me. At all.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

I loved this book . It was fast paced with believable characters and a twisty believable plot that keeps you guessing till the end .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

I loved this book! It sucked me right in and kept me until the last page (less than 24 hours later). The writer did a great job a building strong, well developed characters. There were twists I didn't see coming but we realistic and made sense. I connected with the characters and the plot, cheering for them and crying at the end! Highly recommend this book

The concept of blended families and second marriages is put to a frightening test when Leigh’s precious daughter dies after a car accident. Sadly, the car was driven by her husband Petes’s Son, Kip.

Lots of twists and turns surrounding the horror of the accident and questions arising about who was actually driving. Of course, this puts incredible stress on the marriage and the children involved.

In addition, Leigh is a successful divorce attorney and several of her cases are used as subplots in the novel. At times I felt these were fascinating but without sufficient character development or closure.

Kistler has written a compulsively readable novel which is very engaging. I urge book clubs to read this since it will provide opportunities for rich discussions on today’s marital stressors and dealing with step-children.

What a great book. I loved every page. I fell in love with the characters and could understand the dilemma that both sides faced.

Blended family life is never easy, however, the gut wrenching events this family faces is unfathomable.

The author definitely will keep the reader guessing until the last page. I found the multitude of characters to be a bit confusing at first, but as you keep reading it does tie together.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Good storyline, however, I did find it to be a bit of a mess. I kept trying to decipher if this was a domestic drama or a legal thriller. I think readers who enjoy Jodi Picoult and Lisa Jewell would enjoy this as it has elements both writers seem to gravitate towards in their novels.

And you thought your blended family was difficult? In this thriller a woman and her second husband leave his teenage son with her tween daughter while they have some much needed alone time. But tragedy strikes when they learn that the kids have been involved in a car accident, one that leaves the 12 year old girl dead. The teenage boy has always been a hellion, but he claims his stepsister was driving. A twisted, stomach clenching story