I didn't realize this was book two in a series, I usually avoid series and prefer to read standalone novels instead. However I had no difficulty following the story at all. And my knowledge of the killer's identity early in the tale didn't hinder my enjoyment reading.

Anna-Lou Weatherley has a talent for creating not only realistically flawed characters with whom you sympathize but also characters so heinous you feel a need to take a shower after consuming a few chapters. I would definitely read another book by this author.

📖I received an uncorrected advanced review copy from Netgalley, Anna-Lou Weatherley and Bookouture in exchange for my honest review📚

#TheCoupleOnCedarClose #NetGalley

"It's got all the elements of a front-pager: passion, jealousy, betrayal, rejection, attempted suicide..."

Laurie Mills wakes in a stupor in the middle of the night to find her husband, Robert, dead in the guest bathroom. When the police arrive, find the murder weapon and the message written on the mirror, Laurie is taken directly to the police station. It's a slam dunk, after all, Laurie had just recently outed her husband's infidelity -- including the fact that he had a love child -- at the neighborhood barbecue. But DI Dan Riley isn't convinced -- it's his intuition telling him that something about the whole crime and the situation isn't that clear cut. NO SPOILERS.

Well, this was a romp! The story has everything, including some serious psychopathology and several extremely twisted relationships. Although the main of the plot was quickly visible, it was fun to see how it all was going to play out -- including a few surprises along the way. Though I didn't really relate all that much with the very damaged Laurie (I was more sympathetic to the "bad guy" in a way), I did enjoy this second in the series as much as I did the first. As far as DI Riley, he's an OK male detective and I'm hoping with the bit of cliffhanger at the end that he's going to get over Rachel now and get on with his life. He's painted just a little too "all that", and I'm hoping he'll show some minor little flaws as well! It's a good series and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the e-book ARC to read and review.

I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it! It started off suspenseful but I was able to identify the culprit rather early in the novel. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book.

Amazing! There’s a lot in this well written psychological thriller. This one has it all...Murder, psychopaths, incest and much more. It is very fast paced, extremely well written with some very interesting well thought out characters. It has a good balance of psychological thriller and police procedure. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hated to see it end. This may be one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year. I received this book from NetGalley in return for an honest review.

The Couple on Cedar Close was my final read of 2018, and wow! It saw the year out on a bombshell climax of an amazing read.

We meet Laurie and her husband Robert at a street party for residents of Cedar Close - most of whom have never met Laurie before. We are not given an explanation of why this is until much later on, but we do find out that Robert is not the squeaky clean, loving husband he at first appears to be. Life for Laurie takes a nosedive later that night when she finds herself in the dark at home with her husband dead upstairs. She's covered in his blood, however she has no recollection of what has happened or why.

The book meanders its way through the various facts that the detectives discover by talking to those closest to the Mills - emotionally and physically. These snippets of possible evidence lead your thoughts one way then another as you initially suspect Laurie, then various other characters who appear to have motives for assisting his demise. At some points I felt great sympathy for Laurie and at others I felt she was quite a weak person, however nothing prepared me for the overall reveal of the story - where I had sort of come to a correct conclusion as to "whodunnit" the actual reveal raised an appreciative nod to the author for the impressive plotting and concealment throughout the whole book. What a curveball that was!

I hadn't realised when I picked up this book that there was a prequel and despite the fact that I now want to read the first in the series I did not feel I was missing any vital information ahead of the second book.

Definitely an author to look out for as I feel she has lots more of excellent writing just waiting for us to discover.

I just loved it. It wasn't difficult to guess who the real killer was, but still, I couldn't put it down. Great story, great characters, full of twists. One of the best psychological thrillers I have read.

The Couple on Cedar Close by Anna-Lou Weatherley is a taut psychological thriller that pulls the reader in from the word go. It is a sensational story of incest, jealousy, abuse, loss, and psychopaths, and I could not turn the pages fast enough.

This is a police procedural following the brutal murder of Robert Mills, whose wife Laurie, has publicly threatened to kill him following confirmation of his infidelity and, as a result, the existence of an eight month old baby. Laurie, following an horrific accident, has become dependent on drugs and alcohol as a means of coping with PTSD, and immediately becomes the most obvious suspect. Detective Dan Riley is not convinced of Laurie's guilt, however, and realizes that he must dig deeper to uncover the secrets of Cedar Close.

Told in dual timelines and from both first and third person accounts, Ms Weatherley constructs a chilling, dark, and intriguing plot fuelled by a complex cast of characters that will remain with the reader long after the fnal page has been turned. I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this wonderful ARC.

I received an ARC via netgalley for my honest review. This book was a fun read-attention keeping, fast paced. I felt like I could actually run into these characters in real life which is a huge plus in the “grabbing the reader” checklist. Good book.

Did not realize this was a second book in a series and that explains certain things. I didn’t dislike this book but I didn’t love it either. It was just sort of mediocre for me. The premise was interesting but the characters themselves just didn’t really hold my attention or make me care for them. Still not a bad read and a decent plot mystery wise. Just not my favorite characters or style.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this mystery, the characters were well developed and the story unfolds and a good pace. I did not realize that this was part of a series but you do not have to have read previous books to follow.

I definitely recommend this book and will be looking for other books by this author.

Laurie and Robert are new to Cedar Close - so when the summer BBQ rolls around, Robert convinces Laurie to get out and meet the neighbors. Laurie discovers that Robert has been having an affair - and comes completely unraveled in from of her new neighbors and even threatens to kill him. Fast forward to three months later, the two are meeting for dinner and divorce discussion. Laurie has gone all out in hopes that they can reconcile. When Robert doesn't show, Laurie - who has some addiction issues - proceeds to drink heavily to mask her disappointment and anger. She wakes up hours later with the power mysteriously off, feeling wet and sticky. She grabs a flashlight and, to her horror, finds Robert dead and herself covered in blood. She has no memory of the past few hours but is sure she is not a murderer. The problem is, no one believes her, except for Detective Dan Riley. He sets out to uncover secrets and find a killer.
This is the second book in the Detective Riley series, but it can be read as a standalone. I found this book intriguing and the writing and characters kept me turning the pages! Definitely an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Anna-Lou Weatherley, Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC of this great book!

Laurie is at a neighborhood barbecue known as the Cedar Summer Sizzler. It’s the first social occasion she has attended in awhile. Her doctor and her husband, Robert, have encouraged her to get to out of the house. They have lived there for five months and Laurie is just meeting her neighbors. She and Robert have had problems in the past and today she has caught him talking on the phone to Claire and telling her he wants to be with her and their daughter, Matilda.

Three months later, Laurie and Robert are to meet at their home to discuss divorce. Laurie is planning to make a lovely dinner for him and hoping to get back together. Laurie is fragile mentally and tends to be addicted to alcohol and medications, in addition to having an eating disorder. When Robert doesn’t show up for the dinner, Laurie is angry and starts drinking later waking up later in bed, covered in blood. The electricity has gone off and she has to scramble to find a flashlight to turn the power back on. She later finds Robert’s body in the guest bathroom with his throat savagely cut and with multiple stab wounds.

The police take her to the station to question her. Detective Delaney is a hard-nosed man who thinks that Laurie killed him and wants to wrap up the case right away. But Detective Dan Riley isn’t sure Laurie killed him.

Laurie’s best friend, Monica, lives across the street from her. So, when the police let her go, she stays with her friend who cares for her.

But when another murder occurs, the police are truly baffled and know they have a savage murderer out there.

This is a great thriller. I had figured it out but wasn’t sure how it all came together. I loved how the author perfectly described and wrote the dialogue of all of the characters. Each of them has a spot-on personality. Well done! Don’t miss this one.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was drawn to this book by the intriguing cover, really stands out. Plus having read two books by this author before, I figured it would be a good one. Thankfully I wasn't wrong.

This story, drew me in right from the very beginning and kept me truly captivated throughout. Could not turn the pages fast enough.

I truly felt for the character of Laurie, all the things that she had to go through and contend with, none of which would be easy for anyone.

The whole story plot was cleverly written, and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters, some of whom you automatically like and then some you absolutely hate.

Would I recommend this book, absolutely yes if you love a good thriller.

The story was enjoyable, but very predictable for me. At first, I hadn't caught on to what was going on and I enjoyed getting to know the characters. It definitely is a suspenseful read, keeps you on your toes, and is a page turner. If you do figure out where the story is headed early on, then some parts can seem a little far fetched or impossible to get away with, but I felt even then it was an enjoyable read.

The Couple On Cedar Close is the second book in the Detective Dan Riley series. I have to admit that I have not read the first (I may go back and read this though, after reading this one !!) but this is definitely a book that you can read as a stand-alone.

Laurie and Robert have been married for many years but it is not always the most happy of marriages. After a few drinks at the Cedar Close barbecue Laurie reveals more than she planned to all her neighbours, over the loud speaker. The result being that Robert moves out of the family home to be with his mistress.

Fast forward a month or two and Robert is visiting Laurie to discuss something. Laurie decides to cook a special meal in the hope of winning her husband back but it soon becomes clear he’s not going to turn up, so Laurie turns to alcohol. Next thing Laurie wakes up in the guest bedroom covered in blood and discovers her husband’s body in their home. Could she really have killed him ? Why can she not remember what happened ?

Detective Dan Riley is put in charge of the case and whilst everyone around him is thinking it’s an open and shut case Riley’s gut instinct is telling him there is more to this case. Will Dan Riley find out the truth before there are more casualties ? Did Laurie really kill her husband ?

This is a great police procedural mystery that will keep you turning the pages to try and find out what happended. A great insight into some very complex characters. This is definitely one to add to your reading pile, right on the top !!

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

YESSSS another amazing thriller!! This year is going to be an amazing year for thriller and suspense novels after all of the books I have read so far. The author did a fantastic job capturing the essense of this couple and the other characters surrounding them. I cannot wait to read another one!

I found this book to be a very entertaining and easy read. An intriguing pyschological thriller/police procedural, the pace of the story was good and the characters believable, it certainly kept me turning the pages eager to find out the truth.

This is the second novel in the Detective Dan Riley series but it can be read as a standalone novel as I did.
I would definitely recommend it and will be reading more by Anna-Lou Weatherley in the future.

This is actually a very good plot, and could have been a good story if it were about half as long. Endless repetitions and unnecessary descriptions en mass. I also don't like reading about stupid police officers, and even the main character here doesn't seem to be very clever.

The Couple on Cedar Close is the second book in the detective Dan Riley series. Though part of a series, it can be read as a standalone.

Cedar Close is a nice & cosy neighborhood – a quiet suburban street with happy families and friendly neighbors.…..Until one day, when Robert Mills is found dead in his bedroom. Downstairs, his wife Laurie sits alone in the dark, covered in blood. She can’t remember the last few hours, but she knows she didn’t kill Robert. The trouble is, she had also threatened to kill Robert in front of the entire neighborhood, just a few days back. With all the evidence, pointing towards Laurie, the police too believe that this is an open & shut case. Everyone believes Laurie is guilty, except Detective Dan Riley, who believes there is more than what meets the eye. Will Dan Riley be able to solve the case or is he is being fooled by a master manipulator?

The Couple on Cedar Close is a part police procedural and a part thriller. The book is fast paced right from the first chapter and will keep you engaged right till the end. The story covers different timelines and perspectives from different characters, and does it quite well. This book adds more twists and turns as the story moves ahead and adds other few tracks as well. The main mystery however felt predictable and most of the mystery is revealed long before the climax.

Overall, the book works better as a psychological thriller than as a murder mystery. The final third part of the story especially, was nicely crafted. The best part about the book though are the characters, from Detective Dan Riley to David and Laurie to even the minor characters, every character feels real and human. From their motivations to their backstory to their inner psyche, everything was revealed for the readers perfectly. Detective Riley reminded me of detectives from Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries, more of wit & gut feel, rather than relying purely on evidence.
In conclusion, The Couple on Cedar Close is a nice & tight thriller with some excellently developed characters. If you like psychological thrillers, you will enjoy this one.

Many thanks to Bookouture, the Author Anna-Lou Weatherley and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have posted this review on Goodreads and on my blog and I shared that link via Twitter.

A quiet close in suburbia… Until Laurie and Robert Mills move into no. 13 and our quiet little close becomes a little more animated. First, there’s the barbecue when Laurie completely loses her marbles in front of all of her neighbours. The resident gossip-mongers had a field day over that one, let me tell you! But however scandalous that event may have been perceived at the time, it’s nothing compared to the savage murder of the man of the house a few months later. And the lady of the house? Well, she is quite literally found with blood on her hands. Could that tiny, weak, aloof woman have killed her tall, broad-shouldered, charming, estranged husband, or is this case not as cut and dry as it seems?

I have to say I figured out the plot rather early on. I put two and two together and was proven right many chapters later. So for me this novel felt more character-driven than a manic search for the culprit because I was fairly certain I knew who it was. I’ve read books where I predicted the outcome early on and often that means I lose interest, but Anna-Lou Weatherley knew how to keep my attention: I had a theory on the who but I wanted to know the why too, and many of the events after the initial murder on Robert Mills could not be predicted. Speaking of Robert, I absolutely hated the man. I’m certain I’m supposed to, so no worries there, but god almighty what a manipulative, gaslighting, promiscuous, narcissistic, predatory, cheating, pathological liar and misogynistic abuser that man is!! (Sorry, had to get that off my chest!) Now, I’ve never been the victim of this kind of man, nor do I know anyone who has, but the way Robert’s depicted made me feel like I was there, like Laurie was a close friend of mine and I had to watch her suffer. So if abuse (solely of the psychological variety here) is a trigger for you, this book may not be for you.

Speaking of the psychological, this novel really puts the psychology in the psychological novel. Attention is given to the possible reasons for psychological abuse, such as the narcissistic personality disorder, and the character traits of people with this and similar conditions, and the nature-nurture debate is also considered. I find all that fascinating and a major plus for this kind of novel. More importantly, this background info is neatly incorporated in the story and it never comes across as didactic. Psychological abuse is described here as “death by a thousand cuts”, which I think is a very apt way of putting it and one I hadn’t considered before.

As much as I hated Robert Mills, that’s how much I loved Daniel Riley, the DI trying to solve this murder case. He’s the kindest man, still trying to recover from losing this partner and unborn child in a crash, willing to go above and beyond to solve his case and not falling for how cut and dry it seems. I had no idea this was the second novel in the Dan Riley series, I never had the feeling I was missing something, I only found out when I went on Goodreads. I immediately added the first book in the series, Dark Heart, to my wishlist, if that doesn’t tell you I enjoyed this book, I don’t know what will!

Recommended to lovers of psychological thrillers, especially if you’re drawn to the actual psychology behind heinous behaviour

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for an honest opinion.