This is a cleverly written story that takes you through the lives of the residents of a quiet little cul-de-sac in Florida. The story starts you right off with a BANG, literally. The residents hear a gunshot in the middle of a muggy July night and someone isn’t coming out of this story alive.
In this story, you meet quite a few characters. Maggie and Craig are the parents of two children. They are currently separated due to Maggie's… issues. Olivia and Sean are having their own issues. The biggest being Sean’s loss of job and current situation. He’s depressed, day drinking, and lying up a storm. Aiden and Heidi, the newlyweds are adorable! Well, they sure would be if his mother wasn’t the woman in the middle. Then there is the dentist Dani and her oncologist husband Nick. They have a few secrets of their own as well. Last there is the elderly widow Julia. Her grandson, who is having a lot of trouble figuring himself out, has recently moved in with her and things aren’t exactly as they seem.
Well, I suppose saying things aren’t exactly as they seem could apply to any of these families and the thing is, they all have guns. Meaning, any one of them could be the one that fired that shot you heard in the opening of the book. This is way better than I’m making it sound but I don’t want to give anything away.
This book is just a lot of fun. Well, some of it isn’t fun. There are some topics that are very hard to read as they happen but for the most part the way this book is written is fun. It’s so well written I couldn’t put it down. I just wanted to know everything about everyone (I seriously felt like a nosey neighbor!) and I couldn’t wait to find out who was going to meet their bitter end. I know who I wanted it to be so I was on the edge of my seat hoping.
This is also a book where the epilogue was terrific. It really wrapped up everyone's story so perfectly. It gave you closure and just gave a terrific finish to everyone’s life. I definitely recommend giving this a chance. It’s a fun fast read that plays out nicely in the end.

Cul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding

Confession: This was the First novel I read by Joy Fielding. It will not be the last. I want to thank NetGalley and Ballantine Books for sending me the ARC of Cul-De-Sac. I honestly felt I was on Wisteria Lane in Desperate Housewives. And Yes, I am dating myself and No, I do not mean The Real Housewives of anywhere. This psychological thriller is an interesting analysis of a neighborhood where you cannot not judge a family by what you see on the front lawn. There were so many hidden secrets, I almost wished I had drawn some kind of Neighborhood Family tree so I could keep all the lies connected to the right characters. The author uses multiple POV’s to speak for each family and I liked the way that drew me into the story. This was a quick, entertaining read for me and I definitely recommend it for the nosy neighbors out there!

I absolutely adored this read! It had everything I like in a book - drama, relationships, mystery, etc. This was a book that I was torn between wanting to read it as fast as I could to get to the end while also wanting to read it as slow as possible so that I can spread the story out. I loved that there were multiple different characters to follow along and that they all had the commonality of sharing the same street. I loved the way that all of the characters stories overlapped and intertwined and I just couldn't get enough of this one. Without a doubt, grab yourself a copy of Cul-de-sac.

A quiet cul de sac with five houses in a quiet neighborhood where the inhabitants are privy to the comings and going’s of all who live within the cul de sac. But what about behind closed doors? A wife beater, an ex-soldier with PTSD, depression and anxiety. One neighbor, Maggie, is willing to put aside her own fears and reach out to those who need help in the cul de sac. A tale that unravels in the heat of a Florida summer bringing the burgeoning relationships between neighbors to a shattering conclusion.

I love reading neighborhood dramas as much as family dramas. This book is basically a combination of the two. You just never know what is going on behind closed doors, right? This story had the added bonus of throwing in some thriller and suspense elements into the mix. I hesitate to call it an entertaining read because there are some dark storylines, but I certainly felt invested in the story.

There are five families living in a suburban cul-de-sac. From the get go you find out an important piece of information, someone in the neighborhood was shot in the middle of the night. The story alternates between the different characters and shows what led up to the gunshot as well as the aftermath.

The reason this book was a page turner for me is because it has an intriguing setup in that everyone is a suspect as well as a potential victim. I think the author did a good job at building a case for each character being somehow involved that night. However, at some point I think it does become obvious the direction the story is headed even if I couldn't come up with the details. For that reason, I wouldn't say this book is necessarily a strong thriller/mystery/suspense read, but as a fiction read it held my interest for sure.

I think it is important to note this story has some heavy subjects, abuse and suicidal ideation, which might be triggering for some readers. While I don't normally give trigger warnings in my reviews, I want to mention it in this case because I did find myself feeling uneasy with certain parts of the story. Each person can decide for themselves if it's something they feel comfortable reading about or not.

An epic domestic thriller. This fast paced page turner is a must read. Spine tingling and chilling, you'll never look at a sleepy suburban cul de sac the same.

Carlyle Terrace is a sleepy suburban street. The cul-de-sac is home to five families. From the outside, all seem average, if not a little boring. How could a shooting happen in this quiet, peaceful neighborhood?

Through multiple POVs, we get to know all of the members of these families -- vivid insights into the good, bad, and ugly within each family. The behind closed doors view reveals they have many secrets and problems as well as at least one gun in each household.

This voyeur's view of these well-defined characters gives you a strong sense of what leads up to the tragic shooting in this quiet enclave. While there are many clues along the way involving most members of these five families, the suspense steadily builds as you continue to guess which troubled household has been irreparably changed and how.

I enjoyed this well-crafted domestic suspense novel that reminds you that you don't know what people are really dealing with until you walk a mile in their shoes!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Random House for the early copy to read and enjoy.

The secrets of the people who live on a suburban cul-de-sac will soon explode. Who will live, and who will die? After all, every house contains a gun.

Joy Fielding deftly explores the lives behind the secrets, and brings each character to fully formed life. Recommended.

Another “can’t put it down” book by master suspense writer, Joy Fielding. She definitely knows how to tell a story that keeps the reader engaged from cover to cover. Five houses on a cul-de-sac in Florida, each household with their own secrets. The book leads up to one incident that changes lives forever. The characters were not very likable, except for Julia, whom I loved. The secrets ran the gamut, including physical abuse, divorce, interfering parents, troubled teens/young adults, and webs of lies. Issues that definitely are very real in many people’s lives are portrayed realistically, with the characters sharing their own points of view. A true page turner with everything leading up to one event. I have to admit that I was able to predict this event before it happened but still enjoyed the building tension. Domestic drama at its best. Please keep writing Joy Fielding as I derive so much pleasure from your amazing stories.
Many many thanks to Joy Fielding, Ballantine Books, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this book.

We are introduced to the residents of a neighborhood in Florida who live side by side and initially neither know one another in depth nor give any sign of wanting to delve deeper, but in the prologue we are made aware of something horrible happening, and as the roofs are ripped off and we are privy to their secrets and shortcomings, we don't know which bomb is going to go off until the end. If anything, this novel reminded me more of Desperate Housewives (which I gobbled up during its run), and the inhabitants of Carlyle Court and their problems are more like those families on Wisteria Lane than in any printed version. The book is engaging, a perfect sorbet so to speak. My only quibble being that the characters are "types," not much coloration here. But a fun ride nonetheless.

The story of families who all live in an assemblance of the same cookie cutter house that surround a Cul-de-sac. The five non-intersecting families begin to intertwine as the group begins to see each other. Tragedies from a veteran with PTSD to an abused wife to a seemingly self-absorbed grandson living off of his grandmother all come together significantly on the Fourth of July as a gunshot rings out in the dark of night. They all are affected by this event, but who of them all does not survive? This was my first read of this author and it did not disappoint.

Joy Fielding's Cul-de-sac stands head and shoulders above other reads with the troubled neighborhood theme that seems to be so popular lately. Her taut writing and well-depicted, complex, flawed, and believable characters had me turning page after page to reach the end. The read was so engaging that I finished it in one day.

With only five houses on the quiet street, you wouldn't think that there would be much going on, but each home and each character has secrets, BIG secrets, and lots of them!

Maggie McKay is a recently seperated (from husband Craig) single mom with a 16 year old daughter, Erin, and an 8 year old son, Leo. She's finding it hard to define herself as a single person. Somehow through the years as wife and mother, she's lost sight of who she is as an individual.

Nick and Dani Wilson are both doctors (he a well-known oncologist, she a busy dentist) and have two sons, Tyler, 10, and Ben, 8. Based on income alone, they don't really fit in this decidedly middle-class neighborhood.

Sean and Olivia Grant have twin boys, Zane and Quentin, 12, and a daughter, Katie, who is 10. Sean lost his job as a marketing VP over a year ago and is having a hard time landing another position. Olivia has returned to work at an advertising firm to keep the family afloat.

Julia Fisher, 84, is a widowed grandmother. She has a son, Norman, who is on his fourth wife, and a grandson Mark, 20, whom she adores.

Aiden and Heidi Young are a young couple who have been married just over a year. With Aiden's mother's constant interference and meddling, they'll be lucky to celebrate their second anniversary.

The story is told from the POVs of the various characters which Fielding handles quite skillfully. All of the secrets keep bubbling below the surface until they begin to burst out in the open, wreaking all sorts of havoc. One of the neighbors is murdered. Can you guess who it is?

Many thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for allowing me to read an ARC of this suspenseful novel which is scheduled to be published 8/10/21. All opinions (and any errors) expressed in this review are my own.

I've read several neighborhood thrillers this year and i can't say that this one stands out among them. I think that I will remember the one about the sinkhole or the devil a lot more than this - this is more run of the mill - you never know who your neighbors are.

Joy Fielding is a talented writer, obviously, but this feels phoned it.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A fun, fast-paced story. Lots of secrets & I thoroughly enjoyed the drama of this novel. Would recommend. I would say this is more of a neighborhood drama/mystery as opposed to a thriller but I very much enjoyed it. 4-4.5 stars

Cul-de-Sac is the first book I've read by Joy Fielding and now I'm wondering why. With an incredible cast of characters, she brought the cul-de-sac to life. Even up to the last few pages, I wasn't quite sure how it would end. I will definitely be reading Joy Fielding's other books!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The synopsis of this book sounded intriguing to me so I requested a copy to read.
Unfortunately, I have tried reading this book on 2 separate occasions and during this 2nd attempt, I have
decided to stop reading this book
and state that this book just wasn't for me.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

The small insular community of a cul-de-sac or circle seems to be the newest trope for these domestic thrillers. Thankfully, this one does not get blurred in with the rest of the field. First off, however, I should warn you that you know things are wrong as no one has a dog! I don't even recall a cat. The closest we get is a beta fish. But, a neighborhood without a dog is a neighborhood where there are evil doings! The first page lets the reader know that someone is going to be killed. We spend the rest of the book learning about each of the characters, building up to that moment, and wondering which of the many deserving characters actually gets shot, and by whom. I'll admit, I had an early favorite and despite Ms. Fielding's best efforts, they had my vote for the entire book. Some times it feels good to dislike a character that much! It makes a reader keep reading!

Ever since I read See Jane Run which is fantastic I think have read all of her books. I was pleasantly surprised when I got this ARC of her latest novel. With that being said, this was another great book by Joy Fielding. Now back to Cut De Sac. Five families living in Florida in this cul de sac, each with secrets. First. you know right away that someone dies. As you read on you get to meet the five different families and one thing is for sure they all have guns. This was such a great read as we alternate from each family. This book is a fast moving book waiting to see who was shot and who did the shooting. Totally entertaining. I do not want to give away any spoilers but this is a must read for readers who love domestic thrillers. I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC for a honest review. Again, I highly recommend this book. Truly enjoyed this book, hence the five stars I gave it. (less)

Five houses, five sets of secrets and lies, five guns- and someone ends up dead. But who? Know that you will get to know the residents in all their unlikeability before the murder happens. It's a hot night in Florida and these privileged people all have their issues-lots of them. There's abuse, there's addiction, there's jealousy, there's all the tropes you can imagine and more. There are, perhaps, just a few too many characters to both flesh out and keep track of but this isn't a book to read too closely. Fielding's got something to say about guns which might make some readers either uncomfortable or unhappy. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. It's a page turner meant for the beach or travel.

Joy Fielding has done it again in her 29th novel. The Cul-de-Sac pulls you in to a domestic suspense amongst the lives and tangles of the residents Carlyle Terrace culture-de-sac. Unemployment, marital strife and separation, parenting, teenage angst…what could possibly go wrong when there are guns at many…most…of the households?

If you enjoy a story that captivates and keeps you reading, this one is a perfect one or two sitting read.

**Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for sending me the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**