shot rings out during the night on Carlyle Terrace. Someone has been shot. But who? Some neighbours hear the shot, some thinking it may just be a car backfiring.

Carlyle Terrace, a cul-de-sac made up of five houses. And all five houses contain secrets. Secrets that their neighbours don’t know.

There’s the newlywed marriage of Aiden and Heidi, with the nightmare mother in law, Lisa. The paranoid wife, Maggie, with the two kids and the husband Craig who left. There’s Julia, a senior who loves her flawed grandson, Mark no matter what. There is the depressed alcoholic Sean, who has tried so hard to find a job and his wife Olivia, who believes in him, more than she should. And then there is the handsome doctor Nick and his dentist wife Dani and their two boys. All of them live on Carlyle Terrace. Neighbours but strangers. None of them knows what goes on behind their neighbours close doors.

How deep do the secrets go? What happens to lead up to that gunshot and the ending of a life?

I have been reading Joy Fielding for more than 2/3rds of my life. Recently I read her newest release “Housekeeper” which reminded me of why I have loved her books and I was eager to read another. This one didn’t disappoint either. It’s a combination of suspense with some gossipy drama with a little humour thrown in there. Winning combination combined with her excellent writing style. Five stars.

Joy Fielding is one of my favorite authors. I read my first Joy Fielding novel about 20 years ago and haven't looked back. I'm always excited when a new book is released.

After reading the description for Cul-de-sac, I was pretty sure it was going to be another great read for me.

I was right!

I flew through this book in just a couple of days. The story line was intriguing and gripping and the characters well-developed.

Joy Fielding still has it and I can't wait to see what this talented author writes next!

Twisty, full of expected turns! This was my first Joy Fielding book and will not be my last! This book was rather predictable at times but I did love the characters. The neighbours were relatable.

Cuc-de-sac by joy fielding tells the story of five different families who are neighbours in Florida. Each of the families has secrets they are trying to keep, and each has guns in their home. From the beginning we know that someone isn’t going to survive the night - it’s just a matter of finding out who.

This was a quick neighbourhood drama, and the point is of view moved between different characters, which kept it interesting. Some of the stories were a bit far-fetched (Maggie’s situation seemed unrealistic and didn’t seem to resolve itself) - at times it felt that there was too much going on in the neighbourhood. Overall this was a good summer (fall?) read if you are a fan of books about secrets in upper-class neighbourhoods (a genre with quite a few books!).

I have really enjoyed Joy Fielding's books, so when I heard that she had a new release, I instantly requested it (thank you Random House for the ARC!).

I was quickly intrigued by the concept of a cul-de-sac and everyone into their neighbor's lives. Each of the characters has a dark and messy tale filled with complications and mystery.

Now that I have finished this book, I must say that this was deeply realistic.

Cul-de-sac starts with a shooting and someone ends up dead. The reader goes through the book wondering who becomes the deceased.

I will not reveal the ending, but I will say that it’s extremely satisfying and that I may have let out a shriek of relief.

Each of the families have deeply complicated relationships and they are so realistic. I will say that there are trigger warnings for domestic violence, lying, PTSD, abusive parental relationships, homophobia, guns, age inappropriate relationships.

I do recommend this book for those that are seeking a whodunnit.

Surprisingly this was my first Joy Fielding over- but won’t be my last!
Stories that revolve around neighbourhoods and close communities don’t tend to be my favourite, but this novel was well balanced with 5 families of characters that you get to know equally throughout the course of the story. There is no shortage of secrets, drama and lying if that’s your thing!

I don’t recall reading a book that had guns as prevalent to the story (almost as a secondary character) but Fielding has brought the subject in successfully. The opening of Chapter 26 was very eye opening for me as a Canadian and confirmed my personal beliefs on the matter.

This was a very enjoyable read but I would not classify it as a thriller/mystery (which I initially thought would be the case), I think it is more appropriately categorized a domestic drama. Either way, it does the job and has a satisfying conclusion to the built-up suspense that carries through the novel.

Big thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada for the opportunity to read and enjoy this ARC!
A strong 4/5.

Cul-de-sac by Joy Fielding is a slow burn of a thriller that had me hooked from the very start. I will read anything by this author, and I was ecstatic to get my hands on her latest. I was not disappointed.

On a quiet cul-de-sac in an upscale Florida neighbourhood, five families co-exist, their lives intersecting only rarely as they go about their daily lives. Our picture of the harmonious dynamic shifts, however, when someone on the cul-de-sac is shot and, as each domestic scenario is revealed, it becomes evident that circumstances behind each closed door are not what they seem, and in fact each house on the street harbours not only a gun, but the simmering potential and motive for murder. Do we ever really know what goes on behind closed doors?

This is Joy Fielding at her very best. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC.

4.5 stars but I will gladly round up to 5 as I could not put this book down.

Cul-de-Sac has everything I love: murder, lies, secrets , nasty people and those who you just cheer on.

Someone was shot dead on this affluent Cul-De-Sac but who?

So many of the neighbours to chose from.

The saying what goes on behind closed doors is proven to be true in this book,

The pages fly by as you race to see who was shot .

Another great story by Joy Fielding who never disappoints.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Canada, Doubleday Canada for a thrill of a read.

Solid domestic suspense novel told from the perspectives of different neighbours living in a cul de sac. We know that someone is killed one night but the question is which neighbour is it and who was the person who pulled the trigger.

The novel traces the time leading up to that night, telling each neighbour’s story - the lives some of these characters lead makes you realize that you really don’t know what goes on in the lives of your neighbours!

Well-constructed and well-written novel The pace was a bit slow at times but overall very good. Solid ending. 4 stars

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada and Netgalley for this advance reader copy.

Loved it! Joy Fielding has populated this neighbourhood with a diverse group of families/ individuals. You’ll be intrigued from the first chapter. This is a fast paced, fun, easy read that you won’t put down until the last page.
I devoured it in one day.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada, NetGalley and author, Joy Fielding, for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joy Fielding and Penguin Random House Canada for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this novel and the slow burn right up until the ending, where everything seems to blow up. I enjoyed half of the characters and hated the other half, which made for an interesting read. I loved the small neighbourhood vibes with all the nosy neighbours that are very interested in everyone else's drama. I found it a really quick read because there was a ton of different drama happening in each household, but it was totally easy to follow. It was a great read!

Cul-de-sac was just the book I needed to read to get me out of my current reading slump! I read this book in 24 hours it was so good I could not put it down.

In a quiet suburban Cul-de-sac in Florida, a shooting takes place in the middle of the night and someone dies. It’s unheard of in this upscale quaint neighbourhood. There are only five families that live in this cul-de-sac and now one of them is dead. All five families have access to guns and reasons to want to shoot someone. But who could it be? Let me introduce you to the Cul-de-sac.

There’s Nick and Dani and their two young sons, Tyler and Ben. Nick is an oncologist with a horrible temper and his wife, Dani a respected dentist, is often on the receiving end of his temper. There is also Heidi and Aiden newlyweds, trying to cope with Aiden's overbearing meddling mother and Aiden’s PTSD from two tours in Afghanistan. There is also sweet Julia, a retired widower who lives alone until her troubled grandson, Mark temporarily moves in. Sean and Olivia and their three kids also live in the Cul-de-sac. Olivia has successfully re-entered the marketing world after her husband recently lost his job. Sean is unable to find a new job and begins drinking heavily to stifle his building resent about the unfairness of his situation. Finally there is Maggie and Craig, recently separated, and their two children, Erin and Leo. Maggie and Craig fled California to the safety of Florida after Maggie witnessed a brutal murder and the suspect walked free. They were hoping for a new beginning and a fresh start for their family but Maggie just couldn’t shake her fear of the past. This lead to the separation between her and her husband and to conflict with her 16 year old daughter Erin.

All five families are so very different from one another, yet they all have dark secrets and skeletons in their closets. How far are they willing to go to cover their lies and hide their secrets? Well you will just have to grab a copy on publishing day (august 10th, 2021) of this fabulous psychological thriller to find out.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for my advanced readers copy of Cul-de-sac by Joy Fielding, in exchange for my honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed it and cannot wait to read another Joy Fielding book.

Joy fielding never disappoints. A fast-paced addictive read will have you struggling to put the book down. Full of adventure and emotion it really opens up your eyes to different family dynamics. You. Ever know what’s going on behind closed doors.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Great book which had me refusing to put the book down. I spent two late nights finishing this book to figure out which one of the neighbours was shot dead in the middle of the night.
Told from the perspectives of all of the neighbours, each of them with troubles that could leave them either the culprit or victim!
Great character development had me invested in each of the neighbours lives.
Highly recommended for an addictive read.
* I received an advanced reader’s copy of this book from NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada in exchange from my honest review

Alfred Hitchcock once said "there is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it" and Joy Fielding is a master at using this concept to build suspense and tension in her writing. This is nowhere more evident in her book, Cul-de-sac. The novel is set in what seems like a quiet upper-middle-class neighbourhood on the surface, an idyllic peaceful cul-de-sac, hidden away from all the violence and chaos of city life, There are five houses occupied by five different families, all apparently well-off and happy. But behind closed doors, well, that's another story and a sense of imminent violence permeates the tale as secrets start rising to the surface.

Cul-de-sac is compelling, suspenseful, and engaging.Through the use of short paragraphs and dialogue and her use of what should be a safe haven that most readers can relate to, Fielding builds a real visceral feeling of impending disaster. Cul-de-sac begins introducing us to the characters in each house but, right from the start, there are hints that things are not what they seem and violence is only barely kept in check, As the story progresses so does the tension and it's clear it will take only a spark, like that of a firecracker on July 4th, to start a conflagration - the only question is which house will explode first.

This is the kind of book that immerses the reader from the first page and never lets go until the final explosion and I can’t recommend it highly enough. One word of caution though -once started, it’s completely unputdownable so best to start it when you know there will be no distractions like, oh, need to get some sleep.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review</i>

TW for: domestic abuse, rape and gun use

Joy Fielding just understands the assignment. Cul-de-sac was a lesson in 'how to (pretty much flawlessly) make every character a suspect, even the children', and 'how to write the most satisfactory ending'—I couldn't stop reading this book.

5 families. 5 houses. 1 dead end street, and 1 very dead character at the conclusion, but who will it be? And so begins the introduction and subsequent unraveling of five households filled with secrets, lies, betrayals, resentment and intrusively dark fantasies. Every single person has motive, and because you get to read from each perspective, you'll be switching your guess for 'whodunnit' on literally every other page, which was an absolutely brilliant plot choice.

Fielding's characters felt so tangible in their flaws and their pain, like I could go next door and meet the woman whose husband has been lying to her, or the grandmother of a boy who's been stealing from her, or the couple who looks perfect at first glace but look closer, and you'll see her bruises. The small-town vibe was also perfectly captured through the use of a 'closed-in' street (cul-de-sac), which made the narrative that much more compelling and addictive—small-town thrillers are literally my kryptonite (see Gone Girl, or The Wife Upstairs). My only qualm was that, by the end, when we finally get our death, there really wasn't anyone else's that would have felt right, felt just, which isn't to say that I didn't let out a small cry of triumph, because I did, and you will too.

I love anything by joy fielding. This book is no exception. I just loved the story line and characters!! I highly recommend this book

Did you go to a 4th of July BBQ this weekend? So did the characters in Joy Fielding’s newest book, ‘Cul-de-sac.”

There are 5 homes on Carlyle Terrace, a cul-de-sac in a sleepy upscale neighbourhood in Palm Gardens, Florida. Five families who are trying to beat the Florida heat on a long weekend. A block party is a perfect idea. In theory. The thing with block parties is that they are supposed to be a great way to build connections with neighbours. However, the fireworks at this party weren’t the only things popping and banging….someone was shot.

Fielding sets it up so that you know this going into the book, then she backtracks and introduces you to each character so that you have an opportunity to guess along the way….who is the victim? Who is the gunman? Is the recently widowed grandma or her grandson a victim? Are one of the newlyweds involved? Perhaps it’s the abusive doctor and his submissive wife? Could the perfectionist couple who’ve just separated taken it to the next level? It can’t possibly be the wife or her husband who pretends to go to work each day, could it? Know this, they all have buried secrets and they all have access to guns.

Florida works so well for suspense novels and Fielding takes advantage of this fact. A quick glance in any Florida neighbourhood and you’ll see perfection. However, because she lives in Florida part-time, Fielding knows that if you look closer there’ll be an alligator in a bush, a snake by the shore and an ever-constant threat of hurricanes. Florida has an underlying current of menace, and she makes it work for this story. Five beautiful homes. Five seemingly perfect families. In the lead up to the BBQ, you’ll be privy to the secrets they hide and the stresses they’re under keeping up the appearances.

Told in the past tense with alternating points of view, the tone becomes darker as the plot progresses. I love multiple points of view because I get more details which add to my understanding and I feel it helps add intrigue and mystery. This domestic psychological suspense plays upon the foreboding atmosphere and culminates in an explosive ending. Fielding has tapped into our basic human emotions of love, hate and fear, and has penned a tale we can all relate to. Seeing ourselves in the story is the goal of most authors and Fielding most certainly accomplishes this fact.

Publishes August 10, 2021.

I was gifted this advance copy by Joy Fielding, Penguin Random House Canada, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.