What an amazing story with a wonderful narrator. This story has a dual timeline from the point of view of two different female characters. The first is Ellie Hockley in 1965 when she was 20 years old and was a student at UNC Chapel Hill. The second is Kayla Carter in 2010, a recent widow with a young child, and an architect. Both Ellie and Kayla's stories are set in and around a small North Carolina town. This story grabbed me from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat in both the present and the past. The narrator did a wonderful job of telling the story and building the suspense through her voice. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will be reading another soon.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

First let me start with I thought this book was going to be something totally different. I thought going in this would be a thriller based on what I did read of the synopsis. So at first I was trying to figure out where it all was going. When I let go of my expectations and let myself appreciate the story I found it a story I really enjoyed. While it is a mystery in the present day it is so much more than that. It is also historical fiction and a look into the ugly past of the south at the time of the fight for the black vote.

I enjoyed the older timeline stories and complex relationships more than the modern storyline. I do appreciate the necessity of the modern storyline for the story to be fully fleshed out. This is the type of story that will stick with me, that I will find myself thinking about down the line. This is a perfect example of don't judge a book by it's cover (or your pre-conceived ideas of what it is about).

I did really enjoy the narration of this one and would definitely recommend listening to those debating the format.

A great story told in two story times. The narrator was great and did a great job of narrating a wonderful story.

The Last House on the Street is told in alternating points of view, in alternating time lines. Kayla's point of view is in 2010, and she is moving into the title house, the Last House on the Street. Ellie is a neighbor (the only other neighbor in the new development) and she has lived in her house since she was in her 20s. Ellie's point of view is told in the 1960s, when she was a Civil Rights activist in her own small county in North Carolina. Ellie begins the story as naïve, and a little shy, unsure of herself and what she wants to be. She joins a program, SCOPE, that is helping to register the African American people in the county to vote (for when they are actually given the vote.) She doesn't realize what dangerous work it will be, canvassing and talking to people, when the white townspeople and things like the Ku Klux Klan are beginning to pick up steam. This story tells, from Ellie's point of view, her few weeks in SCOPE before a tragedy occurs that changes the trajectory of her life forever. Ellie comes back to her small town many years later (when she is in her 60s) and meets Kayla, a newly widowed woman that has just built the only other existing house on the street. When strange things begin to happen to Kayla, and she is warned off by many people about living in her house, she begins to investigate the history of the land and the area, and finds out a lot of questions that need to be answered.

This story, to start with, was definitely not what I thought it would be. I was expecting a psychological thriller, based on the title of the book and some of the description of the book. Instead this is a book really about Civil Rights, and almost a "social commentary" on that topic. That is not to say that it wasn't good-- it just wasn't what I thought I was going to be reading. I did like the characters of Ellie and Kayla. Ellie was strong, even when she thought that she wasn't, and bravely did her own thing when everyone was telling her not to. She learned a lot in her few weeks with the SCOPE program, and it shaped the way that she would live her life going forward. We should all strive to have a little more "Ellie" in us. This book does contain a mystery (several layers of mystery, actually) but it wasn't the psychological thriller that I was expecting.

I didn't love the narrator of this book. I hated that she attempted to do "man" voices, and made everyone sound the same, even some of the women... I also hated the babyish voice that she gave to Kayla's daugher, Rainey. I would not seek out this narrator again, but would listen if the book interested me enough.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this Martin Luther King Jr weekend. I really enjoyed it, and I enjoy other books by Diane Chamberlain.

Diane Chamberlain never disappoints. Once again she gave me a unique story with unexpected twists and I enjoyed every page of this one .

This is the first book by Diane Chamberlain that I’ve read, so going into it I had no expectations of the quality or interest level it might have. Somewhat to my pleasant surprise, I was quickly drawn into the stories of Ellie and Kayla.

Both are strong women ahead of the expectations and restraints of their time and environment. Both have experienced tremendous adversity and have had to build a life afterwards. And both are inextricably connected to the property Kayla’s house is built on and the events that happened there decades before.

I don’t want to give too much of the storyline away, but it suffices to say that Klan membership was fairly commonplace and mainstream during that time. It was seen as a social group, a protection of the rights of white citizens to exist as they had for the previous hundred years as the world was changing around them — even in parts of the South that weren’t seen as quite so backwards, like North Carolina where this story takes place.

I think one thing that this book does very well at pointing out is how equally damaging and insidious apathy toward civil rights was, though — the general attitude was that “now isn’t the time,” that “the Negro vote will come eventually,” but “people around here aren’t ready for that yet.”

"The Last House on the Street" is both engaging and inspiring.

Chamberlain does a great job of weaving the lives of Ellie and Kayla together as well as of exploring the issues surrounding racial equality and justice — what they mean, how they can be achieved, and the terrible things that have happened in the past (and continue to happen today) in the pursuit of equality for all under the law.

I highly recommend it, both for the story itself and for the greater point it makes on the challenges of activism.

Diane Chamberlain is a new-to-me author and I just loved this audiobook!! The author writes with great detail and you really get to know the characters which really deepens the plot for me. I will be reading more of her books in the future because I enjoyed this one so much! If you like a book that keeps you guessing until the very end, this one is for you!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. It was such a great story. I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

I highly enjoyed the narrator of the audiobook. Kept me listening.

This novel is historical fiction and is spot on - Diane Chamberlain has excellent character development and plot involvement - these combined pull you right into the story. There are two timelines involved - 1965 and 2010. 1965 in North Carolina young Ellie Hockley decides to spend her summer break helping with the civil rights movement by going around to homes helping them register to vote. Her family and peer group is outraged and ready to disown her. 2010 Kayla Carter is a recent widow with a young child moving into a house in the same area of North Carolina that has a tarnished and ghostly past. Ellie's story is spot on reliving the history of the 60's and civil rights. I actually wanted more of Kayla's story - I enjoyed the new house and the mystery around the property and Kayla's personal growth. Throughout most of the novel you wonder how these two timelines are related - the mystery of it all. It is emotional, heartbreaking, and timely - bring up civil issues from America's past that are still lingering today.

I enjoy a mystery/thriller with depth and Diane Chamberlain delivered just that with The Last House on the Street, a historical fiction interwoven with mystery and social justice. Heavy and dark at times as it depicts the prejudices and racism found in my home state of North Carolina both in the past (1965) and present. Thoroughly enjoyed learning about the SCOPE project. I love when an author educates us on these important bits of history that we may otherwise never hear about. Overall, I enjoyed the 1965 timeline over the 2010. Something about the 2010 just felt a little cliched and underwhelming. Appreciated the book none the less simply because I learned so much that I wish I had been taught in school.

Phenomenal. I will be honest and admit to being a huge fan of Diane Chamberlain. Her books always end up on my yearly top 10. This one will be as well. What a story to tell and I loved every single second. I was so involved in this one, I just could not stop listening. I was pulled in by the narration and the story. Wonderful job. Run, don't walk to go grab this book.

This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

As is often the case with stories that have dual (or multiple) timelines, I tend to favour one over the other. In this instance, I found Ellie's story much more compelling than Kayla's story.

I really enjoyed learning about the SCOPE project (which I had not heard of before) and I thought the author did a good job in conveying the emotions of those involved - the fear, hope, and sense of right and wrong. I thought the exploration between what was expected of Ellie from her family and community vs. what Ellie wanted for her life was well done and I was drawn into her story and the characters in it. I found Kayla's story to be less engaging and I found it to be merely a plot device (as other readers have mentioned).

I found the ending to be quite satisfying and I really didn't see the villain coming (although with a limited cast of characters, that doesn't say much about me).

This book was archived before I had time to read it, so I am not able to give accurate feedback. Thank you for the opportunity, sorry I was unable to get to it in time.

Told in dual time periods by two women a generation apart, this novel by Diane Chamberlain is about a mysterious unsolved tragedy dating back many decades. It tells the story of forbidden love, prejudice and violence, and the search for justice.

Set in Round Hill, North Carolina. two women’s lives cross paths and the quest for the truth begins. Together, neighbors Ellie and Kayla uncover buried secrets of the house and land at the end of the street.

Another great book by one of my favorite authors #DianeChamberlain. Thank you to #Netgalley and #McMillianAudio for the chance to read and review this audiobook.

Diane Chamberlain is quickly becoming a favorite author. This is only the second book of her extensive list I’ve read but I will read everything she puts out in the future and plan to work my way through her backlist.

This is a dual timeline book set in both the 1960’s when Ellie Hockley, a white college girl, is trying to help register Black people to vote, and 2010 when Kayla Carter is trying to finish building the dream house she and her husband started before his accidental death.

Ellie is Kayla’s neighbor and fills her in on what has happened in this area of North Carolina in the past.

This is a powerful social justice book which reminded me a lot of John and Mary Margaret by Susan Cushman. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for a digital ARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I've read and enjoyed several books by this author, but for some reason, it does often take me quite a while to get into the books and sort out the dual timelines and what exactly is going on. This one was no exception that way but I'd say it took me even longer than usual to catch the thread of the story. It was also extremely sad from the get-go, which I suppose is the case with a few of her other books as well but it hit me hard and I didn't feel a strong desire to pick it up and immerse myself in the story. I blazed through the second half on audio on a long car ride, and I am ultimately glad I read it, but my experience with it wasn't as gripping as it would be for some people.

I did quite enjoy the narration.

I read Diane Chamberlain's 2020 book Big Lies in a Small Town and I thought it was so well done! I was thrilled to receive a review copy of this book - her latest - The Last House on the Street!

This author does such a great job weaving in historical fiction with current day narratives and I enjoyed it very much! It's also a timely novel because voter suppression and the national election process are still under attach...LONG after President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Oprah did an episode on her talk show with the Freedom Riders years and years ago, and I intend to rewatch that episode after finishing this book!

This book is also an important read - shedding light and insight on previous generations views on race and integration and equality in comparison with the current generation. This book, while fictional, also indicates the gap on the work that may still be yet to come, while allowing a compelling fictional storyline with wonderful characters all along the way.

As a cover reader, I saw this cover, then the title, and my imagination went wild. I don't repeat the synopsis or give spoilers.

This was a miss for me. My mind wondered off and on mostly trying to remember the other books with this same theme. I did like that the main character with a small child was smartly written. The mom's talking, promising and protecting her daughter was beautifully done. Again, that part of the story was smart.

The other storylines have been done so many times. There were just too many you"ve got to be kidding me moments. I appreciated not having a cliffhanger.

As far as the ending, by this time I had to remind myself I asked to review and read this; because I just didn't care, nothing was plausible, and the ending didn't make sense to me. I couldn't see, feel or buy it.

This is classified Women's Fiction (a genre I enjoy), this is more suspense? mystery?

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for accepting my request to read and review The Last House on the Street.

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