Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an arc of this novel.
The Girls Next Door is listed as a mystery/thriller with a description that immediately caught my interest.
Reading it as a *mystery/thriller* led to a disappointing read. Nothing of real suspense happens until the last couple chapters. It’s more along the woman’s fiction/ drama genres. They hint that one of the deaths could possibly/ maybe not be an accident but it’s left in the wind until the final chapters. If I read it as a drama or fiction, sure it was good. I enjoyed the book. A bit of overuse of drinking tea( we get it, Brit’s like tea) but as a mystery/ thriller I can only give it 2 stars.

The interconnectedness of four women's lives, intertwined from birth on Larkspur Close, is a captivating subject for exploration. Over thirty years, their friendship has evolved into a sisterhood marked by unwavering support through life's trials. The sudden revelation of infidelity disrupts the harmony, leading to unforeseen events. As the narrative unfolds, the intricate relationships and evolving dynamics between the characters reveal a deeper layer of complexity, drawing readers into a world where secrets, tragedies, and unexpected twists shape the narrative. Anita Waller's adept storytelling skillfully weaves together a tale of friendship, loyalty, and the enduring strength of sisterhood against a backdrop of suspense and mystery. This engrossing literary work delves into the intricacies of human connection, love, and betrayal, leaving readers immersed in the emotional landscape of the characters' lives.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review. I recommend this novel and this author for anyone looking for a thriller.

I really enjoyed this read! Having never read anything by Anita Waller I was so impressed by her writing skills that had me hooked right from the beginning.
The sisterhood bond that Jess Chantelle Erin and Mel had was like no other and with all the devastation that ripped through them they stuck together through it all.
The twist at the end aswell! Fantastic!
Such an easy yet gripping read that I would throughly recommend

Four babies born a few months apart. 35 years later the girls are all still best friends - Jess wants a baby, her controlling husband doesn't; Chantelle has young twins and a husband who seems to be 'wandering'; Mel single, paralegal; Erin, single owns a successful book shop. Then Chantelle's husband has a bike accident and is killed. The history of the girls slowly comes to the fore but not before we have a major loss to all of them, a gory murder and developing relationships. They are all highly supportive of each other but the whole read is basically a soap opera. The murderer was discovered in the end so that was useful to know. Hardly the thriller that the description suggested. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

September 1987, 4 girls were born to 4 families on the small Larkspur Close road. The mothers are great friends, brought together by pregnancy.

By 2022, one of these babies would have given birth to twins, one would be a paralegal for the largest law firm in the city, one would be a reluctant stay-at-home housewife, one would be a bookseller in her own shop - and at least one of the four would play a significant role in a murder. A necessary murder. Larkspur Close was a community; secrets were hidden, sometimes shared, but ever present. Families linked by the births of the girls were linked by death also.

This was an enjoyable read! The close knit relationships between the families were really well written, I felt like I had known them for years, rather than only for a few days.

Each character grows during the story and has their own personalities, flaws and subplots. The subplots of each character are all linked to the main plot, and each subplot is well developed and the reader can’t help but get invested.

The drama and heartache that finds them during this story pulls on the heartstrings of the reader. You can’t help feeling what they’re feeling because Waller’s writing makes you feel connected to these characters and their world.

Four girls, all born over six months in 1987, growing up on the same street. As close as sisters. They’re still as close as adults, in 2022. Chantelle a stay at home mum, Mel a paralegal, Jess a housewife and Erin a bookshop owner. But life isn’t quite as perfect as it seems.

I really thought this book was going to be a thriller, it ended up being quite soap-y with a bit of a twist at the end. I found the pacing at times dragged, and I muddled the four women up constantly. It was an okay read, it doesn’t make me want to read more from the author.

I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review through Net Galley.

4 babies, all born within 6 months of each other grow up to be best friends. But at this point in their lives, things aren’t going so well.

The book was super easy to read and I devoured the chapters. I would not call it a psychological thriller and I did guess a few twists before they were revealed, but I didn’t gasp in shock!

If you want a ‘warm’ thriller/who done it, this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Girls Next Door centers around 4 girls born months apart on the same street. Growing up more as sisters than friends, the plot showcases the unbreakable bond they share especially during troubling times in each of their lives.

I have to say I was highly disappointed with this one. This is most certainly not a thriller and left me wanting a whole lot more. It was incredibly slow and the same few plot points were replayed over and over again until a very small "twist' at the end... and I mean the last few pages. The meat of the book was very boring and the parts that I believe were supposed to be the thrilling aspect left more to be desired.

Four women born on the same street within six months, they grow up to be best friends all their lives. Thirty years later they still have an unbreakable friendship more like sisters. Jess was raised by her grandparents after her mum walked out and left her as a baby, Chantelle who discovers her husband is having an affair then he has a tragic accident when on his bike, Erin who runs a bookshop and is looking to expand it and Melissa who quits her job to start new.
First Chantelles husband is found dead, Jess also has a loss in her life followed by a murder. Are they linked is someone trying to protect the girls or are they all accidents?
A brilliant well written book with very loveable characters and the story of lifelong friendship.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Girls Next Door by Anita Waller is an addictive, good, and entertaining domestic thriller! In some way, it was like a dark version of "Sex and the City" just without dating obsession.

I loved the characters! All of them! 4 main ladies had strong personalities despite of life choices!
The friendship and support were incredible! And of course, drama elements, and past secrets tuned into the twists make this book beautiful! The last twists left me with an open mouth!

This book is about care, support, and trust! I was worried that it would be hard to follow who is who but it was easy as they all were so different!

Jess, Erin, Melissa, and Chantelle are best friends! They all are born in space of 6 months on the same street so they grow up as best friends/sisters. Now as adults, they are facing different challenges in life until one day people just start to die! One by one!

I know it will probably never happen but I would LOVE to have the next book to know how all of them moving forward!

Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this copy! I highly recommend this book to anyone who values real friendship and care!

Wow! What can I say about this book in one word! Tremendous!!! Although I would recommend all books from this author, this book was definitely on another level! I can not recommend this book enough to anyone that enjoys a psychological thriller!

Anita Waller books always manage to keep me hooked and guessing throughout, it had me asking myself who I should trust.

I wouldn’t classify this book as a thriller. It’s more of a woman’s drama story line.
4 women who were all born in a small town all within months of each other who grow up to have an unbreakable relationship. It takes you thru each woman’s journey in their life. Regardless of what they are going thru they are there always for their friend. It tugs at heart strings and get you involved in each of their stories and struggles.
But don’t expect a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. If you’re more into a woman’s drama then you will enjoy this book.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to get an advance copy for my honest review

I really enjoyed this the story just flowed throughout and I could not wait to find out how it was going to end. I loved the writing style and the different perspectives it kept the story flowing nicely. I will definitely be recommending this as I loved it. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

A nice thriller, i recommended it. This was my first read by this author. Netgalley has introduced me to a lot of new authors I never heard of prior. Quite a few twist in this one. The plot is a good one!

Loved this book!
These girls, who are lifelong friends, have bolstered each other through life's trials and tribulations.

They suffer a number of losses, and their bond just gets closer.

The book is not a thriller as such, but it is a page turner. It is an easy read, and while there are deaths, there is no gore.

The characters are very real. They have their flaws and love each other despite those flaws.

Would definitely recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read this book.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

I picked this up as it was listed as a mystery/thriller. I was highly disappointed. This is a story about four girls born months apart, who grew up together and remained like sister as adults. The story revolves around the drama of their everyday lives, along with marriage, kids, work, and death. It took almost the entire book to get to a suspenseful scene, that would help label this book as a mystery. From there it moved quickly, though, there wasn’t much left to read. While I enjoyed how in depth the author wrote about each character, the overall story didn’t hold my interest, and it wasn’t the mystery/thriller/suspense it was categorized as.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Girls Next Door is billed as a mystery & thriller but I would say it shines as women’s fiction focused on family drama and ties. Erin, Melissa, Jess, and Chantelle grew up as sisters, not in blood, but in closeness and their experiences supporting one another. While they go through life’s highs and lows together they need to band together especially when Chantelle’s husband passes (starting the mystery and thriller element). This book really focuses on each friend and their relationships, and with that it is heartfelt and sings true. I almost think the mystery element was unnecessary in doing that. A character driven book, I thought this was well crafted and appealing. I enjoyed the twists but ultimately I will remove some stars for not fulfilling the thriller description I expected.

Anita Waller whatever the topic of her books always manages to make them so easy to read. One is immediately wrapped up in the story and empathising with her 3D characters. In The Girls Next Door the main characters are four young women born very close together on the same street at the same time. They stay close all their lives and become like sisters to one another. They never fail to be there for each other when their individual worlds begin to fall apart. Although this is a murder/mystery which is Anita Waller's usual genre, the murders don't overwhelm the story. The relationships between the girls takes priority. A thoroughly enjoyable read as always. A pleasure to recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own