The House on Cold Creek Lane is a dark thriller about motherhood, grief and loss, and the lengths we will go to protect our own. Told in dual points of view, it was a quick read that made my anxiety spike and kept me flipping pages.

I was so angry for Laurel and frustrated that her husband Rob kept undermining and belittling her. So much falls on a mom's shoulders and I could feel Laurel's burdens through the pages. She so desperately wanted to make her family happy and to just be enough and it was at times heartbreaking to read.

Corey's grief also emanated from this novel. I couldn't fathom the loss she had endured and her anger and devastation were palpable.

Though I found the novel fairly predictable, I did really enjoy the story and the writing was excellent. The characters were well developed, easy to relate to, and some were really fun to dislike!

This is a quick read and definitely one I recommend!

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse, Severn House, and NetGalley for the copy.

I really enjoyed reading this, it had that suspenseful feel that I was looking for and thought it uses the suburban element perfectly. The characters worked with the story and thought they were realistic for this type of book. Liz Alterman has a great writing style and glad I got to read this.

This was my first book from NetGalley. It definitely had a great plot. I was able to figure out some of the twists and turns but that didn't make it any less entertaining. Overall it was a good read and moved quickly.The characters were a little annoying at times. I didn't need to hear about Laurel's breasts leaking every time her baby cried and I totally get it Addie smells like peaches. Those repetitive things were rather irritating. This is my first book by Liz Alterman and I will definitely try a few of her others. Thanks NetGalley and Severn House for giving me the opportunity to read this.

4.5 round up! This book was incredible! I would read it on my kindle during preschool nap time and found myself wanting more after each chapter. Hard to put down! The character development was incredible. The storyline and how it all wraps together is just so so good!! Definitely a top 5 in my book for 2024! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

A good solid novel that I enjoyed.
It did keep me guessing and there were a few clever twists, the characters were well written and some quite likeable, though Laurel annoyed me sometimes.
The setting was eerie in its normalcy and the plot remained at a steady, easy to follow pace throughout.
Worth a read!

This one was fun! I definitely didn't see the big twist coming. Recommended to someone who loves a good ol' "classic" domestic thriller.

I have never read anything by Liz Alterman but I will check out her other books.

I devoured this book from page 1. I was hooked right from the beginning. I loved the plot. Didn't like all the characters but that's a given. I enjoyed the twists and even though I figured out the last twist it didn't ruin the story for me. A definite recommend.

Thank you netgalley and publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own and isn't influenced by anyone else

Kudos to Liz Alterman for The House on Cold Creek Lane. This was quite the domestic thriller and I couldn't wait to see what happened at the end. The story is written in 2 main character's POV's. We have Corey and Laurel. They are tied together by the white cape cod house in New Jersey. Corey is currently living in Florida in her mom's guest room. Laurel and family have just moved into the home on Cold Creek Lane. Both have suffered tremendous losses are are trying to get their lives in order. Laurel is married to Rob and he's quite the annoying husband. She's made a few mistakes with the kids and he watches over her like a hawk. On one side of Laurel lives an older woman who bakes treats and has become very friendly with Laurel's son. On the other side lives single and fun Addie, just the kind of friend Laurel has been looking for.

The story goes back and forth between the 2 main characters. They do not know each other, but their paths will intertwine. The characters are done so well, I felt like I knew them. This was a fast paced page turner that kept me interested every moment. I cannot wait for the author's next book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Seven House for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it. I highly recommend this book.

This was my first by this author, and definitely NOT my last.

I love a good disturbed book about suburbia. We NEVER know what goes on behind closed doors.

Rob West has bought a home in New Jersey without his wife Laurel seeing it. She is on bed rest as she is about to give birth. The house was a STEAL.

Neighbors are watching their children, and give them extra attention.

The other story line involves Corey Sutton who has ties to the area. She used to live in laurel and Rob's home.

What do these women have in common? What secrets are the neighbors harboring? As a mother some parts were hard to read.

The final twist created angst for me.

Thanks to Severn House and NetGalley for the ARC. My first Liz Alderman book and WOW. I devoured this one. Really enjoyed her writing style. Highly recommend for an awesome domestic thriller.

"The House on Cold Creek Lane" is a highly readable domestic thriller with multiple POVs. The mystery is skillfully built, and the characters are compelling in their grief and loneliness. Recommended for readers who like domestic thrillers and books set in suburban communities. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
#thehouseoncoldcreeklane

The House on Cold Creek Lane by Liz Alterman

“OK, this is so much bigger than Pinot Grigio. We’re going straight to scotch.”

When Laurel was twelve, her mom was murdered. Days before Christmas. She’s tiptoed through life on eggshells ever since, always a little skittish, restless, and skeptical. Her husband, Rob, the eternal optimist, views the world—and everyone in it—as one big, happy opportunity.

Rob snaps up their new home on Cold Creek Lane without Laurel touring it. Despite languishing on the market with no buyer interest, he thinks the house will be the perfect place to settle down and raise their family.

I zipped through Liz Alterman’s latest thriller, with all its twists and turns and broken characters with their issues and dark sides. Don’t we all have those dark moments in our lives? Attempting to protect our children or spouses or parents or ourselves, we don’t recognize who we’ve become. We step back and wonder, What in the world am I doing?

Liz, who has won awards for her young adult fiction, is a master at seamlessly weaving storylines and keeping readers guessing until the bitter end. The book includes questions for group discussions, and Liz is available to meet with book clubs via Zoom.

How fun would THAT be to discuss this novel or her 2022 book, The Perfect Neighborhood, with this author?!

I’m kind of meh on this one.

While it’s entertaining, it’s also predictable. I knew exactly who was behind things very early in the book and nothing ever happened to make me wonder if I was right or wrong.

Most of our characters are objectionable and all of them do things that make no sense.

I found myself frustrated with our main character and a bit frustrated with the story itself when the only truly interesting plot line seemed to disappear with a whimper.

It’s readable, but kind of in the low-salt popcorn kind of way. What I actually wanted was something more indulgent.

• ARC via Publisher

I loved this book! Great plot with lots of twists. I enjoyed reading about the different char as characters and how their lives twisted together (without giving too much away). Overall this was a fast paced read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank you NetGalley, Severn House, and Liz Alterman. I was anxious through every turned page. I found myself wanting to read more of Laurel in the beginning because Corey was so damn depressing! And who wouldn’t take anxious over depressed. But once that half way to .75 percent of the book hit, I was over Rob and wanted happiness for Corey. I did predict some stuff but the ending isn’t clear until it’s there and you’re so excited for it to play out that you really don’t care. Fabulous ending! I enjoyed the inclusion of the book club discussion questions and thought on them as well. All good questions to ponder on.

The story kicks off with Laurel and Rob giving up their overcrowded apartment for a life in Suburbia, they move in to a cute little Cape Cod style house with a dark past. Laurel with a toddler and a new baby has to deal with an overly critical new neighbour and a Husband who pushes her to be more sociable while ignoring her traumatic past. Meanwhile Corey the previous owner of the House on Cold Creek Lane is living in Florida with her Mother after a tragedy tore her life and family apart and she has suspicions of who is to blame.

For once I figured out the final twist before the end but the author did it in such a way that I spent the whole time second guessing myself and changing my opinion. I loved the character development of Corey and Laurel, both in the end proving they would do anything for the ones they love no matter the cost. The author did great at depicting Motherhood and the struggles involved.

As someone who has kids myself this book had me on the edge of my seat and nervous about what was going to happen next.

I really liked this book! While I did guess parts of the plot/twist ahead of time, I still thought it was good. It was an easy, fun read with plenty of characters you will love to hate! As far as domestic thrillers go, this is one you should definitely add to your TBR list. 4.5⭐️s rounded up!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for an ARC of this novel.

When Laurel and Rob West move into their dream home in suburban New Jersey, Laurel has no idea that this house has a dark history. Fully occupied with managing their two young children, she has little time to make proper friends in the neighbourhood, even if she had been a better fit with some of the other mothers.

Ironically, it is Addie, their single, childless neighbour that Laurel hits it off best with, since she also begins to wonder if the single mother in their neighbourhood, Zoe, in fact has designs on her husband Rob.

On top of all this, she is struggling with her suspicions about her elderly neighbour, Marian, who has charmed both Laurel's husband and her young son, but is deeply critical towards Laurel's skills (or lack thereof) as a mother.

If Laurel knew what the previous occupant of their home, Corey, had been through thanks to the neighbour(s) she would probably pack her bags right away. Rob, meanwhile,has little patience with what he consider his wife's paranoia. But Corey is debating whether or not to warn Laurel to watch out...

This was a complex and highly readable story, with plenty of twists. The characters are well-drawn for the most part, but I disliked Rob and his family immensely, finding his sister and mother borderline caricatures of their roles. Corey and Laurel are, however, easy to relate to, tragic as their circumstances may be.

I figured out the key villain, but not the final twist. Enjoyable and worth a read. It gets 3.5 stars from me, just missing 4 stars because Rob and his family were so incredibly unsympathetic as characters. Readers who don't mind that will give it 4 stars, so I've rated it accordingly.

Time to read less than a day

Stars 4

Review

I have never read anything by Liz Alterman. I really enjoyed this book.

I was hooked and managed to read in less than a day.

A perfect way to while away some hours on a blustery day. Would recommend to others.

Thank you Netgalley and Severn Hoise for the opportunity to review.

You know when a thriller is good when you look at the clock and realize it's 90 minutes past your normal bedtime and you're still reading.

This happened with The House on Cold Creek Lane, a quintessential domestic suspense thriller filled with all the expected and unexpected tropes so beloved by thriller fans.

In this story there are two female main characters (1st person pov's): Laurel and Corey. Both of them are grieving losses and are connected through a Cape Cod-style house in New Jersey.

Corey used to live there.

Laurel just moved in.

This simple yet intriguing set-up swiftly morphs into a scary, suspenseful plot. Why did Corey move out of the house and is now living in Florida in the guest room of her mother's condominium? Why is Laurel not quite comfortable in her new home and what's up with the neighbors? On one side is a sweet old lady who wants nothing more than to help watch over Laurel's young kids. On the other side is Addie: single, beautiful and snarky--exactly the kind of friend Laurel needs, especially since Laurel's husband Rob is being a bit of a dick lately.

We go back in forth between both women as they deal with their personal ghosts from the past, an ever-rising terror shadowing them along the way.

Alterman writes like a pro--I totally related to her depictions of motherhood, daughterhood, and the oft-times fraught foray into trying to make new friends in a new hood. Her dialogue rocks. She's also very funny at times.

This was a great read.