I’ve been offline and soaking up the ☀️ in #nicaragua for the past two weeks. Obviously, I went straight to the @thrillerbookloversthepulse crew for a recommended read. My pick? #TheHouseonColdCreekLane by @lizalterman

I flew through The House On Cold Creek Lane in on sunny afternoon at the pool. Liz Alterman’s sharp storytelling will immediately draw you into the story and keep your attention until the end.

Highlights:

🫶🏼Laurel and Corey’s alternating POVs add depth and variety. Corey’s dry humour is a bonus
🤍The fast-paced plot with unreliable narrators and shady characters keeps the tension high
🫶🏼The story delivers great twists and a very satisfying ending

If you’re looking for a snappy thriller with great writing, The House on Cold Creek Lane is for you! Eager to read more from Alterman.

A story of two women tied through a house in New Jersey. Laurel and Corey alternately tell their stories in this tale of women coping as best they can. Laurel's mom was murdered years ago and it affects her to this day. It's her husband Peter who bought the house, which seems somehow creepy to her. Corey lost her child and she has been living in a condo in Florida with her mother but now she's been evicted because the age restrictions. How do they fit together? No spoilers from me because this is a clever one. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Two women, each shaped by a dark past, have never met but have something in common. Something that has them on high alert.

Laurel and her young family are new residents on Cold Creek Lane. They’ve been welcomed by their new neighbors-some warmly, and some not so much.

Corey temporarily lives with her mother in a retirement village, struggling to rebuild her life while making poor choices.

Nosey neighbors, strange occurrences, and secret obsessions, are issues that both women have experienced. What unfolds and brings them together is shocking!

I loved the alternating perspectives of Laurel and Corey. Being a mom, some moments involving the kids had me feeling anxious but the short chapters helped break up the tension. I also enjoyed seeing Laurel trust her gut when faced with negative influence by family members. Reading about Laurel’s creations as a former pastry chef, activated my sweet tooth! I’m excited to read more by this author!

When I see a book that’s heavy with domestic suspense, sign me up! I was so glad to partner with @thrillerbookloversthepulse to read an ARC of this book. It was dripping with suspense and nefarious characters and everything you want in a book in this genre.

I really loved the depictions of motherhood and found them to be spot on.

This book had a level of tension going into it that didn’t let up because you have no idea what’s going on. Why did Corey leave the house? Why is Laurel not comfortable in the house? And why is Laurel’s husband acting strange. This book had two female POV’s and they really came together well. This book definitely had me on edge so job well done!

Domestic thrillers are quickly becoming a favourite sub genre for me! The drama, the secrets and the mysterious neighbours with the books are almost addictive.

In this way The House on Cold Creek Lane did not disappoint. You had the slight dark and off putting neighbours. The dual POVs of two mother who should do anything for those they love. As well as the families who play devil's advocate and make you second guess these mother's motives.

This book moves at a steady pace, with great character development and two stories cleverly intertwined. The ending, although predictable, was intense and enjoyable!

This was a quick domestic suspense read. Told from the perspectives of two young mothers, the story touched on motherhood, loss, and coming to terms with past trauma. The pacing kept my interest and there were some twists and turns. Having read a lot of thrillers, I figured out who the villain was midway through and saw some of the twists coming but I did enjoy how the plot unfolded. One part of the ending even caught me by surprise!

This quick, easy to read suspense novel is one that I think readers new to the domestic suspense genre will enjoy.

Thanks to Severn House for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Laurel and Corey don’t know each other but they have something in common. Something very sinister is lurking on Cold Creek Lane; something only a couple people know.

Laurel and Rob move into the home on Cold Creek Lane. Rob bought it without Lauren’s approval. Laurel hasn’t even seen it yet. She isn’t sure she wants to live there. The house and street don’t feel right to her. I found Rob to be quite obnoxious and controlling throughout. I did not care for him at all but we aren’t really supposed to. Good job creating this insufferable character, Liz.

Corey is divorced and living with her mother several hours away. She is a mess in so many ways. Her mother wants her to move out but she can’t even hold down a job. Laurel and Corey’s lives are interconnected but only Corey knows this, for now.

All of the characters are so well put together. They are all odd and a bit dark in their own way and full of personality flaws. This story reminds me of Desperate Housewives but with the psychological thriller vibe of The Hand that Rocks the Cradle. What a thrilling, chaotic story we are taken through as new characters come in and stir up more nonsense, or try to help and end up victims. I loved every minute of it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for the ARC of this book.

When Laurel was ten, her mother was killed in a bank robbery. An only child, she had no support from her father, who remarried an unsympathetic woman very soon afterwards. Although dealing with unresolved grief and fear, she went on to become a pastry chef and to marry Rob, a cheerful young man, and have two children. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Poppy, Rob buys a house in suburban New Jersey. Laurel has never seen the house and she feels unready to blend into their new neighborhood.
Corey is mourning the death of her three-year-old daughter, Frankie. After a nasty divorce from the husband she still blames and the sale of their house in New Jersey, she moves in with her widowed mother in a Florida retirement community. Corey has a part-time job in a local garden center. She runs a lot.
The House on Cold Creek Lane is vivid and engaging. I found myself feeling very involved in the lives of these two apparently unconnected women and I grew to care about what happened to them. From my own experience of new motherhood in an unair-conditioned house, I can attest to the realistic descriptions of both Laurel and Corey over the course of one terrible summer.
I only gave this book three stars because I guessed the identity of the villain very early. (Two of Laurel's neighbors are so obviously dreadful that I couldn't believe either of them was the "bad guy.") Also, both Laurel and Corey, while initialy sympathetic, are too unbalanced to be the real heroines of their own lives. While I understand that pushing a sick person to get help can be counterproductive, I did start to feel that they were causing a lot of their own problems. Both women really needed to stop blaming the mean, selfish, and/or insensitive people in their lives and get over themselves.
That said, I found The House on Cold Creek Lane to be a quick and enjoyable read. I would definitely try another book by Liz Alterman.
I would like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#TheHouseOnColdCreekLane #NetGalley
Wow!!!
When Laurel and Rob West move into their new home in New Jersey, it seems too good to be true. But Laurel can't shake off her old feelings of anxiety. The neighbor who pays far too much attention to the Wests' two young children . . . Rob watching her every misstep .. and there's something people aren't telling her about this house . I promised myself I wouldn't go to that neighborhood again. Not that street. Not so soon. But I couldn't help it. They made it too easy. Corey Sutton is trying to outrun her past. Recently divorced and reeling from a devastating loss, she moves into her widowed mother's retirement condo in Florida. Everyone says she just needs some time to recover and rebuild . . . but is Corey beyond saving? She wants answers. And there's very little she won't do to get them. Though Laurel and Corey have never met, the women have something in common, and if they're not careful, it may just destroy them both
Thanks to NetGalley and Severn House for giving me an advance copy.

First of all, huge thank you to @lizalterman for letting us @thrillerbookloversthepulse readers get the ARC of this. I was not ready for the wild ride you had us on for this one!

I have never read anything by Liz, but I quickly downloaded The Perfect Neighborhood after reading this. He’ll Be Waiting will be my next purchase.

I consumed this book. I could not put it down. I had full blown conversations with my kindle while reading this. I was angry, I was shocked, I was wanting to jump in my kindle & shake some of these characters. It. Was. Amazing.

This is one of the best thrillers I’ve read. It does not disappoint. The writing is excellent & the ending was NUTS!!

I HIGHLY recommend this one. I honestly loved it so much-I might need a physical copy for my bookshelf.

Thank you Liz! You are incredibly talented!

This was a decent popcorn type thriller. I do love books that have neighborhood drama in the plots, this one has plenty of it. I wasn’t ever quite sure what was going on or who was to blame for what. It’s a dual perspective narrative and I liked and was more intrigued by Corey’s parts. The ending didn’t disappoint and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick interesting thriller, the beginning and the end of this book were very good, the middle dragged a bit.

I really enjoyed this one. As an overprotective stay at home mom of two, I was able to connect and sympathize with our main character, Laurel, and man did I want to wrap my hands around her husband’s neck! It definitly had me filled with anticipation and dread, and I couldn’t wait to see how this all played out. I wanted better for our other main character Corey, but I understood why the end went the way it did. I will say that for me, the twist was very predictable and kind of a bummer because I wanted a bit more, but overall I really enjoyed this one and flew through it in two sittings. Thanks to Severn House for my eARC. The House on Cold Creek Lane will be published 8/6.

This fast-paced, dual-perspective thriller will have you racing through the pages!

The story follows Laurel, a mother with a toddler and new baby, struggling with the overwhelming pressure to create a perfect family life. They just moved into a house on Cold Creek Lane and Laurel has a growing sense that something isn't right. Her anxieties are fueled by a husband who dismisses her concerns. I remember how isolating it could be with young children and I think the author captured this perfectly. We also meet Corey, a woman grappling with a devastating loss. She was the previous resident of the home on Cold Creek Lane and believes the loss of her daughter was no accident. Corey's grief felt raw and genuine, making her a character you can't help but root for despite her flaws.

While I wasn't surprised by every twist, the well-developed characters and Liz Alterman's smooth writing kept me hooked. I will definitely seek out her other books. If I wasn't too busy with work and kids sports, I would have easily finished this in one day.

The House on Cold Creek Lane weaves Laurel and Corey's stories together, culminating in a crazy conclusion where their paths intertwine. If you're searching for a quick and engaging read that delves into the complexities of family, loss, and the fierce protectiveness of motherhood, The House on Cold Creek Lane is a must-add to your bookshelf.

Why was the house Rob bought for his family such a steal? 

Domestic thrillers are always favorites for me. I love a good suburban setting where the characters are always harbouring big secrets and all is not what it seems. Told from dual POV's, we follow the story of two women, Laurel and Corey. How these stories intertwine will leave you gasping! This was such an amazing book. I was riveted as I read and didn't dare put it down because I was so engrossed. If you love thrillers, you need to get your hands on a copy of this.

This book is buzzin’ over at @thrillerbookloversthepulse and for good reason!
I was hooked and it kept me up way past my bedtime. It follows two females POV. Laurel and Corey. Corey used to live at that house and Laurel just moved in with her family. Laurel is dealing with postpartum and her husband is someone I wanted to punch.
Corey is dealing with a traumatic loss that has taken over her life.
I really enjoyed this story and how it came together. This was my first by this author and definitely won’t be my last!

HOLY MOLY WHAT DID I JUST READ?! Literally finished this in about 6 hours. This was so completely addicting, I felt like my eyes were popping out of my head and the anxiety was REAL. There were quite a few twists and while I had an idea about one of them it didn’t go the way I expected it to at all. Do me a favor and ADD THIS to your TBR immediately.

THANK YOU to the author and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for letting me get my hands on this one!! OBSESSED.

Laurel and her husband Rob move into a new home with their three year old Jasper and newborn Poppy. Little does she know the house has a past.Laurel is dealing with the recent prison release of her mother's killer. She has made some mistakes and her overbearing and gaslighting husband wants her to be more like his mother to socialize and make friends. Their neighbor Marian is an older grandmotherly woman who tells Laurel how to raise her children. Laurel is suspicious of her but her husband and son love her. On the other side is Addie, single, young and fun. Just what she needs in a friend.

Corey moves into her mother's retirement community condo. Divorced and trying to recover from her daughter's death, she is the only one that believes it wasn't an accident. She has her suspicions and is determined to find the truth.

This domestic thriller moves at a steady pace, alternating between the voices of Laurel and Corey. I didn't like Rob or his family. The character development was great and the way the two story lines intertwined was so good. It is a story of motherhood and what you would do to protect your family. The ending was so intense I was holding my breath until the last sentence.

Thank you @lizalterman @netgalley
And the publisher for the ebook.

😡 T H R E A T E N I N G T H U R S D A Y 😡 featuring “The House on Cold Creek Lane” by Liz Alterman!

BOOK REVIEW: 🖤🖤🖤🖤/5

This haunting story is told from the perspectives of two women, Corey and Laurel. They have never met before, but they are bound together by a house in New Jersey that hides many dark secrets.

Corey is suffering from a loss that has turned her world upside down. She is down on her luck from it and living back at home as an adult with her suffocating mother. She is formulating a plan and putting it together piece by piece, no matter who or what turns into collateral.

Laurel has just had a second baby and her husband Rob finds them their “dream” family home. Laurel never got a chance to visit the house before purchase and just took Rob’s word for it. But since moving in, Laurel feels something OFF about the house, the neighbourhood and her new neighbours.

Both main characters are struggling with a past traumatic loss that follows them around like a shadow. Both women have questions … and nobody wants to give them answers.

HOT DAMN, do I ever love a creepy domestic thriller that is brimming to the rim with haunting secrets, juicy scandal and sketchy unreliable characters! I stayed up super late on a few nights because I just couldn’t get enough! At times my anxiety was through the roof with all the twists and shocking turn of events! Bravo! 🙌

Thank you kindly to @lizalterman @severnhouseimprint @netgalley for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review! This book releases on August 6, 2024!

House on Cold Creek Lane by Liz Alterman
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

"An unflinching examination of motherhood and the dark side of domesticity set against a suburban backdrop that's anything but blissful. This twisty tale invites readers to a slow-motion unraveling that culminates in a devastating finale."

This book unfolded at a leisurely pace. In all honesty, I was hoping for something a little more indulgent. Despite my admiration for Liz and my genuine enjoyment of the book, the slow pacing was noticeable. Nevertheless, the storyline remained engaging and enjoyable! And I would recommend this to domestic thriller readers.

I really enjoyed this book!

This was my first book from this author and it won’t be my last! She did a great job with the unreliable characters, it was very well written with a satisfying ending.

It shows the struggle and the grief, not to mention the loss, the new motherhood insights, and how far would you go to protect your family.

I was hooked since the first chapter, after half way through it, things got even better.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller and I definitely recommend.

Thank you very much to NetGalley Severn House and Liz Alterman for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Publication Day 08/06/2024.