This was a quick read. I love suspense stories centered around a neighborhood, so I was pulled in from the beginning! I enjoyed Laurel’s story more than Corey’s and think that if it was only Laurel and her family, I would have been fine with that. My detective senses were spot on this time and I did guess the twist pretty early on, but the build up to it was fun to watch anyway. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as I hoped and that made it difficult to root for them.

Also, what’s wrong with having a child free wedding? It’s not selfish!

The House on Cold Creek Lane is a really good domestic suspense novel. Lots of “omg so creepy!” moments laying out breadcrumbs to solve the mystery. Also, I just want to throw the whole man out when it comes to Rob. Ugh, no sir.

This book is a character-driven, suspenseful, and twisted tale that's perfect for a single sitting because it has that devourable quality. Laurel's struggles with motherhood come across as real. I'm sure mothers out there who struggled with a pair of young children will feel for her. I liked the addition of the creepy neighbor paying way too close attention to her kids, and the husband being so dismissive and genuinely unlikeable. Then you add in Corey's perspective with her emotional struggles, and the connection between the two women that you're waiting to see play out. I would definitely recommend this one for fans of domestic suspense and thrillers.

This domestic suspense book was precision. It is told in two women’s point of view: the current (Laurel) and the past (Corey) residents of the house on Cold Creek Lane.

There is a nice use of foreshadowing in Laurel’s story. Corey’s story gives a glimpse at the blow back of tragedy. In my opinion, both women have really annoying husbands which added a nice bridge between women.

I loved the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a phenomenal book! I loved the writing. The multiple points of view were confusing sometimes but merged together perfectly by the end. Some predictable moments but also plenty of surprises too. Right up to the ending. The ending was perfect!
I also listened to the audiobook version as well.
Both are phenomenal!

"𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒇 𝒊𝒕? 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏'𝒕? 𝑰 𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝑳𝒂𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒆𝒚𝒆𝒔. 𝑰𝒇 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅?"

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @lizalterman @severnhousepublishing & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This had such a suspenful undertone, I was glued to the pages from the beginning. I needed to know what happened to Laurel & her mom, way back when also, what was up with Corey?! And the nosey old neighbor lady; Marian - havnt we all known one of those at some point or another?!😆

Rob was one of those characters you just wanted to ( I'm just gunna say it ) sm@ck 🤷🏼‍♀️. But it made the storyline so much better that way!
The crazy events and the obsessive family, then the unfortunate pasts of both women - they all flow so well.
I really enjoyed this one. I will say it was a slow burn, and we all know how I feel about those. But my besties at The Pulse told me it would pay off in the end, and boy did it ever.

Preorder this one today!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Aug 6th, 2024


QOTD ❓️⁉️❓️ Do you any neighbor friends/enemies?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thehouseoncoldcreeklane #lizalterman #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #upcomingthriller #bookbuzz
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The audiobook did a spectacular job bringing these characters to life. The cringe was real, people!
My emotions were plucked and pulled – Corey’s loss and refusal to recover; Laurel struggling with an infant, toddler, new home, lack of support and community. Don’t even get me started on the men in Laurel’s life – useless all around. A judgmental elderly woman neighbor who cannot say one good thing to Laurel. The single, childless woman neighbor who offers alcohol and a listening ear.
Unreliable, skewed and what is going on plot.
This book is a slow build, character building thriller. Alterman does NOT disappoint.

Thank you to Liz Altemann, Savern House and Netgalley for the ARC!

When Laurel and Rob West find their home at a great price, it seems to good to be true. Nestled on Cold Creek Lane, Laurel tries to adjust to the new house and neighborhood. With a new baby and an active toddler, things are stressful enough but now add on Laurel’s elderly neighbor who pays WAY too much attention to her kids, plus her husband’s micromanaging ways and Laurel is at the edge of her rope. When she meets Addie, she is happy for a friend. Meanwhile, Corey is struggling on the other side of town for all that she has lost. These women don’t know each other but they have something in common…

I was thrilled to hear this book being chatted about with my friends at The Pulse - I have loved Liz Altermann’s previous books and couldn't wait to get into this one too! The pacing of this story was perfect and I finished reading it in a day while on vacation - I found myself grabbing my kindle every spare minute to read and see what was going on with these people! I can relate a lot to Laurel, and remember those feelings of “new” motherhood to your second child quite well. Your emotions are all over the place and you’re trying to hang onto some semblance of yourself while balancing two little people that very much need you. Poor Laurel had zero support system - with her nagging husband, passive aggressive mother-in-law and now Marion, the neighbor who just wont stop butting into her life, it’s no wonder she was so tired.

Then there’s Corey, another woman, in a totally different place in her life. My heart broke for her; I can’t imagine myself in her place, but without giving any spoilers, I felt like her emotional state was just written SO well. This was one of those stories where I truly had NO idea how the two storylines were going to come together, how these women’s lives would intersect, but when they did, all the pieces clicked into place. And the shocking way in which this story ended absolutely blew me away!

With a suspense that never let up, well-developed characters (some likeable, some unlikeable) and a clever plot, “The House on Cold Creek Lane” is one of my favorite reads this year!!

This story releases August 6, 2024 and this review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SevernHouse for the book #TheHouseOnColdCreekLane by #LizAlterman. Rob and Laurel have moved into a new house on Cold Creek Lane and the neighbors are not really normal. There is the old lady who is very opinionated about their kids, the flirty neighbor and the overly nice neighbor. Corey used to live on the same house. She knows the neighbors very well and blames one of them for her daughter’s death. Corey and Laurel have never met, but maybe they one can save the other. What a wonderful, suspenseful book!

Packed to the brim with suspicious characters, dastardly deeds, and a slowly unrolling plot, The House on Cold Creek Lane filled me with dread. And while this tale of domestic suspense mixed nicely with a neighborhood drama, it was the gaslighting and misdirection that utterly turned my head. Step by step, I reveled in how this storyline had them all walking toward an unthinkable end.

As for the characters, they were all thoroughly unlikeable. Two, in fact, had me itching to shake them good and hard. From a belittling husband to his spineless wife, both of them hit the mark with their irritating behavior. That’s not to say that I was turned off of this book in the slightest. Oh no. Their action—or inaction—totally got my blood boiling. And, IYKYK, but only the best authors seem to manage to pull that feat off.

The only fly in the ointment was my ability to see through the twists. Now how much of that was merely down to my insatiable love of all things thriller and suspense, I’ll never know. Despite that, however, the multiple mysteries and unreliable narrators kept my fingers flying. So while I managed to work it all out, it just might be perfect for anyone looking for an utterly chilling novel. Especially if you’re new to the genre.

By the end of this slow burning plot, I was delighted by the eventually cascade of dead bodies. With plenty of foreboding and just enough suspense to whet my appetite, it’s clear as can be that Ms. Alterman nailed it in one. It’s also unsurprising why all of my colleagues at Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse have been raving about this dark and twisted tale. After all, I did inhale it in just a single sitting. Rating of 4 stars.

Thank you to Liz Alterman, Severn House, Thriller Book Lovers: The Pulse, and NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Laurel was 12 years old when her mother was viciously murdered, 20 years on, her killer released and Laurel, husband Rob and their two young children are moving into their first proper home - a house on cold creek lane.
The name of the lane and the cover alone had me eerily excited to dive into this read.
When Laurel receives a note addressed to her saying ‘I lost my family. Now yours is in danger.’ She is petrified, she is not only trying to fit in being a suburban mum, dealing with neighbours with questionable intent but now this note.

The book had me gripped with wanting to know what was coming and how things were going to play out. We have two first person pov , Laurel and also Corey who used to live in the house. Both women are suffering loss, and I was excited to find out what tied them together in the story. This is a popcorn thriller with domestic suspense.

Many thanks to NetGalley, published and author for my ARC.

This was a great thriller about trusting your mother's instinct! Laurel and Rob have just moved into a new neighborhood. Glad to be out of the craziness of the city, Laurel just feels a little uncertain. Why was their below cost offer accepted and why had it sat empty for so long? Rob tells her she needs to accept that good things can happen in life. It may seem too good to be true, but she needs to get over her constantly worry about bad things happening. Her fears and worry are blamed on her past and the tiredness of being a new mother. But when strange things start happening and Laurel doesn't agree with Rob about certain aspects of the neighbors, their relationship quickly strains. Rob just blames her irrationalness when these things happen and pushes her to get out more. When she finally gets the story about the terrible incident that had happened at her house, more pieces start to click into place but real truth of what happened is still being uncovered and all it will take is one person to change everything. The past, the current and the future are all about to collide in the most unexpected of conclusions. I really enjoyed this one and couldn't wait to see how to all tied together. Loved how it ended even though I had to read it a second time to grasp it all! Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse are packing this in their beach bag this summer! Once you start, you won't put it down. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

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.