Girl Next Door will keep you guessing! I thought i knew what was happening & the twist was out of nowhere. Really good mystery!

Publisher's summary
My darling son is accused of killing the girl next door. He would never do this… Would he?
I have the perfect family: my loving, devoted partner. Our sons, so thoughtful and affectionate despite their teenage angst. But everything changes when our friendly neighbours move in.
Their daughter Rachel is so pretty and bubbly. Her giggles float over our garden fence. I can see our boys are falling for her, fighting for her affection.
Then Rachel falls from her bedroom window. Her life is hanging in the balance. And to my horror, her parents think my son Jacob pushed her.
I know my sensitive son would never do such a thing, but he is hiding something. A mother always knows, doesn’t she? And who is spreading nasty rumours in our neighbourhood about me and my partner, about history repeating itself?
Then I find Rachel’s broken sunflower necklace in my home, and my world falls apart. It’s unbearable, but I must face the truth. Someone’s child is fighting for their life. And someone in my family hurt her.
With Rachel at death’s door, is Jacob in terrible danger too? And how far will I have to go to protect him?

Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture Audio for the ALC of this book!

Girl Next Door
By: Karen King
Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
Publisher: Hachette UK - Bookouture
Release date: 07-09-24

Girl Next-Door by Karen King and narrated by Tamzon Canard is about two families one is Vanessa, Aaron they’re two teen boys Jacob and Luke in the toddler girl Chloe they each brought a son to the relationship but Chloe is what brings the family together. The new neighbors are Susan and her husband Carl and their children Rachel and little brother Ben. At first the kids as well as the moms get along like a house on fire but when teenage Rachel falls out her window and they start to believe Jacob had something to do with it her family‘s claws come out and let Vanessa know her family is the enemy with no sugarcoating it. Vanessa is taken aback because she thought she had a nice normal family with two teen boys that for the most part were really good kids. At first she doesn’t know what to make of her new neighbors attitude but as the cops investigate and then and then her own son Jacob goes missing she has more things to worry about then the neighbors opinion of her and her little family. Just like the other book I read by Karen King I thought this was super interesting and definitely held my attention I even thought it was better than the other but I’ve read by her and despite there having some chapters I thought could’ve been left out I still listen to every minute of it and not just because Tamzon canard is my favorite British narrator because OMG she definitely is, she is so good! This book did something that I love when books do and that is at first I thought oh I bet ABC but then something else would happen and I would think oh wait it must be 1 to 3 but at the end I am just like OMG I didn’t see that coming! This book was really good with great narration an awesome plot in a book I definitely definitely recommend!#BookoucherAudio, #NetGalley, #KarenKing, #TamsonCanard, #GirlNextDoor,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Read this book if you constantly question everyone or everything, you are part of a blended family, or you enjoy having neighbors.
I’d probably have given it a higher score, but was frustrated that the villain was an off screen character I couldn’t have predicted. Finished in a day though, so a very engaging book!

Ummm what? Wow 🤯 <- but only kind of LOL

This was borderline five stars just for the wrench that was thrown on the very last chapter. The story starts out kind of slow and boring, then it gets kind of weird because it’s about minors and then it gets really twisty and interesting and has a couple of oh 💩 moments and then you think it’s over and you’re like wow all of that for this crappy ending? And then the author slaps you in the face. 😂

I will say that earlier on in the book I did suspect a certain something that I ended up being right about, but she convinced me I was wrong for a long time ha!

Audiobook was good!

Enjoyed the story. Finished it in one day. Not many hints in there about the actual villain of the story. Wish I was able to know the characters a little better. Wasn’t super thrilling but still a solid book.

This book had a lot of build-up and development, only for the twist to unfold unexpectedly that didn't leave me gasping as much as I'd hoped. While twists are a key element in thrillers and mysteries, these didn't quite hit the mark. Despite being a multiple-POV book, I found it easy to follow the different characters. The character development made sense along the way but ultimately didn't contribute much to the main plot. The ending felt like a letdown; given the story and character development, it had the potential for much more impactful twists and shocks.

The narration by Tamsin Kennard was excellent. Despite there being only one narrator for multiple characters, I was still able to easily distinguish between them.

Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): Maybe. This could be a good read for someone looking to get their feet wet in this genre. However, if you’re well-versed in thrillers, you may not enjoy it as much.

Give me a good family thriller with a great narrator and I'm set for the day! If it's Tamsin Kennard, all the better. I've listened to several of hers now and enjoy her pace and interpretation of lots of characters. She always enhances a story in my opinion. Girl Next Door had an intriguing premise and did not disappoint with twists, keeping me guessing until the end. I'm still not sure what to make of the ending and what might happen next. Maybe nothing is meant to, but I'd love to see a sequel to find out.
This is my first Karen King novel but will definitely not be my last.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! All opinions are mine.

This was such a thrilling book, I definitely did not expect the ending.

I can’t believe Rachel tried to conceal what happened and the boys almost got framed for the crime.

The characters were well written and I loved the twists!

The mom was resilient and I am so glad she stuck up for Jacob

Girl Next Door
By: Karen King
Stars: 4
Synopsis: The Girl Next Door is a psychological thriller that follows two neighbors trying to understand how and why a catastrophic accident possibly involving both families has occurred. Vanessa's seemingly perfect family is thrown into turmoil when their son Jacob is suspected of being involved in a tragic event involving their neighbor's daughter, Rachel. Despite his mother's firm belief in his innocence, she discovers Jacob and possibly others are hiding secrets.
Format: Audiobook
Review: This is my first Karen King, and I am pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this "page-turner," and I gobbled this up in one sitting. There is just something about a good psychological thriller that gets you overthinking everything. I think the pacing is great, and all the little tidbits being dropped by each character had me guessing and second-guessing non-stop. There are so many secrets to uncover, and it's always the happy families with so many swept under the rug. Eeeeek! Love it!!!! AND…LOVE A TWISTY TWIST!!!!!!!!
Pros: I love a good twist! The multiple POVs help keep the pacing up, and I love it when chapters end on a cliffhanger. I will be adding Karen King to my list of authors to watch!
Cons: I felt like Vanessa was a bit repetitive at times…but I guess I can see how a mother can ruminate on everything regarding their children. And there was a brief section at around 75% slowed down, but it didn’t last too long--the ending made up for it.
Recommend (Yes/No/Maybe): Yes! Absolutely!
Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for allowing me to review the title.

I really enjoyed the suspense in this book. All the characters are suspicious and have secrets, which makes it hard for the main character, Vanessa, to know who or what to trust. Vanessa's peaceful family life is disrupted when a new neighbor, Rachael, moves in and captures the attention of Vanessa's son and stepson.

Tension rises when Rachael is hurt, threatening to tear their family apart. Although I enjoyed the book overall, I was disappointed with the ending, as everything fell into place too perfectly. However, I appreciated that the ending wasn't predictable, and the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. The use of multiple perspectives also added depth to the story.

A full review will be coming soon.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the advanced listening copy of this book.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


✨ Family Drama
✨ Secrets
✨ Suspense



✨ The story starts with Vanessa who’s excited to meet their new neighbours. They do have a daughter name Rachel who’s gotten so close with Vanessa’s step son (Lucas ) and son (Jacob).
Everything was absolutely great, up until the incident that Rachel fell from the window. With lots of secrets to uncover of who did it? Is it a suicide?


✨ I thought the story has a predictable plot and ending but I was wrong . This is a great writing especially the narrated version of Tamsin. (Fan here)
Fast paced too and easy to the eyes .
The feeling of the ending was great and not questionable. Definitely worth the read.


✨ to the audiobook narrator Tamsin, everything you are doing the story . I knew that I was amazing. Well done.



✨ Thankyou bookouture for the opportunity to have this arc for a honest review.




🫶🏼shaye.reads

Things are not as they appear in this edge-of-your-seat thriller. I suspected every character at one point or another and boy, was I wrong every time. Fast-paced, engaging and full of twists. Binged it in two days. This was my first Karen King book but it won’t be my last. A near perfect thriller. Highly recommend.

3.9 rounded up to 4.

Book Title: Girl Next Door
Author: Karen King
Format: 🎧
Narrator: Tamsin Kennard
Publisher: Bookouture Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thriller- Domestic Drama
Pub Date: July 9, 2024
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages 357

Story is told from the POV of Vanessa, Aaron and Susie.
Vanessa and Aaron have a blended family. Aaron’s wife Amanda lied of cancer- they had a son Lucas who is now fourteen. Vanessa was married to Rickie who was abusive, at which time they had a young son Jacob and Vanessa worries Rickie will soon be abusive to their son so divorces Jacob is now fourteen and he and Lucas are best friends. Vanessa and Aaron have Chloe together. The boys love their new little sister; they are a happy family and everything seems to be perfect.

New neighbors Susie and Carl move in with their son Ben and teenage daughter Rachel. Rachel is pretty and bubbly and both Jacob and Lucas are interested is earning her affection. Rachel and Lucas seem to hit it off and Jacob is jealous.
When Rachel fall from her bedroom window and is in the hospital in a coma the boys are accused of having something to do with her fall as they often sit on Rachel’s bedroom window ledge – the very window in which Rachel fell.
Rachel’s parents Susie and Carl are quick to accuse the boys.

Story is rather slow with a lot of accusations – I am a big thriller fan and know to be suspicious of everyone – hmmm so how is it that I suspected everyone but missed one?

The Big reveals are a surprise. I did have a little suspicion about one but most I was totally clueless.
Story definitely left me with wanted to read another Karen King story.

I am an audiobook fan and Tamsin Kennard is one of my favorite audio performers.
Story turned out better than expected.

Want to thank Bookouture Audio/Hachette UK for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July 9, 2024.

I absolutely loved 'Girl Next Door' by Karen King. I really thought I had it figured out. But I didn't! I love when it happens. This book kept me engaged and I listened through the audiobook narration in a few hours. I really love Tamsin Kennard, what a great choice of the narrator. I thought the book was entertaining and interesting. I will definitely read the rest of the books by this author that I can find!

Girl Next Door- Karen King
Rating: 4/5
Form: Audio

I really enjoyed this audiobook! It was very engaging and I ended up finishing it very quickly, The narrator was fabulous, keeping me wanting to finish the story as I ran my errands and encouraged me to clean just so I could find out what happens next. I will say, some of the characters got a little whiny and at one point, I got sick of the crying. I didn't predict the twist at the end, even though I thought I knew the culprit the entire time. Lots of red herrings and overall great writing!

Fast paced and would definitely recommend to readers to check this one out!

This narrator is becoming my "comfort" narrator. She could be talking about anything and I would calm down. She is just the best at this! She does all the voices. So, naturally I loved the narration. The story is twisty. We suspect anyone and then at the end it is a whole other issue.
The story was okay. I like it enough.

Wow!

I requested this audiobook without even having properly read the description because I really love diving in blindly into books simply based on the genre and the information one can gain from the cover.

But from the moment I started listening, I was HOOKED. The story was very well-paced, with no moment or scene feeling too stretched out or flat. The POVs of the other characters was an unexpected yet such a pleasant surprise! Having an inkling of the inner turmoil the characters are going through, yet not having a single solid idea of who to point the finger to because nothing seemed black and white was what I went through almost the entirety of the book!

I rarely listen to audiobooks apart from when I'm doing chores or something that doesn't need more than 30% of my attention, but this one had me using earphones (I rarely ever use earphones since I really want to be able to savour every beat of music even in old age) to listen to it just so I could get to the bottom of the story and find out what really 'happened'!

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants a gripping thriller to mentally immerse themselves into!

P.S. The narration by Tamsin Kennard was just BRILLIANT and apt! I've impressed on the fact before that narration really plays a vital role in how a listener enjoys an audiobook and I'll stand by it! You just can't love a story with terrible narration, and sometimes even the dullest stories could sound interesting as hell with a talented narrator.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook. Girl Next Door is a pulse-pounding thriller that doesn't let up. I was on the edge of my seat and gripped in the story by the end of chapter 1. With a gripping plot and well-crafted suspense, it's a great thriller that kept me guessing.

[3.5 stars]

Thank you to NetGalley for the audible ARC! I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were great and the family drama was fun. The narration is really good too. My complaint about this book is the ending. I think those who like Freida McFadden will like this book too.

This was a quick audiobook!

Everyone is a suspect in Rachel’s accident when she fell out of the window. I certainly wasn’t expecting that ending. Everyone has so many secrets.

I love when an author throws in a surprise in the epilogue!

One part of the ending I didn’t like was what Ness decided to do. Just forgive everyone for all of the lies. I thought this was so odd.

All in all, a decently entertaining listen.