This was such a good psychological thriller! This book had me hooked from the start and kept my attention the entire time. I am a sucker for an unhinged main character, so this book really worked for me. This book was intense, hard to put down and had so much drama.

A dark and twisted domestic thriller. Though I did not like any of the characters, it was a fast and enjoyable read.

The Family at No. 23 by Kathryn Sharman is pitched as a fast-paced domestic thriller, but for me it read more like a slow domestic drama.

On Riddleston Road, behind its pastel-coloured doors and perfectly kept gardens, secrets lurk. When Iris and her family move into number 23, she believes she’s giving her son the future he deserves—no matter the questionable choices it took to get there. But someone knows her secret, and soon cracks begin to show in her picture-perfect new life.

I was intrigued by the premise and the sudden turn of events that allowed Iris to move into No. 23, but the execution left me unsatisfied. The plotlines felt unoriginal and underdeveloped, and what could have been a sharp thriller became repetitive and predictable. Characters behaved in ways that stretched believability—Steve never signing any paperwork for a rental, Iris’ inappropriate behaviour at the school, Freddie’s unexplained outbursts—and I found it hard to suspend my disbelief.

The relationship between the two central women was meant to drive the tension, but it quickly devolved into jealousy and self-obsession, before fizzling out altogether. I thought Ben’s illness might develop into a darker angle, perhaps even a Munchausen’s thread, but that was abandoned. By the end, so many unlikeable characters—who had acted terribly throughout—were neatly rewarded with their happy-ever-afters, which left me frustrated.

Ultimately, this wasn’t the gripping thriller I had hoped for. It dragged in places, the twists were telegraphed far in advance, and the lack of character development made it hard to connect. If you enjoy domestic drama with unlikeable characters, you may find something here, but I was left wanting more originality, sharper writing, and higher stakes.

Thank you to Kathryn Sharman, Hodder & Stoughton, and NetGalley for the ARC.

Really enjoyed this thriller!
It kept me wanting to know what was going to happen next.
Good characters.
Will definitely read more books by this author.
Thanks Netgalley for letting me read this book for an honest review

The family at No 23 - Kathryn Sharman

Thanks for the opportunity to read this book. I will be on the lookout to purchase it in the near future. ☺️

Loved the tension in The Family at No 23! The story of a seemingly normal family with dark secrets kept me hooked. Characters felt real, and the twists were satisfying, even if a couple were a bit predictable. A solid, page-turning domestic thriller!

Not one of my favorites. Was very predictable and I thought the main character was annoying. I am not big on drama and jealous behavior so this just wasn't my cup of tea.

I appreciate this ARC from NetGalley and HodderBooks.

“… we all have our secrets, some more terrible than others.”

Iris and Laura have been good friends ever since they had their sons at the same time years ago but as the years gone on, Laura seems to have had it all, rather easily, whereas Iris and her husband have been struggling, both as a couple and financially. Iris, like Laura, just wants the best for her family so when life presents her with the most unlikely opportunity to get her son into a top school where Laura’s son is also a pupil, she takes it. But what this opportunity means, the secret thing she’s done weighs heavy on her mind and it’s not long before she starts to become paranoid that someone knows what’s happened and what she’s done. For Iris and her family should not be living at number 23 Riddlestone Road!

The story alternates between Laura’s and Iris’ point of view and this, naturally, made me read on more than once. I enjoyed this book with the rising tension and wondered how it would all end. And just when I thought it was all over, it wasn’t! Great twist at the end.

Sadly, this book was not for me. The book synopsis promised a gripping plot, but ultimately fell short for me. The pacing feels uneven, with certain twists that felt predictable rather than surprising. While the atmospheric setting shows potential, the characters lacked depth and connection, making it hard to become fully invested. A middle-of-the-road read—not terrible, but not memorable either.

Kathryn Sharman’s The Family at No 23 is a gripping, page-turning psychological thriller that combines domestic drama with high-stakes suspense. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Louise Candlish, and Lisa Jewell, the novel delivers twists and tension that keep readers guessing until the very last page.

The story centers on Iris, a woman who has done whatever it takes to secure her dream home on Riddleston Road, a street of immaculate houses hiding dark secrets behind their pastel-colored doors. As Iris moves into number twenty-three, she is convinced her actions will secure a bright future for her son—but someone knows her secret, and the stakes quickly escalate. What begins as a domestic pursuit for security soon spirals into a thriller of obsession, deceit, and moral compromise.

Sharman excels at creating tension in everyday settings. The suburban streets and meticulously described interiors contrast sharply with the darkness lurking within the characters, making the suspense feel intimate and immediate. Iris is a complex protagonist, simultaneously sympathetic and morally ambiguous, and Sharman’s skillful characterization ensures readers are invested in her choices even as they fear the consequences.

The narrative pacing is relentless, with twists delivered at just the right moment to maximize shock and suspense. Themes of family, ambition, and the lengths people will go to protect their loved ones resonate deeply, giving the story emotional weight alongside the thrills.

Verdict: The Family at No 23 is a darkly compelling, addictive thriller with twists you won’t see coming. Sharman has crafted a debut that balances domestic drama with psychological suspense, resulting in a story that will captivate fans of modern thrillers.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ – A masterful, twist-laden thriller exploring ambition, secrecy, and the limits of maternal devotion.

My god, when it comes to fantastic debuts, 2025 just keeps on giving. The Family at No. 23 is a masterpiece; it weaves a narrative that has made me wince, gasp, laugh and cry. Beautifully written and loaded with emotion and tension, I could not put this down once I'd started.

This is the story of Iris, a 40-something married mum to teenager Ben. She's clearly unhappy; her marriage isn't great, her son has always been sickly and now he's growing up he seems to be growing apart from her. All she has is her best friend Laura, whose life seems perfect in comparison. And when Laura moves, allowing her own son to attend a posh grammar school, leaving Iris and Ben behind, Iris knows she must do something. But just how far will a mother go to make sure her son has the best in life?

To call The Family at No. 23 a thriller would be a misnomer. 'Domestic suspense' is a better description, but even though it might be a slow burn, I've been on the edge of my seat throughout. Few books have made me as nervous as this, in the best way possible. The characters - from Iris to Laura, their husbands and even their sons - are hard to like; 'morally grey' doesn't quite cut it. And yet they are fascinating, compelling, written with such depth and realism. I hated Iris at the beginning but I found myself caring and empathising with her as I read on. It's one of the best depictions of a broken woman I've read. A cautionary tale of when life gets too much.

Kathryn, you should be so proud of what you've created here. It's an incredible debut, and I'm so excited for whatever you have planned next. Cheers to you! 🥂

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wish I had better things to say about this book. From the jump, the writing was a little clunky - Laura and Iris were not easily discernible from one another. I was intrigued by the sudden turn of events that allowed Iris’s family to move into house No. 23 but the story that followed was unoriginal and the plot lines weren’t fully developed, leaving the reader unsatisfied.

The Family at No. 23 by Kathryn Sharman is a twisty domestic thriller that draws you in right away. The story follows Iris and her son as they move into a beautiful new home on Riddleston Road, where everything looks perfect on the surface. But behind each door lies a secret, and as the truth slowly unravels, it becomes clear that appearances can be dangerously deceiving.

I thought this was a great read! I never knew what direction the story was going to take, and the fact that every character had something to hide kept me eager to see how it would all unfold. A suspenseful, secret-filled thriller I’d definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read this arc!

Iris and her family move into number 23 Riddleston Road, an affluent area, but they don’t belong there. The house will make her sons get the future he deserves but is it worth it for what she has done? Someone knows her secret.

A twisty and psychological thriller with plot twists right to the last page! I really enjoyed reading this book, although slightly slow at times, I really enjoyed the storyline!

Iris and Laura have been friends for a long time and their boys, Ben and Freddie were best friends through primary school, now Laura and her husband Ivo have moved to the other side of town so they are in the right catchment area to enrol Frddie in the best high school, something that only Iris can dream of for Ben, then one day something happens while Iris is out which means that dream can become a reality and pretty soon Iris, Steve and Ben are moving into 23 Riddleston Road, just round the corner from Laura, which means Ben's name can go on the list for the better school, however Iris's secret is eating away at her, she keeps telling herself she would do anything for Ben, but just how far is she prepared to go? Then Iris receives a note from someone saying they know what she's done and her whole world begins to spiral out of control.

The Family at No. 23 is the new thriller by this author which hits the ground running, it had me hooked from the start and I couldn't put it down, finishing it in less than 24 hours. It's an intriguing read with a great premise, authentic characters, mostly not very nice at all, which made them more believable and every one of them had a secret that would ruin them, if exposed. This debut thriller has it all, a domestic drama that is full of suspense, lies and betrayal, morals didn't figure at all in any of the main characters personalities and that's what made this such a compelling, edge of your seat read. It's a fast paced tale, with some great twists along the way but that final one, that hit the spot just perfectly!

I'd like to thank Hodder & Stoughton and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

Meet Iris — a middle-aged mum with a teenage son, Ben. When her bestie Laura moves into an exclusive area so her son can attend the top school 🏫, Iris wants the same future for Ben… and she’ll stop at nothing to make it happen 👀.

💡 Sharman does such an amazing job building the story & characters — I was hooked! The plot kept me turning the pages 📖 and those twists?! 🤯 Absolutely incredible.

A book about two friends who end up on opposite sides of the invisible privilege barrier, and how that has affected their lives. Iris is a really unstable and anxious mother, whose financial issues combined with her son’s sickness have driven her to do the unthinkable, making her an unlikeable main character from the beginning. Despite this, the author kind of manages to call on the empathetic side of the readers.

On the other hand, Laura is a privileged woman living with a loving husband and an apparently perfect son. She is seemingly sweet and it’s easier to like her after reading Iris’ POVs, but sooner than later we get to see just how careless and tone-deaf her societal and financial status has made her.

As for the plot, it gets twisted and twisted until you get a bit confused by what you’re reading about, and I feel like some things are unnecessary and don’t add to the plot but take from it, if that makes sense. There are also a few loose ends and plot holes I kept waiting for the writer to explain, but I guess they’re minor details.

All in all it’s an okay book, but it could use some polishing.

[Thanks to NetGalley, Hodder and Stoughton, and the author for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion!]

Iris lives in a rented property with her husband and teenage son. Her son suffers from many allergies, some potentially fatal if ignored, and Iris does everything possible to protect him from anything that could cause harm. Iris has a wealthy friend Laura, who has a son the same age as hers. The boys were great friends in primary school however Laura moves so her son can go to the best secondary school possible. Iris is very envious and wants this for her son. However despite her many appeals, he must attend the local comprehensive. From a chance event Iris creates an opportunity for her family to move into No 23 and allow her son to finally change schools. Iris thinks she has achieved everything she ever dreamt of but this is very much a 'be careful what you wish for' situation. The poem 'Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive' could have been penned for this very story.

Whilst the reader knows how Iris has achieved her dream there are still plenty of plot twists in this compelling psychological thriller. Great storytelling with plenty of intrigue. Iris is an intense and often miserable character with an unpleasant liar and cheat for a husband. None of the main characters are particularly endearing but this added a surprisingly enjoyable dimension to the tale which had me hooked from the very beginning.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my advanced reader copy in return for my honest and unbiased review

I didn’t enjoy this book as it was all based on a totally unrealistic act. Add to that the characters who were mostly unlikeable even have to include the young lad Freddie in this summary so only the poor cat won me over.

Iris and Laura have been friends and neighbours for a very long time, and their children were friends and attended the same school. When Laura moves to a better neighbourhood so her son Freddie can attend a better school, Iris is devastated. She knows the area where she still lives is quite run-down, that the school is nowhere near as good as Toppington, where Freddie will be going and that she and her husband could never afford a house there. She is envious of Laura’s wealth, her perfect job and perfect family, and she wants all that too. Remember, be careful what you wish for.

One day, she stumbles on an old lady who has just had a fall outside the shopping centre. Iris escorts her home and is astounded to see that she lives close to where Laura has just moved to. The woman, Rosemary, tells Iris she lives alone and has no family still alive. The house is beautiful, but it is old and in need of repair. Iris is making Rosemary a cup of tea, and as she brings it into her in the lounge, she notices the old woman is dead.

The next decision Iris makes changes her life forever, and she believes what she has done was all for the good of her son's future. But these decisions have catastrophic effects on her mental health and her relationship with her family and friends. She is now a prisoner in her own home, living in fear of someone finding out the terrible things she has done for her family to have a better life. Then she gets a blackmail note, and the fear turns to terror at losing her home.

This was such an unputdownable thriller, and I was on edge the whole time someone knocked at Iris’s door. She was a miserable character and stressed me out with all the bad decisions she made. Her husband, Stephen, was a tyrant, a liar and a cheat, but the story wouldn’t be half as interesting without them. Laura and her husband were daft, but they could afford to be. Laura was a good friend to Iris, even after hearing of what her friend had been up to, she still tried to help her.

This was a dramatic and intense narrative with a few twists thrown in that I thoroughly enjoyed. I will be looking out for more by this author.

This book will be in bookshops from August 28th

Thank you to @Netgalley, Hodder Stoughton and @hodderfiction for an ARC of this book in return for an honest review.