Are you a thriller fan? Watch out for The Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie DeCarolis. It's available this summer. This is one you won't want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine and Bantam for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane looks at the secret lives of wives on a Wisteria Lane like setting in the suburbs that has no business being as dramatic as it is. From the start we understand that someone is dead in the neighborhood on Halloween, and we quickly flashback a few months to the arrival of new neighbor Hannah and her husband just as we look at the current and past happenings of neighbors Audrey (who is a modern wife), Georgina (a more traditional one) and Libby (who is a bit of both) and the out of place Maggie, who lives across town. We have some other viewpoints of those in the fringes of the neighborhood but between alternating to the mysterious crime which happened at Halloween and the daily life leading to it, everywhere behind the esteemed doors of Hawthorne Lane there are that are slowly revealed.

Suspenseful and twisty, The Wives of Hawthorne Lane is a book that acts like a Russian doll of secrets and keeps readers on their toes. I dare you to guess what happens!

“The Wives of Hawthrone Lane” is a domestic thriller by Stephanie DeCarolis. This book follows, mainly, the women who live on Hawthrone Lane. Like “Peyton Place,” what happens behind closed doors doesn’t match the external picture the women give to their neighbors and the outside world. While the arrangement of the houses didn’t matter, it did take me a while to keep the women and spouses figured out - but reading late at night can make that more difficult. This book in a number of ways reminded me of another book I recently read, but that didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this one. The chapters are told in different points of view - including a few giving past stories to help with the present day storyline - so they’re on the short side, which helped me zip through this book. Overall, an interesting idea with an interesting final conclusion.

I received an ARC of this book for an honest review, and as usual Stephanie DeCarolis did not disappoint!

Set in a suburban street, <i>The Wives of Hawthorne Lane</i> follows the lives of Georgina, Libby, Audrey and newcomer Hannah, each with secrets of their own. We know from the beginning of the novel that there has been a death on the street during Halloween, but we do not who the victim is. Told in dual timelines, we slowly get to find out the details of what happened, while the secrets of the four women slowly unfold, each contributing in their own way to that final, deadly climax.

Absolutely incredible. This book grabbed me from the very first page and never let go. I genuinely could not put it down. I’ve read plenty of thrillers that promise twists and turns, but this one shocked me—more than once. Every time I thought I had something figured out, the story veered in a direction I never saw coming.

The pacing is relentless in the best possible way, and the writing pulls you right into the world the author has created. It's a true rollercoaster ride from start to finish. I honestly can’t wait for this to be released so everyone else can experience it too.

If you're looking for a gripping, twisty, emotionally-charged read that will keep you up way past your bedtime—this is it.

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie Decarolis is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Filled with dark secrets and explosive revelations, this novel dives deep into the twisted lives of the women living in the shadow of Hawthorne Lane. The story unfolds with an ominous sense of foreboding, each chapter revealing layers of betrayal, revenge, and haunting pasts. The characters are complex and vividly drawn, their motives shrouded in mystery and suspicion. As the suspense builds, I found myself unable to put the book down, eager to uncover the truth lurking beneath the surface. DeCarolis’s storytelling is both intense and atmospheric, creating a chilling sense of unease that lingers long after the final page. The twists come fast and furious, leaving you questioning who to trust and what secrets are best left buried. This novel is a rollercoaster of emotions — dramatic, dark, and utterly compelling. It’s a must-read for anyone craving a suspenseful story that keeps your blood pounding until the very last word.

This book drew me in from the moment that I started reading it. It reminds me very much of Desperate Housewives in the way that the characters interact with their neighbors and their family. It has a mystery tucked in between the tales of Hawthorne Lane which you are immediately trying to figure out what happened and who was to blame. I really appreciated Netgalley giving me the opportunity to read and review this story. I can't wait to read more by this author. She did a fantastic job on this book.

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane sure did bring the secrets and drama. It took me a good bit to keep track of each couple and who was who but once I got that down, this was a solid domestic suspense. The ending was the best part of my book for me and I’m so glad the author pulled that off. There was a twist maybe 2/3 of the way through that caught me totally by surprise! Love when that happens. Domestic violence is a huge part of this book so definite trigger warning there. I loved the way the timeline was formatted. It worked really well for this type of story.

Woowie this was a good one! I genuinely couldn’t believe the ending I didn’t see that coming. It was so dark and twisted in all the best ways! I lived for the Housewives of this one.

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane is a suspenseful ride where you won't be sure who is a villain or who is a victim until the very end. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the seemingly perfect wives in this well-heeled neighborhood. But looks can be deceiving. They all have secrets and carry shame in some way that makes their pristine facade crack under pressure. I enjoyed this author's twisty tale and look forward to reading more.

Every Halloween there is a fall festival at Hawthorne Lane. This year, someone won’t survive. So many secrets and lies! Who will pay the price?

This story was so addicting. I couldn’t put this book down. There were so many twists. I didn’t know who couldn’t be trusted! This story really kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time.

I’d definitely recommend this book!

Rating: ✨✨✨✨
Publication Date: September 16 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine and Stephanie for the eARC!!

#TheWivesofHawthorneLane #NetGalley

Wow. Just wow.
The Wives of Hawthorne Lane is an absolutely captivating thriller that had me hooked from the very first page. The twists were sharp, the secrets ran deep, and I couldn’t stop turning the pages. It gave me major Freida McFadden vibes—dark, addictive, and deliciously clever. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing until the very end, this one is a must-read. Five stars without hesitation!

I enjoyed this book. I thought all four women were very different and well thought out. The plot and and setting were well written and I was very invested in the story. There are many secrets and twists and a murder occurs on Halloween night. This book is like a cross between Desperate Housewives and Real Housewives. It was a lot of fun to read!

This was a good suburban thriller with shady neighbors, twists, and all the drama you can ask for. It was very much giving like Desperate Housewives/Stepford Wives type vibes with the secrets they were always hiding. I enjoyed each secret being uncovered and finding out just how much these families were covering up behind the scenes of the perfect community facade they had built.

📚Plot: Four neighbors with four very different lives are the suspects in a murder.

📚Setting: Suburban neighborhood that seems altruistically perfect.

📚Characters: Georgina reminded me of the "cheerleader/prom queen" we all knew in high school. Miss popularity. What is she capable of to maintain her social status? Could that include murder? Audrey put her career on the pedestal instead of her marriage and now her marriage is in trouble. She is the high flying corporate "baddy." What would she do to protect her career she has worked so hard for? Libby is the single mom that is so relatable with many. Raising a teenager and just trying to survive. Could she be on the verge of a breakdown? Then we have Hannah, she is new to the neighborhood and holds some dark secrets; but does that make her a murderer?

📚Overall: I loved everything about this domestic thriller! Stepford Wives meets Desperate Housewives!! There was suspense, tension, twists, and thrills. Everything I would want in the thriller. I couldn't put this one down. The plot was great and the characters were well personalized and relatable. It just got better and better with every page turn! An absolute MUST READ!

Thank you NetGalley for the eArc.

Life seems ideal in the ritzy enclave on Hawthorne Lane, an address and lifestyle coveted by other jealous types in this swanky suburban town. However, we soon learn through a handful of wives on the street, that things are not what they seem. There’s the beautiful and perfect stay-at-home hostess Georgina, high profile publishing executive Audrey, entrepreneur and business owner Libby, and young newlywed and newcomer Hannah. Through their varying points of view, it’s not long before we learn of the secrets, abuse, affairs, and abandonment taking place behind the smoke and mirrors of this idyllic neighborhood. It all comes to a head on Halloween, at the enormous trick-or-treat block party annually attended by the entire town.

Where the book started to lose me was when we approached the black moment of the story…when a man appears and we think he’s one person but he really is someone else. (Deliberately being vague here so as not to spoil the story.) He is attached to one of the POV characters who is also someone else, and as a reader I didn’t like this sort of trickery. I recently read another book that had a POV character that seemed part of the story timeline but is revealed at the end as a backstory storyline and is a concurrent character. I don’t love this kind of storytelling—while it might seem as a sort of Tah-Dah! plot device I find it deceiving. In this case, it took some of the starch out of one of the more interesting books in this genre I had read in a while. I will say, however, that I found the author’s voice and word play addictive and compelling, which drew me into the lives of the (other) characters involved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine | Bantam for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This twisty thriller takes place in an affluent neighborhood that holds many, many secrets. A murder takes place on Halloween, and from different points of view, the timeline goes back to build the story into what actually happened that night. Some of the twists were expected, but several were unanticipated. I enjoyed this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

This twisty, domestic thriller is about a prominent, upscale neighborhood in New England, and the private lives of its residents. A murder occurs on Halloween, and then we backtrack to the weeks prior to examine who could have been killed, who killed them, and why. The possibilities were endless to me!

I found myself enjoying this more and more as the story progressed, and I remained invested and in suspense nearly the entire time. There is a twist, and it totally got me! The ending is wonderful also - very satisfying. With a different title, this could be a total sleeper hit.

This was a really fun read. The chapters are told from different POVs of women who live on the street. We know from the beginning that there’s been a murder but not who it is. The story goes back in a time a bit to give information that leads up to the night of the murder. All the characters are interesting and have very different backgrounds. If you liked Desperate Housewives, you’ll enjoy this. The conclusion was very satisfying!

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane is a delicious soap opera of a domestic thriller. Four couples, all seemingly perfect and happy, are hiding deeply hidden, dangerous secrets. One will lead to murder. It’s hard to decide which secret will do the most damage. Appearances mean everything to Georgina but there is something bubbling under the perfectly curated family picture. Libby, devastated by her upcoming divorce, is the sole parent of a surly, argumentative boy. Audrey avoids dealing with her failing marriage by having an affair. And Hannah, sweet Hannah, is living a nightmare. Chapters begin three months before the annual Halloween Fall Festival. The countdown continues, interrupted by police interviews. Stephanie DeCarolis has delved a well plotted suburban thriller that is impossible to put down. Enjoy! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ballantine and Stephanie DeCarolis for this ARC.