Ella Rutherford loves the house she lives in with her husband, Chris, at 46 Heath Street. The couple came there to stay with the ailing Nancy, Chris's mother, until she died. Ella finds such comfort in the old family home having been raised in foster care and never having family ties. Her blissful life is shattered, however, when she finds that her husband is having an affair and when she is told she must move out. Ella is having none of that for the house was refinanced with her money so she's part owner, and she is happy when Chris leaves her there alone long enough for Ella to find a friend to move in with her temporarily to share expenses. Alice is such a blessing and helps Ella deal with all manner of things. But nothing is as it seems and Ella soon discovers that the house holds secrets.
This is a mystery wrapped in domestic drama. Though predictable in every way and not really suspenseful, I enjoyed seeing how the narrative played out against my guesses. I do get irritated, however, when the female characters are so weak-minded and easy to push around as their emotions get the better of them. It's also annoying to have the main character go on and on with stream of consciousness angsting that is repetitive and pitiful. Instead of stirring up empathy, I just want to shake them. Since the main focus of the tale was wrongs done to women, the male characters as written were deliberately horrid jerks. All seemed one-dimensional and I found it hard to relate or to get too invested in the outcome. It was a quick, easy read that provided a few hours of entertainment.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-book ARC to read and review.
This is a standalone and is not part of any series.
Genre - psychological, mystery, domestic drama
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