The Housewarming

By: S. E. Lynes

Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard

Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Everyone is going to the housewarming party. Attending will be all the same people who lived on the street the day Abi vanished.... Will her mother finally learn the truth?

Ava only left her daughter in the pushchair for five minutes. The buckle was fastened, and she was sure it was safe. But when she came downstairs, the door was open and Abi was gone - she walked down the road, past the Lovegoods' house, and was never seen again.

A year later, the Lovegoods throw a housewarming party, showing off the results of their renovation. Ava doesn’t want to go. She can’t bear to look down that end of the road, to see the place where Abi vanished, and she doesn’t want to spend time with people who don’t share her grief. Her husband, Matt, persuades her: He’s worried about her. A night out might do her good.

But as her friends and neighbors chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has relived a thousand times. A throwaway comment that could change everything.

Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.

She’s about to find out she was wrong....

Brilliantly dark and moving suspense fiction for fans of Gillian Flynn, Claire McGowan, and Lisa Jewell, The Housewarming will have your pulse racing and your heart in your mouth from start to finish.

©2020 S. E. Lynes (P)2020 Bookouture, an imprint of Storyfire Ltd.

Headturner

Full plot twist. Took a bit to get to where it was going but so glad I finished

Closer to 3.5 stars

As mentioned by several others in the reviews, this story has a very good beginning and conclusion, but it does tend to drag a bit in the middle with a lot of internal monologue and distress from the main character. I think had there been a bit more action during this time it would have bumped the rating up to 4 or even 4.5 for me. The narrator did a fantastic job, and overall I don't regret listing to this one.

A Consuming Listen

Excellent book, had my attention from the start right through to the finish.

I highly recommend the author S. E. Lynes as well as the narrator, Tamsin Kennard.

Keeps you guessing until the end

A great mystery book with relatable characters. The story was unique and gripping. There were times when some of the inner monologue rambled on a bit, though most of it was helpful in understanding the characters and their experience.

Drags on and on and on....

My husband and I were listening together and we were both ready to give up after an hour of listening to the author repeating herself and not moving the storyline along.

The end was interesting but over all would not recommend it to my friends.

3.4

I don't much care for mysteries that unwind after the fact. this is one of those. if you like them this is probably a good one. I thought it took a long time to get going, then, like unwinding a spool of thread, it went faster and faster till the end.

Devastating and could not put it down!

Bring your tissues. Lovely narration. Well written characters and made me gasp in places with revelation.

I could have done without

The narration is excellent and that’s what saves the book if anything could. I found it absurd and ridiculous. I never believed certain characters would react the way they did there was just no sense in it. Totally unbelievable for me.

omg!!

you think you know where it's going... you think you have an Idea but this story turns you around and grips you to stay and listen!!!

The webs we weave when we plan to deceive

I read the book in one "sitting" if you wish. The beginning is, of course, dramatic and the narrator, Ms. Kennard does a great job getting the Angst, the raw emotions across. The beginning drags a bit too long. The Housewarming party is where it all gets interesting, so don't miss your invitation and save the date. The reader can definitely identify to both parents, the female's intuition and the male's loyalty to his family and friends and the consistent effort of having a logical explanation for everything. As the story unravels you will find yourself in a maze of twists, you will predict some outcomes and the rest will be a shocking revelation. The webs we weave when we plan to deceive is definitely a fitting headline for this review. Overall, the book is worth 4 stars, just because it was repetitive and stressful for the reader at times, the performance was great and the story was well written, good character development, but nothing new.
I would give the book an A- and definitely recommend it. If you are very tender hearted then this is not the book for you. It's a nightmare that none of us want to ever live through, rather read through.