Lucy has a lovely husband, a job she adores as a teacher, and a house on Mulberry Avenue that she’s decorated just the way she wants – from the floaty curtains and the softest bed linen, right down to the perfectly-chosen velvet cushions on their comfortable sofa. Life isn’t perfect, but it’s pretty close.
She’s also got Amber. Her newest friend and neighbour. They’ve got so much in common. Even if Amber’s life sometimes seems a lot more glamorous and exciting, she shares Lucy’s down-to-earth sense of humour, and Amber seems so interested in Lucy and her life, it’s like they never run out of things to talk about.
But then Amber starts acting strangely, claiming her life isn’t all it seems, talking about how she thinks she might be pregnant, and confiding in Lucy that she’s started getting threatening messages.
She’s scared, and the only person she can turn to is Lucy. She wants to stay at Lucy’s house until things calm down.
Lucy wants to protect her friend. But can she really trust Amber? Because sometimes other people are not all that they seem. Sometimes they have secrets. And they’d do anything to keep them…
Review
I can’t resist a good story about toxic friendships. Amber is Lucy’s new neighbor. She is a TV star who lives an exciting, glamorous life. Amber is exactly what Lucy needs to liven up her mundane life. However, Lucy soon realizes that Amber isn’t the friend that she thinks she is. Wait a minute though, is Lucy also who she says she is?
I think I’d describe this one as a quiet story. Reading the story was like watching the sun go down, you know how light fades and darkness falls slowly until it suddenly engulfs everything. The story was the same way. I was slowly drawn in and soon found myself completely lost in the unfolding drama. I could see all the red lights that the characters couldn’t so I waited with trepidation for the reveals.
Although I knew that the friendship was toxic, there are certain things that I never could have predicted. The final twist and ending had my head spinning. I thought I knew who the baddie was but I clearly had no idea. In addition, there was an anonymous character who narrated a few chapters. I thought it was obvious who the person was but oh boy, I was wrong! I love how this book ended up surprising me.
The Woman Next Door by Sue Watson is a story about lies, obsession and toxic friendships. It is an entertaining read with well developed characters and an entertaining story-line.
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