The Mistress Next Door

By: Lesley Sanderson

Narrator: Eilidh Beaton

Hachette UK - Bookouture

ISBN: 9781803146805

Publisher: Bookouture

Publication Date: 02/15/2023

Format: Audio & e-book

My Rating: 3 Stars (ARC)

FEB 2023 MUST-READ BOOKS

I know what you did. You destroyed my life. Now I’m going to take everything from you, starting with your husband. I’m your worst nightmare, and I’m closer than you think.

Oliver, my husband and the father of our three little girls, used to be my rock. But recently he’s been behaving strangely, staying out late, working weekends and emotionally absent even when home. Now as I clutch a receipt for a hotel room and champagne for two, hidden away in his coat pocket, I’m devastated. What else can I assume other than he’s cheating?

I’ve risked everything for the life I have now, a life that’s a million miles from… before. Not that Oliver would know anything about that. I would do anything to hold on to the perfect future I so dearly long for. A future that is now about to come crashing down.

Because Oliver’s cheating isn’t the only threat to my family. This morning I received an anonymous note. One that changes everything. The past isn’t just haunting me, it’s coming back to destroy me. It seems that someone in our close-knit community of Prospect Close knows my secret. Someone who’s willing to do whatever it takes to get their revenge. They’ve already stolen my husband. How much further will they go? And what can I do to stop them…?

An astonishing, compelling page-turner with a jaw-dropping twist, if you love Lisa Jewell, K. L. Slater and Jackie Kabler, you’ll love The Mistress Next Door.

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#TheMistressNextDoor

My Review

Lesley Sanderson's THE MISTRESS NEXT DOOR is a slow-burn family drama of dark secrets of the past—guilt, betrayal, obsession, and REVENGE.

Set in suburbia, Harriet and her husband, Oliver, reside in the prestigious enclave of Prospect Close. They have three daughters (twins Tess and Tilly and a 6-month-old Lucy). Oliver is a banker and works out of town during the week. Harriet owns a kids' clothing business.

She decides she needs a nanny to help with the children so she can work. But instead, she spends her days and evenings stressing over suspecting her husband is having an affair. This became very old and tiring. She is just unsure who the woman is. After all, he has been unfaithful before.

She is a highly protective mom due to her past trauma. She has not even told her husband about her past. One day at the park, someone takes Lucy. She is frantic, but shortly after that, she is returned unharmed. They do not find out who took her. Then she receives threatening notes.

Told from the POVs of Harriet and a few chapters from THE MISTRESS. The unknown mistress has a score to settle, and she plans on taking Harriet's husband, children, and everything from her. She has even moved to Prospect Park to be close to her target and has planned this for years.

Instead of working and running her business, Harriet spends almost the entire book worrying about her husband having an affair. Following him, sleuthing, and looking through his receipts.

Unfortunately, the book was (drawn out) filled with drama, gossip, and neighbors. The author keeps the reveal —The Mistress (motive) and Harriet's (past) connection until the end, which is rushed and a big letdown.

Not a fan of this one. I almost gave up on this one, which was very dull, and tempted to fast forward to the end. I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator, Eilidh Beaton, did a great job which is why I am giving this 3 stars. I also alternated with the e-book.

My first book by this author, and unfortunately was not impressed. Too many useless characters and not enough suspense or action to keep you engaged. The prologue was good and then went downhill from there. The characters were underdeveloped, and no plot twists. Overall, very underwhelming for a domestic thriller. I am sure it will appeal to some readers.

Thanks to #Bookouture and #NetGalley for a gifted ARC and ALC. The audiobook had technical issues stopping throughout.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

My Rating: 3 Stars

Pub Date: Feb 15, 2023

About the Author

Lesley Sanderson spends her days writing in coffee shops in Kings Cross where she lives and also works as a librarian in a multicultural school. She has lived and worked in Paris and speaks four languages.

She attended the Curtis Brown Creative novel writing course in 2015/6, and in 2017 was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish fiction prize.

Lesley discovered Patricia Highsmith as a teenager and has since been hooked on psychological thrillers. She is particularly interested in the psychology of female relationships. READ MORE