Everyone is going to the housewarming party. 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 are planning their long-anticipated housewarming party. 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 neighbours chat, and the drink and gossip flows, Ava learns something new about the day she has re-lived a thousand times. A throwaway comment which could change everything.
Ava thought she knew every last detail of that day.
She’s about to find out she was wrong…
The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes Review
Regret, Fear, and Betrayal – the Perfect Recipe for a Great Psychological Thriller
If like me, you read a LOT of Psychological Thrillers, S.E. Lynes should not be a name that is alien to you. Over the last few years, I have devoured each and every one of her masterful thrillers. Never has this skilled author let me down. If you are looking for a psychological thriller that has an emotional edge, characters that feel like they could be your own next-door neighbours, and more importantly books that tackle day-to-day real situations, S.E Lynes should already be at the top of your ‘must read’ list.
Despite having read this authors entire back-catalogue, I am always blown away by just how quickly I am sucked into the world she creates on the page. The Housewarming is no different.
Lyne’s latest work takes a mothers worst nightmare and plays it out on the page. What would happen if you took your eyes off your child, just for five minutes, while you ‘popped upstairs’ or ‘checked your phone’, only to return to find them missing? That is the situation that faces Ava in this latest heartbreaking novel.
Now, if, like me, you read a lot of thrillers, you may believe you are the very best at working out who the culprit is early on – I warn you now, it’s not going to be as simple as that. This fabulous novel has more twists and turns than spaghetti junction (and I would expect nothing less), but for me, The Housewarming was not just about one mothers struggle with grief, or how a family rebuilds after a tragedy, but a conversation starter about how we should treat those around us. It’s about friendship, trust, community… and a desperate need to return to the days when we looked out for each other.
If you are new to S.E. Lynes, there is one thing you should know. S.E. Lynes books are so much more than just ‘thrillers’. They are emotionally charged, character-led explorations of the world. Astute observations of the society we live in, wrapped in a perfectly crafted suspenseful novel. Each and every one will leave you thinking about more than just the crime when you close the last page. Every single one will leave you with a question to ponder and sometimes even an action we should take to become better people.
Formerly a BBC producer, S.E. Lynes turned to writing following the birth of her third child. After completing an MA in Creative Writing, she became a tutor at Richmond Adult Community College, where she taught creative writing for over ten years. She now combines writing, mentoring and lecturing.
To find out more, you can follow her on Twitter (@SELynesAuthor)
The Housewarming is published by Bookouture
ISBN: 978-180019-083-2
