After the death of her father Abi returns to her home town. She left when a teenager & has never been back or really kept in touch. Walking to her old house she witnesses a hit & run. The victim is the son of a girlhood friend. Although she wants to leave as soon as she can, she finds herself embroiled in trying to get to the truth.

I have read Kerry Wilkinson's books before & enjoyed them, however I found it really difficult to engage with this one. I didn't 'take' to any of the characters & although things got better towards the end I found this a disappointing read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

At the end of this book are the words "Looking for another nail-biting phsycological thriller that you'll read in one sitting?" and if this is what you are expecting from this book, it's definitely not it. This is the first book I've read from this author and this is pretty tame compared to what I typically read, more like a small town whodunit.
Abi returns to the town where she grew up after being gone twenty years. leaving behind a negligent mother and an abusive father. She never wants to look back, until her father dies and leaves her his house and possessions. It is on the way there that a terrible accident occurs and an 8 year old boy named Ethan is ran over and left for dead right in front of her very eyes. As he is fighting for his life, Abi reconnects with his mother Jo who was one of her best friends all of those years ago. As they try to figure out who was driving the car, other characters from her childhood come into the picture.
I did not like the ex boyfriend from high school Chris, who had still had some weird fascination with her although he is married. Most of these characters, including Abi, seemed to be drunk or high most of the time throughout the book, which gave me the feeling the author was implying most small town people are this way, I can tell you they are not.
I did like the surprise guest who keeps appearing in the book, but you do not figure out who is is until later, and it's something that Abi deserves, as I really feel she has nobody she can truly trust in this book until then. I was able to figure out who had done it after a confrontation that Abi has, but I will not ruin this book. All I'm going to say is that it proves people go to great lengths to keep secrets and their family safe. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this book and give an honest review.

Abi arrives back in Elwood to confront her past after the death of her father. Minutes after she sets foot in her hometown, she witnesses a hit and run. The victim is her former best friend's son, 8 year old Ethan.
Abi has personal issues due to her family situation. Her mum abandoned the family and left Abi with her alcoholic father. She reunites with old friends and boyfriends but it all feels awkward as she has changed so much. Plus she is unsure of who could be responsible for injuring Ethan...
The Child Across The Street is a wonderful character study of Abi. The writing is so realistic and natural that the revelations about Abi are compelling. Hints about her unhappy relationship with her dad add to the anticipation for the reveal of the truth.
The mystery of the hit and run becomes secondary and doesn't pack a punch in the same way as the crimes or questions in Kerry Wilkinson's other books. There are plenty of suspects and suspicious behaviour to maintain interest in the accident. The human element as seen in the aftermath for Ethan's mum as she copes with his injuries and gets reacquainted with her former friend is so believable.
The style of writing is easy to read and engaging. Abi is likeable despite her flaws and the impact of her past on the present (the animosity with her parents, the secret alcoholism, her teenage friendships). We have no idea about her friends or career so this really is a snapshot of Abi's life interspersed with her memories from twenty years ago.
The Child Across The Street is an enjoyable book but doesn't quite have the wow factor that I have loved in Kerry's other books

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

Abi comes back to her old home town after 20 years following the death of her father. Her mother had abandoned her when she was 18 and she was estranged from her violent abusive father . This home coming was a sad reflection of her life already tinged with fear and regret and made worse when she is the only witness to a hit and run of an 8 year old child, This is the child of one of her old childhood friends. Abi does not know who the driver was .The book is full of unsavory characters including her old best girl friends that she has to deal with in trying to solve this mystery. This book is mostly well written is a slow burn .This was a depressing read about a deeply flawed main character and her friends failed lives in a failing depressed town with no hope. 3 stars.

I thought this author’s last book, After the Accident, was one of the most unique books I have read. So, I was looking forward to seeing how he followed it up. It didn't quite reach the bar. The situation within Abi’s hometown plays a direct bearing on the characters. In some ways it as influential as any person is on others in the story (and frankly, more likable than some of the characters). The story can easily be translated to any small town where factories or industry have dried up. Once jobs are gone, people lose hope and behavior becomes well...sketchy. That’s absolutely the case in point here. I’m not saying anything else about the plot, because of the many secrets. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of the book.

I was looking forward to this book after reading the synopsis, but unfortunately the book didn’t live up to my expectations. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters and I kept waiting for the pivotal moment when I was hooked onto the story, it just never happened for me. This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but I did read reviews for his other books, so I’ll still probably give one of his other books a try. I’d like to thank NetGalley And the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Once again Kerry Wilkinson has come with a great thriller,Abi returns to her childhood home when her dad dies and is embroiled in a mystery after she is witness to a hit and run of her previous best friend Jo's son Eathan.As she meets other childhood friends Holly and old boyfriend Chris she realises everyone has secrets to hide in Elwood,but she just wants to get the funeral out of the way and return to London but as events transpire it turns out that things won't be that simple for Abi as other faces from her past turn up.It is a well written book which all Kerry Wilkinson's books are but i wouldn't call it a psychological thriller but it had me gripped to the last chapter and i would recommend this book and a good 4 star read.

A good read. I thought though that some parts were predictable and I did not particularly like any of the main characters. I have read a lot of books by this author and enjoyed them a lot more than I enjoyed this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

The Child Across The Street by Kerry Wilkinson is a psychological thriller with everything I expect from this brilliant author. I always look forward to a new Kerry Wilkinson book! Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley for the book on order to take part in this new blog tour.
Abi has had to return home to Elwood to sort out her dads affairs after his death. It isn't a place she has been anywhere near for twenty years and she isn't planning on staying for long. On her approach to the house she witnesses a hit and run of a young boy. This begins a search for the driver in which Abi is requested by the police to stay at her dads for the forseeable to help with the investigation, so Abi is now stuck in a place that holds nothing but bad memories and hurt.
So begins Abi's memories,all the reasons she left them behind. They all come flooding back and she is wary of being the only person to witness the hit and run which plays on her paranoia of her own guilt of leaving previously and why she left.
Not as past paced as I would expect but a slower pace that builds up and allows us to delve into Abi's life and her past a bit like taking one piece at a time and learning all about her and what drives her. I saw the neighbourhood in my minds eye and the characters were believable and fitted well together in the story.
Plenty of twists and turns in this story about deceit, lies secrets amd ultimately friendship. An ending I didn't guess but it was fun to try!

Headed for her father's home, Abi hears the squeal of car brakes, then she sees the young boy in the ditch. She's the only witness to a terrible incident that has left the young boy fighting for his life.

This is the first time she's been here in 20 years ... and she's only here to bury her father and settle his estate, whatever that may be. Memories flood her mind .. none of them good ones. She never told anyone why she left all those years ago.

Abi has spent a lot of time trying to forget her past .... and she keeps bumping into people she knew from her childhood. There's the boy .. now a man ... that was her boyfriend, and now has a wife and children. Her neighbor lady who's lived there forever and her son ... rumored to be a drug dealer .... the girl ..woman.. who used to be her best friend.

BOOK BLURB: Sorting through Dad’s things one night – shopping lists in his curly handwriting, piles of old newspapers, dusty sports trophies – I think I hear the back door handle rattle. I tiptoe downstairs, past an open window I’m sure I locked. And a figure darts across the overgrown garden.

Someone is watching her .... do they know the real reason she left and never looked back? is it someone who knows more about the hit and run than they've told? She's certain that coming back was not in her best interests... yet she can't leave. But the longer she stays, the more danger she's in.

This is a riveting tale with many twists and turns, much like a roller coaster. The characters are deftly drawn and lead the reader to a most unexpected conclusion.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

Favorite Quotes:

Damien speaks in constant hushed tones, as if there’s a militant librarian on our tail.

He’s utterly unremarkable, neither short nor tall; fat or thin; attractive or not. If I wasn’t looking at him, I’m not sure I’d be able to describe him.

it’s hard to say no to anything she asks. There’s also the not small matter that, when Diane says something, it very much feels like that thing should be done immediately… If Diane was after world domination instead of daytime television ratings, she’d be dangerous.

Kirsty is silently fuming, like she accidentally shredded a winning lottery ticket.

There’s a somewhat childish instinct of it not being my mess to begin with –but there’s also the fact that I simply don’t want to do it. It’s one of the great underrated benefits of being an adult that, if you don’t want to do something, you can simply say no.

It makes me ache for those friendships of youth. The ones that feel like they’ll last forever before things like marriage, kids, houses and everything else gets in the way. As an adult, there’s nothing quite like it.


My Review:


This was a slowly developing, gradually unfolding, and curiously tantalizing tale laced together with heartbreaking revelations and dangerously damaged characters who were oddly compelling while largely unlikable. My inquisitive nature was prodded and poked with this new to me wily author’s maddeningly paced disclosures, and insightful yet terse observations and profound insights. While I was often impatient with the main character of Abi while assuming she was just a self-indulgent alcoholic, I later realized Mr.Wilkinson’s character development was rather elegant and clever as only after her history was revealed did I piece together and understood the cause and nature of her memory loss and mental dysfunction. I thought I had the culprit sussed early – silly me, I was so very wrong and never saw this ending coming. I could do with more of Mr. Wilkinson’s clever scheming and interesting turns of phrase in my future.

I picked up this book after reading the synopsis. This is the first I have read of this author. Overall, the book is a let-down: average story, lack of strong characters & poor pace.

Abigail Coyle returns to Elwood after her dad (with whom she has not been in touch for years) passes away. She witnesses an accident where a car hits a young boy Ethan who is the son of her childhood friend Jo. Elwood is a small town and the chances seem to be that the driver could be someone local. While Abi has not seen the driver nor has an accurate recall of the car, she feels she can leave Elwood only after the case is solved.

There are a few decent twists at the end, and yet Abigail’s character is poorly developed, and the story did not hold my attention.

Abigail (Abi) our main character and narrator of this story certainly has some demons and issues as demonstrated by the presence of her constant companion, the water bottle which 98 times out of 100 contained a liquid that was a hell of a lot stronger than water. But then it appeared that most of the characters that she interacted with had some sort of issue and hidden secrets. Some of the characters behaviour came across as strange and bizarre considering the seriousness of the situation. Why did the mother of the young child seem more concerned about turning the accident into a media circus than she did about his well being? Why was Abi the only person trying to uncover who had been driving the car that was involved in the hit and run or was that only how it appeared and in reality Abi was being manipulated by her old friends for reasons known only to them? Twenty years is a long time, people change or maybe Abi never really knew these people as much as she thought she did? Many of the characters were quick to judge others but not so quick when it came to admitting their own truths. If they were prepared to cover up a shocking incident involving a young child then how far would they be prepared to go to silence a adult who is determined to uncover the truth?

This is a slow burning study of friendships, relationships and the sometimes irreparable damage that can be inflicted on a person's psyche due to the actions of others. The secrets, lies and deceptions were gradually revealed as the story unfolded the trials and tribulations of the realistic characters lives laid bare on the pages. I love Kerry Wilkinson's thrillers,he is a very talented author and his books are always well written, enthralling reads. Very very enjoyable read and highly recommended.

Secrets, lies, drama, this story has them by the bucket load.....
A slow burning story for sure which I found I loved..
Slowly unfolding characters too...
We meet Abigail Coyle (Abi for short)
Abi has returned to the housing estate she grew up in to take care of her father's funeral.
Coming back to the family house is something she never thought she'd have to do again...
It brings up so many memories for her that she would rather forget...
As she is arriving into the estate, she witnesses a young boy being knocked off his bicycle after being hit by a car which subsequently drives away.
Settling back into old friendships, Abi begins to wonder is someone hiding something from her with regards to the accident...
Does she really know these people after so long away?
I didn't feel I took to any of the characters really....
I can't put my finger on why exactly but throughout I never felt they had Abi's back...I felt at times they had a hold over her and she was dancing to their tune...
And as for Abi herself, she has demons she doesn't want to face using her water bottle filled with vodka as her prop...
A dark read for sure but well worth your time and one you will enjoy

Well written small town mystery that manages not to sound like just another one in the same formula.
The protagonist has issues but is interesting to follow, the pace is good, the twists are solid, and the dialogue is believable.
All in all a much recommended novel.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Sometimes it's not just people that need to be cleansed from a person's life; it's places.


That described Elwood, the street where Abi lived before she left for London years ago. This was a  different book written by author Kerry Wilkinson. Though not a suspense. It read more like a literary fiction with Abi's observations of life which she had left long ago.

Abi returned home for her father's funeral. She witnessed a car skidding, then a bike and a barely breathing kid in the gully. Emergency services were called, and she had stay until the cops were done with her. Slowly life and people started unfurling their secrets.

Having read many book by this author and reviews on Goodreads, I moved into the pages with no expectations. The Street of Elwood surprised me. It breathed and sighed and despaired, and Abi was right there to witness it. I didn't like her, per se, but liked how her presence had a triggering factor. It felt as if the street and its residents didn't know what to do with her.

The story moved slowly giving me glimpses of past and present. It made me aware of the changes and the permanence of a place. Lines on the face of the people who lived there were deep, and none seemed rightfully happy.

There was an element of suspense with Abi wanting to know the person responsible for the hit-and-run. For me, the focus was more on the people who stayed in the street and for whom, life had already gone by.

I read the book over breakfast, the street bade me adieu after it's final reveal, and I moved on to my next book.

Small town mystery - Abi is back home after the death of her father, after many years away. Sadly, she witnesses a hit and run pretty much as soon as she arrives. She's reacquainting her self with her old friends and confronting many ghosts from her past - all while the mystery of 'whodunit' unfolds.

A great read - I've always been a fan of Kerry Wilkinson - and this book does not disappoint. I've read every single book in the Jessica Daniel series, but his standalone novels are also very well written - and I love the way he builds up the story - this particular book has shorter chapters, which had me up late at night reading 'just one more' before going to sleep.

Great story and I would like to thank the author and Netgalley for the chance to read an advance copy ahead of publication.

From the depths of Nicole’s Book Cellar (Instagram.com/nicoles_bookcellar):

Book: The Child Across the Street (Release Date: July 23, 2020)

Author: Kerry Wilkinson

Genre: Mystery

Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐

Plot: Returning for her father’s funeral, Abi is the sole witness to a hit and run of a little boy named Ethan. The mystery unfolds as Abi is reunited with friends and frenemies that she hasn’t seen in twenty years. The only thing that is for sure is that the guilty person is definitely someone in the small town.

Thoughts: I wouldn’t consider this a thriller but a light mystery. I did not find any of the adult characters likeable at all. Abi had a lot of baggage that had her just literally walking through the town waiting on her dad’s funeral while trying to figure out who hit Ethan. There are many suspects and the final culprit won’t be a huge surprise but I like who was chosen to have done it.

Final drinking thoughts: There isn’t much action throughout the story but more of a small town drama. The best action was the last 10% of the book. I think the book was a quick read that doesn’t make you think too hard. This wasn’t a favorite book but I would like to check out other books by Kerry Wilkinson.

Thank you to @NetGalley @Bookouture for the advanced copy of #TheChildAcrossTheStreet

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The only reason Abi Coyle returns to her hometown of Elwood after twenty years is to bury her father and sell his house. She’s left her job in London and plans to start over with the profits from the sale. It will take longer than she thinks because just as she starts to walk down her street, a young boy on a bike is terribly injured in a hit and run accident. She’s the only witness. The boy, Kevin, is the son of her childhood best friend Jo.

Her quick visit turns into days as she’s interviewed by the police. Jo leans on her for support and tries to establish their teenage friendship - they were a trio, joined by Holly who also still lives in Elwood. The women were like family to Jo and she quickly falls back into old patterns.
The town is a constant reminder of everything she wanted to leave behind. There’s the shoe factory, the unchanged greasy diners, the fairs in the park, the busybody neighbors and the general mood of hopelessness. She has flashbacks to the distant past and also to the day of the accident as she tries to recall more details. Abi is an alcoholic so her view may sometimes be distorted. As she begins to remember and small town secrets are revealed, she finds herself in danger.

The Child across the Street is an intriguing mystery with a very realistic setting. We’ve all known a town like Elwood - it becomes a character on its own. Realistic characters, not always likable, and a well-crafted plot make this a 5 star read.

The Child Across the Street by Kerry Wilkinson is a mystery/family drama.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Bookouture, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Abigail (Abi) Coyle returns to her hometown of Elwood to bury her father.  She left 20 years ago, and had no desire to ever return.  She is barely off the bus when the town sucks her back in.  A young boy is hit by a car, almost in front of her.  The driver speeds off.  It turns out the victim is the child of an old friend.

Abi is determined to stay long enough to find out who hit Ethan, but she can barely stand being there.  Her "friends" have changed, but the town has stayed the same, except now there are major signs that it is dying.  With every move Abi makes, it seems like she is being drawn back into Elwood and all of its drama.


My Opinions:   

I have enjoyed many of Kerry Wilkinson's books.  This one was just "okay".

I guess I was expecting a thriller, and got family drama.  I didn't really like any of the characters.  I didn't dislike them either (well, a couple).  They bored me.   Nothing was really exciting, and for some reason, the suspense just wasn't there.

The premise was good and so was the writing.  There was really nothing wrong with the book.  It just didn't grab me.  I just sort of plodded along.

However, it was a fairly fast, easy read, probably owing to the short chapters.  Although this book wasn't as captivating as others, I will continue to read books by this author.