This book was okay. It was a quick read and easy to follow. However, my biggest problem is that the narrator seemed to lack any sort of personality. We learn about her past and she observes and reports things going on around her. Because of this, I didn’t feel much of a connection to her or the sorry. Also, the stakes in the narrative just didn’t seem that high. A boy is the victim of a hit-and-run and winds up in a coma, which is certainly serious, but I never got the sense that anyone else was in danger, so finding the culprit just didn’t seem urgent. Finally, there were some unbelievable plot points, like a character easily breaking a long-held addictive habit and a character meeting someone new and immediately trusting and loving her. It was interesting enough that I don’t regret reading this, but I wouldn’t recommend it to others.

The story Was well written with a great plot, believable characters, and suspense that held my interest to the end. I enjoyed the read and recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.

So far, I've read eight books by this author - on purpose. So when I got the chance to snag an advance copy of this one, I didn't even think once about requesting it. And even though it comes as no surprise, once again I'm a very happy reader.

Abigail (Abi) Coyle has returned to the childhood home she left some 20 years ago, but not because she misses the place so much. Her father has died and, as the only child, bequeathed her his house (her mother left them years ago, and her father got a divorce on the grounds of abandonment). Abi doesn't want to be here, but she needs to finalize funeral arrangements and check the contents of the house.

On the way there, wheeling her suitcase down the street next to a park, she's startled to hear car brakes squeal. The car quickly moves on - seen only as a brief glimpse - and Abi turns her attention to the side of the road. First, she sees a damaged bicycle wheel; then, something more horrifying appears: the body of a young boy. It appears he's still breathing, and Abi wastes no time calling the proper authorities. The boy is rushed to the hospital, and it turns out to be Ethan, the son of one of Abi's childhood friends.

Dad's home is nothing short of a mess, and Abi vows to avoid being in it as much as possible. But there's nowhere much better to stay, and Abi has left her job in London to come here and can't afford to waste money on overnight lodging. So, she stays in her old bedroom - now musty and dusty - while she begins to sort through all the "stuff" her father has hoarded over the years. At one time, she's certain someone was trying to get in the house, but nothing comes of it. Maybe, she surmises, someone wants to find out how much she knows about the hit-and-run driver who hit the boy (which realistically is practically nothing).

Over a period of a couple of days, Abi meets up with several other childhood friends, including an ex-boyfriend who's now married with kids (much to the chagrin of his wife). Memories start flowing back - most of them more than enough to convince Abi that she wants no part of living in this backwoods community ever again - even when she meets an intriguing new-to-her character who brings a surprise of a lifetime. Still, she's concerned about the accident victim, his family and the identity of that errant driver - clues lead to several possibilities - so she pokes around while the house is being cleaned out and readied for sale.

My only disappointment, and it's a very minor one, is that I wanted to know more specifics about what happened in Abi's childhood. It's easy to see why she's estranged from her runaway mother, but she has zero use for her father, either - and what he did to deserve her wrath isn't fully explained. Still and all, this is another of the author's don't-want-to-put-down books, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the chance to read and review it. Good job once again!

This is my first book from Wilkinson so I can't compare it to others but I did see he has a lot of highly rated books. At first I really liked his writing style - he kept the pace fast and did a great job with the creepy feel. However as I kept reading I found there to be a lot of filler, esp with Abi's thoughts, that made me just waiting for something to happen. So overall I would say I had mixed feelings on this book - it had potential but just ended up average. I'm interested to give another Wilkinson book a try though to see if it appeals to me more.

On the whole this book has promise. The blurb is inviting and the cover striking. However at times the pace felt lacking and I did skip a few chapters sadly.

A book by Kerry Wilkinson equals a good book. He has the ability of mixing a great writing style with a bit of humor and lots of suspense and does not shy away from twisty additions.

The author offers the readers a wide range of suspects to choose from and each and everyone of them seems to fit the bill. This makes your head spin and you can put the blame on your favorite baddie. Does this mean though that they really were responsible or did the writer manage to keep it wrapped up until the end?

It was fun slowly pealing away every layer in order to find out the truth. My money was on the wrong horse, yet again.

I have read stories by him that are more creepy than this one, but that certainly does not mean that I did not enjoy it. Entertainment is what I seek in books and that is what I got. Mission accomplished. :) 4 stars.

Thank you, Kerry Wilkinson and Bookouture

Great cover and interesting blurb, I was thrilled to be approved for The Child Across the Street.

Abi returns to her childhood hometown to settle affairs when she learns of her father's death. On her way to the house, she witnesses a hit-and-run; someone has hit the 8 year old son of one of her oldest friends and left him for dead. As Abi reunites with her friends and works through her own emotions of being back in a place wrought with painful memories, she finds herself becoming more invested in solving the crime--even if she has to risk her own safety to do it.

This is the first Kerry Wilkinson book I read but it certainly won't be the last. While this is set in a small British town, this could easily have been about my own childhood in the 90s. A few close friends, pretending to be Spice Girls, (I even admittedly had the All Saints CD when that came out), I found Wilkinson's portrayal of young friendship to be authentic and nostalgic. Abi's conflicted emotions about returning to her hometown, I found super relatable. I'm from a small town in upstate NY. My entire family lived within a mile of each other. I knew pretty much everyone in my grade. Rumors spread fast and people tended to fall into two categories: stay forever, or leave and never come back. For me, this struck a chord, and if I'm being honest, I was most interested in these introspective moments; they came alive in a way that the overarching mystery of the hit-and-run did not.

The story itself is well-paced and full of suspects. There's plenty of motive to go around, and I found the exploration of different possibilities to be fun and intriguing. Abi's a solid MC with flaws and a tragic back story that you can't help but root for. She's self aware and stubborn in her goals and manages to find a middle ground between recovered and self-destructive. I wish there had been a bit more development of Ethan's character, as the hit-and-run used him as more of a point to propel the plot than actually give him a voice. And while I wasn't surprised by the ending, I found it enjoyable.

Overall, The Child Across the Street is a fun, fast-paced read with a delightfully-suspicious cast of characters. I'd recommend this title to anyone looking for a throwback friendship, a light suspense without too much gore, or anyone who's a fan of intrigue over crime (Big Little Lies, The Husband's Secret, etc.). Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

I love this author but in some places it drags on.
I enjoyed the story but wished it was a bit more fast paced. Is great that I managed to read the book
!

Twenty years after she left, Abigail Coyne returns to her hometown of Elwood to sort out her Dad’s funeral. As unhappy memories flood back all she wants is to leave quickly as possible.

As she nears her house, Abi witnesses an horrific accident - a small boy being thrown off of his bike due to a car out of control. She goes to him and finds he has broken bones and bleeding but is alive. She calls 999 for help. She shocked to discover that the boy is the son of one of her best friends, Jo, from her childhood.

She reluctantly reconnects with her old friends but constantly feels that someone is watching her. Someone who knows that she is the only one who saw the accident.

The plot was nice but at times in between it was slightly dragged, so my attention wavered sometimes. But apart from that it was a good mystery with interesting twists and turns at the end!

Thank You to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!!

Abi arrives back in her hometown following the death of her father and on the day of her arrival witnesses a hit and run. She can’t be completely sure of the details and this could be partly down to her long journey home, or, her obvious drinking problem.

What follows is a suspenseful read as Abi feels more and more uncomfortable in her old family home and the fact that someone appears to be watching her. Who can she trust? And who was the driver of the car?

I really like this author and have read many previous novels. This didn’t grab me fully and I found it dragged in places. However, I did stick with it as I was keen to learn the outcome. Overall a good read.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview..

Thank you Netgalley, Bookoutoure and Kerry Wilkinson for this advanced copy.

Abigail returns to her childhood home after she hears her father has passed away. She returns to deal with the funeral and sale of the house, but wants to leave as soon as possible as being back in Elwood brings back sone bad childhood memories.

Her first day back, as she's walking down the street, she hears the screeching of tires. She looks up to see a car speeding away but doesn't think anything of it until she reaches the end of the street and sees the overturned bike. And laying beneath the bike is a young boy.

From this day on Abi tries to figure out who hit the boy, are her friends still her friends, was her childhood boyfriend involved all the while dealing with her own demons. Someone knows she saw what happened, and someone wants to shut her up for good!

Overall a good story. I love this author's previous work so I had high hopes for this book. This one was not as solid or engaging as some of his previous work but despite that I had to know how it ended so I kept reading. I rounded up to 3.5 because I like this author.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t the right book for me. Well it started out interesting I lost interest and skipped forward to the end just to find out what happened. Then when I found out it was kind of blah. So much description and so many unrelated things were going on.

Was overall a good story. Great author that I've read before. Was well written and easy to follow the characters. A solid read but not Unputdownable for me as dome of her other books.

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.

What happens when you leave home, determined to never return, only to return and face the past? Old friends, old memories, nothing worth returning for. But your father passes away and you have to return to settle the estate. Upon your arrival, you come across a young boy who was hit by a car and left for dead. You call the police and from there, the past seems to be connected to everything. But how to past behind you and move forward when even the future is tied to the past.

A good mystery that kept me guessing until close to the end. Kerry Wilkinson does a great job in their book, the first I have read by him. I will have to check out more of his works.

I enjoy reading Kerry Wilkinson novels, especially the excellent Jessica Daniel series so was really looking forward to this stand alone thriller.

Following the death of her father, Abigail Coyne returns to her hometown of Elwood after leaving 20 years ago. Abi has inherited her fathers house following his death and returns to Elwood to deal with the sale but also she feels there are other things that need to be addressed. 

On her arrival she witnesses an accident, an 8 year old boy is thrown off his bike when an out of control car hits him. Abi is first at the scene and discovers the badly injured boy and calls emergency services. The eight year old boy is identified and Abi discovers that he is the son of her childhood friend. Following the accident Abi feels that she is being watched and makes her feel uneasy. Is her past coming back to haunt her, is she under threat. 
I love the easy writing style of Kerry Wilkinson but unfortunately this book didn't grab me like many of his other books. I can see going by other reviews that there are plenty of people who disagree with my opinion and sure the book will be successful. It certainly doesn't put me off the author and to prove it instantly started another one of Kerry Wilkinson's books which I have to admit I am enjoying far more.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoy Kerry Wilkinson's writing. He isn't one for unnecessary waffle and I often find myself smiling at his witty observations. I think I've read all of his stand-alone novels and I did enjoy this one but it was a bit middle of the road.

The positives were that as ever, Kerry was on fine form with his descriptions of the town of Elwood and its inhabitants. Some of the descriptions of Jo had me laughing out loud, especially her mistrust of the police.

I just didn't find the main character or the plot very interesting. We didn't get to know Abi very well and solving the hit and run of a child (who we don't find out much about either) is just a little bit dull. I also couldn't get past the fact that one character had been sent to prison for 15 years for selling stolen televisions. What?!?! I checked with my probation officer husband who clarified that that would never happen and is way outside of any sentencing guidelines!

I'd rate this 3.5 stars rounded up. The writing was fantastic as always but I did find the story lacking. For any new Kerry Wilkinson readers I would recommend The Girl Who Came Back or Two Sisters over this one.

The Child Across the Street by Kerry Wilkinson is yet another gripping and addictive thriller from an author who never fails to deliver. There is just something about Mr Wilkinson's writing that keeps me devouring each and every word. Perhaps it is the lack of superfluous detail that propels me so quickly through the narratives. Or maybe it is the sharp observations and dry wit that keep me coming back time and again.. Whatever the reason, I am always beyond thrilled when one of my favourite authors provides the gift of a new release,

Abi Coyle is returning to her hometown of Elwood to bury her father, and her prevailing sentiment is only to get him into the ground as quickly as possible. Immediately upon arrival, Abi witnesses a hit and run accident. The victim is an eight year old boy who happens to be the son of her childhood friend. As the only witness to the event, Abi is certain that she is being watched, and wonders if the details of her past are coming back to haunt her and, indeed, if returning to Elwood was perhaps one of the worst decisions she has ever made.

Fans of Kerry Wilkinson will not be disappointed in any way by this latest offering. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

Returning to her hometown after her abusive father passes away, Abi witnesses the hit and run of a young boy before she's even back into her old house. She only gets a quick glimpse of the car and can't describe it or the driver. The boy turns out to be Ethan, the son of one of her childhood best friends, Jo. He's in intensive care, and through the tragedy, Abi and Jo begin to reconnect, along with another old friend, Holly. Abi remains reluctant to get close to them again, never sure if she will be staying or leaving, yet she never turns down an invite to come to their houses or get together. She continually feels as if someone is watching her, whether she's in her old house or out about their small town of Elwood. Do they think she knows more about the accident than she does? And how do they plan to ensure she stays quiet?

It's a good story but one I wasn't able to get too engrossed in. The main character is hard to root for, as she remains aloof to most everyone yet keeps going through the motions of being their friend. She's more open and honest with her friend's children then with the women themselves and you wonder why they even bother engaging with her. She alludes to her abusive father and absent mother but not how it emotionally impacted her back then other than how it made her want to get away from the town. And apparently everyone knew about it, but it was never talked about and no one offered help. Ok. And when she later discovers more about her mother's life after she left them, Abi barely blinks an eye about actions that should be shattering. She's just like, huh. And we're barely told anything about the 20 year period between when she left and returned. A dismissive line about her job - only job she had or one of several - who knows? No relationship info, nothing about how her early life formed her later life as a person or a professional or anything.

So it is a good read overall, and there's some interesting revelations toward the end. But, like Abi, you might just find it doesn't really affect you one way or other other.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a BIG fan of this author. I pounce on every new publication that comes from him and devour it pretty much straight away. To say he has never let me down would be an understatement, so he has well earned the right to obliterate my tbr and fly to the top of my kindle. He is also one of the few male authors who writes women main characters perfectly.
So Abi has returned home to Elwood after the death of her father to sort out his affairs. She is approaching her house when she hears the screech of brakes and, when she turns, she sees a young boy on the floor, bleeding, having been thrown from his bike by the car. She calls the police. She is then more shocked to find that the boy is the son of one of her best friends from her childhood. One she hasn't seen since she fled from Elwood as soon as she could and had never been back or in touch since. This event pretty much scuppers her initial plan to sort out the house for sale and scarper back to her life. What life she has anyway, but she feels drawn back to where she grew up, closer to the people she left behind. With things as they now are, could she really be home...?
What I really love about this author is his no nonsense attitude to all things written word. There is no superfluous padding, characters are well defined, pacing is perfect and the story that encompasses all these things is interesting, intriguing, and well plotted and executed. The whole shebang pretty much...
But if that wasn't enough... the icing on the cake, and indeed the cherry at the top, has to be his inclusion of the fruits of his life observation skills - always topical - often funny. I lose track of the number of knowing smiles that pass my lips during the reading of one of his books. We also have the same sense of humour and connect on the right wavelength, as I find myself agreeing wholeheartedly with most of what he pontificates throughout with his little asides...
All in all, another winner from one of my top five authors. Roll on next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I've read a number of Kerry Wilkinson's books and have yet to be disappointed! Her writing is always solid and suspenseful.

Abigail l(Abi) Coyne returns to her hometown of Elwood after leaving 20 years ago. The town seems dirtier and unkempt than since she had remembered it to be. Questioning why she DID come back, she realizes that she has things to do.

Soon, Abi encounters an accident - a boy had been thrown off of his bicycle due to a car out of control. She goes to him and finds he has broken bones and bleeding - yet he still is breathing. Calling 999, the police soon arrive as does the boy's (Ethan's) mother, Jo. Jo and Abi had known each other since they were 12 years old. What is their background together?

Abi walks a couple blocks to the house she remembers that she inherited from her father. She had not seen him in 10 years, nor talked with him in the last 7 months.... Abi enters the house and the story begins to ramp up.

A superb read!

Many thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a truly wonderful read!