Ever wonder what goes on behind closed doors on a seemingly quiet street, a suburban cul-de-sac?

In her latest, Joy Fielding takes us inside the five homes on a quiet cul-de-sac in Florida where nothing is what it seems. At the beginning of the book, you learn that a crime takes place at some point in time, gun shots fired. Then, Fielding takes you back to share more about the lives of the five families before the crime, effortlessly switching between narrators — different personalities, backstories and secrets. All five families have guns in their homes and each neighbor is both potentially a victim and the shooter. It’s a game of suburban Clue for the reader, wondering at each twist and turn: which character pulled the trigger?

More than just a thrilling whodunit, the book explores the complex lives of the characters. I was struck by her portrayal of masculine toxicity which, to me, quickly appeared as a golden thread weaving the different stories and men. But it is also about the strong and multidimensional women who live with them: a spunky grandmother fighting for her independence, a single mom rediscovering herself after trauma, a loving mother and accomplished professional who faces severe abuse at home, a newlywed deeply in love with a man consumed by war trauma and his controlling mother, and a stay-at-home mom who built a successful career after her husband lost his job.

Cul-de-sac is an unputdownable read, and I enjoyed the thrill, the mystery and drama of it all. But I was also taken by the complexity of the characters and the psychological exploration of their actions. It’s a test in compassion — each chapter required me to question my own fast and easy judgement. Great escapism!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

Cul-de-sac
By Joy Fielding

Release date 08/10/2021

What’s that saying?
If you don’t have anything nice to say, come sit by me🤣.

This is the best way to describe this tribe of cul-de-sac characters Joy has put together.

Maggie is a single gun-toting mama with two kids. She’s not working and separated from her husband Craig. She’s super paranoid and constantly overthinking every situation.
Dani a dentist and her husband Nick the oncologist live there too with their two young sons. I couldn’t wait for their chapters, Nick continued to piss me off on each one of them.
Sean is an out-of-work husband, pushing 50 and depressed. His younger wife Olivia is the breadwinner and seems to be thriving while he is drowning.
Julie the 84-year-old grandmother is letting her grandson stay with her, much to her son's wishes that he would not.
Aiden and Heidi. With Aiden's mother paying for the house, the cars, everything - has complete control of their life. And Aidan has no control over his PTSD from years overseas for the army. Heidi is drowning over her MIL’s control.
There’s been a murder, in the quaint little cul-de-sac, and you will be shocked when you find out who. Loved the book.
5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟s from me.

LOVED this book! Now having said this, the first half or so was slower than I expected. Not in a bad way, let me explain. I have been a HUGE Joy Fielding fan for over 30 years. I have read them all.. I had gotten used to more of a thriller type story from her. This is not that. The story follows several families in a cul-de-sac. In the beginning, someone has been shot, we just not know who or why until later. About halfway through, I had fallen in love with all of the families and their well written stories and remembered that a lot of Joy's earlier novels centered on family drama and I loved those. Call it a dose of nostalgia. But, back to the story! I don't want to spoil anything, but I ugly-cried at the end! I felt like I actually knew all of these people and was very emotionally attached by then. The resolutions were almost exactly what I would have chosen! Another stellar story from Joy Fielding! Look forward to more!!

Thank you to #NetGalley, Joy Fielding and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this much appreciated ARC!!

Someone on this quiet, unassuming cul-de-sac will be shot dead in the middle of a sultry July night.

Will it be Maggie, the perfectionist wife, or Craig, the husband who can’t quite live up to her expectations? They’ve packed up their two children and fled their life in California, hoping for a fresh start in Florida, only to find the demons of the past hovering on their doorstep.

Maybe it will be Nick, a highly respected oncologist, or his wife, Dani, a successful dentist, both with well-kept secrets of their own.

Or Julia, an elderly widow, whose troubled grandson has recently moved in with her, introducing unsavory habits and even more unsavory acquaintances into her formerly quiet existence.

Then there’s Olivia and her husband, Sean. Having lost his job at a prestigious advertising agency, Sean is depressed, resentful of his working wife, and drinking heavily. He is also prone to increasingly violent fantasies.

And what of the newlyweds, Aiden and Heidi, whose marriage is already on the rocks, due to Aiden’s reluctance to stand up to his intrusive mother? Matters aren’t helped when Heidi befriends Julia’s grandson, setting the stage for a major blowup.

A diverse group of neighbors, to be sure. Yet all harbor secrets. All bear scars. And all have access to guns.

Not all will survive the night.

Wow. In the beginning, we know someone was shot, but not whom or why. It seems everyone on the Cul-de-sac had plenty of guns. I just found there were too many neighbors popping in too fast as well as too many to keep up at that pace. It was a good book. Just not a solid home-run for me.

So thrilled to get an early copy of Joy Fielding. This was a really good read about various lives that reside in the culdesac. We really never know what’s going on behind closed doors. Should we involve ourselves if we suspect something isn’t right or mind our own business. I really enjoyed the various characters and think how closely this probably fits so many lives right around us. Things are not always what they seem.

I had a lot of trouble getting into Cul-de-Sac. Stories with multiple perspectives are already a struggle for me at times, and in the case of this book, the characters were introduced in such quick succession that I couldn't stay interested in any of them. It didn't help that none of the perspectives were particularly likable or intriguing. Unfortunately, this one wasn't a fit for me, but I would definitely try another book by the author.

#Cul-de-sac#NetGalley

What an intricate and thrilling plot! I really loved this book by Joy Fielding. I have read almost every book she has written....a favorite author! Wonderful domestic page turner, The characters are well defined, some you like, some not so much so. It I highly recommend this book to be added to your To Be Read List. 📚
Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers, and to Joy Fielding for giving me the opportunity to read this exciting new book!, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was an easy read, but it was forgettable. There were too many characters and none of them were especially likeable or interesting.

Behind closed doors there are problems in every house on this Cul-de-sac. In one of these houses, after a street party, someone is going to commit murder. Who will die? A gripping domestic thriller that had me glued to the pages. Highly recommend!

Another winner by Joy Fielding. This mindbending captivating thriller was just the thing I needed to read. This book was unpredictable in the best way. I highly recommend this thriller.

I would consider Cul-de-sac more of a domestic thriller rather then psychological, reguardless still an excellent book. It was told from multiple povs but not to the point where it was confusing. The book had a good pace and we'll rounded characters. Joy Fielding has been on my list of favorite authors for a long time, and the book just reinstalls that!

Sleepy suburbia shows it’s ugly side in this thriller from the master of the genre, Joy Fielding. Who will end up dead in this alleged paradise? I could not tear myself away from the pages of my Kindle book!

How well do you know your neighbors? Not well if you live on a cul de sac at Carlyle Terrace in Palm Springs, FL. There are five houses - three houses has a couple with kids, one is an eighty-four year old widower, and the other is a newly married young couple. All of them have secrets and are dealing with some heavy issues. The story is a slow burn drama and is told in multiple POVs. Thank you to Ballentine Books and NetGalley for a gifted arc. This is my honest review.

Thank you to both #NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine Books for providing me with an advance copy of Joy Fielding’s latest domestic suspense novel, Cul-de-sac, in exchange for an honest review.

#Culdesac is a jarring account about a group of neighbors who live on a cul-de-sac street named, “Carlyle Terrace,” in Florida. The story is told from the perspective of multiple characters; each with their own individual problems. While there were some recognizable character tropes and numerous clichéd proverbs, the overall plot made for a compelling story. It should be noted, however, that readers who are sensitive to certain topics may want to skip this one, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, PTSD, and gun violence.

Despite the dreary subject matter, the tone of the novel was not as depressing as one would presume given the above topics. The author managed to incorporate an undercurrent of hope throughout the story and somehow contained the most shocking elements to their own passages by swiftly switching to the next character’s point of view.

Similar to the real world, every resident of this neighborhood was dealing with either their own flaws or the byproduct of another member of their household’s issues. The neighbors had mostly been keeping to themselves up until a spontaneous game of catch erupted one Saturday afternoon. The game of catch does not occur until around chapter eighteen, which is where the story gathers speed. From that point forward, it is like running downhill to find out which character gets shot as is revealed in the prologue.

If you do not like irritating characters, then I can guarantee you will not be able to stomach this novel. There is also one character in particular whose actions will have you seething with rage by the end, but that is usually the hallmark of a well-developed character. Additionally, whether it was because of their traits or their storyline, some characters’ backstories were much more interesting than others.

On a final note, I have never read anything by Joy Fielding before, but I was glad to be given the opportunity to since I found this novel fairly entertaining and intend to read more of her works in the future. The one detail that I hope is toned down in her future works is the brewing of tea. I have no idea why some authors are so obsessed with describing the tea-making process, but it makes me yawn.

Amazing thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the last page. I’m a big fan of the author and couldn’t wait to read this book I hunkered down and finished it in one day. Exceptional as always!

One of my favorites in 2021! Characters and plot were great. I'm glad I got to read this one.

Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I know I always write that books I read are “page turners” but this one truly is. A story about five families living in a cul-de-sac in a Florida suburb. They all have struggles of sorts and traits that being them together or keep them apart. I worried I wouldn’t be able to keep all the characters straight, but the author made it easy. Some you love and cheer for and some you dislike. Loved the short chapters and the pace of the story with a great wrap up! Thanks to #netgalley #JoyFielding #randomHousePublishing #ballantineBooks

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well developed characters that I will miss now that I’ve finished reading. A lot can cause turmoil and major anxiety by just living on the cul-de-sac! Story unfolds beautifully and some surprising twists and turns kept me hopping. Highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Cul-de-sac, by Joy Fielding, is a story about 5 neighbors and the secrets that lie behind closed doors. I enjoyed the plot, the characters and the shocking ending. I will definitely be reading more by this author and telling everyone about this book!