WOW. There is so much in the novel I really don’t know where to start or if I can do it justice. Diane Chamberlain has another winner in THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET… and no, I am not surprised. Chamberlain continues to improve, delivering stories that are gripping, timely, and oh so wonderful.
Kayla and her husband looked for the perfect spot to build their dream home, finally finding it at the end of the street in a new development. The lot is full of trees and the house positioned perfectly to not only blend in, but bring nature in. When tragedy strikes before the house is finished, Kayla must find all the strength she has to overcome her grief and try to make it normal for her daughter. When weird things start happening, the woods feel more ominous and scarier than the haven she and her husband planned. The bright spot is meeting one of the residents of the original (only) house on the street. Ellie left town when she was 20, only returning now to care for her ailing brother and mother. Round Hill has painful memories, and the last thing she wants to do is relive them.
Kayla and Ellie are connected in ways they don’t know, and the town of Round Hill, Ellie’s family, and the woods have secrets that have been buried too long and Kayla’s arrival and her new house threaten to expose those secrets many want to stay in the past. Chamberlain’s atmospheric writing, including her character development, descriptions, and pacing are spot-on, pulling the reader into the novel and wrapping it around you, without relinquishing its grip until the end.
Told on a dual timeline, Chamberlain explores a past filled with prejudice and violence, hope, love, and justice. Like her previous work, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET is a novel that will live in your thoughts for a long time to come
Thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. All opinions are my own and freely given.
#thelasthouseonthestreet #dianechamberlain #stmartinspress

Oh man this was sad which I should have realized it would be with the south and civil rights being the backdrop for the historical part. I definitely liked the link from the past and present with Kayla’s dad being Ellie’s ex-boyfriend from 1965 and how that unraveled the plot and who was threatening Kayla in the present on her new property. And how everything was finally resolved with a twist that I saw some coming but not all of it. It was a good read and while some of the subject matter was distressing that was history back then and it really helped set the scene for the plot.

Thanks to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

45 year old secrets are revealed in this story about 2 women connected by a tragic event. In 1965 Ellie Hockley is a 20 year old Southern college student when she decides to volunteer with the civil rights program...SCOPE. Going against her family's wishes she is committed to the cause. In 1965 I was a senior in high school and I remember those difficult times but this book opened my eyes to so much more that was happening back then. Fast forward to 2010 and we have the story of Kayla, a young widow with a small daughter. She and her husband had designed the house at the end of the street but he died in an accident in the house before they could move in. She's warned not to move in by a strange older woman and odd, scary things are happening on her property. Is it haunted?
The two women meet and the truth of what happened that summer begins to come out. Diane Chamberlain tells their stories via dual timelines and alternating points of view. I thought I knew what was going to happen...and I did...up to a point. Until the tragic end of that summer completely blew me away. This is an amazing story that everyone should read.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wonderful storytelling by Diane Chamberlain. As usual, her writing is spot-on in this book with an amazing cast of characters and just a great story. It is told in dual timelines, 1965 and 2010. I felt that the subject of racial injustice back in 1965 was well done here but it is always heartbreaking and infuriating to read about it. I wondered how Kayla's character in 2010 had anything to do with Ellie's character in 1965 and was pleasantly surprised once it is revealed. This book was a hard one to put down and had me captivated from the very first chapter. I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the review copy.

An older woman with bright red hair, mirrored sunglasses, scratchy voice, and badly painted acrylic nails appears in Kayla’s office at the architecture firm to tell Kayla it’s a mistake to move into her new house. She knows how Kayla’s husband died, about her little girl, and she says she could murder someone before mysteriously disappearing. And that’s the way, The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain begins.

The Last House on the Street is told between two storylines, one in 1965 about Ellie, a young 20-year old from Round Hill, a small North Carolina town, who wants to volunteer and help people. She decides to join SCOPE, a program that would educate and register Black Americans to vote, after learning about it in the newspaper, much to the fear and then disgust of her family and friends. The second storyline is in 2010 with Kayla newly widowed after her husband dies in an accident in the house they designed together.

To be honest, if the 1965 story had not existed, I doubt I would have continued with the novel as Kayla never felt like a completely drawn character while Ellie was not only completely fleshed out but was a more interesting character. Also, the Kayla storyline dragged for a good bit, with some needless repetition regarding the strange red-headed visitor. However, as the two storylines began to draw together the novel really gripped me.

Chamberlain did an excellent job of depicting life in 1965, the way that Black people were forced to live, the terrors they felt, and the constant threats. I don’t believe she in any way over-dramatized the situation for fiction. Many episodes were upsetting, disturbing, and emotional coming on the heels of uplifting ones. As I was reading, seeing that many Whites did not want Blacks to have a vote or were certainly not encouraging it, I couldn’t help but draw parallels to the US today and how some politicians are trying to ensure that minorities find it very difficult to vote.

As far as the mystery goes, I have to say only one aspect of the great reveal was a surprise to me. Any good mystery buff will probably figure most of it out. Of course, it’s always the ride in a mystery and The Last House on the Street definitely had that.

Once past the slow start, The Last House on the Street proved to be an engrossing novel.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How have I not read this author before??!! I think I found a new auto-buy. This was a fantastic read, full of all the emotions. I laughed, fell in love, cried, had my heart broken, was appalled, got closure and felt my heart heal.

I loved all the characters, even the annoying, irritating and pain-in-the-arse ones. They are just so well-written that you love who you should, and dislike who should be disliked.

There wasn't anything I didn't love about this one. The dual timeline was perfect. It flowed well and kept me 100% engaged from start to finish.

I had a feeling who was responsible for the mystery, and wanted to be wrong. When the truth finally came out .. oh my heart.

Whew! This is definitely a 2022 favorite.

I sincerely appreciate the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. All opinions expressed herein are mine and mine alone.

Inspired in part by her aunt’s beliefs, but equally by her own social conscience, Ellie Hockley is determined to spend her summer helping African Americans register to vote. Even if that’s not something nice white southern girls do in 1965. She can deal with her parents’ and boyfriend’s disapproval, but when the stakes get too high, Ellie sets in motion a chain of events that will change her life.

In 2010, Kayla is learning to deal with widowhood and single motherhood. Luckily she has her widowed father to help her. Her trepidation over moving into the house her husband designed, and in which he lost his life, grows as weird things happen. And multiple people warn her away from the woods behind the house—some kindly, some not so much. Kayla suspects her neighbor Ellie and her father know each other better than they let on, but she can’t predict how the events of the summer of 1965 still affect the southern community where she lives.

This is an excellent and timely book, although it’s disturbing how little progress has been made in over 56 years. Everyone should read this book to help put human faces on contemporary issues. Despite the contemporary relevance of the themes, this is still a page-turning suspense novel that will keep you up until you learn what really happened during that long ago summer. #TheLastHouseOnTheStreet #NetGalley

Diane Chamberlain masterfully combines two exciting stories in her latest novel The Last House on the Street. It is 2010 and Kayla is a young North Carolina architect who was recently widowed. Kayla and her daughter will soon be moving into the beautiful house that she and her late husband designed in Kayla's hometown. Kayla is spooked when a mysterious woman confronts her at work and warns her against moving into to the home located on a densely wooded and secluded lot. In a flashback to 1965 the reader meets twenty year old college student Ellie. Ellie is bright and she is interested in the civil rights movement. She jumps at the chance to spend the summer with other young people registering local black residents to vote. Ellie's parents and friends spurn her decision, but Ellie perseveres. She lives with impoverished black families and becomes immersed with their struggle. Her life is permanently changed. Chamberlain connects the two stories in a predictable, but fascinating way. Kayla and Ellie are strong women who will lead the reader on a thrilling journey.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain is during the 60's in the south when there was racism among the white families and town people. Ellie who vowed never to return to her hometown, reluctantly came home because of her brother and mother's health. This novel reveals Ellie's life story as well as Kayla's. Both wanting to put their earlier lives in the past. Chamberlain did an excellent job explaining what real life was like then. A mystery that is not revealed until the last pages keeps you in suspense. I would like to thank #Netgalley for allowing me to read this exciting novel, The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain before its publication date.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Diane Chamberlain's newest novel; The Last House on the Street was an absolute treasure to read. Dealing with timely topics regarding racial injustice and the dark history of segregation, this book weaved a beautiful historical story with a mysterious and more modern one. Told through two different timelines and by two different point of views, I was eager to learn the connection the women had to one another.

I was completely captivated by Ellie's story from the very start and continued to fall more in love with it as time went on. This book is full of emotion, heartbreak and mystery and I would highly recommend it to all historical fiction fans. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future!

This book is a dual timeline story.
In 2010, architect Kayla Carter and her husband built their dream house on Shadow Ridge. Unfortunately Kayla’s husband died in an accident in the house before they moved in. There are rumors that the property was haunted, and the new home has been targeted. And Kayla’s neighbor Ellie Hockley is harboring long buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built.
Back in 1965,Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley was raised to be a certain type of proper Southern lady. In the summer,she enrolled in the SCOPE programme as a volunteer to help black people vote. And it changed everything.
This is a great story about the civil right movement. Diane’s writing glued me on the pages. I like both stories. The cutover of 2 timelines are smooth. Characters are believable, Ellie and Reed are my favorites.
There is only one thing that bothers me - the purpose of Ellie joining the SCOPE. Diane gives the reason at the end, but is a little bit late. If Diane unwrapped it earlier, it would clear my thoughts better. The ending is bomb. Civil right, race is never an outdated topic.
Highly recommend this book.

When I dive into a new Diane Chamberlain book I just know to be prepared for an emotional read and this was no exception.

Synopsis: When Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident while building their dream house, she knows she has to stay strong for their four-year-old daughter. But the trophy home in Shadow Ridge Estates, a new development in sleepy Round Hill, North Carolina, will always hold tragic memories. But when she is confronted by an odd, older woman telling her not to move in, she almost agrees. It's clear this woman has some kind of connection to the area...and a connection to Kayla herself. Kayla's elderly new neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is more welcoming, but it's clear she, too, has secrets that stretch back almost fifty years. Is Ellie on a quest to right the wrongs of the past? And does the house at the end of the street hold the key? Told in dual time periods, The Last House on the Street is a novel of shocking prejudice and violence, forbidden love, the search for justice, and the tangled vines of two families.

I’m usually a fan of dual timelines and I can definitely see why the format was used here but I was much more invested in the 1965 chapters than the 2010 ones. I think overall I was just more connected to Ellie and her story as she worked for voters rights against the wishes of all of her friends and family members. I did both print and audio but was more drawn to the audio, so take note if you’re a listener. Overall a solid read from the author that tackles lots of heavy topics in a respectful and meaningful manner. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to the tagged partners for my copy!

Chamberlain is a successful American author of many books, the most recent of which was "Big Lies in a Small Town". This new release is an historical fiction set in 2010 and 1965 North Carolina. In 2010 Kayla and her four year old daughter's impending move into her dream home is made difficult as her husband died from a staircase fall in it during the construction. Just days before the move a strange woman, who knows way too much about her, shows up at her office and advises her not to move in. In 1965 President Johnson has been delaying the enacting of the new Voting Rights Act, but it is coming. Elle has decided to go against her family and join a group helping to advise rural black families on how to register to vote once it is enacted. The two stories come together in this riveting tale of racism, forbidden love and families. It is a wonderful recommendation for historical fiction fans or anyone who enjoyed the Natchez Burning series by Greg Iles. I loved it.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗧 𝗛𝗢𝗨𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧 is told via dual timelines set in the town of Round Hill, North Carolina. In 2010, Kayla is a young widow about to move into the dream house she designed with her late husband when a strange woman warns about the property. In 1965, Kayla's future neighbor, Ellie, is a college student who decides to spend her summer fighting for voting rights and helping register black members of the community to vote but her activism causes irreparable damage to the people she loves.

This is my second book by Diane Chamberlain and I love how she blends suspense and historical fiction. From page one, I was intrigued by what was going on in Round Hill and I couldn't put the book down until I figured out how Ellie's past factored into Kayla's present. While I had an idea how things were going to end, the final twist still managed to shock me. I'll be adding more of Chamberlain's backlist to my TBR this year!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the copy to review.

This is a really moving historical story about the Voting Rights Act that every white person should read. Though I knew the basics about the Voting Rights Act, this story really brought that era to life and made me consider things in a much more personal way - the way all good fiction does.

I thought this story was written with a lot of pain and heart.! I can't wait to share this with my followers

It’s no surprise that Diane Chamberlain’s newest book The Last House on the Street was another smashing success! I’ve really come to appreciate Chamberlain’s style of writing with dual plots, told both in the present day (2010) and at historical times in history. She solidifies my stance as a life-long fan because she often writes specifically about history that occurred in North Carolina, my home. The attachment I have to this beautiful state only grows when I am able to see it through the eyes of Chamberlain’s characters. The Last House on the Street tells the story of Ellie, raised in a wealthy white family that follows her own heart to the aid of registering black voters in 1965. Ellie defies the segregation that exists in her family, her town and her state, but at what cost? Then there is Kayla, recently widowed and about to move into the home of her dreams with her 4 year-old daughter, only to learn that the plot of land and neighborhood are said to be haunted. Diana does an extraordinary job of weaving the woman’s stories together and allows readers to draw their own conclusions about heavy and controversial matters. I adore the way that The Last House on the Street had my heart hammering; out of frustration for equality, ignorance and arrogance and love and family. I will always be 1st in line for Diane Chamberlain’s novels and The Last House on the Street should not be missed.

A sincere thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Set in current times and the summer of 1965, Ellie is a white Southern college student working in North Carolina to help register black voters and do community organizing. Now, Kayla builds a house in a wooded, newly developed area where strange things keep happening. When older Ellie comes to town to care for her family members, the two meet and find their connections.

I really like Diane Chamberlain books, and this one was okay, but not very memorable. I liked the less written about time period and how Ellie worked for civil rights as a white Southerner. I was completely unsurprised by the storylines and how they came together. So, overall, if you like Diane Chamberlain you'll probably like this book but it will not be vying to be your favorite. I would have liked a little more "sparkle" or humor but it was a solid book.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

This is my second book by this author. I have enjoyed both and look forward to reading more by her.

The Last House on the Street is written in two timelines and points of view. In 2010 Kayla is about to move into what was supposed to be her dream house, a contemporary masterpiece set in the woods designed by her and her husband. After an freak accident during the build her husband dies and she isn't sure she wants to live there anymore. Before she moves in a strange woman shows up at her office and tells her not to move in, the land is haunted and bad things will happen.

The other time line is Ellie's in 1965. She tried to emulate her Aunt Carol who was an activist and that summer instead of working at her father's drug store she signs up for SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education). They were assigned to counties to help Blacks register for the vote and Ellie is assigned to her county but sees a whole different side that she didn't know existed. She is the only white southern girl and isn't entirely trusted at first but her commitment is evident and she becomes close particularly to her partner, Win.

Kayla's story was deliciously creepy with strange things happening at her home, things disappearing, some vandalism and the woods with its strange noises and thick darkness and the very unwelcome lake. Kayla's story and Kayla wasn't nearly as developed as Ellie's but served as a way to reveal the secrets of 1965.

In 1965 the depiction of the fight for the Blacks to even register and the camaraderie of the SCOPE volunteers and the very real threats to their lives. Blacks and whites were absolutely not to mix and if Ellie was riding in a car with a Black man especially she would have to hide if they passed another truck. It was a sad part of our history and unfortunately not that long ago. All the ugliness of her story wraps up near the end but I still had some questions and things left unsaid but I still felt it was a page turner and even though I had an idea of the twists at the end I still enjoyed the reveal.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a copy of this book.

DNF at 44%

I have previously loved Diane Chamberlain’s use of historical fiction as a backdrop for current issues. They somehow have a wholesome spin through the entire book. Also, ending with some kind of life lesson.

For this one however, I struggled at several points to feel any kind of connection with the MC. I felt like she was somehow driven yet flat. Her reasons for what she was doing felt ungrounded.

I wanted this to be a timely recommendation in January but do not in any way recommend.

I do hope it had a little more clarity towards the end although I didn’t want to sit through it to find out.


Thanks to Netgalley and St Martins Press for this advanced copy!

This is a richly atmospheric and emotional story that follows two characters; Ellie and Kayla, through two different decades, 1965 and 2010. It’s about love, loss, corruption, racial inequality and injustices in the deep south. I loved how all-consuming this story was, and how easily I became fully absorbed into these characters lives. Diane Chamberlain has written this with a great deal of heart in respect to the racial divides within the storyline.

[1965] Ellie is a North Carolinian who believes in standing up for what she believes in, so she joins a group of northern students to encourage southern Black residents to vote. That ostracizes her from her family and community. Ellie falling in love with a Black student complicates her situation even further. When a horrific, inconsolable act takes place, she moves to California, severing her relationship with family and community for the next forty years.

[2010] Kayla and her husband, who recently died in an accident, has built a new home at the end of Ellie’s street. Kayla moves in with her small daughter, and her home is very quickly targeted by an unknown individual(s).

Ellie is forced to face what happened forty years earlier when she returns to her hometown to care for her sick mother and brother. And Kayla is driven to uncover what happened on her property in the 60’s.

This story, wow, I felt an overpowering of emotions that struck right at my core. This book is so incredibly well done. I loved the twists and turns of it all, and will be reading this again in the future.

I received an arc from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for an honest review.