Thank you NetGalley, Diane Chamberlain and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Last House on the Street. This is my personal review.
This is a book written in two time periods 1965 and 2010. The book was filled with so much and when the two time periods come together, I could only say – WOW!
There is so much involved in this story that I had to sit back and think about what I had just read and then continue reading.
The writing took a bit for me to completely engage with it but then I was taken to a time and place that kept me reading.

I have read several of Ms. Chamberlain’s stories and they all have come in with high 5 stars. Unfortunately, this one is only a 4 star read. I can’t really say what was missing but something just did not allow this story to achieve the full depth that I know the author has.
I never became attached to Kayla, her grief never came thru and she seemed shallow. The main story is about Ellie and her summer with SCOPE. I enjoyed it but this one is not in the same caliber as Big Lies and The Dream Daughter. In spite of my disappointment, I will continue to watch this author, she is worth it.
Received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my unbiased review – This one comes in with 4****.

I liked but didn’t love this book-none of chamberlains books have been able to top The Dream Daughter. It was solid historical fiction but it felt a bit long. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.


3.5/5

The setting:

"2020. A recently widowed architect moves into the home she and her late husband designed...disturbing things begin to happen...Who is trying to frighten her away, and why?"

1965. "A young white female student becomes involved in the fight for civil rights in North Carolina, falling in love with one of her fellow activists, in a time and place where an interracial relationship must be hidden from family, friends and especially the reemerging Ku Klux Klan.... Decades later, past and present are set to collide in the last house on the street..."

Drum roll.

A dual timeline, which I quite like. North Carolina past and present.

Past: Ellie, her boyfriend Reed, her family, and her best friend, Brenda and her fiance/husband, Garner. Other segments deal with the people she worked with in SCOPE {Summer Community Organization and Political Education project]--which sought to recruit Northerners although Ellie persuaded the minister in charge of her locality to let her be a part of the group. Ellie is passionate about the civil rights movement and blind to the feelings of those around her.

Present: Kayla, her daughter, Rainie, and her dad, Reed [see the connection?] And Ellie [and others] figure in--much later on.

A moving glimpse into the civil rights movement and what it meant to be a southern, white woman seeking to register Blacks to vote.

The earlier timeline was far more interesting and engaging. I think the voice was true/accurate.

I did pick up on some, though not all, of the hints dropped so this did not diminish the turn of events [thankfully].

I did like this description: "The silence isn't benign, though. There's something going on..."

But not: "For the first time in my life, I felt more animal than woman and I relished the feeling." [These segments were just not for me.]

I can't put my finger on why this book didn't do it for me. I did not feel the love of other readers. Sadly, still timely. And so depressing.

The Last House on the Street is another stunning historical mystery like I've come to expect from author Diane Chamberlain who continues setting the bar high in the genre with her uncanny ability to deliver volatile, dual timeline stories rich in history in a highly emotionally charged story. In The Last House on the Street, ghosts of the past live on to haunt dreams of not only those left behind, but also those who dare reside in their space in the future. The result is a heart-wrenching story of prejudice, violence, racism and an interracial relationship with revelations reaching years into the future which Diane Chamberlain delivers with all the dignity, grace, and historical authenticity it deserves.

In 2010, Kayla Carter and her four year old daughter prepare to move into their dream home surrounded by dark woods at the end of the street in Shadow Ridge Estates - the first new house completed in the new upscale housing development and also the house responsible for taking her young husband's life in a tragic accident. Needless to say, she has mixed feelings about the house she and her husband designed together - feelings escalated by strange warnings that it would be in her best interest to stay away. The house with all the glass windows with panoramic views of the surrounding woods now feels a bit too open, too exposed, too threatening. And yet, it's their new home, and there's little choice but to live there.

The only other house on the street is the Hockley house, an original pre-1965 home whose owner refused to sell to developers, occupied by the elderly Hockley mother and her terminally ill son and now daughter Ellie who just returned to the home she was forced to flee heartbroken and in fear forty five years ago. As a young, privileged white student of the 1960's, a period of racial unrest in the South, Ellie spurned her parent's expectations for her of marriage to a young, upcoming banker, turning her back on them to become an activist for black voting rights by joining the SCOPE project (Summer Community Organization and Political Education). As a participant, seventeen year old Ellie left her privileged life and home behind to live and work in poverty stricken black homes in rural communities while helping canvas the neighborhoods with educational material about voter registration rights. Unfortunately, her actions angered white supremacists, drawing unwelcome attention not only on her and her family, but also on the very people she hoped to help protect and educate. And when Ellie crosses a forbidden line with a black student, the hatred, anger and violence spill blood on everyone involved with far reaching effects for their families for generations to come.

Through dual timelines, readers learn the past tragedy that forever links these two families as Kayla and Ellie finally discover and come to terms with the tragic mystery of what lies within the woods at the end of the street as well as the true story of the roles their own families played in it. This highly atmospheric story unfolds at a relentless pace as it alternates chapters of past and present rich in ominous vibes and heart shattering revelations. Chamberlain's brilliant characterizations left me feeling a personal connection to each character as I raced through pages hoping for a better outcome than I knew in my heart was coming. Chamberlain doesn't just recite historical facts, she renders a story that breaths life back into it in a manner that makes it all too real and ugly and tragic.

The Last House on the Street is a volatile story of hatred, prejudice, and social injustice, but it's also a story of courage, love and understanding. It's a coming of age story of a young girl who had no idea the horrors hidden in Pandora's Box when she cracked open the lid or of the havoc it would wreak on those she loved with life altering ramifications reaching years into the future. The Last House on the Street is an extraordinary must read for fans of historical mystery fiction. I also highly recommend it to fans of mystery and suspense. This book richly deserves to be the buzz of 2022.

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain
Diane Chamberlain just excels at dual timelines, blending historical and contemporary fiction, and educating readers on topic areas of history not widely known.

This story takes place during the 60s in rural North Carolina before black people were allowed to vote. The main character, Ellie, joins an organization called SCOPE, that helps with voter registration and that educates the black community about voter registration and what voting can impact. From this story, it really seemed like there were two clear sides during this time, you were either a black sympathizer or a member of the KKK.  

The two timelines are interwoven, I did care much more about the past timeline and was so invested in that time period and struggles Ellie faced from the community, her family, and her personal friendships and relationships. The current timeline wasn't as appealing for me but it was so interesting to see them connected.
This book publishes January 11. Thank you to @stmartinspress and @DianeChamberlain for my gifted copy!

This book is fabulous! It touched my heart in ways that had the tears coming to my eyes. I can't believe how horrible it was for people in the sixties. It seems that you were either a black sympathizer or a member of the KKK. This story takes place before Negroes were given the opportunity to vote so they could find an easier life. Our main character Ellie is fantastic and I would like to say that I would like to be just like her if I lived at this time but to be perfectly honest I'm not sure I'm that courageous. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Chamberlain. I will be looking for more to read of her books as this is an excellent example of a rich historical fiction. I enjoy having suspense, action, mystery and romance I'm the books I read and this had them all!
I received a free download of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. This review is my own honest opinion.

I love Diane Chamberlain novels, always well written. This book did not fail. During the 1965 Time line where the KKK was active and stopping at nothing to hurt or kill, this story broke me. I was angry, heart broken at the pain caused to so many just for gaining rights. That is the story of Ellie and Win. To the modern day story of Kayla and her daughter Rainie, moving into the brand new house that Kayla and her late young husband Jackson designed and built. Someone does not want Kayla to live in this house. How does this new house and the story of Ellie and Win connect. You will want to read and find out how? And why someone does not want Kayla to move in

This book was amazing and utterly heartbreaking and enraging at the same time. Told in alternating perspectives, we see the past history of racism and Civil Rights from the perspective of a small town, and the aftermath in 2010. Ellie’s story is honestly difficult to read, and but easy to imagine. This is amazingly well pulled together, I loved it.

If asked whether I was a fan of Diane Chamberlain’s books, my instant response would be yes…thinking of Necessary Lies, the first book our neighborhood read together. Looking back, I realize I have found her inconsistent (The Dream Daughter was only 2 stars, but I’m not much of a fan of time travel stories). But I loved the premise of The Last House on The Street, and was happy to receive a copy from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

The story is told in alternating time periods, both in 2010 and in 1965. In 2010, widow Kayla Carter and her husband have designed their dream house, and although Kate and their three-year-old daughter are moved in, tragedy strikes.The house is reputedly haunted, and a neighbor woman warns Kayla about the dark history of the place where the house was built.

Back in 1965, a proper young Southern lady knew her place and her role. Ellie Hockley was is college and, although her path seems to lead straight into marriage to a “good catch” (a bank manager!), Ellie chooses to spend her summer registering black voters. What could possibly go wrong? (Lots, actually).

I actually loved this book, perhaps primarily due to the character of Ellie. Her story was dramatic, sad, inspiring, and more. Kayla is interesting, but for me it was Ellie that made the story. Would be good for book clubs, and enjoyed by both fans of mystery/suspense and historical fiction focused on the Civil Rights Era. Four stars.

Told in alternating points of view nearly 50 years apart, the story revolves around a plot of land in Round Hill, NC. It's 2010, Kayla and her daughter are moving into what was meant to be the dream home of Kayla and her husband. Devastatingly, her husband dies just months before the closing. During the first few weeks of them living in their new home, threats increase to make her leave. Flashback to 1965 and 19 year old Ellie. Ellie is a white middle class UNC student who has always followed her parents wishes. Then she witnesses a civil rights protests and signs up for a summer of registering black people to vote. Ellie is never the same. What is it about that property and the secretiveness surrounding it's history? This is a good, solid story with a satisfactory conclusion.

WOW! This book was great, lots of twists and turns.
Kayla, newly widowed, and her daughter are moving into the house her and her husband designed. But, there are rumors the yard beyond her house is haunted, and very strange things have been happening. When Kayla meets her only neighbor, Ellie, she starts to learn a little about the history of the land her house was built on. What she learns and what is uncovered will affect the lives of many.
This story is told alternating between the past and the present, but flows seamlessly. The stories are interwoven and eventually lead to one final conclusion.
This book had me hooked from the start, could not put it down.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A small town divided by prejudice. A secret that wont stay silent…

Diane Chamberlain does it again with a heart wrenching novel that tackles the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s and forbidden love. I loved it! The story is told in dual timelines: Kayla, a recently widowed mother in 2010, and Ellie, a white college student in 1965 who against her families wishes joins SCOPE, a program to help black people in the South register to vote. It was maddening and heartbreaking to read, yet so beautifully written, I could not put it down. Chamberlain created an amazing group of well developed characters. Some you fall in love with, and others you whole heartedly despise. I went into this one completely blind and would recommend the same for you. The author’s note was not available in the ARC, but she did post it on Goodreads! You’ll want to read it.❤️

4.5/5 ⭐️
What I loved;
🏡Dual timelines & POV’s
🏡Well developed characters
🏡Mystery
🏡Powerful, relevent topics

The Last House on the Street was a beautiful mix of historical fiction, mystery, forbidden love, and social justice. It was emotional, heartbreaking and one I will not soon forget. I highly recommend adding this must read book to your TBR!

Pub Date: January 11th, 2022

Thank you Diane Chamberlain, Netgalley, and St. Martins Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My review will be posted on Goodreads and Instagram @flippin_and_sippin_mn

#TheLastHouseOnTheStreet #DianeChamberlain #StMartinsPress #NetGalley #ARC #spoilerfree #BookReview #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookish #bibliophile #HistoricalFiction #readersofinstagram #MNReader #NovemberReads #NetgalleyNovember #AlisReads #flippin_and_sippin_mn

Violets is a beautiful historical novel told through the eyes of a hundred year old survivor of Two pandemics and several wars. Poverty, the Great Depression, failed romances political oppression and family crises mold her into the woman she becomes to survive a century. A super novel from Isabel Allende.

This is my first Diane Chamberlain novel and it will definitely not be my last.
If you know my reading, you know I love the dual timelines. This novel goes between 1965 and 2010. A heartfelt story that at times makes you sad, angry and happy.
I adore Ellie and also the character of Kayla. Well rounded characters and an ending you never see coming!
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Last House on the Street tells a story of a young white girl, Ellie, who rears up against family and friends to follow her heart, in the 1970's to join other college kids working to get Black eligible folks to register to vote. As time goes by Ellie knows what she is doing is so needed and she makes new friends and realizes these are the people she loves and wants to be with. As an adult she comes back home to take care of family only to find how much hate they have for the things she had done. I was so struck with emotions during this story, so very good!

Location, Location.

Moving into a new neighborhood can be a tricky thing when someone doesn’t want you to.

It’s 2010 and Kayla had a mysterious woman come unannounced to her office warning her off moving into her new house. A modern masterpiece SHE designed to her specifications. Why would she not want to live there?

Well, let’s see.

To do that, we have to go back to 1965 and explore Ellie’s family and a program called SCOPE. Ellie has developed a passion for community service and decides that she’s joining a volunteer group to sign up Black voters in rural areas. It’s a different time and she’s taking a stand for equality.

These two stories are connected but I don’t want to say more as the discovery was eye opening and you will want to experience it for yourself. A heartfelt book full of longing for a better world, I was taken with the subject matter and the dedication of the characters. In particular, it was fun to read about this period in the sixties which I remember, but I was too young to participate beyond being a kid.

I can’t believe that I’ve never read this author before!

Thank you to NetGalley, Diane Chamberlain, and St. Martin’s Press for my electronic review copy set to publish on January 11, 2022

The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain was an excellent read told in two different times. I enjoyed the characters and the story line. Highly recommend.

A fantastic page turner ! This is a favorite author and this book is a exciting new release you will not want to put down. Told in two timelines the mystery deepens between each timelines as the author weaves a well crafted suspenseful story with great charcters. This is a book to read when you need a escape . I loved the atmospheric setting which added to the mystery. A not to be missed read. Very well done to the author.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher. My review opinions are my own. A 5 star book .

We move back and forth from 1965 to 2010 America.

1965: We learn about the SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education) program and meet Ellie who leaves to help with getting folks registered to vote through this program.

Ellie’s family is not happy she will be doing this, and her boyfriend Reed Miller is definitely not happy, but he lets her go.

2010: We meet Kayla who along with her husband designed and built a huge house in a new development but whose husband fell to his death while the house was under construction.

A few days before Kayla is to move into her home, even though she doesn’t want to move in now that her husband is dead, a woman comes to her office and tells her to not move into that house and says she feels like killing someone.

Kayla does move into the house, though, with her father’s encouragement even though she finds out from a letter in her husband’s things that her father suggested they not build there.

An unknown surprise also awaits Kayla a few houses down from her new home. She meets Ellie who has no reaction when Kayla tells her that Reed Miller is her father.

What a connection after all these years between Reed and Ellie.

And wonder what happened on this street that has people saying the woods are haunted?

When threats start happening, Kayla wonders why she moved here.

Maybe she shouldn’t have built a house here. Maybe the woods are haunted.

Back to 1965:

We follow Ellie as she does the canvassing with the group and as she tries to keep out of any trouble.

I never knew of this organization or the danger the members were in.

Ahead to 2010:

We see Kayla and Ellie interact and feel the tension when Kayla’s father’s name is mentioned again. She has to find out what it means.

When Kayla meets Brenda, her warning about not living in her new house is chilling but she defends her choice to move in.

THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET is an emotional, heartbreaking, well-researched, educational read.

Another book historical fiction fans will not want to miss with shocking ending revelations. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.