This story is told through alternating timelines. The past takes us to social activism to secure rights of blacks to vote. The present follows the story of a young new widow as she and her daughter struggle to find roots in the spacious home built and planned by her husband. The characters overlap and mystery from both timelines intersects. As answers are uncovered in each timeline the reader finds connection. Can a new beginning heal past wounds? Are we ever truly healed from tragedy? These are just a couple questions considered in this novel.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC. This is my honest review.

This novel was a surprising twist on a thriller with some romance thrown in. I loved how the novel followed both Kayla in 2010 and Ellie in 1965 and how their lives intertwine. Not only did the threats and fear of the woods for Kayla keep me intrigued, but the story of Ellie and her involvement in the civil rights movement kept me equally intrigued and waiting to read the next chapter. The book was very well written, filled with thrill, suspense, love, heartbreak, and devastation. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves suspense and doesn't mind a little history while you're at it.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you for advanced copy of this highly anticipated new story from Diane Chamberlain. This was my first experience with Diane Chamberlain and I can see why so many love her books! A dual timeline; The Last House on the Street follows Kayla in 2010 after the unexpected loss of her husband and Ellie's life in 1965 as a college student. I was immediately drawn to Ellie's timeline as part of the SCOPE project. I had never heard of SCOPE before and I really appreciate the thorough and thoughtful detail included in Ellie's story line. Suspenseful and full of history, The Last House on the Street was exactly what I was looking for!

While difficult to read at time it was so masterfully written I couldn’t stop. I loved the hope and resiliency within the story. Diane is a great author and her writing drew me in as a reader. My heart was in my throat so many times I almost had to put the book down it was so immersive.

Thank you @NetGalley for the ARC! This was one of my favorite Diane Chamberlain books. It had a little bit of everything in it. I couldn’t put it down! I thought it was beautifully written. It was definitely a heartbreaking story, but would 100% recommend it to people.

This is a story of our two main characters Kayla and Ellie. Kayla's story is told during 2010 shortly after the death of her husband while building their dream home. Ellie's set about fifty years in the past during the Civil Rights Movement.
First the characters Kayla and Ellie were both characters that I identified with very strongly. I though that both of these characters were developed so well. I also enjoyed all of the secondary and side characters that we got to see from both of the timelines.
The atmosphere was almost another character in my opinion. I thought that the spooky vibes from the forest were done in a way that had me guessing the whole time what was up with the area. I loved seeing how the forest evolved as we learned more through out the story.
Ms. Chamberlain's writing is engaging and compulsively readable. I read this book within twenty-four hours and I never wanted to put it down because the writing kept me hooked the whole time.
I felt like the plot moved at a decent pace and there were never any lulls for me. I also think that the logistics of how everything played out was done in a way that had me as a reader on the edge of my seat but also left me with a satisfying ending of the story.
My enjoyment of my reading experience was top notch I really hope that this becomes a movie because I would love to see everything brought to life.

I want to give a big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing novel.

1965 in Round Hill, North Carolina is a good place to live for a proper Southern woman, but Ellie Hockley wants to be more than what is expected of her. As a college student with a boyfriend in good social standing, the last thing that anyone expects is for Ellie to volunteer to register black voters. Will her part in the battle for civil rights change Ellie's standing and put a target on her back?

2010 was supposed to be a good year for architect Kayla Carter and her husband. In the midst of building their dream home in Round Hill, Kayla’s husband dies in an accident on the property. The woods and lake behind the house are reputed to be haunted and Kayla soon realizes that she is in danger by those who seek to keep secrets hidden. Will her mysterious neighbor, Ellie Hockley, be able to shed some light on the past?

I usually like Diane Chamberlain's storytelling and characterization, but this book is not as successful for me. The alternating plot lines between past and present serve only to take the reader out of the story, fracturing the connection. I do like both Ellie and Kayla, but their separate stories are a bit too long winded and sluggish. The author telegraphs the ending too much, taking away from the mystery into what transpired in the past. Overall, The Last House on the Street does not bring anything special or unique to the genre and is an average read for me.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Last House on the Street by NetGalley and the publisher. The decision to read and review this book was entirely my own.

Diane Chamberlain is a master storyteller, weaving timelines seamlessly and she does it again with The Last House on the Street. Kayla Carter's husband dies in an accident but she knows she has to be strong for their daughter and move into the dream home they had been building before his untimely death. The neighbors are not particularly pleased with the single mom moving in. One woman warms her NOT to do it and says that moving in would be dangerous. Another resident of the community, Ellie, welcomes Kayla with open arms but immediately we know, she has a past that's waiting to be discovered!
Chamberlain tells the story in dual timelines and she has a gift for this. She does it well. This story explores racial issues and a broken, unchanging American political system. It's hard when you prefer one timeline over the other and I preferred the story told in the past. Chamberlain takes on difficult topics but does it so well.
4 stars

Another hauntingly beautiful masterpiece by Diane Chamberlain! I’ve come to really enjoy her writing style - historical fiction with dual timelines. And with a brilliantly genius hand, she weaves these two timelines together in a way that explodes bigger than any 4th of July fireworks show when they finally intersect.

You have Ellie in 1965 as she finds her way to becoming a civil rights activist by joining the Scope program to help minorities register to vote. Her personal growth and how she stands up for what she believes is right (against her family’s wishes and even her entire town’s wishes) is inspirational. And it’s a theme I feel a lot of people can resonate with these days. The manner in which the author handles some very sensitive and heart wrenching subjects is simply impressive. On a personal note, I very much appreciated learning a new aspect of this time in history I didn’t know much about. This is the stronger of the two timelines, but I feel like it had to be to set the stage for what eventually happens (not wanting to give any spoilers here).

Then you have Kayla in 2010 who has built this incredible house with her husband Jackson. She’s trying to figure out how to put the pieces of her life back together for her daughter after they tragically lose Jackson in a horrible accident. Yet all of these events start happening making her question if this new house is truly their dream home. When this timeline finally comes together with Ellie’s, it’s in a way I didn’t see coming.

I was captivated from the very beginning. This is a book that draws you in and you can’t put down. You feel the love and the pain, the anger and the excitement, the curiosity and the fear, the joy and the grief. You feel everything these characters go through. This book explores the delicate lines of prejudice, racism, betrayal, and trust while layering in love, hope, friendship and survival.

This book is the complete package!! Check it out! I get so excited when a new Diane Chamberlain book comes out and she never disappoints!

My thanks to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An interesting story is historical fiction about the Scope Project which I was not familiar with. There are dual timelines which is similar to another book I read by this author that I enjoyed. Overall well written book.

It took me awhile to get around to reading The Last House on the Street, but I’m so glad I finally made the time for picking it up. The first few chapters started a little slow, setting up the story and teasing some secrets, then it was just full gas. It was well plotted, well paced, and very engaging with some heavier subject matter. A powerful alternating-timeline about the civil rights movement set in North Carolina in 1965 and the devastating fallout still resonating in the same community in 2010.

This story blends past and present seamlessly to tell a story of social justice, moving on, and personal growth during tough times. The racial issues mixed with a mystery made for an un-put-downable story.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Diane Chamberlain is an auto-read author for me. I look forward to her latest release every year. The Last House on the Street did not disappoint. I loved how the past and present were woven together through the pages. And as usual, Diane's ability to write about important subject matters delicately but also intricately and accurately, was spot on.

4.5 out of 5 stars - highly recommend!

I really enjoyed this book - a wonderful, gripping story with complex characters. Diane Chamberlain is masterful at flawlessly weaving together the past and present in a way that keeps readers engaged!

Thank you to Diane Chamberlain, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

#NetGalley #thelasthouseonthestreet

Always excited for a new release by this author. She tackles important social issues, through a mystery and utilizing a past and present day dual timeline.

This time a young widow, Kayla is having misgivings about moving into the new house where her husband died tragically. When she is warned off by a mysterious stranger, her questions multiply. And what connections does her neighbor, Ellie have to her property.

As often happens with dual timelines, I find myself more invested in the past story, and this was no exception. The author explores the civil right initiative encouraging Blacks to register to vote and the danger of an interracial relationship in the early 60's. I do have some misgivings about a white author tackling this particular subject matter, but found, once again I learned through a fictional story.

Thanks to the author, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the complimentary digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I was really hoping for more from this book. I almost felt if I was reading two books combined into one. Ellie’s story was fascinating and I wanted more while Kayla’s story was missing something and sort of boring.
Had high hopes for a fantastic read but just didn’t live up to it in my opinion.

Diane Chamberlain is one of my favorite authors. I anxiously anticipate the release of her next book. THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET was no exception, I was excited to start reading. For the first time I was not instantly captivated by a Chamberlain book.

Slow start; I put this book down and picked it up numerous times before I knew I was going to finish it.

It's a dual timeline that alternates between 1965 and Ellie's story and 2010 and Kayla's story. I enjoyed the 1965 story more.. It involved the civil rights movement, bigotry and the Ku Klux Klan.. It was a very emotional story, I was invested in it.

Not my favorite Chamberlain book but a solid read. I highly recommend it, especially to anyone interested in the civil rights movement.

Diane Chamberlain does it again! I have read a few of her books, but this is by far my favorite. Add this to your TBR list.

The characters were so well defined I felt like I was actually a part of the book!
This story really made me think while I was away from reading. I considered perspectives that never crossed my mind before! You will enjoy this book if you are interested in human rights, morals, ethics and beliefs. I found myself questioning what I would have said, or done, throughout the book.

Diane Chamberlain is an amazing author and this book was no different. I love the back and forth timeline from past to present, and the way the stories intersect is wonderful. There are happy and sad moments during the book, but I highly recommend!