The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain is a wonderfully written haunting novel that takes place in two different timelines, intercepting back and forth. Based in North Carolina and includes sensitive racial issues. The mystery isn’t revealed until the end. Loved this book!

Diane Chamberlain, has always been an auto-buy author for me. I was super excited to have been given the opportunity to read and review The Last House on the Street prior to the January 11, 2022 release date. I know that as soon as this book hits the shelves I will be buying it to add to my Chamberlain collection!

The Last House on the Street is not only haunting but also instantly engaging. From the minute I started reading I knew this would be an instant favorite. That is the thing about Chamberlain, she knows how to grab your attention early on and keep you wanting and begging for more.

Kayla's husband was in the process of building their dream house when he was tragically killed in an accident. Having shared a four year old daughter together, Kayla knows she has to stay strong.

Kayla is then confronted by a mysterious older woman who tries to warn Kayla not to move into the home. As Kayla contemplates the decision, she almost decides against it wondering what this woman actually knows about the property. As Kayla decides to move into the once proclaimed "Dream Home", she is greeted by an incredibly friendly neighbor, Ellie Hockley. Something just is not sitting right, what is Ellie up to and is she trying to right her previous wrongs? You will have to read The Last House on the Street to find out!

This was an easy five star read for me, as all of Chamberlain's books are. Told from two different points of view, this story is nothing short of incredible. Filled with family secrets and a few twists, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel from start to finish. I would highly recommend this book .

This was a stunning genre-crosser: A thriller, civil rights novel, and bildungsroman all in one. It's harrowing and I probably wouldn't re-read it, but wholeheartedly recommend if you need a novel to get lost in.

I don't know how to describe this book and what it did to me. It's heartbreaking, infuriating, and honestly mind-blowing that in 2021, these types of crimes and discrimination, bigotry, intolerance, and ignorance are still happening! This will stay with me for a very long time.

Nobody should ever have to hide their love. Nobody should have to fear violence because they love someone of another race.

This quote at the beginning of the book is so accurate: "Violence is the weapon of the weak." -Ralph
Abernathy.

This is such a heart-felt book (like all of Chamberlain's) and I couldn't put it down! Going back and forth between 1964/5 and 2010, she weaves the story of Ellie, a young white girl committed to the Civil Rights movement, and Kayla, who moves into the area where all the controversy emerged. It's often painful to read as we see the KKK burning crosses and lynching but it reminds us of our history and how we are responsible for events that transpired. The best thing, however, is redemption at the end when Ellie and Kayla's lives intersect and the truth finally has come out. It's a powerful and moving story of our history which should remind us not to repeat it!

The Last House on the Street”. It’s a page turner told in duel time lines. (1965 and 2010).
Both storylines are emotionally powerful and intimate….and blend beautifully together. The 1965 timeline is about the program called SCOPE-Summer Community Organization and Political Education Projects. Many White Volunteers spent the Summer, living with Black host families so they could canvas their neighborhoods and educate them on the importance of registering to VOTE, and following through with their vote on Election Day. 2010 tells about architects, that designed their dream home, and built it on a prime lot, nestled in the Woods of the new Shadow Ridge subdivision, on the outskirts of Round Hill in North Carolina. At first you wonder how these timelines work out together. With an engaging writing style, Diane chamberlain brings the past and present together quite nicely. I was only 5 in 1965 and don’t recall much of the KKK, but understand how we got from then to now.

#netgalley

Delving between the pages of “The Last House on the Street,” I thought I knew what to expect going in, but, boy, have I never been so glad to be so very wrong! Because the further in I delved, the more I realized that I had discovered a welcomed yet disturbing and heartbreaking surprise!! It’s a story that really resonates (given our current cultural state) and one that will stay with me for a long time to come.

A gripping mystery built upon a foundation of historical relevance, the narrative unfolds through a dual storyline, slowly pulling back the veil on a forbidden love and its ensuing consequences. It’s a suspenseful and beautifully tragic story that will continue to haunt readers well after the last page is read.

Kudos to author, Diane Chamberlain, for tackling such a divisive subject matter and presenting it in a fictious package with such masterful skill. This is my first Diane Chamberlain book to date, but it certainly won’t be my last.

This story is told in two timelines. Ellie grows up in 1965 and is involved in the civil rights struggle. Kayla move in to a new house on the end of the street in 2010. Someone is trying to get Kayla to leave the house she designed with her late husband. The two stories converge in 2010 with startling results.

This is a very interesting story. You will learn about the civil rights movement and trying to get people to registered to vote in the South. The KKK was very active in this time period. The students trying to register people and seen as trying to change a way of life in the South. This has tragic consequences. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it. It is a though provoking read.

Thank you to #netgalley, @DianeChamberlain, and @StMartinsPress for a copy of this book.

Wow!! This book was SO good. It was a great mix of historical fiction, mystery, social justice and a little bit of romance. The book is told through two timelines: 2010 and 1965. As part of this book took place during the civil rights movement, in the south, you will read about how poorly some of the characters were treated. This hatred made my heart hurt, but it was also so real and raw. I quickly fell in love with Ellie’s character. Her courage and determination to fight for what’s right when her close circle was against her was inspiring. Diane Chamberlain books never disappoint and this one will stick with me for a while. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC. Pub date: 1/11/22

I enjoy Diane Chamberlain's books, I was eager and enthusiastic to read ARC.
Then I dove in and became immersed in 2 storylines -
1965 and 2010; both very different, but lead to a great story!
It was hard to put book down, yet hard to read, I was captivated.
There are so many emotions that this book stirred, especially the 1965 timeline.


I want to read this book again, I do not want to forget a thing. Very powerful book!

I want everyone to read this book, so we can talk about it!!

Kayla gets an unexpected visitor as her work. The older woman knows a lot about her and her family. She is unsettled and concerned for her and her families safety. Her husband had passes away recently and she was unsure about moving into the house where he died. Her new neighbor Ellie has a connection to the town and maybe even Kayla. Kayla is left with tons of questions and little answers. The Last House on the Street is told from dual storylines that weave the past into the present. This story is thrilling, exciting and full of forbidden love.

I want to read this again. And again. Then put it in every Americans hands as a requirement.
Thank you Diane Chamberlain for this thoughtful, inspiring dual POV story told from past and present views. It was a heartbreaking story of love, love lost, race, history, woman empowerment, southern rituals, friendship and family.
A must read…

Loved this book! I stayed up late saying "one more chapter" or "10 more minutes" untilI I finished it in the early hours of the morning.

This was the story of two different women and how their lives come together.

One story takes place in the 60's and revolves around race relations. It is the story of family, of love, of romance. It provides such vivid descriptions of the race inequality and the effort to get black people to vote. It was moving and it was sad and it was sweet.

The other story takes place in 2010. A single mother who was widowed adjusts to living in a new house. Sounds tame enough, but her story is about friendship and mystery and hope and family and friendship.

I truly enjoyed both stories and couldn't wait to see how the two stories would come together. I do have to admit I really liked the current story, but LOVED the one from the past.

I have read and loved all of this authors books and this was no exception. Thank you to the author, the publisher and #netgalley for the ARC which did not impact my review.

4.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

Diane Chamberlain, one of my go-to authors, has done it again. With The Last House on the Street, she has crafted another intriguing family drama laced with mystery and set in an important historical era. This fast-paced read held my interest all the way, and I read it in record time (for me).

The story is primarily set in North Carolina in dual timelines. Our protagonists are Ellie during 1965 and her boyfriend Reed’s daughter Kayla in 2010. Ellie has a keen interest in civil rights. In 1965, as a 20-year-old, she joins a group whose mission is to canvass Black neighborhoods encouraging the people to register to vote. In 2010 Kayla has just moved into her self-designed dream house with her young daughter after the untimely death of her young husband. The house is the last house on the street that Ellie grew up on. There is something unsettling about Kayla’s new home and the woods it abuts. They seem to be haunted. I was equally interested in both threads throughout most of the novel though the 1965 tale grabbed me more towards the end. Of interest, many of the same characters take part in both timelines.

Several mysterious happenings are weaved together to make this a compelling read. Ms. Chamberlain even throws in yet another mystery at 91%. I was unable to guess the outcome of anything until everything was revealed in the closing chapters. The story is full of family strife, suspense, and traumatic events. Themes include rascism, hatred, tragedy, betrayal, friendship, love, healing, and hope.

I must admit my knowledge base has a big gap when it comes to the civil rights struggles back in the 1960s. Ms. Chamberlain clearly did her research as she wrote the 1965 timeline showing us up close what those civil rights efforts were like. Things were very harrowing for the volunteers as well as for the southern Black population. I soaked up the knowledge like a sponge and learned a lot. This is a trademark of the Chamberlain books I have read. She always has as background an intriguing well-researched historical aspect that I never fail to learn from.

This book has a lot of heart and a hopeful ending. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I want to thank Net Galley, Ms. Erica Martirano of St. Martins Press, and Ms. Diane Chamberlain for an advanced copy of the book. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

The Last House On The Street
Loved this novel. It was hard to put it down. The story is told in dual time frames, in 1965 and in 2010. In 1965, Ellie gets involved in the civil rights movement, working during the summer to persuade black people to register to vote prior to Lyndon Johnson signing the Voting Rights act. This is the South in the 1960’s where prejudice runs deep. Ellie’s family is against her work and try to dissuade her every way possible to stop it. When she falls in love with one of her black co-workers, that just could not be tolerated by anyone and has grave consequences.
2010, Kayla moves in to a brand new development literally across from the street from Ellie’s childhood home. She is discouraged by a strange person not to move into that house and strange things are happening.
It is a heartbreaking story, and eventually the reader finds out the connection between the two time frames.
This novel made me think, that although we have come a long way since the 1960’s, yes we had a black President, but lot of the prejudices are still alive, there is no equality for blacks and lately we hear more and more trying to suppress the very votes, they fought so hard for.
Overall, definitely a five star book.
Thanks NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the advanced copy.

I am a big fan of Diane Chamberlain and read all of her books. The Last House on the Street is very good, but not one of her best.

This one will probably sit with me for a while. The author really doubled down on the hate and vitriol that some people can carry around and the naivete of one of the main povs (Ellie) in thinking that NC didn't have deeply racist roots. I was less invested in the current storyline than the one of Ellie and SCOPE but they came together in the most heartbreaking and disappointing and anger inducing way. This is the recent past and really highlights how far we haven't come in the last several decades even with all the progress we do have. also Mrs Hockley with her "they know their place" and empty soul is the vilest character I've had this displeasure of reading about in recent memory. And just bc I'm disgusted with the storyline, that's not bc the writing and plot and characters weren't compelling. They are. This IS American history and needs to be remembered. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Diane Chamberlain's novels never disappoint and The Last House on the Street is no exception. Beautifully written and captivating, it is impossible to put this book down.

Ellie is a young woman in the 1960s who lives a privileged life in the South. She becomes an activist in the Civil Rights movement, much to the dismay of her family and friends. The violence and bigotry that she is exposed to during her crusade for voter's rights leads her to make many brave and life-changing decisions.

Kayla is an architect who is moving into what was once her dream house, before her husband died during its construction in a tragic accident. It is 2010 and Kayla is unaware that the location of her new home holds many buried secrets. As these mysteries begin to reveal themselves, Kayla realizes that her own family may hold a connection to the truths that are uncovered.

Diane Chamberlain has created another touching, suspenseful masterpiece. She provides her readers with an important reminder about our own country in the 1960s and how hard-won the achievements of the Civil Rights movement truly were. This is a five star novel that readers will devour in one sitting.

The best book Ms. Chamberlain has written.

Having grown up in a smàll southern town, and being about the same age as Ellie, I related (sadly) to her story.

The dual timeline was seamlessly done, the research was impeccable, the characters believable and realistic - a pitch perfect novel in every way. With an ending I did not see coming.

Not always easy to read, but important, I think. The sadness was interspersed with some truly beautiful scenes.

I'll be recommending this book to everyone I know.

As with all of Diane Chamberlain's book, you need to clear your calendar before you start this book because you won't want to put it down until the end. Every book she writes becomes my new favorite but since I've given five star reviews to her last five books, she has become a 'must-read' author.

This novel takes place in Round Hill, North Carolina and is filled with characters who are so well written that I felt like I knew them - and for me, I know people in real life who are very similar. This is a dual time-line story with threads in 1969 and 2010. As the threads began to intersect, we feel like we know the characters but there are still stunning revelations that help wrap up the story.

1965 - Ellie lives in Round Hill with her parents and her brother. Her father is a pharmacist and expects her to work with him during her summer break from University of NC. She shocks her family and her best friend, Brenda, when she decides to work for SCOPE (Summer Community Organization and Political Education. 1965-66. This group was filled with mostly northern college students who were working to help blacks in the South get registered to vote) Her family and her boyfriend were not happy with this decision and couldn't really understand WHY she wanted to spend her summer this way. She was one of the few Southerners in the group and when the Ku Klux Klan got involved, her life was in danger. She was strong enough in her beliefs of equality, that she continued working with her small group. She fell in love with one of the Black students from a northern college which shocked her parents and the local Klan membership. After a tragic event, she left NC and moved to California.

2010 - Kayla, her husband and young daughter have built their dream house. When her husband is killed in a construction project, she isn't sure that she wants to move into the new house because his memory exists all over the house. After a stranger threatens her about moving into the house, she is frightened to move but her new friendship with Ellie, who has moved back to take care of her brother and mother help her make the move. The end of the story brought a revelation that I didn't see coming but was absolutely perfect way to end this book.

This is a novel about family, prejudice and violence that didn't end in 1965 but still happen today. Thanks to Diane Chamberlain for another fantastic novel that I won't forget.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book to read and review.