What a thrilling, gripping read that brings something fresh to the genre. I adored this, and hope to read more from Chris Merritt soon. Thank you for the e-arc.

Freya and Jack buy a new home and have grand plans of doing it up into their forever home, Freya pictures the house completed and building a family with Jack. Not long after moving in she meets Emily who lives across the road with her daughter and husband Michael. Freya is over the moon she has found a wonderful friend in Emily and spends many hours with her, she now has someone she can talk to and confide in. But 4 months after this friendship develops Emily and Thea vanish. Freya becomes obsessed with Emily's disappearance and believes her husband Michael has something to do with it. I have read books from Chris Merritt before and loved them. I really enjoyed this book and was busily turning the pages as Freya searches for the truth of what happened to Emily and Thea. The characters were well developed and the story had a strong plot that draws you in. The ending was a surprise as I did not guess who did it, you will have to read the book to see what is in store for Freya and Jack's future. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A couple move into a new house which should be about fresh paint and fresh starts. However, questionable things quickly start to unfold with the neighbours leaving them in the middle of a mystery and a missing persons inquiry . This was an entertaining, run-of-the-mill suspense read. It ticked all the boxes for a cosy read, however, it didn’t quite stoke enough of a desire to really dig deep into it and get carried away.

⭐⭐⭐.3
Freya Northcott and her fiancé Jack have just bought a home on Sunningdale Road in London’s suburb of Weybridge. The home is definitely a ‘fix-it-upper’ ~ not a new house but yes! A new home as the title indicates!
The price has been reduced 3 times so is finally in their reach. Freya is a visionary ~ good at imagining things ~ psychologists call it ‘visual thinking’ so she loves the idea of renovating.

Jack is a Cardiologist and has accepted a position at St Peter’s Hospital. Freya makes documentary presentations and can work from home so is delighted to have a friendly neighbor. Well one friendly neighbor, Emily greets them with a welcome bottle of champagne. Cathy the elderly woman lives on the other side greets them with an open door and a fire heating water for tea however she is nowhere around. She does warn them to be careful of the other neighbor.
Emily, her 5 ½ year old daughter and Michael invite Freya and Jack to dinner which turns out somewhat strange as the menfolk don’t get along at all! Actually neither of these men is all that likeable with their nasty language. Michael was immediately unlikeable. I wanted to like Jack but he was making it difficult.

Freya and Emily become fast friends and are often chatting over a glass of wine.
Until Detectives Henderson and Willis stop by to ask Freya some questions and inform her that Emily and her daughter Thea are missing!

Freya has done documentaries, in fact, won an award for her documentary on ‘Gender-based violence’ in other words domestic abuse and fears this may be the cause of Emily and Thea’s disappearance.
She decides to snoop around her neighbor’s backyard which, of course, is trespassing. I find myself yell ‘hurry get back to your own yard’!

I read enough psychological thrillers ~ so I know four things:
> Be suspicious of everyone
> Expect twists and twist and turns
> The most obvious person didn’t do it!
> There will probably be some secrets!

When I stated this I was sure it was going to be a WOW read!
True it was a crazy twisted ride that kept me reading.
Freya’s vivid imagination had me totally expecting the worst!

I wanted to give this a higher rating but my problem is I have a low tolerance for f-bombs ~ these characters certainly were at my tolerance level!

Want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 7, 2021.

I recieved this book for free from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the mystery, suspense aspect of this story. Its a good thriller.

Heres, what I liked about the book. I really enjoyed the base story. A woman, Freya and her fiancé Jack, moved in next door to a family, Michael, Emily and their daughter Thea. Everything seems perfect with them until they are invited over for dinner and see that things between Michael and Emily aren't at all what they seem. Some days later, Emily and her daughter are missing and the husband seems to be hiding something. The truth is much darker and I truly enjoyed and did not see the twist ending coming. I felt the pacing was nice and the suspense literally had me turning the pages quickly. It took me about 3 hours to read this book. The felt like I got to know the characters and I was really happy with the ending. I felt it wrapped up nicely.

All in all, it comes down to the story for me. I did enjoy the mystery, suspense aspect of the story was great. I literally was on the edge of my seat and could not stop reading. I was determined to find out what happened to Emily and her daughter.. I honestly don't know if Ill read anything from this author again but I'm thankful I got the chance to review this book.

I didn’t love this story but I didn’t hate it either. This is one of those books that is stretched out to the point that it becomes annoyingly long when it would have been a juicier story if it had cut out the lagging parts that just make you roll your eyes anyway.

When I say "Twist" then you say "turn!" "Twist!" "Turns!" This was such a fun, twisty read. When disappearances are not taken seriously, Freya takes it in her own hands. I saw Freya as unreliable which was so much fun to interpret.

When Freya and her husband move into their new home, she is delighted to quickly makes friends with her new neighbour Emily who lives with her lovely little girl, as well as her husband Michael, who Freya isn't quite as keen on. Then, not long after the friendship between the women starts to grow, Freya is shocked to hear that Emily and her daughter have vanished. She quickly suspects Emily's husband Michael and is determined to find out what happened that night they disappeared. When it seems the police are unwilling to find Emily and her daughter, Freya becomes more determined to search for the truth, whatever it takes. But could she be putting herself in danger by pursuing the truth? And could there be other suspects in the case? Will the truth come out?

I absolutely loved this gripping psychological thriller. I was kept turning the pages of the thrilling story until it reached its shocking and brilliant ending. With great twists and turns, tense moments, and a selection of intriguing characters, I really recommend this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of the book in return for my honest feedback.

Picked the New Home up to read a few pages and wound up reading late into the night.There we’re twists turns tense moments.Characters that really came alive.I will be recommending.#netgalley #bookouture

The New Home was a very entertaining and gripping read. Every time I thought I had figured out something, there would be a new twist, making me question all that I thought I knew. It got a bit long towards the end; however, I did appreciate that nothing was left unsettled. There were no plot holes; everything that was included was included for a reason. Once you start, you won't want to put it down!

I just finished reading "The New Home", by Chris Merritt. It is a psychological thriller about a young woman and her fiance who move into a new neighborhood. The main character, Freya, befriends her next door neighbor who promptly disappears along with her young daughter. The entire book is dedicated to finding out what happened to Emily and her daughter.
Along the way, there are several smaller mysteries like, has Freya's husband met Emily before, what's the deal with Emily's husband Michael, and the older neighbur, who is always saying things to confuse Freya, and the reader as well.
While I liked the twists and turns, especially the mysterious excerpts from Emily's stalker, quite often I felt like I was reading about things that weren't important to the story. There were almost too many red herrings in the book, and after a while I found myself skimming the pages entirely. The author whould put an idea into the book and then completely turn it around or disregard it completely.
Another part I didn't like was that the stalker's motives were never really revealed, and when I found out who the stalker was, it made no sense to me. I couldn't think of a reson why he/she was the stalker.
Without revealing too much, the ending was not as satisfying as I wanted it to be. I felt amost cheated by the way it was ended because it wasn't plausible. All of a sudden everyone is happy and normal when throughout the book they are written to appear unstable and shady. I didn't think it matched what happened throughout the story.
I would like to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. Happy Reading Everyone!

The New Home
by Chris Merritt
I enjoyed the book. I LOVED the cover. Freda has had a vivid imagination and would not stop snooping. I didn't feel anyone was sane in the end. Just know, it was a very good read.

Really did enjoy this book it was different and my first by this author. I read this in one suggestion as I wanted to know how it ended, yes they were right they were lots of twists and turns. Not going to go into more detail as will spoil things.
But it is definitely worth the read. I really did want to shake many of the characters

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

Twists that I didn't see coming. Was such a great book that pulled you into the storyline until the very end.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

A good read, with plenty of twists and turns and my first by this author. I really enjoyed if so will look out for more.

A fun and well written psychological thriller with a shady cast of characters. This was the first Chris Merritt book I’ve read, and I wasn’t sure what to expect given his choice to narrate from a female perspective. However, Merritt manages to pull it off without making this female reader cringe too much. The end result is a quick read that you won’t want to put down.

Our main character (Freya) has just purchased a new home with her fiance (Jack). Four months later their neighbour (Emily) and her daughter (Thea) are missing. Freya seems to be the only person who is overly concerned and her quest to find answers leads her down a somewhat obsessive rabbit hole. Mix in an elderly neighbour with early signs of dementia, Emily’s suspicious husband, a seemingly bored police force, and you have yourself a vigilante style investigation.

I wouldn’t say this book has any earth shattering twists and turns, but it will keep you reading and the resolution is not overly obvious. I enjoyed it and will definitely read another Chris Merritt book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture, and the author for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can see more of my reviews here:
https://thebooknerd679462600.wordpress.com/2021/07/22/the-new-home-by-chris-merritt/

Freya and fiancé, Jack have found what they hope is their forever home in a quiet street on the outskirts of London. It might need a bit of work but that's ok and their new next door neighbours seem lovely. The couple and their little girl live in a beautiful home enjoying a life Freya can only hope to emulate but, one ordinary day, Emily and daughter Thea are gone.

Feeling no one is taking the disappearances seriously and suffering from her own private tragedy Freya throws herself into finding out what really happened to her friend. Wth Jack and the police convinced she is getting in over her head Freya feels more alone by the day but are her worse case scenarios anywhere close to what really happened or could it actually be something she can’t imagine.

Chris Merritt is a master at drawing readers into his series of novels and not letting them leave thankfully this standalone thriller is no different. Freya is a woman whose thoughts have a habit of taking over and to begin with they are a little intrusive as her vivid imagination is working overtime!

This is a novel that surprises, it lays things out before changing everything you thought was happening into something completely different. I was forever second guessing myself and, without spoilers, sometimes there are very ordinary reasons for things which seem suspicious. Of course that isn't always the case and there are some surprises which shocked both the books characters and me!

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the opinions expressed are my own. Overall I have enjoyed the series by this author a little more but this is still an excellent, thought provoking read.

When I first chose this book, I chose it for the description. The mystery of a missing person and her daughter. A husband who isn't what he seems and the possibility that he's a murderer.

First, what I liked about the book. I really enjoyed the base story. A woman, Freya and her fiancé Jack, moved in next door to a family, Michael, Emily and their daughter Thea. Everything seems perfect with them until they are invited over for dinner and see that things between Michael and Emily aren't at all what they seem. Some days later, Emily and her daughter are missing and the husband seems to be hiding something. The truth is much darker and I truly enjoyed and did not see the twist ending coming. I felt the pacing was nice and the suspense literally had me turning the pages quickly. It took me about 3 hours to read this book. The felt like I got to know the characters and I was really happy with the ending. I felt it wrapped up nicely.

So here's what I didn't like. I felt there was a little too much feminist rhetoric and male bashing. Times where the character talks about how men never listen and how her fiancé felt he was entitled to dinner every night like she was some kind of 1950s housewife. Comments like "women are called stubborn when they stand up for themselves but men are called self-assured". First off, not all women subscribe to these types of tropes. I am in my 40's, I am a stay at home mom to three kids. I chose to be the 1950's style housewife and its a tad offensive to be seen as somehow less of a person because I chose that role. Maybe this wasn't the authors intent but that's what i took from it. I also didn't care for the perpetuation that if a woman does report her rape that she will always be ignored. I think what bothers me the most about these comments is that women can behave in the same way but that is often overlooked or completely ignored. There are many times I do not listen to my husband, but just nod and say okay. Women do kill other women, maybe not at the same rate but it does happen. In todays world of forced feminism the idea that women are told they are stubborn when they do stand up for themselves, I believe is just a lie. I have a daughter and have never once thought that or said that too her.

All in all, it comes down to the story for me. I did enjoy the mystery, suspense aspect of the story was great. I literally was on the edge of my seat and could not stop reading. I was determined to find out what happened to Emily and her daughter.. I honestly don't know if Ill read anything from this author again but I'm thankful I got the chance to review this book.

Had a few books to read before this one but put this to the top of the pile. The cover drew me in along with the description. This was my first book by this author but definitely won’t be my last!
Wow!!! Wow!!!! Wow!!! This book is a total page turner and will keep you guessing with every page. Halfway through I thought I had it figured out and then BAM! The ending floored me... I just loved this book. If you are looking for a good mystery with twists and turns then you will enjoy this one! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What do you do when a neighbor who has become a friend suddenly disappears along with her daughter? Well read Chris Merritt's new novel The New Home and find out. This book has many twists and turns and had me guessing until the bitter end. These are the kind of thriller I love to read. Freya and Jack move away from family and friends so Jack can take a new job. Once in their new fixer upper Freya becomes friends with neighbor Emily and her daughter Thea, until one day they both disappear. This spine tingling story has Freya frantically trying to find out what became of her friend and daughter. She sets up a web page for them and starts getting various messages from people who tell Freya to beware of Emily's husband Michael. Did he have anything to do with their disappearance. Freya's other neighbor Cathy told her that a fancy man came and visited Emily during the week.Is he involved, but Cathy's mind wanders so Freya doesn't know who to believe. Then there is Jack, Freya's fiance who acts very funny when he is first introduced to Emily. Do they have a past that Freya doesn't know about and what secret is Freya hiding from Jack. The author writes characters that are very complex and very dark. Anyone of them can be killers. The spine tingling story has the reader thinking one thing and on the next page you are thinking something totally different. The ending was not what I expected at all.. My only complaint was that it took a very long time to get to the crux of the story. Other than that I give it five stars. Chris Merritt is a new author for me and I am sure to be looking at his other writing. Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for approving me to read this ARC. So happy you did.