This was a twisty thriller that didn’t end up going where I expected.

Nora, her husband, and her two daughters move from sunny California to New York to get away from their problems, but only find more problems at their new house. Ghost stories, murder mysteries, and creepy boyfriend abound.

My biggest issue is I ended up having so many unanswered questions by the end of the book!

Amazing, twisting story. The perspective changes kept me guessing until the very end. Ghost stories & murders & more ghosts… What secrets do all the deaths inside #104 hold? Is it bad luck, a curse, or something else haunting the families? The one thing I do know, I need to know more. I would like to formally request a follow up book. :)

5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I would definitely be recommending this book to readers on my Instagram bookstagram account.

“The Other Family” is a compelling thriller that sent me on a quest to find the truth amidst all the lies and deception. Everyone was hiding something and I found Nora to be the most secretive. Ms. Staub has given us a creative and thought-provoking storyline with twists and turns, devious characters and an ending that I had to read again to truly understand exactly what had transpired. The author plays mind games with the readers and I found myself wondering if anyone in the book could be trusted.


Nora, the lonely stay-at-home mom, was adrift in a new life and in a new city that was consuming her. She was worried about her daughters, her husband and she missed the life they left behind in California. Nora realized that until she came to terms with her past she couldn’t possibly have the future her family deserved. It seemed that she was constantly looking over her shoulder waiting for a door to slam or a phone to ring. Nora did make friends early on with a family in the neighborhood but they seemed to have a hidden agenda. They loved to gossip and were more than happy to educate Nora’s family about her house and it’s morbid history. Her eldest daughter Stacey, who is my favorite character, was a true crime buff who immediately began to research the history of their new home. What she found was frightening and unbelievable and it was just the tip of the iceberg. Were there clues hidden in their new home that would give them answers or leave them with more questions and restless nights?

A thrilling story told from different points of views. Very twisty with unexpected turns and writing in an amazing style!

Fantastic. The Other Family has such a great suspenseful pace throughout the entire book! I really enjoyed reading the different perspectives, and how the book read as an ticking time bomb ready to explode.

What even just happened?! The Other Family had me guessing right from the start, and wow, was it a good read. I won't lie, I definitely predicted the ending BUT the twists along the way were fabulous.

I love a good family mystery/drama, especially when there's a murder element and hidden identities. It's definitely one of my favorite genres to read and Wendy Corsi Staub definitely nailed it with The Other Family.

The characters were well-developed, and I did feel like I got to know each of them, for the most part. I felt like Keith was a bit of an outlier, but I supposed his character wasn't as important to the plot as others..

Either way, a very solid mystery. 4/5 stars for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow and Custom House for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review,

The writing is 5 stars, hands down. Author Staub has perfected the craft of using prose as immersive art. Beautiful, lyrical, writing.
The story is a page turner.
My reason for only four stars was the abundance of characters. It was difficult to keep them straight. Also, I understand injecting culture trends is part of the novel process, and is handled interestingly here, sometimes with winces (as was the intention), but at times it brings the reader out of one world and into another.
Fair warning: this is a CPD book (Can't Put Down).

“The Other Family”……This book is something special for me for a couple reasons, one because it’s the first book I’ve read in nearly five years. Maybe one other, but during those five years I couldn’t manage to read. Then I came back to the bookish world recently and this was the first book I was granted access to a week before a life changing meeting which was horribly nerve wracking so I needed something. Aha! A good book! To NetGalley I came running and William Morrow…….thank you ‘so’ much! It meant the world and it helped me get through the torturous week I had ahead of me.

Okay, so the story. I really liked it.

I loved the changing characters per chapter

I loved the changing timeline during Nora’s chapters.

I loved that the author so wonderfully kept Nora’s horticulture education sprinkled throughout the story so perfectly. Interesting to read those parts, but thankfully not continually bogged down with pages of horticulture descriptions as filler. No filler needed in this story and there wasn’t any. I was thrilled when a little horticulture teaching was presented without ever leaving the base part of the story for long, then quickly flowed right back into the story seamlessly.

I really liked all the characters and the atmosphere of the house was fantastic. I cannot say that I loved them as in let’s all hug, love and hang out connections.

At one point Nora says something so funny my reaction made it into my “notes” like this; “This line should not ever even be considered for removal! It is a must stay put! If this line is removed this whole story gets one star. Okay, I’m totally kidding about that, however that is a five start sentence”. Sentence below:

It struck me literally lol funny and is doing it again as I look back on it. That five star sentence which must stay put is: “Talking to Heather is like popping popcorn in hot oil without a lid, kernels flying in every direction” *insert a solid row of glowing stars and laughing with tears, emojis*

Then there’s the subtlety of reading a story and a sudden freakish gem of creepy dropped in very unexpectedly. I’m not saying what that gem is, but it damn well sent a shiver through me. I ‘love’ that and this author has perfected those little drops on shivery creepy when you don’t see it coming, I hope everyone knows what I mean as soon as it drops on you while you’re reading this story. Shivers.

Stacey is one of my favorites in this story. All likable characters except for the creepy guy you’ll meet as he’s hanging around being all……..creepy & shtuff

Overall I like this story a lot, buuut this is why it’s taken me so long to write this review…..the down side. The entire story was wonderful, perfect, fantastic, creepy, fun and suspenseful, but the ending *NO SPOILERS HERE* that ending?? I agree with others, what happened to it? All but two characters just dropped off the pages onto the cutting room floor and I’m wondering if Nora juuuust fell down the stairs unconsciousness rendering her unable to end the story so we all know what happened? Maybe she was pushed down the stairs by an evil spirit trying to shut her up? Either way where’s the ending?

That’s where the book just died. The last chapter. It was all so fantastic then black screen. I found myself wishing for pages with an alternate ending like some movies offer.

An okay story can be saved by a killer awesome ending……., but this was a killer awesome story which was crushed by an ending uncertain………I see I’m in a crowd of many who felt the same.

Definitely a great read, but I’m hoping there’s a book two. Please, I’d lurv to know what happened to everyone.

Thank you a million to Willam Morrow and to NetGalley. William Morrow team, you gave me an awesome book and during an excruciating time. I needed a great story and this did not disappoint. Thank you so much!

The Howells are looking for a fresh start as they move from California to Brooklyn. Nora has a husband, 2 teenage daughters, and a dog. They are thrilled to find a brownstone with a nice kitchen and even a backyard! There is always a catch though, there was an unresolved triple murder that occurred in this brownstone. One of the teenage daughters, Stacey, becomes convinced that someone is watching them. Does this tie to the murders somehow?

This was a quick and fun read! I liked the multiple storylines and the way they help the tension high throughout the book. The ending left a few loose ends for me, but overall a very good story.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

What a creepy, suspenseful thrill ride that kept me guessing up until the very end! I love murder mysteries and thrillers and this book checked all of my boxes for a great read in my favorite genre. The storyline held my interest throughout and was a definite page turner. I read this in one day!

The Howell family temporarily relocates from California to New York. Luck is on their side when they find a discounted rental house in a decent neighborhood that was just too good to pass up....or was it? Unsolved murders and one helluva creepy picture haunt this eerie house that is filled with the ghosts and secrets of its past. But the house isn't the only one with secrets...and they're about to become known.

While I really enjoyed this book, I could only give it 4 stars. I was not too happy with the ending. I felt that it was too abrupt and I was left hanging. I would have preferred to have more resolution and more of an explanation. But that's just me and my own opinion.

Thank you to William Morrow and Custom House as well as NetGalley for allowing me digital access to this ARC!

It took me a little while to get into this book but once I did I could not put it down! I was shocked when I got to the first twist that Nora knew about the murders before being told and from then on I was absolutely hooked. There were so many twists in this book with some I guessed and others I didn't see coming. I highly recommend this one.

The Howell family of California has moved into 104 Glover Street. Much to the chagrin of the children, it is much smaller than the home they left behind, but it is just for a year...

Unbeknownst to the family, the house has a dark history; a murder happened many years ago. Actually one member of the family a crime book devotee, knew of its dark past.

The book is filled with tension, and told from several characters' points of view, so the pacing is fast, and you will never know what to expect next.

Fans of Lisa Jewell will love this book. I must admit that I did not love it. some of the characters I found annoying, but all in all a satisfactory read.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of The Other Family by Wendy Corsi Staub from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions. OMG is all I can say! This book was an incredible read from start to finish with so many twists and turns! I loved this! Thank you so much for letting me be able to read this ahead of time.

Nora has a secret and only one person knows it. A sudden move to New York seems to be the answer to their problems. A year away to start a new life is exciting , especially when Nora finds the perfect house -a rare find in New York. But is it?

I LOVE thrillers, and this was one CREEPY thriller!
A family moves cross country to start fresh, but discover that they moved into a house that has an unsolved, triple murder. After they realize the house's history they're all a bit on edge. Are they being followed? Stalked? Or is it just their imagination running wild? If that isn't enough, the whole family is full of their own secrets, and they can't trust one another. Who do you trust when you're not sure your safe?
This is one suspenseful thriller that will not disappoint!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this advanced copy. My opinions are my own.

Short and sweet review time…

I enjoyed this book, and while it has a compelling premise, I just didn’t truly connect with it. The format left me confused with the multiple points of view and each chapter about a different character. It was difficult to keep up and felt a bit disjointed. The ending wasn’t wrapped up nicely, and I had some unanswered questions as I turned the last page. 

I will still read this author in the future as I have always loved her books.

My thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before its January 18, 2022 publication date.

This is another great suspense thriller from Wendy Corsi Staub. I have read all her books and she never fails to keep me entertained with her story telling abilities. I cannot wait to read her next book!!

Excellent story! Totally engrossing!. Looking forward to reading more by this author! Could not put this down!

Y E S. This is how you write a thriller! Not only was I thrown for a loop a few times, but I was genuinely floored at the twist. I'm so thankful to have received this one early!