I really enjoyed this book - first one completed in 2022 so I think the year is off to a great start! The first 50 pages or so were a little frustrating because I wanted more nuggets of the mystery to latch on to....but then once it picked up, I felt that the author did a great job planting seeds and red herrings. While I started to catch on to some of the mystery elements, the full reveal at the end was an excellent surprise for me. I also think this book, while falling into the mystery/psych thriller genre, had a fresh and more elevated style than some of the others that have dominated the market recently. I will definitely recommend this book, and I appreciate NetGalley and the publisher for providing the eARC for my honest review.

A frenzied, tense NYC thriller that you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished it.

MV Rating: 6.5/10
•The Howells have moved to NYC just for the year, and are looking for a fresh start. They soon meet eager neighbors and try to assimilate, but Nora can’t settle in - add in the revelation that a family was killed in their new house, and you’ve got yourself a thriller.
• Told through the lense of Nora (mom), Stacey (daughter), and Jacob (stalker??) there’s a switching chapter style that offers some pretty good whodunit feelings.
•The entire story is based on deception, and I had a hard time connecting the dots in some cases because of the chapter style. There’s also some characters/details that add little to the story itself, so it feels a little fluffy.
•Overall, a good thriller with a surprise twist. It doesn’t get right to the point, but if you can wade into the details, it’s a great read.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC access!

A cross country moves designed to save a family in bit of a crisis leads to even more crisis. A daughter that loves true crime meets a boy that also loves true crime. Finding out that you move into a house in which a murder was committed….. well, it should be priceless. However, not a single character is likeable, and the perspectives jump all over the spectrum. This one was just middle of the road for me. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

This is the first book by this author that I've read. I've seen glowing reviews of many of her books, but for some reason I've never read one until the publisher gave me the opportunity to read an advance copy of this one. Now I understand why she has so many fans. This is a terrific thriller that is dark and twisty and, at times, down right creepy.

Nora and her family have relocated from California to New York City as part of her husband's job. As luck would have it, a house has just come on the market that suits their needs. What they don't know is that a family was murdered in the house years before and it has been vacant ever since. Additionally, an old Victorian "memento mori" picture of parents and their dead daughter hangs on the stairway. Talk about a house with a past.

Told from the perspectives of Nora, daughter Stacey and the mysterious Jacob, the story begins with a neighbor's revelation of the history of the house. Stacey, a true crime affection-ado, immediately begins investigating the murders. and becomes convinced someone is watching her. When she is accosted on the street by a strange man who calls her by the murdered daughter's name, things take a turn to the creepy side. Meanwhile, Nora uncovers an old box containing items of the murdered family that convinces her they were in the witness protection program. Could that be why they were murdered? And who is Jacob and why is he convinced that Stacey is the murdered daughter reincarnated?

This is a suspenseful, psychological story that keeps one wondering what the connections are between Nora, Jacob, Stacey and the murdered family. As the secrets of the residents of the house, both past and present, begin to unfold, the pages go flying by. If you're looking for a great thriller, pick up this book.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the advance copy of this book. The publication date is January 18, 2022.

The Howell family has moved to New York for a job transfer for a year. They felt fortunate to find an available house located at 104 Glover Street in Brooklyn. That is until they found out that a crime had been committed their twenty five years ago leaving a family dead and a killer still at large. Finding out the house has a history has left the family unsettled. Even more unnerving is that someone is watching their every move. Someone thinks he’s seen a ghost and he’ll do most anything to connect with the dead Anna. Everyone is keeping secrets and some of them are whoppers! As the anniversary of the deaths near, things are brought brought to light leaving the reader frantically turning pages until reaching an ending that will leave you breathless!

I wanted to like this one so much! But there were so many characters and everyone had their own chapter, I didn’t like that at all. The book dragged. It took forever to get through.

A family intending to have a fresh start bring a lot more baggage with them than just their suitcases. Unbeknownst to them, their new residence was the site of a unsolved triple murder. 🙄 In addition there is a creeper watching the house and watching them. Add a few secrets, a couple of lies, some family drama, and everything pretty much unravels from there.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

Thank you to Netgalley & William Morrow and Custom House for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This one was a slow build for me. The plot was interesting and characters all likable enough to stay intrigued. If it wasn’t for the huge event at the ending this may have ended up a 2 star instead of a 3 but I’m a sucker for a good ending. I do think it all kinda dragged out a little to much with all the big reveals happening at the end I guess this was a thriller that made me think if you’ve read one thriller you’ve read them all type deal. I would suggest for a reader first beginning in the thriller genre instead of a long time thriller fan unless your just looking for an easy thriller.

I first like to say that I am thankful for the ARC!
I would rate this book a 3.9/5 star! What I did not like about the book is that the ending felt like a cliffhanger and that I needed more from the ending. I was hoping there was an epilogue to tell us what happened after the family found out about the truth and the aftermath, but there was no closer to this part which I felt like the book was lacking. I wished this book was in 1st POV instead of 3rd POV. The book was slightly predictable in my opinion but this may be due to the fact that I really enjoy the genre of thriller/mystery, and I did not mind that it was a bit predictable.
What I enjoyed about the book was about details in the story because the details were well written that I could imagine the scene of the book very vividly. I enjoyed how the book had multiple character's POV and this multiple POV allowed me to understand the character's feelings and experience in a different lens.
I would say that the story felt like it was dragging a bit and the first few pages may be confusing, but the story did get better in the middle!

This is actually a tricky book to review because while it contains elements of a really interesting story, overall I felt that it was somewhat of a let down. For the first half of the book, the characters, as well as the background story seemed to be on an interesting trajectory and I was interested to find out how these separate pieces would come together. However, this is where the book, in my opinion, failed to deliver. Instead, the ending was too neat , as well as being predictable), while other seemingly important story lines were merely dropped.

“It doesn’t really matter, does it? Who cares what happened years ago?”
“I do, it happened in our house.”
“Every house has a history, Stacey.”
“Yeah, not a triple homicide mom.”

If Nora and her husband Keith imagined the macabre history of their new home wouldn’t absorb their daughters’ Piper and Stacey’s imagination, than they don’t know much about their girls. A triple homicide, nay- a ‘heinous’ triple homicide, changes a place. How can they sleep in rooms where people were slain? It doesn’t matter that is was 25 years ago, because the killer was never found and Piper fears the murderer could return. Nora wants them to let it rest, it’s old news, this is meant to be a positive change from their lives in California and the last thing she wants is anyone dwelling on the past. But Stacey isn’t so sure, she has seen shadows and a man sitting across the street who seemed ‘off’ somehow. She can’t share her fears with Piper, Piper spills too much and then they will all worry about her. In this family, Stacey is the odd one with her moods and quirks. The one who needs therapy.

For gorgeous Nora, Brooklyn is a chance for her girls to get the hang of city life, despite her husband’s misgivings. He doesn’t think her California blood can handle a year in New York, which couldn’t be further from the sunshine and “cushiness” of LA that she is used to. She wants this to work out and maybe they will even stay for good so why does she feel so wary, nervous even now that they’re here? Her life is as perfect as it gets, she has everything she wants. Their brownstone is huge, beautiful but all she can envision is blood on the walls, the murdered family. Working in their garden, she hits upon a rectangular box, but it is what’s inside that will set off alarm bells. She is the envy of her neighbor, having grown up in California and blessed with her beauty but no one lives a perfect life. The family portrait from the 1800’s that came with the house is a reminder to remember the dead, but how can an old photo be sinister itself?

For Jacob, the past lingers and tugs at him. The crime that occurred in 1994 may have faded from the newspapers and people’s minds, but is still fresh in his soul. He is obsessed with one of the victims, and fears she may have suffered greatly, though hopes she didn’t. It doesn’t sit well with him that a new family has moved in after the house has laid empty for so many years but it’s not like they’re coming back.

Stacey goes deeper into the tragedy and finds a friend in Lennon, she isn’t used to being so vulnerable and open with others. Can she trust him? Someone is following her, some street person, has he mistaken her for someone else? Despite her digging into the past there is so much left undiscovered, facts she can’t possibly unearth. She confides secrets in Lennon, but is keeping so much from her parents but they have their secrets too. Nora’s mind is playing games with her memories, and she knows Stacey is keeping things from her. She isn’t sold on Lennon either but he may not be the real threat. Who is?

The story alternates between Nora, Stacey and Jacob. It is an easy read, I just wish Jacob was more developed as a character. I also wanted to stay with each voice longer, I never sank deeply enough into Nora nor Jacob. Stacey was interesting, she actually felt like a teenager to me for once, so many books write teenagers who seem far too wise for their years. She is the right balance of insecure and hungry to make her own choices. The novel left me with questions but it was still an interesting ending-I just wish for more background. I think had it been longer, this would have been achieved. I am not sure how plausible it is, but truth is stranger than fiction so who knows. Good dark mystery.

Publication Date: January 18, 2022

William Morrow and Custom House

Special thanks to William Morrow/Scene of the Crime book club for making this available for members to read on NetGalley in exchange for a review.

A California family moves to New York (is it just me or is this the setting for 90% of books these days? Really, I'm tired of Brooklyn) when the father's job is temporarily relocated. The problem? They end up in a house where a grisly triple homicide occurred. Even worse? The killer was never found and it appears that he's come back to complete unfinished business.

The Other Family is one of those "page turners" that move slowly. I was immediately drawn into the story and quickly read it, but not much happened for a book that features murders, organized crime, and the threat of a stalker lurking around every corner. The twists lacked the excitement that I look for in this genre and the POV changes dragged down the narrative. This was particularly the case with Stacey--her story with Lennon felt more like filler than anything. I think that's what I struggled with the most--so much is packed into this book that nothing feels fleshed out, leaving the reader with a bland main character who was rude to everyone (Jules should win an award for patience) and an ending that felt rushed and unsatisfactory.

3 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Nora and her family are California transplants looking for a fresh start in Brooklyn. They manage to find a large brownstone with a big kitchen and a nice yard– the only catch? It’s previous residents were murdered and the case remains unsolved. It’s not long before odd things begin to happen. Meanwhile, Nora’s oldest daughter, Stacey, becomes obsessed with the history of the house and is convinced someone is watching them. It turns out she’s right– and someone in the family will recognize him.

The mystery was intriguing but somewhere along the way the book got a little confusing. Some of the sub-plots were unnecessary and I didn't like Jacob's POV at all. Overall I did enjoy the plot and read through the book quickly as it held my interest.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

"The Other Family" is a fast-paced thriller, and a wonderful read! The Howell family, has just recently moved from California to a brownstone in Brooklyn, New York for the next year, while the husband takes a job there, and the couple tries to work on their marriage after problems in California. They get the home for a steal, until they discover the home's deadly past from their neighbors. Undisclosed to them from their real estate agent, a family was murdered in the home in the past, believed to be a mob-related killing, but classified as unsolved. However, as Norah, the wife, finds a box buried in the garden while doing yardwork, and oldest daughter Stacey becomes obsessed with learning about the murdered family, it appears that all is not as well as it seems, and it feels as if someone is watching them.

This is the first book I've read by Wendy Corso Staub, and it definitely won't be the last. Told in varying points of view by various characters, both in the present and the past, we get a glimpse of the home's history, and the secrets that are occurring among the Howell family members themselves. It's a quick read, and each chapter left me wanting to read "
just one more."

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow & Custom House/William Morrow Paperbacks for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "The Other Family" is scheduled to be released on 1/18/22.

HEY ALEXA, PLAY SOMEBODY’S WATCHING ME BY ROCKWELL!

The opening pages of this book were delightfully mysterious! The seemingly picture perfect Howell family moves from the California sunshine to a new home in the suburbs of New York – an eerie AF home in NY – okkuurrrr! It is quickly discovered that their new home is the scene of an abominable triple homicide that shook the community decades ago. The eldest daughter Stacey is smitten with all things true crime (the feeling is mutual, sis 😉 !) and becomes consumed with learning about the heinous ending of the previous residents and soon realizes that stranger things are happening… like a stranger watching them! DUN-DUNNNN-DUNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!! A family secret is revealed. GASP! Okay, the end?

What I found problematic…

Multiple POVs?
Normally helpful to a story, I found that in The Other Family, they immensely muddied the water! I have whiplash from jerking back & forth between characters!

Fast paced page turner?
Yes, I was quickly tearing through the pages but I felt as though nothing was happening!

The ending?
Condensed to a few pages and left me underwhelmed.

Wow I didn't expect that this book was such a edge of the seat thriller. I have read this author before and she is a fantastic author. I have read slot of her previous books and they were super great. But this was had a hum digger of a end. Wow Great job.

Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

The Other Family seemed like a great storyline: family from Califirnia moves to a creepy townhouse in Brooklyn, vacant for 30+ years after a triple homicide occurred there in the early 1990's. The fsmily that lived there at the time were brutally murdered in their beds, a crime that was never solved. The new tenants meet their over-bearing neighbors and some strange things start happening that seem related to the long ago homocides. Will the truth of the 1994 murders ever be known?

I felt like this dragged on and contained far too many unnecessary sub-plots and confusing character interactions. Loose ends were never tied up and the ending felt extremely rushed. I wanted to like this more than I did but am left feeling underwhelmed and slightly confused.

I enjoyed this suspenseful story. This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites. I enjoy her writing style as well as her attention to details. This is a well written story that has twists and turns that left me turning pages fast just to see what would happen next. It is a story that I found to be fast paced, engaging and hard to put down. The characters are relateable and truly made the story for me. This is a story that is full of action, secrets that hit way to close to home for Nora. She is a great character that I enjoyed, strong and made the story easy to read. I enjoyed the growth of the plot throughout the story which made the story entertaining. I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it.

The Other Family
by Wendy Corsi Staub
Pub Date: January 18, 2022
William Morrow and Company
New York Times bestselling author Wendy Corsi Staub makes her trade paperback debut with a fast-paced thriller in the vein of Lisa Jewell's The Family Upstairs and Megan Collins' The Winter Sister. Here, a family making a fresh start moves into a house that was the site of an unsolved triple homicide--and is watched by an unknown person...
Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC. I was pulled into this suspense and really enjoyed the book. However, for some reason, the author decided to end the story abruptly. I hope the author decides to add an epilogue and Stacey's additional POV. I was so close to giving five stars but the sudden ending with too many unanswered plot holes made me disappointed.
4 stars

Thanks to William Morrow and Net Galley for an ARC of this book. Nora and her family move into a house in Brooklyn where a family was murdered. Then strange things begin happening and familiar things begin happening. I really enjoyed that I couldn’t figure this out til close to the end. There was a lot of foreshadowing, but it was never made blatantly obvious. So many little twists and secrets. Definitely recommend.

A decent dark thriller. There were a lot of story lines, plots, characters all weaved together and it was a lot to keep track of. I also felt that a lot was left unexplained.