"No one was meant to see her at 214 Palmer Street…"

Before an injury that left her with a hairline fracture to her skull, Sarah Aden lived a charmed life. Happily married to her wealthy husband Kirk, living in a beautiful home, working a job she enjoys but doesn't need.

But as Sarah is recovering, she's starting to notice that not everything's as it once seemed.

Her husband has been hiding things from her, he's less loving and more controlling, and the friend she thought she made at work is actually someone from Kirk's past.

When Sarah decides to figure things out for herself, she sneaks into Kirk's childhood home and begins digging into a past many would rather remain buried.

Described as a "completely gripping psychological thriller packed with suspense", Karen McQuestion's 214 Palmer Street switches POVs and flashes back and forth between then and now, and just keeping up with who's saying what is a job on its own.

While definitely gripping, there's too much going on for the novel to be truly enjoyable, and a lot of the characters are really hard to like - or even remotely relate to. I resent the fact that so much of what happened back then was blamed on the girl (who is constantly hyper-sexualised, btw 🙄)

Meanwhile, the last 20% of the novel loses so much of the suspense and mystery because everything is explained away too neatly. I love a book that offers closure but I think McQuestion could have gone about it more subtly.

I tore through 214 Palmer Street in a day and a half and it was a great change of pace compared to the last book I read, and while there was a lot I enjoyed about it, quite a bit missed the mark too.

Overall, good, but not great.

"No one was ever meant to see her at...214 Palmer Street..."

I've never heard of this author before but the premise was so intriguing I felt I had to dive in and check it out. Who is the woman in the front window of a supposedly empty house? And why is she there? She says she's the housesitter...who who is she really? Immediately I was intrigued. It oozed secrets and suspicions I just knew I had to uncover.

Sarah Aden thought she had a happy life with her husband Kirk, who so obviously adored her to the point of stifling her. They met and married on his parents' estate in a quiet wedding and for three years have enjoyed a life of wedded bliss. Until one afternoon when Sarah comes home from work and is attacked by an unknown assailant, Kirk returning to find her unconscious on the backyard patio. Sarah had sustained a head injury from being hit with a rock and in the aftermath Kirk wraps her up in cotton wool as if she were porcelain. She takes extended leave from a job she enjoys while Kirk says she doesn't need to work and that she should quit her job and stay home. He didn't much like her physical therapist either, believing he pushed her far too hard too quickly. But Sarah thought that was exactly what she needed to get her life back.

As weeks turn into months, the investigation into Sarah's attack seemed to be going nowhere and Kirk was growing impatient with the lack of results. He calls on his old high school and childhood friend Gavin, now the Chief of Police, in an attempt to speed things up. But Gavin has no news to give his old friend.

When Kirk returns to work, he asks his mother to keep an eye on Sarah who he's convinced is far from recuperated. Sarah loves her in-laws and when Judy brings out some old albums with a young teenage Kirk, she is eager to find out more about her husband as a teenager. But her trip down memory lane opens up a lot more than she bargained for when she discovers he has been keeping secrets from her...about his past and the people she thought she knew.

Over the course of the six months since her attack, Sarah finds herself standing outside 214 Palmer Street. The house of the Caldwells. And the secrets that it holds. And so she makes a plan. Extracting the hidden key, she lets herself into 214 Palmer Street unseen by everyone, except one - Maggie Scott from next door.

And as she closes the door, Sarah begins to panic. No one was meant to see her at 214 Palmer Street...

What a delightful quick read this was! I devoured it in a matter of (reading) hours and was kept entertained throughout...despite wanting to knock some sense into at least three of the characters. 214 PALMER STREET is a story of secrets, suspicions and a past that doesn't want to stay buried.

Although the narratives switched throughout, Sarah was the primary narrator with the story alternating between THEN and NOW. There are also chapters narrated in the first person by someone alluded to as HER and it was fairly obvious who that was, having worked that out by about 20%. The mystery that tied the three friends to the past was also pretty predictable and I had that figured out around the same time as identifying who "HER" was. But none of that detracts from an entertaining story which this was. Sure, it wasn't the best thriller I've read but it wasn't the worst either. And the main thing is that it kept me entertained and engaged throughout. As soon as my interest wanes...then we have a problem. But that was not the case here and I remained engaged throughout.

I honestly don't know why there are so many negative reviews about this book. Yes, it's predictable. But so what? There are plenty of thrillers out there that are and yet they still get rave reviews. Maybe because none of the characters were entirely likeable...except maybe for Sarah and Judy. Everyone seemed to have a hidden agenda and it leaves the reader wondering who to trust. I certainly didn't trust any of them, except (again) Sarah and Judy. And I think the author did a good job of making them equally likeable and unlikeable respectively.

While the story is predictable, the tension remains throughout and the story quickly unfolds. There are twists and clues along the way keeping the reader guessing despite its predictability. 214 PALMER STREET is a solid domestic thriller that I found compelling and slightly addictive. It's short chapters and fast pace made it an enjoyable quick read.

I would like to thank #KarenMcQuestion, #Netgalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #214PalmerStreet in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

Cady and Josh are on vacation.
Sarah is house sitting. But Cady and Josh don’t know Sarah. Sarah has a reason to be there. What started as a curiosity may become a matter of life and death.

This book is quite predictable. There is no real twist and I though it was peculiar that after the mystery is solved, after the bad guy is caught… there is still about 20% left in the book. 20% of filler chapters that did not add much to the story.

It’s a fast read but nothing really stands out.

My thoughts: I really like how this book just jumped into the story and how it kept going back and forth between the past and present. I would have liked it a bit more if the chapter’s said it who’s point of view that chapter was going to be, but it was easy enough to figure out! I was really gripped with the story and the turn of events! Some of the twists, I was able to figure out but some I had no clue!

Karen McQuestion is one of those authors that once you read one of her books you have to get your hands on everything else she has written. This book is an extremely well written mystery/thriller that will have you turning pages as fast as you can so you can find out what’s going to happen next.

This story grabs you and doesn’t let go until you get to the end. It’s a tale of secrets, friendships that are built on less than solid ground and a marriage that seems perfect, but has it’s issues.

If you haven’t read any of Karen McQuestion’s books, you will want to once you read this book. She has a talent for creating characters that are so real, you can virtually imagining these stories happening.

Thank you to #netgalley, and #bookouture for allowing me to read the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed above are my own.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for '214 Palmer Street' by Karen McQuestion.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Karen McQuestion, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 6th April 2022.

This is the first book I have read by this author.

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'An unputdownable suspense thriller from number one bestseller Karen McQuestion, which will make you question what secrets your own neighbors are hiding… For fans of The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl.' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of 47 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in Wisconsin, USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in a mix of third and first person perspective and the protagonists are Sarah Aden, Kirk Aden, Gavin Kramer and 'Her' . The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of third person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything. To have the benefit of both first and third person perspective ensures you don't miss out on anything.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that set the scene. The title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

The storyline is fast paced and I was completely absorbed throughout. It is filled with suspense, mystery, romance, tension and so much more. I started reading this in the morning and could not put it down. I loved that you go into this book starting with one mystery and then you dive head first into another and another until your completely surrounded in suspense and tension. I was not expecting the turn of events at all and I loved that everything was wrapped up perfectly at the end leaving you knowing what happened to each character. There is nothing worse than getting to the end of a book with loose ends so a huge congratulations Karen.

It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

The characters were all strong, well defined and realistic. I became completely invested in not only Sarah but also 'Her' storyline. I won't say who 'Her' is but all is revealed in the book in good time. I wasn't sure what was going on with Sarah at the start but my heart really went out to her. I can't say too much about any of the characters really as I don't want to give too much away. Phil was another likeable character and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know him. I did start writing my thoughts on another character but decided that I will sadly have to leave it here as I realised it was giving too much away. What I will say before I end this though is that each character whether you love or hate them suited their "role" perfectly and "worked together" to make an absolutely fantastic psychological thriller.

This is the first book I have read by Karen but it certainly won't be my last!!! Congratulations Karen on an addictive book I am now off to Amazon to add the rest of your books to my wishlist. Here is to you next success 🥂

Overall a fast paced psychological thriller that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last.

Genres covered in this book include Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller and Mystery amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'The Girl on the Train', 'The Woman in the Window' and 'Gone Girl'.


277 pages.

This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon or free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 4 /5 (I enjoyed it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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I read this so fast! And I don’t know if that’s because I just got a new kindle or what, but regardless this book was gripping, a little bit predictable but still shocking. This book is a must read for people who love a who-did-it thriller! Very very well written and captivating!!! Highly recommend!

Really enjoyed this book! Had me going back and forth trying to figure out the point of views and then I was just hooked. Thought the ending was really well done. Author tied it up perfectly! Would highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC

After a whirlwind romance, Sarah marries Kirk - an older man, with a hidden past.
She sees them together - Kirk with happiness he doesn't deserve. Especially with all the unknowns, all the dark secrets he harbors. She'll have to warn his new shiney innocent wife.
Sarah arrives home - the neighbor's dog barking. After a hard hit to the head, Sarah struggles to recover. She befriends her PT - Phil helping Sarah to build her confidence, while quietly digging into her husband's past.
A good thriller.

What would make someone hideaway in a strangers home and pretend to the neighbors that she is the house sitter? I found this book to be a pretty good suspenseful mystery.

Sarah Aden becomes suspicious of her her husband on the heels of learning that his childhood friend went missing and he never told her. This book was fairly predictable and had little character depth. Not sure why I kept reading it, other than it was short.

Thank you to NetGalley, Karen McQuestion and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book, in exchange for an honest review!

Contrary to other reviews I really enjoyed this book. It was fast-paced and kept me guessing who was responsible throughout. While it was a bit obvious who it was, it still made me question everything throughout.

Book: 214 Palmer Street
Author: Karen McQuestion
Publisher: Bookouture
Pub Date: April 6, 2022

I thought at the beginning of the book I was really going to like it. The whole concept of the neighbor observing someone in the house across the street that wasn’t suppose to be there sounded great. But then the neighbor gets in a van and leaves for the remainder of the book. What the heck?!? The plot was really good but it was carried out in a very boring, uneventful way. It was all predictable and the ending lasted way too long. This was not a psychological thriller. Just a girl digging up someone’s back yard.

Thank you Bookouture and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is May 17, 2022.

214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion is the story of a woman with questions. Often with questions come, not only answers but, consequences. Sarah is married to Kirk, a man about ten years her senior. Life is pretty good, although he can be clingy and overprotective at times. Life the time he went to Chicago for the auto show and she was to spend the day with his mother. That was Ok. Sarah liked her and it would fun. After the spa and a nice lunch, they returned home where Judy hauled out some old photo albums and they looked at Kirk in middle school. She saw Gavin. No surprise, she knew they'd been friends forever; Jeremy, a boy she'd never heard of; and Clarice, the woman she worked with. Kirk had never mentioned knowing her. Them Judy told her about how Jeremy had disappeared. The Police Chief, who was Gavin's father, had checked the bomb shelter at their old house. The kids used to hang out there. He found nothing. From there, things went downhill. Sarah had to know why Kirk had mentioned none of this to her. Jeremy was never heard from again.

Sarah had a plan. She would go stay at the house 214 Palmer. From her investigations, she knew the owners were away for a month. The elderly neighbor almost caught her, but she took care of that. Someone was watching her. She wasn't aware of that. By accident Gavin discovered she'd been asking questions about outbuildings at the house. He was on to her. They had to cut her off at the pass. He rallied the troops. It went so wrong. But, unbeknownst to any of them, they were being watched, and the watcher had a camera. That helped. It was a frightening story. For much of it we though Sarah had gone round the bend. Maybe she hadn't.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of 214 Palmer Street Bookoutre, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #bookoutre, #karenmcquestion #214palmerstreet

I personally love Karen mcquestions thrillers she is a great author. The fact that she always throws in something about my home state of Wisconsin is awesome. I rarely ever hear about my home state in books or movies. I was hooked from the very beginning of the book but by the 6th chapter I felt like it was a bit of an overload of information. The plot was great but reminded me a bit of her book moonlight child which was a really good book as well. I thought I had this book all figured out but boy was I wrong. It only got better and better! Great plot great characters great author great book!

BOOKWORMS Review:
A well written pacy psychological thriller that will have you keen to know what happened next. Going between the past and the present and told from several points of view,it explains what exactly is happening at 214 Palmer Street.
Maggie notices her neighbours house,The Caldwells,isn't empty..but it should be as they're away. She decides to confront the situation and meets Sarah...who's house sitting,apparently. Strange that her neighbours never mentioned such a thing.
Throw in an attack,lies,secrets suburban neighbours and longtime friends and youve got yourself a story you won't put down. An easy and enjoyable read.
With thanks to Karen McQuestion,Netgalley and Bookouture for an ARC to read and review.

MY RATING: 📕📕📕📕

I can’t believe that this is the first book I’ve read by this author, it’s just so good.

I wasn’t sure about Sarah when I first came across her. She’s obviously up to something, but what does she have to hide, and what is her motive? But in this book, nothing is as it seems. As the plot develops, we discover exactly what Sarah is looking for, but this initial plot twist, which comes quite early on in the book, is only the beginning of a super tense and chilling tale.

The whole plot is so clever, and it just completely held me captive. This is a thriller that really gives true meaning to the term unputdownable. Cancel everything and just let yourself be engrossed in this book.

I loved this book from beginning to end, and I have definitely found a new author for my favourites list. Can’t recommend this one highly enough.

I enjoyed parts of this book while I found others very contrived. The beginning piqued my interest right away with the neighbor questioning why Sarah was at the house. The premise that Sarah would go to the lengths she did to try to determine if Kirk was involved was very unrealistic to me. The characters were not at all likable. The scene in the bomb shelter was very predictable. My mind was going in the direction of the couple that bought the house continuing with their excavation and then trying to solve the mystery of Jeremy when they found the buried bomb shelter.
Thank you to Karen McQuestion, Bookouture, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just recently published book.

214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion is a good psychological thriller that is a very enjoyable read. Told in multiple point of views this is a well written fast paced story that is very hard to put down. It flows beautifully between the past and present. This one has lies, mystery, betrayal, revenge and a ton of secrets! McQuestion knows how to add the twist and turns that make you turn the those pages!! It’s is a highly suspenseful mystery thriller that I recommend you pick up and read!

Thank you Karen McQuestion and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this intriguing novel. Karen McQuestion never disappoints!!
#21palmerstreet. #karenmcquestion #bookouture
#arc

Thank you to netgalley and bookouture publishing company for an arc of 214 Palmer Street for an arc copy for an honest review. The beginning of the book was fast paced I couldnt wait to read the next page. I liked the characters and how they mention the past when they were teenagers and how they were currently adults. I thought this book was too predictable.