Member Reviews

I really enjoyed listening to this book. It was easy to listen to and I never lost interest! It was a little slow at times, and I did figure out some of the plot twists before they were revealed. However, I still give this book 4 stars as it was greatly written and I did enjoy listening to it!

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This was more neighborhood drama than thriller. I was really hoping for some mystery. There was a little, but the pace was slow and the characters came off as annoying.

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This was a quick paced, well thought out book - complete with a plot that I thought I had figured out, then changed my mind then ended up being close, but didn't see all the twists and turns coming. The author had some very witty similes which made me smile..."it was as stubborn as a pensioner doing 50 in the middle lane". Hilarious!

It was a fun read and I enjoyed some of the new-to-me British references...I found myself looking some of them up. Like what is a Marmite sandwich? I love the cultural differences...and being midwestern American, I love listening to the classic English accents.

Great read, full of twists and turns and some fresh ideas that pop.

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Starting with a shooting in an affluent neighborhood, this story uses multiple perspectives as well as past and present setting to give you an inside look at the inner workings of an affluent community and all of its inhabitants.

I'm a big an of the author but this one was too many characters and too many different things going on for me to get invested in any part of it. It was an entertaining listen and I enjoyed the narration, but ultimately just way too much going on for me. That being said, this one will hit hard with fan of 'Big Little Lies' and other community based domestic mysteries.

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When I first read the description of this book, I was genuinely excited and expected to enjoy it. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with both the story and the characters. Normally, I'm a fan of books from this publishing company, but this particular title failed to hold my attention. The characters lacked depth, and the plot didn't engage me, making it a challenging read overall.

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I usually enjoy Kerry Wilkinson books and on the whole this was no exception.

That said I did find a fair amount of this book, especially the first 70% focused excessively on minutiae that added little to the storyline. Especially as this was oft repeated.

The audio of this is very well done and if I'm honest the quality probably lifted this from a 3.5 to a 4.

If you enjoy a slower build up you will probably really like this read, if you prefer a faster pace then I reccomend the audio over written in this instance.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

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Overall the story line was good. The narrator was good as well. Easy to listen to.
The story jumps back and forth from present to future. It does throw it off a little but it does help to keep you paying attention.
The plot is mainly a street party and there is a shooting. It doesn’t tell you who did the shooting or why till the end. That part I didn’t figure out. The other main story like is who killed Dylan’s wife and why. I was hoping for more of a “bang” revelation but not so much. Kinda underwhelming.

Overall decent read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the copy.

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"Home Is Where The Lies Live" is a compelling novel that explores the lives of residents in the seemingly close-knit community of Huntington Grove. Each house hides a profound secret, and the characters, often unknowingly, become intertwined through their hidden truths.

The story unfolds at a brisk pace, filled with suspenseful twists that keep readers engaged. While some elements felt familiar and predictable, the excitement of the plot compensated for it. The finale ties up all loose ends in a satisfying way, and the character development adds depth to the story.

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a free advanced copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review and express my appreciation to Kerry Wilkinson for another thought-provoking and entertaining read.

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Home is Where the Lies Live presents an intriguing premise: a quiet suburban neighborhood brimming with secrets, lies, and hidden agendas. It draws comparisons to Big Little Lies and Lisa Jewell’s thrillers, but while the idea holds promise, the execution is somewhat uneven.

The novel introduces us to Huntington Grove, a seemingly idyllic neighborhood where new arrivals Heidi and Freddie lock one mysterious door in their house, Willow grapples with her crumbling marriage and teenage daughter’s rebellion, and Dylan, a single dad, remains under suspicion after his wife’s unsolved murder. These threads intertwine during a summer party where chaos erupts, leading to a shocking arrest and a cascade of revelations.

Strengths: The last 25% of the book is where Wilkinson truly shines. Once the twists start unfolding, the story gains momentum, delivering surprising revelations that make up for the slower start. The final twists are unexpected, particularly the identity of the shooter, which kept me guessing until the end. The concept of a neighborhood where every resident harbors secrets was compelling, emphasizing the idea that appearances can be deceiving.

Listening to the audiobook enhanced the experience. The dual narration, with male and female voices, was a standout feature, helping to distinguish the many perspectives in the story and adding depth to the characters.

Weaknesses: Unfortunately, much of the novel struggles with pacing. The first 75% drags, with little happening to sustain interest. Wilkinson introduces an overwhelming number of characters and perspectives, which, while ambitious, dilutes the narrative focus. The abundance of unnecessary details further bogs down the plot, making it difficult to connect with or care about the characters. This lack of emotional investment made it challenging to stay engaged during the slower sections.

For fans of domestic thrillers who don’t mind a leisurely build-up, this novel might be worth a try—especially in audiobook format, which brings the characters to life. But if you prefer your suspense tightly wound from the get-go, you may find yourself frustrated by the slow burn.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for sending me the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

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I’ve really enjoyed this audiobook by Kerry Wilkinson.

Just enough characters to not feel like you have information overload. I felt tied to each of the couples and where the stories were gonna lead.
The narration was great and the story unfolded at a great place, lots going on.

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Heidi and Freddie Potter, married nine years, just moved to Huntington Grove for Freddie's new employment opportunity. Heidi gave up her office manager job to relocate, but hopes to find something new. Having made the sacrifice, Heidi is perplexed by Freddie's behavior. Freddie insists on keeping one room in the new house locked, which he calls his study - insisting he needs privacy to test out new ideas for his marketing manager job.

On the day they move in, Heidi and Freddie meet the family across the street. These neighbors are Willow - a mature university student; Willow's husband Gabe - a businessman who likes to drink beer and play video games in his spare time; and Willow's almost 18-year-old daughter Isabella (from a previous marriage).

Willow and Isabella are at odds over the teenager's future: Isabella wants to demonstrate her crafting projects on TikTok and Willow wants the girl to go to university, for increased opportunities. This difference of opinion leads to constant arguments between mother and daughter, and creates a tense atmosphere in the house.

Soon after Willow meets the Potters, she realizes she went to high school with Freddie two decades ago. Willow and Freddie even kissed during a game of spin the bottle. Willow would love to reminisce about 'the good old days' with Freddie, but Freddie's reluctant, and makes it his business to avoid Willow as much as possible.

Other residents of the street are Dylan and Allison.

Dylan is the single father of 7-year-old Orla. Dylan's wife was murdered three years ago, the killer was never caught, and Dylan is having trouble coping. Despite this, Dylan is a nurturing father, and Orla is a happy child. Unfortunately, Orla is having trouble with a bully, and this turns out to be important to the story.

Allison is gregarious and a natural born manager. Allison is organizing a block party to honor the town's founding 1400 years ago, and she prods and cajoles the neighbors into helping. Thus Isabella is making bunting; Dylan agrees to pick up supplies; and so on. Allison is married, but her husband Kenneth, who works in Hong Kong, is almost never around. So Allison (purportedly) lives alone, but sounds of arguing often emanate from her house.

*****
Chapters about the lives of the Huntingdon Grove residents alternate with sections set 'in the future', when police detectives interview one person after another. It's clear a serious incident occurred in the neighborhood, which is revealed little by little.

As the story unfolds, we learn that several characters have deep dark secrets. Some of this skullduggery isn't quite credible, but that doesn't spoil the novel.

The book's domestic dramas, along with the aura of mystery, will appeal to many fans of suspense novels.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Matthew Spencer, Rebecca Lee, and Julia Barrie, who do a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Kerry Wilkinson, and Bookouture Audio for a copy of the book.

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I really enjoyed this book. It captured my attention from the very beginning, and I enjoyed hearing the stories of all of the people in the neighborhood. The book kept my interest and kept me wanting to read more. However, I was not entertained by the ending of the book. I had higher hopes and thought it was a little anticlimactic.
On audio, the narration was fantastic. I enjoyed the different narrators for each character. The audiobook was great!

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Welcome to Huntington Grove, a street full of drama and secrets. Our narrators: Heidi, Willow, and Dylan all have secrets of their own that begin to unravel in this span of a week that Home Is Where the Lies Live follows. Heidi is new to Huntington Grove and has a bad feeling about moving onto this street with her husband, Freddie, who she begins to suspect has secrets of his own. Willow struggles to get along with her teenage daughter while also becoming worried about her husband's behavior. Dylan struggles to move on from the unsolved murder of his late wife and raise his young daughter. Alternating timelines between present and future, this week in Huntington Grove builds up to the summer party that will unravel the secrets everyone is trying so hard to keep.

This was a slow burn neighborhood drama which felt more drama than thriller, which I enjoyed! The lovers of drama TV will be drawn into this story. I liked the different perspectives that we got to see and I felt that Willow's domestic struggles with her teenage daughter, going back to school later in life, and worrying about her husband felt very realistic. Of all the characters, I felt most intrigued by her point of view. I also think the audiobook narrators did a great job of telling this story. Each character felt very distinctly different from one another and helped to create a clear image of their persona while listening to this! The short chapters made listening to this audiobook easy to listen to for a couple of minutes at a time no matter what you're doing.

I finished this with more questions than I thought I would have. Some plot points still felt blurry to me and I would've liked more closure to many of the questions I had throughout the book. The slow burn was a very slow burn... there was never a point when I was dying to keep listening to this. It's for this reason that I rated this on the lower end.

If you're looking for a book that will shock you and have you hanging onto every word, I don't think this will be the one for you. But, if you are the reader that enjoys the intrigue and drama more than the thriller aspect, then consider picking this one up!

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The narrator did an amazing job grabbing my attention and not letting go. This is a twisty, gripping secret filled thrill ride. So fun and shocking!

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First time reading Kelly, so it’s good to find another author that writes in a genre that has been a revelation for me this year.

In this story we have three POV’s, Heidi, Willow and Dylan who all live on the same residential street. Heidi has just moved there with her husband Freddie. The residents of Huntington Grove are gearing up for a summer street party. However it all doesn’t go as planned….

I will admit the first half of the book was very slow and by the half way point I was considering DNF. It was just too much of a slow build up but I really wanted to persevere, which I did and I’m glad I did!

It definitely picked up from the halfway point and it did get really quite exciting and had me guessing what the secrets could be.

The narrator’s were good, however they did sound quite a bit older than what the characters were in the book but overall they kept the story going.

So overall an entertaining read and I will definitely try this author in the future.

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To begin I want to say that I really enjoyed the narrators of this book. I like the fact that they all sounded different and males were male and females were female voices. All the narrators voices fit the character and I love that.

The storyline kept me intrigued and wanting to keep reading/listening. Each of the characters kept their storylines and they didn’t fall flat.

I liked the book and I couldn’t wait to hear what each of the neighbors were hiding or not…. The ending was well guess you gotta read it but it was a nail biter…

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Firstly I would like to say thank you for the opportunity to listen to this book. I was completely hooked from the start which continued throughout. I did find a times it was bit far fetched but at the end of the day this is a story made to catch attention. Do have to say I loved the ending and how everything tied nicely together.

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Good read! Secrets and drama keeping it with a steady pace. Great one to add to the TBR, worth the read. Not crazy suspenseful or thrilling but well written and entertaining to read ツ Thank you for the ALC!

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This thriller/drama, set in a quiet English neighborhood, promises a web of secrets and lies - but unfortunately, it didn’t fully deliver for me.

Told through multiple POVs, the story explores the lives of several neighbors, each hiding secrets behind their closed doors. While the short chapters made for a quick listen, I found the sheer number of perspectives overwhelming. It was hard to keep track of all the characters, even with the audiobook’s distinct narrators. That said, the narrator’s smooth voice and excellent sound quality were a saving grace here.

For much of the book, nothing exciting - it felt like hours of gossip, speculation, and inner ramblings that dragged on for a bit too long. The “Future” chapters offered glimmers of suspense, but the first 70% felt uneventful and dull. However, I will say that the ending redeemed things slightly with an impressive twist.

If you enjoy slow burns with intricate character dynamics, you might connect with this one more than I did. Unfortunately, I found it lacking the super suspenseful thrills I was hoping for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an early copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback!

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This was amazing. The way that it went from the past to the future with the past slowly catching up, but each one just stopped before a reveal. There were so many thoughts on who it was going to be and where was the gun and who was shot. I had a list of suspects, basically the entire street, at one stage.

I loved the different narrations worked so well and really added to the story.

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