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The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

Meeting date: July 25, 2017 ;
Star Rating: 1.5/5 stars

It all started at a dinner party...

A domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors—a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives...

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all—a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night, when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately lands on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story.

Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

What follows is the nerve-racking unraveling of a family—a chilling tale of  deception, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you breathless until the final shocking twist.

Comments from attendees:
  • It started out strong, but the logistics didn't work
  • Too much abnormal behavior to be believeable
  • Too many ways out of the problem!
  • Characters not fully developed
  • Extra details bogged down the story and pacing
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