Review: On a Quiet Street

On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received and ARC of this book.
Wow, this was a great book! Was it perfect? No, but it kept me on the edge of my seat, rooting for characters (some of whom I wasn't sure I should be rooting for), turning pages because I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next, and yet not wanting the book to end. I loved it.
The story takes place in a seemingly-idyllic affluent neighborhood that at first glance might appear placid, boring, and "normal." But right off the bat the reader realizes there is much more going on beneath the surface and this quiet street is full of secrets, lies, and horrible crimes. Paige is trying to come to terms with the hit-and-run death of her son just a year before but is doing it by pushing away her husband, obsessing over her neighbors, and hounding the police about solving what she believes was her son's murder. Cora believes her husband is having an affair, no matter how much he denies it, and confides in Paige, who offers to investigate the matter. And then rumors surround Georgia, the young English wife of a prominent judge--is she just standoffish, or does she really have a mental health issue that is keeping her isolated in her own home with her young daughter? The way the lives of these three women intersect is twisty, beguiling, and shocking. Everyone is keeping secrets, and the way the secrets are slowly revealed and the lives of these women are changed in the process kept me guessing and gasping out loud.
The characters in this book are wonderful. Each of the three women are compelling and the way the author develops each character throughout the book is amazing. While Paige, Cora, and Georgia all do things that are dishonest, questionable, and perhaps even criminal, they all have rooting value and it is easy for the reader to grasp their motivations in their actions.
The plot while just a bit slow in the first fourth or so, picked up big time and had me at the edge of my seat from about 30% on. What started off as, "Oh no...she shouldn't be doing that," soon turned into,"No!! Why did she do that?!!" and then to, "Oh my goodness, NO! DON'T DO THAT!" And just when I thought I had figured out how things would go, an unbelievable twist would come up that would make me literally widen my eyes, think to myself, "What?! No way!" and wonder what on earth would happen next. So many little clues are dropped in here or there that I was soon thinking to myself, "Oh, that's why she said that," or "I remember when that was mentioned," or something along those lines. And even at the very end, the book got even more exciting in the last pages.
The best thing I can say about this book is that I kept checking how many pages were left because I did not want it to be over. Having enjoyed the author's previous book, Such a Good Wife, I was looking forward to reading this one, but this book absolutely blew me away. I would 100% recommend this book if you like mystery, crime, domestic thrillers, and a story that will keep you guessing.

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