The Family on Smith Street

by Elisabeth Carpenter

A happy family. A picture-perfect street. A secret someone would kill for.

My husband James and I love living on Smith Street, with its neat houses and friendly family barbecues. Our daughter Scarlett grew up playing outside with the other local kids – it’s somewhere nothing bad could ever happen. Or so I thought…

Because when I wake terrified, head pounding, in a cramped windowless room, I realise I was entirely wrong. As my eyes adjust to the dark, I see creased pictures of missing local people I vaguely recognise from the news covering the walls. Then my skin turns ice-cold when I notice the newest pictures are of me, of James, of Scarlett…

A terrified sob catches in my throat. It seems there’s been a killer hiding in our neighbourhood for years. And I’m their next victim.

I stare at the photos in horror. Because if they’ve got me, they could also have James or, worst of all, my precious daughter Scarlett... In that moment, I know I’ll do anything, everything, to save my family. Especially because, deep down, I know this is all my fault…

A completely compelling and page-turning psychological thriller perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife, The Serial Killer’s Wife and The Housemaid.

Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Psychological Thriller

274 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 14, 2023

About the author

Elisabeth (Libby) Carpenter won a Northern Writers New Fiction Award (2016) and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 & 2016) and MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015).

Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.

99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.

Reviews

[lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

my first audiobook! what a fun experience, i cannot wait to listen to more.

this thriller is about a woman who gets kidnapped by someone who clearly knows intimate details of her life but she has no idea who would do this to her. each chapter changes povs from her, her daughter, and a disturbed man from the past (so there’s timeline changes as well which was hard to keep up with at first along with the povs). scarlett is her daughter, and she’s confused as to why her father is in so much distress over this yet refuses to call the cops. the rest you’ll have to see for yourself :)

maybe my rating would have been higher if i physically read the novel but i’m not sure. as much as i enjoyed the audiobook experience, physical books are more for me. the narrator wasn’t my favorite at first but i got used to her. another reason for the mediocre 3 stars was i saw the plot twist coming from practically the beginning, although i still wanted to experience this novel. decent writing, diverse characters, and a true-crime type vibe are words i’d use to describe this thriller. not a favorite, but enjoyable!

*Trigger warning for scenes of graphic murder*

[STEPH · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quite decent read which I enjoyed very well.

It was really a creepy experience being inside Alex Buchanan’s head. His thoughts and actions around different people in his life, his lack of empathy and human emotion, his constant desire for power and control—A full-blown sociopath.

I liked this book. It wasn’t that complicated, there were a few twists and turns along the way which is a bit obvious if you’ve been reading domestic thrillers as long as I have but it didn’t take away the surprise which I appreciate so much.

Such a fun read. I guess the one thing I wanted more from this is more intense scenes involving the police but I’ll overlook that since the book is pretty great overall.

Thanks to Netgalley & Bookouture for the advanced copy!

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 Stars
A riveting story!

The story follows Joanna and her family. Joanna was suddenly abducted one night. When morning came and Joanna still wasn't home. Joanna's daughter voiced her concern to her dad. But he brushed it off. After a few days, he still doesn't seem that surprised. Why was he so calm? Why wasn't he worried?

It honestly took me a while to get into the story. There are multiple POVs, the story jumps between the past and the present, and the voices sound too similar. It was hard differentiating which character was who. It wasn't until around 40% in that I got into the rhythm of things. I couldn't put the novel down after that.

Would recommend it to fans of thrillers.

***Thank you to NetGalley, Elisabeth Carpenter, and Bookouture Audio for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a twisty and engaging read, though once again I didn't feel like the synopsis accurately portrayed the story. The book is told from multiple points of view: Joanna, who has been kidnapped, her daughter Scarlett, and a man named Alex from an earlier timeline.

The book was action-packed and I liked how it gave me enough info on the characters to understand them but not so much that it took away from the activity. I had an inkling of what was going on but there were actually multiple twists; I thought the author did a great job of laying breadcrumbs and exposing the twist in a way that wasn’t confusing, kept the mystery high, and tied up loose ends. The ending was fine- not earth shattering but everything was tied up in a way that worked.

Overall, this was a quick and twisty read with a few good surprises. I’d recommend to those who enjoy mysteries and psychological thrillers. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book I’m exchange for an honest review.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC audiobook provided in exchange for an honest review.

This book really kept me on my toes! Sarah Durham does an excellent job with the narration and I found it a very easy listen. The story is about a wife and mother that goes missing one night. So many secrets get discovered before the resolution at the end! If you like psychological thrillers and lots of suspense, give this book a try!

[Donna Mallery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. 3.5 stars. This book has an interesting story that is a bit more unique than others of its type. I wasn’t sure where it was heading. We have multiple timelines and POVs. We have the woman who is kidnapped, her daughter, and then a seemingly unrelated person whose story starts many years earlier. Of course, they eventually intersect. It wasn’t the most engaging 4 star I’ve ever read, but it held my interest. And it reads at a fairly fast place. There was at least one scene that I didn’t feel was explained, but it didn’t really take away from the book. A minor annoyance and perhaps my fault. It does have one TRIGGER WARNING involving a squirrel, but I hate ALL animal triggers, and it wasn’t necessary

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review!

Told through dual first-person POVs and alternating timelines, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑚𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑡 is a captivating read you won’t be able to put down (take it from me, I binged the whole thing in one sitting).

I toyed with a handful of theories while reading and I loved how Carpenter kept me guessing until the end! An entertaining psychological thriller, indeed!

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑛 𝑆𝑚𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑡 is out August 14th!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

The twists and turns in the book were so good. The different perspectives were great. Being able to see what Joanna, Scarlett, and the killer was thinking was so good. Definitely pay attention to all the names because they definitely come up multiple times and help you piece things together.

[Lenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't have much to say about this book, apart from that it's a riveting thriller which maintains suspense from start to finish, making it a delightful and fast-paced one-day listen. While it may not have left a lasting impression, the engaging characters and captivating perspectives kept me thoroughly entertained. Although I predicted every twist, which resulted in my lower rating, the overall experience was still enjoyable, and the final line had a great punch to it.

Thank you to Netgalley for audiobook arc.

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Told from the pov of different characters over different timelines this slow burner throws big punches as the story is drip fed along with twists and turns. Some of it is very far fetched but its gripping. The narrator does a good job of being different characters. I liked the interwoven history. Especially the interactions and insights the narrator makes you want to hear tge action.
I enjoyed the story and woukd recommend this as a quick solid 4 star. Thanks to net gallery and publisher for my digital arc. The audio quality was top motch

[Mariam Salahudeen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A simple thriller that was engaging throughout. I did see where the story was heading, but the writing still kept me engrossed.

[Zayna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for providing the ARC of The family on smith street

Unfortunately this was a dnf for me cause first of all i couldn't really connect to any of the characters or the plot also it felt more like a YA novel than an adult thriller, especially with the chapters of the teenager
I couldn't stand any of the characters and found the chapters told in the past quite boring

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is told from three different points of view first of we meet Joanne, she is on her way home it’s late at night when she gets kidnapped next up we meet Charlotte she’s waking up for college where she is a junior and yet she doesn’t hear all the normal breakfast sounds that usually come from the kitchen she goes downstairs to find her dad asleep at the kitchen table when she wakes them up they’re both worried about Joann but James is being a little more cautious then his daughter Charlotte and tells her to go to school and he will go look for Joanne. The next POV is Alexander he’s a young boy who is mom is an alcoholic and seems to always fight and argue with his dad and eventually he will be sent to live with his grandparents when he grows up. Joanne has been taken by an anonymous person who wears a gas mask and never reveals his identity Charlotte is panicking because she wants her mom back and although she has her best friend Hannah to talk to it seems Hannah is more worried about her new crush Jamie thnn Charlotte‘s mom being missing. When Alexander goes away to you knee he meets Simon Kennedy and although they are best friends when a classmate goes missing Simon and another friend of theirs Chloe are very suspicious of Alexander not to mention Alexander’s drinking is really causing problems in his friend group. What does the past and the present have to do with each other well let me say you’ll have to read this doozy of a book to find out and OMG if this author isn’t the best at making you fear one thing and then plot twist it’s actually something else we should’ve been fearing the whole time. thrillers with authentic plot twists and story lines that have no eye rolling involved is few and far between but I can honestly say The family on Smith Street by Elizabeth Carpenter is definitely one of those books. It’s original authentic and a definite five star read! I want to thank NetGalley and Bookoucher for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family on Smith Street by Elisabeth Carpenter is a masterfully crafted slow-burn thriller that expertly weaves family drama with layers of twisted suspense. Just when you think you’ve figured out where the story is going, another twist throws you off course, keeping you on your toes. It’s hard to trust any of the characters as you dive deeper into the story; everyone has secrets, but some are hiding far darker truths than others. The pacing is just right, and each character is well-drawn—creepy, dark, and chillingly flawed. Every member of the Smith Street family has something unsettling to hide, making for an intense and gripping read. 


Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Elisabeth Carpenter for the ARC.

[VishReadsItAll · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 Wow! I loved this book ❤️ it’s a compelling and engaging psychological thriller. It has multiple pov and timelines, also it contains the pov of the killer and damnnn that was creepy 💀✨ that made the story more tense and the way the story progresses and those plot twist came , my jaw dropped like literally 😭🤌 I enjoyed it so much ✨ I loved the diverse characters and the plot. Highly recommended!!

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me the advanced listening copy of this book in return of my honest book review.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3.5 stars

Solid thriller with lots of twists, some predictable, some not.

The story is told through multiple POVs and timelines. In the present, we hear from Joanna and her daughter Scarlett, after Joanna has been kidnapped. In the 80s and 90s we hear from Alex, who is a serial killer in the making.

I liked how everything came together, especially in the epilogue. Some parts seemed a little far-fetched.

I thought the narrator did a great job. She had to do lots of different voices (elderly man, sick teenager, toddler) and she nailed them all.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ashley Salcedo · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture for the advanced copy!

I really enjoyed this book. I don't read thrillers all that often, but I liked this one because I felt like the surprise/twist wasn't so obvious. I did have my suspicions while reading, but it was still shocked at the end. Even with my suspicions, the book kept me engaged the entire time.

Told through dual POV, with alternating timeline. If you're looking for an entertaining psychological thriller, definitely add this one to your TBR!

[Kori Potenzone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh hey, Elisabeth Carpenter, I see you, girl!!!!

This book was one heck of a wild ride and I am here to hype you all up and tell you how you MUST read this book!

The Family On Smith Street, is one of those books you just know will be talked about for years to come. This one right here screams, bestseller!!

Im not sure I knew what I was getting into when I first began reading, the title deceiving, I questioned if this would be mild or one of those pulse-pounding thrillers that will keep me breathless.

What a naive little thing I was!!

This book right here exceeds all expectations. It is a wild, earth shattering, twisted read that will have you fearing what lurks around the corner.

Don't believe me? Check out this teaser :

The Sawyer family adore living on Smith Street. They love the neat houses and family barbecues, the neighbours they can wave to as they walk down the tree-lined road. Most of all, James and Jo have loved seeing their daughter Scarlett playing outside with the local children, growing strong and beautiful. It’s somewhere nothing bad could ever happen.

But one cold winter’s morning, Jo finishes her breakfast, kisses James and Scarlett goodbye, and sets off through the frost-bitten air to work. She never comes home.

As James and Scarlett begin a desperate search for Jo, it becomes terrifyingly clear that the Sawyers had no idea how dangerous Smith Street could be.

Because behind closed doors, the most perfect homes can hide the deadliest secrets…

[Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This suspense thriller kept me on my toes! With a dual timeline and multiple POV’s, it was a plot that pulled me in from the start and was difficult to predict.

How well do we really know the people in our lives? When Joanna goes missing, her husband James is convinced that he really didn’t know his wife at all. He suspects that she may have run off with another man. Scarlet, their daughter, however, has complete trust in her mother so launches her own secret investigation. What she finds will change everything she thought she knew.

The story was narrated by a single narrator despite the multiple POV’s and this was a clever decision. It was well performed with great voice changes and animation.

My favourite POV was Alex, which takes place in the past. It was dark and creepy. Sent shivers down my spine at times. However, the whole story comes together nicely with an explosive twist at the end. Knocked me off my feet! My only challenge was that the other two POV’s took some time to get going.

Thank you to #BookoutureAudio and #Netgalley for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Sammy - sammysshelflove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it took some time to get into, ultimately The Family on Smith Street kept me on my toes, anticipating what was to come next. With a fairly unique premise, the story follows a woman who is abducted, her daughter, husband, as well as a serial killer who’s been terrorizing the streets for years. All of these point of views intersect at the end of the story in a pretty wild way. Filled with twists and turns, Carpenter does a great job keeping your interest and I am grateful to Netgalley for an Audio ARC in exchange for my honest review :)

[Nikki | graciouslybooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is told from dual POV’s and dual timelines. This book is filled with a creepy serial killer, twisty turns, kidnapping, and so much more. This one is definitely in my Top 10 books of the year. Loved the narration as well. The narrator really got into character and did fantastic! I enjoyed this audiobook so much!

TW: Animal cruelty, animal death

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

[Jo Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family on Smith Street was a fantastic read/listen. Endearing characters, a smooth and steady story, an easy read as the author paints a picture that is clear to follow despite the story being told in a split timeline from multiple pov’s and numerous twists and turns along the way which can often be quite hard to grasp, but this was done perfectly. No complaints at all. An ideal domestic thriller, narrated perfectly. #Jorecommends


Thank you to NetGalley and Bookature Audio fir the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up being quite the rollercoaster!

I enjoyed the twists and the suspense throughout so much. I do think it took around 40% to really get going, but once we were nearing the middle of the book I was so eager to find out what had happened to Joanna and who the culprit was.

I kept finding myself thinking about this book when I wasn’t listening to it - and that’s when I know I’m reading a good one!

The only negatives I can think of would be the slow pace at the beginning and sometimes I found it a little difficult to understand which character’s POV we were in as we went from chapter to chapter at the beginning.

I really love a thriller that is full of secrets that the reader is trying to unravel - and this book gave me that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ALC

[Anirudh Kukreja · Rating 3 out of 5]

A typical example where the journey was more interesting than the destination. Don't get me wrong, the novel was really good. It was thrilling, kept me hooked and had a twist/red herring in literally every chapter. The ending, however, went with the least surprising path that the book could've traversed upon.
Give this book a shot and, more importantly, give this author a shot; she's definitely a force to be reckoned with.

[Catherine Craig (Angelic Light) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this psychological thriller, which is about Joanna, her husband James, her daughter Scarlett, and a mystery man called Alex. We are told the story of Joanna and James in two different timelines, with Alex' story being in the past, and Joanna's in the present time. Joanna gets kidnapped and she wakes up in a room that looks like one in her own house. But who has taken her?

The narrator of this book was fantastic, and I really enjoyed her portrayal of the story. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Title: The Family on Smith Street
Author: Elisabeth Carpenter
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Release Day: August 14, 2023
Format: Audio Book
Rating: Storyline 4.5⭐️, Narration 5⭐️

Synopsis: There’s a killer on our street, and I’m his next victim.

I love living on Smith Street, with its neat houses and friendly neighbours. It’s a safe place for my daughter Scarlett to play outside. Somewhere, my husband James says with his slow smile, nothing bad could ever happen. But he’s wrong. There’s been a killer hiding here for years, and – when I turn the corner by my home one night to find a hand over my mouth and a needle in my side – it seems I’m his next victim .

I wake in a dark, windowless room, head pounding, trying to work out where I am. It looks weirdly familiar, until I realise with horror that it’s just like my room. Someone has been spying on me so successfully, they’ve recreated everything in terrifying detail.

I must know the person who has taken me. But who on our calm little street could have concealed their twisted nature all this time? As I desperately filter through memories for clues, trying to find anything that might help me survive, my stomach drops as I realise that if they’ve figured out who I am, then I will never, ever see my family again.

Because even if I do get out alive, the nightmare will have only just begun…

A completely compelling and page-turning psychological thriller perfect for fans of My Lovely Wife , The Serial Killer’s Wife and The Housemaid .

My Thoughts: This was a thrill ride of a read that I couldn't stop listening to. This was told in multiple POV and alternating timelines. I am not normally a fan of past and present. However, the transitions were flawless in this story and narration. I had so many guesses throughout, and Elisabeth kept me guessing with plot twists that I didn't see coming. If you are a fan of Lisa Jewell or Frieda McFadden, you will love this psychological thriller!!!


Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lexi Denee · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutoure for the eARC of this suspenseful title**

This one was closer to 3.5 stars for me, rounding up to 4 because it was very binge-able!

The Family on Smith Street was definitely a page-turner as it followed multiple POVs, including that of a serial killer. This book definitely kept me guessing until the end, but I did have some eye roll moments at the absolute idiocy of some of the characters, and the dialogue was a bit cheesy at parts.

The story overall did a great job, but my complaints are with the police not behaving like police most of the time (very lackadaisical, missing simple connections that I would have made just being a citizen.) Also, the daughter did not behave like her mother was missing, in the sense that she was not cautious AT ALL while all of this was going on.

My last complaint, and leading back to the dialogue issue - maybe it's an English thing but the fact that everyone said that Chloe was going to "college" and going to be at "college" every 10 sentences was bizarre and clunky.

Definitely check this one out if you like domestic thrillers, suspense, mystery, and crime shows like Criminal Minds!

[Craig and Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family On Smith Street is a twisty, suspenseful thriller where everyone is suspicious in a dark and gripping plot.
The Sawyer family have always loved living on Smith street.
There’s a sense of community there and everyone’s gets along with everyone.
Joanna and James have enjoyed watching their daughter, Scarlett, grow up on the street.
It’s safe and nothing sinister has ever happened.
But one night, Joanna goes out for a drink with a friend and never returns.
Where is and what happened to Joanna?
This beloved street has now become eerie, gloomy and dangerous.
Maybe they don’t really know their neighbours after all………
This was very hooking and cleverly written.
It came across chilling and altogether immersive.
The storyline had moments of tension and immense drama.
How it was all connected was skilful, combining mystery elements and intriguing moments.
I look forward to reading more from this author.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first novel by Carpenter. I love discovering new to my Psychological Thriller authors. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to discover new authors.

When you live in a neighborhood, sometimes you know all your neighbors, or just a few. Obviously some never really know their neighbors, which was the case of this book.

Imagine waking up and being in a windowless room and not knowing where you are or how you got there? Frightening to say the very least. You notice photos on the wall that completely leave you unglued. Not only of local people but pictures of you and your family Could whoever have taken me have my husband or daughter?

Is a killer in the neighborhood?

[Cherise Isabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It turns out karma is real. And it’s a fucking bitch."

This one was fun!! This was just how I like my thrillers- fast paced, multiple POVs with one of the POVs being anonymous and revealed when the story is at its climax. A plot twist that I kinda saw coming but it was still brilliantly revealed regardless. An ending that wasn't fairy tale because I hate when psychological thrillers wrap up perfectly- it's so disappointing. The characters were very complex, and I enjoyed reading the story from their different POVs.
This was the perfect binge worthy, unputdownable, captivating and intriguing read. I 100% recommend this one to you lovers of psychological thrillers.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookourture for my Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.