The Family at No 23: A totally gripping psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist

by Kathryn Sharman

'An absolute rollercoaster! So many twists and turns... When I thought I'd figured it all out... BOOM! There came the ending. I'm speechless!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'This story is wild!! Actual mind-blowing psychological fiction that has you simultaneously shouting at the characters to stop their crazy antics, while turning pages at a rate of knots to find out what will happen next!! This is the most original book I have read in YEARS!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

On Riddleston Road each house reaches three storeys high, with smart gabled roofs and neat garden paths unfurling from pastel coloured front doors. Wide, sash windows stare outwards from the brick facades, revealing a glimpse of beautiful interiors. And concealing dark secrets.

Today a new family has moved into number twenty-three. A family who shouldn't be there.

As Iris stacks boxes in the hallway, she knows she has made a mistake in coming here. This house will mean her son will get the future he deserves. That will make everything she's done worth it.

But someone knows Iris's secret and what she did to get her dream home... Would she kill to keep it?

A completely addictive psychological thriller with twists you just won't see coming. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Louise Candlish and Lisa Jewell.

Everyone is gripped by The Family at No 23:

'Oh my god! I literally couldn't put this book down! I had to keep reading, the suspense is unreal. Absolutely packed with twists and shocking turns' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I was hooked from the beginning and I had to find out what was going to happen. I didn't even want to go to work because I'd have to stop reading. You won't want to put this book down I finished it in 24 hours!... Just wow!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Great book. Was up all night reading it... the twists and turns are fab. Definitely 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'What. A. Debut. This one is going to get people talking... a fantastic read that you will not want to put down. Bravo!' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Had me up the entire night reading it. I simply could not put it down. It had everything I was looking for in a thriller and then some. If you are looking for a book that is really going to capture your attention immediately this is the book for you' Reader review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'The perfect blend of domestic dilemma and spiralling suspense. I loved it!' Helen Cooper

'Wrapped in darkness and secrets - I raced through it' Sophie Flynn

'Wow!' J.M. Hall

'I couldn't put it down... A gripping, breath-holding novel that will make you question what you would do for your family' Leah Pitt

'Wonderful!' R.B. Egan

'Made me gasp' Chris Bridges

269 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 28, 2025

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

eBook
Fiction / Psychological Thriller / Mystery
⭐⭐⭐.5 / 5

Using for Challenge or Prompts
The 52 Book Club's Connections (Summer 2025) Reading Challenge #19. Set in the same time period as the previous book
Number Reading Challenge: #23


TW: Cheating

This story was decent but lacked something. I didn't like or feel a connection with the characters, which makes it a little harder for me to enjoy. I felt more should have happened with the boys. There were lots of loose ends with them, and it would have added some excitement. The twist I didn't see coming, but it was a little too similar to other books I have read recently. Overall, I would pick this author up again because I liked the storytelling.

[Nay (naysnovels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn’t really call this a thriller… it’s more a story of how far someone would go to get what they want and what they think they need. I thought the main characters were very flushed out and real feeling, but the side characters fell to the way side for me. Lots of plot holes, and things that were brought up that I thought would go somewhere went no where and didn’t add anything else to the story. It was fun, fast and gripping but nothing too serious. The ending got me though which def brought it from a 2.5ish up to a 3 star read for me!

[Missi Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's a genre and I love it. I didn't find the ending as jaw-dropping as the title insists. In less than 6 months, I'll forget if this is the one where she was pretending she owned a house that wasn't hers, locked in a cabin on a boat, peering out windows to witness a supposed murder, drunk on too much red wine, fake-disappearing, or all of the above. I read them fast and I forget them faster. It's been a long time since I've read a twist that twisted my knickers.

[Catherine M Myers · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never saw the ending coming! Very shocking!!

I loved the flow of this book I just couldn't put it down. It has a very good storyline and a moral to the story which you will Find at the end!

[Michelle Bourret · Rating 3 out of 5]

convoluted

Good character development. Jumping back and forth between characters by chapter was difficult to follow.
Peripheral characters lack depth and seem to act randomly.

[Carol Fontanez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a psychological thriller by any means. If you pay attention to the details, you'll figure out the ending. Too much hype, too little substance

[Cathy Emmons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intriguing

I love the story line. The ending was swift. Could of expanded on a few things. Ending was a good twist.

[Helen Bernadette · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd time reading. Very good.

[JJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Drove me nuts. implausible. Annoying.

[Presley Peyton Stuber · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 for me! I didn’t necessarily hate the book and didn’t think it was a bad read, but I felt like I waited for something to happen, and it never came for me! I enjoyed the writing style, though.