Sudden Departure of the Frasers

by Louise Candlish

When Joe and Christy Davenport step behind the Oxford Blue painted door of their 'forever' home, they believe their dreams have come true. Yet the boxes aren't even unpacked before a series of events leads Christy to become obsessed with the previous occupant, the glamorous, enigmatic Amber Fraser, whose departure from Lime Park Road is shrouded in mystery. What happened to her? And why are Joe and Christy's attempts at friendship with neighbours met with an unnerving silence?

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Crime

12 pages, Audio CD

First published May 7, 2015

About the author

Hello and welcome to my page... You may already know my domestic noir thrillers or perhaps you're curious and not sure which to try first - either way, you're in the right place!

My latest is OUR HOLIDAY, a Sunday Times bestseller, WHSmith Richard & Judy Book Club pick and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 nominee. It features my favourite ever love-to-hate characters Perry and Charlotte, second home owners in the idyllic English beach resort of Pine Ridge. It's now in development for the screen - I'll share news on that as soon as I can.

Next up is A NEIGHBOUR'S GUIDE TO MURDER, published in July 2025 (UK) and 2026 (US), available to pre-order now.

Last year I celebrated my 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for my 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction. Stay tuned for TV news on that one too - it will be the next of mine to hit our screens!

OUR HOUSE is the one you may know me for as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned my career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award​, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.

A bit about me: I live in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with my husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie who is the apple of my eye. Books, TV and long walks are my passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends. Authors I love include Tom Wolfe, Patricia Highsmith, Barbara Vine, Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh. My favourite book is Madame Bovary.

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Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christy and Joe have bought a house and they can’t believe their luck. Recently refurbished, in a highly desirable suburb of London, it was a real steal. Of course, with the house comes a mystery, a glaring question mark. Why did the previous owners, the Frasers, leave in such a hurry and disappear, just as the expensive, high spec renovation was completed?
Christy, much to Joe’s irritation, sets about finding some answers. She becomes obsessed with the mystery, and even more so when her new neighbours prove to be suspiciously tight lipped and cold towards her.
Throughout the novel we often change viewpoint, jumping back in time to join Amber Fraser and her husband Jeremy, following the dramatic events that lead up to their ‘sudden departure’.
Amber is a wonderful creation - vivacious and flawless, the life and soul ....... everybody, male and female, wants to get close and bask in her glow. She also lives dangerously and there is obviously a severe storm on the horizon.
The structure, pacing and ramping up of tension are as good as you would expect from Louise Candlish, a master of the psychological drama/ thriller.
The ending wasn’t as shocking or surprising as I imagined it would be, but was probably more realistic because of it.
This was another compelling novel by Louise Candlish who never fails to impress.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Hated the characters (not all of them!)which I'm sure was intentional on behalf of the author, but seriously this is skill.

Two women a year apart, the same house. Christy moves into her dream home, snapped up at a bargain price, only to discover herself in the middle of a rather tense atmosphere. This seems to be linked to previous occupants, The Frasers of the title, who did a moonlight flit one night never to be heard from again...As both Christy and Amber Fraser tell us their tales of woe, there is a nasty truth hovering in the background.

Jeez I detested Amber with every fibre of my being. And to be fair Christy didn't exactly make herself likeable (God did I feel for her ever patient husband Joe) but they were both extraordinarily fascinating. Add to that Louise Candlish has created a gorgeously insightful snapshot of one street and the intricacies of all the relationships that keeps you avidly turning those pages to see what they will get up to next.

This is a kind of psychological thriller/domestic drama/character piece mash up that works extremely well. From Rob the enigmatic and much maligned neighbour, to Christy and her, well frankly, complete and utter inability to keep her nose out of other people's business - and beyond to the neighbours and friends that live on the street, this is a genuinely riveting tale which will keep you guessing.

I now know why the Fraser's so suddenly departed - and the journey to discovery was terrific every step of the way. Go find out for yourself!

Highly Recommended

Happy Reading Folks!

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first trip into a book written by Louise Candlish but certainly not my last. This was a really enjoyable read that I just kept picking up over and over again keen to know what was coming next. This is a long book and I was really concerned that I would get bored or find it hard going, or that the author was just padding out the pages. Not at all, each and every word went to make the book the great bit of fiction that it was.

If you like to peek behind closed doors, twitching curtains and into the hearts and minds of those carrying a secret you will love this book. It was a bit like sitting with someone and getting the gossip of the street but reading it from a birds eye view and getting all perspectives. Some readers did not like the ending, on the contrary I loved it, I though it was fitting and whilst it was how I thought it would be I think it was still a clever twist of sorts, honestly not sure why so many disappointed with it, I liked where it went.

My name is Amber Fraser. I've just moved in at Number 40, Lime Park Road. You'll come to think of me as a loving wife, a thoughtful neighbour and a trusted friend.

This is a lie.

When Christy and Joe Davenport are handed the keys to Number 40 on picture-perfect Lime Park Road, Christy knows it should be a dream come true. How strange though that the house was on the market for such a low price. That the previous owners, the Frasers, had renovated the entire property yet moved out within a year. That none of the neighbours will talk to Christy.

As her curiosity begins to give way to obsession, Christy finds herself drawn deeper into the mystery of the house's previous occupants - and the dark and shocking secret that tore the street apart...

When Christy and Joe Davenport move into their dream glamorous perfectly renovated new home on the coveted Lime Park Road they think they have really made it, have landed on their feet and reached the pinnacle of success. Not so. Not even close. The house has it's own secrets, lies and won't give them up very easily.

With fluctuating viewpoints between the previous home owner, the glamorous Amber and her husband and the current owners Christy and her husband, the picture is gradually painted as to what went on truly on this road. What has silenced the entire street? Timelines blend until the past meets the present and all is revealed. Christy's obsession with what the great secrets are about why the neighbours are the way they are, and why they upped and left the new home they had hardly moved into so quickly, without notice, with no forwarding address and all the events around it makes a lot of sense. I think a lot of women would have become almost equally obsessed - it's too great an event to play down.

A great escapist read into some very dysfunctional lives and a portrayal of how every single choice we make can have astounding consequences that can leave ripples on the lives of everyone for a very long time.

Just WHAT went on? You will really want to know as you get reading as I did. Hold on for the journey. The writing is very good in this book and I could not fault the level of description, the narrative or the characters, all of them able to hold their own in this long novel. 4 very enjoyable stars from me for this one.

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I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review, many thanks.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

The initial premise of this story is intriguing, Christy and Joe Davenport buy their dream home, in their dream location for well under the price it's worth. Sure, they’re mortgaged to the hilt, but they’re lucky aren’t they? As they begin their new life though, they start to question their luck, why are their new neighbours so hostile? Why was the house so cheap? Most importantly, what happened to the previous owners and why were they so keen to sell up and move so quickly?
We then flash back to the previous owners, Amber and Jeremy Fraser, to see the story from their side.

The mystery of why the Frasers left is a compelling one. Candlish writes well, especially when it comes to obsession and 'the haves vs. the have-nots,' both themes that she explored in her novel The swimming pool. However, I fear I will be in the minority by preferring The Swimming pool to this.

My main issue with this story is it’s length, I feel that there are at least 100 pages of 'waffle' which a good editor would have cut down. There is a large portion of the story where Christy, bored and unemployed, stands at the window spying on her neighbours. She goes to a book club, she comes home, she whinges to her (poor, overworked) Husband, she stalks people on the internet. A good portion of the book later, she's doing the same thing, and rinse and repeat.

I found Amber's voice more compelling than Christy's, as deplorable as she is. Amber's story is particularly interesting in view of the current climate and news reports lately, but delving into that here may spoil the storyline and I’m loathe to do that.

This book could be chilling, it could be compelling and it could be excellent, but it is so let down by needless descriptions and deviations. This story is a solid mystery and could have made a good thriller had the story remained taut and concise, which would have served it well.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was going to be three stars until I got to one word in the final 20 or so pages that made me realise I had to round down. The truth is, this book starts well and gets worse. Your tolerance for this book will probably depend on your fondness for the following three tropes:

1) the smirking, irresistibly handsome, ne'er-do-well love interest (always male), usually hiding some dark secret and codified as being "up to no good";
2) the incredibly beautiful femme fatale, loosely & drearily "modernising" the trope of the meek beauty (if you ask me, just another irritating, pseudo-feminist take on the need to have women defined by their physical appeal) by making the femme fatale loudly & snarkily "aware" of her gifts;
3) the overpowering love affair that will always, always spark between these two dull cliches, based on an animalistic sex appeal, usually driven by the heroine's amazing face, body, & popularity, & the man's rather dubious smirk.

Therefore: to describe "The Sudden Departure of the Frasers" as either a mystery or a psychological thriller is a bit of a misnomer, in my opinion; it's more like a somewhat rougher, more suspenseful "romance" (only because "thoroughly sex-based affair" doesn't have the same ring). Despite how tiresome & slow I found this section of the novel, however, I was completely (surprisingly) charmed by Christy, who moves into Amber's (model-worthy femme fatale) and her nice millionaire husband, Jeremy's, very expensive townhouse.

While Amber is made (deliberately, yet no less irritatingly) impossible to sympathise with due to her penchant for lying, manipulating, and cheating on thoroughly nice people who she doesn't even have the good grace to observe wittily or interestingly, I thought Christy was a rather unexpected delight. She and Joe's struggles are the kind not usually seen in psychological thrillers; rather than being rich or unusually gifted in some way, Joe and Christy are bowled over by their luck at being able to afford the Frasers' now-vacated home. Despite their crushing debts (in order to afford the house), Christy is surprisingly made redundant. I thought this section of the book was both realistic & likeable.

As a general comment on the readability, I read this book's final 200 or so pages in one night. But it took me about a month and a half to cover the first 200. It isn't that the writing gets suddenly much better, or the plotting more intriguing; it's just that Candlish writes very, very well. The problem is, I often felt that the plot moved at an incredibly sluggish pace. When lines like -

It was the first public sign that I was starting to fray.

- appear on page 270, I couldn't help but feel there was a larger problem. This plot springs very few surprises. I have read a great many very long - some very boring, some fantastic - novels. I personally am of the opinion that if your book breaks 400 pages, you need to have a serious thought about why. This book has very little plot - mostly sweaty sex sessions between Amber and her extramarital lover, Rob (see above), and Christy interrogating her neighbours without ever finding anything at all out until the final less-than-50 pages - and plodded along at such a slow pace that it seemed about as thrilling as insomnia.

However, with that said, the writing is honestly really good. There are enough well-observed scenes, of dialogue, of relationships - I particularly enjoyed the detailing of the relationship between Christy and Joe, like I said above, but also brief cameos like Christy's mother & some of the neighbours are also refreshing & memorable. It all flows in a way that seems so effortless you just know it was hard to get right; this is truly a finely-tuned, well-written debut.

Then the plot happens. The so-called "twist" is laughably predictable; I'm half-wondering if I should bother to cover it with spoiler tags as it's the exact same twist (more or less) that recurs in The Girl Before, Gone Girl, and in an albeit very modified form in Luckiest Girl Alive: the titillating presentation of sexual violence as some kind of did-they-didn't-they thriller plot - but even worse - the treatment of false rape allegations as if they are something that women just do, quite cavalierly and willingly every day of her life, to gain traction & popularity from other women and, most commonly, men. I am royally fucking SICK of this plotline being used as some kind of edgy "aren't I clever" reflexive action, a pathetic, immature, & stupid excuse for a "twist".

I think what's worse than this twist itself is the smirking smugness with which it's deployed here, as if we might never have seen this twist before. As if it's something that could realistically be shocking. Once, maybe, but not with the automatic precision it's churned out by current women-dominated psychological thriller. The femme fatale never faces any of the complex reactions that real women - real people - struggling with this issue. Never mind that most people never reported sexual assault. Never mind that workplace harassment is very real. The worst part of this entire novel is the single word that I referred to as inspiring me to finally, definitively drop it from 3 stars to 2 stars: intuit. We're seriously asked to believe that a woman, by virtue of her intelligence, can definitively tell the difference between a sex predator and a man who is not. I wondered why juries weren't made up of such women.

Even worse than any ideological criticism - though, by the way, they all still stand; this is a misogynistic & creepy obsession dressed up as some mutated form of post-feminism - is the flattening, deadening affect it has on the novel. Initially, I was intrigued by the "new" kind of mystery this book posed. Rather than being yet another novel about a murdered woman/a murdered child/a missing woman/a missing child/an assaulted woman/an assaulted child, it revolved around a newer and fresher type of disappearance, which I thought made a fine change from the police procedural elements in current "hot" psychological thrillers. Well, I take it all back. Think about the premise for this novel and I suspect you can come up with a plot either, a) very similar; or b) better.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really good, intriguing read. When Christy and Joe buy their dream home at a bargain price they think their ship has come in, that is until they actually move in. All they know about the last owners, Amber and Jeremy Fraser is that they left the house in a hurry and nobody knows where they went. The neighbours are determined not to discuss the Frasers at all, and in addition, seem to want nothing to do with Christy and Joe either. And just who is the bearded shambolic giant Rob who lives next door, and why do the neighbours seem to hate him so?

Christy‘s interest is piqued and she is determined to discover what happened to the Frasers and why nobody wants to talk about it.

The story is told from the points of view of both Amber and Christy. Christy is described a couple of times as being “dull”, which seems a little harsh. She is just ordinary but compared to the vivacious, generous, kind and fun loving social butterfly that is Amber, then yes she does come across as a little dull. I absolutely adored the character of Amber and how she progressed throughout the read. Everybody, man or woman, loves Amber and at first I too fell under her spell but boy, oh boy did my opinion change! By the end of the read I absolutely loathed her! She is a fantastic, extremely entertaining character to read about who will really get under your skin.

There were times when I did begin to wish the read would hurry along a bit so I could find out what the big mystery was all about and I have to admit I did “guess” what had happened some time before the first clue was even out there. However, this is a very entertaining read which will leave you with that feeling that you never know what is going on behind your neighbour’s closed doors. Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally and utterly gripped by this. 'The Sudden Departure of the Frasers' seems to be one of Louise Candlish's books that has been overlooked. Everyone else is obsessed with 'Our House' and 'Those People' (quite rightly) but they are missing a treat here. The story is told from 2 points of view. The original owner of the property - Amber, and the newer owner of the house - Christy.
The story jumps back and forward between the 2 characters and at the start this was a bit confusing, but very quickly I was engrossed in the story.
What happened to Amber and her husband Jeremy? They were the life and soul of the street and they suddenly disappeared overnight without warning. When Christy and Joe move into the porperty, they are amazed at how cheap the price has gone down to. But Christy soon wonders if something ominous happened there, because none of the neighbours really want anything to do with her, and there is evidence that one of the characters has assualted another yet no one will talk about it.
I can promise you, the twist will come as such a surprise, and it's totally worth it all. I normally don't cope well with big chunky books, but on this instance I was completely sucked into the story and was basically living on the street with the other characters.

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading Louise Candlish books and this was another well written novel that will satisfy her following.
A young married couple Christy and Joe Davenport have all their wishes granted when they move into an exclusive residence in much admired Lime Park Road, London. Paying much below the average price for the area everything appears too good to be true. The previous owners, Amber and Jeremy Fraser, left in a hurry and no one appears to know why. Although the house is a dream the neighbours are far from friendly and make little effort to be neighbourly. Christy starts to wonder why did the Frasers leave in a hurry and why the neighbours are so unfriendly. The problem is the more she delves the bigger the mess she makes.

The story is told from the perspectives of Amber Fraser and Christy Davenport and makes intriguing reading although I felt it was a little too long but enjoyable all the same. Entertaining and well written but not quite at the same level as some of her other books.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe and Christy Davenport cannot believe their luck when they purchase a property on Lime Park Road in London. The property would normally be way out of their budget but the recent owner, Amber Fraser left quickly overnight and has disappeared. Joe and Christy move in feeling that life could not be better but there are secrets in this street and on arrival they find their neighbours quite odd and somewhat unwelcoming. The Frasers become Christy's obsession, she wants to find out what made Amber take off so quickly, why she left and the neighbours are not giving anything away. The story alternates between Christy and Amber and through these two main characters we learn more of the story. I found the book to be a bit long at just over 500 pages, I think this could have been cut down and still been a good read but this also provides the reader with much more information about Christy and Amber. Quite honestly they are awful people, Amber cunning and totally manipulative and Christy painful and needy. I enjoyed this book but as previously said it could have been shorter.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great audio.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is published in paperback and ebook by Penguin on 21 May 2015, and is Louise Candlish's eleventh novel.

Louise Candlish is an author that I've enjoyed reading for many years. I would have sworn that I'd read most of her books, but looking through my lists it seems that I've only read Since I Don't Have You, and Other People's Secrets. I read them way before I started blogging, but I checked on Goodreads and I gave them both five stars. I've had a look on my to-be-read shelves, and there are a couple more of her novels lurking on there. I think it's time to bump them up the pile!

I was really happy to find that The Sudden Departure of the Frasers had been chosen as the book of the month by the Curtis Brown Book Group ~ the synopsis is wonderful, the book is big and meaty at 500 pages. I dived in and didn't come up for air for quite some time!

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is a story of modern sacrifices, of the quest for the perfect home, and of how top-notch postcodes and gleaming kitchens can often disguise fractured people and broken relationships. Readers who are currently house-hunting should approach this novel with caution, it may make you change your mind about what is important to you!

There is a secret on Lime Park Road. Christy and Joe Davenport cannot believe that they have actually bought their 'forever' house. The small flat that they left seems miles away, this is their dream, and at such a bargain price too. However, there does seem to be something a little strange about the neighbours. Christy feels snubbed and agitated by the residents and their response to her. Maybe there is a reason why their beautiful home with it's copper bath imported from Mexico was so cheap. Why did they never meet the Frasers during the purchase of the house, and why is there no forwarding address for them? It becomes very clear that everyone on the street adored Amber Fraser, it's pretty odd that none of her so-called friends know where she moved to.

Ahh, Amber Fraser. Probably one of the most beautiful and generous characters ever created, but also one of the most flawed, but absolutely compelling too. Amber tells her story in alternating chapters, alongside Christy.

This is a totally gripping read, the mystery of why the much-loved, wealthy and seemingly happy Frasers moved out of their beautiful home is central, and the clever way that Louise Candlish slowly reveals the story is spellbinding. Amber and Christy are developed extremely well, two women with nothing in common except for a house, and for me, that house took on a character all of its own. It is the show home of Lime Park Road, the house that everyone else aspires to, yet it has secrets within its walls that creates a darkness and almost sinister feeling for the reader.

Let's talk about Rob. In Christy's story he is a shambling, bearded, rude and surly man who everyone else on the street tries to avoid. He can be very offensive, he's often frightening, yet Christy's new neighbours are loathe to talk about him. In Amber's story, which take place only a few months previously, Rob is a popular, handsome man. The women of the street flirt with him, he's a much-welcomed guest at parties, he's a very popular guy. These contrasting views of the same character are central to the mystery of the Fraser's sudden departure, and when the reader finally finds out the truth it is shocking and cruel, and quite honestly, given the damaged characters involved, it's shouldn't be quite as much a shock as it is.

This is a subtle mystery, that is woven so incredibly well. Louise Candlish adds a hint of terror and darkness to her characters and the plot is engaging and unique.

I have little in common with the characters in The Sudden Departure of the Frasers, and it is a fascinating insight into the world of eye-watering mortgage payments, interior designers, and the battle to have the best. The story will almost make the reader consider just how much sacrifice should be made in the quest to find the perfect home. I've never craved a large house (or a large mortgage), I'm pretty happy with my tiny semi-detached in an average rural market town. Getting a glimpse into this other world through this excellent story has been eye-opening and convinced me that it really doesn't matter where you live, you will always be who you are.

http://randomthingsthroughmyletterbox...

[Margaret Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
When you feel something is too good to be true, it tends to be fact. But if you want that something badly enough, you can ignore niggling feelings and take a chance. In this novel from Louise Candlish, young couple, Christy and Joe Davenport bag the bargain of a lifetime when they buy a beautiful three story residence in the exclusive area of Lime Park Road, London. The price may have been well below the average in the area, but the house is finished to perfection, with top of the range extras and immaculate attention to detail. The previous owners, Amber and Jeremy Fraser, seemed to have left in a hurry, and Christy begins to wonder why they would sell so quickly and at such a low price. When she tries to ask the neighbours about the Frasers' departure, she gets curt responses and even manages to block friendships she had yet to form. Why all the secrecy surrounding her house? What kind of people were the Frasers? Digging deeper may lead to digging herself into a hole that she cannot clamber out of...

London author, Louise Candlish is one of many writers who are underrated. Comparisons have been made to Liane Moriarty and Diane Chamberlain, but I feel she has even more to offer. Placing this book into women's fiction would be accurate but the writing is above par and teeters on the borders of the thriller genre as well as literary. There are some stunning passages that bring the standard above general women's fiction and because of this, there is a possibility that fans of more mainstream fiction could lose interest in the plot at times. At 505 pages, it was a little long. On the (big) plus side, there is the great enigma that is Amber, the dangled carrot throughout the novel, and what a character she is. Cunning, self-motivated and a master of deception, she is forever lingering in the background of Lime Park Road. Even when she has left. When Christy becomes more than a little obsessed by the former mistress of her house, the narrative becomes very similar to Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca; the meek bored wife, wondering why she cannot be as striking as the former head of the big house. Joe, and indeed Amber's husband, Jeremey, are two men who seem highly intelligent but lacking in basic cop-on. The women rule this story. Christy, Amber and a host of bored housewives lead the reader through a maze of rumour, innuendo and the world of the wealthy. This is a thriller/female/literary fiction hybrid, along the vein of Girl On The Train, but at a slower pace. A great story, one that will have you desperate to know why the Frasers left so abruptly, and why at all? A fantastic read, that had me ignoring my family for two solid days. It had a hook that kept reeling you in, and that hook was Amber. Just like Rebecca's Mrs DeWinter, even hearing her name gives you desire to know more.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an intriguing read. I've read quite a few books recently that are long ones and this one tops out at just over 500 pages, which is always a worry for me, because how the heck can an author fill so many pages with just one book?!?! Well, Louise Candlish manages it, and the only tell-tale sign of how long the book was were my aching hands after finishing.

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is one of the most compelling books I've read this year. For the vast majority of the novel, Amber Fraser's life is a mystery; we're not sure in the slightest what happened to her that would make her and her husband, Jeremy, leave their brand new home that they'd spent a ton of money on. It was mind-boggling and it was up to new resident Christy to find out the truth, especially since all the neighbours on Lime Park Road appear to have something against Christy, just for living in the Frasers' house.

It was such a good read for me. The fact we're told virtually nothing of Amber and Jeremy leaves a lot to the imagination, as you wonder just what happened to make them move out and that's what kept me reading. I was itching every time to get back to Amber's "confession" and see what all the hoo-ha was about. I also enjoyed getting to know Christy and Joe, they seemed like such a sweet couple, and I sort of liked seeing Christy unravel as she tries to figure out the Frasers' secrets. I'm nosy like that, too.

I must confess to being disappointed with the ending. After so much build up, so much suspense, and suspicion and wonderings, I found the explanation a bit pants. I expected more. Like a murder-suicide, but maybe I've just been reading too many thrillers. In fact, I was actually quite offended somewhat by what happened, because it was just wrong.

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers was such a suprise for me, I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, I just wished the ending had been different. Then it would have been perfect.

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This began as such a promising story. From the title to the opening chapters, I longed as much as one of the POV characters what had happened that was so big people have packed up and moved out of this tony London neighborhood virtually overnight and that leaves the rest of the street silent and cool to the point of shunning toward newcomers? This is a great set up and I couldn't wait to get into it. Dirty deeds under a glittering and lush facade? I'm all about that.

Amber was several types of awful and Christy was obsessive and needy. While I could see why Christy obsessed about the Frasers (bored and out of work), I never did empathize with Amber's actions. She was completely mercenary and without conscience. She was interesting to a point but in the final analysis, she didn't amount to much. I won't say what the secrets about the Frasers sudden departure but suffice it to say, it's not anything you haven't seen before and ultimately doesn't play out in a way that you haven't read before. One neat turn though was that by book's end, I still liked the husbands and felt a bit sorry for them (okay, very sorry for one of them).

Also, this story could have culled about 100 pages and have made for a more tense read. Neither Christy nor the reader gets any real information on the titular duo until those last 80 or so pages so it's just more going round on the carousel to nowhere for the long middle of the book. It's drawn out to no plot worthy purpose but I did stick with it because I didn't want to miss anything that might be a clue or important. Candlish succeeds in making this a compulsive read but fails a bit at the pay off department in the end.

This is my second book by Candlish and I'd definitely read another. Recommended if you need something for vacay. It's utterly readable if you've a lot of time to laze about and was something kinda juicy.

[Mackenzie - PhDiva Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd give The Sudden Departure of the Frasers 3.5 solid stars. This was such a well-written novel. My biggest reason for not giving it more stars was that the length of it was honestly a bit too long. There was a long stretch in the middle that was good, but not a lot was happening or revealed and it could have been shorter. That said, I absolutely loved the book!

Two women, one house, one year apart...

The story centers around a house--or really, it centers around a suburban street. In the best house on the most quaint block, two sets of tenants living their one year apart are mysteriously unsettled... The story changes back and forth in narration between Christy Davenport (the current occupant of the house) and Amber Fraser (the former occupant of the house). Christy and her husband Joe get the deal of a lifetime on a gorgeous row house (the one vacated by the Frasers). Despite the deal, finances are very tight for the pair, but its worth it to have this house in this gorgeous neighborhood.

However, from the moment they buy the home, something seems off...

The Frasers vacated the home quickly and rather suddenly, so much so that their mail still hasn't been properly forwarded. However, Christy is unable to get a forwarding address from the solicitor. It seems that wherever the Frasers went, they don't want to be found. Christy also finds it strange that the neighbors avoid her. They hurry away when she speaks to them, and decline all invites to socialize or discuss the Frasers. Something isn't right about the departure of the Frasers from Lime Park, but Christy doesn't know how to begin to find out what happened.

Amber has a story to tell as well...

Amber narrates shorter chapters in between Christy's narrative. Amber is telling the story of her own year living in the house on Lime Park Road. As Amber states, you'll think of her as a loving wife and kind neighbor, but those are lies. Amber will tell the real story of what happened in Lime Park, and reveal how little her neighbors really knew what happened on their own street at all...

The Verdict

One thing that is really lovely about this book is that Amber's story and Christy's investigation often align in the narrative. So as Christy finds a clue or a thread to follow, Amber will then reveal an alternate understanding of the information through her own story. At other times, Amber may reveal something first, and then we follow along with Christy as she stumbles towards the truth.

I also enjoyed the characters on the block. They felt so authentic to a suburban street, and it made me wonder about the dramas unfolding on blocks just like Lime Park Road all over the world. The other housewives do a wonderful job of illustrating Amber's magnetism. Amber seems to have a light surrounding her that others flock to be close to. But at the same time, we have Amber's narrative, and Amber is not the person her neighbors see. Amber is calculating and intelligent, emotional and vulnerable, predatory and dark.

At its core, its a story about secrets and lies. The book explores the age old questions... How much do we truly know our neighbors

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐ =Quite Good.
This was certainly an easy to read, page turner.
It was a little bit samey until near the end and I must admit that I was expecting more of a twist at the end... but it was okay.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If like me you believe the adage ‘You never know what goes on behind closed doors’, but still long too, you’ll love this book.

When Joe and Christy Davenport move into the house of their dreams in Lime Grove they feel that they have fallen on their feet. The house was an absolute bargain and although it will take a while to furnish they are undaunted. When in quick succession two of the neighbours are less than welcoming Christy becomes convinced that their predecessors Jeremy and Amber Fraser had left for sinister reasons a fact only emphasised by the fact that they left no forwarding address.

Amber Fraser narrates the alternate chapters to Christy as she reveals what happened to her when they moved in just under a year previously. Amber has also fallen on her feet, at home while her older husband goes about his business as a CEO. Money is no problem for the Fraser’s and the house is renovated within in an inch of its life as Amber manages the interior decorator from afar and imaging the children she will produce to fill the house.

While Christy in the present is determinedly carrying out her detective work to find out about her predecessor, Amber’s sections give us her ‘confession’ which as she states isn't either a religious or even a criminal one, but readers will judge for themselves what the purpose of telling the truth is.


So the beauty for the reader is that Amber gives us the information that Christy longs to find out, which gives the reader a view inside both women’s lives.

This is a book that covers themes of greed, anxiety and adultery along with the absolute truth that while the residents of this desirable postcode in the outskirts of London may appear to have it all, what goes on behind these particularly smartly painted closed doors is not quite what you’d expect. There is a massive preoccupation of the residents to be seen to be successful, and to do that then perhaps the face presented to the rest of the world is at best a twist of the truth, and at worst a big fat lie. It won’t escape any reader to find that neither of our narrators is really satisfied with their lives both yearning for something more to complete them, but at what price?
This book made for compelling reading, I longed to know what the secret was and the writing style which is edged with humour, especially Amber’s narration, made for more than a few wry smiles along the way making this a thoroughly satisfying read.


This is a meaty book coming in at 500 pages but it didn’t seem like it, and due to a combination of only receiving it a couple of days before Lovereading, who provided me with my copy. wanted the review, and a spare day, meant that I settled down and let myself be drawn into the world of these two women. I liked the fact that they were in their thirties, old enough to realise the mistakes they were making, if seemingly unable or unwilling to put them right but still coming across in the main part as sympathetic characters. This is a story that is told in an entertaining way so that I was able to indulge myself while feeling like a voyeur on their lives.

I can’t believe I haven’t come across this author before, but this is her tenth book, guess who’s books will be being rapidly added to my wishlist/TBR.

This is a book which is absolutely ideal for a holiday read and I will be recommending it far and wide, once it is published by Penguin on 21 May 2015.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was pleased to receive an early copy of this book to be released in 2015. The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is the first book by Louise Candlish that I've read and it grabbed me from the word go.
A compelling read, the kind of book you don't want to end. The emotions are intense and the story is intriguing, the easy and quick pace throws you straight into the story. A very clever and interesting story.
I shall certainly be reading more books by Louise Candlish and I will be recommending this to my book reading friends.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.snazzybooks.com

The Sudden Departure of the Frasers is an absorbing, mysterious story of scandal and secrets in affluent ‘Lime Park Road’.

The story can be quite uncomfortable to read at times as it explores some difficult themes, but I feel like they’re dealt with well and prompts the reader to think (I don’t want to give any more specific details in case I give anything away) about the effect and ramifications it can have on not just that person and their family, but on everyone in the street!

Louise Candlish manages to create a strong air of mystery and at times the atmosphere really seems quite threatening and eerie! I could really imagine what it was like for Christy and Joe, excited about their new house but moving into that strange, odd atmosphere, and Amber, being Queen Bee with a beautiful house and adoring husband Jeremy and yet STILL not being satisfied with her life

The narrative switches between popular vixen Amber and homely, eager-to-please Christy, presenting each of their stories. It’s really interesting to read about the completely different experiences they both had of Lime Park Road, and how certain characters had changed so much between Amber and Jeremy moving out and a Christy and Joe moving in, but despite this I occasionally forgot which of the two main characters were speaking at the time! Although the characters are very different, they were obviously both living in the same house with their husbands, no kids, on the same street, surrounded by the same people, so at times I had to mentally remind myself who was speaking. This only added to the slightly bewildering atmosphere that Christy must have been experiencing!

The novel was fairly long at 512 pages and that gave me time to really become immersed in it. I felt like my experience of the story was split into 3 parts really: the beginning really intrigued me and I was anticipating what might happen later on, the middle felt a tiny bit ‘samey’ at times (but only SLIGHTLY, mind) and then the last third I really couldn’t put down! Candlish slowly revealed more and more of what the ‘scandal’ might have been, so as a reader I slowly pieced together what might have happened but wasn’t sure of certain details until the end! It really kept me hooked.

Reading The Sudden Departure of the Frasers really makes you consider what is really important in your ‘perfect house’, as well as the way that seemingly ‘perfect’ people can have some dark secrets! I’m really surprised that I haven’t read anything by this author before as she has written various novels, but I hope to read more in the future! I’d definitely recommend it.

Many thanks for the publisher who provided a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

[Joanne Robertson · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first time for a book by Louise Candlish and will certainly look out for others now. This is a great domestic noir novel about a house in Lime Park Road that has been bought by a young couple cheaply after the sudden departure of the previous owners, the Fraser's. The characters are all rather awfully badly behaved and unable to explain to Christy what the problem is in their neighbourhood and why they aren't very welcoming. This is the middle classes portrayed at their worst and it was rather difficult to really care about them! But that didn't stop me from flying through this well written book to find out what the terrible secret was! Although this is a long book (over 500 pages) it doesn't drag and the alternative chapters told by Christy then Amber helps to keep your interest.
Really enjoyed it.

[Erica⭐ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Christy and Joe Davenport move into number 40 Lime Park Road - their perfect, dream, forever family home in a perfect, dream street -they are delighted to have managed to stretch their budget to buy something they never thought they could own. But why was the house such a low price? Why did the previous owners spend a year renovating then move out so suddenly? And without a trace? Why won't any of the neighbours speak to Christy and why will no one tell her the truth about Amber Fraser, the previous owner -a mythological sexy, beautiful, perfect hostess and neighbour. Christy finds herself becoming obsessed with finding out what happened and revealing the dark secret that tore the street apart. In alternate chapters we share Christy's obsession and begin to find out what she uncovers and we also have Amber's point of view which tells us what led up to the sudden departure.

[Liz Mcewen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Possibly one of the worst books I've ever read...

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this wonderful story that delves into human nature and relationships. A tale that is like eavesdropping on the juiciest gossip. An easy, fun read.

[Ruth P · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do.Not.Bother.
A complete waste of the two hours it took to skip read with ever increasing incredulity that this book was as vacuous and bad as it was.Unpleasant selfish characters ...avoid!

[Smitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christy and Joe Davenport can’t believe their luck. They’ve managed to buy a house in the sought-after Lime Park Road. It is another thing that buying the house might mean that they would have to live on milk and bread, but it is their dream home, their ‘forever’ home. Just the perfect place to raise their yet-to-be-born kids. What makes it even better is that the previous owners had renovated it to such high standards that Christy and Joe could just move in. The house is in such a wonderful condition that they are amazed that the previous owners left so quickly. Why would someone sell their house and love away right after they had renovated it to such high standards?

However, something isn’t quite right. Frosty neighbours, and some rather weird conversations, leads Christy to deduce that something had happened on Lime Park Road which made Frasers leave so suddenly. Nobody seems to know where they went, and nobody seems willing to tell her what happened. All she knows is that everybody seemed to love Amber, and yet, nobody would say much more than that. Something had gone terribly wrong and Christy knows she has to find out. It is just too intriguing for her to not find out. Of course, it doesn’t help that she has lost her job and has plenty of time on her hands to go digging.

The story is told from Christy and Amber’s point of view. As we read Christy’s confusion , we read Amber’s time at Lime Park. I loved the way the story is made to progress. You, as a reader, know that tiny bit more that Christy and it is interesting to read how the events unfolded.

This was one of the few books where there was something unknown which I hadn’t managed to guess. A book I thoroughly enjoyed. I loved the way the author created the characters. Amber for instance, sounds amazing at the start and through the story, you see layers being peeled off to reveal the true Amber. Christy, is just a regular, normal person. A person who comes across as quite dull and boring, in comparison to her glamorous and exciting predecessor. Christy’s curiosity is so understandable, and so real. I can quite imagine myself in her situation, wondering and obsessing about Amber, especially when there are little clues littered about. Although I have to say, I would hate to live in a house which is so dominated by my predecessor, where people still refer to the house as ‘Amber’s house’ despite the fact that Amber has sold and left the place months ago. That I guess is the power of the character, who stays on, in people’s minds.

An interesting, and quite a different story, with a little unknown until the very end. A book I would definitely recommend. A 4/5 read for me. A great book for a quick, pacy and intriguing read. This is the first book that I’ve read of this author, and I know it wouldn’t be the last.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers, Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the ARC of this book.

[Little Stella · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm really really glad that the author of this book took the time to write a plot about a false rape accusation. I think that's what society really needs - a book highlighting the small percentage of false rape accusations and how the lines are blurred. I especially liked it that protagonist Amber was not a stereotype at all.

[Jo Ring · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good right to the end. Will definitely look for other books by this author.

[Monnnn · Rating 2 out of 5]

For the first 350 odd pages I really liked Amber, she was a woman who found herself attractive, and loved it. A woman who didn’t feel guilty or apologetic about enjoying her life. A woman who loved her body and did what she wanted with it, and a woman who didn’t let the ideals of ‘family’ define her. She was honest about who she was and what she wanted and didn’t really give a shit if anybody liked it. She was great.
So I felt betrayed honestly, that her character turned out to be one who would make false rape allegations. It was like her character was written by the patriarchy itself: ‘well of course the woman who didn’t give her life for the use of others would turn out to be so selfish she’d destroy the very kind men who supported her’.

Do we really need chick lit that tells us that outward AND inward confidence, especially combined, makes us more than likely bad women?

Do we really need chick lit that tells us that even though our husbands seem like total mansplaining gaslighting unbelieving pricks (Joe, wife of Christy), in the end, we should believe them. They were right all along. ?

Do we really need chick lit that tells us that all of those female human instincts about safety and fear and self preservation and danger at the hands of men (which is very statistically real might I add), is just made up in our heads and we really should give those men the benefit of the doubt, every single time? Even when it’s our friends, our communities, our own guts telling us the opposite?

No, I don’t think we do. I don’t think so at all. I don’t need to be reading stories about stereotypically strong women (Amber) being the villains, and stereotypically weak women (Christy) needing to be shown the way by the kind hearted men of the world ‘who know what’s really going on’.
And don’t get me wrong, my feminism isn’t a force in which i would refuse a well-rounded female character, villain, ‘weakness’ etc. in all of its glory. I don’t need my female characters to be likeable. I like reading a well rounded female character, good traits and bad. But these characters, and the story they told, were too far in the direction of male victim mentality and selfish woman mentality and all the things that I just can’t sit back and enjoy for the sake of chick lit entertainment value.
It’s 2019, we can do better. We can read better stories about women. We can read better stories about bad women.
And yeah, I realise this was written in 2015, but we could do better then too.

If you’re going to be writing fiction books about false rape allegations in this day and age, let’s make them insightful in some way. Let’s make them smart and thoughtful. Let’s have them say something that has value.
There are undoubtedly women in the world who actually have done this. I’m not deluded to that fact, but if we’re going to go around writing fiction about them, can we at the very least not make them so stereotypical and anti-woman en masse, and then slot them right into the women’s fiction section of the book shop?

I want to give this book one star, for patriarchal bullshit alone. But I gave Life of shit Pi two stars when it’s sole purpose was to convert me to a particular belief system and subtlety convince me that my own belief system was wrong unless it was exactly the same as the one being preached. I gave LOP two stars because I got through it, and it piqued curiosity, and I didn’t realise I hated it until the end.
So fair is fair, I’ll give this two stars too. I actually sped through this book, I was hooked until the last 3rd where it started to become blatantly obvious which direction it was headed.
And I’m not going to pretend I know anything about Louise Candlish, or her views on women and feminism, but she wrote a lot of great female characters for the most part. Smart ones. Funny ones. Strong ones. She wrote about female solidarity even though she fucked it up by telling us that it was all wrong in the end. She wrote about female friendship quite nicely, and truthfully might I add, not all female friendships are sunshine and roses from beginning to end.
She wrote about women who believed other women, and she made point of making feminist comments throughout, more obviously through the eyes of Christy, but subtlety and well done through the eyes of Amber.
She writes well. She’s clever. And I’d like to think that what I’ve taken away with me was not what was actually intended by her.

Her other books seem to have good premises, much like this one, and even though I detested everything about this book by the end of it, I wouldn’t mind giving another a go and seeing if Louise has something a little different to say about the world. Or even if maybe she doesn’t, and she’s just written other books that are great entertainment without the blatant stereotypes of women littered throughout.

Let’s also not forget to point out that the ‘selfish woman’ at the heart of this book, changed her tune and seemed to find love and softness and true happiness as soon a she became a mother. If that ain’t the patriarchy yelling at us through another woman’s voice, what is?

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always knew I liked books by Louise Candlish, but now I know for certain, that I absolutely love them. For 500 pages, I have been hooked on what exactly did happen to the Frasers. And as the revelations start being revealed, I am sitting starting at the book going OMG, OMG!

I can say hand on heart that I did not predict any part of the eventual ending, and I am so impressed with all the lead up to explaining just why the Frasers left 40 Lime Park Road, and why it was on sale for such a bargain price.

I was fascinated to find out the reasons the neighbours weren't overly friendly towards Christy and Joe, as they moved into Lime Park road, and at the same time in alternating chapters, I was reading accounts of only a year earlier, of what happened while Amber Fraser was living at the property.

I will admit that it started off a bit slow, I was intrigued and very curious, but it was only as the stories progressed that it became unputdownable. The last 150 pages, thankfully I was at home when I read them, as I would have otherwise been riding the train up and down the line until it was finished, as I was that oblivious to the surroundings, while everything reached a crescendo.

Throughout the book you are introduced to a lot of the other inhabitants of Lime Park Road, some of which I took to more than others, and it was interesting to see just how different 12 months apart the welcomes to the road were for both Christy and Amber.

I suspect I found the opening slow, as for a while I just couldn't quite identify with Christy, and wasn't too keen on Joe either, whereas I found I was longing for Amber's chapters, as she was quite a storyteller, and drew me in completely.

Utterly brilliant book, one I feel that I possibly need to re-read to see if there were any proper hints given to the eventual outcome. I spent ages thinking of various reasons for why the Frasers would depart, and then disregarding them, then re-regarding them, while still reading, but of course I don't have the imagination of Louise Candlish, so was never going to come up with the answers!

[Damaskcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christy and Joe manage to buy a house in Lime Park Road that they would always have considered outside their price range because the owners, the Frasers, seem to want a quick sale. They are over the moon about their new house and its expensive features even though they've borrowed more than they can really afford. But gradually Christy starts to wonder why the Frasers moved in such a hurry. They seem to have disappeared overnight leaving no forwarding address and they've cut all ties with everyone.

At first, even though the neighbours seem unfriendly, everything seems to be going well for Christy and Joe. He is made a partner in the law firm he works for and they love their new house. But then Christy is made redundant and she has time on her hands so she decides to find out what happened to the Frasers. She becomes more and more obsessed with the subject as the people around her become more and more secretive about the subject and they seem frightened to talk.

The reader knows more than Christy does because chapters narrated by Amber Fraser are interspersed with the chapters detailing Christy's search for the truth. This is an tense and well written story and the only reason why I have not given it five stars is because I felt Christy was just a little bit too immature and seemed not to know how to get on with people very well which didn't quite ring true somehow. Amber came over to me as a better realised character even though she isn't terribly likeable.

I did enjoy reading the book and thought the tension between the two narratives was very well done. I thought the expectations that so many people have these days were shown in a very bad light in many ways and ultimately it is only Joe, a somewhat two dimensional character up to that point, who realises what is important in life. I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review purposes.