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Suspects
Pre-order now to be the first to read one of the nation's favourite storytellers' gripping new novel.Welcome to Willow Close, where everyone is a suspect . . .On the day Nina and Conrad Best move into their new home in picture-perfect Willow Close a body is discovered.Hurrying inside with their belongings, they see horrified neighbours gather by the police cordon - one of the residents has been attacked and brutally killed in the woods.Believing someone must have seen the murderer, the police interview all the residents of the Close. They soon find out that each neighbour harbours their own secrets.The residents of Willow Close are far from what they initially seem and strange, even dark, things happen behind their closed doors.Nina and Conrad had thought they'd found their dream neighbourhood. But have they moved into a nightmare?Praise for Lesley Pearse'Storytelling at its very best' Daily Mail'Evocative, compelling, told from the heart' Sunday Express'Glorious, heartwarming' Woman & Home'Intriguing, heart-tugging, beautifully written' Closer
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2021
531 people are currently reading
1208 people want to read
About the author
Lesley Pearse
71 books2,212 followersLesley Pearse is one of the UK's best-loved novelists with fans across the globe and sales of over 2 million copies of her books to date. A true storyteller and a master of gripping storylines that keep the reader hooked from beginning to end, Pearse introduces you to characters that it is impossible not to care about or forget. There is no formula to her books or easily defined genre. Whether crime as in 'Till We Meet Again', historical adventure like 'Never Look Back', or the passionately emotive 'Trust Me', based on the true-life scandal of British child migrants sent to Australia in the post war period, she engages the reader completely.
Truth is often stranger than fiction and Lesley's life has been as packed with drama as her books. She was three when her mother died under tragic circumstances. Her father was away at sea and it was only when a neighbour saw Lesley and her brother playing outside without coats on that suspicion was aroused - their mother had been dead for some time. With her father in the Royal Marines, Lesley and her older brother spent three years in grim orphanages before her father remarried - a veritable dragon of an ex army nurse - and Lesley and her older brother were brought home again, to be joined by two other children who were later adopted by her father and stepmother, and a continuing stream of foster children. The impact of constant change and uncertainty in Lesley's early years is reflected in one of the recurring themes in her books: what happens to those who are emotionally damaged as children. It was an extraordinary childhood and in all her books, Lesley has skilfully married the pain and unhappiness of her early experiences with a unique gift for storytelling.
Truth is often stranger than fiction and Lesley's life has been as packed with drama as her books. She was three when her mother died under tragic circumstances. Her father was away at sea and it was only when a neighbour saw Lesley and her brother playing outside without coats on that suspicion was aroused - their mother had been dead for some time. With her father in the Royal Marines, Lesley and her older brother spent three years in grim orphanages before her father remarried - a veritable dragon of an ex army nurse - and Lesley and her older brother were brought home again, to be joined by two other children who were later adopted by her father and stepmother, and a continuing stream of foster children. The impact of constant change and uncertainty in Lesley's early years is reflected in one of the recurring themes in her books: what happens to those who are emotionally damaged as children. It was an extraordinary childhood and in all her books, Lesley has skilfully married the pain and unhappiness of her early experiences with a unique gift for storytelling.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews
June 24, 2021
I don't know who wrote this , or even when, but it certainly doesn't read like a Lesley Pearse book!
Has this been written by a ghost writer?
Did Lesley write it whilst at school?
Has in been unearthed after many years and someone has tried to update it?
I can't even believe it was written by a woman. Full of misogyny, fat shaming and obsessive descriptions of body shape and wardrobe, with stereotypical characters. Women are only good for cooking, cleaning, leading on men and supervising children, whilst men are the Superheroes, especially Conrad. Saint Conrad rescues everyone and dispenses pearls of wisdom, even cutting the grass and scaling a fence after being discharged from hospital with burns.
If the characters are bad, the dialogue is even worse. Wooden and laden with cliches. Actions and words don't match and the plot holes and lack of police procedure are laughable. Lack of editing means that even the name of the murder victim is wrong at one point.
However the very worst part is the finale. Set in a place where I used to work, it was so implausible I screamed at the screen.
Is this writing by numbers? Because it doesn't add up.
Thanks to Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons. Your comments were way better than the book.
Has this been written by a ghost writer?
Did Lesley write it whilst at school?
Has in been unearthed after many years and someone has tried to update it?
I can't even believe it was written by a woman. Full of misogyny, fat shaming and obsessive descriptions of body shape and wardrobe, with stereotypical characters. Women are only good for cooking, cleaning, leading on men and supervising children, whilst men are the Superheroes, especially Conrad. Saint Conrad rescues everyone and dispenses pearls of wisdom, even cutting the grass and scaling a fence after being discharged from hospital with burns.
If the characters are bad, the dialogue is even worse. Wooden and laden with cliches. Actions and words don't match and the plot holes and lack of police procedure are laughable. Lack of editing means that even the name of the murder victim is wrong at one point.
However the very worst part is the finale. Set in a place where I used to work, it was so implausible I screamed at the screen.
Is this writing by numbers? Because it doesn't add up.
Thanks to Pigeonhole and my fellow Pigeons. Your comments were way better than the book.
March 31, 2023
I read this through my online book club and looked forward to it based on the blurb. Sadly, the hype failed to translate on any level. The writing was poor and the storytelling weak, but perhaps the worst thing about this book was the appalling characterization. The non-stop aspersions cast on people's looks with a heavy bias against anyone overweight was frankly more than off-putting. Add to this dialogues that are beyond ridiculous and you have the recipe for a dismal read.
I don't know what surprised me most- the fact that this author is seasoned with many books under her belt, the astonishing number of good reviews this book has received( but reminded myself that "The view of the majority is not to be confused with the truth") or my resolve to read till the end in order to leave a fair review.
The premise for a good thriller was there which is what earned it a star. A child gets murdered in a close on which several people live and they form the primary suspects. I identified the guilty party right at the beginning so even a big twist or reveal wasn't forthcoming. Last, but by no means least the police behaviour in the investigation was ridiculous. Despite poor editing I did not allow glaring errors to affect my review as the copy read was an advance copy.
Poor all round.1 star.
I don't know what surprised me most- the fact that this author is seasoned with many books under her belt, the astonishing number of good reviews this book has received( but reminded myself that "The view of the majority is not to be confused with the truth") or my resolve to read till the end in order to leave a fair review.
The premise for a good thriller was there which is what earned it a star. A child gets murdered in a close on which several people live and they form the primary suspects. I identified the guilty party right at the beginning so even a big twist or reveal wasn't forthcoming. Last, but by no means least the police behaviour in the investigation was ridiculous. Despite poor editing I did not allow glaring errors to affect my review as the copy read was an advance copy.
Poor all round.1 star.
June 24, 2021
I don't think I've ever been so glad to click the 'I'm finished' button on a book.
I have read some of Lesley Pearse's books before and really enjoyed them, so was looking forward to this.
In all honesty, it reads like a creative writing piece from my school days. Although I was never the best writer, I would certainly never insert any of the phrases into a book like this. The fat shaming was some of the most offensive writing and I am astounded this was allowed anywhere near the printers. Talk about alienating the readers. I have a close family member currently battling an eating disorder, and this was disgraceful and made me incredibly angry.
As for the plot, it had a great premise but the characters were some of the most stereotypical I've ever read, and the police investigation was so unrealistic, it truly amazed me.
I understand Pearse had writer's block during Covid, but as other books were delayed by other authors, I see no reason why this hadn't had much more editing and substance added.
The audiobook narrator did the best with what she was given, which was not a lot.
I have read some of Lesley Pearse's books before and really enjoyed them, so was looking forward to this.
In all honesty, it reads like a creative writing piece from my school days. Although I was never the best writer, I would certainly never insert any of the phrases into a book like this. The fat shaming was some of the most offensive writing and I am astounded this was allowed anywhere near the printers. Talk about alienating the readers. I have a close family member currently battling an eating disorder, and this was disgraceful and made me incredibly angry.
As for the plot, it had a great premise but the characters were some of the most stereotypical I've ever read, and the police investigation was so unrealistic, it truly amazed me.
I understand Pearse had writer's block during Covid, but as other books were delayed by other authors, I see no reason why this hadn't had much more editing and substance added.
The audiobook narrator did the best with what she was given, which was not a lot.
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June 26, 2021I am afraid I cannot give a star rating to this book which is unusual given that I am a liberal giver of 4 and 5 stars.
I haven't read a Lesley Pearse book before but I vaguely knew she was a big name, so when the chance, courtesy of Pigeonhole, came to read Suspects, I grabbed it.
The opening made me feel I could like what I was going to read. It felt easy and a bit like a cosy mystery. However, soon after forming this initial impression I had cause to change my opinion and sadly am struggling to write anything positive.
The story is set in a suburban road in Gloucestershire, Willow Close. Conrad Best and his wife Nina are moving in and are yet to discover that their moving in day will be remembered for a shock event. A young girl, who also happens to live in the Close, has been murdered.
We then meet everyone else who lives in the cul-de-sac, plus Jim Marshall the investigating DI. I assume the plot is then meant to tantalise and intrigue, making the reader believe any of the residents could have been the killer, but sadly I was left cold, uninterested and frankly aghast at the outdated and offensive views of women, marriage, body shape, jobs and general attitudes.
The Police come across as farcical and inept. The characters are two dimensional. There is a preoccupation with writing about everyone's weight and appearance and there are bizarre leaps in thought processes which leave the reader incredulous. The dialogue is stilted and there is way too much explanation rather than hints and establishing connections through what is not written. In fact it is more like a manual or set of instructions and I NEVER read those.
Maybe die-hard fans of the author will lap this up but I genuinely cannot understand how this novel even reached publication stage.
In a word. Dire.
I haven't read a Lesley Pearse book before but I vaguely knew she was a big name, so when the chance, courtesy of Pigeonhole, came to read Suspects, I grabbed it.
The opening made me feel I could like what I was going to read. It felt easy and a bit like a cosy mystery. However, soon after forming this initial impression I had cause to change my opinion and sadly am struggling to write anything positive.
The story is set in a suburban road in Gloucestershire, Willow Close. Conrad Best and his wife Nina are moving in and are yet to discover that their moving in day will be remembered for a shock event. A young girl, who also happens to live in the Close, has been murdered.
We then meet everyone else who lives in the cul-de-sac, plus Jim Marshall the investigating DI. I assume the plot is then meant to tantalise and intrigue, making the reader believe any of the residents could have been the killer, but sadly I was left cold, uninterested and frankly aghast at the outdated and offensive views of women, marriage, body shape, jobs and general attitudes.
The Police come across as farcical and inept. The characters are two dimensional. There is a preoccupation with writing about everyone's weight and appearance and there are bizarre leaps in thought processes which leave the reader incredulous. The dialogue is stilted and there is way too much explanation rather than hints and establishing connections through what is not written. In fact it is more like a manual or set of instructions and I NEVER read those.
Maybe die-hard fans of the author will lap this up but I genuinely cannot understand how this novel even reached publication stage.
In a word. Dire.
December 3, 2021
I tried revisiting this book. I love this author normally however there was so little I could attach myself to.
I very much think she should stick to her original genre as this was very uncomfortable reading. Lots came across that men were more better at certain jobs than others…..that the male species get the praise for solving crime and the females are just useful instruments.
I know this author has dabbled in this genre and I loved her two previous books as they were more suspense, this is DI and I don’t think it fitted well.
That’s my personal opinion.
I very much think she should stick to her original genre as this was very uncomfortable reading. Lots came across that men were more better at certain jobs than others…..that the male species get the praise for solving crime and the females are just useful instruments.
I know this author has dabbled in this genre and I loved her two previous books as they were more suspense, this is DI and I don’t think it fitted well.
That’s my personal opinion.
June 24, 2021
The premise of this book was exactly the kind of book I normally enjoy so I entered the competition to win a spot on the pigeonhole readalong.
What then followed was not what I expected at all. I ended up getting more enjoyment from the reader’s comments than the actual book.
I’m always honest in my reviews and as I have never written a book it seems unfair for me to criticise but I’m going to. As I am a reader and I have an opinion, well in the case of this book lots of opinions. So I will break it down into plot, characters and general thoughts.
Plot – I knew from the start who did it and why and there were more holes in it than a golf course. Too many sub plots that had nothing to do with the murder, although other books use these as red herrings or misdirection, here it did the opposite. There is a well known writing technique show don’t tell, I just wish the author had used it.
Characters – Throughout the entire book the author becomes more obsessed with the character’s weights and is extremely misogynistic. The men are heroes while the women are either domestic slaves, coerced to comply with the men’s needs or they are a religious zealot, an escort or a nasty piece of work. I was aghast that this was written by a woman. The icing on the cake was the female police officers whose only role was to pose undercover as girlfriends so the male police officers could solve the crimes. Considering this is set modern day I began to feel like it was possibly going to turn into an episode of Life on Mars and Gene Hunt would turn up in his Quattro and utter one of his infamous 70’s un pc lines.
General thoughts – I have it on good authority (my mum) that the author wrote many wonderful sagas. I know authors occasionally switch genre but a crime fiction writer she is not. I found way too much implausible and little things that I would normally let go annoyed the hell out of me. Prime example if you are going to mention a song at a funeral (quite important scene) get the song title right. In the age of Google it takes about five seconds.
These are only my personal opinions though and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say.
What then followed was not what I expected at all. I ended up getting more enjoyment from the reader’s comments than the actual book.
I’m always honest in my reviews and as I have never written a book it seems unfair for me to criticise but I’m going to. As I am a reader and I have an opinion, well in the case of this book lots of opinions. So I will break it down into plot, characters and general thoughts.
Plot – I knew from the start who did it and why and there were more holes in it than a golf course. Too many sub plots that had nothing to do with the murder, although other books use these as red herrings or misdirection, here it did the opposite. There is a well known writing technique show don’t tell, I just wish the author had used it.
Characters – Throughout the entire book the author becomes more obsessed with the character’s weights and is extremely misogynistic. The men are heroes while the women are either domestic slaves, coerced to comply with the men’s needs or they are a religious zealot, an escort or a nasty piece of work. I was aghast that this was written by a woman. The icing on the cake was the female police officers whose only role was to pose undercover as girlfriends so the male police officers could solve the crimes. Considering this is set modern day I began to feel like it was possibly going to turn into an episode of Life on Mars and Gene Hunt would turn up in his Quattro and utter one of his infamous 70’s un pc lines.
General thoughts – I have it on good authority (my mum) that the author wrote many wonderful sagas. I know authors occasionally switch genre but a crime fiction writer she is not. I found way too much implausible and little things that I would normally let go annoyed the hell out of me. Prime example if you are going to mention a song at a funeral (quite important scene) get the song title right. In the age of Google it takes about five seconds.
These are only my personal opinions though and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say.
June 24, 2021
On the day Nina and Conrad Best moved into their new home in the picture-perfect Willow Close, a body is discovered. One of the residents had been attacked and brutally killed. Believing someone must have seen the murderer, the police interview all the residents of the Close. They soon find out that each neighbour harbours their own secrets.
There is quite a lot of characters to try and remember and they all have secrets they don't want their neighbours finding out about. The neighbours are all in the frame after one of the residents had been brutally murdered. Nina and Conrad Best are just moving into the Close on the day the body was found. It's not long before they wonder if they should put the house back up for sale. DI Marshall is leading the investigation but he's getting nowhere fast. I did guess correctly who the murderer was but that never spoils a good book for me. This is a well written whodunit.
There is quite a lot of characters to try and remember and they all have secrets they don't want their neighbours finding out about. The neighbours are all in the frame after one of the residents had been brutally murdered. Nina and Conrad Best are just moving into the Close on the day the body was found. It's not long before they wonder if they should put the house back up for sale. DI Marshall is leading the investigation but he's getting nowhere fast. I did guess correctly who the murderer was but that never spoils a good book for me. This is a well written whodunit.
June 29, 2021
I honestly can’t believe that I’m only giving 1 star to a book written by Lesley Pearse. I have read and really enjoyed all this authors previous books but unfortunately this one was awful in my opinion. I felt it was written in a very amateurish way and the characters were all horrible. I also felt it was quite a confusing read as there was so many characters and trying to remember who was who. I did finish the book purely to find out who the guilty person was. Fingers crossed her next book is a lot better.
May 24, 2021
Rating: 0.5/5
Well, what can I say? Reading "Suspects" accounted for several hours of my life that I will never get back. I find it very hard to believe that other reviewers have scored this highly. Perhaps they had read a different book to the one that I have just been tortured by.
The content of this book is frequently more reminiscent of something you might expect to see in a comedy sketch send-up. The narrative is simplistic and cliché-ridden. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. It beggars belief that this was deemed worthy to be put into print. If you were to remove the instances (which are predominantly clumsily-handled sexual references) that are of an overtly adult nature, then this would read more like the kind of adventure story that might have been penned in the 1930s and read by children of primary school age. The story is set in 2009, but the language, symbolism, attitudes and references contained within the pages of this book are, at best, dated and in many cases entirely inappropriate in a 21st century setting.
The extensive dramatis personae is full of stereotypes. The characters are so wooden that I felt I was in serious danger of getting splinters simply from holding my Kindle.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around the investigation into the murder of a young girl from a small community. However, I would suggest that the real victim of this story is the reader. This really is one to avoid.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
Well, what can I say? Reading "Suspects" accounted for several hours of my life that I will never get back. I find it very hard to believe that other reviewers have scored this highly. Perhaps they had read a different book to the one that I have just been tortured by.
The content of this book is frequently more reminiscent of something you might expect to see in a comedy sketch send-up. The narrative is simplistic and cliché-ridden. The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. It beggars belief that this was deemed worthy to be put into print. If you were to remove the instances (which are predominantly clumsily-handled sexual references) that are of an overtly adult nature, then this would read more like the kind of adventure story that might have been penned in the 1930s and read by children of primary school age. The story is set in 2009, but the language, symbolism, attitudes and references contained within the pages of this book are, at best, dated and in many cases entirely inappropriate in a 21st century setting.
The extensive dramatis personae is full of stereotypes. The characters are so wooden that I felt I was in serious danger of getting splinters simply from holding my Kindle.
The plot, such as it is, revolves around the investigation into the murder of a young girl from a small community. However, I would suggest that the real victim of this story is the reader. This really is one to avoid.
As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.
February 12, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised by Lesley Pearse's novel, Suspects. Unlike her previous works, this one had a detective-like feel to it. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.
June 24, 2021
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Pigeonhole. I write this with my fat fingers which the author seems to find repellent so please do bear with me while I stuff some bonbons in my mouth and cry into my fat girl ice cream.
I don’t tend to like writing negative reviews, I just drop a star rating and move on. This book however has really chapped my chubby buns. This was not a good book and by today’s standards would and should not have made it past the editors desk.
My suspicion is that the author, while I’ve never read anything of hers before, is very well regarded and is talented was not very involved with this book. My personal guess is this was a story written in the early 90’s, dusted off and published without much scrutiny. Whoever at the publishing house thought this was a good idea has done the author and her fans a massive disservice.
Aside from a bizarre fixation on people’s size, weight and clothing, the dialogue is wooden, the characters unbelievable and awkward. The plot was thin and full of holes and it very much feels like the first draft of someone’s first book. It lacked research, coasted on stereotypes. I suspect this was originally written in the early 90s as the social timeline doesn’t seem right; passive sexism (oh the mansplaining), no one uses text messaging or computers much, despite it being 2009 and no woman really has a career either. Let’s not discuss the most inept police investigation ever, the lack of research showed less than zero knowledge of police procedures.
Lesley, I’m sorry to be so blunt, if this was your first draft of your first novel then it was good, for at that time, but it hasn’t aged well. I’m not trying to be cruel, but I’m struggling.
Alas, back to my bonbons and ice cream and my self esteem destroying fatness.
I don’t tend to like writing negative reviews, I just drop a star rating and move on. This book however has really chapped my chubby buns. This was not a good book and by today’s standards would and should not have made it past the editors desk.
My suspicion is that the author, while I’ve never read anything of hers before, is very well regarded and is talented was not very involved with this book. My personal guess is this was a story written in the early 90’s, dusted off and published without much scrutiny. Whoever at the publishing house thought this was a good idea has done the author and her fans a massive disservice.
Aside from a bizarre fixation on people’s size, weight and clothing, the dialogue is wooden, the characters unbelievable and awkward. The plot was thin and full of holes and it very much feels like the first draft of someone’s first book. It lacked research, coasted on stereotypes. I suspect this was originally written in the early 90s as the social timeline doesn’t seem right; passive sexism (oh the mansplaining), no one uses text messaging or computers much, despite it being 2009 and no woman really has a career either. Let’s not discuss the most inept police investigation ever, the lack of research showed less than zero knowledge of police procedures.
Lesley, I’m sorry to be so blunt, if this was your first draft of your first novel then it was good, for at that time, but it hasn’t aged well. I’m not trying to be cruel, but I’m struggling.
Alas, back to my bonbons and ice cream and my self esteem destroying fatness.
June 24, 2021
Just abysmal. I was really looking forward to reading this - the blurb sounded right up my street - if only the rest of the novel had been that well written. Characters were heightened stereotypes, described in the way I tell my GCSE students not to do, loads of irrelevant details that just don’t add anything to the story. The plot was ridiculous - not at all interesting or thrilling - just a load of people you couldn’t care less about. It was, to be quite honest, an insult to all those writers who have written a novel and couldn’t get it published - when you read this tripe, it really gets to the bone!
June 27, 2021
Finally finished this dreadful book. I simply can’t think of anything positive to say about it, it really is awful. I can’t believe such a cliched, mawkish, patronising and stereotypical book could be published in this day and age. That along with the clunkiness of the writing plus ridiculous wooden dialogue makes me convinced this was not written by a multi million selling author but by a ghost writer in order to meet a publishing target. All I can advise people to do is give it a miss and spend your hours doing something far more worthwhile than reading this - yes, it really is that bad.
June 24, 2021
This is another book I wouldn’t have chosen if Pigeonhole hadn’t selected it. Normally this is a great thing, but not in this case.
It seems a particularly odd juxtaposition with the other book they had running at the same time, which handled the exact same topic - child killers - with sensitivity and aplomb.
Generally, I don’t offer one-star reviews, because however little I may like a book I know the author and publisher have put a lot of time and effort into it.
With this one, I’m motivated to say something because of the absolutely appalling anti-fat comments made by the author throughout. It would have shocked me in any novel, but one put out by such a big publisher and such a well-known author was particularly horrifying. General misogyny was not far from the surface either, but the constant descriptions of characters’ weight and the way that being fat was portrayed as a life-sentence of misery in itself was just horrible.
It seems a particularly odd juxtaposition with the other book they had running at the same time, which handled the exact same topic - child killers - with sensitivity and aplomb.
Generally, I don’t offer one-star reviews, because however little I may like a book I know the author and publisher have put a lot of time and effort into it.
With this one, I’m motivated to say something because of the absolutely appalling anti-fat comments made by the author throughout. It would have shocked me in any novel, but one put out by such a big publisher and such a well-known author was particularly horrifying. General misogyny was not far from the surface either, but the constant descriptions of characters’ weight and the way that being fat was portrayed as a life-sentence of misery in itself was just horrible.
June 24, 2021
I read this with Pigeonhole over 10 days but I can honestly say I wish I hadn’t bothered! I fail to see why there was so much emphasis on people’s appearance and why we had to know what build they all were, hair style and colour, and what they were wearing…it added nothing to the story. It was poorly written and I cannot understand how an established author could have produced it. Sorry Lesley!
May 8, 2021
When 13 year old Chloe is murdered, the residents of her street must try to hide their own secrets as the police try to solve the crime. New home owners, Nina and Conrad are soon wondering what kind of street they’ve moved into!
This book felt quite lazy in that it relied on stereotypes and you could see the flaws in each character even before they were painstakingly pointed out. I particularly disliked the fat-shaming. I guessed who the killer was early on and was really hoping that I’d be proved wrong. It would have been a much bigger twist if the most wonderful man in existence (I won’t name him as it’s a spoiler but if you’ve read it, you know who I mean) had somehow found his dark side and was the real murderer! He was a most irritating character who was completely unrealistic.
There were lots of characters in this book and it was easy to get them all mixed up. Handily, you could tell what sort of person they were by the descriptions. Fat, low cut, make up = bad. Dowdy, homely, pretty = good. Lazy writing at its finest. I did read the whole story but huffed enough that my husband asked me what was wrong. It’s just a bit silly. I’ve read other works by this author and this one falls way below her usual standard in my opinion. It won’t stop me reading her future books but I hope she returns to her usual style of storytelling! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
This book felt quite lazy in that it relied on stereotypes and you could see the flaws in each character even before they were painstakingly pointed out. I particularly disliked the fat-shaming. I guessed who the killer was early on and was really hoping that I’d be proved wrong. It would have been a much bigger twist if the most wonderful man in existence (I won’t name him as it’s a spoiler but if you’ve read it, you know who I mean) had somehow found his dark side and was the real murderer! He was a most irritating character who was completely unrealistic.
There were lots of characters in this book and it was easy to get them all mixed up. Handily, you could tell what sort of person they were by the descriptions. Fat, low cut, make up = bad. Dowdy, homely, pretty = good. Lazy writing at its finest. I did read the whole story but huffed enough that my husband asked me what was wrong. It’s just a bit silly. I’ve read other works by this author and this one falls way below her usual standard in my opinion. It won’t stop me reading her future books but I hope she returns to her usual style of storytelling! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.
June 25, 2021
Wow. Seriously... Wow.
I'll say now, this book is apparently "not up to her usual standards", which is really good as there's no way to give no stars...
I did enjoy this read, but that was due to reading alongside others and creating our own stories and views rather than what we were reading, because what we were reading was awful.
So, a pretty THIN blonde girl is killed. She lives in a horseshoe shaped close where all the neighbours know each other.
Some of the women who live in the close are FAT.
One wears a flower in her hair, it is all very shocking but I'm not sure we find out why...
Pretty much they all have dodgy stuff going on. Many unhappy marriages (which seems to be because they all married after barely knowing each other).
The police are inept but it's ok, they'll try their hand at solving murder, arson, gun running, the lot. Obv none of it well, but they have a THIN lady cop to act as a girlfriend, so it's all good...
In the meantime Super Conrad and Nina have moved into the street. He saves the day. A lot. He solves crime. She dyes her hair, which is kinda the same thing.
...
I'm not sure how much any of that counts as spoilers as it's based on my reading of it rather than plot.
I honestly don't know how this book happened. It feels like the author needed to present something to her publisher during this dystopian nightmare we're living in, and she rummaged around and pulled out something she wrote 30 years ago that's been sat in a drawer. The publisher then accepted it without even proofreading as she's been reliable for so long.
Either way... Awful book. Truly terrible. But if you read along with friends, it can be a great experience.
I'll say now, this book is apparently "not up to her usual standards", which is really good as there's no way to give no stars...
I did enjoy this read, but that was due to reading alongside others and creating our own stories and views rather than what we were reading, because what we were reading was awful.
So, a pretty THIN blonde girl is killed. She lives in a horseshoe shaped close where all the neighbours know each other.
Some of the women who live in the close are FAT.
One wears a flower in her hair, it is all very shocking but I'm not sure we find out why...
Pretty much they all have dodgy stuff going on. Many unhappy marriages (which seems to be because they all married after barely knowing each other).
The police are inept but it's ok, they'll try their hand at solving murder, arson, gun running, the lot. Obv none of it well, but they have a THIN lady cop to act as a girlfriend, so it's all good...
In the meantime Super Conrad and Nina have moved into the street. He saves the day. A lot. He solves crime. She dyes her hair, which is kinda the same thing.
...
I'm not sure how much any of that counts as spoilers as it's based on my reading of it rather than plot.
I honestly don't know how this book happened. It feels like the author needed to present something to her publisher during this dystopian nightmare we're living in, and she rummaged around and pulled out something she wrote 30 years ago that's been sat in a drawer. The publisher then accepted it without even proofreading as she's been reliable for so long.
Either way... Awful book. Truly terrible. But if you read along with friends, it can be a great experience.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2021
Thank you to the author, publishers Michael Joseph and online book club Pigeonhole for access to read this book for free. This is an honest and voluntary review.
This book has a beginning, middle and an end. It starts with a murdered child being found, and by the end you find out who killed the child and why. That’s it, that’s all the positive things I can find to say about this book to be able to justify the minimum one star rating most sites allow.
I’ve never read any Lesley Pearse books before. I’ve seen the covers and assumed they’re cosy, historical family dramas, maybe a bit twee and probably not for me. But, when this came up on Pigeonhole as a murder mystery where everyone in the street could be a suspect, I thought I’d give it a try. What a bad idea.
I am assured by other Pigeon readers who have read and enjoyed some of Pearse’s other books, that this one is not typical. But, after reading this there is no way I would consider picking up any of her other books.
The story is about the residents of Willow Close. Most of them have lived there a while, but it’s Nina and Conrad’s first day on the street when the body of 13-year-old aspiring singer/actress Chloe Church is found in bushes in an area of common land behind the street.
The rest of the book looks at each household and their reaction to Chloe’s death and the other secrets that the police investigations uncover. This should have been good. That whole idea of secrets below the presentable surface has a lot of potential. One tragedy uncovers a lot of previously hidden darkness in the neighbours, who knows what goes in behind close doors etc etc (see Tall Bones by Anna Bailey as a recent example of this done well).
However, the delivery of this is excruciatingly bad. The story is told largely in large sections of unbelievable exposition, such as Nina recalling when her husband told her about his mother’s and his imperious, neglectful stepfather, and his time at boarding school, over several paragraphs as she thinks about why he finds crimes against children distressing. The whole book is like, horribly clunky telling instead of showing, which leaves the characters very one dimensional. There’s no nuance or discovery. It leaves the situation that while the reader is told repeatedly that Conrad is wonderful and caring and insightful, his actual actions and comments come over as sinister and coercive. [Spoiler: that doesn’t turn out to be a plot twist.]
The author has a pathological obsession with describing the weight of her characters and what clothes they are wearing, as if that somehow replaces what they are feeling. The weight thing is the most distracting, particularly the repeated body-shaming descriptions of Amy, Chloe’s friend and the only other child who lives in Willow Close. The only excuse I can come up with for the clothes obsession is that maybe there’s a tie-in with a clothing company, and there’ll be a link somewhere to buy any of the outfits characters were wearing to Chloe’s funeral.
I could go on, and on, but honestly I’ve wasted too much time on this book already. I’m just glad it’s over and I never have to read another book by this author again.
This book has a beginning, middle and an end. It starts with a murdered child being found, and by the end you find out who killed the child and why. That’s it, that’s all the positive things I can find to say about this book to be able to justify the minimum one star rating most sites allow.
I’ve never read any Lesley Pearse books before. I’ve seen the covers and assumed they’re cosy, historical family dramas, maybe a bit twee and probably not for me. But, when this came up on Pigeonhole as a murder mystery where everyone in the street could be a suspect, I thought I’d give it a try. What a bad idea.
I am assured by other Pigeon readers who have read and enjoyed some of Pearse’s other books, that this one is not typical. But, after reading this there is no way I would consider picking up any of her other books.
The story is about the residents of Willow Close. Most of them have lived there a while, but it’s Nina and Conrad’s first day on the street when the body of 13-year-old aspiring singer/actress Chloe Church is found in bushes in an area of common land behind the street.
The rest of the book looks at each household and their reaction to Chloe’s death and the other secrets that the police investigations uncover. This should have been good. That whole idea of secrets below the presentable surface has a lot of potential. One tragedy uncovers a lot of previously hidden darkness in the neighbours, who knows what goes in behind close doors etc etc (see Tall Bones by Anna Bailey as a recent example of this done well).
However, the delivery of this is excruciatingly bad. The story is told largely in large sections of unbelievable exposition, such as Nina recalling when her husband told her about his mother’s and his imperious, neglectful stepfather, and his time at boarding school, over several paragraphs as she thinks about why he finds crimes against children distressing. The whole book is like, horribly clunky telling instead of showing, which leaves the characters very one dimensional. There’s no nuance or discovery. It leaves the situation that while the reader is told repeatedly that Conrad is wonderful and caring and insightful, his actual actions and comments come over as sinister and coercive. [Spoiler: that doesn’t turn out to be a plot twist.]
The author has a pathological obsession with describing the weight of her characters and what clothes they are wearing, as if that somehow replaces what they are feeling. The weight thing is the most distracting, particularly the repeated body-shaming descriptions of Amy, Chloe’s friend and the only other child who lives in Willow Close. The only excuse I can come up with for the clothes obsession is that maybe there’s a tie-in with a clothing company, and there’ll be a link somewhere to buy any of the outfits characters were wearing to Chloe’s funeral.
I could go on, and on, but honestly I’ve wasted too much time on this book already. I’m just glad it’s over and I never have to read another book by this author again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2021
I really don't like giving a bad review but it is incredibly difficult to find anything positive to say about this book. The characters seemed like awful stereotypical caricatures. They seemed flat and uninspiring, completely unlikable and unbelievable. This is some of the worst dialogue I have ever read. The author seemed obsessed with describing every detail of a.persons appearance including g their weight. Always the weight, like it defined who they were as a person.I have heard from other readers that this is not the typical standard of writing for this author but I'm not sure if I would risk reading another. Once bitten...
May 23, 2022
Nina and Conrad move into their dream home in Willow Close on the day one of the young girls from the Close is found murdered. Is their dream about to turn into their worst nightmare. The police call on all the neighbours and we discover secrets behind closed doors and appearances aren't all they seem. Initial suspects turn into useful sources of information. Just goes to show you that nothing is as it seems behind closed doors.
April 5, 2022
Nina and Conrad Best have just moved into their new home in picture-perfect Willow Close. Yet as they arrive there are police and the like in the street. The body of 13-year-old Chloe Church, who lived in the Close with her parents, has just been discovered in the nearby woods.
During the police investigation into the murder pretty much everyone aside from the Bests could be the killer. In addition, various secrets come to light and Conrad and Nina begin to think that their dream neighbourhood might instead be a nightmare.
During the police investigation into the murder pretty much everyone aside from the Bests could be the killer. In addition, various secrets come to light and Conrad and Nina begin to think that their dream neighbourhood might instead be a nightmare.
January 17, 2025
Brilliant read, couldn’t put it down
February 27, 2025
Literally never leave reviews but felt it was necessary in this case. Not sure why the author felt the need to mention the weight of every female character constantly, really strange and misogynistic. The author seems to hate fat women. Lackluster plot and predictable 'twist'. Many threads never went anywhere.
June 24, 2021
I feel awful having to write this review because Lesely Pearse is such an amazing writer but this book is terrible. Honestly don't even bother reading it. I'm not sure what has happened or who thought that this book was good enough to be published but it's not. Read some of Lesley's past books don't waste your time on this one.
June 22, 2021
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for an advance copy of Suspects, a stand-alone novel set in Cheltenham in 2009.
Conrad and Nina Best move into their first home on the day that a body is found. The subsequent police investigation, which concentrates on the neighbours, uncovers more secrets than the residents want discovered.
I have not read Ms Pearce’s work before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I got was a strangely compulsive novel, strangely because it’s not my usual fare and yet I found myself immersed in the residents’ lives and wanting to know where it was leading. It is what I refer to as an aftermath novel, in that it concentrates on the reverberations of murder and how it affects the people involved. There is a police investigation, but it’s a catalyst for more suspect behaviour rather than the focus of the novel.
I guessed the perpetrator’s identity almost immediately due to the nature of the murder and something off about their behaviour, but that was in no way a dealbreaker because the novel is more about the residents and their secrets. Who knew there could be so much eye popping crime in a quiet suburb? No, it’s not very plausible but it’s engrossing to read.
The novel is strong on characterisation, so the reader gets to know all the residents through their own eyes and the opinions of their neighbours. It is initially quite hard to keep up with them all after the initial introductions, but gradually the reader gets to know them and gets caught up in their dramas. The murder realigns their lives and priorities in both good and bad ways. It is an interesting idea of introducing Conrad and Nina who walk into the situation blind and are able to offer more balanced opinions.
Suspects is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
Conrad and Nina Best move into their first home on the day that a body is found. The subsequent police investigation, which concentrates on the neighbours, uncovers more secrets than the residents want discovered.
I have not read Ms Pearce’s work before, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. What I got was a strangely compulsive novel, strangely because it’s not my usual fare and yet I found myself immersed in the residents’ lives and wanting to know where it was leading. It is what I refer to as an aftermath novel, in that it concentrates on the reverberations of murder and how it affects the people involved. There is a police investigation, but it’s a catalyst for more suspect behaviour rather than the focus of the novel.
I guessed the perpetrator’s identity almost immediately due to the nature of the murder and something off about their behaviour, but that was in no way a dealbreaker because the novel is more about the residents and their secrets. Who knew there could be so much eye popping crime in a quiet suburb? No, it’s not very plausible but it’s engrossing to read.
The novel is strong on characterisation, so the reader gets to know all the residents through their own eyes and the opinions of their neighbours. It is initially quite hard to keep up with them all after the initial introductions, but gradually the reader gets to know them and gets caught up in their dramas. The murder realigns their lives and priorities in both good and bad ways. It is an interesting idea of introducing Conrad and Nina who walk into the situation blind and are able to offer more balanced opinions.
Suspects is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.
June 24, 2021
Extremely disappointing! A girl is murdered but the story mainly focuses on all neighbours and their secrets. One could easily forget the poor girl! The characters are dull, cliché and the plot very clumsy.
Thank you for letting me read it for free on Pigeonhole.
Thank you for letting me read it for free on Pigeonhole.
June 25, 2021
The very last thing that you would want to see on moving in day, is a crowd of reporters and police cordons, however, Nina and Conrad's forever home is tainted on arrival by the discovery of Chloe Church's body.
Before the first neighbour can pop around with a welcome gift, before they invited to the neighbourhood watch group, they hit the ground running trying to work out who lives where and who does what.
The truth in places like Willow Close, is that behind the neat gardens and spaciously arranged homes, the owners live very, very different lives. Not only does Chloe's death shake the complacent, very white, upper middle class enclave, it acts as a catalyst.
This book is almost painfully white, although it is set in 2009, and follows the investigation, day by day, neighbour by neighbour, I had to keep checking the date as the words being used seemed quite archaic, quaint even, and the odd random sex scene or swearing thrown in to spice the dialogue up seemed remarkably out of place. It feels like a Midsummer Murder trying to be Prime Suspect.
It leads to a quite disjointed feel, the women are cut-out stereotypes of the 'tart with a heart', 'brazen hussie' 'curtain twitcher' variety, and there were several references to domestic violence which were framed as though it was 'a woman's lot' which I took exception to.
Chloe's death, a character we didn't really meet because she is dead before the book starts, is seen as a body picked over by crows-various characters make her death about them, and, whilst the police investigation is ongoing, quite a few residents have reason to not want them poking too closely into their bank accounts and daily comings and goings.
I found it hard to place who was living where, I wanted to know who killed Chloe and the way that the police turned their attention on the local 'oddball', Tex, is very realistic after a fashion as anyone outside the norm is the 'acceptable' culprit, not anyone who lives in these nice houses.
Nina and Conrad talked like the leads in a 1950's movie, I am in my 40's and don't think my husband and I have ever had a conversation like they have, daily. It read like how a person in an older generation would think younger people would talk, lending the dialogue a stilted effect. There was quite a lot of repetition which became expositional, and when the same words are repeated, I had to keep back tracking to find out if I had missed something or if it was a misprint.
A senseless death, in an enclosed environment, in broad daylight, police who don't properly search the properties (I didn't buy this at all, that days after the murder, one resident was ringing the police telling them to check out the broken back fence that an adult could climb through, before he did some DIY,that didn't ring true to me), it all seemed a little too much. Especially when considering that a child has died, and I am unsure if the author meant to have this stiff upper lip attitude to exemplify the class of residents in Willow Close, but it detracted from the loss of a young girl's life.
There is a scene which I found so well written, tensions escalate into alcoholic excess and the entire Close come out shouting at each other. The way that the previously well thought of people let their guards down felt authentic, however, with a child being murdered, would these people have gone and had a drunken verbal assault within feet of grieving parents?
I liked the way that it was paced, I wanted Chloe to rest in peace and her murderer caught, but the residents-with the exception of Janice, personally I felt this gentleman's companion was the most accessible character-were so thoroughly unlikeable that I wished the detective would arrest them all.
I struggled to remember the characters' names, apart from the afore mentioned Nina, Conrad and Janice. Tanya and Amy are notable for their size being used as an allegation of laziness and sloth, as well as the reason Tanya's husband walks out on her. This is a woman who has quite obviously disordered eating and needs therapy ,as she has inflicted her habits onto her daughter, but is instead passed off as a character defect because it is linked with her not liking sex. Hence her husband running off with a woman who has opinions and doesn't use food as a panacea. And enjoys sex.
This is just one reader's opinion, and I am in a minority I am sure because the author is well loved and respected, and I did like the way the curtain was pulled back on suburbia to find these people were every bit as awful as the ones they would cheerfully sneer at. The sense of comeuppance and destructive behaviour as their neat little lives implode was satisfying.
However, it just didn't hit that sweet spot for me, although I am grateful for the chance to read this book, and for being able to have a proof, I just couldn't connect with the characters. And without them, the story didn't resonate with me. This is just to say that others will probably love it for all the reasons I listed above which is wonderful-anyone who command sales in the millions and get people reading, has my utmost respect! It just sadly was not quite the book for me.
Before the first neighbour can pop around with a welcome gift, before they invited to the neighbourhood watch group, they hit the ground running trying to work out who lives where and who does what.
The truth in places like Willow Close, is that behind the neat gardens and spaciously arranged homes, the owners live very, very different lives. Not only does Chloe's death shake the complacent, very white, upper middle class enclave, it acts as a catalyst.
This book is almost painfully white, although it is set in 2009, and follows the investigation, day by day, neighbour by neighbour, I had to keep checking the date as the words being used seemed quite archaic, quaint even, and the odd random sex scene or swearing thrown in to spice the dialogue up seemed remarkably out of place. It feels like a Midsummer Murder trying to be Prime Suspect.
It leads to a quite disjointed feel, the women are cut-out stereotypes of the 'tart with a heart', 'brazen hussie' 'curtain twitcher' variety, and there were several references to domestic violence which were framed as though it was 'a woman's lot' which I took exception to.
Chloe's death, a character we didn't really meet because she is dead before the book starts, is seen as a body picked over by crows-various characters make her death about them, and, whilst the police investigation is ongoing, quite a few residents have reason to not want them poking too closely into their bank accounts and daily comings and goings.
I found it hard to place who was living where, I wanted to know who killed Chloe and the way that the police turned their attention on the local 'oddball', Tex, is very realistic after a fashion as anyone outside the norm is the 'acceptable' culprit, not anyone who lives in these nice houses.
Nina and Conrad talked like the leads in a 1950's movie, I am in my 40's and don't think my husband and I have ever had a conversation like they have, daily. It read like how a person in an older generation would think younger people would talk, lending the dialogue a stilted effect. There was quite a lot of repetition which became expositional, and when the same words are repeated, I had to keep back tracking to find out if I had missed something or if it was a misprint.
A senseless death, in an enclosed environment, in broad daylight, police who don't properly search the properties (I didn't buy this at all, that days after the murder, one resident was ringing the police telling them to check out the broken back fence that an adult could climb through, before he did some DIY,that didn't ring true to me), it all seemed a little too much. Especially when considering that a child has died, and I am unsure if the author meant to have this stiff upper lip attitude to exemplify the class of residents in Willow Close, but it detracted from the loss of a young girl's life.
There is a scene which I found so well written, tensions escalate into alcoholic excess and the entire Close come out shouting at each other. The way that the previously well thought of people let their guards down felt authentic, however, with a child being murdered, would these people have gone and had a drunken verbal assault within feet of grieving parents?
I liked the way that it was paced, I wanted Chloe to rest in peace and her murderer caught, but the residents-with the exception of Janice, personally I felt this gentleman's companion was the most accessible character-were so thoroughly unlikeable that I wished the detective would arrest them all.
I struggled to remember the characters' names, apart from the afore mentioned Nina, Conrad and Janice. Tanya and Amy are notable for their size being used as an allegation of laziness and sloth, as well as the reason Tanya's husband walks out on her. This is a woman who has quite obviously disordered eating and needs therapy ,as she has inflicted her habits onto her daughter, but is instead passed off as a character defect because it is linked with her not liking sex. Hence her husband running off with a woman who has opinions and doesn't use food as a panacea. And enjoys sex.
This is just one reader's opinion, and I am in a minority I am sure because the author is well loved and respected, and I did like the way the curtain was pulled back on suburbia to find these people were every bit as awful as the ones they would cheerfully sneer at. The sense of comeuppance and destructive behaviour as their neat little lives implode was satisfying.
However, it just didn't hit that sweet spot for me, although I am grateful for the chance to read this book, and for being able to have a proof, I just couldn't connect with the characters. And without them, the story didn't resonate with me. This is just to say that others will probably love it for all the reasons I listed above which is wonderful-anyone who command sales in the millions and get people reading, has my utmost respect! It just sadly was not quite the book for me.
June 24, 2021
Awful! An obsession with what everyone is wearing and their figures bumped the word count up.
June 26, 2021
If I could give this zero stars, I would.
This is just dreadful. I only read it for my online book group.
My advice: do not bother.
This is just dreadful. I only read it for my online book group.
My advice: do not bother.
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