BOOK REVIEW: Raven Lane by Amber Cowie @ambercowie @amazonpublishing

Amber Cowie’s Raven Lane is a suspenseful domestic drama with a splash of neighborhood noir that kept me glued to the book until the very last page. A story about the secrets that we try to hide, but that always eventually come to light. Dark, character-driven, and addictive!

About the Book

The truth can bring out the worst in the best of friends.

Esme and Benedict Werner have an idyllic life in a tight-knit community until an accident in their cul-de-sac ends in the tragic sudden death of one of their dearest neighbors. After vindicating eyewitness accounts morph into contradictory memories, suspicion, and unaccountable accusations, Benedict is arrested. Esme’s life, too, is changed forever.

As the neighborhood largely turns against her and her family, Esme has time to think about her past and what to do next. Then her fellow residents start looking deeper, questioning one another, and themselves, about hidden lies and betrayals.

Esme has more than her share of secrets. And the consequences of what happened on that fateful late-summer evening on Raven Lane are far from over. When the mask of civility slips, can friends and neighbors recover from seeing the monstrous truths beneath?

Reflection

There were so many juicy and salacious secrets that came out in this story! Amber Cowie really delivered a suspenseful book filled with dark pasts and hidden truths. I would call this more of a character-study than an outright psychological thriller, though there are certainly some twists. Primarily, though, this is a story fueled by the character development more than the action. And I loved it!

Raven Lane is fascinating. A close-knit cul-de-sac who is heavily involved in the status of those who can move in. Former model Benedict and his wife who owns a highly regarded restaurant are instantly accepted into Raven Lane. But when Benedict hits novelist Torn Grace with his car, things begin to unravel. And it isn’t long before secrets start to come out, tearing apart the people in this tiny cul-de-sac.

I don’t want to spill much about the secrets, that is the best part of reading this book! I will say this—I definitely wouldn’t want to live in this cul-de-sac. These people have a lot of baggage and are a bit too involved with one another! But I certainly enjoyed grabbing my popcorn and learning all of the juicy, sordid details of this group who are quite frankly closer than neighbors should be!

A fantastic domestic drama that has made me a fan of Amber Cowie!

Thank you to Lake Union for my copy. Opinions are my own.