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Louise Candlish was our Guest Editor in July 2010 - click here - to see the books that inspired her writing.
Louise Candlish studied English at University College London and worked as an editor in art publishing and as a copywriter before writing fiction. Though her stories are about people facing dramatic dilemmas, she tries to live an uncomplicated life in London with her husband and daughter.
For me this was a truly addictive read, clever, convincing writing had me hooked from the get go. A suburban street is turned from an idyllic to truly awful place to live after a couple move in and create chaos for the other residents. When a terrible event occurs, everyone knows who to blame, but are they right? The premise is entirely believable and I could taste the anxiety of the residents of Lowland Way. Each chapter is headed by one of the householders, which slowly builds a picture of the street. Time travels from eight weeks before, through to the incident and beyond, allowing the tension to skyrocket. Louise Candlish is an award winning bestselling author, and we love her novels here at LoveReading. She has set an incredibly readable and thrilling story right in the middle of what could be your neighbourhood, it could be your neighbours, even your house being affected. She understands the small, the ordinary but incredibly frustrating things that can puncture and forever alter lives. A Liz Robinson pick of the month, Those People takes everyday normality and smashes it open, making a highly entertaining and enthralling tale.
On a bright morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they've just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it's your house. And you didn't sell it.
One of our Books of the Year 2016. August 2016 Book of the Month. Tense and full of intrigue, this is a novel that sinks into the depths of obsession and discovers a very dangerous game afoot. The newly opened, glamorous lido calls to Natalie and in one summer her life changes beyond all recognition. The prologue and first chapter declare from the outset that a dramatic event has occurred. The story explores the whole of the summer, occasionally touching on the past and then suddenly switching directly to the aftermath. These jarring changes in time create a feeling of foreboding as the timelines slide towards their inevitable collision. Louise Candlish excels in looking at the darker side of relationships, she discovers thoughts and feelings that are recognisable but at the same time feel dangerously untouched. ‘The Swimming Pool’ is a slow-burning and thought-provoking read, and the last few gripping pages had me immediately reaching for the beginning.
One of our Books of the Year 2016. Tense and full of intrigue, this is a novel that sinks into the depths of obsession and discovers a very dangerous game afoot. The newly opened, glamorous lido calls to Natalie and in one summer her life changes beyond all recognition. The prologue and first chapter declare from the outset that a dramatic event has occurred. The story explores the whole of the summer, occasionally touching on the past and then suddenly switching directly to the aftermath. These jarring changes in time create a feeling of foreboding as the timelines slide towards their inevitable collision. Louise Candlish excels in looking at the darker side of relationships, she discovers thoughts and feelings that are recognisable but at the same time feel dangerously untouched. ‘The Swimming Pool’ is a slow-burning and thought-provoking read, and the last few gripping pages had me immediately reaching for the beginning.
June 2015 Book of the Month. Full of intrigue, this is a story about relationships, deception and trust. Christy and Joe have scrimped and saved to move into their dream home, once owned by Amber and Jeremy Fraser who have sold up without explanation. Two tales are told, from the first moments each couple moved in to Lime Park Road. It almost feels as though we are alongside Christy as she experiences her everyday life, however Amber’s tale is more intimate and complex as we directly hear her thoughts and feelings. The author sends your mind scampering one way and then the other, encouraging you to doubt, to remain uncertain. It isn’t until the last two chapters that answers are in sight, so don’t peek. Although the ultimate question is just what did happen to the Frasers... the more interesting aspects of this story are the relationships on display, both those in plain sight and those deliberately concealed. ~ Liz Robinson
A book that will sit on your shoulder for sometime after reading it. It concerns grief, reconciliation, infidelity, marriage and family upheavals and eventual honesty all in a beautiful Italian holiday setting. The author used to write entertaining chic-lit, here she has grown up. Comparison: Joanna Trollope, Elizabeth Buchan, Clare Chambers.
A family drama about trust, betrayal and forgiveness. Kate and her daughter are just getting to the difficult “teenage” years and when Davis Calder moves in next door he seems like the peacemaker they need, a confidante for both who brings calm to the household. However, Davis is not quite the hero he seems and soon secrets will be found out that will tear the family apart. The sense of foreboding builds well in this story of people looking for love and security and having their worlds shattered.
For me this was a truly addictive read, clever, convincing writing had me hooked from the get go. A suburban street is turned from an idyllic to truly awful place to live after a couple move in and create chaos for the other residents. When a terrible event occurs, everyone knows who to blame, but are they right? The premise is entirely believable and I could taste the anxiety of the residents of Lowland Way. Each chapter is headed by one of the householders, which slowly builds a picture of the street. Time travels from eight weeks before, through to the incident and beyond, allowing the tension to skyrocket. Louise Candlish is an award winning bestselling author, and we love her novels here at LoveReading. She has set an incredibly readable and thrilling story right in the middle of what could be your neighbourhood, it could be your neighbours, even your house being affected. She understands the small, the ordinary but incredibly frustrating things that can puncture and forever alter lives. A Liz Robinson pick of the month, Those People takes everyday normality and smashes it open, making a highly entertaining and enthralling tale.
Could you hate your neighbour enough to want to kill him? Until Darren Booth moves in at number 1, Lowland Way, the neighbourhood is a suburban paradise. But soon after his arrival, disputes over issues like loud music and parking rights escalate all too quickly to public rows and threats of violence. Then, early one Saturday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: Booth did it. But there's a problem. The police don't agree with them.
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OUR HOUSE, WINNER OF THE CRIME & THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 'One of this summer's most anticipated thrillers' Stylist 'Scarily plausible' Observer 'Guaranteed to have you vibrating with impotent fury ... a carefully crafted psychological thriller' Laura Wilson, Guardian 'A feverish atmosphere is built up, with Candlish again skewering the peccadilloes and prejudices of her middle-class characters' Sunday Times MEET THE NEIGHBOURS YOU'LL LOVE TO HATE Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate to threats of violence. Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it. But there's a problem. The police don't agree. And the door they're knocking on next is yours. 'You're in for a treat!' Lisa Jewell 'Prepare to be gripped; Those People is nail-bitingly tense from the first page to the last. Louise Candlish shows us the dark side of suburbia - and of ourselves' Erin Kelly 'Sharp satire and a plot that builds to a roiling boil with a couple of oh-so-clever final twists in close succession: Louise Candlish is one very clever writer' Sarah Vaughan 'Beautifully modulated and terrifically suspenseful' Washington Post 'Twists aplenty, and such wonderful observation - I loved it' Clare Mackintosh 'An addictive, twisty page-turner about the neighbours from hell that will give you nightmares about the suburban dream' Alice Feeney 'A delicious slice of suburban noir. I loved it' Harriet Tyce 'Candlish is a master at peeling away the veneer of middle-class respectability, and utterly nails the trials of living cheek-by-jowl with awful neighbours. You'll be asking yourself, How far would I go? ' heat 'Candlish shows us, through multiple points of view, how Booth's boorish presence causes sleep-deprived couples to bicker hatefully and grown siblings to become enraged with one another, until the whole community seems to turn on itself - with fatal consequences' Wall Street Journal 'A smart and twisty tale about a murder in a seemingly idyllic neighbourhood. Oozing with scandal, it's a compelling read' Woman & Home 'A devilishly good thriller about smug middle class house price obsession with a wicked ending. Loved it' Laura Kemp 'Utterly gripping' RED 'Lowland Way is a sought-after place to live, with friendly neighbours and real community spirit, that is until the Booths move in. The other residents are up in arms, but how far will they take things to restore their peace? A read that will make you rejoice for nice neighbours!' Prima 'Louise Candlish captures the mores of middle-class life and our worst, curtain-twitching tendencies like no one else' RED, online 'Full of marvellously toxic characters' Best 'Candlish has a keen, satirical eye for social hypocrisy, and she skilfully explores the tensions that the situation exposes in her entitled, privileged characters with compassion and nuance. An unsettling, darkly funny, artfully composed novel about the way we live now' Irish Times
FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF OUR HOUSE, WINNER OF THE CRIME & THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 'One of this summer's most anticipated thrillers' Stylist 'Scarily plausible' Observer 'Guaranteed to have you vibrating with impotent fury ... a carefully crafted psychological thriller' Laura Wilson, Guardian 'A feverish atmosphere is built up, with Candlish again skewering the peccadilloes and prejudices of her middle-class characters' Sunday Times MEET THE NEIGHBOURS YOU'LL LOVE TO HATE Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate to threats of violence. Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it. But there's a problem. The police don't agree. And the door they're knocking on next is yours. 'You're in for a treat!' Lisa Jewell 'Prepare to be gripped; Those People is nail-bitingly tense from the first page to the last. Louise Candlish shows us the dark side of suburbia - and of ourselves' Erin Kelly 'Sharp satire and a plot that builds to a roiling boil with a couple of oh-so-clever final twists in close succession: Louise Candlish is one very clever writer' Sarah Vaughan 'Beautifully modulated and terrifically suspenseful' Washington Post 'Twists aplenty, and such wonderful observation - I loved it' Clare Mackintosh 'An addictive, twisty page-turner about the neighbours from hell that will give you nightmares about the suburban dream' Alice Feeney 'A delicious slice of suburban noir. I loved it' Harriet Tyce 'Candlish is a master at peeling away the veneer of middle-class respectability, and utterly nails the trials of living cheek-by-jowl with awful neighbours. You'll be asking yourself, How far would I go? ' heat 'Candlish shows us, through multiple points of view, how Booth's boorish presence causes sleep-deprived couples to bicker hatefully and grown siblings to become enraged with one another, until the whole community seems to turn on itself - with fatal consequences' Wall Street Journal 'A smart and twisty tale about a murder in a seemingly idyllic neighbourhood. Oozing with scandal, it's a compelling read' Woman & Home 'A devilishly good thriller about smug middle class house price obsession with a wicked ending. Loved it' Laura Kemp 'Utterly gripping' RED 'Lowland Way is a sought-after place to live, with friendly neighbours and real community spirit, that is until the Booths move in. The other residents are up in arms, but how far will they take things to restore their peace? A read that will make you rejoice for nice neighbours!' Prima 'Louise Candlish captures the mores of middle-class life and our worst, curtain-twitching tendencies like no one else' RED, online 'Full of marvellously toxic characters' Best 'Candlish has a keen, satirical eye for social hypocrisy, and she skilfully explores the tensions that the situation exposes in her entitled, privileged characters with compassion and nuance. An unsettling, darkly funny, artfully composed novel about the way we live now' Irish Times
On a bright morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they've just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it's your house. And you didn't sell it.
On a bright morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they've just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it's your house. And you didn't sell it. 'If 2018 brings a better book than Our House I will eat my hat. Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible' Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You `Property-porn looks set to become a staple of crime fiction and Our House is an excellent example of this burgeoning subgenre. Husband and wife pass the narrative baton between them in this masterfully plotted, compulsive page-turner' Laura Wilson, Guardian 'Whip-smart, knowing and brilliantly plotted' India Knight 'Taps deep into the British obsession with property' Metro `I loved the wonderful hook of Our House, which plays with our modern obsession with property - and the vulnerability that exposes. Louise Candlish is a great writer; she inhaled me into her nightmarish world where everything we think we know is ripped from under our feet' Fiona Barton, author of The Widow and The Child FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most? FOR RICHER, FOR POORER. Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her - and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth - that there are far worse things you can lose than your house? TILL DEATH US DO PART. `I raced through it this weekend. Such a smart idea. Twisty, warped, credible. Brilliantly plotted and compelling. Deserves to be such a hit' Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal 'Our House is one of the best books I have ever read ... FACT' Isabelle Broom, author of My Map of You `Gripping and heartbreaking with an undercurrent of unease running through it' Louise Jensen, author of The Gift `Heart-stopping, toe-curling, breath-taking! Half can't bear to read/half can't bear to put it down. It's marvellous - so tautly plotted and don't see the twists coming! Will be a smash hit! Veronica Henry, author of The Forever House `Finished in two days. Absolutely brilliant. It has bestseller written all over it' Kate Furnivall, author of The Betrayal `What a book! Fast, edge-of-your-seat stuff. Each time I set the book down I had to remind myself to breathe' broadbeanbooks 'What a sensational book this is, with a plot that unrolls like clockwork, and simmering tension that never lets up. Betrayal, double-crossing and the most delicious sting in the tail... I couldn't put it down' Lucy Diamond, bestselling author of The House of New Beginnings `A great read - lots of surprises and an excellent ending' Cesca Major, author of The Silent Hours `Jaw-droppingly brilliant' Catherine Isaac, author of You Me Everything `Oh Louise Candlish, you are a genius! Our House is just brilliant. Scarily believable with the BEST ending I have read in a long time. I devoured it!' Claire Frost, Fabulous magazine `A high-stakes domestic thriller that is utterly absorbing. Twists and turns abound, and Our House will have you locking your doors and checking your windows. Candlish delivers a frightening portrait of one woman's worst nightmare. Trust no one!' Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author
On a bright morning in the London suburbs, a family moves into the house they've just bought on Trinity Avenue. Nothing strange about that. Except it's your house. And you didn't sell it. 'If 2018 brings a better book than Our House I will eat my hat. Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible' Clare Mackintosh, author of I See You `I raced through it this weekend. Such a smart idea. Twisty, warped, credible. Brilliantly plotted and compelling. Deserves to be such a hit' Sarah Vaughan, author of Anatomy of a Scandal `I loved the wonderful hook of Our House, which plays with our modern obsession with property - and the vulnerability that exposes. Louise Candlish is a great writer; she inhaled me into her nightmarish world where everything we think we know is ripped from under our feet' Fiona Barton, author of The Widow and The Child FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE. When Fi Lawson arrives home to find strangers moving into her house, she is plunged into terror and confusion. She and her husband Bram have owned their home on Trinity Avenue for years and have no intention of selling. How can this other family possibly think the house is theirs? And why has Bram disappeared when she needs him most? FOR RICHER, FOR POORER. Bram has made a catastrophic mistake and now he is paying. Unable to see his wife, his children or his home, he has nothing left but to settle scores. As the nightmare takes grip, both Bram and Fi try to make sense of the events that led to a devastating crime. What has he hidden from her - and what has she hidden from him? And will either survive the chilling truth - that there are far worse things you can lose than your house? TILL DEATH US DO PART. 'Our House is one of the best books I have ever read ... FACT' Isabelle Broom, author of My Map of You `Gripping and heartbreaking with an undercurrent of unease running through it' Louise Jensen, author of The Gift `Heart-stopping, toe-curling, breath-taking! Half can't bear to read/half can't bear to put it down. It's marvellous - so tautly plotted and don't see the twists coming! Will be a smash hit! Veronica Henry, author of The Forever House `Finished in two days. Absolutely brilliant. It has bestseller written all over it' Kate Furnivall, author of The Betrayal `What a book! Fast, edge-of-your-seat stuff. Each time I set the book down I had to remind myself to breathe' broadbeanbooks 'What a sensational book this is, with a plot that unrolls like clockwork, and simmering tension that never lets up. Betrayal, double-crossing and the most delicious sting in the tail... I couldn't put it down' Lucy Diamond, bestselling author of The House of New Beginnings `A great read - lots of surprises and an excellent ending' Cesca Major, author of The Silent Hours `Jaw-droppingly brilliant' Catherine Isaac, author of You Me Everything `Oh Louise Candlish, you are a genius! Our House is just brilliant. Scarily believable with the BEST ending I have read in a long time. I devoured it!' Claire Frost, Fabulous magazine `A high-stakes domestic thriller that is utterly absorbing. Twists and turns abound, and Our House will have you locking your doors and checking your windows. Candlish delivers a frightening portrait of one woman's worst nightmare. Trust no one!' Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author
One of our Books of the Year 2016. August 2016 Book of the Month. Tense and full of intrigue, this is a novel that sinks into the depths of obsession and discovers a very dangerous game afoot. The newly opened, glamorous lido calls to Natalie and in one summer her life changes beyond all recognition. The prologue and first chapter declare from the outset that a dramatic event has occurred. The story explores the whole of the summer, occasionally touching on the past and then suddenly switching directly to the aftermath. These jarring changes in time create a feeling of foreboding as the timelines slide towards their inevitable collision. Louise Candlish excels in looking at the darker side of relationships, she discovers thoughts and feelings that are recognisable but at the same time feel dangerously untouched. ‘The Swimming Pool’ is a slow-burning and thought-provoking read, and the last few gripping pages had me immediately reaching for the beginning.
It's summer when Elm Hill lido opens, having stood empty for years. For Natalie Steele, it offers freedom and leads her to Lara Channing, a charismatic former actress, who seems all too happy to invite Natalie into her elite circle. Soon Natalie is spending long days at the pool, basking in popularity. But is it too good to be true? Why are dark memories of a summer long ago now threatening to surface? Could Natalie have been swept dangerously out of her depth?
A dark and thrilling short story featuring characters from The Sudden Departure of the Frasers, from the bestselling author of Our House . . . He sold 40 Lime Park Road months ago. So why is he still visiting the house? Ryan Steer is an estate agent in property hotspot Lime Park, gatekeeper to a growing population of well-heeled families and affluent couples attracted by the area's promise of a tranquil suburban lifestyle. To be honest, the houses sell themselves, and when Ryan hands over the keys to his vendors he usually wishes them well and loses their faces in the crowd. Until Jeremy and Amber Fraser, that is. For there is something about Mrs Fraser that gets under his skin, something that causes illicit thoughts, thoughts that lead to actions - secret, forbidden ones. But if ever a woman was worth the risk, it is Amber Fraser.
June 2015 Book of the Month. Full of intrigue, this is a story about relationships, deception and trust. Christy and Joe have scrimped and saved to move into their dream home, once owned by Amber and Jeremy Fraser who have sold up without explanation. Two tales are told, from the first moments each couple moved in to Lime Park Road. It almost feels as though we are alongside Christy as she experiences her everyday life, however Amber’s tale is more intimate and complex as we directly hear her thoughts and feelings. The author sends your mind scampering one way and then the other, encouraging you to doubt, to remain uncertain. It isn’t until the last two chapters that answers are in sight, so don’t peek. Although the ultimate question is just what did happen to the Frasers... the more interesting aspects of this story are the relationships on display, both those in plain sight and those deliberately concealed. ~ Liz Robinson
How far would you follow him before you accept it's over? Eleanor Blake, distraught after breaking up with her fiance Will, decides to do what most would scarcely dare: secretly follow him to the island hideaway where he's on holiday with the woman who took her place. But on the shimmering, sun-drenched Sicilian island of Panarea, distractions come in many forms - including her fellow hotel guest Lewis, an enigmatic Englishman with secrets of his own to protect. And then there's Frannie, a young Italian actress on the island to prepare for her first film role, who is as charming as she is beautiful. Can she really be so perfect? And shouldn't Eleanor be the first to suspect that things might not be as they seem? The Island Hideaway is a surprising, insightful and compelling novel from the bestselling author of Since I Don't Have You. Previously published as Prickly Heat.
A gripping, twisty story of adultery and scandal from the bestselling author of Our House. 'Tense, twisty and completely addictive' Good Housekeeping 'A nail-biter until the very last pages' Daily Express Some secrets are too dangerous to share . . . When Emily Marr begins an affair with her married neighbour, the celebrated surgeon Arthur Woodhall, she has no idea of the tragedy and scandal their actions will cause. With shattering speed, she becomes the object of a media witchhunt, her only choice to change her identity and vanish. Soon after, Tabby Dewhurst arrives on the Ile de Re in France, estranged from her family and unable to afford even a room for the night. By chance, she meets Emmie Mason, whose offer of friendship is at odds with her obsession with privacy. As Tabby sinks deeper into Emmie's strange, hidden world, she begins to form suspicions - suspicions that will lead her back to England and to a revelation so shocking she must question everything she knows. Praise for Louise Candlish: 'Twists the knife right up to the very final page' Ruth Ware 'Addictive, twisty and oh so terrifyingly possible' Clare Mackintosh 'Terrifically twisty . . . hooks from the first page' Sunday Times 'Louise Candlish is a great writer; she inhaled me into her nightmarish world where everything we think we know is ripped from under our feet' Fiona Barton 'Keeps you guessing to the end - and beyond' Stylist 'Candlish's writing draws you in immediately' Heat 'A master of her craft' Rosamund Lupton 'A well-crafted story of scandal, identity and infidelity' Sunday Mirror 'Not afraid to tackle darker issues . . . moving and thought-provoking' Daily Mail
'Thought-provoking and compelling - highly recommended to anyone who enjoys contemporary women's fiction' - The Book Bag 'I loved this book. It reminded me of Joanna Trollope at her best -- full of complicated yet sympathetic characters and riven with the kind of dilemmas that characterise real lives. I honestly didn't see the twist coming. Perfect.' - Jojo Moyes --------------------------------------------- A child falls into the river. A stranger jumps in to rescue him. And four lives are changed for ever . . . On a perfect summer's day in Paris, tourists on the river watch in shock as a small boy falls into the Seine and disappears below the surface. As his mother stands frozen, a stranger takes a breath and leaps . . . From the internationally bestselling author of Since I Don't Have You comes a spellbinding story of passion, heartbreak and destiny - an unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the extraordinary ways that life and love intersect.
I'LL BE THERE FOR YOU: Hannah and Juliet Goodwin have been best friends since childhood, but when Juliet's boyfriend Luke is killed just as Hannah marries the affluent Michael, the divide between the two sisters is suddenly too painful to bear. While Hannah prepares for the birth of her first child, Juliet begins to neglect her job, her health, and all those who love her the most. Hannah is the last person she'd appeal to for help. But then she finds herself drawn into a secret betrayal that threatens to destroy Hannah's happiness before she even has a chance to enjoy it . . . THE SECOND HUSBAND: When Davis Calder moves in next door to Kate Easton and her seventeen-year-old daughter Roxy, neither has any idea of the devastation about to be unleashed. With Kate struggling to accept her daughter's independence and Roxy getting more secretive by the day, there's enough family tension to go around already. Before they know it, glamorous, charismatic Davis is the only one who seems able to keep the peace. Until, one wedding day later, Kate makes a discovery that blows the whole family apart . . .
A book that will sit on your shoulder for sometime after reading it. It concerns grief, reconciliation, infidelity, marriage and family upheavals and eventual honesty all in a beautiful Italian holiday setting. The author used to write entertaining chic-lit, here she has grown up. Comparison: Joanna Trollope, Elizabeth Buchan, Clare Chambers.
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