The Woman at Number 24

Publisher Simon & Schuster

Date Published 2017

Book Length 318

Format Kindle I purchased myslef

Star Rating ***** 3***     I liked it, it’s OK

About Book

When your marriage falls apart, the last place you'd want your husband to move to is downstairs. Unfortunately for Sarah, up in the eaves at number 24, her ex-husband now lives one floor beneath her with his new wife. Their happiness floats up through the floorboards, taunting her.A child psychologist, Sarah has picked up great sadness from the little girl, Una, who lives with her careworn mother three floors below, but is Sarah emotionally equipped to reach out?The Spring brings a new couple to the house. Jane and Tom's zest for life revives the flagging spirits, and Sarah can't deny the instant attraction to handsome Tom. Having seen at first hand what infidelity does to people, she'll never act on it ... but the air fizzes with potential.The sunshine doesn't reach every corner of number 24, however. Elderly Mavis, tucked away in the basement, has kept the world at bay for decades. She's about to find out that she can't hide forever.

My Thoughts

The Woman at No. 24" by Juliet Ashton is a book that left me with mixed feelings and ultimately deserves a three-star rating on my book blog. While it had some moments of charm and intrigue, there were several aspects that fell short of my expectations. Firstly, the novel presents a diverse cast of characters living in a single apartment building, which promised to be an engaging exploration of their lives and interconnected stories. However, I found it challenging to connect with some of these characters on a deeper level. While a few were well-developed and relatable, others felt underdeveloped or stereotypical, leaving me with a sense of detachment from their individual journeys. Additionally, the pacing of the story was inconsistent. At times, the narrative flowed smoothly, drawing me into the lives of the residents of No. 24 with its everyday dramas and secrets. However, there were instances where the plot seemed to meander without clear direction, leading to moments of frustration where I hoped for more cohesion in the storytelling. Furthermore, I found the plot twists and revelations to be somewhat predictable. As a reader who enjoys unexpected surprises, I felt that the story's outcomes were foreshadowed too clearly, which diminished the element of suspense that I typically seek in a novel. On a positive note, Juliet Ashton's writing style is engaging and easy to read. Her prose is descriptive and evocative, allowing readers to visualise the apartment building and its eclectic residents. The sense of community and the depiction of the building as a character in itself added a unique and enjoyable dimension to the narrative. In conclusion, "The Woman at No. 24" by Juliet Ashton is a novel with moments of charm and a compelling premise, but it fell short in terms of character development, pacing, and plot twists. While it may resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories set in close-knit communities, it didn't fully captivate me.