Dream House by Valerie Laken, 333 pages.
Kate and Stuart Kinzler buy a house with a past and set about renovating it with the hope that it will also fix their marriage. When they discover their home was the setting for a horrible crime, their already troubled marriage breaks apart. As Kate continues working on the house alone, she notices a stranger hanging around her street. Walker was recently released from prison and has returned to the scene of the crime, his former home. What happens when Kate's dreams and Walker's dreams collide?
From the creepy crime scene prologue to the tension filled final chapters, this book had me hooked. Not a thriller in the traditional sense, author Valerie Laken manages to build suspense in the delicate framework of this story. Both Kate and Walker have placed their hopes and their souls into this structure but in different ways. Kate has been a bit of a disappointment to her family and has a hard time connecting to people, including her husband. But she falls in love with this house and the idea that fixing it will right all her wrongs. Likewise, Walker's life was essentially stalled on Macon Street 20 years ago. What is his motivation for returning?
As a reader, you know just enough about each character to start becoming familiar but you remain aware they have secrets - the mystery isn't propelling the story, yet still adds to the suspense. I love how this book unraveled slowly, all the while I couldn't shake the feeling something big was going to happen. Nothing sudden, just deliberate revelations that add to the intensity until the unexpected resolution. I also appreciated the way it captured how broken people seek to mend, even if the means are flawed or painful. I particularly enjoy books that portray the truth of human nature and this is one of them.
There is a lot to talk about here - I think it would make an excellent book club pick.
Author website : www.valerielaken.com - lots of good stuff here, but I especially liked the story behind the book
Thanks to Trish and Lisa at TLC Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review. Here are the other sites included on this blog tour:
Monday, February 1st: Stephanie’s Written Word
Thursday, February 4th: One Person’s Journey Through a World of Books
Wednesday, February 10th: I’m Booking It
Monday, February 15th: Devourer of Books
Wednesday, February 17th: Educating Petunia
Thursday, February 18th: Dolce Bellezza
Monday, February 22nd: Wordsmithonia
Wednesday, February 24th: The Book Zombie
Thursday, February 25th: All About {n}
