Book Review: On a Quite Street by Seraphina Nova Glass

My Rating:

3.5⭐

“Nothing ever happens in Brighton Hills.” Really?

An affluent gated community in Oregon, Brighton Hills is home to “beige and plastic”, where few people know what goes on behind closed doors. Behind the polished exteriors and manicured façade is a web of philandering husbands and scandalous affairs, recreational drugs domestic violence and many secrets. There is a lot that is happening in this quiet neighborhood and we are introduced to a few of the residents whose stories are central to the narrative.

Cora suspects her husband of infidelity but is unable to catch him in the act. Are her suspicions baseless as her husband often alleges or is her husband carrying one with other women behind her back? She enlists the help of a neighbor who specializes in snooping into the lives of others.

A year after her losing her 22-year-old son Caleb to a hit-and-run, Paige Moretti is still looking for answers. The guilty party was never identified but she suspects that people in her community know more than they are letting on. She firmly believes that her son was murdered and in her efforts to find the truth, spends time spying on her neighbors to uncover their secrets.

Georgia is a quiet one. She hardly ventures out of the house and is seen mostly in her home taking care of baby Avery. Her husband explains her behavior as agoraphobic on account of past trauma. But is there more to her situation than meets the eye?

The third-person narrative is shared from the perspectives of Paige, Cora and Georgia. As the story progresses we get to know more about their lives, their relationships and their struggles and secrets. The plot is sharp and the three main characters are very different and interesting enough to keep you engaged till the very end. The author does touch upon quite a few sensitive themes but balances the narrative with moments of humor. We might not always agree with the logic behind some of the decisions our characters make in pivotal moments, but it does make for an entertaining read. I enjoyed reading about all three of these women who end up supporting each other through all that goes on in each other’s lives. With its fast-paced narrative and a final reveal that I did not see coming, On a Quite Street by Seraphina Nova Glass is a twisty domestic thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed. I switched between reading and the audio narration of this book. Imogen Church does a fantastic job of voicing these three very distinct characters. This was my first novel by this author and I cannot wait to read more of her work.