Book Review for The Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie DeCarolis

 

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane by Stephanie DeCarolis

Published:  September 16, 2025 by Bantam

Genre:  Mystery Thriller, Thriller Suspense

 

Taken from Goodreads:  In this twisty tale of domestic suspense, four neighbors become the prime suspects in a murder investigation that reveals the sinister underside of their picture-perfect community.

Hawthorne Lane is the perfect place to live. Its tree-lined street and stately homes are the envy of the town. Every Halloween the residents of Hawthorne Lane come together to host their famous Fall Festival. But this year, someone won’t survive the night.

As a murder investigation ensues, it quickly becomes clear there’s more going on behind closed doors on Hawthorne Lane than meets the eye. And four women, each with secrets worth killing for, find themselves at the center of it all.

There’s Georgina, the perfectionist and reigning Queen Bee, who pays a high price for her elevated status. There’s Audrey, the bold and beautiful neighbor with the high-flying corporate career, but whose marriage is on the rocks. There’s Libby, the working mother who is struggling to come to terms with her recent divorce while parenting her teenage son. And finally, Hannah—the newcomer with a mysterious past that’s returning with a vengeance.

As the clock ticks down to Halloween, their lives will cross in the most unexpected ways. And soon only one question remains: Who will pay the ultimate price for the lies they all tried so hard to bury?

 

My Thoughts:  The women in this book are your typical neighbors.   They are perfect, at least in the public eye.   Yet, each is living a life very different from what they appear to be living.  We all know these woman, the “perfect woman.”   Getting to know each person, to learn their secrets, to feel their pains kept me turning pages and hoping for a good outcome for what is to come for them. 

The Wives of Hawthorne Lane is a book that I could not put down.  It was not an easy book to read.   There is a lot of abuse, physical and mental.  The scenes are not pretty but unfortunately they are some women’s real life.  The author did a good job making this fiction book have a realistic feel to it.  I could picture the women with their families, the cul-de-sac that they lived in, and the beautiful houses they live in.   

Thank you Bantam Books for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author:  Stephanie is the USA Today best selling author of The Guilty Husband and Deadly Little Lies. A graduate of Binghamton University and St. John's University School of Law, she currently lives in New York with her husband, their two daughters, and their very spoiled cat.