Our new home was supposed to be a chance to leave our past behind. But was moving here the worst mistake of our lives?
All our friends and family were gathered, glasses raised to toast our fresh start. It should have been a night for happiness and celebration. Zac and I had worked so hard for this: our first home together, just minutes from the sea. But the dream quickly turned into a nightmare…
We’d invited our neighbours too. I wanted to make a good impression – to show them we’re exactly the sort of people they want living on their street.
I hadn’t thought about who they might be, the strangers I was letting in.
It was going so well. There was laughter in the air and the wine was flowing. But then I noticed the narrowed eyes, the whispers.
And then the lights went out.
As my heart thumped in my chest, all the little things that had been going wrong since we moved here flashed through my mind: the food poisoning, the arguments, the flood of nasty reviews shaking my business.
Am I going crazy? Or is someone trying to destroy us?
Readers will love Zac and Nina! I felt an instant bond with them and rooted for them and their success throughout their journey together in a new flat and new life adventures.
But like Nina, I also felt very suspicious of the neighbors upstairs! From the moment they introduced themselves to Vanessa and Chris… something just didn’t seem right.
In perfect Shalini Boland style, she made me question who to side with. Was Nina really off her rocker? Was Chris really an insensitive, overly suspicious boyfriend who favors his friends over Nina? Was he really an abusive woman hater with an agenda? Was Vanessa really a meek, soft spoken “afraid-of-her-own-shadow” neighbor to be worried about? Who are these neighbors who all seemingly have their own agendas? Oh let’s not forget about the flawed family members who also make you question everyone! Of course everyone has their secrets!
I loved the voice of the past that Shalini threw in every few chapters to keep you guessing about how the past and present are connected.
Another fabulous domestic thriller to add to your shelves by Shalini Boland! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Check out what other bloggers have to say on the blog tour for “The Couple Upstairs”!
Shalini lives in Dorset, England with her husband, two children and Jess their cheeky terrier cross. Before kids, she was signed to Universal Music Publishing as a singer songwriter, but now she spends her days writing suspense thrillers (in between school runs and hanging out endless baskets of laundry).
Two Girls and a Book Obsession 