The House Across the Street

From global number one bestselling author Lesley Pearse comes her 26th unforgettable story in her 25th anniversary year as a published author. The House Across the Street is our book club pick for September.

23-year-old Katy Speed is fascinated by the house across the street. Gloria, the woman who lives there, is the most glamorous neighbour on the avenue, owning a fashionable dress shop in Bexhill-on-Sea that Katy loves to visit.

But all is not as it appears. Katy has noticed a black car making regular visits to Gloria’s home often bringing women, and sometimes children. Intrigued, Katy is keen to find out more but Hilda, Katy's mother, disapproves of Gloria. She wonders if these mysterious visitors have just been released from prison. Is Gloria secretly bringing criminals, or worse, into the heart of their community?

Then one night, the house burns down...

In the wreckage, the bodies of Gloria and her daughter are found. Katy is sure the unexplained visitors must be responsible but before she can find out more, her father is arrested and charged with murder. Surely the police have arrested the wrong man? Are the rest of the street safe and can Katy find the truth before it's too late?

Lesley Pearse was told as a child that she had too much imagination for her own good. She left home at 15 and headed to London where she worked her way through many jobs – from corsetry sales to musician’s muse to bunny girl to nanny; from gift shop owner to dressmaker – finally finding her true vocation when she became a published author age 49. Since then Lesley has become an internationally bestselling author, with over 10 million copies of her books sold worldwide. Lesley is inspired by stories of courage and adversity and often gives voice to women lost in history and people damaged by their childhood experiences. Lesley now lives in Torquay in Devon where she loves to spend time walking on the beach with her grandchildren and dogs. 

The House Across the Street will be published by Michael Joseph on 6th September. If you do receive one of our free copies, we'll need you to add your questions and comments for Lesley to the thread HERE by the end of September.

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