There’s a lot going on in The Party on Laurel Street, a new psych thriller by Ruth Heald. For the most part, it is a “small town with lots of secrets” story – until things get darker.
Mel and her family move back to the town she grew up in. But there are ghosts in town, as one of Mel’s best friends (Erin) disappeared when they were ten years old.
In addition to that tragedy hanging over the residents, there are several who never left the town. For example, Mel’s other close friend Gabbie still lives there with her husband. But she’s not happy. And Erin’s mother, Tamsin, hasn’t been able to let go of the idea that her daughter might still be alive.
As soon as Mel moves into the house she grew up in with her grandmother. However, things start to go wrong for her and her husband. They argue more; Luke is always busy with handyman work…and what’s going on with Mel thinking she sees someone from her past?
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The author does a good job of keeping the action evenly paced. It never drags. It balances evenly between Mel dealing with memories of the past and what’s going on in the present. And there are more connections between the two than Mel can imagine.
I guessed one of the “town secrets,” but the author has some great twists toward the end that I did not see coming at all. That’s one of the things I like most about a good psych thriller – when I am surprised by any turns.
The Party on Laurel Street is a catalyst for all of the town secrets to be revealed. It puts some hearts at ease and tears others apart. It’s pretty much everything a person can ask for in a psych thriller. Ruth Heald is a solid author in this genre, and I look forward to her next one.
