The Couple on Cedar Close: Detective Dan Riley, Book 2

I downloaded this book as it was a recommended read and just the sort of book I enjoy. Soon after beginning I realised I was reading the second book in a detective series. So eager was I to begin reading, I hadn't realised sooner! By this time though I was fully committed and wanted to carry on.The book begins with a barbecue party thrown by the residents of Cedar Close. For Laurie Mills it is the first time she is meeting her neighbours, her husband, Robert is already a firm favourite but Laurie has been locked away since they moved in following an horrific accident she was involved in.The day soon turns into disaster for Laurie as she discovers her husband has been having an affair and is planning to leave her. Shortly after, Robert is discovered dead by Laurie in their home, she is covered in blood yet has no recollection of ever seeing Robert that day, let alone any memory of killing him in such a brutal way.Given an alibi by her friend and neighbour, Monica, she wrestles with the idea she must have committed this heinous crime and blacked the whole event out. As the evidence stacks against her, how can Laurie prove her innocence or accept responsibility?This is an extremely dark and twisted book. After the first few chapters I wasn't convinced I was enjoying it. On a few occasions the author had gone off on some pointless tangents which caused me to roll my eyes somewhat. However, I carried on and tried to ignore those and I'm glad I did. I really enjoyed this book. Yes, I had figured out who the culprit was, but I hadn't guessed the motives and how it would all pan out towards the end so I wasn't remotely bored or racing to the conclusion as is so often the case when you've cracked it yourself early on.I can understand some reviewers points of view when they say certain elements are cringy, as stated earlier in my own review but definitely don't think this warrants some of the one and two star reviews I read once I'd finished the book. Maybe if I'd read the first book I wouldn't have found those elements quite so worthy of an eye roll. So that is exactly what I'm going to do now, go back and read the first book before we hopefully encounter Detective Reilly in a third book.

This book is the 2nd book in the DI Dan Riley series but it could be read as a standalone.Like the 1st book, we are taken straight into the action. I did guess the twist before it was revealed but it didn't spoil the book for me. I couldn't put it down. I'd highly recommend it.

This author is fast becoming one of my favourites. I loved the first book, and this one is just as good. As they are stand alone stories, you wouldn't have had to have read the first one to enjoy this. I didn't think I would enjoy a detective series but this really has me hooked! I'm looking forward to book number 3 already!

SpoilerI guessed the 'twist' very early on, so the book became very predictable. Was disappointed that the author used names/nicknames which is fairly common with these kind of psychological thrillers. Definitely not my favourite book from the author.

This is the 2nd book in the Dan Riley series & I absolutely loved it. I literally couldn't put it down & read it in a day. Very good, gripping, exciting story. Going to read book 3 now. Glad I found this author which I did as book 1 in the series, Black Heart was free on Amazon. Good ploy as am hooked on author & Dan Riley now!!

This was a book that gave me chills at how far people will go to cover up a disturbing secret, I guessed early on what was going on but also enjoyed seeing how the pieces came together.In this instalment we see a seemingly happy couple to the outside world Robert and Laurie Mills. Laurie has taken to drink because of experiencing a traumatic tragedy she has a car crash after receiving some very unwanted news, this results in the loss of her almost full term twins. She survived to the distain of someone who is masquerading as a friend. This friend and Laurie’s husband share a secret that is unsavoury and distasteful. One of Robert’s secrets has pushed Laurie so far that at the annual street barbecue she rages at him airing their dirty laundry, she also utters words that would come back to haunt her, words that someone is counting on….So when Laurie wakes up covered in blood, how will she ever be able to explain herself and the aftermath of what has happened? Who will ever believe her and her so called best friend is on hand to fill in the blanks.Roll in DI Dan Riley with his hunches, will he put all the pieces together in time to save a life?…

A really fantastic story . Twists and turned an evil character , a narcissist man and a great detective really good thanks .

I really enjoyed this book but I did find it a bit frustrating at times. It's pretty obvious quite early on who the murderer is and it doesn't take a genius to work out who Bertie and Kiki are in the flashbacks. But then I got frustrated waiting for the police to work it out when all the clues were there. They continued to have the wife down as the prime suspect despite forensics and CCTV confirming she couldn't have been in the right place at the right time, and when she told them she'd been knocked out on Valium the previous night so couldn't possibly have been at the murder scene they would surely have done a blood test to confirm this. There were numerous other things that just didn't add up but I don't want to include these as they may spoil it for others. Another reviewer mentioned that the dates and ages didn't match either, which I also found a bit annoying. But otherwise, I really enjoyed the story, by the latter half of the book I couldn't put it down, and I think it would make an excellent 3 or 4 part drama for TV.

I can't fully explain how much I enjoyed this book. I had a hard time putting it down. It's different from a usual thriller and you'll be hooked all through the entire book. You get a glimpse of how terrible people can be. I plan on ordering more books by this author. It really is an amazing read. I'm waiting for more. Congrats to this author.

I just finished this book and couldn't put it down. I enjoyed every word! It was absolutely riveting, so well written. All the loose ends were tied up perfectly and I especially enjoyed that it didn't just end abruptly as some psychological thrillers do. I loved the final 2 chapters and epilogue. It wasn't rushed, it all made good sense, the airplane conversation, Laurie needing to see her "friend" face to face, and ending with Dan and Fiona's news. Loved, loved, loved!!!

Muito bom!

One sunny August afternoon, the residents of Cedar Close throw their annual summer barbecue. Children play in the cherry-tree lined street, tables are laden with food, and the wine is flowing. For Laurie Mills, it’s her first time meeting the neighbours. And it’s the first time she discovers her husband Robert Mills is having an affair.Robert wants to divorce laurie so that he can lead a family life with his mistress and child.One evening,he goes back to serve divorce papers to Laurie.On the other hand,Laurie plans to win him by preparing dinner.He doesn't show up on time she drinks too much and blacks out.She awakens to the dark house and her husband lying next to her dead in his bedroom.Her dress is fully soaked with his blood and she can’t remember the last few hours.But she knows she didn’t kill Robert.His throat slashed open and stabbed multiple times. Detective Daniel Riley takes this case and all evidences falls on prime suspect Laurie. Daniel finds something doesn't add up and wants to dig further about Robert's past.This was my first read by Anna-Lou Weatherley and enjoyed reading this book. It is definitely a page turner. With all messed up characters, the story just grabbed me into it.A psychologically abusive relationship,betrayal,lust,lies,addiction,jealousy all packed in one.

Das Buch ist spannend bis zur letzten Seite. Interessant ist auch die genaue Recherche, was den psychologischen Hintergrund angeht. Man erfährt eine ganze Menge über die Psyche der Hauptdarsteller. Schon aus diesem Grund ist es ein wirklich lesenswertes Buch