Through the Wall by Caroline Corcoran Book Review

This year has really seen me step outside of my comfort zone when it comes to what books I read. I've gone from a person who is a sucker for a good romance, in need of a happy ending to someone who really enjoys the unknown, a good thriller to get utterly lost in.

Caroline Corcoran's latest novel, Through the Wall, is the darker side of women's fiction with a focus on social media and the fact that we seem to have so much trust in strangers these days.

Lexie’s got the perfect life. And someone else wants it…

 Lexie loves her home. She feels safe and secure in it – and loved, thanks to her boyfriend Tom.

But recently, something’s not been quite right. A book out of place. A wardrobe door left open. A set of keys going missing…

Tom thinks Lexie’s going mad – but then, he’s away more often than he’s at home nowadays, so he wouldn’t understand.

Because Lexie isn’t losing it. She knows there’s someone out there watching her. And, deep down, she knows there’s nothing she can do to make them stop…

When I think about my own neighbours, who I actually quite like, I realise that I don't know an awful lot about them. Both sides take in my post when I'm not there and they frequently pop their heads over the garden walls for a chat. I wouldn't say we're friends but we are definitely friendly.

Lexie and Harriet are the opposite.

These two woman haven’t actually met, they do however listen to each other through the walls of their homes, it's like they know they other person's lives without ever having to interact with them in real life. 

You're probably thinking that isn't that strange, many neighbours don't talk to each other and in that you'd be right but most neighbours don't go googling each other either.

Between the eavesdropping and constant internet searching, Harriet and Lexie have slowly built up an impression of one another and find themselves longing for what the other has. Harriet, who is all alone, longs for a relationship and someone to love her. But for Lexie - who is struggling to conceive a baby with her boyfriend Tom -she is desperate for something fun, something other than her fertility worries to focus on

Told from alternating points of view we are taken through months of their lives.

The question is, is the grass greener on the other side?

I'd say this is a slow burner. However, with short chapters, it was easy to read, and equally hard to put down. 

I found myself eager to find out just where it would all lead and although I'd guessed certain parts fairly early on, it didn't make the story any less riveting. If this doesn't make you think about stranger danger then I don't know what will.

Lies and obsessions, jealousies and secrets, Through the Wall is quite creepy at times and dare I say chilling. There were moments when I didn't know who to feel more sorry for, Lexie or Harriet because both women had their own issues, their own problems and as the tensions rose it was difficult to guess who would be pushed over the edge first.

If you like novels such as Girl on the Train then this is a book for you.

Simple in its layout yet wonderfully complex with its plot.

Intense and thrilling, Through the Wall is a great example of just what can happen if you let your own insecurities get the better of you!