Book review: The Move by JP Delaney

The Move by JP Delaney is another edge-of-your-seat ‘I can’t believe they did that’ type thriller. The Crowther family think they’ve hit the jackpot with their dream house (albeit one that needs some work) in the countryside and very welcoming neighbours and a friendly community, until things turn sour and their neighbours are far from welcoming and community far from friendly. In fact, the lengths that ‘they’ went to in order to get the Crowthers to leave are kinda shocking. (Unless I’m naïve. Which I reckon I’m not!)

About this book

Kate and Matt Crowther are finally moving out of London, in search of a better life for their young family. Trade Cottage seems to be the house of their dreams - and they immediately hit it off with the sellers, Rosemary and Paul Finch, who brought up their own family there.

When Kate and Matt move in, they're pleased to discover the Finches still very much in offering advice, introducing them to the local community, and becoming honorary grandparents to Will, 11, and Tilly, 9. But when the Finches take exception to Kate and Matt's renovations, relations with the neighbours sour, and Kate and Matt find themselves subjected to a vicious campaign of hate.

But Kate isn't giving up her dream home without a fight. And it turns out Trade Cottage has secrets of its own to reveal - secrets that may endanger the very family Kate has moved there to protect . . .

My thoughts

This opens as Kate and Matt Crowther are moving into their ‘dream’ country cottage. We flick back briefly to their viewing when they met the previous owners (Paul and Rosemary) and bonded. Later they’re excited [Paul and Rosemary] have only moved next door and happily welcomed the new arrivals into the village.

Things go swimmingly until Kate and Matt want to make some significant changes to the cottage and suddenly their neighbours are unhappy…. and Paul and Rosemary’s son wants to move back with his family and repossess the cottage.

Delaney’s able to imbue that there’s something about the cottage that binds people to it. Rosemary felt it and realises Kate feels it too. Which means Kate’s reluctant to leave even when an unfathomable amount of vitriol streams in at them from the community.

Things get a tad more complicated when a body is found on the site and Kate (in particular) finds herself accused of all sorts of nefarious deeds.

Like Delaney’s other books this comes with a bit of a moral / ethical twist. I appreciated the way in which it ultimately plays out but there was a sense of frustration… that assumptions had been made and were never disproven; even though the focus was no longer important. I think that’s a ‘me’ nuance. I hate injustice and am steadfast in my belief that – even it something is not longer relevant – there needs to be closure. But… like I said… that’s a ‘me’ thing.

Here there’s some closure. Some resolution and I suspect for most it’ll be enough.

The Move by JP Delaney was published by Hodder & Stoughton / Quercus Books (Hachette UK).

I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.