Review: Lock the Doors by Vincent Ralph

 

Title: Lock the Doors

Author: Vincent Ralph

Publisher: Penguin paperback & ebook

Publishing: February 4th 2021

386 pages

Rating: 5 out of 5 

From the reverse of the book:

Home sweet home. Tom's family think they have moved into their dream home. His mum and new stepdad couldn't be happier - but Tom starts to notice strange messages on the walls, and traces of locks on the bedroom doors. On the outside.

The previous owners have moved round the corner and they seem like the perfect family. Convinced there is a secret to uncover, Tom befriends their daughter, Amy, at school, only to find himself falling for her instead.  The more twists and turns Tom's investigation takes, the more determined he is to find the truth behind those locked doors.

I've been reading a lot of mysteries and crime books lately (not blogged though) and when a request came through for this I nearly passed on it - I'm so pleased I gave it a read.  I couldn't put this down, and read it in two sittings!  The mixture of characters and storyline along with the intrigue and plot twists kept me wanting to turn each and every page.  

This is mainly based around young adults viewpoints and characters working together and then two family circles which have very different dynamics. I found the characters believable and enjoyed watching lives and stories unfold as Tom finds out more about the house and those around him.  For me, the best books are those that take you on the journey with the characters seamlessly, and this book certainly did that.  I couldn't see where the plot was going until the third section of the book, and by that time I was completely engrossed in the lives of the characters, what they had experienced and the baggage that came with them that was being unpacked with every turn of the page.

Lock the Doors addresses some very hard topics and does it well. I don't want to give any spoilers as the book wouldn't be the same if I told you about each of the characters and their lives - this is certainly one you need to read for yourself - I think everyone can relate to vulnerability and going through high school, acceptance, maturity, morality...the list would be a long one for all the elements this book encompasses. This is a thought provoking book and might make a good candidate for a book club to discuss on the variety of subjects it brings up.

Source - I received a review copy from the publisher to review this title.