North Carolina author Diane Chamberlain wraps a mystery
in historical fiction as she interweaves the stories of two women, Kayla Carter
and Ellie Hockley, in her latest novel The Last House on the Street, hitting
shelves on January 11, 2022.
Kayla is hesitating about moving into the house she
and her husband designed in Shadow Ridge Estates in Round Hill, North Carolina,
because he died in an accident during the construction of the home. Adding to
her concern is a visit to her workplace by a strange woman who warns Kayla that
she is “Thinking about killing someone.”
Down the road from Shadow Ridge, Ellie returns to her
family home after decades of estrangement from her mother and brother. She fled
to California in 1965 after her experience in a project to register black
voters in the South led to harm for herself and others as well as opposition
from her parents, her brother, her best friend, and her boyfriend.
In a small-world moment, Kayla learns that her father
Reed had once been Ellie’s boyfriend. Ellie downplays that relationship as she
seems to hold a grudge against Reed. What really happened to Ellie during her
voter registration experience? How might Reed have been involved in Klan
activity in 1965? Does the last house on the street hold the answers? A
startling climax will be the impetus for some devastating revelations as well
as some heartfelt healing.
Diane Chamberlain has created an intriguing story
about two women who are dealing with major transitions in their lives. With a
master’s degree in clinical social work from San Diego State University,
Chamberlain was a hospital social worker and a psychotherapist in private
practice before she turned to a writing career. Last House is her 30th
novel.
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