Detective Rashbach is a very stereotypical sort: very little personality appears other than predictable traits like that nothing surprises him, and he seeks the truth beyond all else.

However, he feels like a literary device planted in the book specifically for this purpose. His probing questions and his doubts about everyone’s morality instantly raise the tension of the novel. He suggests that the baby may already be dead. Almost as soon as the police arrive, Detective Rasbach is insinuating that the baby’s parents may be the guilty parties. The detective’s close presence in this story opens up the novel for difficult speculation early on. I loved this story, but mildly hated its presentation. But everyone of suspicion seems to be accounted for–so where’s the baby? Everyone has a secret to hide, but which of them is responsible for the baby’s kidnapping? As Anne and Marco crack under the strain of being questioned about the disappearance of their child, their relationship falters and hidden details of their pasts begin to leak out.

Detective Rasbach is all-inclusive in his search, aiming suspicion at everyone from the missing babysitter, to the Contis’ neighbors, to the parents themselves. to discover their daughter is missing from her crib. Despite checking on her every half hour and carting around an auditory baby monitor, they’re in for a shock when they return home after 1 a.m. Happy fall, y’all! Looking for a creepy read this October? Start with Shari Lapena’s debut thriller, The Couple Next Door.Ībout the book: Marco and Anne Conti decide to continue with their dinner party plans even after their babysitter cancels, opting to leave their six month old baby home alone next door.

The couple next door book cover