the last house on the street by diane chamberlain

Kayla’s story with its twenty-first-century technology would seem to be a far cry from Ellie’s twentieth-century years of the Civil Rights Movement.Īgainst her family’s strong objections, as well as SCOPE leaders (Summer Community Organization and Political Education Project of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference), Ellie becomes involved in those voter registration activities. Initially, the only thing connecting both characters appears to be the street on which their homes are located. Chamberlain moves both story and reader smoothly between those two characters and the events taking place in those years. This intriguing mystery is told by Kayla and Ellie. The location is Round Hill, North Carolina. The Hockley home is the first house on the street of the book’s title. Ellie Hockley, a young college student, is home for spring break. She wants Kayla to remodel her home, which has become oppressive since the woman’s husband died in their house.īefore Kayla can respond to this information, the woman leans forward, “You know how that feels, don’t you? Losing your husband?” How does the woman know that Kayla’s husband, just months before, died in a freak accident in the stairwell of the house they had not yet occupied? The woman leaves Kayla’s office with two warnings: the house should never have been built so close to the end of that street, and Kayla and her toddler daughter should not move into it.Ĭhapter Two: The year is 1965. A would-be client, off-putting in appearance and manner, comes to her office claiming to have an appointment, which she does not. Architect Kayla Carter and her architect husband designed the house of the novel’s title. Is there a first house on the street? If so, is there a relationship between the two houses? And does the street simply come to a dead-end? Yes, yes, and yes, in more ways than one.Ĭhapter One: 2010. The Last House on The Street - Diane Chambers has given a most provocative title for a most provocative mystery which takes forty-five years to solve. Diane Chamberlain’s latest mystery, The Last House on The Street, is a provocative title for a provocative mystery that takes forty-five years to solve.

The last house on the street by diane chamberlain