Richard, governed by his greed and interest in acquiring material wealth, drives him to not only facilitate the kidnapping of her step-daughter’s child but also compels him to kill Derek, his partner in crime.

Additionally, crime is also evident, beginning with the kidnap of Anne’s baby and the subsequent murder of Derek by Richard. Shari Lapena establishes a delicate background for critiquing marriages that are based on lies and lack of trust.

Additionally, Richard epitomizes hypocrisy on top of fraud when he pretends not to know any other individuals in the kidnapping case of his step-daughter’s child. Deceit later presents itself when the reader is brought to the attention that Marco and Richard were involved in the kidnapping. Not only does Anne begin to suspect an affair between her husband Marco and Cynthia, but she also blames him for being the cause of the abduction of her daughter. In the novel, after Cora is kidnapped, Anne’s matrimony is put to the test. Notably, the concept of deceit and hypocrisy. Moreover, Shari Lapena also tackles the issue of trust or lack thereof in marriages. The author uses the irresponsible and negligent nature of Marco and his wife Anne as a background for critiquing irresponsible parenthood that the couple epitomizes. Additionally, Anne indulges herself in taking wine and becomes intoxicated even though she was a nursing mother. Anne and Marco thus decide to leave their six-month-old daughter Cora in the house alone, the babysitter having canceled. After Cynthia invites the couple to the party that she organized for her husband, Graham, she makes it clear that babies are not welcome. In The Couple Next Door, the novel-write tackles the aspect of irresponsible parenting through the characters of both Marco and Anne, who embody the trait. The story begins with Anne and Marco enjoying themselves at Graham's birthday party.

The Couple Next Door presents Shari Lapena’s attempt at critiquing certain vices that exist in the society in which the novel is set. Written by people who wish to remain anonymous We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

The couple next door by shari lapena