Deliciously creepy and freaky. This story will keep you guessing. I was back and forth so much I was starting to feel as off-kilter as our protagonist. Difficult to put down and unnerving, I'd definitely recommend The Ridge.

Cookie-cutter house hell... where every home looks the same, just painted different shades. It all just looks a little too perfect. For Megan, perfect is what she left behind... the loud and exciting Chicago. Having promised her husband she'd give the move a chance, she's struck in a Stepford-like neighborhood while he works long hours. She's lonely and getting a little resentful because she's having a hard time adjusting. A visit to the woman across the street she thinks is eyeing up her husband goes awry and has devastating consequences.

Megan really believes that something sinister is happening in this perfect little area where her neighbor's curtains start twitching as soon as she leaves the house. It's like they're keeping an eye on her, waiting for something to happen. Is something dark going down in suburbia, or is Megan starting to lose it? Her husband is concerned about her and wants her to seek counseling or medication but she's convinced the whole community is hiding something... but what?

I received an ARC of this novel from Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer, thank you! My opinion is honest and unbiased.

I started out reading this book and thinking it was pretty simple but at the same time a good quick read. Toward the middle I thought I don't like the main character Megan. To whiney, complains to much and is kind of dinghy. At the end of the book, I thought wow. I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what. I'm glad I stuck with it. It's a quick read. It would be a good beach or airplane read for the summer. Well done!

The thrilling narrative styles of Gillian Flynn and Stephen King meet in this new thriller!

Megan and her husband Tyler move to Willow Ridge. Tyler has just gotten a job at the institute at the edge of the Ridge as a technician. The families of employees at the institute all live in the neighbourhood of the Ridge. Megan is furious that her neighbour, Rachel, has been flirting with her husband. One evening, she goes over to talk to Rachel in her garage. Rachel is standing on a ladder and stacking clay pots on a shelf. Megan tells Rachel to leave her husband alone. When Rachel just laughs at her, Megan starts throwing Rachel's gnomes at the wall. Then she throws some of the clay pots at Rachel. Rachel loses her balance and falls off the ladder, her neck twisting at an unnatural angle. Megan looks at her and decides that she is dead. Megan runs back home but she's too scared to call the police. She calls her husband to come home from work, and she tells him what happens. Tyler decides to go over to Rachel's house and knock on her door, so that when she doesn't answer he can go around to the back of her house and "discover" her body in the garage. However, he comes back into his house a few minutes later, saying that Rachel opened her door. Megan is sure that she saw Rachel's neck break when she fell off the ladder, but Tyler saw her open her front door. Has Megan lost her mind or did Rachel somehow come back to life?

I was sitting on the edge of my seat through this whole novel! The chapters were short, yet almost all of them ended with a major cliffhanger. Though Megan doesn't narrate the story, the narrative follows her, making her perspective seem unreliable. It is a great thrilling mystery and a really fast read too!

Another OUTSTANDING read. by Rector. I love what I've read of his so far. Just great easy reading that held my interest the entire way.. I loved it
Above was deleted. Below is the new review
An excellent read. The writing style pulls me in and I can't stop reading. I lost sleep over this. Loved it!

I definitely had my preconceptions going into this book. By the time I had read a couple chapters, those had been redefined into a wholly new expectation. By the time I reached the end, it had all been blown away and replaced by a sense of thrill, and surprise. I thought I saw what was coming. I didn't see all of it though.

Megan wasn't the most likable person, but her story is sad and relatable. Her unhappiness is tangible, her loosening grasp on reality frightening, and her fears chilling. As the story spun further and further out of control, Megan racing to stay ahead of not just an unseen threat but of her own personal demons, I couldn't put it down.

"How are you two adjusting to Stepford?" "Stepford?" Fiona laughed and waved the comment away. "It's an old joke around here, but it fits."

Don't let its premise fool you. This is no Stepford Wives, but its own fresh and unique take on a suburban cookie cutter neighborhood and the people who try to fit in. ~George, 4 Stars

The Ridge By John Rector was an enthralling page turner. From the moment I embarked on the surreal neighbourhood of Willow Ridge, it was as If I had been transported into a perplexing mystifying alternate reality.
This is one of those stories that keeps you riveted to the bitter finale, a rollercoaster that you have to ride to the very end, without stops or pauses for breath.
To summarise Megan and Tyler Stokes have moved to the perfectly sublime almost Stepford-like community of Willow Ridge from Chicago with Tyler's job at the institute.
Almost from the start, Megan feels like something is off with this picturesque poster perfect lifestyle.
There's a problem though, Tyler thinks she is having some sort of breakdown,
cue Megan doing all she can to investigate and get to the bottom of the strange occurrences and odd residents inhabiting Willow Ridge.
I really liked Megan as a character, but I felt Tyler was by far a more distant individual, I don't think we really get to know him and he was a bit one-dimensional in his actions. I really would have liked to see more interaction between husband and wife as I felt the affection in their relationship didn't transfer onto the page.
The secondary characters were great but again would have liked to see more emotion attached to their actions.
Luckily Megan and her single-minded personality pushed the mystery forward and made this such a riveting read that I really enjoyed. I especially loved the shocking Twist at the end, bravo brilliantly executed.Give The Ridge a try I really don't think you'll be disappointed.
I received a free E-Copy of The Ridge from Netgalley and this is my own honest opinion.

When I saw John Rector had another novel coming out I was really excited. I read a previous book of his, Ruthless, which I really enjoyed, so I was sure I was going to like this one, but it didn't live up to my expectations.

This book sounds like it's going to be about a creepy neighbourhood, and while it is, it also isn't. Sure, our characters live in a Stepford Wives feeling place, but we actually only meet 2 or 3 extra characters who live in the neighbourhood, so when the synopsis says something about "exposing the community's pretty lies", there didn't feel like there was much of that. It was far more about a woman digging up secrets on an institute that happened to have all its employees living in one area. This isn't particularly a bad thing, it's just something to note. It's not quite as Stepford Wives as you might think!

This book is 90% conversation and 10% description, so if you're the kind of person who likes descriptive, poetic reads, this certainly won't be for you, but for me, all the speech wasn't an issue, it was sometimes what was being said that I had an issue with. Lots of the time I felt conversation was a little bland, stiff and unrealistic. In terms of descriptive writing, about the neighbourhood or a person, there was nothing special to note. There was also a rehashing of several particular phrases that began to grate on me quite soon into the book.

To begin with, I did really like this novel, I found myself rushing through it, intrigued to know what was going on. It was subtle but it was creepy. Towards the middle, my interest began to dip a bit. I had started to guess what was happening, as well as there being a not-so-exciting reveal. Some parts of the story also started to feel amiss, such as the roses bushes outside of Rachel's being described as "in full bloom" after the scene of her hacking away at them... continuity was sometimes a little shady.

What really let this novel down for me was the characters and the immaturity of them all. None of them felt real, so it was difficult picturing them in situations. Particularly our MC, Megan, who was really juvenile and melodramatic. And naive. Oh so very, stupidly, unrealistically naive. It was so easy to become annoyed by her rash decision making and all the different ways she handled situations. What really got me, was her revealing conversation with Mercer about midway through the book. I couldn't wrap my head around how she could turn around and call him "crazy" after everything she had been through. It felt totally off kilter!

I liked and I didn't like this book. I think it could have been so much creepier and mysterious than it was. I felt there was too much time being spent on Megan's thoughts of Chicago and her marriage to fully appreciate the weirdness of the community she lived in. Ultimately, this book was too simple. It all worked out too well and everything slot perfectly into place, which totally isn't my kind of thriller story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

I'm going with 4.5 stars.

The Ridge wasn't what I was expecting, but I was engrossed before long. it started a little slow and I wasn't really sure if I"d like it, but it built up quickly and I tried to figure out the twists. Let me just say while I had piece of them, there was no way I expected the big reveal! I'd actually love t oread more of this town!

Regardless of where you've lived, chances are you've come across a weirdo or two. You know the type: they always make you feel a little uncomfortable, a little creepy. You find yourself wondering why no one else notices how strange these people are, Why can't they see that there is something seriously wrong here?

For most of us, the creepiness is due to the freaks who double-dip their chips during block parties or mow their lawns at dawn on the weekend. For Megan, though, the creepiness is a little bit more substantive.

It begins with Rachel, the woman who lives across the street. What Megan at first chalks up to an unhealthy interest in her husband Tyler turns out to be far more sinister. It doesn't help that Megan isn't all that thrilled to be living in Willow Ridge, but she and Tyler had to move there when he took a job at The Institute, a nefarious-sounding organization that sits atop the ridge overlooking their development. One of the neighbors makes a Stepford joke, but my thoughts tended more toward Scientology. There is a Big Brother-ish feeling to some of the ominous stuff going on.

John Rector builds tension until you think you will explode. All along, he drops hints about what The Institute is up to and the truth behind Willow Ridge, but even so, when you find out, you will have a "WHAT?!" moment. He packs this book with deaths and murders, and those are the least of the disturbing circumstances. Be prepared to suspend disbelief for this one.

The ending, though. The ending made me SO SAD. I wanted something different, even as I knew that "different" wouldn't - couldn't - happen. John Rector is one of those writers who gives readers what they need, not what they want. In this case, he gives a compelling, disturbing story that will keep you turning the pages, anxious to find out what happens.


**** Scheduled for publication on the blog on April 26

This book has a great storyline! I didn't take me long to read it. I wasn't sure at first where this story was going which had me turning the pages faster than usual. The plot had me guessing. I would recommend this to a friend. Looking forward to reading more from the author!

The Ridge
By John Rector

“Something strange is happening at The Ridge”

The plot follows newly arrived housewife Megan Stokes, as she tries to unravel her strange neighbours and the mysterious going on’s in the town, that she and her husband have moved to.

The plot thickens when she accidently kills one of her neighbours, or does she? Add to the plot some mysterious papers, and some unknown scientific research, the storyline becomes a little stretched.

The final twist is unexpected.

It is a different plot and story line, that some will love, and others find stretched. The book is well written though and does flow well.

Thank you to John Rector, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of The Ridge in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the sort of genre I eat up in a day. I read this book in less than 24 hours time, mainly because I wanted to know what was going on in the The Ridge's spooky neighborhood. Megan, the lead character, and her husband, Tyler, move into a planned community far from the bustling city of Chicago that Megan adores. To avoid spoiling the plot, a bizarre encounter with a neighbor leaves Megan questioning her own sanity and wondering if there is something a bit "off" about the people living in The Ridge.

Megan tells Tyler about the encounter, and, rather than trusting his wife's instincts, quickly dismisses her. Lacking Tyler's trust and support, Megan feels alone and isolated in the picture perfect world of suburbia. She makes two friends in whom she can confide, and soon finds that perhaps what happened between her and her neighborhood might be indicative of something insidious taking place in The Ridge.

I won't say that a lot of the ideas or concepts in The Ridge are new or innovative, but John Rector is a good storyteller. You will not be disappointed in the book if you like thrillers. If anything, you may spend the whole night reading it to find out what is really going on in The Ridge!

I’ve lived in the suburbs for years and despite what books, movies, and TV would have you believe I’ve yet to see any evidence of evil lurking beneath the surface. Except for leaf blowers. Leaf blowers were created by the devil for morons to run for hours on end and drive me insane because how in the world can you possibly have that many leaves in April and will you just PLEASE TURN IT OFF BEFOREIHAVETO COMEOVERTHEREANDBEATYOUTODEATHWITHAHAMMERINFRONT OFYOURCHILDREN?!?!?!?!?!

Uh…where was I? Oh, right. Yeah, I haven’t found a beating heart of darkness beneath the surface as popular fiction likes to depict. Still, it makes for some good creepy stories like this one.

Megan and Tyler Stokes have recently moved to Willow Grove for Tyler’s new job at the Institute which sits on a ridge overlooking the planned community. Megan is struggling to adapt to their new area, and she’s got a particular problem with her attractive neighbor Rachel who Megan believes is interested in Tyler. After a few bottles of wine Megan decides to confront Rachel, but a bizarre incident makes Megan start to suspect that there is something very wrong with her neighborhood. However, Tyler thinks that Megan’s unhappiness with Willow Grove is making her imagination run wild.

I’ve read a couple of good noirish crime novels from John Rector, but he’s trying something different here. This is more of a moody blend of psychological suspense and conspiracy thriller, and it’s a nice piece of work. It starts off with just an inkling that there’s trouble in paradise with Megan being obsessed with Rachel, and then it quickly veers into some much darker territory before settling into a mode of gradually increasing the unease into paranoia and then outright terror.

There’s a few very big clues as that made it fairly obvious to me what the underlying cause of the whole thing was so Rector didn’t pull off a major twist. On the other hand, I don’t think that’s what he was really trying to do. This seems more about the journey than the destination, and Megan’s gradual unraveling as the weirdness piles up is what makes it a page turner that will have you feeling vaguely creeped out the entire time.

This is one where I really wish we had those half stars because it’s too good to be an average 3, but 4 seems just a tad high.

Thus book was more sci-fi-fi than i usually read. At first I thought about not finishing it but for some reason I could not put it down. It is creepy with a strange ending- Alfred Hitchcock style!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for a free copy of this book in exchange an honest review.

This was a complete winner! As a fan of Hitchcock , I loved this book. Also, This book was so reminiscent of a Twilight Zone that I had goosebumps! The beginning of this book started out strong and quickly picked up to a neck breaking speed.
We meet Megan and Tyler who recently moved to a nice new neighborhood. However, we soon learn that Megan isn’t as happy as she could be. As she gets to know her neighbors and explores the new area, she soon learns that everything is not as it seems…
Mr Rector did a fantastic job pulling the reader into this book from the beginning until the end. This book could easily be read in one sitting, only because you will not want to stop reading until the end!

Hot Damn; A new John Rector book! John Rector has become a must-read author for me. Each of his books have been great page-turners that strike a balance between plots that are blistering paced yet detailed and well-fleshed out. This offering is no exception, and I found myself rushing through this page-turner; all the while trying to tell myself to slow down and enjoy all the things Rector did right in this novel.

The Ridge is one hell of a good suspense novel and even the most discerning reader will find themselves struggling to put this book down. In a clear homage to The Stepford Wives (it is referenced many times in the book), Rector paints a compelling story of Megan Stokes, a young wife who has left her comfort zone in Chicago, and has moved with her husband to the quaint and quiet town of Willow Ridge. Megan is uncomfortable within the skin of this community and it comes boiling out when she interacts with Rachel Addision, who Megan believes has become infatuated with her husband. Their interaction takes a turn for worse and leaves Megan facing at best a manslaughter rap and at worst, a murder rap. But when her situation takes a turn into the unexplained and Rachel turns up very much alive, yet “different”, the screws begin to get tightened under Rector’s deft touch. With each step Rachel tries to take to determine what is really happening in this strange new town, she finds potential friends and potential enemies all around her, often in the form of the same person. The reader will not know what is real and who can be trusted, as they navigate the dark corners of Willow Ridge with Rector surprising them at every turn.

Rector is at his best when his writing leaves the reader unsure of what can be believed and what is real (His top work in my eyes, which follows that blueprint, is The Grove). He has penned a novel that will impresses new readers and satisfy his legions of fans. This book is sure to be well-received in many reading circles and will generate a lot of buzz for Rector.

A smart reader may be left with the feeling this book reads very similarly to Blake Crouch’s Wayward Pines novel. That smart reader wouldn’t be too surprised to see Rector give a shout out to Crouch in the acknowledgements and in fact, receives a blurb from him for the book. If the smart reader were to dig a little deeper, they would discover the Wayward Pines series and The Ridge share the same publisher. By coincidence or by design; Well I leave that up to you to decide. But seeing how Wayward Pines launched a successful TV series, one can hardly fault Rector for using the format laid out by Crouch. This book leaves a lot of openings for spin-offs and sequels. I for one would welcome the chance to follow this wormhole wherever it may lead.

Recommended.

Part Linwood Barclay part Hemlock grove, this is hands-down one of the best novels I've read in a long time. As cliche as it sounds, I read it in only a couple of hours and not once did I guess the ending or any of the twists, although expertly weaved flashbacks and carefully placed clues ensured that the eventual conclusion and reveal was satisfying and adrenaline inducing.

The writing is detailed enough to build a strong sense of place, but not too much so that the plot is bogged down by description, and the twist is one of the best I've ever read. Rector expertly creates a world which, on the surface seems idyllic, but it's not long until the cracks begin to show, leaving the reader with spine chills and goosebumps aplenty.

I would 100% recommend this title and will be actively seeking other titles by Rector. Everyone should read this novel!

Suburban living isn't for everyone...not by a long shot!

Megan and Tyler move from the bright lights of Chicago out to the suburbs, after Tyler receives a job transfer to the institute. This institute overlooks the planned community of Willow Ridge. Like most such planned developments, the homes are all carbon copies of the next. The same can be said about the neighbors, who all behave eerily similar. But there is something very peculiar about this tight knit community. “A Stepford neighborhood.”

If you find yourself wandering into the next community over you are looked upon as an outsider and encouraged to go back to Willow Ridge. Strange...If you act out or question anything you are frowned upon. Again, seriously odd. I’ve heard of strictly enforced conformity in planned communities, but this is over the top!

A tragic accident leaves one neighbor dead with Megan as the only witness. But is that neighbor actually dead? Is anything really as it seems at the Ridge? Megan begins to question what is really going on at the Ridge, the institute, as well as her own sanity!
A fast paced thriller with a pinch of science fiction mixed in. Flowed easily. Hard to put down. Finished it in one day! Very bizarre but very good.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer Publishing and John Rector for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.


To be posted on Goodreads 3/25/17

Excellent book! Great characters and a brilliant storyline. I would highly recommend this book.

Well, wasn't this a creepy, fabulous read. This is my genre. I love creepy, twisty, dark, confusing, mysterious books that drive me mad. And this one, this one is right up there with the best of them. It reminded me a bit of Wayward Pines, a little Dark Matter, some Twilight Zone and Stepford Wives thrown in and it was just absolutely delicious. And I didn't want it to end. I wanted more! And that's my favorite kind of book.

Megan was perfection as the seeker and delver in to secrets. No way was she content to sit back and not question the weirdness in the new little town she's just moved to with her husband Tyler. And then when a horrifying event happens and everyone wants to shush her up and pretend nothing happened, well you know Megan isn't going to take that lying down. She may think she's going a little crazy but she's determined to uncover every secret that she can and boy howdy does she.

I highly recommend this one to anyone who loves a creepy, twisty, fast paced thriller that will grab hold and not leave you alone till you turn the last page. It was fabulous!