I received a digital advance reader’s copy of The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson from the publisher (Putnam) in exchange for an honest review. The Other Mrs. Miller is scheduled for release July 16, 2019.

The Other Mrs. Miller is about a woman (Phoebe) who is very much adrift. She has no career, no children, no friends, and no hobbies. She lives with her husband who she is rapidly drifting away from. Phoebe’s father has just died, leaving her a lot of money and a lot of scandal. Phoebe sees this scandal as life-altering, convinced that everyone is judging her for her father’s mistakes. The sadder truth is the world may not be aware of her at all.

A new family moves in across the street from Phoebe and her husband, bringing freshness to Phoebe’s life. She makes a friend in Vicki and feels a long forgotten attraction for Vicki’s eighteen year old son. Around the same time, a car begins to linger in the neighborhood. Phoebe notices the car, but can’t tell who is inside, or what their purpose might be. These events bring freshness to Phoebe’s stagnant life. She is suddenly a woman on the brink of change.

This is the story set up by Part 1 of the novel. Phoebe is relatively well developed, a woman dealing with realistic situations, though her reactions may be a bit outside my experience. The characters Phoebe interacts with (primarily Vicki and her son) are also well developed, leading us to become attached to Phoebe and these characters. Phoebe’s husband is less developed in this part of the story, hiding in the background, with only brief glimpses.

While reading Part 1, I was thinking a lot about the title of the book, trying to figure out who the Other Mrs. Miller actually was. I had a lot of possibilities, and was very curious which of them might turn out to be correct. Around 45% of the way through the novel, this question was answered. It was not on my list of possibilities, which was a surprise.

While it was nice to have a twist that I didn’t figure out ahead of time, this answer turned the story in a completely different direction. With the answers given in the first chapters of Part 2, I began to question why Part 1 was even part of the novel. The plot that had been established, and the characters that we had been introduced to and grown attached to were gone. The focus of the story shifted to characters that were very vague in Part 1, characters that we did not know very well, and were not invested in.

For me, this turn did not work well. With the shift in plot and characters, the story did not manage to pull me back in in Part 2. Some of the appeal of Part 1 was the realistically portrayed characters and situation. In Part 2, choices made by the characters felt unrealistic, things they were pushed to do to make the plot work. This was partly because these characters were not developed for us in Part 1, so as a reader I struggled to believe their actions.

I am very curious about other reader opinions on this novel. It was very different, and I appreciate the author trying something new. I wonder if it was more successful for other readers. I would also pick up future novels by this author. I am curious what she might come up with next, and hope that what she tries will be more successful in the end.

Suspense filled suburban mystery. Who's the person sitting in the strange car that keeps parking in the neighborhood? What is the story with the new neighbors across the street and the obvious drama within their family? I couldn't stop reading, had to see what happened next!

Daughter of a scummy millionaire, Phoebe Miller has become a willing hermit in her own home. She seems to lack friends and an overall sense of purpose in her life. She's "let herself go", but decides to branch out when she realizes her new neighbors have a very attractive eighteen-year-old son, Jake. Although this Mrs. Miller is married to Wyatt, a therapist, she doesn't feel fulfilled. This begins to change as her friendship with Jakes's mom, Vicki, grows -- as does her sexual relationship with Jake. But this novel isn't called Mrs. Miller; Allison Dickson has wisely titled it: The Other Mrs. Miller. Twists and turns abound in this suspenseful debut!

Phoebe Miller is tired of the mundane life she leads, until she meets her new neighbors, the Napiers, and is immediately taken with their barely legal 18-year-old son. Phoebe gets entangled with them and suddenly her life becomes a thousand times more interesting than she ever imagined.

Slam-bang debut that should appeal to fans of Lori Rader-Day. You're cruising along and BAM the first half ends and, damn, it's a whole different book. Nice touches of Hitchcock and the last third of the book put me in the mind of Agatha Christie's "10 Little Indians." There's a lie on the table and everyone knows it's a lie and whoever cracks first is probably the killer. Probably . . . Totally recommended to fans of domestic suspense.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fun mystery novel about two families in which all of the members are seriously flawed people. When murders occur, it could conceivably be any one of them.

Oooh I loved this book! This is like reading some really juicy gossip- you know you love it! If you are a fan of Shari Lapena, I recommend this book. It keeps you hanging on and wanting to know the inner-most details of the characters' lives and goings-on.

Thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read this book and review it!

Phoebe Miller is dying of boredom in the suburbs. She's got a bit of refuge there from the embarrassment of her famous, rich (and recently deceased) father's scandalous behaviour, but her life mostly consists of drinking wine and staring out her window at a car parked outside her house. She thinks she's acquired a stalker, and that's the most exciting thing that's happened in awhile.

Until the new neighbors move in. Her and bubbly, gossipy Vicki become fast friends, and Phoebe's life brightens considerably. Despite the fact that her marriage has grown stale and her husband won't give up on wanting kids, she's energized, and even considering a dalliance with Vicki's attractive college bound son.

When things start to get tense in Vicki's home life, Phoebe starts to get an inkling that something is really wrong. Her new friend just might not be who Phoebe thought she was, and her stalker is also starting to really rattle her.

Dickson's tale of a former socialite whose life takes an abrupt and scary turn is inventive, clever, and a really fun read. It surprises with a turn you won't see coming, and her snappy turn of phrase makes for an easy page-turner that will be perfect to take with you on your summer vacation--or stay up late into the night reading.

Delightful and clever. I've heard she's already working on her next novel, and I'm definitely looking forward to see what she come up with next.

Oh my. Twists and turns until the very, very end. Cleverly crafted and deeply entangled, a small cul-de-sac in the Lake Forest district of Chicago quickly turns into a very twisted neighborhood.
If you loved The Other Woman, The Couple Next Door or just want a twisted read....add this one to your list!
A good podcast to listen to while you wait for this one to come out....Dr. Death! Don't worry, that little tidbit doesn't spoil this story one bit!

Actual stars...4.25

Secrets and lies in the neighborhood. When the new neighbors move in Phoebe's life is changed in ways she never imagined. But what is going on with the car that she keeps seeing parked on her block? Secrets are dangerous and life changing and they will keep you reading as you try to figure out the truth.

A psychological thriller with twists you never expect. The stranger watching Mrs. Miller isn't who she expected. The new neighbors across the street aren't either. She may become best friends with the new neighbor and a little too close with the son...Then the Other Mrs. Miller has to step in.
A thriller that I could not put down. I will highly recommend this to our patrons.

Several major plot holes and problems with characterization. I only finished it because it was so bizarre.



Review copy provided by publisher.

Right off the bat, I need to say that this book is an absolute MUST READ!!! The Other Mrs. Miller is a suspense filled thriller that will shock you at every turn! Allison Dickson did an epic job of creating a storyline that you will find utterly addictive! I enjoyed how Allison Dickson had me guessing the who, what, where and why the entire way through! And in all honesty, I thought I had it all pretty much figured out, but I definitely did not— I love when a novel can shock me! The Other Mrs. Miller is a 5 star read! After finishing this book I went to look up Allison Dickson’s prior novels and I was floored to learn this is her debut novel!!!! I will be 100% 1-clicking anything she comes out with in the future! This book is absolutely on my 2019 favorites list!

Chilling from the opening pages a mysterious beat up car appearing in a wealthy Range Rover type neighborhood why does it keep appearing who is it stalking.A woman who basically is a recluse a very wealthy young woman her husband who wants them to have a child something she has no interest in and so this twisty tense. Chiller begins a book that will shock and surprise you an unputdownable read. #netgalley#penguinbooksputnam,

Holy cow!! What a book! Definitely grabs you from the first page in a death grip and leaves you gasping and dizzy at the end! A must read for those fans or twisty filled, with tension so thick you can cut it with a knife, thrillers! I seriously had my mouth agape and have had my brain spinning for days! A must read for my fellow thriller lovers!
Will be using in a challenge and making sure the members of Chapter Chatter Pub are ready for it’.