Member Reviews
This was my first novel by Cathryn Grant and it was a pretty good one!
It was a classic "who done it" with some red herrings thrown in along with the "mysterious past". Good clues that keep you guessing. I would have enjoyed it more if the reveal wasn't as early, though - it took away the suspense and thrill in the second half. Overall, a solid read!
Thanks to Cathryn Grant, Inkubator Books and NetGalley for the ARC!
Absolutely devoured this book in just one afternoon - I couldn’t put it down. It’s told from different characters perspectives and there’s some twists and turns you don’t expect. It’s a really good read but expand your belief! It’s fiction do it works! 4/5.
What a great book!
"When 14 year old Brittany disappears one night, her parents are devastated, certain she has been taken.
They can’t bear to think about who has done this and what might be happening to their precious girl.
Even worse, the police seem to see them as suspects, implying that they may have had a part in their own daughter’s disappearance"
This book had twists and turns and a shocking ending. It kept me engaged from page one. I loved it!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy for my honest opinion.
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Woah what a book! Great from the first page till the last!! Totally hooked me and was able to finish in one sitting. Highly recommend
This book goes in my "Why Did I Keep Reading This? file. Desperate Housewives meets Dexter.
There is no getting to know the characters before the plot kicks in, in fact you never really get to know them or even care about their weird little cul-de-sac. There's the bizarre neighbor Taylor who is also the busiest of busybodies. Most of the time I wanted to slap her. Moira and Alan's daughter Brittany disappears soon after you start reading. Taylor's 'help' kicks into overdrive immediately.
Taylor starts the story telling you about the day the new neighbors, Moira, Alan, and Brittany, move in. She tells about Brittany, a 13yr old girl with a little girl bedroom. The story then jumps to two months later and the disappearance of Brittany. Moira runs to Taylor's house first and together they go on a trip through the neighborhood asking odd acting people if they've seen Brittany or anyone strange lingering around. One neighbor, a young man by the name of Luke, you can't help but suspect he's involved in everything. His mother is a loon.
The cops finally arrive but don't even begin a basic search for a 13yr old girl who disappears from an open window in her upstairs room. They don't send anyone to go door to door while the main detectives conduct their intrusive and predictable 'interview' of the parents who of course are the primary suspects. The cops are so lackadaisical I couldn't help but wonder if police are really like that when a child disappears. Is that why so many missing children are never found?
When you finally muddle your way through to the end your eyes will roll into the back of your head and stay there. The most far fetched reason for the girl's disappearance. Why she has a little girl room will make your eyeballs roll back further where you will then see your own brain. The final scene will just make you decide you decide you should have stopped reading the moment you started.
My apologies to the author but I won't be reading any future books and cannot recommend this one.
Thank you to NetGally and the publishers for allowing me to read. I apologize for my delayed review due to lack of a computer.
Oo very creepy of a storyline! Absolutely loved it and I am happy that I was able to read it. Go and read!
Thank You to the author, publisher and Netgalley for providing the e-publication in exchange for a unbiased review of this book.
Really interesting
Genuinely loved this book. My first from this author and I really look forward to reading more.
It was a twisty, unputdownable and gripping story about what appears to be a normal family.
But appearances aren't always what they seem.
When their 14 year old daughter goes missing, we get to see just how far from nornormwl they really are. Secrets emerge and this seemingly perfect family become so much more.
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to review this.
This is my first read by this author and wont be my last.
This book isn't as twisty as my normal kind of read but non the less I was eager to read more to find out what had happened to missing Brittany - a home schooled child who lives at home with her parents in a small tight nit culde sac. However her parents don't really want to get to know the other residents. Next we meet Taylor - the neighbour who wants to do everything she can to help the family by setting up a FB page to help find the teenage girl. The story is told by a few different characters and we soon find out that Brittany was not as happy as it would seem - what what actually happened to her - did she run away, did she get taken?
This was a great thriller that I had a lot of issues putting down. I just wanted to continue flipping the pages and seeing what was next. I do wish the characters were a little more developed but I really liked this one and would definitely recommend.
When 14 year old Brittany disappears from her bedroom in the midnight of the night everyone is puzzled; it's a safe, quiet cul-de-sac home in a wealthy neighborhood, Brittany has a wonderful home life with two parents who love her dearly and keep her safe. Could someone have crept into her bedroom and grabbed her? Could she have run away? The neighbors all contribute to the search, but one goes above and beyond. Determined to find Brittany safe and sound, neighbor Taylor starts a 'Find Brittany' FaceBook page and the things she finds out are startling. Are they true?? Will Brittany ever be found?
I think this book definitely had the right idea for a great story but it was not executed the best way. It was a very, very slow start for me and I felt like as soon as things started to pick up, it was the end of the story and it was wrapped up very quickly. Like a large build-up with no release. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it; it was just 'meh' for me so I probably wouldn't recommend it.
Cathryn Grant offers readers a fairly suspenseful novel. Her characters are interesting and the premise pulled me in. I found it hard to reconcile characters' behavior as the story unfolded. The 'neighbor' ignores messages hinting that the missing girl is NOT the daughter of the parents, she doesn't share that info with the police? That was the most difficult issue for me. The story is related in several voices/points of view, which became confusing at times. The Good Neighbor was an entertaining read, and I would read more from Cathryn Grant.
I received my copy through NetGalley under no obligation.
A 14 year old girl disappears from her bed, was she abducted? Did she runaway? There is a lot going on in this crazy, twisted book and I rather enjoyed it. This was my first time reading a book by this author, but it certainly won't be the last.
This was a quick, fast-paced read for me and so many lies. I never knew which way I was thinking before the rug was pulled out from under me. I did not want to put this book down. What a thriller!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!
The Good Neighbor was my first book by this author, and Holy Cow, I was not disappointed.
I could not put this book down. There were twists I didn't see coming.
The writing style was amazing, and the book kept my interest from the first chapter.
A 14 year old has gone missing from her own home. The parents are obviously devastated and can't wrap their minds around what's going on. They're a mess, as we all would. But the neighbor? She's a rock.. super helpful, leading every search. What a help! Right?
READ.THIS.BOOK!
This was my first book by Cathryn Grant and I did enjoy it, but I did feel there could of been more to the story.
It starts outs great, but seems to lose focus in the middle and then the ending is all rushed together. Despite this, I still found it an enjoyable read and liked the twists and turns.
The basic premise of the story is 14 year old Brittany suddenly disappears, has she been kidnapped or left of her own accord ?
The whole situation seems very strange, the parents are secluded, no one knows them nor do they speak to any neighbours.
Taylor, the next door neighbour, arranges social media to focus on the search and coordinates the neighbourhood.
The story is told from several POV, including Brittany, Taylor, Brittany's parents and Brittany's real mum Crystal.
I was kept enthralled by the many twists, and the sense of darkness in this story, and i did find parts a bit repetitive and slow but it is worth reading.
I would like to thank Netgalley, Cathryn Grant and Inkubator Books for the priveledge of reviewing a early copy of a ARC.
Absolutely outstanding book. Loved every second of reading it. Lots of twists and turns in this really creepy book.
Another thrilling read by a talented author! This one deals with a very scary thought, your child goes missing, and where are you going to start searching for her. Nothing is as it seems in this book, and this keeps you gripped until the end! Recommended.
14 year old Brittney has gone missing...now the search begins. This was a compelling story told from multiple viewpoints which really engrossed the reader. I did feel like Taylor was a bit too involved with Moira who was definitely giving off red flags throughout but it was a great read!
Well, am I chuffed to have found this book or what? A very clever story that is both tense and intense.
The Good Neighbor is Taylor Swanick, who just wants to bring some community spirit to the quiet - and frankly, dull - cul-de-sac in which she lives with her husband. Everyone seems to just go about their business, but Taylor wants more from her neighbours; she wants a sense of camaraderie, of pitching in together, sharing and generally being neighbourly.
The latest additions to the street are, however, more reserved and hermit-like than ever. But when, one night, Taylor is woken by someone frantically knocking on her front door, little does she realise things will never be the same again. Careful what you wish for ...as Taylor was about to find out.
Her new neighbour, Moira, is screaming hysterically, convinced her daughter Brittany has been abducted from her bedroom. Taylor's determination to get the whole street involved soon sees them all searching the open space behind their homes. All to no avail. But, Taylor, doesn't stop there, nor does she do as her husband advises and leave it to the police. She starts a Facebook page, appealing to the public to find Brittany.
Let's just say, that she doesn't expect to get so many hoax responses to her plea for help. Nor does she expect to find someone like Crystal who knows Moira and her family all too well. In fact, Crystal knows an awful lot about them, and she's not going to be hushed this time.
This is a gripping story, and once that humongous twist comes at the halfway stage I can assure you there's no going back until you finish. The story is filled to the brim with larger than life characters. Not all of them are remotely likeable, and some are definitely not playing with a full deck. Yet, despite that they seem so normal. It's scary to think that beneath the surface these people are nothing like you could ever imagine. Taylor most certainly was not prepared for what happened ...and nor was I.
Don't be thinking this is just a story about a missing teenager, because it's way more than that. This is a story about people. Taylor is just looking for a sense of community; Moira and Alan are looking to stay under the radar, and Crystal is after the truth and justice. The story is told primarily from the viewpoints of Taylor and Moira, but also includes young neighbour, Luke, as well as some insight into who Brittany is and the life she has been leading thus far.
This is a well-paced story that hooked me early on that included some major curve balls that blew me away. I've not read anything by this author before, but I surely will look out for her other work from hereon.
“Cathryn Grant has written a book that starts out strong and keeps going. Surprises, mystery, and twists make it memorable! 5 stars!-Green Gables Book Reviews
New neighbors are moving into the culdesac and Taylor can’t help but be curious. It looks like one child, a young girl, is moving in with her parents, judging by what the moving van has delivered.
When the Mom and child arrive, Taylor is a little surprised that the young girl she was expecting is actually a young teen. The family keeps to themselves and no one in the culdesac has gotten a chance to know them when the unimaginable happens.
It’s the middle of the night. Moira wakes up. She’s thirsty. She goes in to peek at Brittany. She’s not there. She’s not in her bed. Moira is frantic! Searching! Where is she?! She and Alan search the house. She is missing!
Moira runs to neighbor Taylor’s house and wakes her, searching for help. Where is Brittany? Did anyone see anything? Hear anything? Who took their little girl?
A search begins, the police are doing everything they can. Neighbors turn against neighbors and Taylor begins to have some questions. What has really happened to Brittany?
Paperback: 312 pages
Publisher: Independently published (September 7, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1691605581
ISBN-13: 978-1691605583
“The Good Neighbor” by Cathryn Grant