Member Reviews
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for gifting me a digital copy of the domestic thriller by Rebecca Taylor - 4.5 stars!
Alyson, her husband, Justin, and their 5-year-old son, Andrew, have just moved into the Enclave - an exclusive development in Boulder CO. Their home is more of a starter home and doesn't compete with the multi-million dollar homes a street away. Alyson is desperate to give her son the childhood she didn't have and to have a good group of girlfriends she can rely on. Bonnie Sloan is the queen of the neighborhood in addition to running for Senate, with the nicest house, successful husband, the son headed to Yale. But things aren't always as they seem to outsiders. Progress is threatening to encroach on the wonderful neighbor views and tensions are escalating. When a teenager is found dead, gossip and rumors erupt.
This was just a fun book to get lost in - easy reading, with relatable characters even when they made questionable decisions. Alyson is so insecure and desperate to fit into her new world that she ignores what's going on inside her own home. Meanwhile, Bonnie is desperate to hold onto her own crumbling world. A good reminder not to judge others on outside appearances. Definitely pick this one up!
Sometimes getting what you think you need to be able to fit in, have friends, and live a childhood dream is precisely the wrong thing. This is a fast moving, excellently paced, family drama/mystery that kept me reading past bedtime.
Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC to read and review.
Early buzz drew me to this book. It was the immediate draw from the first page that kept me quickly reading. I wasn’t sure exactly what was going on with several scenarios but none of my suspicions were confirmed, thankfully. I was pleasantly surprised which is what I embrace in a book. Being unpredictable. I loved Alison’s character from the start and enjoyed her throughout, even when my opinion on other characters changed.
Wow…what a modern day Peyton Place!!! The Enclave Community is full of secrets & with secrets comes lots of drama. Alyson Tinsdale may have got more than she bargained for.
I found this to be a more of a drama/mystery but still quite enjoyable. The characters while I was not always fond of were relatable. This was an quick read that was well written.
I cannot wait to read more from this author!
Thank you #NetGalley, #RebeccaTaylor, #thesecretnextdoor & Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
A domestic mystery set in an exclusive neighborhood with secrets galore! A good read with lots of goings on set in a place where you would think it perfect but it is so far from!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC!
The Secret Next Door was a pretty good domestic thriller! There was a lot going on and you almost couldn't look away at the carnage! Lies and secrets are everywhere and the ending will satisfy you!
The Secret Next Door is full of well….secrets. In a well to do neighborhood each family has secrets.
I really liked the writing style. It is a multiple POV book and these are my favorite because you find out so much more about the characters in my opinion. Well it was a very enjoyable read I had a hard time finishing the central plot. There are many sub-stories, an overarching plot, other than so many secrets, was low. Despite that I would still recommend this book as an enjoyable read.
The Secret Next Door is a domestic drama story that’s easy to read and enjoyable. While the twist at the end wasn’t intense, it was still unexpected. Pacing is a bit slow. While the ending wrapped up nicely, I thought there could have been more character development along the way.
Don't turn away because this looks like it will be yet another tale of two women- a striver and a queen bee- fighting for air in a wealthy suburb. Yes, in some ways it is but it's also a murder mystery and a very good look at the struggles of two relatable women. Alyson persuaded her husband to buy a home that they can barely afford because she wants the best for their son who has been struggling; he repays her by retreating to the locked basement. Bonnie has what most would think of as a charmed life but then her 13 year old is murdered and all bets are off. Both women have doubts about themselves (Alyson is right out there, Bonnie is more subtle), the neighbors are, well neighbors, and the search for the murderer will turn up some uncomfortable truths. It's well plotted, the story telling is good, and the end actually surprised me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.
The Secret Next Door by Rebecca Taylor has its unexpected moments. It is not difficult to identify some of the small town dynamics that set the stage.
The Secret Next Door by Rebecca Taylor is a highly recommended domestic drama.
Alyson Tinsdale knows she and her husband Justin can't really afford the starter home in the upscale Enclave neighborhood, but she talks him into it knowing that their son Andrew will be starting kindergarten in their highly rated schools. Alyson, who is hesitant to try and make friends in this new community, has made one, Gabby. When Gabby gets her invited to the neighborhood book club, she accepts the invitation with hopes of meeting people. She meets people but also drinks so much that she has to be driven home.
One of the women Alyson meets is Bonnie Sloan. Bonnie is one of the leading members of the community who by all outward appearances is wealthy and successful. She has three children. Her oldest son is headed to Yale, and her youngest daughter is in Andrew's kindergarten class. Now Bonnie is running for the Senate, while her husband has no business sense and is quickly losing the family fortune. Their one financial hope is the Extreme Golf Facility her husband is planning to develop by The Enclave.
Alyson's sense of safety changes when Bonnie's thirteen-year-old son is found dead beside the lake. Adding to her conflicted feelings are Andrew's behavioral problems at school. While Alyson is just learning about the plethora of gossip in the community, Bonnie knows it well.
What makes The Secret Next Door a compelling novel is the excellent writing and the fast-paced plot. The real focus is the murder mystery, but swirling around it is the neighborhood full of people feigning outward perfection with no struggles.
The key to enjoying The Secret Next Door is to know from the start that it is a group of people behaving badly and trying to hide their flaws, as revealed by the question "How well do you know your neighbors?" The first hurdle to jump in this quest to appreciate this novel is accepting Alyson's deep and abiding insecurity and lack of self esteem coupled with her desperate desire to fit in. She was not a very sympathetic character during most of the novel. You will want to yell at her to grow up and snap out of it. Alyson does become more sympathetic. Bonnie is equally annoying at the start. She has the self esteem, but she's hiding her struggles. Once her son dies, she is a much more sympathetic character.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Sourcebooks.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble, Edelweiss, Google Books, and Amazon.
Alyson Tinsdale is so happy to have the house of her dreams in an exclusive neighborhood, and she is pleased that her son is in the finest schools. Now she wants to make a good impression on the other moms, well, most of them, but she’s off to a rocky start.
First, Alyson makes a knee-jerk post about Bonnie Sloan’s son’s driving. Bonnie is the queen of the block who seems to have it all. Then after going to her first book club meeting, Alyson ends up getting drunk and not recalling how she got home. As if all this isn’t unsettling enough, Alyson learns that a young teenager has been found dead by the lake in the neighborhood.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐨𝐫 is a case in which you never really know what goes on behind closed doors, what other families are going through. Rebecca Taylor constructs an intriguing mystery, but honestly, I was so wrapped up in the gossip, jealousy, and domestic troubles that at times, I forgot there was murder to be solved.
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours @bookmarked and @rebeccataylorbooks for an invite to the tour and a gifted copy.
Wooo! This was an exciting domestic thriller! Set in a suburban neighborhood, we get to see the story from the perspective of two women, Alyson and Bonnie. A young boy is found dead and the neighborhood is put into a tailspin. I loved the secrets that the family's each keep and how those secrets weave into the story. This is a page-turner, and you won't be able to put it down!
I am new to Rebecca Taylor's books, but I will certainly be back for more. This book exceeded all my expectations and is everything a domestic thriller should be. I didn't know who to trust until the final pages of the novel. All of the characters are relatable and have authentic problems, thoughts, and relationships. It has been years since a book has made me this emotional, but at the 90% mark, I had a good cry. I loved this book and will be recommending it to everyone I know for a while.
I have been enjoying the growing number of neighborhood drama storylines that have been written lately. Some have said it is over done, but I just don't think it can ever be! This book shows what happens when neighbors turn against each other and start taking sides. If an amusement area isn't enough to pit people against each other, than a murder sure is. When a 13 year old turns up dead by the lake, all the secrets start coming out. I love to see what is hiding behind each perfect family.
Wow, what a thrilling read! I couldn't get enough of this book! The Enclave seems like the perfect place to live until one begins to discover all the secrets, drama and conflict which lie beneath its glossy surface. I had no idea what would happen next which was all part of the fun.
This is a female led mystery that shows all characters as imperfect. The idea is interesting but I felt many things came out of nowhere, not really making sense or following the story.
An engrossing domestic suspense! Definitely kept me on the edge of the seat, needing to know what was next! Very well written! Highly, highly recommend!
Will buzz around and use Top Amazon reviewer number on release!
A great domestic thriller telling the story of Allyson, a suburban mother trying to give her child the best life possible, and becoming entangled in the community fight surrounding the new real estate development. This leads to some very unexpected consequences…
If you're looking for an easy mystery read, The Secret Next Door is the book for you.
What I liked... The plot and language are easy to follow. Even though it's fast paced, I appreciated that the time and effort was taken to develop the characters rather than jumping into the mystery without enough context or character-building,
What I disliked... The trope of perfect neighbours with dark secrets is a bit overdone. The characters were depicted as stereotypes of middle class suburbia, which made the beginning of the novel dull to read.
Overall, 3/5.