Fast paced - maybe a bit too fast, as I struggled with the pacing, but I loved the premise and enjoyed it overall!

A powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret and a new resident with haunting secrets of the past. TENSE AND COMPULSIVE. A whodunnit domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. I LOVED this book! Wilson nailed it.

Carter Wilson returns to the crime scene (from The Dead Husband to Bury, New Hampshire, with THE NEW NEIGHBOR. An addictive, twisted, witty, and darkly wicked psychological/crime thriller that will have you longing for the next resident of 1734 Rum Hill Road.

INTENSE. RIVETING. ADDICTIVE! Thriller lovers, if you have not read this author, you are missing out.

2018 Baltimore, Maryland: we meet Aidan Marlowe. He is now a thirty-five-year-old widower with seven-year-old twins, Bo and Maggie.

His lovely wife, Holly, has passed an aneurysm at age 34, and he is at the funeral at the graveside. He never told her about his past, and right before they lower the casket into the ground, he tells everyone he needs a minute alone.

Something dark happened back in Ireland that was in the past. However, he never gets the chance to tell her. There is a text from an old childhood friend, which he will reply to later, and THEN he sees an older text that says he is a POWERBALL WINNER! He knows the numbers, the ones he has played for years. Every Wed and Sat.

Winning #s 01-05-08-10-14 PB 22. One Winner. He does not tell her after all his confession. This may be a sign of a new beginning. $30 Million, which will give him a new life. He wants to move somewhere different and start over with his children. He buys a mansion in a nice quiet, upscale neighborhood on impulse. Something he would otherwise not be able to afford on a bartender's salary.

BURY, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Two months later, Aiden and the twins are moving into the mansion at 1734 Rum Hill Road Bury, New Hampshire.

Now you know, if you have read THE DEAD HUSBAND, this is a HOUSE OF HORRORS.

He hears his wise wife's voice speaking to him all the time.
Don't screw up our kids.
Don't let the money change you for the worse.
Make a difference.
Own who you are.
Figure your shit out, Marlow.

A bartender turns a millionaire overnight. He does not want anyone to know this in his prestigious new neighborhood. He just wants a fresh, clean start and a safe community and school for his children.

The minute he steps through the massive castle-like front door, he knows this house has a strange vibe. (You aren't kidding. Man does it ever. ) The mansion is eight thousand square feet, built in the 1980s. Multiple levels. Aidan suddenly desires to know more about the past, which the realtor did not tell him much.

In his seventies, the home formerly belonged to a wealthy investment banker, Logan Yates. Some other family members also went missing (you can read all about it in THE DEAD HUSBAND). He just left the house one day and never came back. The house was already in his son-in-law's name (Peter Ainsworth) since the deed was changed five years earlier.

Not long after moving in, he receives strange and creepy messages. He is distraught and must find out who is sending the threatening letters. A welcome letter and warning signed "WE WHO WATCH."

He decides to host a dinner party and invite the close neighbors so he can do a little sleuthing. Reminiscent of B.A. Paris's The Therapist. If you loved her book (a fav), you must read this one

Aidan spins out of control. He becomes obsessed with their safety and the source of the mysterious letters. He suspects everyone. He even calls in his old attorney friend from Baltimore (Maya) and his dad from Ireland (which owns a bar) to try and help him with his detective work. They all come up with different scenarios, leading to a new search.

He has gone to Police Chief Walter Sike (creepy) without a lot of assistance except to give him the name of a friend, Owen, who owns a security company. There was an old housekeeper and a gardener. They seem a little strange when he questions them. He knows no one except the realtor who sold him the house and his attorney back in Baltimore.

Soon after a housewarming party, the news comes out that he has won the lottery making it more difficult. The eerie, chilling notes continue arriving mysteriously from WE WHO WATCH, making it clear they want him to stay, and they know about the money.

Each letter is more sinister.

Aidan has a troubled past revolving around the death of his younger brother, Christopher, which haunts him to this date. He met this wife in Dublin at the bar where he worked, and she changed his life, and they later moved to the states.

Bestselling Author and popular podcast host Wilson takes us from Day 1 through Day 97. The notes get more dangerous and sinister each time, sending Aiden into hysterics. He then discovers a secret panel downstairs (or does his daughter). This is the last straw. No one will harm his children. (The daughter reminds me of Kimberly Belle's My Darling Husband.)

Does the person writing the notes know about his past?

Aiden (unreliable narrator) starts hallucinating, drinking more, losing chunks of time, and seeing former people who lived in this house from looking at photos. Is he losing it?

When he heard the tree snapping at the gravesite, was that him snapping? How can he take care of his children in this house of horrors but the note warns him not to leave. He is losing his mind. He is not a good father, and Holly would be so disappointed.

His dad and his attorney, Maya (former psychologist) are trying to help him since they are worried about the children and his sanity. This house. The millions. Why did he choose Bury? Is this his punishment for the sins of his past? Is he sabotaging himself?

The complex maze will have your head spinning with non-stop action and adrenaline-fueled suspense leading to the explosive showdown at 1734 Rum Hill Road. Someone was out to get him and his money.

"Confession is the path to absolution."

Deliciously evil and funny. I have discovered a new FAVORITE author and quickly found myself going back to read The Dead Husband and will be purchasing the remainder of his backlist between new books. Here is hoping for more Rum Hill Road!

I was trying to solve this puzzle and a total wreck on pins and needles. The author cleverly keeps the twists coming into a dark world of madness.

Carter can flat out write. Every time I see his name (which was my name - Judy Collins Carter Wilson) when married and after both divorces went back to my maiden name "Collins." Also English/Irish ancestry. I absolutely DEVOURED this book!

I highly recommend you read The Dead Husband first, but this one can be read as a standalone, but why miss out on all the juicy details and background? Both books are excellent, but I loved THE NEW NEIGHBOR more. This author is on my radar now and cannot wait to read more. I love dark humor and he does it so well!

Check out Carter's popular fun podcast MAKING IT UP and sign up for my newsletter to receive in your inbox my #AuthorElevatorSeries Interview with Carter coming pub date, April 12th as we go behind the scenes of the book and this talented author!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Please, Carter, continue the Rum Hill Road by either bringing back the old owners (ones that are not dead) or a new family. Too good to end!

I am getting into all the new thrillers revolving around a house (a haven) like the ones mentioned above and Kaira Rouda's Somebody's Home. Also, you will want to read (moving to a new house to escape past) Samantha Bailey's Watch Out for Her coming April 19th and my other April #AuthorElevatorSeries guest.

Poisoned Pen (Sourcebooks) is cranking out some top 2022 thrillers and top-tier talent. In addition to Carter Wilson, I have the following #AuthorElevatorSeries Interviews coming up from them and looking forward to reading the ARCs.

And There He Kept Her Joshua Moehling (new to me) June
The Deepest Black Randall Silvis (all-time favorite author) August
The Guest House Robin Morgan-Bentley (new to me) Sept.

A very special thank you to Poisoned Pen & Netgalley for a paperback copy and e-galley ARC.

Blog Review www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
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Top Books of 2022
April Must-Read Books
Pub Date: April 12, 2022

Thank you so much Netgalley, Carter Wilson, and Poisoned Pen Press for my gifted copy!

Synopsis:
The best day in Aidan's life is actually his worst, too - because he's at his wife's funeral when he finds out that he just won 30 million dollars on the lottery. Wanting a fresh start with his kids, he decides to buy a house in a small town called Bury. But something just doesn't feel right - and then he gets some letters indicating someone knows about the darkest parts of his past, and that they are watching until they got what is his...

My thoughts:
Honestly, I loved this book! It put me out of a major reading slump with its unique storyline and its tense and suspenseful plot. I really liked Aidan as a MC, but I wish his relationship to another character would've been executed and elaborated further. The ending surprised me, and the whole thing kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time. Also, I appreciated the mention of a character from The Dead Husband, Carter's novel before that one! I would have rated this novel even a star higher, if it weren't for the animal abuse. Again.

This was my second book by this author, and I liked them both equally.

Blimey, what a page turner.

Imagine losing your wife then winning millions on the lottery. That surely would mess with your head and that's the starting point for this brilliant thriller from an author that's new to me but I've just ordered two of the previous novels.

This is one of the twistiest thrillers I've read this year so far with the most unreliable of unreliable narrators and enough "ooh" moments to satisfy the most ardent of psychological thriller readers.

An emotionally charged, oft edge of the seat, addictive novel that works its way to a confrontational conclusion. I adored every minute of it.

Highly Recommended

This is a creepy (in the best way possible), suspenseful novel & I absolutely enjoyed it! I couldn’t quite peg what was going on at the start but there’s plenty of eerie occurrences to keep you turning the pages. It deals so well with guilt & loss & regret, what’s real & what isn’t. Wilson very adeptly pens a man that’s slowly losing his way/mind. There’s one aspect of the mystery that wasn’t resolved, that left me a bit let down but overall it’s a really strong book, especially if you like reading ones with unrealisable narrators. Easily a recommend.

The premise of this one sounded so good.  A recently widowed dad wins the Powerball and wants a fresh start for his family.  They move to a mansion in the small town of Bury and after arriving they find that previous inhabitants disappeared.  The family starts receiving threatening notes after arrival and other strange things happen.  The story kept me guessing and I had so many different theories going in my head.  I love when a story does that.  There were short chapters which always makes the pace of the story move faster. Unfortunately the story went in a direction that I just didn't like which made the story fall a bit flat for me. I think others might really like this story so I recommend giving it a shot.

A man wins the lottery on the same day he is burying his wife. Hard to imagine how it would feel to undergo two life-changing events at such extreme ends of the spectrum. He uses his newfound wealth to buy a fresh start in a mansion in a distant town. The house has a creepy history – its prior owner and 3 relatives disappeared. The man starts receiving threatening, vaguely personalized letters. What is going on? It’s hard to tell, as the man is not the most reliable narrator. This one had me zipping along, with short, suspenseful chapters.

I was intrigued by the set up of this thriller, a man winning the lottery on the day of his wife’s funeral, but overall this book made me feel quite anxious. I wanted to know what happened but I can’t say I really wanted to keep reading. There were some twists and turns as well as some loose ends that were a bit unsatisfying for my taste.

The New Neighbor is full of fast paced suspense that will keep you guessing until the end! The author did a great job at capturing raw human emotions such as grief and fear. I found it was easy to empathize with the main character and his struggles and relationships in the book. The suspense was great, I never knew what to expect next and I loved seeing it all unfold. A great thriller for your bookshelf!

I loved the creepy tone of this book. The plot and subplots were all intriguing. I did guess the twist but not until right before the reveal, so it was not predictable. I really like Carter Wilson’s style of writing, which is reminiscent of Stephen King, and I plan to go back and read his older works. I really enjoyed this one.

Wow! What a thrill ride! This was my first book by Carter Wilson and won't be my last. This book had me hooked from page one and had me suspicious of everyone! This was a solid five star story with great descriptions, dialogue, and inner dialogue. I could easily visualize the setting and felt like I was right there with the characters. I also loved the creep factor and hints of paranormal.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. In the first 100 pages I was sure we were heading in one direction, then about halfway through I thought the story was wrapping up but couldn't figure out why we needed another 50%, and then as the story got into the second half I could really see where we were headed. I loved our main character as an unreliable narrator, though that was easier to see as the reader in the first half than the second half (maybe intentional). While the sidebars with Holly, Rose, and also himself added to the story in some places they felt excessive and I felt like perhaps our main character could have figured these things out without them. I loved the fast pace, and the escalating story - I think I finished this book in only 4 sittings - so it was a banger for sure. The short chapters helped break up the story, but also kept it moving steadily. In terms of the days he'd lived in Bury, I found myself frequently going back to find out how many days the last several chapters had been about, to get a sense of whether it was the next day or several later - perhaps this could have been "three days later" instead? Overall, going to be checking out Carter Wilson's backlist and definitely The Dead Husband.
Thanks so much for the ARC!

This was an interesting one. Fast paced and full of action right from the start. You both love and dislike Marlowe as he slowly unravels. The plot twists were unpredictable and tied the ending together nicely. A first from Carter Wilson but won’t be my last.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

I found that by the end of Chapter 12 of The New Neighbor (Carter Wilson) I was getting goosebumps. I kept getting them off and on through the entire book. What a ride! I've read other stories by Mr. Wilson, but I honestly think this is his best.
Aiden Marlowe hits the lottery for millions the same day his wife died. Because Marlowe was actually in the process of saying goodbye to his wife while she was being buried when he discovered the lottery win he decided it was a sign to move to Bury, New Hampshire. I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an early copy to review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.

This was a great thriller read toward the end of the night when I wanted to stay up late and be spooked! Stories about neighbors are always a little more chilling, because you start to look at your own neighbors with just a little more suspicion. Great story and great thrills!

Aidan Marlowe wins the lottery on the day of his wife’s funeral, so he’s conflicted on how he feels. One of the best things to ever happen to him happens on the worst day of his life. He relocates himself and his 7 year old twins to a suburban upscale neighborhood in New Hampshire. The house he moves into has a history of the previous family mysteriously disappearing.
Almost immediately, strange occurrences and discoveries begin, and Aidan thinks someone is watching him. Aidan begins to feel very unsettled and paranoid and afraid for his family. This novel was very fast paced with a funny and mostly likeable main character. He sometimes makes you wonder what was he thinking and oftentimes laugh out loud at some of his dialogue. I enjoyed it and give it 4.5 stars rounding up to 5. Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this EBook and the opportunity to read and review it!

I did not finish this title. I struggled to stay loyal to the characters and storyline. This may be a better book for another reader.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: April 12, 2022

SUMMARY:
This is the story of Marlowe, and what happens when both the best in life, and the worst in life, happen to him on the very same day. Marlowe was a happily married bartender, father to twins Mags and Bo when his beloved wife Holly suddenly dies. On the day of the funeral, he discovers he has won $30 million in the lottery. How will Marlowe cope with such extremes? And when someone starts sending mysterious notes, how will one man handle this? Turns out not very well…

PROS and CONS:
This book had a very compelling storyline - heartbreaking death and a lottery win - two extremes. Marlowe is spiraling, but who is the cause? Who is writing these notes? And why? I’ll admit it took me some time to get through this one - I liked that it was a father who was the potentially unreliable narrator (ladies get such a bad rap!) My main issue however, is the amount of unanswered questions in this book - listed as a standalone, there is another book that must explain one of the huge plot threads (the Dead Husband). This is mentioned in the blurb on Goodreads, and If you haven’t read it, you’ll end up disappointed in this one.

READ IT?
I like Wilson’s writing style but wish The New Neighbor was either listed as a sequel, or did a better job of explaining one of the main storylines.

3 Stars

I don't like this trend of "stand alone crossovers" either write another book in a series or have a standalone. I don't like feeling like I'm missing some context or backstory when reading a book that repeatedly is sold as a "standalone". Maybe that is why the book felt flat. Maybe it was just poorly written but I'm too irritated to read the other book to find out.

Oh my this book, my first by Carter Wilson, was so intriguing. While reading last night I kept saying one more chapter and finally put it down one hundred and fifty pages later. This book has pretty much everything I enjoy about psychological thrillers, it sucked me in, it had some surprises, it had characters to cheer for and characters to hate. I loved getting inside Aidan's head and man was it dark! I loved the back story too as it was so different. I loved the short chapters and it ramped the tension up, I found myself holding my breath at the end of a lot of them! I loved that the new house was a character as well, it made the setting so creepy. This is a standalone story with crossover to his previous novel The Dead Husband and I for one intended to read that as well, but please know you don't have to to be able to enjoy this one.