This title made it impossible for me to know which “next door” I was to focus on because the author did such a great job creating crazy throughout the entire neighborhood.
I’ve read a lot of great mystery thrillers this year and this is another one. The writing was compelling and every chapter pulled me further into the story. This one was unique because the author did a good job introducing each of the families and then tying everything together. I highly recommend listening to this one. The narrator was Libby McKnight and she was great for this book. It was 11 hours and 45 minutes long.
Thanks Recorded Books Inc. via Netgalley.

This review is not intended to change your mind if you want to read the book, it wasn't for me, that's all.
Alyson moved recently to a new neighborhood and she is trying too hard to blend in. I found her to be so weak, all day long to please others.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author of this book.

The mystery is in the lies and secrets hidden just behind the masked, perfect lives of perfect neighbors, in the perfect neighborhood. Rebecca Taylor tells a great tale with well-developed characters, spun in a perfect blend, from originality and stereotypes. It's always the new person that causes all the trouble, right? If you're 'less than perfect', challenged in some way, you're obviously the troublemaker.

People are fascinating. Especially those that try so hard to appear perfectly normal. Everyone has secrets. Secrets are sometimes deadly. Secrets destroy lives. Secrets never stay buried forever. In this neighborhood, no one is really who they seem to be, or are they?

The Secret Next Door is a really good story with many slow reveals. This is not a high drama thriller, but might make you give your neighbor a second glance. Perfect weekend or vacation read!

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Alyson Tinsdale is excited about moving into her dream home in the exclusive Enclave neighborhood in Boulder, Colorado. She quickly maxes out her credit cards in order to decorate her new home and she enrolls her 5-year-old son, Andrew, in a select school. She begins to make friends but she feels insecure as she compares herself to the other women in the community. To her surprise, her son does not like his new school. The teacher sends regular emails to inform Alyson of Andrew’s misbehavior and Alyson accuses the teacher of bullying him. Meanwhile, Alyson’s husband, Justin, seems to be growing more distant. As Alyson struggles to keep up appearances, a 13-year-old boy is found dead by the lake in the neighborhood.

Soon, the entire neighborhood becomes enmeshed in rumors and gossip as the police search for answers. Alyson’s struggles increase as she realizes her marriage is failing and she has no idea how to fix it or how to handle Andrew’s accelerating behavior problems at school.

This engrossing mystery is well written with fully developed characters. The author does an excellent job describing the lifestyle and struggles of the women in this exclusive community. The story moves quickly to a startling conclusion.

I listened to this book as an audiobook on Netgalley. The narrator does a great job bringing the story to life. Her voice fit each of the characters and added to my enjoyment of the story. I quickly found myself totally wrapped up in Alyson’s struggles as I tried to figure out what was going on with the neighborhood murder. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy character-driven, slow-burning suspense novels.

This book will be available in both print and audio on November 9, 2021. My thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for the opportunity to listen to this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Set in a high-class neighborhood in Denver, this book has everything you could want from a domestic mystery.

Alyson and her family move into the neighborhood, in a house they can’t afford, in hopes of giving their son a childhood and education that will set him up for success. She tries to make connections with all the moms and fit in, while trying to keep her marital issues behind closed doors.

Bonnie is the queen of the neighborhood, being both rich and influential. Her eldest child is going to Yale and her youngest is starting kindergarten, as she begins her political career.

This book is filled with all the fun gossip and drama of housewives, and is quick witted and enjoyable. Then a 13 year old is found dead with no leads as to what happened. It is a wild ride to the end as we navigate all the secrets and lies within the women's homes and at times I forgot that there is a murder to be solved. The narrator, Libby McKnight, kept my attention and transitioned from characters seamlessly.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for this ALC! Grab your copy of Rebecca Taylor’s newest novel when it is released November 9th!

I was expecting this to be a thriller, but it ended up being more of a domestic mystery. However that did not stop me from enjoying this book. It was very well written and an easy read/listen. This storyline seems to be overdone, but this one was different and a good neighborhood drama. If you’re looking for something different this is for you.,

Alyson moves to a posh neighbourhood in order to give her son the life she never had. Desperate to fit in with her new neighbours, Alyson jumps at the chance to go to the neighbourhood book club. On the night of the book club, Alyson gets way too drunk and when she wakes up in the morning, she learns that a local child was found dead in the night. It doesn't take Alyson long to figure out that her new neighbourhood isn't as perfect as it seems. Secrets and gossip are everywhere, even in her own home.

I had a hard time connecting with Alyson. I wanted to love her but she was just way too insecure and I found myself getting annoyed with her. She was able to redeem herself somewhat when she interacted with her mother-in-law but overall, I felt like I should have been rooting for her more. Another personal irritant of mine is when spouses aren't able to speak to one another so Alyson's inability to communicate with her husband really bothered me.

The story arc went the way of a traditional mystery in which the reader is led to believe the story is going in a particular direction only to be hit with a twist at the end. Despite the lengthy buildup and the lack of tension, I was invested in the plot enough to see this story through to the end. I will admit that the ending was a surprise but it wasn't particularly shocking. I did love a difficult predicament that one of the characters found them-self in though.

The writing was straightforward and easy to follow. I listened to this book on audio and I enjoyed the narration. Overall, this domestic drama just lacked drama for me and I felt like I needed more. More backstory. More tension. More drama.

The Secret Next Door by Rebecca Taylor is a story about thinking "the grass is always greener on the other side." It is also about the smugness of the privilege and the cost of it all.

Alyson is thrilled to move into the exclusive Enclave community. Her 5 year old son will have all the advantages she didn't as a kid. Bonnie doesn't have time for 5 year old Grace who she hadn't planned, her always angry teen son or her reckless driving 18 year old. After all, she is running for office. When Alyson and Bonnie's lives collide there will be envy, cruel gossip and death.

Listening to narrator Libby McKnight bring these women's fears, anger and grief to life was brilliant. A story of glass houses and the lies they are built on.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publishers via #Netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

The excitement level in my neighborhood doesn’t even compare to the one featured in The Secret Next Door by Rebecca Taylor! Wow! If you’re looking for your next juicy neighborhood drama full of suburban moms sipping on wine and behaving badly, then Taylor’s latest is the perfect option. This novel is set in an idyllic and prestigious community, has multiple flawed, yet relatable characters, and is overflowing with lies, secrets, gossip, and backstabbing. Sounds pretty entertaining, doesn’t it? If you love a good domestic suspense novel, then trust me when I say that you need this thrilling read in your life. The Secret Next Door releases on November 9th!

Alyson Tinsdale has just moved to the exclusive Enclave community in Denver with her husband, Justin, and her son, Andrew, even though they can’t really afford it. Alyson is insecure and lonely, and desperate to fit in with the neighbourhood “moms”. She hopes that an invitation to a book club meeting might help her get to know them and “fit in”.
The story unfolds through the eyes of Alison & Bonnie Sloan who is one of the original residents of the Enclave – where Alison is a social climber, desperate to fit in & belong, Bonnie seems to have it all: a successful businessman husband, a son heading to Yale, two other children and a “perfect life”. Of course the lives that people want you to see aren't always the ones they are really living! When Bonnie’s younger son is murdered and his body dumped at a lake nearby, everything changes. Neighbours become suspicious of each other everyone is worried that there is a killer living in the Enclave.
Overall, I found this to be an easy read but definitely a mystery not the thriller I was expecting! I wasn’t really keen on the “gossip” that seems to permeate throughout the neighbourhood, though it might appeal to followers of programmes like “Real Housewives of …”
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated well but there was something about this book that just didn’t draw me in or make me engage with the story. I found the characters quite bland & there were large sections of the book where nothing really happened. I also felt that some key points were kept from the reader until too late & then a “clue” appeared when we should have had it much sooner. Overall, it was “ok” but there are much better books out there in my opinion.
2.5 stars rounded to 3

#TheSecretNextDoor #NetGalley

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Alyson, her husband and young son have recently moved to Alyson's dream family home. She is determined to fit in with the neighbours and the parents at school. Then a local teenager is found dead beside a nearby lake and their lives change. Lies and secrets are revealed within the neighbourhood.

4.25

This one was fun! I had to take a pause from it to finish a couple of other things, but the story was fairly engaging, the characters were interesting, and the ending wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for an entertaining thriller with this one, and I wasn’t disappointed.

This was such an entertaining and absorbing domestic thriller! A wealthy neighbourhood with an abundance of secrets, lies and scandal? I was hooked and couldn’t stop turning the page!

I enjoyed that each character felt realistic and relatable and I loved that they were all flawed in some way yet incredibly captivating! I found this made it an exceedingly easy, quick and fun read!

This whodunit and suburban suspense leaves you curious until the very end!

Alyson is new to The Enclave neighborhood and is trying her best to fit in. Her family may be living above their means, but she'll do what's necessary to rub elbows with the Dallas elite. As friendships grow, so do tensions between the neighbors, spouses, and children. When the son of the neighborhood's first family turns up dead, secrets from The Enclave begin to reveal themselves.
This was a pretty entertaining book. It wasn't heavy on the mystery, and the suspense and "thrill" was minimal. However, it is strong in domestic drama, relationships, and the struggles of fitting in. I really liked this story and the character development of Alyson, Bonnie, and the supporting characters.
Many thanks to NetGalley and RB Media for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest feedback.

The Secret Next Door by Rebecca Taylor, Narrated by Libby McKnight

Alyson Tinsdale is so insecure. She is also spineless, dense, clueless, lonely for friends, unable to control her five year old, and will melt into a puddle at the first sign of conflict with anyone. Oh, that is except when a teacher or principle at her son's highly rated school, tries to help her understand that her son is troubled and in need of help with learning and coping skills. Then she'll verbally slap those people down without listening to what they are saying even though they are telling her things that she knows are true...that her son is out of control and he's having trouble learning. She kept him out of school the year before but apparently did nothing to prepare him to learn and get along with others.

When Alyson saw The Enclave, with it's highly rated school, parks, and expensive homes, she stood up to her husband, demanding they buy one of the lesser expensive houses on the edge of The Enclave, despite his insistence that they couldn't afford it. Then she went back to her spineless, clueless self, while her husband retreated into the basement apartment and treated her with disdain.

Bonnie Sloan is the queen of the neighborhood and she exudes grace and confidence. She seems to have it all, the perfect family, wealth, a son heading to Yale on a football scholarship, things Alyson can never have. While Alyson is upper middle class, Bonnie is at the top of the hierarchy, living in a multi million dollar home, dated but still one of the most expensive in The Enclave. Alyson is jealous of the wealthy folks of The Enclave, all the while wanting to become part of their circle. Poor Alyson seems to cycle between her usually sniveling self to irrational moments, such as the time she calls out Bonnie's son online, for speeding through the neighborhood.

Gossip in this neighborhood is like an out of control freight train. Apparently Bonnie is not as untouchable as it seems at first glance. Alyson even hears things about her new friend Gabby. Cruel things are said about everyone, but still, Alyson wants to be part of the group so she jumps into the fray, too. And all the while, Alyson's marriage is so broken she can't even speak to her husband.

Listening to this audiobook, which was narrated very well, was entertaining, in a bystander gawking at an impending train wreck kind of way. I do think the journey was better than the actual destination. I didn't like anyone in this story and if I had to pick a favorite it would be Alyson's basement dwelling husband. The air of smug satisfaction for the decimation that occurs by the end of the story just seems unsavory, to me.

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

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!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for the early listen. Narrator did a great job reading the story. The story didn't seem like to much of a mystery but it did keep you entertained. The characters were not one dimensional and brought much to the story.

This was the perfect book to listen to as Rebecca Taylor’s detailed and at times brilliant descriptions of places, characters, facial expressions and emotions, particularly grief, meant I could close my eyes and it was as though I was watching the story unfold in my head. Libby McKnight narrates this book so well. Her cultured American accent sets a scene reminiscent of “Desperate Housewives”, which is not so far from the story line, which is about the dynamics that exist between families, friends and neighbours and no matter how perfect everything appears on the surface, appearances can be deceptive. McKnight’s subtle change of pitch depicts the different characters brilliantly

I loved the way Taylor draws the two narrators. Bonnie, who comes across as mega confident, nothing can stop her, but, once you get inside her head you realise that she has her problems, just like every other working mother, or every other mother for that matter. Alyson is so lacking in confidence and desperate to make friends with the other wives and mothers, but, lacks the courage to put herself forward, terrified of doing the wrong thing. Who cannot sympathise when she wakes up next to the toilet bowl having got drunk on her first social foray into the Enclave elite, with no idea what she said or did the night before? I also enjoyed the Enclave Facebook page and the responses to various posts and their effect on the community.

Another reviewer described this book as a mystery, rather than a thriller and I would agree with that, however, it is amazing how much drama and excitement can be found in everyday life and I found the storyline thrilling and listened to it pretty well nonstop. I became so involved in the characters I was desperate to find out what was going to happen next. There was always the hint of something dark looming over Bonnie and Alyson. Why did Ryan spend so much time in the basement with the door locked and of course, who was the murderer in this idyllic environment?

A definite 5 stars.

I received this audiobook from Net Galley for an honest review. I enjoyed this one, but i thought that the twist was a mild one, I wanted more. 3.5 rounded up.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Things are not what they seem and will have you guessing until the end. a child is found dead in a super tight knit town. And then the secrets start to come out. Is everyone safe. Was it one of them? Will another one of them go missing? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.