The majority of the characters in this book live in one cul-de-sac. How well do you actually know your neighbors? Beth works for the CIA. She has been searching for someone referred to as The Neighbor for many years. At the beginning of the book, her son is graduating from high school and leaving home to attend college. Her husband tells her that their marriage is over and he’s moving out. She goes into work and is told she’s no longer on this case. She’s transferred to a different job. She doesn’t stop her investigation. There are many twists to the story. Towards the end of the book, I felt that too many different people were suspected of being The Neighbor.
I appreciate receiving the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the first book I've read by this author, but now I can't wait to read her other books! I couldn't put this fun read down and read it in a day! The New Neighbor will keeps readers in suspense and make one wonder how well do ANY of us really know our neighbors! It was twisty and although I caught on to about half of the twists, the surprises kept me intrigued. Beth works for the CIA and finds herself in a midlife-crisis--losing her position at work to a demotion, her last child leaves the nest for college as the family home is downsized, and her husband announces he's unhappy in their marriage. She begins to unravel as she notices possibly sinister occurrences in her previous home's cul-de-sac and wonders about her best friend's (also previous neighbor) truthfulness and loyalty. Everyone just thinks Beth is over-stressed and seeing "evidence" that doesn't truly exits, so it is up to her alone, to prove them all wrong.

My brain is spinning from this story. This is my first book that I have read from Karen Cleveland, and I will definitely be looking into others of hers to read next! I really liked the storyline and character developments we got to see with the author’s knowledge of being former CIA. It was a slow burn for me to begin with, and took me a little while to really get into it, but the ending made up for that for me. A solid 4/5 star read for me! Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for the ARC of this book!

If you love twists and turns thus one is fiord you. So many twists I could barely keep, but I loved it. Fast paced and well written. I will definitely be reading more of this author’s work.

This is my first book by Karen Cleveland, but it will not be my last. Although I felt it started off a little slow, once it got going it turned into a page turner. It’s a spy thriller that had me constantly questioning characters and their motives. I always love it when a book has me change my mind multiple times as to “who done it”. I believe the author’s history with the CIA definitely came into play, making it a believable story. I just wish the main character’s son had gone to VT rather than UVA – go Hokies!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for gifting me with an advanced copy to read and review.

I can never get enough of Karen Cleveland. The New Neighbor was really fast paced and I flew through it. The twists and turns definitely kept me interested and the ending was satisfying. 4 stars

Beth's last child has left home and her marriage is over. She is CIA and is being removed from the case she has investigated for 15 years. However before she leaves sees a clue that has her questioning the person who bought her house. No one will listen so she begins her own investigation. This takes us down a twisty path of intrigue, suspicion and paranoia. I enjoyed every minute of it. I love psychological thrillers that having me questioning everything and suspecting everyone. This is my first book by Karen Cleveland and definitely will not be my last.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing an ARC of this book. I liked the mix of thirller and domestic drama. The premise is that the main character, Beth, is a CIA agent searching for The Neighbor, who is a spy. The synoposis insinuates that it may be one of her neighbors. So, from the beginning I had a feeling that Beth was going to suspect each one of her neighbors at different points, which is exactly what happened. While it was intriquing, and it did keep me guessing, I felt it was a little overdone and predictable.

I was totally able to relate to Beth's sadness and nostalgia after her youngest child leaves for college. Her recollections of her their family in the early years pulled at my heartstrings. However, I found the relationship between Beth and her husband unbelievable. I feel like the author didn't give the reader a true depiction of their marriage and why it fell apart. Morever, she really didn't seem that upset about it.

I was ultimately surprised by the ending, but felt like it ended a bit quickly without a full resolution I enjoyed the opportunity to read an author I've never read before. Although I didn't totally love this one, I will definitely read another of Karen Clevelands books.

I enjoyed this fast paced spy thriller. There was plenty of action and lots of suspects. It was hard to guess who the final guilty party was and the author kept you wondering if the main character was crumbling under all of thr stress in her life or on the right track. Is it really true that so many employees for the CIA live on the same street? Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. If you like, spy thrillers it’s worth reading.

There were some great spy movie moments in this book, but the story felt predictable. Also, for someone working in counterintelligence, Beth Bradford seemed to miss some really obvious questions and warning signs about the case she's working on. I guessed the identity of The Neighbor about halfway through the book and stuck with it mostly to see whether I was right.

The twist in the last few pages felt a little forced -- like the book was trying too hard for a major "aha!" moment to catch readers off guard. Also, the fact that the majority of the book was told in first person and then suddenly switched to third person toward the end didn't feel natural. I got more of a sense of "we need to wrap up the story about these characters" rather than an organic progression of the plot.

The story spent a lot of time on Beth feeling sorry for herself, drinking wine, and thinking about how everyone else was wrong and no one would believe her. I was hoping for more from this book, especially considering it was written by someone actually in the field. Nevertheless, it was a fairly enjoyable read. Anyone wanting a regular spy story will probably like this one.

The book open as Beth Bradford and her husband Mike are unpacking their youngest child at college. They return to their home on a cul-de-sac where they watch the movers pack their van to put their belongings in storage, while Beth and Mike move into a rental. However, Mike tells her that he is not moving into the rental with her - that he wants out of the marriage, and will be living elsewhere. On top of these 2 major stressors, Beth is removed from her job at the CIA, where she is hunting an Iranian intelligence agent (The Neighbor) who recruits American spies, and is reassigned as a training advisor. She watches the new owners via cameras installed in the house and becomes obsessed with them and with all the changes in her life, becomes unhinged and an unreliable narrator in the story.
I loved the fast pace of the book, and the short chapters that lead me to read just one more chapter, and maybe just one more - so that I finished it in 3 days. The author developed fully defined characters, settings and situations. However, the flimsy and frequent accusations and speculations about who The Neighbor could b brought my rating down a notch. The reveal was a BIG surprise twist for me, but the epilogue spoiled it as I really thought The (New) Neighbor was unrealistic-and the person so tapped was not worthy of the role.
I thought that some of the things that Beth did in pursuing The Neighbor were a little impulsive and unethical, and I doubt if a 15 yr CIA operative would go down those paths. Some of the action was far-fetched, and the situations toward the end were too contrived.
Still, The New Neighbor was a worthwhile book, with plenty of twists and turns, secrets and spies.

Wow, this book reads like a CIA action packed movie! It is fast paced with lots of twists and tension and EVERYBODY IS A SUSPECT! Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book is available for purchase on August 26, 2022.

What seemed to be a fast paced espionage type thriller,
this book actually had too many twists and turns that made it a bit too much to follow.
And like the Cul-de-sac that the story mostly took place on, the ending ....
Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Ballantine and the Author Karren Cleveland for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Karen Cleveland, the publishers, and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read this book! The story follows Beth in hopes to finding the new neighbor to protect intelligence from Iranian intelligence. The story had a gripping plot, but remained a bit slow moving to me. It kept my interest and was enjoyable, but not one I would come back to. Overall, definitely 4/5!

Stayed up late to finish this one!

Beth Bradford, CIA analyst, knows that something is wrong in her neighborhood. She needs to follow her instincts and investigate everyone she thought she knew to figure out what is going on, all while pretending to NOT still be doing her old job.

I found the plot and characters completely believable and it was super fun to watch the story unfold. Perfect for anyone who wants a psychological thriller that is not full of violence or sex, but is still full of everything else that made "Gone Girl" or "The Girl on the Train" a hit.

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

A close knit neighborhood in a DC suburb, close to CIA headquarters where their are strong ties. Beth Bradford is a analyst and facing many obstacles…empty nester, divorce, selling a much loved home and losing a position she so loves and had focused so much of her life on. To all her friends, she seems to be coming unhinged, paranoid. But Beth knows she can solve this and believes the woman who bought her house is the person she’s been searching for with ties to Iranian Intelligence. When the search for the New Neighbor and Cul-De-Sac comes to a major threat for the CIA, Beth realizes her neighborhood is a perfect place to insert a spy and needs to uncover who, not only for National security, but also to prove she is still at the top of her game.

Interesting premise, enjoyable story. Slowly unwinds, and really leaves you thinking. Very plausible situation, scarily so. What skeletons are in your neighbors closet, or your closet?

Thanks to Ms. Cleveland, Random House Publishing/Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

This was a good book. Do you ever really know people? Beth is downsizing now that her last child is gone to college. Her employer and husband are downsizing more than she planned. But after working a case for years, she can’t let it go. After some stops and starts she finally puts most of the pieces together and discovers, everyone lies. Even those closest to her.
The twist at the very end was shocking. Was the author hinting at another book with these characters?

I didn’t realize this was more of a spy thriller than the usual thrillers i’m used to. It was still interesting nonetheless and enjoyed the mystery to it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Ballantine books and the author for an e-ARC of this book which published 7/26/22 and is OUT NOW!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5. There were parts that I found to be predictable and some of the twists felt forced. Almost as if there were too much of it. I did however, find myself wanting to uncover who The Neighbor was that I was flipping through the pages quickly to get to the end. I did enjoy this novel and recommend it if you’re not into the usual gory murder type thrillers!

Can you ever really know who lives in your neighborhood?

If you are looking for a solid thriller/mystery with lots of twist and turns I would definitely recommend The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland.

CIA analyst Beth Bradford has lost her marriage, home and now her role on the team that is tracking down an Iranian spy known as The Neighbor. When she receives new information that The Neighbor could be closer than she thinks, she takes on the search herself and starts to realize that even the people you think you know the best may be keeping secrets.

I flew through this book as I was trying to piece together the clues as to who The Neighbor could be. Cleveland has a complex cast of characters and suspicion was running rampant! With short chapters, this was an easy read that kept me engaged as I was wanting to ignore all others and just read! This was the first book I have read by this author and I’m glad that I picked it up!

I love a good slow burn novel, but unfortunately this one was a bit too slow for my taste. The characters and the plot just didn't gel for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.