I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

From the description I knew this would be exactly my speed! I love these kind of covert, spy, never-know-who-to-trust stories. And believe me, this is a good one! It's all twisty and unexpected.

The world is really easy to fall into. I don't know if that's because I grew up in a similar environment (cul-de-sac, not CIA) but I was immediately sucked in. Everything worked. The characters all have a depth but we don't need to sit through pages of superfluousness to see that. It's tightly woven which works to keep it moving. Sure, some of the descriptions or actions got repetitive and that was annoying - but in the way a mosquito is annoying; it didn't turn me off from the story.

I'm over the female lead who is going through a lot in her life all at once (empty-nester, work troubles, relationship troubles, etc) and people automatically assuming she's losing her grip. It's just so easy to write her off as crazy or hysterical and it's tired. If Beth had at any point wondered if she was losing it, I would've been more okay with it. But for everyone she knows and loves to automatically respond that way? It got old fast.

I've read a lot in this genre so I'm probably a bit more suspicious and untrusting than the average reader. I had several theories as to what was going on and some of them panned out. But the action of the story doesn't make it obvious at all! I was still surprised plenty of times, especially towards the end. I really hope this continues because while I like the ending and find it poignant, I'd love to see more.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

I have been meaning to read this author for awhile. Glad I finally did. Always been a fan of espionage so really enjoyed this. The ending was left open that there could be a sequel. I could even see this being made into a movie/series

Beth Bradford has spent the last 15 years of her career in the CIA working to identify the identity of an Iranian Intelligence Agent known as The Neighbor. When Beth’s husband leaves her, they drop their youngest off at college, sell their house, and Beth is removed from her assignment within a week, she becomes obsessed with the family who bought her home. Can she find out the true identity of The Neighbor before it’s too late?

Told by a narrator who often reaches for an extra glass of wine, this book had Girl on the Train and Woman in the Window vibes. Go along for the ride with Beth while she hunts for The Neighbor. A great concept and story but one with one too many underwhelming twists.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC in exchange for a fair review.

I normally love Karen Cleveland books, but this one was just ok. It was a little too slow burning for my taste, but I kept going. Had a great premise and was definitely intrigued, but not enough traction to keep moving forward. I will still read more from Karen Cleveland! Thank you for this ARC.

Karen Cleveland's latest is another fast paced, twisty story. Beth is a brand new empty nester when her husband announces they're splitting up, just as they close on the sale of their family home, and then she finds out she's been demoted at the CIA and she's off the case she's been chasing for over a decade. Beth gets borderline unhinged in this one- her paranoias and theories get wild and accusatory, and she takes risks that had me cringing with nerves for her- but it's also not impossible to get hyped with her with each new potential development. I read a couple reviews that hated the ending, but I thought it was the juicy finale the story needed.

Karen Cleveland is back with another excellent espionage-thriller with The New Neighbor.

"Beth Bradford is a CIA Analyst. For fifteen years, she has been tracking The Neighbor - an operative for Iranian intelligence. She comes back to work after dropping her son off at college and finds out she's been removed from the case. And sent to the Kent School to train new agents, but everyone knows that's where agents are moved out of the way. Her husband of 25 years tells her he's leaving and they've sold her house. She becomes suspicious of the family that bought her old house in the neighborhood her kids grew up in. Even though she's not officially on the case - she has to follow these leads to find the Neighbor."

So much tension in this one. Cleveland gives us another fast-paced narrative. Beth bounces around from suspect to suspect and you're never sure where it's going.
This is not just a spy novel. It's about paranoia, secrets and who your neighbors are.

A good pick if you're looking for a good, entertaining story.

I really enjoyed this book... up until the end. I feel like we were left hanging with no "real" resolution. Beth's youngest child, Tyler, is going away to college and for Beth, this becomes a pivotal moment in her life. Her kids are all grown, they are selling the house they've lived in for 17 years, her husband decides he wants a divorce, and the CIA tells her she's being taken off the case she's been on for over a decade. That's a lot to handle all at once! Her friends and family think she is losing her grasp with reality. However, Beth just wants to solve her case - tracking an Iranian agent called The Neighbor.

There are so many twists in this book and so many guilty people with lots and lots of secrets. As Beth dives deeper, I felt like things kind of went into the unbelievable category. Are these smart government employees really that stupid to fall for Beth's fishing emails, texts and phone calls?

This was definitely a fast read and kept me entertained. I just felt like I was missing the end... unless there is going to be a follow up?

Thanks, as always to NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc on this upcoming spy thriller.
I really truly wanted to love this one to pieces. Nothing moves my reading blood faster than a domestic espionage thriller......just mention 'spies in suburbia!' and I'm first in line. Tell me it's about traitorous, deep cover agents running loose amongst the soccer moms and backyard barbecues of the USA and I'm salivating. And I'm in a state of delirious joy if the whole thing's heavily coated with an atmosphere of dread, paranoia and "Whoa!" twists.
"The New Neighbor" does duly include all the above elements but as the revelations and twists pile up, the cumulative effect renders the book mor than little far fetched and tough to find believable.
Having said that, I can't deny still thoroughly enjoying "The New Neighbor"......in the same way I enjoy a summertime multiplex movie that shows actors performing stunts that you know would kill you in real life and plot turns that defy all common sense.
The premise grabs you by the throat right away...... an Iranian spy mastermind has blackmailed and compromised some American among the suburban communities surrounding CIA headquarters. 'The mission of "The Neighbor",' as this turncoat is designated in intercepted messages - to recruit and enlist other local CIA employees in a plot to attack the agency's power grid and swipe all its counterintelligence.
But Beth Bradford, the agency analyst dedicated to hunting down the 'Neighbor' is stunned to find herself suddenly relieved of her mission and farmed out to a useless training position. And this .comes on top of the last of her three grown children leaving the nest for college and her husband leaving her altogether, declaring their marriage over and done.
Not to be thwarted, Beth single-mindedly continues her hunt even as she's patronized and gaslighted by her collegues and the CIA neighbors she lived next to for decades. In this regard, she's more like Nancy Drew than Jason Bourne as she fearlessly plunges on with this rogue investigation........under threat of losing her job and ultimately, under threats from her quarry as she moves closer to the Neighbor's reveal.
Overall, I would have given this book a 2.5 rating, since, as I mentioned earlier, I found Beth's rapid fire revelations(and the slam-bang finale) a little obvious, convenient and increasingly not credible. But I'll admit I raced through the pages, still enthralled, entertained and dying to see what happens next. So regardless of how unbelievable it all seems, for spy fiction fans, it's a fast, fun read.
And as for that ultimate whammy of a final twist uncorked in the last chapter, you'll either gasp out an impressed "Whoa!" or roll your eyes and mutter, "Oh come on, gimme a break, will ya?" I think I did a little bit of both, so I'm bumping 'The New Neighbor' up to 3 stars.

While Beth once had it all, lately things are falling apart. The youngest of her three kids has moved to college, she has agreed to downsize and move away from her beloved home on a cul-de-sac surrounded by her best friends, she returns to work to learn she has been demoted and moved off the case she's spent the last two decades working on, and then her husband says he wants a divorce. While Beth can move past her failing relationship and even being an empty nester, she can not let get of her case or the tenants who have moved into her old home. In fact, the two blur when Beth determines Madeline, the homeowner, is the person she has been searching for, The Neighbor, who is planted to gain information for Iranian intelligence.

I liked the story, but I found all the characters so unlikeable it was hard to root for anyone. While I wanted Beth's case to be solved, she had no issues manipulating friends and throwing people under the bus (without sufficient proof), which made me kind of root against her. That tied with her creepy stalking of Madeline was too much for me. I also had trouble with the switching of present and past tense in the middle of chapters. It made the story a little more difficult to follow. I liked the twist of who the neighbor(s) really was, but I thought the ending was a little anticlimactic after such a slow build through the whole story.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland was a perfect thriller. I will be recommending this to my followers who are obsessed with thrillers.

The New Neighbor is a faced paced spy thriller with lots of tension. I loved the CIA/FBI aspect. This book kept me guessing up until the very end and the ending completely shook me. I was hooked into the book from the beginning and liked trying to figure out who the neighbor was myself. There’s lots of red herrings and I switched back and forth over who I thought it was so many times. One thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t tell when the author would switch from present to memories- I found it confusing at times. I also thought the MC was a little over the top at times. But overall, I enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone who enjoyed suspenseful thrillers.

CIA analyst Beth Bradford loses everything she loves and lives for all in the same day. She moves out of the home that she & her husband raised their family in, in a cul-de-sac where she was friends with all of the neighbors. Her youngest child left to go off to college. Her husband announced that he was leaving her. Oh, and the CIA is removing her from the case that’s long been hers: tracking an elusive Iranian intelligence agent known as The Neighbor. Madeline Sterling moves into Beth's old house and seems to have everything Beth had in her former life. It all looks so perfect.... too perfect. Beth is convinced it is a cover, and Madeline is "The Neighbor" and she will stop at nothing to prove it.
This book was non-stop action from start to finish. It kept me guessing until the very end, and I love the shocker it ended on. I would love to see a follow-up book to this one to see where the author takes it from here. If you are a fan of thrillers, especially thrillers with an FBI/CIA theme, then this is definitely a must-read.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Practically overnight, Beth Bradford's life has completely changed. She's newly an empty nester. She recently sold the home she's lived in for the last 17 years. Her husband is leaving her. The CIA has demoted her to their training facility. But of all the things changing, the one thing she cannot let go of is her work towards finding the people recruited by an Iranian to infiltrate the CIA's system. She knows she's close, and the country is at risk. How can she possibly let that go?

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
The title, The New Neighbor, sounds like this will be a domestic thriller. Still, the blurb talks about spies and the CIA, which sounds more like a political thriller. The cover shows a neighborhood street, so it offers no insight into what I'm about to read. Whatever kind of thriller this is, it sounds like it will be an excellent thrill ride.

Actual Reading Experience:
Wow, this story had so many twists and turns that I could barely keep up. However, I'm not sure what kind of thriller I would classify it as. It is like a political thriller mashed up with a psychological thriller in a domestic thriller setting. But I do know that I loved all the twists, turns, and shocking revelations. I became frustrated with and worried for the main character throughout the mid-portion of the book. Still, other than that, I wouldn't change a thing about this incredible thrill fest.

The pace stays fast for most of the story, which is just the speed I enjoy. The story is told mainly in first-person narration, with Beth telling it. It changes to third-person narration for the concluding chapters. The switch didn't confuse me, and I appreciated a more omniscient perspective to conclude the story, so nothing is left open. Well, nothing immediately in the story, that is. One shocking revelation springs up at the very end that left my jaw on the floor and my brain thinking about the implications. I could easily suspend disbelief and buy-in to the conclusion and the story. I believe it is best when experienced that way.

The fact that I was well ensconced in the world of CIA and FBI did not impede my understanding of the situation. Even though I do not know anything about the inner workings of these agencies, the needed aspects are detailed in a way that left me feeling like I did have a clue.

Characters:

Beth Bradford is developed flawlessly, with all her layers, strengths, and weaknesses unveiled at the right time. I felt so much empathy for her situation, and I also both loved and hated her determination. Typically, determination is a quality that I unequivocally admire. Still, Beth takes it to a whole new level, and I found myself telling her to stop on more than one occasion. She frustrated me to no end as I worried that she was becoming her own worst enemy. The only point where I struggled with the story was at the pinnacle of her unsanctioned investigation. But, I must admit, she ended up taking me on the thrill ride of all thrill rides.

And, I really can't say anymore because this is one of those thrillers that are best experienced with little knowledge going in.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love thrillers with plenty of twists, turns, and shocking revelations, you won't want to miss The New Neighbor this summer.

I was disappointed in this new book by Karen Cleveland. It could have been a great book, but the beginning dragged on about the main character sitting in her car at her old Cul-De-Sac. It seemed to drag on. It got a little better near the end and when we found out who The Neighbour was. But by the time I got there I guessed most of the book.

The New Neighbor, by Karen Cleveland, is a riveting espionage/political thriller that captivated me throughout the entirety of the story. This is a fast-paced, layered, well-written mystery about an idyllic neighborhood full families who have become close friends, raising children together, sitting with one another in the cul-de-sac enjoying drinks while they watch their kids play, and struggling through life’s issues side-by-side. They have bonded over time and circumstance, and they also all have at least one spouse who works for the CIA.

In The New Neighbor, we follow Beth, who’s life has drastically changed. Her youngest child has left for college, her husband suddenly decides that their marriage is over, she’s moving from her longtime home and neighborhood, and her career and long term ambition of seeking an elusive, secret Iranian intelligence agent, has been terminated. Beth is dazed by all the changes, and most noticeably by the loss of her career as an intelligence agent and her pursuit of the spy code-named, The Neighbor. When a new neighbor moves into her old home, living the life she once enjoyed, suspicions are arise and Beth realizes she cannot let go of her pursuit of this national threat.

This is a slightly dizzying thriller with multiple theories and conjectures, lies uncovered, secrets revealed, attempts to resolve things thwarted and an undeniable, underlying tension and impending countdown. I was fully invested and found this novel to be a unique and scintillating story. Karen Cleveland is definitely an auto-buy author for me and her books fill a distinct niche in the thriller genre.

Just go with it. This is a twisty paranoid take on counterespionage and cyberespionage. CIA analyst and counterintelligence expert Beth's life turns upside down the day she drops her youngest son at college. She discovers she's been moved from the job she loves to one teaching new analysts and that her husband Mike is leaving her. Oh, and the house they've shared with their three kids, has been sold to the mysterious Madeline and Josh. Her paranoia amps up when she learns there's a new lead in her long running investigation into Quds Force espionage in the US and that it seems to fit her cul de sac, a cul de sac populated by other CIA families. So, of course (not) she sets out to figure out the identity of the Iranian spy, surveilling her former neighbors and so on. She goes very much over the top in spots, parts are incredibly implausible, and there are some whoppers of twists but the answer wasn't one I saw coming. How reliable is Beth as a narrator? Cleveland does know the business so when there are little things that aren't correct (it's awfully late in life for Mike to be about to make partner for example, and the doors in the CIA lobby where the seal is located do not slide) it feels like quibbling. She gives the QF a lot of credit and capabilities I think we can all agree we hope they don't have. All of that said, it kept me guessing. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A page turner.

Well this book started a bit slow, however it is full of paranoia, secrets, twists and turns. It definitely kept me hooked and engaged and wanting to know who was the neighbor? The unreliable narrator, Beth, CIC analyst for the CIA is going through many things in her personal life as well as changes at work. So you just don’t know who to believe or what to believe at times. I definitely enjoyed the ending and did not see the twist at the end coming. Some of the twists are predictable and you will see coming.

Thanks to Netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

The New Neighbor is a fast paced CIA counter-intelligence thriller. The story begins with Mike and Beth taking their son to college. When they return home Mike tells Beth that their marriage is over. They had put the house up for sale until they could find something else and the movers are coming tomorrow. She stays at the house the last night by herself. Leaving the movers to Mike, and unhappy that all the kids have moved out, and now her husband is gone, she returns to work early from her vacation to find out that she has been reassigned and is off 'The New Neighbor' case. Struggling to move on she starts to see what she believes are clues that "The New Neighbor" has moved in to her old house on the cul de sac. She starts to go through all of her old neighbors thinking each one is involved. Each have secrets which could be used against them. As she tries to get her boss to believe her, they think she is losing it and block her every move.

The main character, Beth, does seem to have a neurotic obsession after being removed from the case. Even after Beth has solved the mystery, they still don't believe everything she has told them. This is a wonderful story about not knowing who your neighbors are. Everyone has secrets and they are closer than you think.

I love cul-de-sacs in a neighborhood. In fact, I have lived on one for over 20 years. But I am so thankful that not all cul-de-sacs share neighbors like the ones in this story.

Beth and her husband Mike are at a time in life where they are making big changes. Their youngest child is off to college and they have decided to downsize. They’ve lived on the cul-de-sac since the kids were small and their neighbors have become close friends—if not like family.

Right before they close on the house, Mike tells Beth he is getting his own place. Then Beth goes into work only to find she has been removed from a big case she has been working on for years. It seems as if Beth is losing everything important to her at once.

When the new owners move into Beth’s former house, things really start to get strange. It seems as if Beth is losing her mind. But Beth is also still working on the case she was removed from. Beth risks losing any credibility as she continues to uncover the clues to her case, stepping on the toes of FBI and CIA agents alike.

The ending was quite twisty and it seems as if the author left things wrapped up in such a way that a sequel could be a possibility. I liked the story. It was a quick read and the guessing at the clues was fun.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am happy to give my honest review.

In Karen Cleveland's latest domestic suspense thriller, set a suburban neighborhood in the suburban DC area in McLean, VA—THE NEW NEIGHBOR is a cyberwar spy mystery to discover— Who is "The Neighbor?"

EVERYONE HAS SECRETS!

At the novel's opening, CIA counterintelligence analyst Beth Bradford is dropping her youngest child off at college, one married and one out of the country. An empty nester, she is sad because she is moving and her life is changing. Her house is up for sale. She must say goodbye to the home and neighborhood where she raised her children after her husband announces he is leaving her.

On top of this, another stab in the back. She is being demoted to a mere training role instead of continuing her 15-year pursuit of a U.S.-based covert Iranian operative known as "The Neighbor."

She is not ready to let go of the case. She knows more than anyone about the subject and is convinced the new resident is THE NEIGHBOR. The new neighbors who purchased her old house are Madeline and Josh Sterling. She is sure Madeline is THE NEIGHBOR, and she sets up surveillance of a cul-de-sac in her old neighborhood and appears increasingly unhinged to her friends and former neighbors.

Madeline has what Beth once had: an adoring husband, three beautiful young children, and the close-knit group of neighbors on the block. Now she has it all. And Beth—who can't stop watching the woman stepping into her old life—thinks the new Neighbor has something else too: ties to Iranian intelligence.

The Neighbor is an access agent —and by extension, a notoriously tricky target. Put simply, access agents are recruits who take over the recruiting role. Individuals who agree to work for a foreign intelligence service sell out their own country —by recruiting more traitors. And they are nearly impossible to find because they blend in. They do not know who The Neighbor is nor who they have recruited. Employees with security clearances feed sensitive information to our adversary and have been for years. The FBI's focused on finding The Neighbor's recruits, learning what secrets they've exposed. Putting an end to all of it before it is too late.

Beth then thinks there may be a silver lining to the empty nest since she can focus entirely on THE NEIGHBOR and will keep her busy. However, Beth becomes obsessed and unhinged. Will she determine that the new Neighbor is the exclusive secret agent?

She makes all kinds of mistakes and jumps from one suspect to another. Everyone thinks she is mad, paranoid, or crazy. From secrets, jealousy, and scandal, THE NEW NEIGHBOR makes for an intriguing slow-burn thriller as you are racing to the unveiling of THE NEIGHBOR (which will be at the end).

It is not what you expect and reaches a satisfying conclusion. This complex, multi-layered tale will keep you guessing. Even though Beth was not a strong female character lead (nor did she behave like someone in her position with all kinds of mistakes), you are not fully invested in her nor know if she is a reliable narrator. It gets to the point it is almost crazy and comical.

Overall, a cross between DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES, the movie THEM and THE AMERICANS. You envision the lawn chairs lined up in this neighborhood, watching in the seemingly perfect neighborhood with families; however, darkness and secrets beneath this facade.

"Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies." — Jane Austen

Mostly entertaining and not a lot of suspense and thrills. Cleveland knows her spy stuff and is a brilliant writer. However, Beth was not my favorite character.

Looking forward to her next book!

Thank you to #Ballantine #RandomHouse and #Netgalley for an ARC to read, review, and enjoy in exchange for an honest review.

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My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: July 26, 2022