I enjoyed this book. It was engaging, kept me interested, and kept me reading. My only complaint would be that the main character made some decisions that, given her profession, were pretty unlikely. Regardless, I was entertained by the story and recommend it.

I was given a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I finished this book 2 months ago but it made so little of an impact that I'm just getting around to reviewing it now. As a story, it was "fine" - but my biggest pet peeve in mystery thrillers are the "stupid" characters, and I'm sorry to say the main character was one. Suspecting everyone of everything, when dozens of other reasonable explanations exist. Not a bad summer read, but not one that's particularly memorable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland. All
thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing an ARC to review.


Secrets, jealousy, and paranoia collide when a seemingly perfect new family moves into a neighborhood with ties to the CIA.

While this book started a bit slow, it soon had me hooked and suspecting everyone. Beth, as a character, was very engaging. And I loved the unreliable narrative that the author gave us. Often I wasn't sure if Beth was as intelligent as was indicated or if she was having a mental breakdown because of all the recent changes in her life. I won't go into spoiler details, but I did love the way everything played out. And I did not at all guess the final twist, and it left me contemplating the story's events for days after I finished. I give The New Neighbor 4./5 stars.

After reading this book you may not want to buy the house in a quiet neighborhood on the end of the cul de sac. It might look ideal but you truly never know what goes on behind closed doors. Although you think you know your neighbors really well they might turn out to surprise you.

I loved Beth in this book and how she believed the good in everyone. She kept following her gut even though no one would believe her. She finally solved the case.

I was shocked at the end by who the new neighbor was!

Great fast paced, engaging read.

DNF I stopped reading at 40 percent because I was bored out of my mind. I liked the character of Beth and the writing, I just didn’t care if the woman who bought Beth’s house was a bad guy.

Beth works for the CIA, but she’s taken off a case that she’s long been working on and has essentially been demoted to a teacher. All of her children are out of the house, and now, the marriage that hasn’t been working for a while is over, too.

Unfortunately, reading about Beth staking out her old neighborhood and doing reconnaissance online about her new neighbor Madeline is extremely dull to read about. She thinks Madeline might have ties to Iranian intelligence. Since I didn’t finish it I don’t know, but I also don’t care.

NetGalley provided an advance copy of this novel, which RELEASES JULY 26, 2022.

This book was so good! I was definitely surprised at the end of the book. You never know what you will do when peoples lives are put in danger.

Wow! This book had so many twists and turns. It was a slow start but mid-end of the book was a true whirlwind.

This was quite the ride! I loved the premise of the book and it did not disappoint. Cleveland wove in some well-timed slow-burns and some unexpected twists. Have already recommended to friends who love a book with a CIA plot line!

If you loved the TV show, "The Americans," have I got a book for you!

This was my first book by Karen Cleveland and it won't be my last. "The New Neighbor" is about a CIA agent, Beth, who is removed from a case she has been working on for 15 years. The case is around Iranian intelligence and a suspect that goes by "The Neighbor." Beth has hit a crossroads in life as her husband has left her, and her last child has gone to college. As she is totally alone now, she can't resist trying to figure out who "The Neighbor" is, even though she has been told multiple times to stop working the case.

This book is not too technical, and the story is told in a straightforward way that still builds suspense. It kept me guessing throughout and I even felt sympathy for the spies. The author did a great job keeping me guessing and I can honestly say I did not see the final twist coming.

Bravo Karen! I can't wait to see what you write next!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland.

Beth Bradford is going through a tough new chapter in her life. All of her children are grown and out of the house, she is planning to move away from the cul-de-sac where she has spent the bulk of her child raising years, and her husband has just left her. But the devastating cherry on top is losing her work assignment that she has been pouring her heart and soul into. Beth works for the CIA and for years she has been hunting for The Neighbor, until suddenly she is not.

But even though she's no longer on the job, she can't help but notice the suspicious new neighbors who have moved into her house. Living in the area that she does means lots of secretive government workers, but are these new neighbors trying to thwart the efforts of those around them? But Beth's investigative work might end up landing her in a lot of trouble.

This was okay. I know that the author has worked in the field, so I really appreciated that aspect. I can only imagine the interest and intrigue that working for the government would hold. This story however, read more like a vignette if you will? A not quite fully baked story, but more an outline of how the story might go. The characters needed more development, as well as the plot. And it felt rushed enough to be messy, and not exactly clear. But like I said, plenty points of interest.

This is a fast paced spy thriller with lots of twists and turns. Beth, the main character in the story, is determined to find the CIA informant where she works. Her neighbors, soon to be ex-husband, are all under her suspicion as she gets demoted but never gives up. A good plot kept me wanting to find the answer despite the dizzying twists. Well written! #TheNewNeighbor #KarenCleveland #NetGalley

This was a very good plot and highly engaging.
Many thanks to Random House and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was FANTASTIC. I read this quickly and it kept my interest the whole time. I will definitely be talking about this book to friends and getting them excited to read it. Cannot wait for this author to write more.

A gripping spy thriller with a realistic main character. Kept me guessing but also questioning Beth's sanity. I love a good female spy book and this one did not disappoint.

Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: Swipe

Likes
- This was very fast paced - once I got into the story it took me about 24 hours to read, and I just kept wanting to discover what was next
- The plot twists were great and really keep you guessing as to who did it, I couldn't put it down once we got close to the conclusion of the story
- I really enjoyed the setting of Northern Virginia and the plot points surrounding the MC’s job, and the neighborhood/neighbors in general
- The ending was really well done - can we get a sequel?
- The author really pulls you into the suburbia life, and you feel for the MC when a bunch of things happen to her at once that just don’t seem (for lack of a better word), fair.

Other Thoughts
- The flashback scenes took me out of the general story a bit too much at times, but the further along we get the more we realize it’s relevant (hang in there!)
- I do give a certain leeway to thriller plots because in general they tend to often take liberties with actions/consequences in order to move the story along - but some of the MC’s actions were just plain unbelievable and unhinged at times
- This would’ve really benefited from a multiple narrator view throughout the story IMO
- This is a generally good thriller to pick up when you want a quick read and to be drawn into a story

Lots of twists and turns in The New Neighbor! Beth is a CIA agent whose life is falling apart around her—her children have all moved out, her husband wants out of their marriage, they’re selling their dream house, and she just got demoted. Then, she goes into a spiral trying to crack the case that she got demoted from. The author threw the kitchen sink at this plot, it seemed like every thriller trope was in here. It wasn’t awful, but it was a lot to work through as a reader.

Sometimes the writing feels a little clunky with lines like “The Neighbor is what will keep me busy.”

The final twist was what elevated this book from a 3 to a 4 out of 5. This was a decent read and I’d probably recommend it to readers that like to stay guessing until the very last page. 4/5.

This is a real page turner! I loved this one...not too heavy on the police procedural, this one reads like you are watching a movie in your head! Very hard to put down!

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this novel, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Karen Cleveland's books all center around a woman who works for the CIA or, in one book, the FBI - different women in each book, but with several common features. They're typically women with children, women working at headquarters, rather than in the field, and women who find themselves in excruciating situations in which they have to balance their jobs against protecting their children.

It's difficult to discuss the plot, without giving away too much and ruining the wild ride. Beth is a CIA counterterrorism analyst, who has been trying for years to identify the Neighbor, a person living locally who is recruiting agents for an Iranian agent. Her world suddenly collapses around her - her youngest child leaves for college, she and her husband have sold the house, her husband announces that he's leaving her, and her boss takes away her access to any information about the Neighbor case and sends her off to teach an analysis class.

Beth is not willing to give up this investigation, and continues to work on it on her own, regardless of the fact that she's digging herself deeper and deeper into trouble. Her friends, family, former boss and colleagues - all think she's having a mental breakdown.

I found myself worrying the whole time - "please, don't do that, you're going to get killed!" It's a nailbiter. It's a fast, wild ride, and I gobbled it up without wanting to stop!

I flew through this book in one day and had to take some time to process my thoughts. It was fast-paced and definitely had me wanting to get to the end and find the answers. I struggled with the amount of twists and turns this book took. I typically like the “red herring”-esque novels that make me want to try to best the author and figure out “who-dun-it”. However, there were so many twists in this one that I was just left with feeling worn out by reading it. Still, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to many people I know that appreciate this genre. It reads like a movie, which I love!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Everyone's a suspect in this suspenseful story about Beth, a CIA analyst working to uncover "The Neighbor" (code word for a foreign agent attempting the ultimate hack into our government's computer grid), despite being removed from the case and sent off to pasture teaching new agency inductees. Once demoted, her persistence in continuing to investigate on her own knows no bounds. The twists and turns come as fast as a revolving door, and Beth keeps putting herself in danger, coming up with ways to dig up evidence. Honestly, if she had put this much effort into finding The Neighbor's identity during the many years she was on the case as she did once she was off it, she'd have solved it sooner.

4 stars for fast pace. 3.5 stars for believability. I found the ending a bit anti-climatic. I have not read many books in this genre, which I've found I enjoy, so I look forward to reading the author's next one.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House-Ballantine, for the ACR.