You know how some days it just feels like everything that can go wrong, will?
That is where we meet Beth in the first couple of chapters - probably the worst 24 hours of her life she has had up until that point....and the chances of it getting worse are high.

The New Neighbor is a story based around a CIA investigator, and it reads very similarly to a spy novel. Beth is going through a lot - facing a broken marriage, an empty house after her kids moved out, as well as being removed from her CIA case that she has long been working on. At times she can be an unlikable character because she acts quite irrational and at times desperate to prove herself. However, you do continue to find yourself believing what she believes - and getting frustrated with those who don't.

The New Neighbor is my favorite kind of suspense/thriller book - it gives you clues along the way to decide who the "bad guy" is, but still throws you twists and turns throughout that you were not expecting. It's a fun read, that keeps you intrigued and I would recommend to anyone who loves a mystery!

Another 5 star read from Karen Cleveland. Classic who dun it with an unreliable narrator. I love spy books and Karen writes fun espionage novels with string frank characters. As always, that last twist in the final pages is becoming her signature and left me hoping for a sequel. Now I’m off to research my neighbors!

Thank you to #randomehouse and #ballantinebooks for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review

I am always on the hunt for a new and twisty thriller that keeps me engaged throughout the entire book. I am also always searching for a book in which I can't immediately guess the ending taking away all of the fun of the "who dun it" from the reading process. This book kept me on my toes and kept me engaged by means of a face-paced, ever changing plot. The story follows Beth, a CIA analyst and recent empty-nester who is having problems in her personal life. Beth loses access to the largest case of her career and has a difficult time dealing with the change. But, she soon starts to realize that the reasons she lost access to her largest case may just be a little too close to home. As all of Beth's friends and family begin to worry for Beth, she begins to take a closer look at her life over the past 20 plus years to figure out who is hiding secrets, and why. This book leaves you wanting more. It pushes you to feel the emotions that Beth is feeling and leaves you with the same need for answers as Beth has as she navigates her way through memories and present day. I read this book in one sitting and absolutely had to know how the book ended before I was able to do a single other thing. The only thing that this book could have benefitted from would have been some elongation. While I admit I cannot accurately judge how long the book is because I read it on Kindle, I could tell that it was a relatively short read. For the most part, I believe the story benefited from being short and to the point, but slowing down in certain parts would have only added to the cliffhangers Karen Cleveland left throughout the book. While I do feel like the plot of this book was rather "best case scenario' and would likely be a stretch actually happen, I appreciate the clear professionalism and knowledge Karen Cleveland provides Beth in her role as a CIA analyst. Definitely will recommend this book once it is out.

"Idyllic neighborhood, perfect family, meaningful career. CIA analyst Beth Bradford has it all— ?" This book has it all! A heroine worth rooting for, twists and turns you dont see coming. This book was un-put-downable for me!

Calling all "Homeland" lovers! This CIA thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat and second guessing yourself until the last page (so much so that I couldn't put down and read in a day).

Do you love:
- a paranoid narrator that only you as the read trust?
- a seemingly perfect neighborhood with secrets behind closed doors?
- non-stop twists and turns?
- spy operatives and the CIA?

Then you'll love this read! Beth's whole world gets turned upside down from the start- her youngest goes off the college, her marriage falls apart, she's sold the home she raised her family in, and the CIA has moved her off the case she's been working on for almost two decades. Don't let the title fool you, the Neighbor isn't literal, it's the name of an Iranian intelligent agent she's spent her entire career trying to catch. And now, she's off the case. To her colleagues and actual neighbors, all with ties to the CIA, she seems paranoid and unable to handle all of life's curveballs. But to Beth, she's the only one who can break this case once and for all.

When the new family moves in, Beth listens to their conversations during their walkthrough via her home cameras and has a suspicion that all is not as it seems. Soon the desire to stay involved after removed from the case takes over when all the pieces begin to fit together. Beth has a feeling the Neighbor may have been right next door all along...

This book reads just like a TV show and reminded me so much of Carrie Mathison in Homeland, This was one of the first books in years that I just couldn't figure out and all of the non-stop action held my attention until the end. Definitely a book to add to your list this year!

I really enjoy Ms Cleveland’s books. This book was no different. A very easy read, Twists everywhere. Just when you think you have it figured it, and I did, another twist is thrown A definite recommend.

I wanted to like this book but honestly couldn’t get through the writing. Every last detail of each characters movements and actions was written in. I couldn’t get more than a few chapters in before DNFing this book. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me. If i could get past the writing, i may have enjoyed the plot.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was amazing. Read it in 2 days and highly recommend. When you finish read her others!!!

CIA analyst Beth Bradford manages to reel in a hefty mix of anxiety and sorrow when she drops the last to leave the nest at his university. Now, with all of the children out of the house, she’ll be able to devote even more time to snaring the slippery Iranian intelligence agent known as The Neighbor, who she’s convinced is hell-bent on securing U.S. top secrets.

Embracing the sale of the family home as well as the additional time on her hands, Beth intends to attack the fifteen-year-old case with renewed vigor but discovers her superiors have decided she’s no longer effectual and have assigned a replacement. Her world is further shattered when her husband Mike does likewise and moves in with another woman. Relegated to teaching agency trainees the ins and outs, Beth refuses to give up her prior assignment and clandestinely trolls her former neighborhood, convinced her neighbors are harboring secrets and that one of the buyers of her home is The Neighbor.

Adequately paced and ripe with delicious twists and turns, THE NEW NEIGHBOR is the rightful successor to Ms. Cleveland’s other suspenseful thrillers. A huge thank you to Ballantine Books, Karen Cleveland, and NetGalley for the ARC.

I zipped through this mystery thriller. It's a great read. The story is told in present day with flashbacks. It certainly kept me guessing until the end.
Well written, well edited, it has a tight plot with great characters.

What an absolute thrill of a book! If you like CIA talk and spy missions, this one is for you! I was pulled in from the very start. It captivated me wanting to know exactly who in the world the “New Neighbor” is and if Beth was losing her mind in the hunt if it all!

Beth is in the CIA living in a culdesac with many others who work in the agency one way or another. She raised her 3 children there and as she takes her youngest to college it all begins to collapse. Her and her husband are selling the house, they’re splitting up, oh and cherry on top she also got removed from a 15 year old hunt on “the neighbor” at work. As she is trying to let go of her old life she becomes suspicious about the new woman who moved into her home. Her best friends and neighbors are starting to act sketch. What in the world is going on… Dun dun duuuuun!

Once you hit the second half of the book the ride floors to full speed and I could not put it down! And the epilogue doesn’t end in a cliffhanger per say but could there be a part two?!? Highly recommend for a good mystery spy thriller!

Thank you Random House - Ballantine and netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Amazing! Loved it and will for sure be reading more by this author! Will make sure to tell others about it as well!

Fast-paced and intriguing but the end annoyed me a bit -- how many twists does one book need?

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland was a bit too...wild for my tastes. Spy networks and the CIA, sure. But the ways in which the main character jumps from suspect to suspect (all of whom are those closest to her) strikes me as slightly unbelievable and far-fetched. It seemed like an attempt at creating an unreliable narrator (we're led to suspect HER at various points in the novel) but really just seems disjointed. Overall, wouldn't recommend and definitely wouldn't re-read.

I usually don't read spy/espionage thrillers, but this was more of a domestic thriller with a CIA agent as the main character who lives on a cul-de-sac with other Agency and other federal government co-workers. The story has lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing, with a very thought-provoking ending.

3.5 stars. This book might have been a 4-star rating, but I almost gave up on it in the first chapter because of the extreme overuse of italics on every page, especially when the main character is speaking or thinking. So overused that it became distracting.

This book was impossible to put down, wow! "The New Neighbor" tells the story of Beth Bradford, who has lived a charmed life with her husband, children, and wonderful friends who live in her cul-de-sac. Beth is also a
CIA agent who has been working a case for years, leading the hunt for "the neighbor," an Iranian cyber attacker. She has been dogged in her search, but she is removed from the case and denied access to the case files moving forward because she has not successfully found "the neighbor." This professional blow could not come at a worse time either, as the rest of her life is also falling apart. With her nest now empty, Beth and her husband decide to divorce and sell their beloved house leaving behind their closest friends and neighbors.

Beth seems to accept the failed marriage easier than being removed from the case she has worked for years. She cannot let the case go and begins to work the case on her own. Her friends and colleagues start to worry that her mental health is suffering and that she is losing it. But Beth ultimately stumbles on compelling information and begins to uncover secrets that will call everything into question.

This story is filled with suspicion, betrayal, sabotage, and red herrings. Is Beth losing her mind, or has she scratched the surface of intrigue and betrayal? There are many twists and turns, all written beautifully and seamlessly integrated into the story and the characters.

You will love this book, and it's impossible to put down!

I read this entire book in one sitting, on a 4 hour flight from Virginia to Colorado. I couldn't put it down! I absolutely loved Cleveland's "Need to Know," and "The New Neighbor" was equally as engaging. Beth Bradford, CIA agent, lives the perfect life with the perfect family in the perfect neighborhood--until she doesn't. After a few weeks vacation, Beth finds herself separated from her husband, reassigned to a new job, searching for a new house, and on the outskirts of her grown children's lives. But Beth can't let go of the CIA operation she lead, the search for Iranian cyber-attacker, "The Neighbor." Beth goes on a relentless quest to discover The Neighbor's identity. She, quite literally, suspects every person in her neighborhood and her life at some point. While the storyline and ending was a little too outlandish and unbelievable, the red herrings and tension make for a fun read. I felt like I was watching a Law & Order episode where you knew they didn't have the right bad guy because there was still 25 minutes left in the episode. An entertaining read for fans of thrillers and spy games.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine Books for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland is a great story that has more twists and turns than a roller coaster. Beth works for the CIA, and has been working on a case for years. Just when she thinks she’s getting close to finally solving this case she gets shut down and taken off the job with no explanation. Her husband ends their marriage abruptly, again with no explanation. With her world spinning out of control, she feels that at least she has her friends and neighbors on the cul-de-sac…..or does she? Suspicious behavior from friends she’s known for years, puts her in a place where she doesn’t know which way to turn. Hang on to this crazy good book and get reading. You’re going to love it!

This book was absolutely great. It definitely kept me guessing all throughout this book. I kept changing my mind on she "The Neighbor " was. The twists and turns kept me blaming others. The ending was great.

Wow, I loved this one! This book was extremely fast paced and plot driven. Every time I figured something out, it was ruled out and I was thinking all over again. I loved that it centered around national security / CIA while also had some juicy neighborhood secrets going on. I loved the huge secret reveal at the end and am excited for a sequel hopefully!