Thank you to Minotaur Books & NetGalley for the e-arc! WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAW is out 6/20!

MY RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY:
Alexis and Sam move into a fixer-upper in an out of their league neighborhood, with intentions of doing renovations little by little. Alexis is on maternity leave, home with their two young kids, while Sam is working tons, trying to make partner. Shortly after they move in, their neighbor is murdered. Alexis becomes friends with his wife, and slowly involves herself in all the going ons of the neighborhood.

MY THOUGHTS:
Honestly, this book felt familiar in that there was nothing special about it... wife at home, husband at work trying to get a promotion, sneaky neighbors, spying. It all felt blah and unexciting. There was a slow start, and even halfway through I didn't really care who was the murderer. I think Alexis was really hard to empathize with... she came off as pathetic, had minimal bond with her children, and her husband was awful, quite frankly. Plus the amount of day drinking in this neighborhood was shocking. It was a quick read, which I'm thankful for. Really, it was just fine, but so similar to so many other books.

Read if you liked THE NEW MOTHER by Nora Murphy or watching THE WATCHER on Netflix.

Sam and Alexis buy a fixer-upper in an elite neighborhood. Shortly thereafter one of the neighbors is pushed off a cliff while out jogging. Much of the story is about trying to find the murderer and describing the neighbors. While the story drags for a good part of the book, the ending is a bit different from other domestic thrillers. However, like most thrillers the premise is a bit out there but not totally unbelievable.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW! What. A. Thrill ride! If you love thrillers, you're going to want to grab this new release from Melissa Adelman! "What the Neighbors Saw" is one part "Desperate Housewives," two parts "Real Housewives of D.C." and some vodka thrown in for good measure.

I devoured this book in one sitting - I could not put it down. Transitioning between the voices of well-to-do housewife Blair & new mom Alexis, Adelman's writing style leaves you turning the pages quicker than you can read them. The juiciest gossip. The wealthiest of settings. The deadly drama. So much suspense wrapped up in these pages. Grab it for your next beach vacation!

Couple with 2nd baby on the way moves from DC to a high end suburb. In this seemingly perfect neighborhood, a mysterious murder takes place. Coupled with home repair issues, marriage strains, and an unsolved murder, main character Alexis is on edge and questioning moving there.

Likes:
Setting was relatable as I live in the (middle class) DC suburbs
I could understand the relationship strains
Desperate Housewives-esque relationships between the women in the neighborhood
Dislikes:
Not enough suspense
The red herrings were not believable
The ending was kind of boring

Alexis and Sam are eager to escape DC with their toddler and baby on the way when they see a bargain of a house in a ritzy, exclusive suburban neighborhood outside of Washington DC.. It's too good to be true, and more and more repairs seem to crop up almost daily while Alexis is on maternity leave and Sam is gunning for partner to help pay for it all. Then their neighbor, a Virginia legislator, is found dead on the rocks on the hiking trail behind their neighborhood, and a naked, screaming woman shows up on their porch. It seems like more than just repairs threaten Alexis' happiness, and even her life.

What did the neighbors see? Nothing, really. I mean, Alexis saw something, but no one saw Teddy get murdered, no one, despite the neighborhood being full of rich, paranoid people, including a couple that owns a security firm!

This is a debut novel, and it's not bad for a debut, but it's really missing that edge of your seat vibe you generally get from thrillers. Everything just seems so...low stakes. Alexis loses a big saw, and everyone just kind of shrugs it off. The guy across the street has a history of manhandling women, but it's no big deal, really (well, that is pretty true to life, old white men tend to get away with just about everything). Heck, someone from the neighborhood is murdered, but...no one really seems to care, not even the cops. All the plot twists and elements seemed a lot like the points in a game of Whose Line is it Anyway?

I think once the author gets another book or two under her belt, she'll be a force to be reckoned with in the thriller genre, so I'll definitely keep reading her books, this one just left me feeling a bit flat. If you like low stakes thrillers, definitely give this one a read.

What did the neighbors see? A whole lot of nothing in my opinion. This book was a quick and easy read. It was interesting enough however it lacked thrill and suspense. Sure, it had a decent amount of drama to keep the story interesting. Definitely got the Desperate Housewives vibe going on. The characters were written in a way that they are just the right level of unlikeable to fit the narrative of the story (not in a bad way). The book itself was a bit repetitive with the details of the characters and their lives. Unfortunately, this book did fall a bit flat for me. I was hoping the author would have taken the ending in a different direction. There wasn't much of a plot twist. and some of the details felt a bit rushed and unlikely to happen towards the middle to end of the book. The book needs more excitement to keep the reader engaged. Overall, I did enjoy the book. I liked the duo perspective of the neighbors. This is a good slow burn suspense if you aren't looking for a fast-paced thriller. I give the book 3/5 stars.

I am here for the neighborhood drama and secrets!!!!! I love those types of plots. This author didn’t disappoint with that. Alexis and Sam move into this fancy neighborhood but into a home that needs a ton of fixing. They are expecting another baby, and the pressure is on. And on top of that someone gets murdered, there are no leads. She befriends Blair, the widow, but there was something about her that was OFF. EVERYONE has secrets in this book, I couldn’t stop reading the book, it was a page turner for sure.

Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

I did find this to be a slower-paced book. Even with the murder within the first few chapters, there was no real suspense or danger. There were a few moments with someone sulking around the houses in the dark staying in the shadows, but it never felt like anyone else was in any danger. Once we get to the last maybe third of the book, Alexis starts getting suspicious of one of her neighbors and does some sleuthing of her own, and that's when everything gets revealed. When this happened, I wasn't shocked by who was behind everything, it was like oh, yeah that makes sense. Although there was this thing that happens after the big reveal that I didn't see coming which was a pleasant surprise.

While this book didn't completely hook me, I did enjoy the overall story and would definitely check out this author's future books.

When Sam and Alexis move into the "perfect" neighborhood, the disappointments are mounting up and the activity in this quiet cul-de-sac is anything but perfect.

Alexis's poor self-confidence is compounded by what she sees as her post-partum body, the money trap that is her new house, and her husband's demeaning attitude. She's the only person of color in her wealthy neighborhood, and that is weighing in her thoughts as well. So, when her neighbor Blair takes her under her wing, Alexis finally starts to relax and feel like she belongs.

Adelman does a great job of describing the creepiness of those "perfect" neighbors, the issues with being the least wealthy residents in the neighborhood, and the secrets behind the facades. I felt there was something missing in the characterizations, but I think it was an attempt to maintain the mystery behind their backgrounds - which wasn't as big a deal as I thought in Alexis's case. I would describe this as a domestic thriller and would read more by this debut author.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an advance reader's copy.

Alexis and Sam are a young couple with a son and another baby on the way. They need to find a bigger place to live and think they've found the perfect house in an idyllic neighborhood. But a number of the neighbors have secrets that get revealed over time. And the pressures of renovating a house and Sam working extra hard to get promoted at work reveal the flaws in their marriage.

The author did a good job of describing the neighborhood and bringing the characters to life. However, for me the pacing of the story was very slow until the very end when the most important secrets were revealed.

I'm typically a big fan of neighborhood dramas, but What the Neighbors Saw fell really flat for me. I felt like it moved really slowly, even after the death of one of the neighbors. I found all of the characters to be complainers and it seemed like they were constantly telling others how wealthy they were. I honestly didn't feel like this was a thriller at all. The major twist doesn't happen until around the 80-85% mark and even then it's not something that will shock or surprise you.

I do think this had a lot of potential and all in all, it was fine, but there was room for a lot more to happen.

Thank you Minotaur Book and NetGalley for the eARC!

Wow, oh Wow....great book!
Debut book by author Melissa Adelman. That is a name to remember. Can't wait to read more by this author, she is an incredible writer.

Alexis and husband Sam buy a fixer upper in a beautiful affluent neighborhood in the suburbs of D.C. The couple is thrilled. They never dreamed of being able to find a home in such a prestigious neighborhood. But their home has endless problems and needed updating.
Not long after moving in one of the neighbors was found dead on a trail near their home. The neighbors are in shock about the news,
The homes in the neighborhood may be big with perfect lawns. But what is hiding behind the walls of these home are lies and secrets. Neighbors become suspicious of one another.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own,
Thank you Netgalley the opportunity to read and review this book.

What the Neighbors Saw is a good mystery novel. I went in thinking it was more of a thriller & it starts off quickly, but is definitely more of a slow burn. Good story with lots of drama.

3 stars

Alexis and her husband Sam buy a fixer upper in a rich, exclusive part of DC. They are expecting their 2nd child and the neighbors are extremely welcoming to the new couple. Tenson begins to mount when Teddy, a father in the neighborhood, turns up dead. He was murdered and the police have no leads. Alexis befriends his widow Blair but when the truth of Teddy's murder comes to light it makes Alexis question everything.

This was a slow moving story. It reads more like a domestic suspense rather than a thriller to me. I was definitely interested in figuring out who the killer was. I enjoyed the characters and the dual POV's. I didn't see the final twists coming so that's a plus. Overall it was just ok but I know that there are many people who will love this one.

I really enjoy domestic thrillers. This one ALMOST met the mark for me. The end result and the twist, though, was a bit too over the top and unbelievable. Everything was too convenient and there were no real consequences (other than a few deaths, of course). All in all, though, I enjoyed the pace, the premise, the setting and the characters. I just didn't super love the twist and wrap up.

What have they done? That's the question that keeps circling in Alexis's head-she's pregnant with their second child, her husband Sam is becoming distant as he goes for partner at his law firm, the house they bought in the suburbs is a money pit, and now a neighbor is dead on the rocks of the river below their neighborhood. Alexis and Blair, wife of the dead man, narrate this tale of lies, secrets, and murder but it's very much a domestic drama. Alexis has always felt like the odd one out and their new neighborhood is no different (Sam doesn't help) mostly because she's post partum and struggling (note that Elena, the nanny lives with them). Blair, even though she's grieving, is welcoming but she's got a few dark secrets too. As does the man who creeps around their home. This doesn't take advantage of its setting in the DC suburbs because while there are periodic references to people (the husbands) working on the Hill or K Street, there's no connection (where oh where is the bakery in a strip shopping center next to a grocery store that sells $50 per pound of cookies?) even to the point where the river is just referred to as "the river," not the Potomac. And it's a bit repetitive in spots. That said, Alexis' anxiety is palpable. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Good storytelling and a few big twists make this a good read.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman #fortysecondbookof2023 #arc

CW: death, murder, adultery

Alexis and her husband Sam are successful and expecting their second child. They buy their dream home, albeit a fixer upper, in a fancy neighborhood but when their neighbor is found murdered, they wonder if they made the right choice.

Alexis and Sam really seem to dislike each other at the beginning of the novel and then they seem to hate each other more as it goes along. It was unnerving and it made me wonder why they were even together. Everyone who lives in the neighborhood is unlikable in their own way, so frankly they fit in quite well.

This was a slow burn domestic thriller, and despite really hating the husband from the get go, I really liked this book. It’s vibe is “neighborhood where everyone is hiding something.” I didn’t catch on to the first major reveal until I was supposed to and the second one was a little surprising as well.

Again, I don’t love the outdated term for sex worker that came up. This seems to be happening quite often in the books I’ve read lately. But other than that, this was a fast and easy read, and I found it interesting. I would read more from this author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @minotaur_books for the advance copy. (Pub date 6/20/23)

How well do you know your neighbors? Sam and Alexis purchased a home in an affluent neighborhood outside of Washington DC. Alexis is expecting their second child and Sam is working toward a partnership in a law firm. In order to afford their new home, they buy a fixer upper that turns into a money pit. Blair is the first neighbor to greet them. She and Teddy have lived in the neighborhood for fifteen years and seem to be the perfect couple. When Teddy’s body is found near a trail that runs along the Potomac, Alexis offers Blair her support and they become close friends. The police question all of the neighbors with little progress.

Melissa Adelman’s story is a dual narrative with chapters alternating between Alexis and Blair. Alexis’ frustration grows as she handles motherhood and a house that needs major work. Sam was supportive when they made the purchase, but as time goes on he has little patience for his wife and frequently belittles her. Blair is dealing with secrets of her own and a mother who makes her life miserable. Their beautiful neighborhood is filled with shallow residents and infidelity. While the police give Blair occasional updates, the murder investigation often seems like an afterthought. The story moves slowly until the final quarter, where Adelman hits the reader with surprising developments and a final twist that makes the story well worth reading. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

A young couple, Alexis and Sam, starting a family decide to buy a fixer upper in a rich neighborhood. They never expected the stress that comes with her second pregnancy amidst home renovations and soon start arguing. When their neighbor Teddy is found dead at the bottom of a trail, the investigation tears the neighborhood apart.
This was a decent thriller, fairly fast paced that kept me guessing until the end. The character development was fun through all the juicy gossip of the neighbors. I really connected with Alexis, but I absolutely hated Sam's character.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was so good I read it in one sitting. A death happens in the new neighborhood. New mom Alexis on maternity leave slowly befriends neighbor Blair whose husband died. Who committed the foul play? Alexis husband Sam was horrible. Wish he had been the corpse.