The story chronicles what happens to two women, Alexis and Blair. Both women have secrets that lead to death. Set in an upscale Maryland neighborhood it looks at what happens when they become unhappy with their lives. Told from multiple points of view and chronologically dated, the story is easy to read.

The initial premise of What the Neighbors Saw is a young upper middle class couple buying a fixer up in an upscale Washington DC neighborhood. Sam is an ambitous lawyer about to make partner. Alexis had her own high profile career but is taking maternity leave for the birth of their second child. Sam and Alexis play a continual game of keeping up with the Jones as well as th multitude of repairs on their house. Their exclusive cul de sac has a unique cast of characters in every house, reminiscent of a 2023 Peyton Place. Mystery oozes out of every corner, especially Blair and Teddy. Melissa Adelman is a master at weaving together the unique characters as well as a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Imagine finding your dream home, in your dream neighborhood, and then shortly after you move in, one of your neighbors mysteriously dies. This is the exact situation Alexis and Sam find themselves in in What the Neighbors Saw. At first, Alexis thinks this is a terrible occurrence but as she continues digging, she soon realizes there may be more behind this event. Was one of the neighbors responsible? Was it just an accident? What is everyone hiding? Maybe her dream house isn’t all it’s cracked up to be…

I was so excited for this one! It gave me Liane Moriarty vibes right from the start. I was fully invested in Alexis’s search to uncover what was really going on in this neighborhood. I did figure out half of the ending pretty quickly but was still surprised by many other aspects. However, most of the revelations and shock came at the very end of the book. There was very little lead up to what was uncovered and I felt like the ending was very rushed. There is so much going on in the rest of the book that seems like it didn’t really matter to the storyline. Nonetheless, I was very surprised by the ending and was fully invested in figuring out what happened to their neighbor.

What the Neighbors Saw

“What the Neighbors Saw” is a pretty decent offering from debut author Melissa Adelman. This novel tells the story of young married couple Alexis and Sam, who move into what they believe is their dream home in an exclusive suburb. As they become drawn into the dark secrets of their neighbors it isn’t long unti the cracks in their marriage begin to show.

As stated before “What the Neighbors Saw” is an average domestic thriller at best. Honestly, its categorization of “thriller” is a bit of a misnomer because this book lacking in excitement. Not much is going on aside from the constant sniping between Alexis and Sam over the mundane issues that arise as a result of being young parents and new homeowners. When they’re not at each other’s throats they are interacting with their equally boring neighbors who incidentally, don’t add much to the story.

I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it is kind of lackluster. The big reveal could have been excecuted more organically. The author dedicated a whole chapter to the murderer where they explain their motive as well as their methodology. I believe I would have found the ending more satisfying if the author had made better use of the red herring plot device.

“What the Neighbors Saw” is a quick summer read that is sure to entertain some readers. Unfortunately, I wish I had gotten more out of it rather than a few bursts of titillation here and there. It isn’t the best debut nor is it the worst. Adelman definitely has some room to grow and I am sure with time her craft will blossome exponentially.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for gifting me this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise, but this fell a little flat for me. I spent most of the book wondering when the good stuff was going to happen - it didn’t until the last 40 or so pages and felt very rushed and left me unsatisfied. It wasn’t bad, but wasn’t what I had hoped for. Overall, 3/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is set to publish on June 20, 2023.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman draws you right into the neighborhood drama. New to the neighborhood, Sam and Alexis find themselves trying to meet all the new neighbors and see where they fit in. When the body of one of the neighbors is found along the river, everyone is looking to each other with suspicion. Could a murderer be in their midst?

The story draws you in but is a pretty slow burn. If you’re looking for something with a lot of action, this probably isn’t for you, but if you like a story with a lot of character drama, this might be a story you’d enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. I absolutely did not see this book going in the direction it did and I am not even mad about it!! What a journey this book takes you on in the best craziest way!!!

This book kept my interest as thrillers do. But the story is quite ridiculous and I didn’t like any of the characters.

This was a solid 3 star book for me - I liked it but I wouldn't go out of my way to read it. The writing is good and there were some surprising twists. But nothing really jumped out at me and the plot was pretty unbelievable. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

The people we live alongside sure make intriguing subjects for fiction!

I always seem drawn to books centering on lives that unravel in close proximity. I think they resonate because they take me into the different daily realities of a place I’m unfamiliar with, and show me that regardless of where we are in the world, life in suburbia is ultimately the same.

Life at #51 Shadow Road is expertly illuminated by author Melissa Adelman to show the pettiness, greed and secrets in this upscale neighbourhood. The characterization carries this novel through the petty gossip and loss and Adelman makes sure her readers know what drives each resident. It was good to have a male character contributing to the neighbourhood chit-chat as this doesn’t often happen in real life nor in fiction. I have no doubt that other readers will also love Alexis, the secrets, the false appearances and the greed, and will soon be caught up in the mystery of the neighbourhood death. What happened to Teddy? Have Sam and Alexis made a mistake moving into this neighbourhood? Who can they trust?

My only disappointments were the language and the checklist that I felt the author seemed to have when crafting the neighbours. It felt contrived.

If domestic drama appeals to you, and you enjoy flawed characters and flawed neighbourhoods, this one will be a good beach read.

I was gifted this copy by St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

“What the Neighbors Saw” by Melisa Adelman ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Genre: Domestic Thriller. Location: Washington DC suburb of River Forest, Virginia, USA. Time: 2013-2015.

Urban residents Sam and Alexis need a bigger home. Sam will soon make partner at his law firm, and Alexis is pregnant with their 2nd child. They buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive suburb. Each enormous house has a large yard, and there’s a Potomac River trail that starts in their cul de sac. Sam hopes the prestigious address will help his career. Alexis hopes she can leave her troubled past behind.

Two weeks after Alexis has her baby, neighbor Teddy is found dead on the Potomac River banks. Police struggle to identify and find the killer, and neighborhood tension mounts. Alexis builds a friendship with Blair, the beautiful, charismatic widow. While they grow closer, the neighborhood becomes more divided, and secrets emerge from the homes on their street. When the truth behind Teddy’s murder is uncovered, Blair and Alexis reexamine their friendship to decide how far they will go to preserve their carefully constructed lives.

Author Adelman alternates points of view between Alexis and Blair, each hiding secrets from each other and the world. Chapters are short and in time with each other. She provides more backstory for Alexis than Blair. Perhaps some aspects of their pasts could have been explored a little more, but we get the picture in the long run. Where each family lives, their lines of sight, and their back and side yards are important to the plot. Adelman describes where each lives near the beginning, but a map of the cul de sac would have been helpful. Tip: tab her descriptions while reading.

It’s a fast ride about entitled rich people behaving badly-very badly, and it’s 4 stars from me!🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ Thank you to Minotaur Books, Melissa Adelman, and NetGalley for this early ecopy. Publishes 6/20/2023.

Expectant mother and consultant Alexis, her partner track husband Sam, and toddler move into what they believe to be their dream house in an affluent suburb outside of Washington, D.C. But when their neighbor is murdered, his body left near the running trails that surround the neighborhood, paranoia and suspicion set in. More secrets are revealed and Alexis enters into a friendship with the widow, Blair. Not everything in the neighborhood is as meets the eye.

Domestic thrillers are not my go-to genre, though I have read a few. This book fits into the subgenre seamlessly--perhaps overly so. I'm not sure that it really brings anything new to the table or feels fresh. There's a few minor loose ends that could have been wrapped up, but weren't, and while some of the twists were teased to us early in the book, others were revealed far too late. The ending felt like a "where are they now" reel of reveals, hitting us with one reveal after another in rapid succession without much time to process or see the effects. The book isn't bad, and I was interested enough throughout to keep reading. As someone in the DC area, I could see a place like this existing, sadly. Those looking for a darker, Desperate Housewives-type domestic thriller may enjoy.

Thanks to Minotaur Books for my advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 stars - 7/10

Alexis and her husband, Sam, purchase a neglected, fixer-upper in an affluent DC neighborhood. They can't wait to raise their children and build their lives in such exclusive surroundings. They soon find out there's more to their new neighborhood than they bargained for. After a neighbor is discovered dead on a nearby running trail, secrets begin to emerge. They soon discover appearances can be quite deceiving.

A fun read with interesting twists and turns!

This book was good! I enjoyed the story and characters! There were parts that weren’t my favorite but overall a good read! 4 stars!

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman takes place in an exclusive Washington DC neighborhood. Alexis and her husband Sam, already parents to one son and another child on the way, are looking for a dream home in this DC suburb. What they can afford, is a fixer up Cape Cod house, but it’s the location that matters. Sam is on the road to becoming a partner in his law firm, Alexis is also a lawyer, but not as high profile as Sam. Once they move in and renovations begin, introductions to all the neighbors begins. Their glamorous neighbors are shaken when one of their own, Teddy, is murdered. The successful father of three is found dead on the banks of the river, along the path where he runs daily. The police are at a loss as far as suspects, neighbors start suspecting each other, and everyone’s secrets are soon to be exposed. Alexis has become very close to Blair, Teddy’s widow, and once the truth comes to light, both Alexis and Blair must figure out if this whirlwind friendship will last.

The characters in this novel are all hiding something, and for people who are supposed to be wealthy, their secrets were pretty big. Alexis’ husband, Sam, is not a nice character. He often belittles Alexis, seems very shady with his work, and late nights. Blair and Alexis as BFF’s seem to be truly genuine, and Alexis realizes even people with money have the same problems as those without.

I enjoyed the slow burn of this domestic thriller. The beginning of the novel was a little slow, but it did pick up, and the secrets revealed at the end, as well as the killer and a twist you will never see coming will make up for it. I was completely shocked!

I would like to thank Netgalley, Minotaur Books and Melissa Adelman for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read this one in one sitting. Melissa Adelman is definitely someone to watch. I can’t believe this was a debut! Loved to hate the characters. Perfect amount of drama in a thriller. Highly recommend.

I found this to be interesting murder mystery. I loved the premise and the way the story was told from. The pov of two characters, Alexis and Blair. I felt the ending was a little anticlimactic and something about the motives didn’t hit the right notes for me. 3.5 stars

A suspenseful neighborhood drama, filled with secrets and lies. I loved the varied characters. Wonderful layers to the story and I did not see the ending coming! I thoroughly enjoyed reading What the Neighbors Saw and recommend to those who like domestic suspense and drama.

Review will be posted on Amazon and comfychairbooks.com as well as social media on release day

What The Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman was fast-paced and a quick read full of suspense! It has the perfect ingredients for a good book: an old house, a fancy neighborhood, a pregnancy, and a murder mystery with a liberal amount of gossip and secrets.

Synopsis:

When Alexis and her husband Sam buy a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are ecstatic. Sam is on the cusp of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is pregnant with their second child, and their glamorous neighbors welcome the couple with open arms. Things are looking up, and Alexis believes she can finally leave her troubled past behind.

But the neighborhood’s picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – a handsome, successful father of three – is found dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River. The community is shaken, and as the police struggle to identify and apprehend the killer, tension in the neighborhood mounts and long-buried secrets start to emerge.

In the midst of the turmoil, Alexis takes comfort in her budding friendship with Teddy’s beautiful and charismatic widow, Blair. But as the women grow closer, the neighborhood only becomes more divided. And when the unthinkable truth behind Teddy’s murder is finally uncovered, both Blair and Alexis must reexamine their friendship and decide how far they are willing to go to preserve the lives they have so carefully constructed.

This was a good book with suspense elements and when I finished, I was satisfied! Out on June 20.

Desperate Housewives spiced up with a little murder. An affluent neighborhood filled with family drama, secrets, jealousy, extramarital affairs, spying on the neighbors and murder. These are things Alexis and Sam encounter, even as they struggle through their own marital issues, when they buy a fixer upper and move into the neighborhood.

This was a well written book with a varied cast of characters - many of whom aren’t all that likable - which adds additional drama. I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as a thriller because it lacks the adrenaline fueled tension and action that thriller fans would expect. It’s more of a character driven domestic drama with a slow burning plot. It didn’t have as much suspense as I would have liked, but, on the whole, it was an easy, enjoyable read.