What the Neighbour Saw was a solid addition to the domestic noir canon. I wouldn't say this book is predictable; it had a very solid twist at the end that made for a satisfying read. I would definitely recommend this title to anyone who likes this genre

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed this book. It is the perfect epitome of a domestic thriller, which I cannot get enough of! While I had some suspicions about who killed Teddy, I absolutely would never have guessed the true reasons "why" behind his death. This book was clever and entertaining and I'd love to read future books by this author. 4 stars!

Expecting their second child, Sam and Alexis were over the moon when they bought a much larger house in a prestigious and idyllic neighborhood. With a large backyard in a quiet community, Alexis envisioned raising a healthy and happy family full of giggles and laughter.

But what Sam and Alexis thought would be their dream home turned out to be an albatross around their necks. Endless renovations and repairs took a toll on their finances and marriage. And with a new baby to care for, the strain became unbearable. So when their neighbor Teddy is found dead in a nearby river, the tension mounts giving way to neighborhood suspicions and accusations.

What the Neighbors Saw wasn’t so much of a mystery/thriller but more of a slow and deliberate domestic drama. The story unfolds through dual points of view between Alexis and newly widowed Blair. It flows in a linear timeline and through a sequence of events. It was easy to follow. However, the pacing was slow and lacked that adrenaline rush one expects from the mystery/thriller genre.

The characters were developed enough to get a sense of their national origin. I didn’t particularly like any of them. But that’s a good thing since to me, it means that the author has deftly managed to impart a range of personalities in each of her characters.

I wasn’t particularly captivated by this novel since nothing of interest occurred after the murder. And the ending didn’t do much to fully redeem the somewhat lackluster story. Three stars.

I received a digital ARC from St. Martin’s Press throught NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

What the Neighbors Saw tells the story of a couple Alexis, Sam, their child, and soon to born child moving into an upscale fixer upper in a DC suburb. They are excited with their growing family and Sam moving up at his law firm so they feel they will fit right in. After getting to know their neighbors Blair and Teddy, Teddy is mysteriously murdered, leaving the neighborhood shocked. What unfolds next is the unraveling of each couple in this close nit community, revealing shocking secrets that begin to boil over. Who can Alexis and Blair Trust? Can they even trust each other? Why would someone want to murder Teddy?
Told in the perspective of both Alexis and Blair, this was a slow burning and a suspenseful 3.5* domestic thriller. Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for the E-Arc and the chance to review it!

I love a good psychological thriller, especially one that is done so well it catches me off guard. This was such a great read with many twists and developments I wasn't expecting. This DC suburb is full of sneaky characters, and I'm so glad I don't live there. Poor Alexis--she has no idea what she's getting into when she moves there. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with unreliable narrators, you'll love What the Neighbors Saw. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this digital ARC.

Alexis thinks she’s found the house of her dreams. Over a million dollars and in a state of disrepair, her and her husband Sam realize they are in over their head once they buy it. And right after they move in, their neighbor Teddy is murdered. As they become imbedded in the neighborhood drama, secrets begin to unfold and Alexis begins to wonder if she made a mistake moving in.

Pretty good story about the perils of judging a book by it's a cover... Alexis and Sam move into their dream home, a definite fixer upper, in their dream neighborhood. Moving from the streets of DC, this seems like an ideal place for them to raise their growing family. When a neighbor is found murdered in this picturesque community, things quickly start to unravel between them and amongst the entire neighborhood. I enjoyed this story but felt that it could've been much shorter. Too much "filler" in between the pages. Wasn't a fan of any of the characters. But all in all not a bad read with an ending I didn't see coming.

There were multiple times throughout my reading of this book that I wanted to give up, but had seen reviews that raved about the twisted ending. Did I read the dame book??? What twist?? I had this solved about a quarter of the way through the book but I kept waiting for it to blow my mind. Unfortunately, that never happened.

The characters were annoying and I really didn't care to much about them. Every now and then, the racial disparity between crime, cops and black people was thrown in. I just did not like this book at all. It was boring to me.

I really tried to like this book but it was just so slow moving and pretty much all of the characters were unlikeable. I got to the half-way mark and decided to call this a DNF. I am sure other people will like this book, but it certainly did not grab me.

A delicious murder mystery that proves no matter what affluent neighborhood you reside in, people have secrets, affairs, commit crimes, and everyone lies. Heads up – there is sensitive, perhaps offensive subject matter.
Alexis and Sam have a growing family and she’s found the perfect neighborhood and house in an exclusive North Virginia area. It’s above their income bracket but she had to have it. After the move he blames her for constantly complaining about what’s wrong with the house. He calls her “old lady” which annoyed me to no end and should’ve been offensive to her. There are many couples in their established neighborhood, mostly older with grown children. Alexis bonds with nearby neighbor, Blair, and quickly becomes her friend, confidant and drinking pal. When Blair’s husband, Teddy, is murdered on the local trail everything isn’t so desirable in the perfect neighborhood anymore.
There is an unpleasant twist that left a bad taste, certainly unpredictable. There just isn’t ever a satisfactory outcome when secrets are uncovered, as they inevitably will be. This author was new for me and I would read more of her mysteries.
This digital advance reader copy of “What the Neighbors Saw” by Melissa Adelman, published by Minotaur Books, was provided to me by NetGalley. These personal thoughts and opinions are all my own honest impressions given voluntarily without compensation.

Alexis and her husband, Sam, recklessly purchase a very needy fixer upper for over a million dollars because it is in the kind of upscale neighborhood to which they aspire. Sam is trying to make partner in his law firm while Alexis is on leave to take care of her young son and newborn daughter. Soon after they move in, Teddy, who lives across the street and is married to Blair, is found murdered and thrown from a nearby trail into a river. Blair and Alexis become friends as Alexis learns of the many quirks, secrets and dangerous behaviors of the other rich neighbors.

Told in alternating POVs, this was an engrossing read by a debut author. It is quite “soapy” and a couple of times I heard myself saying, “aw, come on”. But, I stayed up late to finish it because I didn’t want to put it down. I can see it being serialized for television.

There are some disturbing topics here. I don’t want to say what they are, because they would be spoilers. There are also quite a few unpleasant personalities. Some may feel that the beginning of the book is slow, but it takes time to meet and get to know the characters.

I finished this book in one setting. A domestic thriller that tells the story of a couple who embark upon buying an old home in an exclusive neighborhood living amongst the upper class. But why did one of the neighbors end up dead in the river???? Is this neighborhood really safe? Who killed Teddy and why? The story unfolds through the alternating storyline of the couple. I did notice the Desperate Housewives vs. The Couple Next Door feel while reading this book. Read the book! Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

I love a good neighbourhood drama. This was a slow burn. I was intrigued. Didn’t know where this was going, but wasn’t floored by the ending. Fell a little flat for me as I didn’t love any of the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley, St.Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for my arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publish date: June 20, 2023

This wasn’t my favorite “thriller.” I read this right after I’d finished The New Mother (another Minotaur release) and, initially, I felt like these books were eerily similar. I’m not super interested in motherhood or pregnancy or child-rearing, but I liked The New Mother, so I dove into What The Neighbors Saw.
First, the cover is beautiful, and the opening scene with this young couple shopping for their dream home in a fancy neighborhood before birthing their second child sucked me in. The details of the houses and neighborhoods were so intricate, I was hooked right away.
Then everything fell flat.
All the neighbors ran together- nondescript couples who were all catty and rude to each other. The murder wasn’t interesting or seeming to be investigated at all, so I kind of kept forgetting that one of the neighbors had even died. The couple with their beautiful new home were downright nasty to each other and I couldn’t stand either of them. There were surface level points of interest like Alexis’ race, the way the neighbors treated her, her ED, her strained parental relations… but nothing went deep enough for me to really feel pulled.
Then the twist made me uncomfortable and it all wrapped up so quickly I felt like I could instantly forget the whole book.
2.5 stars, I suppose. There were a lot of interesting aspects. This author has a good voice and *could* write something great, but the execution of this one was not it.

Thank you @netgalley and the publisher for the #AdvanceReviewCopy

Release date: June 2023
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Summary: Alexis and Sam move into their new house in a prestigious neighbourhood they never thought they could afford. She’s pregnant, he’s about to make partner at the firm, and their live-in nanny, obviously, goes with them. Life is great, and Alexis is ecstatic until the neighbour’s husband shows up dead in the trail by their property. As Alexis befriends the wife to help comfort her, she discovers things she can’t unlearn.

My Thoughts: It was Okay. It always pains me when I don’t love a book.

This was intended as a murder mystery, but it missed the mark, at least for me. There were too many things that were off:
1. The pacing was very slow. There was so much unnecessary detail that didn’t move the story foreword. There were even entire scenes that I questioned why they were left and what their purpose was.
2. The murder felt secondary to all the neighbourhood drama. I’m all for a drama but I excepted a mystery.
3. The plot itself and ending was unstructured and didn’t feel believable because it read like it was just thrown in. The reveals Just didn’t fit with the rest of the book and had me scratching my head.
4. There was a lack of suspense and build up.
There were some positives:
1. Alexis’ character was well fleshed out and I connected with her the most. She was the reason I finished the book. Had I not connected to her, I’d have likely Dnf’d it early in.
2. Dual POV provided additional insight into the mind of another character and was insightful.
3. Descriptions and setting were well described and I could picture the houses and neighbourhood clearly.
Overall, I landed on 2.5 stars since I considered it an Okay read and finished the book. If you enjoy a slow moving mystery thriller with reveals that are a bit out there, then you might enjoy this one more.
#whattheneighborssaw
#arc
#bookreview
#mystery

So many secrets in one neighborhood and now a murder, this book was addicting to read. I like the thrill in it and all the mystery. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This story surrounds a rich DC suburban neighborhood with so many secrets!!! It follows a young family with 2 small children who move into their dream home in a beautiful neighborhood. They begin to discover the secrets of their neighbors after a murder occurs. It is suspenseful and keeps you guessing. Thank you Netgalley, St Martins Press and the author for the arc copy in exchange for a fair and honest review .

One of the standout aspects of the novel is the way it explores the dark underbelly of suburbia, where even the most idyllic communities can hide secrets and darkness. The author also delves into the complexities of female friendships, particularly when tested by tragedy and suspicion.

While some readers may find the ending a bit abrupt, overall, What the Neighbors Saw is a satisfying and thrilling read. Adelman's writing style is engaging and effortless, making it easy to become fully immersed in the story. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful read. I give it four stars.

I liked the way this book was written and it kept my interest. No big mind blowing twists and turns but it was still good. There were also other storylines to follow so it wasn’t just a long drawn out story. Would recommend.

Strange and interesting read. Makes you wonder what really is going on and who is the baddie and why.