Alexis and her husband Sam buy a rundown house in an ultra-wealthy suburb of DC. But they soon realize the idyllic neighborhood is not as safe as it seems. What The Neighbors Saw is a meandering soap opera-like novel, replete with bed-hopping spouses, perverted neighbors and, of course, a murder. The characters are all extremely unlikeable, pretentious and filthy rich, none with redeemable qualities in a plot that was a slog to get through. The reader keeps waiting for some event to liven the action, and when it finally occurs, it’s almost an afterthought, and way too late to save the book. It’s an easy read, but it’s maddeningly repetitive, and the ending was so out of nowhere that it’s beyond belief. A more fitting finale would have been a giant sinkhole swallowing up the entire neighborhood and it’s despicable residents. I received an arc of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Secrets, nearly impossible to uncover, are planted inside this book.

Alexis knows what she wants: an impressive house that will make her friends smile in the DC area. Her husband, Sam, goes along although he’s not as thrilled with the idea.

Right now, they live in a rowhouse inside the beltway which is convenient to everything with the Metro. But Alexis has decided that it’s too small with only 1500 square feet.

Her real estate agent has found a 1927 cape cod with 5100 square feet just under $1.7 million in a neighborhood of $3 million properties. The author notes that it’s a “few minutes” to drive from Northern Virginia to downtown DC. What is she talking about? It takes more than a few minutes for the lights to change in DC! It’s more than a few minutes to drive one block in DC.

Alexis convinces Sam that this is their perfect forever house even though it needs a lot of work and on top of their budget. Then he notices as a runner that it’s next to a trail that goes to the Potomac River. Plus an area to build a pool!

Shortly after they move in, there’s a murder. Their neighbor, Teddy, was found on the Potomac River. Everyone gives their condolences to his wife, Blair, and that’s when Alexis meets her. Then Sam and Alexis meet the other neighbors.

The beginning is exciting and then it drifts into a mindless end of neighborhood chats of entitlements, jealousies and affairs. There is the talk of big jobs, vacation homes and travels. So, who murdered Teddy? That is the big question. The characters are all annoying like those with big cars in DC that think they own the roads and parking places. The end brings it all together in an unexpected way.

My thanks to Melissa Adelman, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy with an expected release date of June 20, 2023.

What the Neighbors Saw was a solid 3 star domestic thriller. I thought the concept was good and the twist at the end saved it for me. I found it to be a little dragging at times, but I was still interested enough to keep reading. I really didn’t connect to the characters either. I found the main character’s husband very off putting and found myself annoyed with her because of it. I think if you are a fan of domestic, Desperate Housewives type thrillers, you’d enjoy this one!

Thanks to NetGalley & St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy!

A welcome page turner of a debut novel by Melissa Adelman. I found the book to be a good mix of domestic drama and thriller, with the main character, Alexis, at a crossroads in her life as a mother and wife. The novel portrays lifestyles beyond keeping up with the Joneses, when Alexis and her husband, Sam, find themselves in a position to buy a house in an ultra upscale neighborhood. With a sudden death in the neighborhood soon after the move in, Alexis is left not knowing who in her life to trust.
I found the book to be fast paced and interesting. The writing was good and flowed well. Ultimately, the conclusion of the book was fairly predictable but still enjoyable. It seems as though the author writes some from experience through the eyes of Alexis.
Thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for this ARC is exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis for this book reads -Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door. Well, that got me and I enjoyed every minute of this thrill ride! ‘
Alexis and Sam are buying a house in an exclusive neighborhood in Virginia. Their new home is a fixer-upper, a far cry from the others in their new neighborhood. They have a young son, and a a baby on the way. As we begin, Sam is working overtime to make partner in his firm, and Alexis is adjusting to her new stay at home role, while supervising all of the work in their house. Then, their next door neighbor is found dead on the trail that runs through their neighborhood. How did this happen? Did anyone see anything? Who murdered Teddy?
The lives of everyone on this street is exposed as we get to learn about all of them. Do they find the murderer? This book is a page turner and a terrific debut novel from Melissa Adelman. I look forward to what she writes next!
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, St.Martins Press/Minotaur Books, and the author for this ARC, in return for my honest review.

I just finished reading "What the Neighbors Saw" by Melissa Adelman. Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.
This book is about a. young couple (Alexis and Sam) who move into an upscale neighborhood into a house they can't afford and are faced with the daunting task of trying to renovate their home and care for two young children. Their neighbors are all super wealthy and a bit too picture perfect...expecially Blaire and Teddy, the seemingly "perfect family". As Alexis tries to cope with a new baby and a husband who doesnlt really support her, she befriends Blair and is her suppport system when Blair's husband Teddy is murdered while jogging along the cliffside trail which is in the neighborhood. Aliexis is slowly drawn into the mystery of how and why Teddy was killed and slowlt begins to realize that all her neighbors have secrets and that nothing is as it seems.
The book continues steadily along until the last fifty or so pages when all is revealed....with quite the surprises.
I wish I could say I really enjoyed this book...but I didn't. The characters were all despicable and horrible people who I would never want to know. Even the main character was confusing to me. Her husband was a compete jerk to her one minute...and then the next they were laughing...It didn''t make sense.

Also, there was so much back and forth in the book, almost like the author was writing about one thing and then would take a left turn into something else...WHAT? There was alot of unimportant events or descriptions or thoughts in the ;book that I didn't really see the point of. And one major question I had throughout the book? If Sam and Alexis were in so much financial trouble that they couldn't afford really important renovations, why on earth could they afford a live-in Nanny. It didn't really make sense to me..

In order for me to really enjoy a book, I need to feel invested in the characters, but these characters were vacuous and arrogant and had no integrity. The comparisons to Desperate Housewives is a bit of a reach. There was not character in thiis book that was the voice of reason. Even the main character was self-absorbed and willing to bend the truth when it suited her.

Lastly, the nig reveal...Ewwwww. That is all I am going to say

This book is a big no for me...Maybe others will enjoy it more. Maybe I'm not the targeted audience.
Happy Reading everyone.
#netgalley #whattheneighborssay #mystery #femaleleadcharacter #melissaedelman

3.5 stars
What the Neighbors Saw" by Melissa Adelman is a gripping novel that delves into the secrets and lies that lurk behind the facade of suburban life.

When Alexis and her husband Sam purchase a neglected Cape Cod house in an exclusive DC suburb, they are overjoyed. The neighborhood may be more aspirational , but Sam's law firm is on the verge of promoting him to partner and Alexis is expecting their second child, Life appears to be improving, and Alexis thinks her troubled past is behind her.
However, the idyllic facade of their neighborhood was shattered when their neighbor Teddy, a handsome and successful father of three, was discovered dead on the steep banks of the Potomac River below a neighborhood running path.

The stunned community struggles as the police work to identify and apprehend the killer, Alexis decides to reach out to Blair, the beautiful widow of Teddy. They bond quickly and Blair finds solace in the time they spend together, Still, tensions rise in the neighborhood, whispers and accusations fly and long-hidden secrets begin to surface. The neighborhood becomes fractured as the investigation continues. As they close on in on the killer, Alexis will have to decide what she is willing to do to preserve the pretense of the life she always dreamed of.

Adelman skillfully weaves many things into her story - privilege, power, race - all with the intention of provoking the reader to look beyond the surface to truly see what motivates each of these characters, It is never done with judgement, but rather shining a light into the dark corners that we would prefer to scurry past. This was a suspenseful page turner!

My thanks to NetGalley and Minataur Books for the ARC .

I enjoyed reading this domestic thriller. Alexis and Sam move to their dream/fixer-upper home, as the book begins. We slowly get to know their neighbors and their stories.
This is the author’s debut novel, and I look forward to reading more from Melissa Adelman! Recommended.

Definitely an accurate description from the publisher. Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door.

Alexis and Sam are both social climbers in their own ways and they purchase a money pit of a house in an otherwise out-of-reach DC suburb. It was fun to read a book that takes place in an area with which I'm familiar, and the story is unpredictable but not unbelievable.

This is one of my most preferred genres and I was very happy to be given an ARC by the publisher. I read it more quickly than I usually read books because it really kept me wondering what was going to happen next.

Several side storylines make it so that it is entertaining and intriguing at every turn and is a great read. I am deducting one star because the Eating Disorder storyline was unnecessary. Had it been more developed, I see where it would have been relevant but an untrained reader won't understand the reality of why an eating disorder is relevant to the character.

I strongly recommend this book to readers who enjoy suspense and social intrigue.

special thanks to St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for an e-arc of this novel.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and was surprised at the conclusion.

If you like mysteries, you will enjoy this novel.

“What the Neighbors Saw” is a debut novel by Melissa Adelman. This book is told from two points of view - that of Alexis, the mother of two young children who is a lawyer, and Blair, the mother of three older children. Alexis is married to Sam (also a lawyer) and Blair is married to Teddy, a congressman. After Alexis and Sam move into the house they could barely afford (and needs a lot of work), Teddy is murdered on a trail near their house. No one seems to have any ideas who did it or why. Over time, Alexis and Blair become friendly. Eventually Teddy’s murderer is uncovered.

Let me start with the positives. Keeping Alexis and Blair apart was very easy and not just because their chapters were labeled with their names. The two women were very different. I liked the fact that the neighbors were different people (though I did have difficulties keeping who was with who straight). I wasn’t as thrilled by the pacing - after the murder (which happened early in the book) a lot doesn’t happen beyond Blair and Alexis working to become friends, Sam constantly sniping at Alexis, and Alexis moaning about herself (her weight, her arms, her body, taking a job at a smaller firm thus contributing less money). I found Sam to be a piece of work - he was constantly sniping about the cost of things, yet insisted upon a pool but didn’t want to fix things in the house (or cared about them being done correctly). After Teddy’s murder, Sam made one of the oddest statements I’ve ever read. It was so odd that I wondered why Alexis didn’t pick up on it and question Sam. I do wish that the title of this book was different - since the neighbors didn’t actually see Teddy’s murder (which was, I thought, the center mystery of this book). I wanted to enjoy this book more than I did. I think that the last 10% or so had the set-up and the action rolling decently, but I wish that it had been rolling more smoothly (and with less Alexis whinging). There were other issues - such as Alexis mentioning a murder that happened when she was a child, Sam blaming Alexis for the move, Elena hovering around but not being utilized as a solid character - but somewhere I believe the bones of a good book were in this one. If you go in knowing that none of the characters are reliable, that might help.

This was underwhelming. It was hard to get into and although there was a lot or action early on, it still felt like nothing was happening. The characters were all unlikeable, and Alexis drove me nuts. Sam seemed like a terrible husband and I felt like she never stood up for herself when he was being terrible to her.

There were some twists but ultimately I guessed who the murderer was early on. I don’t think I would recommend this book.

This was a page-turning domestic thriller set in Washington DC, my all-time favorite setting for books. I thought the author did a fantastic job of creating rich, privileged characters (it felt very realistic for the setting) but the plot line felt a little predictable at times. I also found it hard to feel much sympathy for the main character. But, I flew through it it (read it in less than 48 hours!) and if you enjoy domestic thrillers, this would be a good pick for you.

Okay. So. There was not a single character in this entire book that I liked. Occasionally I would root for Alexis, but I feel like that was mostly out of a weird sense of self-preservation with her being the first-person narrator than it was about actually wanting her to succeed. Everyone in this entire book was so preoccupied with themselves and/or other people’s private matters. I hated them all but I couldn’t stop reading because everyone was so messy and I had to know what was happening.

If you are then nosy neighbor who is always on NextDoor trying to see who has beef with who, this book is for you. Every person in this neighborhood needs a new spouse and also probably some medication. Not a single good choice was made by anyone at any point. It is a miracle anyone in this book made it to this point in their lives without someone hitting them with a car on purpose. The end did genuinely surprise me and I can’t figure out if it’s because I hated everyone so much that I was blinded by it or because the clues were hidden that well (and I didn’t notice them because I was too busy curling my lip in disgust at said character every time they appeared).

I love when there are literally countless options to solve a whodunnit, and I love that there was so much going on that you kind of forgot there was a whodunnit in the first place. Everyone was terrible. Great writing to make the story flow while also making everyone the actual worst!

This was a book that I definitely didn’t see the twists and turns coming. Great character development and a plot.

Thank you to #NetGallet for the ARC ebook.

Alexis and her husband, Sam, purchase a rundown house in a upper class neighborhood outside of DC. The house is outside of their budget and needs a lot of work, but they still purchase because "it's their only chance to get a house in this neighborhood." They have a young son, Caleb, and Alexis is pregnant with their second child.

Soon after the couple moves into their new home, a neighborhood man, Teddy, is found murdered. Secrets of the neighborhood start to unfold and Alexis is unsure of what to believe. Alexis befriends Teddy's widow, Blaire, and the two grow close as the other neighbors start to have their dirty laundry aired.

I found the book to be very predictable. I quickly summarized it for my husband around the 25% mark and not having read a page, he guessed who the murderer was right off. The other "twist" is gross and has been used/played out (think: A Simple Favor). It wasn't a bad book, and I sailed through it in one morning, but it wasn't anything special. I also detested the was Sam treated Alexis through the entire novel. 3/5 stars.

Alexis's dreams have finally come true when she and her husband Sam purchase a neglected house in an exclusive suburb. Her posh neighbors welcome their family with open arms and Alexis finally feels accomplished. This ideal life is tested when one of her neighbors, Teddy is found dead. Alexis quickly becomes friends with his widow, Blair, and soon realizes that behind the guise of this posh, and attractive subdivision live people with dark secrets.
This book has accurately been compared to Desperate Housewives. It is female-led, full of drama, and binge-worthy. I enjoyed reading about this dysfunctional neighborhood and I did not predict the twists and turns of the story.
This is a great debut novel and I'm definitely looking forward to Adelman's future work.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Alexis and Sam moved up in the world, sort of, when they purchased a home in an upscale area outside DC. It needs a lot of work, but it will be the perfect place to raise their almost two kids, and Sam is about to get a big promotion. Then one of their neighbors, Teddy, turns up dead. Was it an accident or murder? Alexis has become friendly with Teddy’s wife, Blair, and the tragedy brings them even closer. There are really no really likable people in this story, and everyone is hiding something, but the story draws you in! It seems you can’t trust anyone! It was a little slow in the middle, but the final twist totally caught me by surprise. Thank you to Net Galley, the Publisher and the author for this twisty tale.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this trippy read.

I really did enjoy this book as soon as I learned who all the neighbors were. It was a little bit confusing just because there's so many they mention. I loved the main character Alexis but really didn't love her husband Sam 🤷‍♀️ He was just a rude, pain in the ass to me, but Alexis bit her tongue so much for her kids and I commend her for not divorcing him because I SURE WANTED TO.

I loved her friendship with her neighbor Blair especially when Blair's husband Teddy is murdered and they become really close.

Was really surprised to actually find out who committed the murder and wasn't really expecting the ending. This kept my attention throughout and I'm interested what the author writes next.

I would like to thank St. Martins Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. I think this was a really well written and engaging book. I loved how they described the neighborhood, I could really see it in my mind, and it is somewhere I would only dream of being able to live! For anyone that loves a good mystery with some neighborhood drama thrown in, you will love this! The characters were engaging, and I thought the twists were unexpected. T