What the Neighbors Saw was an intriguing read! With several storylines, Melissa Adelman was able to keep the reader guessing as to who murdered Teddy Bard, and was able to throw the reader for a surprise ending!

Usually, I like the main characters in a book. That was not the case with Alexis and Blair, the two women who tell the story of "What the Neighbors Saw" in alternating chapters. This does not mean that I disliked the book. It was a compelling mystery centered on finding out who killed Blair's husband. Alexis and Sam are new to the ritzy neighborhood. They've bought a fixer-upper that is still really more than they can afford and which leads to lots of tension between the two.

Everyone in the neighborhood naturally has their own problems and foibles. Some stray into violations of the law-- but are they so off the rails that they would kill a human being?

Alexis tries to find out who killed Blair's husband. In the process, she learns an awful lot about her new neighbors, some of which she'd probably rather not know. One of them actually attacks her physically.

The story moves quickly. I was definitely surprised by the ending. I recommend "What the Neighbors Saw."

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to preview this debut novel.

The plot of juicy neighborhood secrets sounds wonderful! I loved Desperate Housewives, and when I saw it was described as similar I was excited. However, this one fell flat for me. It was really slow, and dragged on and on. All of the characters were fake, boring, and un-likable. There was nothing really happening until the last 80% or so, and even that seemed forced and flat.

I almost didn’t finish this several times, but I agreed to give an honest review and I felt like I couldn’t do that fully without reading the entire book. I wanted to like it, and I really really tried to, but it missed the mark for me.

Gotta love a juicy nieghborhood mystery! Unfortunately, this one missed the mark a bit. Maybe it's because I used to live in the DC Metro Area or maybe it's because I found pretty much every character to be deeply unlikable or maybe it's because the twist wasn't delivered in a way that packed a punch, but this book was lackluster.

Alexis and Sam buy a dream house in a neighborhood that's literally to die for--a few weeks after they move in, one of their neighbors is found dead on the trail behind the house. Alexis befriends the widow and starts to see that even though she lives in a gorgeous neighborhood with seemingly glamorous neighbors, it's not all that it seems. And everyone has secrets they're hiding--including Alexis.

I really didn't like any of the characters. Alexis is a social climber completely obsessed with losing her baby weight (which, really? Haven't we gotten past that by 2023?). Her husband Sam is a jerk, the widow Blair is all about appearances and incredibly shallow, other neighbors are predatory, aggressive, stupid, and judgmental. Maybe that's what Melissa Adelman was trying to say--that beneath the glitter and glamour, everyone is ugly. And again, the twist should have been much more shocking, but it was delivered in such a way that a strong denial would have been sufficient and didn't have any weight to it. This book had potential, but it just fell really short of what it was trying to accomplish.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Alexis and her husband Sam move to an exclusuve suburb where Alexis meets and makes friends with Blair. The other neighbors seem rather aloof and although the neighborhood gets together for parties, Blair seems to be the most genuine of friends. Then Blair's husband Teddy is found murdered and suspicion falls on each of the neighbors. What evolves next are the secrets and lies that a close community goes through after a tragedy.
I did enjoy reading this book, but I do get a bit tired of the race card being injected into so many stories.
I thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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I made it to 60% and had to stop. It's such a slowwww burn. I kept getting bored and distracted. I liked Alexis and I liked Blair but I need more excitement.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

What the Neighbors Saw has an interesting premise- Alexis and her husband Sam move into the worst house in a beautiful neighborhood, and a man is found murdered shortly after they move in.

The book was very much a slow burn, to the point where it felt like nothing happened in the middle at all. Very much character driven, but the characters were so unlikable that it didn’t compel me to continue reading and I put this one down several times before powering through it. I do really like the cover, and enjoyed the twists that came in the ending. Unfortunately this one just wasn’t for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Alexis and Sam are expecting their second child and are looking for a bigger place to live. They look at a fixer-upper in an exclusive Washington D.C. suburb and decide it would be the perfect place to raise a family. After they move in one of their neighbors is murdered. How safe is the River Forest neighborhood?

This book is told from the POV of both Alexis and Blair, who lives across the street. As the story progress it seems that everyone in the neighborhood is not happy and have secrets. The book is like watching a soap opera. The reader will be trying to decide what is going on in this River Forest and should they move. Secrets will be revealed in the end and many people have their lives changed. Do any of us really know our neighbors?? Readers will enjoy this thriller

Thank you to #netgalley, #MelissaAdelman, and #MinotaurBooks for a copy of this book.
#WhattheNeighborsSaw

This book didn't do it for me. It started off okay, but the characters were <i>really</i> unlikeable and the mystery didn't grab me. Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Apologies for not liking it!

A gripping book that will leave you speechless at the end. So well done and entertaining. It was a roller coaster ride the entire time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this drama/mystery. The description almost put me off as I am not into Desperate Housewives but it is much more than that. The veiled tension between rich white folk and those they consider 'not one of us' interested me. I received this from the author via NetGalley as a review copy and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley

It’s 2013, and Alexis Crawford, expecting her second child with her husband, Sam, is anxious to move into a place with some room . . . at least more than the crowded apartment where they are now living. Entranced with a 1920s Cape Cod Revival fixer-upper in the exclusive River Forest suburb inside the Beltway, they purchase the property. With Sam on the verge of making partner at his law firm, Alexis is certain they can manage the finances despite Sam’s concerns. But she does wish that things were a bit smoother with her husband; lately, he seems argumentative and distant.

But they’ve hardly settled in before tragedy strikes and the husband of their neighbor, Blair Bard, dies, apparently having fallen from the trail onto the rocks below. Soon ruled a homicide, Teddy’s death puts everyone in the neighborhood on edge. And, as the investigation progresses, long-held secrets and lies soon come to light.

Who murdered Teddy? And why?

And what’s going on with Sam?

=========

Alternating mostly between Alexis and Blair, the unfolding story leans toward soap opera as none of the characters are especially likable and everyone seems to be holding a secret or two or advancing a lie.

There’s a great deal of wine-drinking, partying seems imperative, and the women are generally catty and mean-spirited. There’s a bit of stereotyping in many of the characters; Sam is often cold and overly critical; his unwillingness to help Alexis with the children or around the house makes him particularly unlikeable. Alexis and Sam spend an inordinate amount of time bickering about what needs repairing in the house and when they should tackle each of those repairs; it makes for torturous reading.

But there’s enough intrigue to keep the pages turning; however, some of Alexis’s decisions and actions are puzzling. The plot has some easily-predicted plot twists, but the final one is a humdinger readers are not likely to expect. Still, for readers who enjoy domestic thrillers . . . and a bit of scandal . . . there is much to appreciate here.

Recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley
#WhattheNeighborsSaw #NetGalley

Alexis and Sam find a dream house (well, a dream house needing some fixing up) with a great secluded neighborhood at a price they can’t refuse to pay (even though it will stretch their finances). After meeting most of their neighbors, Alexis gets settled in to prepare for baby #2 to arrive.

Blair and Teddy have lived on Shadow Road a long time and are at a point in life where their kids are grown and about to leave the nest. While things haven’t always been perfect, Blair still loves Teddy and keeps the flame glowing for their marriage.

Six months after settling into the new, quiet neighborhood, the silence is shattered when a fisherman spots a body on the trail near the river that runs behind the houses. Detectives arrive in an attempt to untangle what happened and who was responsible for the body.

Opinions on the book: There are a lot of characters to keep straight. I had to sometimes pause and remember who a character was, their spouse, what they did, which house was theirs. With a wealthy neighborhood came entitlement. The amount written into the book about someone getting away with something - big or small - was off putting. It was easy to determine key elements in how the book would end with the amount of times certain things were mentioned. I found it difficult to really connect with most (all?) of the characters involved.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the advanced copy. Opinions expressed are my own. This book is set for publication on June 19, 2023. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

#netgalley #arc #melissaadelman #whattheneighborssaw #minotaurbooks #stmartinspress

This is a book full of unlikeable characters, in my opinion. Sam and Alexis purchase a home in an expensive neighborhood and a neighbor suddenly is murdered. Alexis gets caught up in the mystery.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. The author held my attention through the entire read. Even though I had my suspicions as to "who done it", I could not substantiate them and was surprised in the end. I do admit I found the middle to be a bit draggy, but still intrigued me. Thank you #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks & #NetGalley for choosing me to read this ARC.

Sam and Alexis buy a fixer upper home in a upscale neighborhood. They are feeling a bit out of place and not sure how to fit in. Shortly after, their neighbor Teddy is murdered during his morning run. Who did it? And what secrets lie in this neighborhood?

This book was great at the start but then nothing happened after Teddy dies until the VERY end. It was extremely slow and dragged on throughout the entire book. You read the neighbors complain about each other and you read how horribly Sam treats Alexis and their constant bickering.

I did not care for any character and didn’t connect with any of them.

I almost DNF’d is but thought maybe the ending would make up for the extremely slow burn… but it didn’t.

I really wanted to like this one but it wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Pen Press for this free eARC. What the Neighbors Saw is out June 20th, 2023!

A cautionary tale of a couple moving into the worst house in an affluent neighborhood and the watching their lives unravel. Told from alternating POV, Alexis and Blair, both really unlikeable characters. In fact all of the characters were really horrible people and that’s what makes this thriller so satisfying. I’d love to see this made into a Netflix series! Perfect for fans of Layne Fargo and Lucy Foley.

They did not disappoint when they promised Desperate Housewives meets the Couple Next Door. This starts with a super slow burn as you get to know the characters and gather info, then all of a sudden it takes off and leaves you gasping because it’s even better than you anticipated! Never sure who to like or trust, this plot keeps you wanting more until the end.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you NetGalley, Melissa Adelman and Minotaur Books for hearing my honest review. Looking forward to reading more with you
#partner

Another satisfying tale of the rich gone wrong- don’t you hate it when you move into the ritzy suburb and people start unexpectedly dying? But the story is fun and the characters are enjoyable. Definitely good beach reading for the club this Summer!

I enjoyed this domestic suspense thriller! This is one of my favorite genres, so I was happy to discover a new author.