Fabulous!

The blurb calls it “Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door.” I’d say that’s accurate, with a dash of “The Good Neighbor” thrown in for good measure.

This story centers around Alexis and her husband Sam moving to an exclusive Washington D.C. neighborhood. The house they move into is less than stellar, but would be beautiful when renovated. However, in the meantime, Alexis, stays home while the house seems to be crumbling around her! The move is more or less a fresh start for the couple, who have one child No another on the way. Alexis is trying to leave her past, in the past, and her husband is furthering his career. The new neighbors welcome them, and invite them into their exclusive world. Of course, something goes terribly wrong, or in this case something bad happens. One of the neighbors, Teddy, is found dead? Alexis becomes friends with Blair, the wife of the deceases. who is an enigma, and the friendship blossoms as the hunt for the killer continues. Not all is what it seems in this exclusive neighborhood and this death is only the beginning of disturbing incidents. What happens with the two of them once the killer is found…?

This novel, is tight, taut, and so suspenseful. The main characters, Alexis and Blair. are neither likable or have any redeeming qualities, which makes them all the more delicious! These two women are manipulators, self serving and have so many secrets it makes your head spin.

When you think you have figured this story out, you will realize you weren’t even close.

Thank you NetGalley, the Publisher and the author for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

SYNOPSIS:

Sam, Alexis, their son Caleb, & their live-in nanny Elena move into 51 Shadow, a fixer upper house in an upscale neighborhood in a DC suburb. Alexis is pregnant with their second child. While the neighborhood appears picture perfect, everything is not as it seems.

MY THOUGHTS
- This book felt slower paced to me in comparison with other thrillers.
- I liked the cover of the book.
- The book is structured alternating perspectives between Alexis & Blair (who is a neighbor that quickly becomes Alexis’ close friend).
- There wasn’t much depth or character development. For that reason, I didn’t find any of the characters likable.
- Unfortunately, I wasn’t satisfied with the ending.
- I felt like this book droned on in a lot of places.
- I do think it’s worth a read, but it’s not one I will be reading a 2nd time.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️Three stars. Interesting setting. Not great character development; lacks satisfying ending.


Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur, and NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. It's due to be published on June 20, 2023.

Buying a home in an area that they can't truly afford is the least of Alexis and Sam's issues in this domst thriller set in a rich enclave. Alexis does her best to fit in and hold down the rapidly deteriorating fort as Sam is away for longer and longer periods of time. A mystery murder in the development only increases her anxiety and she begins watching more closely what goes on outside at night. The question is whether someone is also watching her. #STMartinsPress #WhatTheNeighborsSaw

Overall, I liked this book and appreciate the opportunity to read it. I thought the first half was very engaging, intriguing and suspenseful. However, it started to feel flat and fairly slow around the halfway mark. I also didn’t feel especially connected to some of the characters.

I finished the book at the same day I got its digital copy! Its fast pacing, thrilling, absolutely scandalous, mysterious thriller makes your jaw drop! At least that’s what happened to me as I reached the last quarter. One of the twists was totally shocking. The author plays with us so adroitly!

The plot promoted as Desperate Housewives meets The couple next door which makes sense. But I have to say nothing desperate about the wives who keep really earth shattering secrets.

The only thing rubbed me wrong was the unlikable POVs of the book. Don’t get me wrong. The writing style is capturing. Alexis and Blair seem like opposite characters. Alexis comes from poverty, depressed, insecure as Blair is confident, wealthy, pretty, bold, arrogant. But there are so many common qualities they both have. You’ll find out as soon as you start reading their perspectives.

The story starts Alexis and Sam’s house hunting that results with buying a neglected, mostly dilapidated Cape Cod house which seems like money trap, needing extra reconstructions.
They recently welcomed their baby boy and Alexis is pregnant again. Their budget is tight. But they try to take their chances.

At their first day,they meet with their future neighbor, handsome, successful businessman Teddy and his three teenage sons. He and his wife Blair seems like ideal happy couple but when we read what happened behind the closed doors, both of the couples have troubled marriages.

A few weeks later, fishermen identify a dead body on banks of the Potomac. That body belongs to Teddy. Blair is devastated because her husband’s death is announced as homicide. Who may have killed him?

After Teddy’s death, Alexis spends more time with Blair. Their blooming friendship attracts attention of their neighbors as neighborhood becomes more divided. Then Alexis finds out something which rocks her world! Ok! I’m stopping right here!

I didn’t like Alexis and Blair but the smart writing style , quick pace, shocking revelations absolutely earned my four stars!

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/ Minotaur Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This would be a five star simply for the fact I couldn't put it down. Which, as a bookseller, with a ton of books to read, currently reading, etc, is a FEAT.
The writing was taut - no waste of adjectives nor adverbs, which I appreciated.
It's the plot that brings it down for me.
Without any spoilers, the plot becomes a bit far fetched.
To be honest, there are no likeable characters. Even Alexis is not a very empathic character.
A lot of side stories here, which tend to drag it down (but yet I kept turning the page!).
So, a three for plot, a five for well crafter writing and the ability to hold my attention continually.
Will be a highly recommend read to my customers.

Alexis and husband, Sam, are on cloud nine when they purchase a house in a trendy DC suburb. The neighbors are welcoming, Alexis is expecting and her husband’s law career is flourishing. But the suburb is in an uproar when neighbor, Teddy, is found dead on the river bank. Police begin looking into the lives of all the members of the little community, convinced that the killer is somewhere among them. Meanwhile, Alexis forms a close friendship with Teddy’s widow, Blair, even as neighbors begin to turn against neighbors. The truth about Teddy’s death will either draw a line under Blair and Alexis’s friendship, or one through it.