Super underwhelming read. Ugh, talk about unlikeable characters. Sure, I always enjoy when there are multiple unreliable characters, but these were ones I just couldn’t even begin to like. They were just… obnoxious. While the twists were good, the whole story just felt like one I’ve read before, and not in a good way. And the reveal of who the killer was - extremely predictable. However, it does have a good pace once you get through the first part of the book (it felt like it took forever to setup the story) and it kept me turning the pages, at least. But, all in all, I just didn’t love it.

I spent the majority of this novel wondering where it was going when the ending happened and all was revealed. Wow! This was worth the build up and the wondering. I enjoyed reading about Alexis, a struggling new mother to two young children. Her husband, Sam, was a horrible human being and a total jerk to his wife. Blair seemed so welcoming and like she was being a good friend but it became obvious fairly early on that something else was up with her. I don't want to spoil the ending but, boy, was something really up with her. The rest of the neighbourhood was filled with awful people doing awful things so when the ending happened I really wasn't surprised.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis and Sam are young DC area professionals with one child and one on the way. They decide to move to an enormous fixer upper in an expensive neighborhood that is a bit out of their price range. Alexis grew up poor and thinks this will be a great neighborhood in which to raise their kids. Unfortunately a neighbor quickly ends up murdered on the trail behind the houses and in addition to doubting that moving to the neighborhood was the right move, Alexis becomes suspicious of other neighbors wondering if one of them may be the killer.

This sounded like a good book and it had a surprising ending, but it was really boring for most of it. I didn't like Alexis much at all. Always whining about the budget and the dumpy house, all the while employing a live in nanny while on materinity leave. Blair was also awful. I hated Sam and really all the rest of the neighbors. I just didn't care about any of these people and the side stories about the neighbors, which I assume were meant to provide suspicion were just kind of boring. I did find the ending to be suprising, although quite farfetched, but I don't think it was enough to redeem how bored I was through the first 90%.

This was a solid thriller with an unexpected ending that I didn't see coming. I usually can guess the ending, so that was a nice surprise.

This started strong, but kind of fizzled for me. Mixed feelings about it being a debut novel - perhaps that's why it felt like it fizzled? I can see where this would be more enjoyable if my mood had been in a different place when I picked it up, so I may try again after some time has passed.

I have to say that the premise of this book is what initially drew my interest. I saw a few reviews that likened it to Desperate Housewives. I feel like that is an accurate description for the most part.

I really like books that are set in a neighborhood where we get to know many of the residents. This book was focused mainly on Alexis and Blair. I would have liked to see the points of views from some of the other neighbors as well. It would have felt more engaging.

I did like how the story started with a murder. I was eager to find out what happened. However, as the story progressed, it lacked the sense of urgency it had in the beginning. If it had been able to carry that all the way through I would have been able to give it a higher rating. Also, the twist was not my favorite.

I think the characterization was well done. The writing was insightful and flowed nicely. The idea of the plot was clever and imaginative. I think the execution could have been tweaked to take this good read to a great read. There was enough things that I liked, however, to make me want to check out other works by this author to see how her writing evolves.

I was really excited to begin reading this book. It started strong but kind of started to fizzle out. The story was good but didn't necessarily have a shock to it to keep me super hooked on the story.

This was a wild ride! I’m shocked this is a debut novel, because it sounded like it was written by a seasoned thriller author 👏🏻

Books like this are usually hit-or-miss for me, but I loved the drama and suspense of the neighborhood, the secrets, and the twists and turns! I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t stop reading. Who knew the DC suburbs were so wild 🤣

There was a twist at the end that was (very) wild - still not sure how I feel about it. Also, if my husband talked to me the same way Sam talked to his wife…💀🪦 (this would be him)

If you’re looking for a unique read, give this one a try!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a gifted copy

A riveting neighborhood mystery sparked by a family man being found dead on a trail. Intriguing and so good!

Alexis and her husband Sam buy a fixer upper in a really prominent and wealthy neighborhood. Things seem to be looking up for the both of them as Sam is close to making partner at his firm but, then a man is found on the trail dead. Cops can’t figure it out and the tension in the neighborhood is evident. Alexis and the widow, Blair are becoming fast friends. But what is truly going on in the neighborhood? What secrets are hidden?

I enjoyed this read. It kept me interested and wanting to read more. It had the perfect amount of suspense and mystery to allow the story to be believable. It’s a win for me so I’m giving it 4 stars!

Short synopsis: Alexis and Sam buy a run down home in an affluent neighborhood. The neighbors welcome them with open arms, and they are living in bliss until a dead body is found.

My thoughts: I love a good domestic thriller, especially with the wealthy behaving badly, and the scandal involved!

This is your typical popcorn thriller with a fun setting, and some twists and turns.

Ultimately it was a little bit too slow paced for my liking. I like a thriller to be a bit more bingeable, but the length was just right for this!

Read if you love:
- Home remodeling
- Wealthy neighborhoods
- unexpected twists
- hidden secrets
- red herrings

I didn't feel the suspense as much as I would've liked. I didn't guess who was guilty, and the big reveal felt anticlimactic. There were a lot of side characters, but they didn't add anything to the plot or mystery for me.

Overall, What the Neighbors Saw is a good book but not as suspenseful as I like.

What happens when there is a murder in the the suburbs of your new home and you’re changing yourself to try to fit in better?

The main character gets to know her new neighbours and what they are really like.

This isn’t much of a thriller and not very fast paced. But over all, I enjoy a good drama filled book.

What the Neighbors Saw takes place in a neighborhood that may remind you of Desperate Housewives or Real Housewives of Anywhere. Alexis and Sam are ambitious with competitive careers. Sam is close to making partner and putting in impossible hours at a pretigious law firm. Alexis works for a smaller boutique firm as a consultant and is pregnant with their second child. They know where they live will influence decisions like making partner and buy a house just enough beyond their means to cause strife and tension as it turns out to have more urgent repair problems than expected.

They are both drawn to their neighbors down the street, Blair and Teddy. Teddy is a state legislator. Blair is an interior decorator with impeccable taste, not just in decor. They seem the perfect couple.

But then Teddy is murdered. The police do not identify any clear suspect. Of course, the neighbors are all both intrigued and frightened trying to think who it could be. Could it be their gardener, the nanny, could it be one of them. Alexis has a few encounters that make her suspicious and definitely show a scandalous side of the neighborhood.



What the Neighbors Saw is a fast read, a two-bite morsel. That’s a good thing because the characters are not that appealing. Blair is judgmental and hard-edged, a bit condescending and a lot snob, though she covers it well. Alexis is insecure about her Latina heritage and her lack of a father. She always puts her self down which gets annoying. We go back and forth between Blair and Alexis’s point-of-view and neither of them are particularly appealing people to spend time with.

However, I appreciate the mystery and its unexpected resolution. It’s unusual and I don’t mind how it all pans out. I can understand how Blair and Alexis got to where they are and would not be surprised if this is not the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I received an e-galley of What the Neighbors Saw from the publisher through NetGalley.

What the Neighbors Saw at St. Martins Press | Macmillan
Melissa Adelman is on Instagram

I started and stopped this book several times and even tried the audio version. It just wasn’t for me. I ended up DNFing around 23%.

I could not connect with the characters and was not enjoying the story. I will recommend this to those I know would love this type of story. Unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Fabulous book, extremely well-written, with several twists I couldn't predict. The setting was flawless, and the prose top-notch. Kudos to the author; I'll be sure to read her next book!

4 stars. Wow, this book was really good. Loved the DC setting and the intricate relationships between the neighbors.

This was a great mystery. I was still able to figure out who killed Teddy quite a while before the official reveal, but the clues were subtle enough where it wasn't a dead give away in the beginning. The writing style was fluid and the change of character point of view made sense and was not jarring. This was an excellent read since I have found very few mystery/thriller novels that have managed to hold my attention this year. This book was superb and I look forward to seeing what the author writes in the future.

There is lots of drama in this neighborhood and between the pages with twists a plenty. This is a case of keeping up with the Joneses. The story is presented through a dual narrative in alternating chapters. The characters were mostly unlikable, but that did make the story somewhat interesting. If you’re looking for something different, you won’t find it here.

I have mixed feelings about this book. I actually loved how it was a slow burn thriller. I liked the dual POV between neighbors Alexis and Blair. And I liked the flow of the story.

My main issues would be red herrings that didn’t go anywhere and served no purpose to the plot. There was a lot of messy drama in this neighborhood, which did make for an intriguing story, but fell flat in the delivery.

I would recommend this if you like domestic thrillers and are okay with it being slow burn.

3.5 stars

I received a free copy of What the Neighbors Saw from Netgalley and St Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.
A domestic thriller centered around a murder mystery in a small corner neighborhood. Who killed him? Why?
I read this thriller right after The New Mother and a few of the details blended together at the time. Both protagonists are new mothers, recently moved into a neighborhood. And everyone has a secret. In What the Neighbors Saw, Alexis finds herself friends with the widow Blair while the fabric of “perfection” in the neighborhood crumbles around them. I enjoyed this thriller, though it wasn’t as engaging as I had hoped. However, I recommend thriller lovers give it a try, as the twist was absolutely shocking.