I live near Sacramento and am very familiar with the fab 40s and surrounding area so this was a super fun read to experience from that aspect. The author did a good job building the mystery and suspense as well.

Best House on the Block by T. R. Ragan is a delectable tense psychological thriller about neighbours, loyalty and trust. Do you truly know those who live next door....or in your own home?

Shannon Gibbons is a stay-at-home mom who wishes for more. When infamous and outspoken journalist Rosella Marlow contacts her with a mysterious offer she cannot refuse, Shannon and her family move to an affluent Sacramento neighbourhood. She immediately meets several neighbours including Rosella who makes a spine tingling request which doesn't sit well with Shannon. The aspiring journalist with the curiosity of a sleuth is on high alert when someone on the street is murdered. As police question the long list of suspects, Shannon and a new friend start inveigling on their own. As they peel back the layers, secret after secret after secret is exposed. Everyone has a past, too. Bound by murder yet not necessarily united, one Sacramento street is under the microscope of suspicion.

Ragan's writing is atmospheric and loaded with vitality. Talk about an immersive read! It hit me in the right spots. It will cause you to observe your neighbours a tiny bit more cautiously and also be more mindful of what kind of neighbour you are.

My sincere thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating novel.

Rosella Marlow was a complex character. Was she liked by anyone? Did anything she say was truthful? Did she know everything, or did she just bluff her way through it all? Her home in the Fabulous Forties district was an award winner, but the death of her son and husband, and losing the house crown spiralled her into a very weird and twisted woman, seeking revenge, vindication and existing in a heightened state of paranoia. Of course a menacing note saying “I Know What You Did” with a grisly stick figure would set her over the edge, as Shannon Gibbons found out when she started her new job with Rosella, as her researcher. And what a surprise for Shannon to find Rosella dead the next day, slumped over her desk, stabbed by a letter opener.
There is A LOT of history to cover in this story. There is also a list of characters, all homeowners in the same street that are linked to each other, linked by the past, and linked to everything unfolding as the murder of Rosella is investigated by two apathetic detectives. Chloe and Wesley Leavitt, Jason and Dianne Abbott, Kaylynn and Nicolas Alcozar, Becky and Holly Bateman, and all of the children – there are a lot of characters to get your head around which adds to the mystery elements of this story but if you are not reading carefully you will get lost among them all. There are so many clues along the way, and it was a shame that one of the major clues was revealed so early on because there could have been a few more breadcrumbs before that came to light. Nothing was really a surprise but more of an indepth explanation or reason to why things were happening and being covered up. By the end I could have sworn this was a written storyline for Desperate Housewives. However, what this story did depict well was the power of friendship and how quickly they can dissolve and that sometimes your friends say more about you then you realise.
Rosella puzzled me, even as the end drew near. I was never sure of her motives and when the final reveals happened, I could sort of understand her actions but at the same time, it took a while to get here. Yes, this is a great element for a mystery, buy when there are so many secondary story lines competing it can be hard to give the main one the attention it deserved.

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 4⭐️

While I did find this one entertaining, I also felt it was a bit confusing. There were a lot of characters to keep track of!! 😵‍💫

The prologue definitely started it off with a bang, when a child is kidnapped. But then we don’t get back to the kidnapping until maybe the last quarter of the book.

It also had its twists, though the big twist towards the end had me scratching my head a bit and trying to do math! 😅

Like I said, I did find this entertaining so I do recommend checking it out!! 🤓

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read the eARC in exchange for my honest review! ❤️

!! Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review !!
3.5

I don't even know where to start in this book. I didn't see a lot of the twist coming even though it's made a little obvious in the first chapter where the story was going to end up. There were so many twist and I have to admit that I did guess the wrong person at least five times and I am not ashamed to say it.

Also, I should have known the adoption thing was going to be a big deal, it may have been me skipping a few sentences but I had no idea that Blake and Ridley were supposed to be twins, I thought he was a year older than her so that was a little weird. And I wasn't expecting the multi-POV in this book but it was refreshing to see everything going on through the eyes of each character.

I did think this was going a different direction but I can't even be mad at the turn it took. The only sort of gripe I had with it is the weird way that some of the characters talk. It was a little weird how they spoke sometimes like they were reading a script. At one point in time, one of the characters was describing something that happened to another and I didn't realize it was supposed to be in quotes because it sounded like a description paragraph and it was coming from a teenage character no less.

I just thought that was weird, but I liked the ending and the big reveal between Shannon and Chloe, amazing relationship!

2.5 ⭐️

This book had promise, I the prologue hooked me right from the start. Unfortunately, things didn’t progress very quickly and it was a pretty slow burn. I had actually forgotten all about the prologue and didn’t make the connection to the rest of the book until after. I also had a hard time keeping up with all of the characters and found myself not really invested in what happened to them. I was glad I finished it to find out what happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, what a fun rollercoaster! I read this book in a day because I quickly got invested in the characters and all of their secrets. I enjoyed Shannon and Chloe and their quest to solve the murder of their extremely unlikable neighbor Rosella and everything they learned about their neighbors and each other along the way. This book really has a lot of surprises!

While I was so invested to read this title from the beginning to halfway, I found it very slow paced and way too many characters for me to keep track who is who and what they actually want in here. It might have been easier with lesser characters and i know some may enjoy it more , but I can’t really say that this is a good game for my reading understanding and enjoyment.

I am a T. R. Ragan fan from previous books. This was a “solid” read. In my opinion, it was a slow burn until the middle of the book where it really started to pick up. My opinion is mine alone. I would encourage everyone to read “The Best House on The Block” for themselves.

Rosella Marlow is not a likeable person. She is the "Karen" in neighborhood, obsessed with finding and exposing everyone's secrets. Especially if she does not win 'best house on the block'. So when she is found dead by the newest neighbor Shannon, everyone is a suspect.

I really enjoy domestic psychological thrillers. I liked the mystery surrounding Rosella's death and how everyone in the neighborhood had their secrets, but unfortunately, I could never really get into this one. There is a large cast of characters and having Shannon and Chloe become amateur sleuths trying to solve the murder on their own was a bit silly. I don't think I would be out there trying to solve a murder after thinking one of the neighbors did it.... that's just putting a target on your back. The writing style, including the dialogue, was a little cringey at times. It was an ok book, but I may think twice about picking up this author again.

This book was drama to the max! I did enjoy it and felt like it was a fun read- I finished in one evening. I have a feeling the general consensus for this one is going to be engaged, happy readers!

The story takes you on a full on thriller ride - if you
Think you have it figured out.. be prepared for the rug to get pulled out from under you.😂 which somehow worked for me, I enjoyed being shocked! Very well done by the author!

It was a good story just not my favorite. I’m hoping on final edits someone catches the times in the book where the wrong names are used which can get a bit confusing and made it challenging at times.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this fun arc in exchange for my honest review!

The gossip. The secrets. The murder mystery..... I wanted to really enjoy this book but there were some things that fell off for me.

There are a lot of characters in this book - which makes sense given the plot - but it made it impossible to really become invested with the characters. I felt around 40-60% of the book, I am just reading just to read it and hope that it surprises me in the end.

I was not surprised. I wish there were more clues to actually LEAD the reader to help be apart of figuring out who murdered one of the characters. Instead, I was just being told information as I went along with the book. It wasn't until 95% that we started getting the answers. We were just told things. Yes, 1-2 things were uncovered that could be considered "shocking" or a revelation. It may have had a bigger impact on me if we could be more invested in the characters. BUT I feel like as far as the "main" plot, I still didn't fully get to understand Rosella's full intention or what her goal was.

Overall, my initial thought is that the story was an easy read but fell flat for me.

I wanted to love this book but felt it dragged on in certain places. While i enjoyed the characters and the suspense buildup i was overall bored most of the time

I really enjoyed this one! It’s about a woman named Shannon, who just moved into a nice neighborhood, and she quickly connects with her neighbor, Rosella—a famous journalist. But, of course, Rosella isn’t exactly what she seems and there's a lot of mystery with the neighborhood in general. Rosella is bitter and obsessed with digging up dirt on her neighbors, and things get really messy when someone turns up dead.

The plot is solid, with plenty of twists that kept me guessing. Even though some of the conversations between characters felt a little off or unnatural at times, it didn’t take away from the overall vibe. The pacing was great—it moved fast enough to keep me hooked but still gave me time to absorb the story.

I also liked the characters. Rosella was a perfect mix of creepy and unpredictable, and Shannon’s curiosity felt real. The ending tied things up nicely, which I appreciated.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book!

There has never been a back I haven't found exceptional by T.R Ragan ! She has done it again this book is so twisty and good. Great stay up all night read!

A kidnapping, a murder and a neighborhood full of secrets, what’s not to love about this book! I really enjoyed this book, the only downside for me was the large amount of characters you had to keep track off. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Book: Best House on the Block
Author: T.R. Regan
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Pub Date: actually two dates listed - January 1, 2025 as well as November 5, 2024
My Rating: 3.5 Stars
Pages: 287

Why, this title? Journalist Rosella Marlow lives in a beautiful house in the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento and for several years was the winner of the ‘Best House on the Block’; however recently the award went to Chloe and Wesley Leavitt who live across the street.

Now Shannon Gibbons, a hopeful investigative journalist, her husband Trey and their daughter Mackenzie (Mac) recently moved into a home in the neighborhood. Shannon is delighted when she finds out her neighbor is journalist Rosella Marlow-then is excited when Rosella befriends her.
However Rosella is not liked by the neighbors, which doesn’t bother Rosella- in fact, she enjoys being loathed and actually revels in the hate directed towards her.
So when Rosella is found murdered, everyone in the neighborhood is a suspect.

With the help of a Chloe, Shannon begins an investigation.
As a thriller fan I enjoyed their conversations regarding possible whodunits.

Although this story wasn’t a big WOW it certainly held my interest.
Plus the adoption situation was interesting.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this early eGalley.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for January 1, 2025.

I’m really struggling on what to give this book. I did like it. I didn’t love it. Will I remember it down the road and think I need to tell ppl about this book. Probably not.
It started out with a bang. Then it fell off. I found it very slow and all over the place to be honest. There is so many characters to keep track of. And none of them really cling to you. I found it hard to keep track of who was who at first. There was so much going on and yet so little. It started off with a kidnapping and then nothing about it till closer to the end. A murder takes place 4 years later that is the main plot of the story. Everyone on the block is a suspect. Everyone had reason to want her dead. Yes there is a few twists and turns. But nothing you really don’t see coming to be honest. If you’re a fan of desperate housewives and drama this might be up your alley.

🏡Book Review🏡
Best House on the Block by TR Ragan

Aspiring investigative journalist Shannon Gibbons and her family have moved into a beautiful house in the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento, where Shannon finds a fast connection with a new neighbor, a renowned journalist, Rosella Marlow. However, Rosella is bitter and has a weird obsession - watching her neighbours and wanting to expose their dark secrets. Revealing a neighbor’s deep secrets and dark obsessions turns to murder in a shocking novel of psychological suspense.

This book is slow to start. I paused this at around 10% and it took me a few days to continue reading. It might be me, but I wasn't that invested in the story.

The large number of characters also does not help. I'm not sure why thriller authors love to include so many characters nowadays. It probably is to throw us off our course and increase the number of suspects in the story. If well written, it might work in favour of the author. Unfortunately, this is not the case for this novel.

The characters are under-developed. I prefer thrillers with well-developed characters as they give me insight to their motives and characteristics.

I also feel like author is trying to achieve too many suspense and threads that they got tangled after a while. The plot subsequently, became messy and the plot hole became bigger. 😅 At around the third quarter, I almost didn't care about the storyline.

Overall, this is a weak thriller and I didn't really enjoy it. Sad to say, this book is not for me. However, don't let my opinions keep you from trying it. After all, one man's meat is always another man's poison.

Thank you NetGalley @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

#arcreader #thriller #trragan #besthouseontheblock #netgalleyarc #netgalley

Neighborhood drama meets murder mystery.

The book opens with the kidnapping of a toddler, then flashes forward to a young women moving into one of the nicest neighborhoods in town.
If you’re from Sacramento, you know about the Fab 40s. Being familiar with, and having frequented this neighborhood myself, made this a fun and engaging read.

A woman on the block who nobody likes is murdered, which means the suspect list includes pretty much everyone. Two women are determined to do their own investigation to find out who may have killed her. But along the way there’s plenty of drama amongst the neighbors, including fights and arrests made by police.

In investigating this crime, the two woman who had been strangers not too long ago are brought much closer than they ever could have imagined.

Definitely recommend if you like a murder mystery sprinkled with family drama and adultery. Well written.