The Neighborhood

Like most if not all thriller fans, I had been awaiting Matthew Betley’s return to the thrillerverse for quite some time, especially with the secrecy around his new book. The Neighborhood is a classic Betley powerhouse of a thriller oozing unrelenting action and badassery out of every single page. It’s not hard to see why this was auctioned off to Hollywood even before its release.
Matthew Betley introduces readers to a brand new protagonist, Zachary Chambers. Zack’s living the suburban life with his family and putting his dark and violent past behind him when his neighborhood is attacked by a group of former special forces soldiers with a mission to acquire a particular object of utmost importance from one of Zack’s neighbors. The plan goes awry and violent, forcing Zack to step up into his warrior persona and go commando on the bad guys, letting the beast out once again.
Betley supercharges the narrative with quite a few well-timed and unexpected twists that drastically crank up the mystique and intrigue in a matter of few pages once the action gets going. In the midst of brutal and vicious combat, the shocking revelations keep the full plot unpredictable throughout the length of the book, achieving its goal of keeping you up past your bedtime. Zack’s affiliation with the three-letter agency introduces a beguiling espionage angle into the story.
The spotlight of The Neighborhood is undoubtedly much more intense on the trademark smooth and snazzy action sequences extensively found in Betley’s books. Zack utilizes state of the art weaponry to take out his targets in awesomely savage shootouts and fisticuffs written in detailed style and finesse for the hardcore action fans to soak up. You can’t help but wonder how spectacular the action would look on the screen.
Matthew Betley puts you in the hot seat as the narrative cranks gears in the blink of an eye. From the adrenaline-high of action to the sheer terror of being caught in such a grave circumstance, you experience a barrage of emotions and feelings on this thriller ride. Aside from a slightly anti-climactic ending and a bit of an unnatural conversational dialogues, this is a hot launching-pad for a lethal and witty new hero with a heart of gold and a penchant for stacking up a high body count. I can’t wait for him to meet Logan West, if that is in the cards. Chambers and give West would be unstoppable!

Full review will be posted with blurb image on https://www.bestthrillerbooks.com

This story totally captured me from the first page till the very end.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Matthew Betley is an an excellent thriller.
And Betley is a brilliant writer.
There were many twists and turns in this one but the ending was hard to decipher.
Matthew is excellent at building suspense. He also does an excellent job of developing his protagonist, who has more layers than an onion.
When the conclusion arrived, I was shocked by the reveal.
I did not anticipate the ending.
It wrapped everything up nicely.
It is a completely enthralling book that will grab and keep your attention for every page!!!

Blackstone Publishing,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

It's been a few years since we've seen a full-length novel from Matthew Betley, and the wait was well worth it. Known for his action packed Logan West series, Betley used the time to create his best work to date. The Neighborhood encompasses what he is best known for: withering action, multilayered characters and gallows humor that helps cut the tension along with a plot that is original and fresh.

The Neighborhood grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. An affluent, isolated subdivision is attacked by mercenaries because someone in the neighborhood has stolen something that could alter the balance of the world over. The protagonist, Zack Chambers, is known to his neighbors as a software developer but in his previous life he was an elite operator with the CIA's Special Activities Division. It's a life he's left behind but when the police show up to evacuate the neighborhood he senses something isn't right. He takes it upon himself to protect his neighbors and stop the attackers.

The Neighborhood is part cloak and dagger thriller as well as a love story between fathers and sons, brothers and teenage first love. Filled with twists and turns and shocking revelations, The Neighborhood is one you don't want to miss!

My sincere thanks to Matthew Betley, Blackstone Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advance copy of The Neighborhood.

Matthew Betley is back in a big way with The Neighborhood, an action-packed, bloody, highly immersive thriller that is guaranteed to elicit fist-pumps and gasps from readers as they progress through this entertaining novel.

Hidden Refuge is a safe and idyllic suburban neighborhood filled with big homes, each on 2 acres of land and inhabited by wealthy residents. However, their world gets turned upside down when law enforcement personnel show up in the middle of the night, asking the residents to evacuate due to a chemical spill a few miles away. However, there is no chemical spill and these are not police officers. This is a band of violent and highly capable mercenaries who will stop at nothing to retrieve an item hidden somewhere in this neighborhood. Prepared with a solid plan and thinking this operation will be in and out, they didn’t account for Zack Chambers, a man with a certain set of skills from his former life. And Zack is highly motivated to protect his neighbors at all costs, ruthlessly taking the flight to the enemy with some unlikely allies. Because this time, it’s personal!

The Neighborhood is a summer blockbuster movie waiting to happen. It’s got everything you’d expect from a cinematic thrill ride. Tons of action and bloodshed. A psychotic megalomaniac bad guy who thinks he’s smarter than everyone, leading a band of trigger-happy mercenaries in it for the money. A suburban family man who thought he left his past behind, only to be thrust into a situation he didn’t want but finding it invigorates him and allows him to address some unfinished business. Improbable heroes stepping up and finding strength they didn’t know they possessed. Young love blossoming under intense circumstances. Acts of courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good. Big blindsiding twists. A satisfying conclusion to the siege. And the door being left ever so slightly ajar for a sequel. What more could you possibly want?

The result is The Neighborhood containing all the makings of the classic action flicks from the 80’s and 90’s. Think Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Under Siege and The Rock. Which is totally awesome and highly enjoyable, speaking as someone who grew up with those movies. Big Props to Matthew Betley for crafting a fun, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a likable protagonist you can’t help but stand up and cheer for as he brings the fight to the detestable bad guys. A very enjoyable experience!

One of my favorite authors returns with a high-action thriller, The Neighborhood, that will keep you reading late into the night until it’s over.

Zack Chambers lives in a suburb utopia called Hidden Refuge, but the neighborhood is turned upside down when the members of the area are asked to leave due to a chemical spill nearby. But when mercenaries show up instead to retrieve an item at one of Chamber’s neighbor’s homes, Chambers reacts in the best way he knows how, with unrelenting violence.

Betley has been known to craft high velocity, balls to the wall action scenes. He first introduced us to Logan West years ago, and he’s continued to wow his readers with ultra violence and flying bullets. The Neighborhood reads like a movie script, and Betley is the master at writing compelling characters and sequences of action that will have you flying through the pages.

The Neighborhood is a fast-paced, egde-of-your-seat thriller.
A normal neighborhood. Until mercenaries, pretending to be police, come seeking a secret that someone in the neighborhood is hiding - that could mean the demise of the world.
The protagonist, Zach Chambers, is ex-CIA, and fights the evil powers -

So many layers to this book. Twists every time I think I had the lay of the land.

Read it in a weekend - didn't want to put it down.

In a “cosmic reckoning” for the ages, Matthew Betley brings non-stop action in his new thriller, The Neighborhood.

Taking place mainly over the course of one night in Hidden Refuge, a dangerous team impostering police officers is hired to locate an item that has been tracked down to the vicinity of this wealthy neighborhood. However, Family man Zack Chambers, a former Special Forces CIA operator, will delve down into his prior skillset to protect his community at all costs. With the help of his younger neighbor and brother, blood with be shed while Zack brings down this insurgence – or dies trying.

This riveting novel was a page-turner; with a backstory that goes back 6 years to Malta, Betley’s clever twists show how everything “always comes full circle.” From the field to suburbia, “[t]he battlegrounds may change, but the battles remain the same” and when you are dealing with a “stone-cold killer without a conscience,” all bets are off when it comes to predictability and the fate of the characters.

Action packed, brazen and compelling, this book is like one long fight scene that you won’t want to put down. As a side note, I did look up Popeye Village and had no idea it even existed – the island looks beautiful! It makes you wonder what the government is always doing behind the scenes that the general population will never know about.

My dad always recommends good books to me and introduced me to Lee Child, Vince Flynn, Michael Connelly etc. at a young age. This time, I’m excited to introduce Matthew Betley to him and will be recommending this book to him right when it comes out! I give this 4.6 stars and will be going back to read the author’s Logan West books; I hope this becomes a series as well!

It goes to show you – do you ever really know your neighbors?

Thank you to NetGalley for this gripping ARC; all opinions are my own and honest!

Mercenaries attack a suburban housing development in The Neighborhood, a highly entertaining, if highly implausible thriller from author Matthew Betley. Unbeknown to the attackers, several of the residents have their own dark history, and that sets up a fierce and violent battle, with almost all the action confined to the neighborhood. Interesting (if a little over the top) characters, and a simple plot made this an enjoyable read. Hoping for another book with these characters. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In "The Neighborhood", mercenaries attack a wealthy subdivision to acquire an item from one of its inhabitants. Unbeknownst to them, one of the residents, Zach Chambers could very well deliver Liam Neeson’s famous speech from "The Taking” -- “I have are a very particular set of skills. Skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you.” This book is a roller coaster ride of twists and turns until the final explosive ending.

I am officially a big fan of this author. This book was tense, action packed, full of suspense with great characters! I want more of the Chambers Brothers. And more Sam and Ben. I wasn't ready for this story to end. It was just that damn good. It's totally different from anything I've read in this genre lately. And the jaw dropping reveal towards the end left me stunned. Excellent read!

After a few years of waiting for a new Matthew Betley novel after the last Logan West book, we finally receive "The Neighborhood", a story with a new protagonist but the same explosive action and excitement that Betley is known for.

When his neighbourhood is held hostage by mercenaries looking to find a mysterious item, our new hero Zack Chambers has to return to his special forces past to save the day

The novel reads like an action movie script and keeps you on the edge of your seat right up til the end. Hopefully there are more Zack Chambers novels coming in the future

The Neighborhood



Matthew Betley



Hidden Refuge a normal happy town USA type community.  Things change quickly when a group claiming to be police officers come in and try to take over.  They’re on a mission, but the people of Hidden Refuge are not going to take it laying down.  This action packed novel, isn’t something I would normally read, but I really enjoyed it.   I would love to see this made into a movie.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Don’t pass up this book, you will not be disappointed!  Out 8/9



Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone publishing for the ARC

Yes Yes Yes !!! Not the kind Of book I normally go for I was pleasantly surprised. Once the action started it was nonstop.
What started out as a typical suburban night for its residents turned into a hellish nightmare. Covert operations to retrieve a laptop that possibly contains highly classified government information turns into a night of surprise reunions and plans gone awry.
Not for the feint of heart but a great read nonetheless !!

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review the fantastic book.

Matthew Betley, author of the Logan West series, introduces Zack Chambers in The Neighborhood. In an upscale gated community the residents have always felt safe. A gate, however, is no deterrent to modern technology and a group of former military men who are determined to retrieve a laptop. With communications jammed and a number of men disguised as policemen, they planned to evacuate the residents so they would be free to search the homes. Citing a nearby train wreck with toxic fumes, it is going as planned until one of the residents makes a threatening gesture and is shot. The plan never anticipated the presence of Zack Chambers, a highly trained veteran and a former member of the CIA. The sound of gunshots sends him into the nearby woods, where he can observe and take actions to protect the residents.

Sam is Zack’s seventeen year old neighbor and the babysitter for his children. Zack’s wife and children are away for the weekend, as are Sam’s parents. She is resourceful and observant. Rather than evacuate, she stayed hidden in her house. Armed with her father’s shotgun she is not afraid to defend herself, but Zack’s mission for Sam is to get out of the development and notify the authorities. What she returns with is Zack’s brother Nick, a former Navy Seal and current US marshal. If one Chambers brother can cause havoc, two brothers make a formidable pair.

Betley alternates the current crisis with scenes from Zack’s past. It was an assignment in Malta that finally ended his career with the CIA. An attack on a Russian contractor and his partner would have killed innocent civilians. Zack went against orders to capture them without civilian casualties. His superior, Griffin Huntsmen, was a sociopath who would have killed anyone to achieve his goal. Now Griffin is in charge of the assault on the neighborhood. Zack knows that he will kill anyone who stands in his way. In one single night it is a life or death struggle that will have you quickly turning pages as Betley raises tensions to a level that will leave you breathless and hoping to see Zack return in the future. I would like to thank NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing this book for my review.

After a recent book slump, this was perfect timing for me to read this one. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was perfect!! The book drew me in immediately and I enjoyed the storyline all the way to the end. It was interesting and suspenseful, highly recommend!