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Best House on the Block
Revealing a neighbor’s deep secrets and dark obsessions turns to murder in a shocking novel of psychological suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.
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. Renowned journalist Rosella Marlow appears to have a genuine interest in giving Shannon’s own career a boost—as personal assistant on Rosella’s new project. Appearances are deceiving.
Bitter, resentful, and consumed by excruciating grief, Rosella is obsessed with wiping the smiles off her contented neighbors’ faces. Now she’s watching closely, ready to expose their secrets. Secrets dark enough to destroy lives. In Shannon, Rosella has a trusting and unwitting accomplice. But Rosella is being watched, too. And when someone is found murdered, everyone on this quiet block is a suspect. Because everyone has a motive.
With the help of a friend, Shannon begins an investigation into the death of a person she just met. As neighbor is pitted against neighbor, the truth is much scarier than anything they imagined.
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. Renowned journalist Rosella Marlow appears to have a genuine interest in giving Shannon’s own career a boost—as personal assistant on Rosella’s new project. Appearances are deceiving.
Bitter, resentful, and consumed by excruciating grief, Rosella is obsessed with wiping the smiles off her contented neighbors’ faces. Now she’s watching closely, ready to expose their secrets. Secrets dark enough to destroy lives. In Shannon, Rosella has a trusting and unwitting accomplice. But Rosella is being watched, too. And when someone is found murdered, everyone on this quiet block is a suspect. Because everyone has a motive.
With the help of a friend, Shannon begins an investigation into the death of a person she just met. As neighbor is pitted against neighbor, the truth is much scarier than anything they imagined.
287 pages, Paperback
First published November 5, 2024
4504 people are currently reading
11383 people want to read
About the author
T.R. Ragan
25 books2,073 followersT.R. Ragan (Theresa Ragan) is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestselling mystery and thriller author.
Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter or getting their name in a TR RAGAN book should check out her website at www.trragan.com
Facebook • Twitter • Instagram: @trraganauthor
LIZZY GARDNER SERIES
Abducted
Dead Weight
A Dark Mind
Obsessed
Almost Dead
Evil Never Dies
FAITH MCMANN TRILOGY
Furious
Outrage
Wrath
JESSIE COLE SERIES
Her Last Day
Deadly Recall
Deranged - 10/18
Buried Deep - 4/19
Readers interested in signing up for a monthly newsletter or getting their name in a TR RAGAN book should check out her website at www.trragan.com
Facebook • Twitter • Instagram: @trraganauthor
LIZZY GARDNER SERIES
Abducted
Dead Weight
A Dark Mind
Obsessed
Almost Dead
Evil Never Dies
FAITH MCMANN TRILOGY
Furious
Outrage
Wrath
JESSIE COLE SERIES
Her Last Day
Deadly Recall
Deranged - 10/18
Buried Deep - 4/19
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
August 29, 2024
What if someone in your neighborhood threatened to expose the secrets of everyone living on your street!? Would you kill them to keep them quiet? Probably not you, (at least I hope not!) But someone was murdered and everyone in the neighborhood is now a suspect.
It’s been a long while since I’ve picked up a T.R. Ragan book. I enjoyed the first few books of her Jessie Cole series but had never tried one of her stand –alone books.. So when seeing this latest, a neighborhood thriller, (one of my favorite sub genres) I was all in.
Unfortunately this book failed to grab me. I had little connection to the characters and storyline. I always like to get caught up in the drama of the neighborhood…like a fly on the wall. But I just didn’t feel it.🤷🏻♀️
Hoping you will have a more positive experience!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
It’s been a long while since I’ve picked up a T.R. Ragan book. I enjoyed the first few books of her Jessie Cole series but had never tried one of her stand –alone books.. So when seeing this latest, a neighborhood thriller, (one of my favorite sub genres) I was all in.
Unfortunately this book failed to grab me. I had little connection to the characters and storyline. I always like to get caught up in the drama of the neighborhood…like a fly on the wall. But I just didn’t feel it.🤷🏻♀️
Hoping you will have a more positive experience!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer
December 9, 2024
Omg! This was so good that it is 2:25 and I just now finished this! So dang good!
The book starts where a man crosses paths with an unattended toddler. He takes the opportunity to save (kidnap) him since he and his wife can’t have anymore children. Then it forwards to four years later.
Shannon and her family have relocated into a gorgeous and luxury community. She has been asked to team up with a famous journalist to work on a project about her neighborhood. The neighborhood is Shannon’s neighborhood too, she’s her neighbor.
Shortly after Shannon settles in, there is a brutal murder. Who is the killer in this fabulous community and is it someone they know? This was all about scandal, murder, secrets and lies! The juicy stuff and I loved every bit of it! Be prepared as it gets a little crazy at the end. Twists galore 🔥
This was my first read by T.R. Ragan and definitely won’t be my last! Thanks so much Thomas & Mercer, Netgalley and T.R. Ragan for the opportunity! Publication date January 1, 2025
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The book starts where a man crosses paths with an unattended toddler. He takes the opportunity to save (kidnap) him since he and his wife can’t have anymore children. Then it forwards to four years later.
Shannon and her family have relocated into a gorgeous and luxury community. She has been asked to team up with a famous journalist to work on a project about her neighborhood. The neighborhood is Shannon’s neighborhood too, she’s her neighbor.
Shortly after Shannon settles in, there is a brutal murder. Who is the killer in this fabulous community and is it someone they know? This was all about scandal, murder, secrets and lies! The juicy stuff and I loved every bit of it! Be prepared as it gets a little crazy at the end. Twists galore 🔥
This was my first read by T.R. Ragan and definitely won’t be my last! Thanks so much Thomas & Mercer, Netgalley and T.R. Ragan for the opportunity! Publication date January 1, 2025
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 7, 2025
Shannon Gibbons and her family have moved into a beautiful house in the Fabulous Forties of East Sacramento, California, where she hopes to begin working on a special project for renowned journalist and neighbour Rosella Marlow. Rosella ends up being a totally different person than Shannon expected and, following their initial meeting, things go from bad to worse.
The Fabulous Forties district is known for its beautiful homes and mix of architecture and 'Best House on the Block' is an annual award presented to - what else? - the best house on this particular block. Not sure if the contest is a real thing but the area is.
Shannon teams up with her neighbour Chloe to investigate what's going on in their neighbourhood as far as a recent murder is concerned and who could've disliked the victim enough to kill her. There are a lot of characters in this book but it wasn't a problem keeping the main ones straight. Everyone in the neighbourhood seems to have a secret and Rosella Marlow is determined to expose their secrets in a tell-all article written by Shannon. A good easy-reading novel with a few twists but nothing jaw-dropping. I didn't enjoy it as much as a couple of others by this author that I've read.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: January 1, 2025
The Fabulous Forties district is known for its beautiful homes and mix of architecture and 'Best House on the Block' is an annual award presented to - what else? - the best house on this particular block. Not sure if the contest is a real thing but the area is.
Shannon teams up with her neighbour Chloe to investigate what's going on in their neighbourhood as far as a recent murder is concerned and who could've disliked the victim enough to kill her. There are a lot of characters in this book but it wasn't a problem keeping the main ones straight. Everyone in the neighbourhood seems to have a secret and Rosella Marlow is determined to expose their secrets in a tell-all article written by Shannon. A good easy-reading novel with a few twists but nothing jaw-dropping. I didn't enjoy it as much as a couple of others by this author that I've read.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Publication Date: January 1, 2025
June 3, 2024
This one started out with a bang!
We start out learning about a kidnapping of a small child. Then we go forward in time where a woman moves to a block of houses and begins to learn that all her neighbors are hiding secrets and there is a murder.
Pretty much everyone in this book had motive for the murder. But not just that, pretty much everyone was in or around the house at the time of the murder. Everyone on this block was trouble it seemed.
There were so many connections between each person and each time I thought I had something figured out, something new would come up.
I really enjoyed this story. The only minor downside is there are so many characters you have to really pay attention and keep a running list in your head of the characters to keep up with the story. But other than that, it is a very unique, fast-paced, exciting story.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
We start out learning about a kidnapping of a small child. Then we go forward in time where a woman moves to a block of houses and begins to learn that all her neighbors are hiding secrets and there is a murder.
Pretty much everyone in this book had motive for the murder. But not just that, pretty much everyone was in or around the house at the time of the murder. Everyone on this block was trouble it seemed.
There were so many connections between each person and each time I thought I had something figured out, something new would come up.
I really enjoyed this story. The only minor downside is there are so many characters you have to really pay attention and keep a running list in your head of the characters to keep up with the story. But other than that, it is a very unique, fast-paced, exciting story.
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 3, 2024
Thank you to the author, T.R. Ragen, and publisher, Thomas & Mercer, for providing me with this ARC! Pub Date is November 05, 2024!! I was very excited to read this book.
This is my first novel by this author, and they did not disappoint. I really enjoyed their writing style. This book was not just a thriller but a full-circle story, too. I loved how the author incorporated suspense and topics that had some depth to them. There were just so many layers. The prologue hooked me; at first, I wasn't sure how it would tie into the story, but it was so interesting to see how the story unfolded.
Some areas fell short, but nothing deterred me from enjoying the book as a whole. If the book had been written in the first person, it may have helped the dialogue, but it is a solid 4-star book regardless! I look forward to reading more from T.R. Ragan.
Add this to your TBR! It is an engaging, twisty, and suspenseful book. Best House on the Block is a binge-worthy story that will have you hooked until the last page.
✨
This is my first novel by this author, and they did not disappoint. I really enjoyed their writing style. This book was not just a thriller but a full-circle story, too. I loved how the author incorporated suspense and topics that had some depth to them. There were just so many layers. The prologue hooked me; at first, I wasn't sure how it would tie into the story, but it was so interesting to see how the story unfolded.
Some areas fell short, but nothing deterred me from enjoying the book as a whole. If the book had been written in the first person, it may have helped the dialogue, but it is a solid 4-star book regardless! I look forward to reading more from T.R. Ragan.
Add this to your TBR! It is an engaging, twisty, and suspenseful book. Best House on the Block is a binge-worthy story that will have you hooked until the last page.
✨
June 9, 2024
Resentful and bitter after the recent death of her son, Rosella Marlow begins taking her anger out on those around her but especially those with the seemingly happiest lives. A retired journalist, now living as somewhat of a recluse, she has all the dirt on all of her neighbors and she is determined to make them suffer just like she is. She sets out to accomplish her plan with the help of the unknowing Shannon Gibbons, who, as an aspiring journalist, is under the impression that she is receiving mentorship from Rosella. When a neighbor turns up dead, this otherwise quiet and quaint neighborhood begins to implode.
This book is full of drama drama drama! Just when you think you have it figured out, the rug is pulled out from under you. There are a lot of characters and everyone has motive.
There are a few instances where character names are used incorrectly so I hope an editor is going to comb through this again before publication. Some of the dialogue is unbelievable or seemed a little too cheesy for me and it took me out of the story.
I would recommend this if you are a fan of fun domestic, suburban thrillers!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 11/05/2024
This book is full of drama drama drama! Just when you think you have it figured out, the rug is pulled out from under you. There are a lot of characters and everyone has motive.
There are a few instances where character names are used incorrectly so I hope an editor is going to comb through this again before publication. Some of the dialogue is unbelievable or seemed a little too cheesy for me and it took me out of the story.
I would recommend this if you are a fan of fun domestic, suburban thrillers!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review. Available 11/05/2024
June 5, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 Suburban Blissful Murdering Stars !!
Y’all this book totally surprised me , in a good way!
Best House on the Block is a combination of Desperate Housewives meets Murder She Wrote .
“Most outsiders who strolled down her tree-lined street would believe the inhabitants were living the American dream ….But they would be wrong 👀 “!
Read this if you like :
🔎 Multiple POV
🔎 Suburban Settings
🔎 Lots of Characters
🔎 Mystery
🔎 Binegable Reads
I raced through this book , it starts off so strong as we learn of a man who kidnaps a little boy and then we find ourselves in present day in the perfect little neighborhood. Or is it ?
Shannon and her husband have just moved to the block and Shannon has the opportunity to work alongside a journalist she idolizes Rosella .
Rosella hand selected Shannon , and the crazed woman shares information with Shannon that she thinks someone is out to get her. 😮
Then suddenly Rosella is found murdered and it seems everyone on the block has a motive 😳
As the story unfolds Shannon puts her sleuthing expertise to work with the help of her nosey neighbour Chloe . The two of them together find themselves caught in a dangerous position that could cost them their lives , so they must tread carefully…. But beware could the murderer be their neighbour, their spouse or could it be one of them ??
This was such a fun bingeable fast paced read that also had some charm to it. It does have a lot of characters so could get the reader tangled up at times , however I was able to navigate and couldn’t wait to see how it ended !!
I really think fans of Freida McFadden Jeneva Rose and B.A. Paris will absolutely devour this read !
This is my first time reading this author and will not be my last !!
Thank you NetGalley , Thomas & Mercer and T.R. Ragan for this great mystery digital ARC 🙌🏼
Respectfully Another Read by Angie
Y’all this book totally surprised me , in a good way!
Best House on the Block is a combination of Desperate Housewives meets Murder She Wrote .
“Most outsiders who strolled down her tree-lined street would believe the inhabitants were living the American dream ….But they would be wrong 👀 “!
Read this if you like :
🔎 Multiple POV
🔎 Suburban Settings
🔎 Lots of Characters
🔎 Mystery
🔎 Binegable Reads
I raced through this book , it starts off so strong as we learn of a man who kidnaps a little boy and then we find ourselves in present day in the perfect little neighborhood. Or is it ?
Shannon and her husband have just moved to the block and Shannon has the opportunity to work alongside a journalist she idolizes Rosella .
Rosella hand selected Shannon , and the crazed woman shares information with Shannon that she thinks someone is out to get her. 😮
Then suddenly Rosella is found murdered and it seems everyone on the block has a motive 😳
As the story unfolds Shannon puts her sleuthing expertise to work with the help of her nosey neighbour Chloe . The two of them together find themselves caught in a dangerous position that could cost them their lives , so they must tread carefully…. But beware could the murderer be their neighbour, their spouse or could it be one of them ??
This was such a fun bingeable fast paced read that also had some charm to it. It does have a lot of characters so could get the reader tangled up at times , however I was able to navigate and couldn’t wait to see how it ended !!
I really think fans of Freida McFadden Jeneva Rose and B.A. Paris will absolutely devour this read !
This is my first time reading this author and will not be my last !!
Thank you NetGalley , Thomas & Mercer and T.R. Ragan for this great mystery digital ARC 🙌🏼
Respectfully Another Read by Angie
October 13, 2024
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.
*Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review*
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.
*Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to read and review*
October 13, 2024
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 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!
Read
January 11, 2025i don’t know if i’m just not vibing with the writing or what, but this isn’t holding my attention at all. i might come back to it at some point though.
dnf at 25%
dnf at 25%
November 17, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my gifted copy of Best House on the Block. All opinions are my own. Overall this was a twisty domestic thriller. I found myself losing interest at times but I feel it was more of a me problem than a book problem.
A who done it in a neighborhood is my usual go to domestic thriller but this one missed a little bit of the mark for me. I did not connect with the story or the characters as much as I would have liked to.
A who done it in a neighborhood is my usual go to domestic thriller but this one missed a little bit of the mark for me. I did not connect with the story or the characters as much as I would have liked to.
June 8, 2024
This book held my interest but wasn’t my favorite. It centers on Shannon, an aspiring journalist who moves to a fancy new neighborhood to work with an aging journalist named Rosella that she has always respected, only to find that Rosella is not what she imagined. Rosella is suspicious of all her neighbors and wants Shannon to help investigate, but Shannon can’t figure out if she is delusional or if there is really something sinister happening. When a murder occurs, Shannon is thrown right into the middle of all of the secrets people are trying to hide.
This all sounds very interesting but felt like a bit of a slow burn. There were a ton of characters to keep straight and some of their secrets were more interesting than others. It takes a long way through the book to even hit on the kidnapping that happens in the prologue. I found Shannon to be somewhat of a likable character but she came off as a bit gullible to me and it didn’t fit with the wannabe journalist persona that she was supposed to have. The storyline held my interest and I think the ending worked, but the author deliberately didn’t tie up one loose end and I wish she had, as it seemed a little fantastical to me and I wanted a rational explanation.
Overall, this was a decent read but I don’t think it’s super memorable within the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This all sounds very interesting but felt like a bit of a slow burn. There were a ton of characters to keep straight and some of their secrets were more interesting than others. It takes a long way through the book to even hit on the kidnapping that happens in the prologue. I found Shannon to be somewhat of a likable character but she came off as a bit gullible to me and it didn’t fit with the wannabe journalist persona that she was supposed to have. The storyline held my interest and I think the ending worked, but the author deliberately didn’t tie up one loose end and I wish she had, as it seemed a little fantastical to me and I wanted a rational explanation.
Overall, this was a decent read but I don’t think it’s super memorable within the genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2024
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.
Thank you T.R. Ragan, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC and providing my genuine feedback.
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.
Thank you T.R. Ragan, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC and providing my genuine feedback.
August 11, 2024
I've discovered T.R. Ragan because of this platform and I've enjoyed all of her books but this one. It was really interesting at the beginning, it's got her signature style, the main character fighting for her sanity despite being gaslit to oblivion but then towards the middle 'til the end it just became woke and weird. The focus wasn't anymore on the masks or if there are any rather it became more about revenge and righteousness. I have nothing against woke narratives. It's just that I don't think it pairs well with thrillers. Cozy mysteries, yes. Thrillers, no.
I suppose, in an odd way, it does make sense. How ever full of filth you are, some people are willing to paint you as squeaky clean. Out of loyalty or a sense of humanity or even selfishness. As they say, tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are.
I suppose, in an odd way, it does make sense. How ever full of filth you are, some people are willing to paint you as squeaky clean. Out of loyalty or a sense of humanity or even selfishness. As they say, tell me who your friends are and I'll tell you who you are.
August 13, 2024
Slow to start but once you get half way through the book gets going. The twist at the end between two of main characters is so good!
What happens when a neighborhood villian,Rosella Marlow, is found deceased in her house? The neighborhood attempts to solve the murder. Rosella went after her neighbors in a completely underhanded and vicious ways. No one in the neighborhood liked her so they are all suspects.
Not a bad read just slow and I had to work hard to finish it.
I am glad I finished the book.
What happens when a neighborhood villian,Rosella Marlow, is found deceased in her house? The neighborhood attempts to solve the murder. Rosella went after her neighbors in a completely underhanded and vicious ways. No one in the neighborhood liked her so they are all suspects.
Not a bad read just slow and I had to work hard to finish it.
I am glad I finished the book.
January 20, 2025
This felt like a "Desperate Housewives" story: mystery and mayhem for the upper echelon. However these characters didn't really grab me and make me care enough about them to be sucked in. There were good twists, and good pacing, but nothing jaw dropping. I felt like the kidnapping that opened the novel was such a small portion of the book and I would have liked if more information was included about that. A good book, but not one I would need to reread or scream about from the mountain tops.
Thank you to NetGalley, T.R. Ragan, and Brilliance Publishing for my advance copy of this audiobook.
Thank you to NetGalley, T.R. Ragan, and Brilliance Publishing for my advance copy of this audiobook.
December 5, 2024
(2.5 stars but rated down because the ending was driving me crazy enough)
In the grand scheme of things, I enjoyed this book. It had its fair share of issues, but they're overall forgivable issues that didn't ruin the experience. The beginning had me hooked, and while there were definitely things I didn't like as I read, I was still very motivated and excited to finish.
While I was interested in learning everyone's secrets and seeing the characters put all the pieces together, I can't give any credit to the mystery itself. It was incredibly obvious what was going on (except for with one of the plot twists at the end, but that had the opposite issue — there were NO clues for that one). I generally try to keep my reviews spoiler-free by only including details that come from the description, the first chapter or two, or the genre. It's hard to do that, though, when the prologue does a very thorough job of spoiling the big reveal. There were too many key details that made it very hard to fall for red herrings.
Because it was so obvious who the murderer was, the whole "everyone has something to hide" aspect of this book sort of fell flat. There was a very clear difference between the "potential murderer" secret reveals and the "red herring" secret reveals. I wish the Main Mysteries would've been worked in better, both with each other and with the other secrets in the neighborhood.
Other people have said this, but there were also a lot of names to keep up with. Too many. I almost think this book would've benefitted from a map of the block at the beginning, because every house had parents and kids and sometimes pets and it was simply too many names.
By the end, the book also got a bit repetitive. Characters would repeat the exact same train of thought multiple times. Some variety in delivery would've helped a lot, especially for the times that it was meant to be very emotional. The impact was dampened by already knowing the exact monologue.
The ending was also kind of a letdown. In fact, I would've let a lot of other issues go if the ending had held up. Alas, when a book leaves me feeling bewildered and frustrated, I tend to be more critical.
Overall, I didn't dislike the experience of reading this book. While there were a lot of them, the characters were consistent and believable. While the mystery had an obvious solution, I think the way we were given clues and details was overall handled well. I don't think I'll ever revisit this book, but I enjoyed my time with it.
Also, the book is named after this contest the houses on the block do where someone is named "Best House on the Block," but that's not relevant to the plot at all and is honestly not even explained that well. This isn't a big deal (and really doesn't play into my rating at all), but it was weird. You can just … name your book something else?
The next bit has spoilers. I'm adding a warning in case I can't figure out formatting.
In the grand scheme of things, I enjoyed this book. It had its fair share of issues, but they're overall forgivable issues that didn't ruin the experience. The beginning had me hooked, and while there were definitely things I didn't like as I read, I was still very motivated and excited to finish.
While I was interested in learning everyone's secrets and seeing the characters put all the pieces together, I can't give any credit to the mystery itself. It was incredibly obvious what was going on (except for with one of the plot twists at the end, but that had the opposite issue — there were NO clues for that one). I generally try to keep my reviews spoiler-free by only including details that come from the description, the first chapter or two, or the genre. It's hard to do that, though, when the prologue does a very thorough job of spoiling the big reveal. There were too many key details that made it very hard to fall for red herrings.
Because it was so obvious who the murderer was, the whole "everyone has something to hide" aspect of this book sort of fell flat. There was a very clear difference between the "potential murderer" secret reveals and the "red herring" secret reveals. I wish the Main Mysteries would've been worked in better, both with each other and with the other secrets in the neighborhood.
Other people have said this, but there were also a lot of names to keep up with. Too many. I almost think this book would've benefitted from a map of the block at the beginning, because every house had parents and kids and sometimes pets and it was simply too many names.
By the end, the book also got a bit repetitive. Characters would repeat the exact same train of thought multiple times. Some variety in delivery would've helped a lot, especially for the times that it was meant to be very emotional. The impact was dampened by already knowing the exact monologue.
The ending was also kind of a letdown. In fact, I would've let a lot of other issues go if the ending had held up. Alas, when a book leaves me feeling bewildered and frustrated, I tend to be more critical.
Overall, I didn't dislike the experience of reading this book. While there were a lot of them, the characters were consistent and believable. While the mystery had an obvious solution, I think the way we were given clues and details was overall handled well. I don't think I'll ever revisit this book, but I enjoyed my time with it.
Also, the book is named after this contest the houses on the block do where someone is named "Best House on the Block," but that's not relevant to the plot at all and is honestly not even explained that well. This isn't a big deal (and really doesn't play into my rating at all), but it was weird. You can just … name your book something else?
The next bit has spoilers. I'm adding a warning in case I can't figure out formatting.
Read
July 21, 2025DNF - This was definitely not fun.
September 9, 2024
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.
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.
June 2, 2024
I'm a big fan of Ragan so knew I'd like this one too! Renowned journalist, 65-year-old Rosella finds a letter stating, "I know what you did" but figures it's a prank so disregards it. New residents on this block of historic homes, Shannon, Trey, and young daughter, Mac move in and Rosella quickly becomes Shannon's mentor, telling her they both "harbor a darkness within." But soon the neighborhood is abuzz with the news of Rosella's murder, and of course Shannon was the one who made the discovery so her fingerprints are on the weapon. Believe me, this is a neighborhood you do NOT want to be a part of as everything spirals from here on as there are secrets, affairs, abuse, and things definitely not "neighborly" on this block!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
November 20, 2024
Behind The Walls In A Beautiful Neighborhood
The novel opens with a flashback. A husband and wife had lost their one-year-old son to leukemia. After trying every assisted pregnancy technique, the results were zero. They were even denied for adoption because he failed to report a bankruptcy on their application. The husband talked about finding a baby. At first, the wife was against it, but eventually, she came around and agreed. He started to eat lunch near schools and park playgrounds but found no opportunities. Eventually, the demands at work stopped his search. One day, he runs an errand when a toddler walks out of a building and into the street in a rundown part of town. He stops and waits, but no one comes to collect the toddler. No one else is around. He seizes the kid, drives off, and takes him home. From this kidnapping, the novel starts four years later.
The main storyline has two threads. The first tells the story of Rosella Marlow, a renowned reporter who hires Shannon Gibbons to assist in researching her new book. During the first meeting, Rosella changes what Shannon is to research. Now, it is her neighbors. There is not a second meeting, as she is murdered. The second thread starts with Shannon Gibbons and a neighbor, Chloe Leavitt, team up to solve who killed Rosella. Two detectives are investigating the murder, but they only are involved in interviewing people and arresting some. This novel is a cozy mystery based on this and other characteristics. The main characters are seven women, two of which are married to each other, five husbands, and their nine children. Much of the novel is spent on Shannon and Chloe interviewing the other characters to determine who has a motive. There is a definite feminine aspect, so I would call this novel women’s literature. Their difficulty in solving the crimes is that everyone seems to be hiding secrets, so they are always not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Also, on the night of the murder, Rosella’s house seems to be as busy as Grand Central Station, with neighbors entering and exiting. This leads to many twists and turns as each adult and older child is considered. Near the end, what I call a literary grenade surprised me. Tension is maintained as the detectives arrest one neighbor for the murder but must release him. Then, they do it again. This novel captured my attention, but with so many characters, it took me a little longer to finish reading it.
The background for the two main characters, Shannon and Chloe, is quite rich. It is presented quite naturally as a new neighbor talks with another. Since Shannon is new to the neighborhood, her background is provided through her discussions during meetings and interactions with the other residents. As the relationship between Shannon and Chloe develops, Chloe’s background is provided during their discussions. There are many instances in which one helps or stands up for the other. This aspect of the novel enhanced my reading enjoyment.
There are minimal aspects in this novel that can cause some readers to stop reading. There are no intimate scenes, and the amount of objectionable language is also very low. Usually, cozy mysteries do not have violent scenes. One short, violent scene is high-tension but mild compared to what is on primetime TV. This is a stand-alone novel, so there are no issues from previous novels.
The issue with which I had the most problems was the large cast of characters. I had to use my notes capability in my e-reader to keep track of them. This was an issue for me, as I frequently had to stop reading to figure out who was who. This may not be the case for you. While this genre is not one I often read, I enjoyed the extensive discussions and finding the killer when everyone seemed to hate and wanted to make Rosella Marlow’s life miserable. I discovered that there were so many loose ends that significant portions of the last three chapters were devoted to tying up those loose ends. Lastly, I found the ending heartwarming.
I have read two previous standalone novels from this author. She is well settled in my Will-Read category. I have enjoyed reading this and her previous novels so much that I have purchased four others that are on my to-be-read list. If this genre interests you, I do recommend reading it. I’m looking forward to her next novel. I rate this novel with four stars.
I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
The novel opens with a flashback. A husband and wife had lost their one-year-old son to leukemia. After trying every assisted pregnancy technique, the results were zero. They were even denied for adoption because he failed to report a bankruptcy on their application. The husband talked about finding a baby. At first, the wife was against it, but eventually, she came around and agreed. He started to eat lunch near schools and park playgrounds but found no opportunities. Eventually, the demands at work stopped his search. One day, he runs an errand when a toddler walks out of a building and into the street in a rundown part of town. He stops and waits, but no one comes to collect the toddler. No one else is around. He seizes the kid, drives off, and takes him home. From this kidnapping, the novel starts four years later.
The main storyline has two threads. The first tells the story of Rosella Marlow, a renowned reporter who hires Shannon Gibbons to assist in researching her new book. During the first meeting, Rosella changes what Shannon is to research. Now, it is her neighbors. There is not a second meeting, as she is murdered. The second thread starts with Shannon Gibbons and a neighbor, Chloe Leavitt, team up to solve who killed Rosella. Two detectives are investigating the murder, but they only are involved in interviewing people and arresting some. This novel is a cozy mystery based on this and other characteristics. The main characters are seven women, two of which are married to each other, five husbands, and their nine children. Much of the novel is spent on Shannon and Chloe interviewing the other characters to determine who has a motive. There is a definite feminine aspect, so I would call this novel women’s literature. Their difficulty in solving the crimes is that everyone seems to be hiding secrets, so they are always not telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Also, on the night of the murder, Rosella’s house seems to be as busy as Grand Central Station, with neighbors entering and exiting. This leads to many twists and turns as each adult and older child is considered. Near the end, what I call a literary grenade surprised me. Tension is maintained as the detectives arrest one neighbor for the murder but must release him. Then, they do it again. This novel captured my attention, but with so many characters, it took me a little longer to finish reading it.
The background for the two main characters, Shannon and Chloe, is quite rich. It is presented quite naturally as a new neighbor talks with another. Since Shannon is new to the neighborhood, her background is provided through her discussions during meetings and interactions with the other residents. As the relationship between Shannon and Chloe develops, Chloe’s background is provided during their discussions. There are many instances in which one helps or stands up for the other. This aspect of the novel enhanced my reading enjoyment.
There are minimal aspects in this novel that can cause some readers to stop reading. There are no intimate scenes, and the amount of objectionable language is also very low. Usually, cozy mysteries do not have violent scenes. One short, violent scene is high-tension but mild compared to what is on primetime TV. This is a stand-alone novel, so there are no issues from previous novels.
The issue with which I had the most problems was the large cast of characters. I had to use my notes capability in my e-reader to keep track of them. This was an issue for me, as I frequently had to stop reading to figure out who was who. This may not be the case for you. While this genre is not one I often read, I enjoyed the extensive discussions and finding the killer when everyone seemed to hate and wanted to make Rosella Marlow’s life miserable. I discovered that there were so many loose ends that significant portions of the last three chapters were devoted to tying up those loose ends. Lastly, I found the ending heartwarming.
I have read two previous standalone novels from this author. She is well settled in my Will-Read category. I have enjoyed reading this and her previous novels so much that I have purchased four others that are on my to-be-read list. If this genre interests you, I do recommend reading it. I’m looking forward to her next novel. I rate this novel with four stars.
I received this novel's free prepublication e-book version through NetGalley from Thomas & Mercer. My review is based solely on my own reading experience. Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.
January 5, 2025
Best House on the Block starts off strong and keeps going. I love that this book started with a bang! It definitely took me by surprise and I was completely invested in the story.
A shocking kidnapping of a young boy propels this story into a shocking mystery. Fast forward four years after the kidnapping to the Fabulous Forties District in Sacramento, Ca. The seemingly upscale and safe family neighborhood is loaded with deceptions and secrets that lead to the murder of one of the residents.
I loved how the characters had connections I never could have guessed. I kept getting shock after shock as I flipped each page. The book did get somewhat confusing with the amount of characters but wrapped up nicely at the end. I would definitely like to read more work from this author.
Lastly, I’d like to comment on the note from the author at the beginning of the book. It was touching and inspiring of her to share her writing journey.
Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and the author, T.R. Ragan, for sharing an early digital copy with me.
A shocking kidnapping of a young boy propels this story into a shocking mystery. Fast forward four years after the kidnapping to the Fabulous Forties District in Sacramento, Ca. The seemingly upscale and safe family neighborhood is loaded with deceptions and secrets that lead to the murder of one of the residents.
I loved how the characters had connections I never could have guessed. I kept getting shock after shock as I flipped each page. The book did get somewhat confusing with the amount of characters but wrapped up nicely at the end. I would definitely like to read more work from this author.
Lastly, I’d like to comment on the note from the author at the beginning of the book. It was touching and inspiring of her to share her writing journey.
Thank you to NetGalley, the Publisher, Thomas & Mercer, and the author, T.R. Ragan, for sharing an early digital copy with me.
March 11, 2025
I read one book by T.R. Ragan years ago and knew I needed to read more, so here I am again in her world of thrillers with Best House on the Block! I got pulled in through the very first chapter and then once we switched gears over to Shannon, I was curious as to how the two would end up tying together. The Fabulous Forties in East Sacramento gives you all those rich people vibes while also showing you there is more than meets the eye when it comes to fancy neighborhoods. At times I found myself wishing Shannon had a bit more of a backbone when it came to Rosella, but I didn’t have to wait long for her to get her head back, and those journalist instincts really kicked in once she decided to try to find Rosella’s spy along with the murderer.
I listened to the audiobook on Kindle Unlimited and loved it, so I would recommend to audiobook lovers if you are in the mood for a quick listen. The audio is just under 9.5 hours and trust me when I say it flies by. Susan Dalian was a brilliant narrator and I thought she did an excellent job with her narration from start to finish. This was definitely a twisty read and I loved the inclusion of all the neighbor’s secrets and misdeeds being unraveled as well. The end does get a little out there, but if you are able to look past that this is a very solid obsession-based psychological suspense novel!
Read this if you enjoy juicy secrets, a large pool of suspects, and drama galore!
I listened to the audiobook on Kindle Unlimited and loved it, so I would recommend to audiobook lovers if you are in the mood for a quick listen. The audio is just under 9.5 hours and trust me when I say it flies by. Susan Dalian was a brilliant narrator and I thought she did an excellent job with her narration from start to finish. This was definitely a twisty read and I loved the inclusion of all the neighbor’s secrets and misdeeds being unraveled as well. The end does get a little out there, but if you are able to look past that this is a very solid obsession-based psychological suspense novel!
Read this if you enjoy juicy secrets, a large pool of suspects, and drama galore!
October 25, 2024
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!
December 18, 2024
interesting storyline
I enjoyed this book… I did notice a couple of errors in the timeline of death…. Not sure if it was intended…but, I think not.
I enjoyed this book… I did notice a couple of errors in the timeline of death…. Not sure if it was intended…but, I think not.
November 22, 2024
Best House On The Block by TR Ragan, when Shannon gets an opportunity to work with famed journalist Rosalie and just happens to find a home for sale on the coveted fabulous 40s Street in Sacramento she cannot believe her luck. It’s right down the street from Rosalie and the house is lovely Rosalie not so much. The day she moves in she meets some of the ladies in the neighborhood on her way to her appointment with the journalist and it makes her a few minutes late something Rosalie cannot abide but tells her “let’s start over,” and slams the door right in Shannon‘s face, only to open it a second later and tells her” It’s lovely to meet you.” Her strange behavior in no way prepares Shannon for the vitriol and fearfull plees of this obviously not so normal elderly woman. She tells her someone has been watching her even shows her a note saying “I know your secret.” Later that day Chloe takes her out and ask Shannon if she would like to be on the best house on the block committee and shows her around the neighborhood she really likes Chloe and hopes they remain friends. So a couple of days later when she finds Rosella on the verge of death in her study Rosella whisper something to Shannon that she cannot make out an after listening to the elderly woman rant about everyone in the neighborhood and their secrets from Jason and Diane next-door who took her to court over property issues to Callan and Nikola, who Rosella said was hiding something to Holly and Rebecca who is the older woman accused of being obsessed with their children and nonprofit events. It seem no one in the neighborhood was free of Rosellas wrath but that doesn’t mean Shannon wants anyone to get away with her murder. First though she’ll have to get over the shock of finding her. Thankfully close shows up just in the nick of time and although it’s the first but won’t be the last time she is there to save Shannon there’s many suspects and soon Clo and Shannon will be trying to find out which one is guilty of Rosalie‘s murder. I do want to say this book got me out of a big time reading slump it felt like a well-done cozy mystery only set more in reality then the quick investigations of the cozy. I love a book where there’s someone to route four in Shannon and Chloe are definitely those people. Just FYI in the beginning a little boy is kidnapped and although most of the story doesn’t pertain to that it’s still in my opinion was a great opener. I really enjoyed this book and unlike most books read it in one sitting and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.#NetGalley,#ThomasAndMercer, #T.R.Ragan, #BestHouseOnTheBlock,
December 4, 2024
I'm a fan of this author, so I was excited that this was a Kindle First choice. My complaint about some of her more recent books was that they were starting to feel repetitive, so I'm glad she changed it up! Still set in Sacramento, but the main character isn't a private eye trying to find a psycho killer, just a journalist turned stay at home mom who tries to figure out who killed her neighbor.
This is a little lighter than most of Ragan's books, I thought the gossipy neighborhood was kind of fun (ala Desperate Housewives). There are plenty of twists and lies that kept me entertained. The book was fairly short and didn't drag.
This is a little lighter than most of Ragan's books, I thought the gossipy neighborhood was kind of fun (ala Desperate Housewives). There are plenty of twists and lies that kept me entertained. The book was fairly short and didn't drag.
December 18, 2024
i wouldn't call this a thriller, it was more cozy mystery-ish with a few sprinkles of f bombs here and there and ended up being a very longwinded dragged out ending that felt chick-lit. It was going So well for so long and then... >:/
June 4, 2024
Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this book!
My thoughts:
Ennnnghhh... the description of this was promising, but it did ultimately fall a bit flat for me. There were a few occasions where names were written incorrectly, or the formatting was weird, as well.
What reallllyyyy doesn't make sense to me is the Shannon and Chloe... specifically in the last few chapters. When you read it, you'll know.
In the end, I think there was simply too much going on in this one for me. The very beginning of the book isn't really even addressed until the last 80%, and there were loose ends left. Why add a clue or evidence, only to have the main character go, "I'm just going to ignore those." No!!! Why?! I can have my own ideas as to why, but I don't like ambiguous endings with thrillers.
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rating system:
⭐️ - Would not recommend
⭐️⭐️ - Has potential, but I did not like it
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was okay. I enjoyed it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I loved it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I would re-read this and recommend it to everyone
My thoughts:
Ennnnghhh... the description of this was promising, but it did ultimately fall a bit flat for me. There were a few occasions where names were written incorrectly, or the formatting was weird, as well.
What reallllyyyy doesn't make sense to me is the Shannon and Chloe... specifically in the last few chapters. When you read it, you'll know.
In the end, I think there was simply too much going on in this one for me. The very beginning of the book isn't really even addressed until the last 80%, and there were loose ends left. Why add a clue or evidence, only to have the main character go, "I'm just going to ignore those." No!!! Why?! I can have my own ideas as to why, but I don't like ambiguous endings with thrillers.
Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rating system:
⭐️ - Would not recommend
⭐️⭐️ - Has potential, but I did not like it
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - This was okay. I enjoyed it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I loved it
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I would re-read this and recommend it to everyone
December 16, 2024
2.75/5 rounded up. Sorry, this was so lackluster.
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