Neighbors

by Maureen S. Pusti

When Kristen Roberts and her husband moved to a quiet Pennsylvania college town, she had a feeling that doom awaited them. But with the excitement of moving and the annoying intrusions of an elderly neighbor woman, Kris forgot her premonition of danger -- until she read that several local children had mysteriously disappeared.

Soon the missing children haunted Kris's dreams, and she was engulfed by a maelstrom of terror that threatened to plunge her into a darkness from which she might not escape. For the danger Kris had sensed was very real...the woman next door was more than a nosey neighbor...Kris's happy marriage was about to be destroyed...and at any moment, an unimaginable evil could crush her world -- and her life.

Genres: Horror, Witches

395 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published March 1, 1991

Reviews

[Paula Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent pulpy 90s horror novel about a couple moving into a new home, and the wife clashing with their elderly neighbour, who totally has the hots for the husband. There's witches, deaths and lesbians! Not necessarily in that order!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen Roberts and her family have arrived in a lovely college town in Pennsylvania. Kris had a creepy feeling about her house, the town and especially her nosy next door neighbor but forgot about her feelings in the stress of moving. Now, as cracks appear in her idyllic marriage, Kris begins to feel an encroaching evil about the town and especially in the personalities of her neighbors.

I really enjoyed this horror story and give it an A! Maureen S. Pusti is a new author for me. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes old-fashioned horror.

[Phil · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent pulp horror by Pusti. First published in 1991 by Leisure Horror, it has a great cheesy cover! The story follows Kristen Roberts, our main protagonist, as she leaves 'the city' with her husband for a new job at a college in BFE Pennsylvania. Her husband, Tom, recently graduated with his Ph.D. and this is his first job; nonetheless, Kristen has eerie reservations about the move, and even more when she meets her neighbor Eliza-- an 80 y.o. women who is not only snoopy, but also seems to have a strange infatuation with her husband.

To into any kind of detail concerning the plot involves spoilers, so I will be brief here. This utilizes the well worn small town horror trope; as soon as the Roberts arrive, they become aware of several local children that 'went missing' and Kristen has a strange foreboding that they just did not run away. Pusti perhaps tried to mix some genres here-- part religious horror and part paranormal-- and it might have been stronger if Pusti stuck with just one. Nonetheless, the prose is decent and it has good pacing except for the abrupt ending. Overall, a decent read but not one I would actively seek out. 3 neighborly stars.

[Art the Turtle of Amazing Girth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not too bad for what it was, leisure horror.

The ending came way too abruptly, and it felt like one or two of the deaths were shoehorned in just to make the kills.

Like the co-ed from the affair, her end scene was unnecessary to me, this 300+ yr old being is truly still that immature of filled with jealousy?

I would have liked a small epilogue too, explaining how the main characters found their way after the things and words between them.

[Richard K. Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you expect when you pick up and start a Leisure Horror book from the 80's or 90's? THIS is what you expect!!

Kristen Roberts and her husband are moving for his work.....and they are moving to Pennsylvania. We are not talking Hershey Town PA, or somewhere quiet and beautiful....we are moving next to Eliza Noman!! Yes, this was the creepiest old and nosey neighbor since the neighbors in Konvitz' "The Sentinel"!

As soon as Kristen and her husband move to the quiet college town to accept his first job, she notices that this 'quiet little town' is really not that quiet....and that there are many missing children over the last many years that were never found. Then there is knock on the door.....'Hi, I am your neighbor; my name is Eliza Noman....and yours?' Welcome To HELL!!!

This vintage horror is a book that I have had on my shelf for over 30 years, and never did I open it......why the hell not? This book being almost 400 pages could have been even another 150 pages and I would not have cared, because it was such a great, gross, sickening and fast horror read that I just wanted it to go on longer. I will not be giving too much detail about what goes on in the big old house next door, nor anything about Kristens titular 'Neighbors'. It is very disgusting at parts, but you will never forget Eliza!

Trigger Warnings: Graphic death of a newborn child.

I would have given this a perfect 5 star, but the last 3 pages seemed VERY rushed and not that great.

4 Screams

[Anthony · Rating 2 out of 5]

By the numbers horror typical of 80s. New home for young couple, old mysterious woman lives next door, dissapearing kids, murders, strange rituals, etc. Ok for what it is. I did like the cheesy B movie style cover art of the book though.

[Reading With Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nu e asta cartea le care am citit-o, doar am ales-o random, deoarece cartea pe care o caut nu este

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have liked to have this novel have gone a little bit further than where it ended, since it leaves a person wondering what happened to Kristen and Tom's relationship, even though near the end of the book, I really started disliking Tom for the things he did. To me Eliza came across as some sort of a cult worshipper/black magic involved with some wicca aspects. Some of the detail on Kristen enhancing her psychic powers was a little bit sketchy for me, and moved at a bit of a faster pace than I thought was believable. This was one of the books I read for April 2015 Dewey's readathon.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Classic early '90s horror, but the ending was a bit anti-climatic.