What do you think?
Rate this book
The Good Neighbor
From a phenomenal new voice in suspense fiction comes a book that will forever change the way you look at the people closest to you…
Shadow Cove, Washington, is the kind of town everyone dreams about—quaint streets, lush forests, good neighbors. That’s what Sarah thinks as she settles into life with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. But all too soon she discovers an undercurrent of deception. And one October evening when Johnny is away, sudden tragedy destroys Sarah’s happiness.
Dazed and stricken with grief, she and Johnny begin to rebuild their shattered lives. As she picks up the pieces of her broken home, Sarah discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true—about her neighbors, her friends, and even her marriage. With each stunning revelation, Sarah must ask herself, Can we ever really know the ones we love?
Shadow Cove, Washington, is the kind of town everyone dreams about—quaint streets, lush forests, good neighbors. That’s what Sarah thinks as she settles into life with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. But all too soon she discovers an undercurrent of deception. And one October evening when Johnny is away, sudden tragedy destroys Sarah’s happiness.
Dazed and stricken with grief, she and Johnny begin to rebuild their shattered lives. As she picks up the pieces of her broken home, Sarah discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true—about her neighbors, her friends, and even her marriage. With each stunning revelation, Sarah must ask herself, Can we ever really know the ones we love?
206 pages, ebook
First published August 25, 2015
4365 people are currently reading
13238 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Banner
8 books1,077 followersA. J. Banner is the USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and #1 Kindle bestselling author of six novels of psychological suspense. She grew up reading Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and other masters of love and mystery. She always dreamed of writing gripping stories in which nothing is what it seems. She's hard at work on her next novel in her home office overlooking a Pacific Northwest forest.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,312 reviews
September 15, 2015
I don't even know where to start in on this shitfest. Honestly. It was terrible. TERRIBLE. For a quote-unquote "psychological thriller" that is less than 200 pages long, it took me forever to read, because every other sentence I'd have to stop my eyes from trying to roll out of my head.
This was quite possibly the stupidest thing I've read all year, and that includes Sliver, which previously held that esteemed honor. At least Sliver kinda had a plot. This garbage had no plot, no point, nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. Which, thankfully, is also what I paid for it, so I guess all I've really lost is a couple dozen IQ points and two days of my life.
I don't really have the energy to recap this book. It's too stupid, and trying to lay it out in a coherent and concise way for anyone reading my review would just take more patience than I have.
The plot was non-existent, and the resolution came completely out of left field. Of course, none of the book made any sense at all, so maybe it was just trying to fit in.
There were too many characters, and they were all bullshit stock characters, and all of them were OH SO BEAUTIFUL. Breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning, gorgeous, voluptuous (unless one needs to be waiflike in memory!), sultry, etc. Every woman who lived next door to our main character was literally the world's most beautiful woman, and each successful in their own way. First was the model, who was successful at being pleasant to look at. Then there was the art person, who is so beautiful and successful at art that she can make paintings not be burnt anymore. Then there's the real estate agent who is so beautiful and successful that she could sell a house to a... house buying person.
I don't fucking know. Didn't I just say that this book cost me IQ points? I rest my case.
But to counter all these gorgeous vagina-bearers, there were men. I think. One who... did something? But he's dead now. Another one who looked really grumpy and rude. But he was only there for literally like one paragraph. Supposedly there's another guy... has a kid named after him? Ate dinner once? Yeah him.
But then there's JOHNNY. JOHNNY is perfect! He is totally not controlling or creepy at all. I give you exhibit A, which finds us with Sarah (JOHNNY'S wife) following him on a run and watching him go into another woman's house.
JOHNNY is perfect and leaves newspapers strewn on the counter, and cooks, and leaves crumbs under his chair, but knows that his wife's favorite foods are challah bread and... fucking I don't know, she lost me at challah bread. Is that really a thing? Challah being a favorite food? It's bread. BREAD. Pretty bread, tasty bread, but just... fucking... bread. I wonder if the crumbs are from the bread, and whether JOHNNY'S wife gets upset at the waste.
Also:
Also JOHNNY wraps his arms around his wife person. Because that is love and stuff. Well that's how you SHOW love, apparently. How you TELL love is this nauseating phrase: "I love you only."
I think that's supposed to be sweet, in a saccharine fucking nightmare world, but MY cynical ass is like "Why are you specifying? Got something to hide?"
I kinda feel sorry for JOHNNY, actually, because the author has no fucking idea what to do with him. He is either a perfect husband, or the cheating asshole. The author can't make up her mind, but doesn't have the guts to go full on bad-guy, because you know, then she - I mean the main character, who is totally not author wish fulfillment material - wouldn't have a man, and remember all those beautiful women? They all are validated by men... except the crazy one. So, the moral of this story is: if you don't have a man, you're a psychotic murderer.
There were some other people in the book, I mean, names of people, since they never actually APPEARED in the book. But whatever. I'm over the cardboard characters.
Let's get to the "writing". Because OH GOLLY GEE, wasn't THAT a blast. This... I can't. I had to stop there and go back and put those quotation marks around the word writing in the last sentence. These are a collection of random sentences that occasionally go together, but more often are just bizarrely placed. During dialogue, it's like the people are having two completely different discussions. Random descriptive detail is added at the most awkward times, and things happen, only to be a convenient method of getting to a given outcome, and then the thing that happened will just be completely glossed over or forgotten. For instance, a 4 year old little girl steals a pair of shoes from a store and runs out to lock herself in the narrator's car, where she "conveniently" forgot her keys. The purpose of this was to get a teenager who was with them to tempt the little girl out of the car with "magical princess makeup" - which the narrator recognizes from the ENGRAVED INITIALS on the lipstick and compact (because apparently people do that?) and confronts her about it, because those belonged to the little girl's dead mother.
The fact that the little girl stole shoes is completely forgotten, and in fact later on in the story, she still has the fucking shoes. So not only did her theft and running away go unpunished, even unscolded, but one is to assume that she was actually rewarded for it. But the more pressing matter is the confrontation of the teen who has lipstick that didn't belong to her. Of course.
Chapters are ended in the most awkward times, I'm guessing in an attempt at suspense, but it was just pathetic. And speaking of pathetic, I pegged the killer the absolute moment she was introduced, and then every single time she was around, I just couldn't understand how everyone else seemed oblivious to her. Ridiculous.
This book was awful. Not the worst I've ever read, but if I'd paid money for it, I damn sure would be getting that refund. Save your time and brain cells and use them on something worthwhile.
This was quite possibly the stupidest thing I've read all year, and that includes Sliver, which previously held that esteemed honor. At least Sliver kinda had a plot. This garbage had no plot, no point, nothing. Zip, zero, zilch. Which, thankfully, is also what I paid for it, so I guess all I've really lost is a couple dozen IQ points and two days of my life.
I don't really have the energy to recap this book. It's too stupid, and trying to lay it out in a coherent and concise way for anyone reading my review would just take more patience than I have.
The plot was non-existent, and the resolution came completely out of left field. Of course, none of the book made any sense at all, so maybe it was just trying to fit in.
There were too many characters, and they were all bullshit stock characters, and all of them were OH SO BEAUTIFUL. Breathtakingly beautiful. Stunning, gorgeous, voluptuous (unless one needs to be waiflike in memory!), sultry, etc. Every woman who lived next door to our main character was literally the world's most beautiful woman, and each successful in their own way. First was the model, who was successful at being pleasant to look at. Then there was the art person, who is so beautiful and successful at art that she can make paintings not be burnt anymore. Then there's the real estate agent who is so beautiful and successful that she could sell a house to a... house buying person.
I don't fucking know. Didn't I just say that this book cost me IQ points? I rest my case.
But to counter all these gorgeous vagina-bearers, there were men. I think. One who... did something? But he's dead now. Another one who looked really grumpy and rude. But he was only there for literally like one paragraph. Supposedly there's another guy... has a kid named after him? Ate dinner once? Yeah him.
But then there's JOHNNY. JOHNNY is perfect! He is totally not controlling or creepy at all. I give you exhibit A, which finds us with Sarah (JOHNNY'S wife) following him on a run and watching him go into another woman's house.
I had already broken a promise by clandestinely following my husband. You can always trust me, he'd said on our honeymoon. Never question my love for you. I had replied, I promise, and he had squeezed my hand, his gaze clear and unflinching. I want this marriage to work, so you have to talk to me. Tell me everything that's on your mind. Right away. Don't hide anything. Don't omit any details. Johnny would have a good explanation [for secretly visiting another woman's home].Yeah. See? Totally not weird or big flashing warning signish at all!
JOHNNY is perfect and leaves newspapers strewn on the counter, and cooks, and leaves crumbs under his chair, but knows that his wife's favorite foods are challah bread and... fucking I don't know, she lost me at challah bread. Is that really a thing? Challah being a favorite food? It's bread. BREAD. Pretty bread, tasty bread, but just... fucking... bread. I wonder if the crumbs are from the bread, and whether JOHNNY'S wife gets upset at the waste.
Also:
Also JOHNNY wraps his arms around his wife person. Because that is love and stuff. Well that's how you SHOW love, apparently. How you TELL love is this nauseating phrase: "I love you only."
I think that's supposed to be sweet, in a saccharine fucking nightmare world, but MY cynical ass is like "Why are you specifying? Got something to hide?"
I kinda feel sorry for JOHNNY, actually, because the author has no fucking idea what to do with him. He is either a perfect husband, or the cheating asshole. The author can't make up her mind, but doesn't have the guts to go full on bad-guy, because you know, then she - I mean the main character, who is totally not author wish fulfillment material - wouldn't have a man, and remember all those beautiful women? They all are validated by men... except the crazy one. So, the moral of this story is: if you don't have a man, you're a psychotic murderer.
There were some other people in the book, I mean, names of people, since they never actually APPEARED in the book. But whatever. I'm over the cardboard characters.
Let's get to the "writing". Because OH GOLLY GEE, wasn't THAT a blast. This... I can't. I had to stop there and go back and put those quotation marks around the word writing in the last sentence. These are a collection of random sentences that occasionally go together, but more often are just bizarrely placed. During dialogue, it's like the people are having two completely different discussions. Random descriptive detail is added at the most awkward times, and things happen, only to be a convenient method of getting to a given outcome, and then the thing that happened will just be completely glossed over or forgotten. For instance, a 4 year old little girl steals a pair of shoes from a store and runs out to lock herself in the narrator's car, where she "conveniently" forgot her keys. The purpose of this was to get a teenager who was with them to tempt the little girl out of the car with "magical princess makeup" - which the narrator recognizes from the ENGRAVED INITIALS on the lipstick and compact (because apparently people do that?) and confronts her about it, because those belonged to the little girl's dead mother.
The fact that the little girl stole shoes is completely forgotten, and in fact later on in the story, she still has the fucking shoes. So not only did her theft and running away go unpunished, even unscolded, but one is to assume that she was actually rewarded for it. But the more pressing matter is the confrontation of the teen who has lipstick that didn't belong to her. Of course.
Chapters are ended in the most awkward times, I'm guessing in an attempt at suspense, but it was just pathetic. And speaking of pathetic, I pegged the killer the absolute moment she was introduced, and then every single time she was around, I just couldn't understand how everyone else seemed oblivious to her. Ridiculous.
This book was awful. Not the worst I've ever read, but if I'd paid money for it, I damn sure would be getting that refund. Save your time and brain cells and use them on something worthwhile.
September 15, 2015
This book was advertised on my Kindle Fire, so I read the first few pages and downloaded it. I didn't realize at the time that it was published by Amazon.
Well, for once, I'm not mad at the author.
Instead, I'm furious with Amazon, and whichever of its self-proclaimed "editors" worked on this book. This is precisely why you don't let a metrics-obsessed e-store publish novels: the real editors escape as fast as possible, and the ones left behind are clearly unqualified. That ends up doing a huge disservice to authors, and to readers who pay for this shit.
I wasn't expecting The Good Neighbor to go beyond a Shutter Island level of literacy, but it never even got that far. I'd say it's the most amateur attempt at a novel I've ever seen, but it's not--it just needed about 6 more rounds at a writing workshop before being submitted anywhere for publication.
And I don't think any of this is the author's fault.
Look. Bad writing happens. It's just fact. But aren't editors supposed to help authors not sound like idiots? Isn't that part of the job? Because look at how irritating it can be when editors are asleep at the wheel:
--After being hit on the head, our narrator explains that she'd "suffered a concussion, a mild form of brain injury." I know what a concussion is, thanks.
Or how about this?
--"Eris threw yogurt in the bender. Then she chopped up bananas and turned on the blender." A 3rd grader could figure out how to make these sentences read better. Oh, and the narrator will finish that one smoothie on two separate occasions on the same page.
Didn’t anyone at Amazon bother to proofread this?
And don’t get me started on characters, places, and movement.
--When characters get upset, their features "darken." Don’t believe me? “Johnny’s eyes darkened.” “Todd Severson’s face darkened.” “Her eyes darkened.” “He blinked, his eyes darkening.” “Did his eyes just darken in the mirror?”
When their features aren't “darkening,” our two main characters show affection by wrapping their arms around each others’ waists:
--“He wrapped his arms around my waist, both of us gazing in the mirror,” ; “He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind,” (that’s hot) ; “He wrapped his arms around my waist to steady me” ; “I wrapped my arms around his waist. I needed to feel his solidity.” And it’s not just these two – even the neighbors do it: “He stepped back…wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist.” I mean, this is just silly.
--The Hispanic characters speak exactly two words of Spanish at various times throughout the book: “Dios mio.” Then they break into English again. Well, bad stereotypes do make for great stock characters. Or Looney Tunes characters. (But I'm pretty sure Speedy Gonzales speaks more Spanish than that).
--The lawn of every house where children reside is covered with toys and a bicycle with training wheels. There is no variation here at all—ever.
--Our narrator has some odd need to tell us how everything smells, leading me to think that she has an olfactory disorder, or that her friends are a smelly bunch living in a really stinky place: “He’d smelled different when we’d arrived at the cottage.” ; “The air smelled faintly of rosewater.” ; “ She smelled of patchouli and lip gloss” ; “She smelled like baby powder” ; “He smelled mildly ruddy” (?????) ; “She smelled of clove cigarettes and wet wool.” Fuck me. Even when I was pregnant and could smell a rotting apple core at the bottom of a trash can six blocks away, I didn’t smell as many things as this narrator does. This is clearly a case of the author taking the "show don't tell," advice from kindergarten ("describe the senses!") a little too literally.
So where were the fucking editors? Why weren’t they catching these things?
Even worse than ignoring the sloppy repetition, the editors clearly didn’t take a stand in places where the writing is simply, undeniably . . .bad. It made for so many utterly crap-tastic sections that I was laughing my ass off through a majority of the novel:
--“Autumn was showing off, but sooner or later, autumn would turn into winter, and the trees would lose all of their leaves.” This is easily the worst sentence I’ve read in print in ten years. Hysterical.
--“I could almost see the flames reflected in his eyes.” Haha. No, you couldn’t. I know what you were going for by writing this, but it’s just bad. DELETE.
"Haven’t you heard the saying a woman is like a tea bag, you never know what she’s made of until you dip her in hot water?” LOL!
--"Dr. Johnny McDonald, a dashing bachelor..." I'm pretty sure the term "dashing bachelor" should never be in print outside of a Harlequin romance novel. And someone named Johnny McDonald described as a "dashing bachelor" is irresistibly funny.
--“Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang, a melodic ding-dong reverberating through the house.” Because there’s just...nothing quite like a...melodic ding-dong.
These tidbits were so hilarious that I'd recommend the book for the laugh factor alone. But is that really the goal of a mystery novel? To have readers laughing at the bad writing? I think not. So, again, where was the editor? Why wasn't anyone telling this chick to kill her darlings and fix this stuff??
It gets even more maddening. I read somewhere that our author likes Daphne du Maurier. Well, that's nice. While I appreciate the many instances in the novel where Banner pays homage to du Maurier—the fire, the charred copy of Rebecca in the ashes, the young woman taken in by the “dashing bachelor” (gag), the rhododendrons, the creepy dilapidated shack by the water, et. al.—the attempt to imitate her is just...lame. (Anyone's attempt at writing like du Maurier would be lame--that's why she's a legend and the rest of us are mediocre). Because how did du Maurier accomplish Maxim’s “big reveal” in Rebecca? Easy. Maxim confesses because he has to—he thinks he’s about to be caught—and what follows is one of literature's greatest plot twists. I get that Banner tried to have a character do a Rebecca-esque 180 on us in The Good Neighbor, but unsurprisingly, it's a flop: the the bad guy is only mildly surprising, and the “big reveal” happens for no reason, with no twist, just because the book has to end somewhere.
A good editor would have explained to Banner that any attempt to write like du Maurier is bound to fail, and would have had her rewrite the ending.
And why am I blaming the editors instead of the author?
Because believe it or not, Banner has potential, and it’s glaringly obvious that she had no editorial guidance. It's not her fault that the book was clearly rushed to publication. And if someone had bothered to do their job, this novel actually could have been a decent read. That’s the greatest pity of this book: the mess completely overshadows the few redeeming qualities, especially the author’s talent for describing nature. I know well the Washington forests Banner writes about, and run through them every weekend--her descriptions are beautiful and spot-on. Oh, and one plot twist literally made me gasp.
So, the the talent is there. It just needs work. It just needs a goddamn editor.
2 stars because it's not the author's fault...and because I didn't completely hate it.
Well, for once, I'm not mad at the author.
Instead, I'm furious with Amazon, and whichever of its self-proclaimed "editors" worked on this book. This is precisely why you don't let a metrics-obsessed e-store publish novels: the real editors escape as fast as possible, and the ones left behind are clearly unqualified. That ends up doing a huge disservice to authors, and to readers who pay for this shit.
I wasn't expecting The Good Neighbor to go beyond a Shutter Island level of literacy, but it never even got that far. I'd say it's the most amateur attempt at a novel I've ever seen, but it's not--it just needed about 6 more rounds at a writing workshop before being submitted anywhere for publication.
And I don't think any of this is the author's fault.
Look. Bad writing happens. It's just fact. But aren't editors supposed to help authors not sound like idiots? Isn't that part of the job? Because look at how irritating it can be when editors are asleep at the wheel:
--After being hit on the head, our narrator explains that she'd "suffered a concussion, a mild form of brain injury." I know what a concussion is, thanks.
Or how about this?
--"Eris threw yogurt in the bender. Then she chopped up bananas and turned on the blender." A 3rd grader could figure out how to make these sentences read better. Oh, and the narrator will finish that one smoothie on two separate occasions on the same page.
Didn’t anyone at Amazon bother to proofread this?
And don’t get me started on characters, places, and movement.
--When characters get upset, their features "darken." Don’t believe me? “Johnny’s eyes darkened.” “Todd Severson’s face darkened.” “Her eyes darkened.” “He blinked, his eyes darkening.” “Did his eyes just darken in the mirror?”
When their features aren't “darkening,” our two main characters show affection by wrapping their arms around each others’ waists:
--“He wrapped his arms around my waist, both of us gazing in the mirror,” ; “He wrapped his arms around my waist from behind,” (that’s hot) ; “He wrapped his arms around my waist to steady me” ; “I wrapped my arms around his waist. I needed to feel his solidity.” And it’s not just these two – even the neighbors do it: “He stepped back…wrapping his arm around his wife’s waist.” I mean, this is just silly.
--The Hispanic characters speak exactly two words of Spanish at various times throughout the book: “Dios mio.” Then they break into English again. Well, bad stereotypes do make for great stock characters. Or Looney Tunes characters. (But I'm pretty sure Speedy Gonzales speaks more Spanish than that).
--The lawn of every house where children reside is covered with toys and a bicycle with training wheels. There is no variation here at all—ever.
--Our narrator has some odd need to tell us how everything smells, leading me to think that she has an olfactory disorder, or that her friends are a smelly bunch living in a really stinky place: “He’d smelled different when we’d arrived at the cottage.” ; “The air smelled faintly of rosewater.” ; “ She smelled of patchouli and lip gloss” ; “She smelled like baby powder” ; “He smelled mildly ruddy” (?????) ; “She smelled of clove cigarettes and wet wool.” Fuck me. Even when I was pregnant and could smell a rotting apple core at the bottom of a trash can six blocks away, I didn’t smell as many things as this narrator does. This is clearly a case of the author taking the "show don't tell," advice from kindergarten ("describe the senses!") a little too literally.
So where were the fucking editors? Why weren’t they catching these things?
Even worse than ignoring the sloppy repetition, the editors clearly didn’t take a stand in places where the writing is simply, undeniably . . .bad. It made for so many utterly crap-tastic sections that I was laughing my ass off through a majority of the novel:
--“Autumn was showing off, but sooner or later, autumn would turn into winter, and the trees would lose all of their leaves.” This is easily the worst sentence I’ve read in print in ten years. Hysterical.
--“I could almost see the flames reflected in his eyes.” Haha. No, you couldn’t. I know what you were going for by writing this, but it’s just bad. DELETE.
"Haven’t you heard the saying a woman is like a tea bag, you never know what she’s made of until you dip her in hot water?” LOL!
--"Dr. Johnny McDonald, a dashing bachelor..." I'm pretty sure the term "dashing bachelor" should never be in print outside of a Harlequin romance novel. And someone named Johnny McDonald described as a "dashing bachelor" is irresistibly funny.
--“Halfway through the meal, the doorbell rang, a melodic ding-dong reverberating through the house.” Because there’s just...nothing quite like a...melodic ding-dong.
These tidbits were so hilarious that I'd recommend the book for the laugh factor alone. But is that really the goal of a mystery novel? To have readers laughing at the bad writing? I think not. So, again, where was the editor? Why wasn't anyone telling this chick to kill her darlings and fix this stuff??
It gets even more maddening. I read somewhere that our author likes Daphne du Maurier. Well, that's nice. While I appreciate the many instances in the novel where Banner pays homage to du Maurier—the fire, the charred copy of Rebecca in the ashes, the young woman taken in by the “dashing bachelor” (gag), the rhododendrons, the creepy dilapidated shack by the water, et. al.—the attempt to imitate her is just...lame. (Anyone's attempt at writing like du Maurier would be lame--that's why she's a legend and the rest of us are mediocre). Because how did du Maurier accomplish Maxim’s “big reveal” in Rebecca? Easy. Maxim confesses because he has to—he thinks he’s about to be caught—and what follows is one of literature's greatest plot twists. I get that Banner tried to have a character do a Rebecca-esque 180 on us in The Good Neighbor, but unsurprisingly, it's a flop: the the bad guy is only mildly surprising, and the “big reveal” happens for no reason, with no twist, just because the book has to end somewhere.
A good editor would have explained to Banner that any attempt to write like du Maurier is bound to fail, and would have had her rewrite the ending.
And why am I blaming the editors instead of the author?
Because believe it or not, Banner has potential, and it’s glaringly obvious that she had no editorial guidance. It's not her fault that the book was clearly rushed to publication. And if someone had bothered to do their job, this novel actually could have been a decent read. That’s the greatest pity of this book: the mess completely overshadows the few redeeming qualities, especially the author’s talent for describing nature. I know well the Washington forests Banner writes about, and run through them every weekend--her descriptions are beautiful and spot-on. Oh, and one plot twist literally made me gasp.
So, the the talent is there. It just needs work. It just needs a goddamn editor.
2 stars because it's not the author's fault...and because I didn't completely hate it.
February 16, 2016
Not the worst book I've ever read, but a far cry from the 'suspense fiction' it's being called. There was nothing new here, very predictable and uninspired.
The protagonist comes across as insecure and needy, the antagonist is just boring.
It reads quick at just 200 pages, which is its saving grace, or this would have been a DNF.
~ I should note that I just got done reading two killer 5 star books, so maybe this book never stood a chance in the first place.
ARC from NetGalley
The protagonist comes across as insecure and needy, the antagonist is just boring.
It reads quick at just 200 pages, which is its saving grace, or this would have been a DNF.
~ I should note that I just got done reading two killer 5 star books, so maybe this book never stood a chance in the first place.
ARC from NetGalley
August 13, 2015
Lightweight mystery about some bad things happening to beautiful people in an upscale neighborhood. As a psychological suspense tale, it never even came within shouting distance of the genre. On the upside, the pacing was good and the price was fair. Fast and free, respectively.
This was a Kindle First offering for the month of August.
This was a Kindle First offering for the month of August.
August 13, 2015
I'll be honest; I'm a little baffled at how on earth this book is currently sitting at 4 stars on Amazon. I didn't hate this book, but it was mediocre at best. The story is told from the point of view of the protagonist, Sarah Phoenix. (On a side note, all I could do was roll my eyes when her last name was revealed shortly after the fire. The author might as well have added a footnote that said, "Get it? Symbolism! Get it?") Through the entire novel, I kept wondering why I was supposed to care about this flat, boring woman. She didn't have enough of a personality for me to even dislike her. I nothinged her. I felt similarly about the rest of the characters. They simply did not illicit any sort of feelings one way or another.
There were also several things that didn't make any sense. Someone hangs up on her when she answers a cell phone, and she gets a dial tone? What kind of cell phone gives you a dial tone? She is kept in the hospital for several days for a concussion. Most people are lucky (or unlucky depending on your perspective) to be kept just overnight for a concussion. She doesn't recognize a woman in a picture with her husband, and it turns out to be someone she knows very well. It was just constant.
To top it off, there was nothing suspenseful about this book. There was a lot of talking and not much action. Everything was terribly predictable, and the final conflict was possibly one of the most anti-climactic thing I've ever read. The book ends with one of the side stories completely unresolved, and the main character just kind of shrugs it off. I could pardon that in a longer book, but this one is less than 200 pages. There was no excuse to not flush the story out to completion, although by the end, I was very happy it was so short.
There were also several things that didn't make any sense. Someone hangs up on her when she answers a cell phone, and she gets a dial tone? What kind of cell phone gives you a dial tone? She is kept in the hospital for several days for a concussion. Most people are lucky (or unlucky depending on your perspective) to be kept just overnight for a concussion. She doesn't recognize a woman in a picture with her husband, and it turns out to be someone she knows very well. It was just constant.
To top it off, there was nothing suspenseful about this book. There was a lot of talking and not much action. Everything was terribly predictable, and the final conflict was possibly one of the most anti-climactic thing I've ever read. The book ends with one of the side stories completely unresolved, and the main character just kind of shrugs it off. I could pardon that in a longer book, but this one is less than 200 pages. There was no excuse to not flush the story out to completion, although by the end, I was very happy it was so short.
November 2, 2015
2.5 but will round it up the 3 as I did enjoy the first half of the book.
This started of strong. Interesting prologue... then about 60% in I got the feeling that it would all go downhill from then. And it sort of did... and that ending!!
From the book blurb.
"A. J. Banner illuminates the darkest corners of the human heart with her stories of suspense."
Now, I read a lot of Suspense books but this one fell short for me.
What suspense?
Honestly, I cannot believe that this is a Top 100 seller on Amazon.
I just felt that towards the end she was throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the storyline.
As I said, it started off strong but it ended on a fizzle, not a bang for me.
This started of strong. Interesting prologue... then about 60% in I got the feeling that it would all go downhill from then. And it sort of did... and that ending!!
From the book blurb.
"A. J. Banner illuminates the darkest corners of the human heart with her stories of suspense."
Now, I read a lot of Suspense books but this one fell short for me.
What suspense?
Honestly, I cannot believe that this is a Top 100 seller on Amazon.
I just felt that towards the end she was throwing everything but the kitchen sink into the storyline.
As I said, it started off strong but it ended on a fizzle, not a bang for me.
August 18, 2015
This was okay. Nothing too thrilling or tense. I think it was a bit formulaic. Wife starts to doubt husband, break up, make up. Nosy neighbors spreading rumors. Add one psycho.
December 31, 2017
Sarah and her husband Johnny have a perfect life together. They live on an idyllic street with nice neighbors and now they are trying to have a child. But everything changes one night when Johnny is away. The house beside theirs burns down and Sarah is injured and their house is also damaged. Sarah and Johnny have to move away to a new house and slowly try to move on, but Sarah feels that something is wrong. Johnny is acting strangely after the fire. Soon she doesn't know what to believe, is their marriage at risk, or is she being paranoid?
This is a fast-paced book with short chapters. Which meant when I started to read it last night was it hard to stop because I really wanted to know the truth about the fire, about Sarah's marriage. If she was being paranoid or not. So I read half the book even though I was only going to read a little.
It's not a perfect book. I feel the ending was a bit too open for my taste. But still a good ending, I wasn't disappointed over it. I just felt that, unless there will be a sequel was it left way too open.
But in the end, did I find The Good Neighbor to be a good mystery book. I enjoyed reading it and I especially liked that it was a fast-paced that was something I needed after having read some heavier books lately.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
This is a fast-paced book with short chapters. Which meant when I started to read it last night was it hard to stop because I really wanted to know the truth about the fire, about Sarah's marriage. If she was being paranoid or not. So I read half the book even though I was only going to read a little.
It's not a perfect book. I feel the ending was a bit too open for my taste. But still a good ending, I wasn't disappointed over it. I just felt that, unless there will be a sequel was it left way too open.
But in the end, did I find The Good Neighbor to be a good mystery book. I enjoyed reading it and I especially liked that it was a fast-paced that was something I needed after having read some heavier books lately.
Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
September 9, 2015
I know it's been a few weeks since I started this review, but I had to walk away for a bit to gorge on some decent reading...Kind of a palate cleansing for the brain...
Let's start off with the idea that I really did want to like this book. The blurb made it sound promising, and I dove into it with hopeful intentions, but things went sideways on me pretty darn fast.
I got a strong hint that this was going to be a pretentious pile of crap when Main Character described a piece of her furniture as "made from sustainable harvested wood." We learned that her mother teaches sign language to deaf children in Nairobi. Main character is a children's book author. Okay, we get it. Heaven is for real and it's in this author's hands. Blah blah barf...Actually, the author missed a golden opportunity when she made Hubs a dermatologist instead of a plastic surgeon who corrects cleft palates in third world countries. Just sayin'.
Later, Main Character is the only one in the neighborhood who can climb up a ladder to save a neighbor's child. Of course, before she begins the climb, she whips out her cell phone to call Hubs, who is out of town on business. Wait, what? Yeah, no bigs. Just climbing up this almost burning ladder. Uh huh.
At one point in the story, she keeps hearing snippets of flirty conversation Hubs is carrying on his cell phone, and when she calls him on it, he asks her if she's eavesdropping on his conversations. Well, duh!
At another point in the book, Main Character and Hubs are having a seemingly deep conversation on the phone while she's driving, and rather than bring it to a natural conclusion, Main Character is all, "Oh, I'm here. Gotta go! Bye!" Sure, because that's how we relate to people in the real world. Real, meaningful exchanges are escaped at the first opportunity. Barf barf.
Hubs generally comes off as a man-whore, and not a particularly sneaky one. The author felt the need to bring his loyalty to Main Character into question every opportunity she got. Hubs' "gaze remained on Evie" (Evie not being Main Character), "he smiled appreciatively", and he "traded a look, an unspoken message passing between them". Barf barf blech barf barf.
While babysitting young four year old Mia (she of the burned up house next door) Main Character spots a strange dog in her front yard. She moseys to the front yard, telling Mia to "stay put for a sec" (because being still is what four year olds a known for) and carries a full conversation with the dog people. Amazingly, when she returns, Mia is nowhere to be found. Box of rocks = smarter than the Main Character.
This is pretty much where I threw my hands up and said "uncle". There's only so much drivel a gal can take, and I was full up.
So, this is where I leave you. It may have ended better, but I'll never know. Because I had better things to do. Much better things. My cat's claws needed a trim. The garbage pail in the kitchen needed to be washed out. The gutters needed to be cleaned. You understand...
______________________________________________________________________
This book was a gawd-awful waste of time, effort, on the parts of everyone involved with bringing this author's dreck to light.
I'll publish a full review this weekend, but I wanted to give a head's up warning to those of you thinking of adding this to your Must Read list.
Let's start off with the idea that I really did want to like this book. The blurb made it sound promising, and I dove into it with hopeful intentions, but things went sideways on me pretty darn fast.
I got a strong hint that this was going to be a pretentious pile of crap when Main Character described a piece of her furniture as "made from sustainable harvested wood." We learned that her mother teaches sign language to deaf children in Nairobi. Main character is a children's book author. Okay, we get it. Heaven is for real and it's in this author's hands. Blah blah barf...Actually, the author missed a golden opportunity when she made Hubs a dermatologist instead of a plastic surgeon who corrects cleft palates in third world countries. Just sayin'.
Later, Main Character is the only one in the neighborhood who can climb up a ladder to save a neighbor's child. Of course, before she begins the climb, she whips out her cell phone to call Hubs, who is out of town on business. Wait, what? Yeah, no bigs. Just climbing up this almost burning ladder. Uh huh.
At one point in the story, she keeps hearing snippets of flirty conversation Hubs is carrying on his cell phone, and when she calls him on it, he asks her if she's eavesdropping on his conversations. Well, duh!
At another point in the book, Main Character and Hubs are having a seemingly deep conversation on the phone while she's driving, and rather than bring it to a natural conclusion, Main Character is all, "Oh, I'm here. Gotta go! Bye!" Sure, because that's how we relate to people in the real world. Real, meaningful exchanges are escaped at the first opportunity. Barf barf.
Hubs generally comes off as a man-whore, and not a particularly sneaky one. The author felt the need to bring his loyalty to Main Character into question every opportunity she got. Hubs' "gaze remained on Evie" (Evie not being Main Character), "he smiled appreciatively", and he "traded a look, an unspoken message passing between them". Barf barf blech barf barf.
While babysitting young four year old Mia (she of the burned up house next door) Main Character spots a strange dog in her front yard. She moseys to the front yard, telling Mia to "stay put for a sec" (because being still is what four year olds a known for) and carries a full conversation with the dog people. Amazingly, when she returns, Mia is nowhere to be found. Box of rocks = smarter than the Main Character.
This is pretty much where I threw my hands up and said "uncle". There's only so much drivel a gal can take, and I was full up.
So, this is where I leave you. It may have ended better, but I'll never know. Because I had better things to do. Much better things. My cat's claws needed a trim. The garbage pail in the kitchen needed to be washed out. The gutters needed to be cleaned. You understand...
______________________________________________________________________
This book was a gawd-awful waste of time, effort, on the parts of everyone involved with bringing this author's dreck to light.
I'll publish a full review this weekend, but I wanted to give a head's up warning to those of you thinking of adding this to your Must Read list.
October 24, 2015
I couldn't finish this book. I was listening to it, so I thought maybe it was the narration, so I read a few pages.
Nope, wasn't the narration it was the book, alright.
If you want to read Desperate Housewives, but a slower, duller version then do go ahead and try. My suggestion is to read the sample chapters and if you like those, go for it. Pretty much the style of writing is the same throughout. People at dinner parties and everyone looking beautiful, long winded descriptions of houses, and some weird preoccupation with talking about food all the time, and a whiny female protagonist constantly suspicious of her husband who seems too dull to be of interest to another female, although "he's gorgeous." None of these inclusions rock my reading world.
It's doing very well since its release, so it could just be my personal taste. I've given it 2 stars, because it's not the worst book I've read and doesn't have spelling or grammatical mistakes.
My friend Mayra didn't mind it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and my other friend Beth really enjoyed it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Nope, wasn't the narration it was the book, alright.
If you want to read Desperate Housewives, but a slower, duller version then do go ahead and try. My suggestion is to read the sample chapters and if you like those, go for it. Pretty much the style of writing is the same throughout. People at dinner parties and everyone looking beautiful, long winded descriptions of houses, and some weird preoccupation with talking about food all the time, and a whiny female protagonist constantly suspicious of her husband who seems too dull to be of interest to another female, although "he's gorgeous." None of these inclusions rock my reading world.
It's doing very well since its release, so it could just be my personal taste. I've given it 2 stars, because it's not the worst book I've read and doesn't have spelling or grammatical mistakes.
My friend Mayra didn't mind it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and my other friend Beth really enjoyed it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 14, 2015
This book was kind of dumb. But it takes place in a town where everyone is beautiful, seriously, everyone is described as beautiful looking in one way or another.
I was probably not the right audience for the book.
I was probably not the right audience for the book.
September 12, 2022
حسناً...لقد تم اشتعال النيران بالمنزل المجاور ل " سارة " ، وهى قد استطاعت إنقاذ طفلة جيرانها بينما لقي والداها مصرعيهما أثناء الحريق...
يتبين من التحقيقات بأن الحريق مفتعل ، هنا دائرة الإتهام هزيلة ومحاولة الكاتبة أن تُلبس زوج " سارة " الجريمة كانت بائسة ، كعادتها ترسم شخصية المرأة ضعيفة مترددة ، هشاشتها تنذر القارىء بكسرها الوشيك ، وفكرة أن الزوج خائن ومتورط بهذه الصورة الواضحة المعالم ليست مُجدية خاصة مع قارىء لروايات الجريمة...
لقد جاءت تخميناتي صائبة بشأن المتورط بالحريق ، فالكاتبة رسمت الشخصية بصورة ضبابية تدفعك للارتياب بشأنها...
يبدو إنني سأقول للكاتبة وداعاً ، كان هذا لقاءنا الأخير 😏
يتبين من التحقيقات بأن الحريق مفتعل ، هنا دائرة الإتهام هزيلة ومحاولة الكاتبة أن تُلبس زوج " سارة " الجريمة كانت بائسة ، كعادتها ترسم شخصية المرأة ضعيفة مترددة ، هشاشتها تنذر القارىء بكسرها الوشيك ، وفكرة أن الزوج خائن ومتورط بهذه الصورة الواضحة المعالم ليست مُجدية خاصة مع قارىء لروايات الجريمة...
لقد جاءت تخميناتي صائبة بشأن المتورط بالحريق ، فالكاتبة رسمت الشخصية بصورة ضبابية تدفعك للارتياب بشأنها...
يبدو إنني سأقول للكاتبة وداعاً ، كان هذا لقاءنا الأخير 😏
June 3, 2016
I am swimming against the tide with this book which I see has received a lot of two star reviews.
I loved the simplicity of the plot and the author's writing. There was no extraneous material here (other than the constant descriptions of what everyone was wearing!) - just pure storyline.
Sarah and her husband, Dr Johnny MacDonald, have a wonderful life. They live in Johnny's lovely home, have great friends and good neighbours. But one night when Johnny is away at a conference Sarah is awoken by a loud explosion, and her nightmare begins......
As she picks up the pieces after the tragedy, Sarah discovers a shocking secret, one that will cause her to re-evaluate her whole life and the people she loves.
This is a great read, and I believe a first novel for this author. AJ Banner perfectly captures the uncertainty felt when one's world is tipped upside down and we just don't know who to trust anymore; when we don't even trust our own instincts.
I will be looking for more from AJ Banner.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of the Good Neighbor in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
I loved the simplicity of the plot and the author's writing. There was no extraneous material here (other than the constant descriptions of what everyone was wearing!) - just pure storyline.
Sarah and her husband, Dr Johnny MacDonald, have a wonderful life. They live in Johnny's lovely home, have great friends and good neighbours. But one night when Johnny is away at a conference Sarah is awoken by a loud explosion, and her nightmare begins......
As she picks up the pieces after the tragedy, Sarah discovers a shocking secret, one that will cause her to re-evaluate her whole life and the people she loves.
This is a great read, and I believe a first novel for this author. AJ Banner perfectly captures the uncertainty felt when one's world is tipped upside down and we just don't know who to trust anymore; when we don't even trust our own instincts.
I will be looking for more from AJ Banner.
Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of the Good Neighbor in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
August 3, 2015
Two stars to me means that this book is just ok. This book reads like a Lifetime movie Lifetime movie have their place..everyone watches one once, at least, right? What's with this author and the towhees? Swear, she mentioned them four separate times. These are the kind of things I noticed. I read this book in an afternoon. A summer read on my vacation. I had read reviews, alluding to a shocking ending. Meh, not so shocking.
July 19, 2015
A swift-paced psychological thriller that I really enjoyed. Coming out soon! Don't miss this one.
July 7, 2017
This is a lightweight mystery that had potential it didn’t fulfill. It wasn’t bad—it had its moments.
Sarah Phoenix is in love with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. She has good neighbors—she thinks—until a fire next door leads to tragedy and the unravelling of secrets.
I liked the twist ending. However, once the scoundrel was revealed, the dialogue between Sarah and the mastermind of villainy reminded me of the literary equivalent of a cartoon villain tugging at his mustache while cackling diabolically after tying the damsel in distress to a railroad track—it just had this inauthentic quality to it. Maybe I just like more literary suspense/mystery/thrillers.
For more of my reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
Sarah Phoenix is in love with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. She has good neighbors—she thinks—until a fire next door leads to tragedy and the unravelling of secrets.
I liked the twist ending. However, once the scoundrel was revealed, the dialogue between Sarah and the mastermind of villainy reminded me of the literary equivalent of a cartoon villain tugging at his mustache while cackling diabolically after tying the damsel in distress to a railroad track—it just had this inauthentic quality to it. Maybe I just like more literary suspense/mystery/thrillers.
For more of my reviews, please visit: http://www.theresaalan.net/blog
October 12, 2021
Full review to come.
3 ⭐️.
3 ⭐️.
October 2, 2015
The description for this book sounded really appealing, but as suspense fiction or a psychological thriller it sadly disappointed.
It failed to evoke any emotions whatsoever. I didn't care for any of the shallow characters, and the psychological suspense I was expecting was sadly missing.
The revelation of the antagonist came out of nowhere and was a "REALLY???? That's it?"-moment. The ending was so predictable, it was laughable.
On the positive side, it was fast paced and a very short book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
It failed to evoke any emotions whatsoever. I didn't care for any of the shallow characters, and the psychological suspense I was expecting was sadly missing.
The revelation of the antagonist came out of nowhere and was a "REALLY???? That's it?"-moment. The ending was so predictable, it was laughable.
On the positive side, it was fast paced and a very short book.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a complimentary copy via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
February 12, 2017
I have to admit, I love Little Debbie brownies. I know that they taste nothing like a brownie should, have zero nutrition, and I can bake something 10 times better at home. Still, I occasionally get a craving for one and grab one at the checkout line. It's not one of my gooey homemade Heath bar brownies, but it doesn't pretend to be.
The Good Neighbor is a Little Debbie brownie. It's nutritionless fluff. The mystery wasn't very interesting. Neither were the characters. But somehow I was still entertained by it! I can't name a single original or truly pulse-pounding thing that happened. And I still liked it! I think I may have gone soft.
Side note: I liked the use of arson as a main mystery motivator. There aren't enough good arson plots these days.
This would have been three stars for me if not for the ending, which used two of my most hated, nerve-grating plot devices.
I guess I liked this better than I should have, but the ending was a letdown. The Good Neighbor is good junk food, but the aftertaste ruined it.
The Good Neighbor is a Little Debbie brownie. It's nutritionless fluff. The mystery wasn't very interesting. Neither were the characters. But somehow I was still entertained by it! I can't name a single original or truly pulse-pounding thing that happened. And I still liked it! I think I may have gone soft.
Side note: I liked the use of arson as a main mystery motivator. There aren't enough good arson plots these days.
This would have been three stars for me if not for the ending, which used two of my most hated, nerve-grating plot devices.
I guess I liked this better than I should have, but the ending was a letdown. The Good Neighbor is good junk food, but the aftertaste ruined it.
July 29, 2015
Three and a half stars: A quick thriller that makes you question how well you can truly know someone.
Sarah winds down for the night. She is missing her husband, Johnny, who is away at a business conference. Still it is a lovely, quiet summer night in her small cul-de-sac neighborhood in Shadow Cove. Sarah drifts off to sleep with her window open, bringing in the cool, summer night air. She wakes just after one in the morning to the smell of smoke. Her neighbor's house next door is in flames. Sarah can hear Mia,a four year old girl, crying in her room on the second floor. Sarah bursts into action, determined to save the little girl. During her rescue attempt, Sarah is knocked unconscious by burning debris. When she wakes, she learns the horrible aftermath of that night. As she tries to rebuild, Sarah uncovers some disturbing truths. Was the fire more than an accident? If so who would want to harm her neighbors and why? More troubling than that is the fact that her husband might have been unfaithful, leaving Sarah to ponder how well does she know her husband and her neighbors?
What I Liked:
*The Good Neighbor was one of those books that immediately sucked me in and kept me entertained until the end. This is a well done, suspenseful, mystery/thriller with lots of twists and turns that keep the reader constantly guessing up until the shocking and rather startling finale. I can honestly say, I didn't see that ending coming. If you like a quick paced thriller that will keep you turning the pages, this is one to grab. It is short and exciting, and you can read it in one sitting.
*I enjoyed all the suspense and mystery in this one. As Sarah delves further into the fire investigation she begins to find that some things don't quite add up, and the more she digs, the more questions arise that have her questioning her marriage as well as how well she knows her neighbors. I loved all the clues, and I liked trying to piece it all together. In the end, my conjectures were wrong, and I was caught completely off guard by the unmasking of the culprit. This is a book with plenty of red herrings, twists and one final jaw dropping turn that will leave you shocked.
*I liked the quick pace of this novel. Once you dive in, it gets going and moves along at a rapid pace, never letting up until the big reveal at the end. I was never bored, and I appreciated that the pace never faltered. This comes in at two hundred pages, so it is easily a book you can pick up and read in a couple of hours, perfect for a sunny summer afternoon.
*I enjoy a good psychological/ thriller and I appreciated that this one wasn't dark and disturbing. In fact, it was rather light and upbeat in comparison to others I have read. There is nothing that will haunt you after reading this one. So if you are one who likes your thrillers without gore and horror, this is a good one.
*The ending is quite a shocker. It moves at lightning speed and a lot happens in those final pages. I was truly stunned when the culprit was revealed, especially when the motives were laid out. I guarantee you won't guess "who done it" as you read this one.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I loved that this book moved quickly, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't take time to explore certain things a bit further. For instance, I was wanting way more on the aftermath of the fire. I would have loved more description and discussion on the investigation, the details on that aspect were a bit scant for my taste. Furthermore, I would have loved to know more about the culprit's behavior, why they became fixated and how it all started. The explanation provided is so cursory. I wanted all the dirty details.
*There are two story lines that the author takes time to develop only to purposely leave both hanging at the end, leaving me to wonder is there more story coming? It was open ended, and I didn't like that I was left with a cliffhanger of sorts. No worries, the main mystery is all wrapped, it is two smaller story lines left undone.
*I liked the shocking conclusion and the big twist, but I have to admit, I thought it was a tiny bit unrealistic. I don't know, just my opinion, it works, but it stretched believability for me.
The Good Neighbor is a solid and entertaining thriller that had me riveted to the pages. I loved the rapid fire pace and the suspenseful story line. If you want a thriller on the lighter side that will keep you guessing until the finale, this is one to get. This was a book that I picked up and read in a couple of hours, it is perfect for beach reading or whenever you have an afternoon to while away. I would definitely recommend this for fans of mystery and thrillers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
Sarah winds down for the night. She is missing her husband, Johnny, who is away at a business conference. Still it is a lovely, quiet summer night in her small cul-de-sac neighborhood in Shadow Cove. Sarah drifts off to sleep with her window open, bringing in the cool, summer night air. She wakes just after one in the morning to the smell of smoke. Her neighbor's house next door is in flames. Sarah can hear Mia,a four year old girl, crying in her room on the second floor. Sarah bursts into action, determined to save the little girl. During her rescue attempt, Sarah is knocked unconscious by burning debris. When she wakes, she learns the horrible aftermath of that night. As she tries to rebuild, Sarah uncovers some disturbing truths. Was the fire more than an accident? If so who would want to harm her neighbors and why? More troubling than that is the fact that her husband might have been unfaithful, leaving Sarah to ponder how well does she know her husband and her neighbors?
What I Liked:
*The Good Neighbor was one of those books that immediately sucked me in and kept me entertained until the end. This is a well done, suspenseful, mystery/thriller with lots of twists and turns that keep the reader constantly guessing up until the shocking and rather startling finale. I can honestly say, I didn't see that ending coming. If you like a quick paced thriller that will keep you turning the pages, this is one to grab. It is short and exciting, and you can read it in one sitting.
*I enjoyed all the suspense and mystery in this one. As Sarah delves further into the fire investigation she begins to find that some things don't quite add up, and the more she digs, the more questions arise that have her questioning her marriage as well as how well she knows her neighbors. I loved all the clues, and I liked trying to piece it all together. In the end, my conjectures were wrong, and I was caught completely off guard by the unmasking of the culprit. This is a book with plenty of red herrings, twists and one final jaw dropping turn that will leave you shocked.
*I liked the quick pace of this novel. Once you dive in, it gets going and moves along at a rapid pace, never letting up until the big reveal at the end. I was never bored, and I appreciated that the pace never faltered. This comes in at two hundred pages, so it is easily a book you can pick up and read in a couple of hours, perfect for a sunny summer afternoon.
*I enjoy a good psychological/ thriller and I appreciated that this one wasn't dark and disturbing. In fact, it was rather light and upbeat in comparison to others I have read. There is nothing that will haunt you after reading this one. So if you are one who likes your thrillers without gore and horror, this is a good one.
*The ending is quite a shocker. It moves at lightning speed and a lot happens in those final pages. I was truly stunned when the culprit was revealed, especially when the motives were laid out. I guarantee you won't guess "who done it" as you read this one.
And The Not So Much:
*Even though I loved that this book moved quickly, I was a bit disappointed that it didn't take time to explore certain things a bit further. For instance, I was wanting way more on the aftermath of the fire. I would have loved more description and discussion on the investigation, the details on that aspect were a bit scant for my taste. Furthermore, I would have loved to know more about the culprit's behavior, why they became fixated and how it all started. The explanation provided is so cursory. I wanted all the dirty details.
*There are two story lines that the author takes time to develop only to purposely leave both hanging at the end, leaving me to wonder is there more story coming? It was open ended, and I didn't like that I was left with a cliffhanger of sorts. No worries, the main mystery is all wrapped, it is two smaller story lines left undone.
*I liked the shocking conclusion and the big twist, but I have to admit, I thought it was a tiny bit unrealistic. I don't know, just my opinion, it works, but it stretched believability for me.
The Good Neighbor is a solid and entertaining thriller that had me riveted to the pages. I loved the rapid fire pace and the suspenseful story line. If you want a thriller on the lighter side that will keep you guessing until the finale, this is one to get. This was a book that I picked up and read in a couple of hours, it is perfect for beach reading or whenever you have an afternoon to while away. I would definitely recommend this for fans of mystery and thrillers.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@Rainy Day Ramblings.
September 13, 2015
I just read this about 5 days ago on a long plane flight, I am already having trouble remembering what it was about. This is not a good indicator of the quality of a suspense novel. Luckily though, the book rates such little attention I can get away with a very short review: The major problem with The Good Neighbor is that it is completely unrealistic. It has hard to place the blame for this squarely on character or plotting, but I avoid that dilemma by simply stating people in this novel act in ways no person would ever act and seem to up and do whatever would be needed to make the plot more confusing suspenseful. However, lack of typos and good grammar gets this an extra star. Once again, I wonder why I feel the need to download these Kindle First books? Maybe if I was a better reviewer and could use NetGalley, I would stop punishing myself. Till then though, I should really get more mileage from my library card.
February 6, 2017
:: 3 Stars ::
I have to say I was very excited about picking up this book because the blurb says it’s the next GONE GIRL. Sadly, this is not even close to being true. All in all though I thought this book was okay.
First, I felt like the plot was very wishy-washy. From what I gathered the book is supposed to be about a woman trying to figure out who started a deadly fire at her neighbor’s house. But instead all readers get are the woman’s feelings of being deceived by her husband. She drones on and on about him being deceitful and the murder falls to the wayside. If this was the entire plot (woman being deceived by her husband) I think I would have liked it better but it’s not. It’s supposed to be a mystery and all we get are hurt feelings and untruthfulness. In addition to this, the ending was terrible. When we finally figure out what actually happened and who was to blame it takes about 5 pages and is suddenly over. I found myself saying “are you kidding me, that’s it?!?” I would have liked to seen the ending drawn out a bit more. If it had been, than I think it would have been a much better read. Finally, the last chapter leaves readers with so many unanswered questions. I read books because I like to know what happens in the characters’ lives after the fact. NOPE. You don’t get any of that in this book. Will there be a book 2 to tell us what happens? I hope so otherwise this book is a waste of time.
Overall, this book is okay. I am glad I read it via kindle unlimited because I would have been upset if I spent five dollars on it.
I have to say I was very excited about picking up this book because the blurb says it’s the next GONE GIRL. Sadly, this is not even close to being true. All in all though I thought this book was okay.
First, I felt like the plot was very wishy-washy. From what I gathered the book is supposed to be about a woman trying to figure out who started a deadly fire at her neighbor’s house. But instead all readers get are the woman’s feelings of being deceived by her husband. She drones on and on about him being deceitful and the murder falls to the wayside. If this was the entire plot (woman being deceived by her husband) I think I would have liked it better but it’s not. It’s supposed to be a mystery and all we get are hurt feelings and untruthfulness. In addition to this, the ending was terrible. When we finally figure out what actually happened and who was to blame it takes about 5 pages and is suddenly over. I found myself saying “are you kidding me, that’s it?!?” I would have liked to seen the ending drawn out a bit more. If it had been, than I think it would have been a much better read. Finally, the last chapter leaves readers with so many unanswered questions. I read books because I like to know what happens in the characters’ lives after the fact. NOPE. You don’t get any of that in this book. Will there be a book 2 to tell us what happens? I hope so otherwise this book is a waste of time.
Overall, this book is okay. I am glad I read it via kindle unlimited because I would have been upset if I spent five dollars on it.
September 13, 2015
I am reluctant to write negative reviews but unfortunately IMHO this book doesn't deserve more than two stars. It wasn't really bad; it was just OK, a quick read but not a memorable one. I didn't like any of the characters and the way the plot unfolded didn't appeal to me either. I finished the book to know who the bad guy was and guess what? It disappointed me as well.
It goes without saying that other people may find the book interesting and the characters riveting.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com : book reviews, travel pictures and more.
It goes without saying that other people may find the book interesting and the characters riveting.
www.theleisurediaries.blogspot.com : book reviews, travel pictures and more.
April 24, 2018
A "perfect" little town holds big secrets. The secrets begin to fray the perfect edges of the townspeople when a fire devastates two homes and families. This was a grab you by the shirt read from page one. The mystery deepened and the clues were a maze making the reader ask question after question. This was a short fast paced read. Love that.
What I didn't love was the ending. Won't do a spoiler but suffice it to say the ending was not satisfying and ended with a "What?!"
What I didn't love was the ending. Won't do a spoiler but suffice it to say the ending was not satisfying and ended with a "What?!"
September 13, 2015
"On a street like Sitka Lane, with only six spacious, identical houses, it was difficult-but not impossible-to keep secrets. I would watch the neighbors come and go, but nobody knew what truly went on inside each home."
Sarah and Dr. Johnny McDonald live in a peaceful, quaint town in a neighborhood where people actually care about one another. One horrible night tragedy strikes that forever changes their little corner of paradise. It won't just be paradise that is forever changed. Sarah stumbles upon secrets and lies as she tries to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Sarah's friend Natalie sensed a forthcoming tragedy but Sarah didn't take it to heart. Not until she realized how much trouble she is in does she realize how right Natalie was.
From the opening chapter this book reaches out and pulls you in. Sarah suspects others of complicity in the death of her friends. Can her own husband even be trusted? Sarah alone will have to bring to light the neighbors undermining role in her life and that of her husband's. There is a little girl that needs her help along with Jessie, a teenager making life altering bad choices. Could Jessie's creepy boyfriend be behind the neighborhood tragedy? Sarah is certain she can uncover what is really going on in Shadow Cove.
Shocking and compelling, people are not who they appear to be and not who you'd suspect. When you get to the point where you think you know who did what keep reading. You'll be surprised it's not who you think. Enthralling with a "let me read just one more page" turning kind of suspense. The kind that will keep you awake at night so you can finish it! The kind that will make you look at your neighbors just a little differently in the morning light.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the allowing me an A.R.C.
Sarah and Dr. Johnny McDonald live in a peaceful, quaint town in a neighborhood where people actually care about one another. One horrible night tragedy strikes that forever changes their little corner of paradise. It won't just be paradise that is forever changed. Sarah stumbles upon secrets and lies as she tries to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Sarah's friend Natalie sensed a forthcoming tragedy but Sarah didn't take it to heart. Not until she realized how much trouble she is in does she realize how right Natalie was.
From the opening chapter this book reaches out and pulls you in. Sarah suspects others of complicity in the death of her friends. Can her own husband even be trusted? Sarah alone will have to bring to light the neighbors undermining role in her life and that of her husband's. There is a little girl that needs her help along with Jessie, a teenager making life altering bad choices. Could Jessie's creepy boyfriend be behind the neighborhood tragedy? Sarah is certain she can uncover what is really going on in Shadow Cove.
Shocking and compelling, people are not who they appear to be and not who you'd suspect. When you get to the point where you think you know who did what keep reading. You'll be surprised it's not who you think. Enthralling with a "let me read just one more page" turning kind of suspense. The kind that will keep you awake at night so you can finish it! The kind that will make you look at your neighbors just a little differently in the morning light.
Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the allowing me an A.R.C.
March 11, 2023
حريق 🔥 كبير ماذا نحن فاعلون فيه ؟؟
تصحى " سارة " على صوت ضجيج وصراخ شمال ويمين
ألحق ده فيه حريق 🔥 فى بيت 🏡 "تشاد ومونيك " يا خبر طيب فين " ميا " لازم ألحقها قبل ما النار توصل لأوضتها وتنهار
عربية الإطفاء اتأخرت ليه ⁉️ يمكن نايمين ولا ماوصلهمش إنذار 🚨 بالحريق 🔥
اكيد مش هفضل معتمدة عليهم كتير
لازم اتصرف
ساعدونى وهاتوا سلم انا هطلع بنفسى انقذهم
تفتكروا هتعرف " سارة " تتصرف ولا الحماسة اخدتها وورطتها فى مليون ورطة
بس ياريتها جت على قد نار 🔥 ألتهمت بس بيت الجيران ديه كانت البدايات
📌 النيران أحرقت ما هو أكثر من مجرد منزل 🏡 لقد أحرقت كل ما أؤمن به..
ومع التحقيقات هتكتشفوا أن كالعادة فى أسرار مدرياها الابواب
وليه نروح بعيد ما يمكن بيت 🏡 " سارة و چونى " مخبى كتير
لا بس متقوليش دول عصفورين كناريا 🦜🦜 هما الاتنين … مفيش بينهم أسرار ولا هما حوطين
كتاب 📕 مفتوح لبعض مفيش حاجة هتفرقهم عن بعض 😉
طيب بس ماتدوش الأمان إلا لما نشوف التحقيقات
وياترى ايه سبب الحريق ⁉️
ولا " مونيك " سابت الطبيخ على نار مش هادية وحرقت البيت 🤷♀️
ولا يمكن بفعل فاعل عايز يخلص من الزوجين 🤔
أحداث كتير هتقابلنا فى الطريق هنعرف منها
العدو من الصديق والحبيب هيطلع أصيل ولا لاعب بديله واحنا مش عارفين 🤷♀️
رواية مشوقة بس فى احداثها مطولة
يعنى ممكن اختصارها شويتين علشان التشويق مايروحش ومايجيش 😃 سبب الحريق كان بعيد عن دماغى كتير وصدمنى حبتين
كنت هظلم شخص برىء 😄
بس ياترى برىء ولا هيطلع برضه كداب كبير 😉
الترجمة كانت سلسلة وممتعة كعادة محمد عبد العزيز ماتحسهاش رواية مترجمة
النوع ده من الروايات بستمتع به جداا هى قريبة فى فكرتها من رواية فى المنزل المجاور لـ " شارى لابينا " 💙💙
#مكتبة_دنيا
#قراءات_٢٠٢٣
September 20, 2015
I enjoyed this novel which touches on the familiar theme of 'how well do we know those around us'?
Sarah, a children's author is happily married to Johnny, a doctor (some sort of dermatologist) and living in a small town in Washington when a fire guts a neighbouring house, leaving a small child an orphan. As neighbours huddled around the blaze it was Sarah who climbed through a window of the burning house to bring 4yr old Mia to safety.
Sarah's almost unconscious by the time the fire leaps to her house and when she wakes in hospital she discovers everything she Johnny own has gone up in smoke.
Authorities start to investigate the fire and question Sarah, Johnny (who was out of town at the time) and their neighbours; and it's soon obvious they suspect foul play.
Johnny attempts to move on and finds a rental house for the couple but Sarah struggles to settle into their new life, suddenly suspicious of everyone around her, including her (increasingly secretive) husband who she suspects is having an affair.
We're in Sarah's head throughout this novel and I felt very connected to her. Each time paranoia crept into her thinking she pulled back but remained distrustful. I was with her 100% and even her wildest suspicions seemed feasible.
The book was well paced and an easy read and really did keep me guessing until the end.
Sarah, a children's author is happily married to Johnny, a doctor (some sort of dermatologist) and living in a small town in Washington when a fire guts a neighbouring house, leaving a small child an orphan. As neighbours huddled around the blaze it was Sarah who climbed through a window of the burning house to bring 4yr old Mia to safety.
Sarah's almost unconscious by the time the fire leaps to her house and when she wakes in hospital she discovers everything she Johnny own has gone up in smoke.
Authorities start to investigate the fire and question Sarah, Johnny (who was out of town at the time) and their neighbours; and it's soon obvious they suspect foul play.
Johnny attempts to move on and finds a rental house for the couple but Sarah struggles to settle into their new life, suddenly suspicious of everyone around her, including her (increasingly secretive) husband who she suspects is having an affair.
We're in Sarah's head throughout this novel and I felt very connected to her. Each time paranoia crept into her thinking she pulled back but remained distrustful. I was with her 100% and even her wildest suspicions seemed feasible.
The book was well paced and an easy read and really did keep me guessing until the end.
August 2, 2015
I picked this book as an Amazon prime first book for August. this was a fast book where lots going on and everyone is suspect. but Damn her husband must be some beautiful man!
October 22, 2019
THE GOOD NEIGHBOR is an absorbing, unsettling, and an ingenious thriller with a big twist!
How well do you know your neighbors or your husband?
A picturesque Sitka Lane, where everything was perfect UNTIL.
Set in the lush Shadow Cove, Washington, we meet Dr. Johnny McDonald and wife and author Sarah Phoenix. When her hubby is away at a medical conference, she notices her next-door neighbor's Kimball's home.
Chad and Monique's home. A fire alarm. Smoke. The child's cry. The little girl, Mia, only four years old on the second floor. She must call 911. Soon the house was engulfed in flames. She must save the girl.
She tries her husband's room at the conference, and he did not answer. Could she trust him?
Afterward, life was never the same.
With damage to their home and a tragedy of their neighbors, they move to a temporary rental cottage in the forest on Shadow Bluff Lane that Realtor Eris finds for them. In the distance, a river at the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. There is a new set of neighbors.
However, soon after they move into the cottage, Johnny is acting strange. She wonders if he is having an affair. Weird things begin occurring.
Was the fire accidental or did someone set the fire? If so, why? Does it have anything to do with what is going on now?
Deception. Lies. Secrets. Obsession.
However, is there something more sinister at play? What if your husband was not who you thought he was? Sarah is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and save a few lives along the way.
Everything leads up to the final heart-pounding explosive twist!
Wow, the word "undercurrent" comes to mind throughout this multi-layered twisty domestic psychological thriller.
"An underlying feeling or influence, especially one that is contrary to the prevailing atmosphere and is not expressed openly. Current of water below the surface and moving in a different direction from any surface current."
Jaw-dropping. Compelling. Nail-biting.
The suspense builds as Sarah pulls back the layers of deception. One woman's desperate search for answers and those around her she cannot trust — and another woman's obsession.
I adore A.J.'s novel settings and her ability to draw you into the environment and character's lives. She is not afraid to keep her readers guessing until the very last page of this heart-pounding story.
For fans of Fatal Attraction, Michele Campbell's A Stranger on the Beach, Kimberly Belle's The Marriage Lie, Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train, Kaira Rouda's The Favorite Daughter, and Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.
Having the pleasure of reading the author's other books— even her latest— THE POISON GARDEN, I discovered I had not read her debut thriller, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR. I quickly purchased the e-book and the audiobook and zipped through it.
Check out my fascinating Q&A with A.J. to learn more about this multi-talented author and The Poison Garden coming Oct 22, 2019. I highly recommend all A.J. Banner books.
#JDCMustReadBooks
How well do you know your neighbors or your husband?
A picturesque Sitka Lane, where everything was perfect UNTIL.
Set in the lush Shadow Cove, Washington, we meet Dr. Johnny McDonald and wife and author Sarah Phoenix. When her hubby is away at a medical conference, she notices her next-door neighbor's Kimball's home.
Chad and Monique's home. A fire alarm. Smoke. The child's cry. The little girl, Mia, only four years old on the second floor. She must call 911. Soon the house was engulfed in flames. She must save the girl.
She tries her husband's room at the conference, and he did not answer. Could she trust him?
Afterward, life was never the same.
With damage to their home and a tragedy of their neighbors, they move to a temporary rental cottage in the forest on Shadow Bluff Lane that Realtor Eris finds for them. In the distance, a river at the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. There is a new set of neighbors.
However, soon after they move into the cottage, Johnny is acting strange. She wonders if he is having an affair. Weird things begin occurring.
Was the fire accidental or did someone set the fire? If so, why? Does it have anything to do with what is going on now?
Deception. Lies. Secrets. Obsession.
However, is there something more sinister at play? What if your husband was not who you thought he was? Sarah is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and save a few lives along the way.
Everything leads up to the final heart-pounding explosive twist!
Wow, the word "undercurrent" comes to mind throughout this multi-layered twisty domestic psychological thriller.
"An underlying feeling or influence, especially one that is contrary to the prevailing atmosphere and is not expressed openly. Current of water below the surface and moving in a different direction from any surface current."
Jaw-dropping. Compelling. Nail-biting.
The suspense builds as Sarah pulls back the layers of deception. One woman's desperate search for answers and those around her she cannot trust — and another woman's obsession.
I adore A.J.'s novel settings and her ability to draw you into the environment and character's lives. She is not afraid to keep her readers guessing until the very last page of this heart-pounding story.
For fans of Fatal Attraction, Michele Campbell's A Stranger on the Beach, Kimberly Belle's The Marriage Lie, Paula Hawkins' The Girl on the Train, Kaira Rouda's The Favorite Daughter, and Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies.
Having the pleasure of reading the author's other books— even her latest— THE POISON GARDEN, I discovered I had not read her debut thriller, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR. I quickly purchased the e-book and the audiobook and zipped through it.
Check out my fascinating Q&A with A.J. to learn more about this multi-talented author and The Poison Garden coming Oct 22, 2019. I highly recommend all A.J. Banner books.
#JDCMustReadBooks
August 5, 2015
How well do you know your neighbors, or even your friends and family? After reading this book, you might look at them all a little differently. You might wonder about their secrets.
This book was marketed as a psychological thriller. To me, it felt more like a mix of psychological and romantic suspense. The pace is steady, but not that edge-of-your-seat kind of thing you expect with a thriller. This wasn't a big disappointment for me; just something worth noting.
I enjoyed the writer's style and the story concept. The mystery surrounding the fire is well done. Several twists along the way kept me guessing until the end.
But I had some problems that kept me from loving this one.
The characters felt kind of shallow and predictable. I think that the author's desire to surround them in mystique kept us at too much of a distance.
Still, I was right there with the author, until...
The end really killed this one for me. Actually, it's more of a non-ending. The major plot is tied up, the crime solved. But there are two major threads left dangling. Consequently, I felt like I was left dangling as well.
Then there is the revelation at the end, that comes with solving the crime. This person suddenly unravels in the strangest way. I realize there are crazy people in the world who appear to hold it together in public, but I wanted more of an explanation. I wanted to understand the fixation. It felt too staged, which in part reflects back to the lack of character development.
And then, just like that, the book ends. I was left wondering why, and what next?
If you don't mind being left with unanswered questions, then this book is certainly worth reading. If loose threads drive you nuts (like they do me), then you might want to wait to see if there is a sequel.
This book was marketed as a psychological thriller. To me, it felt more like a mix of psychological and romantic suspense. The pace is steady, but not that edge-of-your-seat kind of thing you expect with a thriller. This wasn't a big disappointment for me; just something worth noting.
I enjoyed the writer's style and the story concept. The mystery surrounding the fire is well done. Several twists along the way kept me guessing until the end.
But I had some problems that kept me from loving this one.
The characters felt kind of shallow and predictable. I think that the author's desire to surround them in mystique kept us at too much of a distance.
Still, I was right there with the author, until...
The end really killed this one for me. Actually, it's more of a non-ending. The major plot is tied up, the crime solved. But there are two major threads left dangling. Consequently, I felt like I was left dangling as well.
Then there is the revelation at the end, that comes with solving the crime. This person suddenly unravels in the strangest way. I realize there are crazy people in the world who appear to hold it together in public, but I wanted more of an explanation. I wanted to understand the fixation. It felt too staged, which in part reflects back to the lack of character development.
And then, just like that, the book ends. I was left wondering why, and what next?
If you don't mind being left with unanswered questions, then this book is certainly worth reading. If loose threads drive you nuts (like they do me), then you might want to wait to see if there is a sequel.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,312 reviews