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Ava James FBI #3

The Couple Next Door

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Kara Davis had the perfect life. A doting husband, a beautiful home, and everything she could have ever wanted. But in an instant her source of happiness was tragically taken from her.
Since then, nothing has ever been the same, and the paralyzing sadness within her followed her everywhere she went...
Unbeknownst to Kara, her life was once again about to face another change.
All thanks to the arrival of the couple next door.

FBI agent Ava James has had to fight all her life.
From fighting from being a victim of human traffickers to fighting for years to find her best friend.
Safe to say Ava James is no stranger to fighting the atrocities of this world.
When Ava is called onto a case and meets a seemingly sweet woman, Kara Davis.
A lonely widow living in a big house on her own.
Ava realizes the true price of succumbing to your past and becoming a victim of one’s own tragedies.
But what happens when you can't even trust your own mind?
How far would someone go to get the happiness they feel they deserved?

Nothing in this world is certain.
Strange things are happening all around.
The only question is…
How far can your obsession take you?

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 15, 2022

987 people are currently reading
1224 people want to read

About the author

A.J. Rivers

148 books1,540 followers

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5 stars
1,769 (58%)
4 stars
818 (26%)
3 stars
336 (11%)
2 stars
91 (2%)
1 star
35 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
303 reviews1 follower
May 3, 2022
confusing

This was the worst book yet. Should not have gone at it from Kara's perspective but told about her. Was totally confusing. Hard to understand the connection. What happened to the journals. Figured they would play a part in the conclusion. Also back to the mom and friend . Make that another story. Now the hints at the end about. Something else. A. J. Rivers, you are losing your audience.
Profile Image for Elizabeth Lanaghan.
1,140 reviews4 followers
April 15, 2023
Book Review: The Couple Next Door by A.J. Rivers

Rating: 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Genre: Thriller
Published: 4/15/22

Review: Wow this was a book. The last chapter alone had my heart racing so fast and I can’t wait to read the next one! I thought a few things were aligned, but I was so wrong about my assumptions! I am really enjoying this series and can’t wait to continue it!

Summary: Kara Davis had the perfect life. A doting husband, a beautiful home, and everything she could have ever wanted. But in an instant her source of happiness was tragically taken from her.
Since then, nothing has ever been the same, and the paralyzing sadness within her followed her everywhere she went... Unbeknownst to Kara, her life was once again about to face another change. All thanks to the arrival of the couple next door. FBI agent Ava James has had to fight all her life. From fighting from being a victim of human traffickers to fighting for years to find her best friend. Safe to say Ava James is no stranger to fighting the atrocities of this world. When Ava is called onto a case and meets a seemingly sweet woman, Kara Davis. A lonely widow living in a big house on her own. Ava realizes the true price of succumbing to your past and becoming a victim of one’s own tragedies. But what happens when you can't even trust your own mind? How far would someone go to get the happiness they feel they deserved? Nothing in this world is certain. Strange things are happening all around. The only question is… How far can your obsession take you?

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59 reviews1 follower
April 20, 2024
Well worth every moment!

Ava has so much going on, it's amazing she has not crumbled yet. Her Aunt is missing, and possibly trying to hunt down what happened in Prague; where she and her best friend Molly were abducted for probable human trafficking. Although she escaped, the incident haunts her, and she just wants Molly back.

Ava has been newly appointed by request as a leader of a group of FBI agents solving crimes, chosen as second in command. Ava always steps up to the challenge, and does not disappoint in her logic, not her perseverance.

The conclusion of one case, and another being initially without forward motion, still leaves a lot on her plate. Then she receives a call that makes her heart stop. Cannot wait to read the next book!
11 reviews
June 15, 2022
Another Exciting Book from A J Rivers

The Couple Next Door follows he lives of two very different women. Kara, a recently widowed housewife with schizophrenia, is completely intrigued by the seemingly perfect couple next door. FBI Agent Ava James is leading her new team in solving cases while she looks into the mysterious disappearance of her mother and the long ago disappearance of her best friend. How these lives connect is at the heart of the mystery with a nice twist at the end. If you love the Emma Griffin novels, you will love this fourth book in the Ava James mystery series. A.J. Rivers can't write books fast enough for me!
Profile Image for Patricia A. Biba.
397 reviews1 follower
March 17, 2023
Lonely Individual

At the beginning I was wondering about the title and what I was reading. Once in the book I came to put the title and the story together. I felt sad for Kara due to her loosing her husband and being alone. When her new neighbors moved in and they became friends I hoped it would help her get her life together. However she was taken advantage of by one of the new neighbors and ended up in an awful situation due to not taking her medication and becoming infatuated with the husband. I'm glad Ava figured it out and caught the individual responsible for the murder. Interesting story.
3 reviews
July 1, 2022
I started reading the Ava James series. I read the first two excellent books then went searching for others A.J. Rivers had written. That’s when I found the Emma Griffin series. I read all 20 books in a row, 23 counting the Ava James series. So obviously I love A.J. Rivers wiring. However on this book she really went sideways. It was so confusing and why write about journals so much but they never come up in the solving of the murders? What was the point? Very disappointing. I hope she gets back on track as I truly loved her other books.
Profile Image for karin whitehead.
1,021 reviews9 followers
May 31, 2022
I received this novel as an Arc for an honest review. Ave and the team of agents (FBI) are busy cleaning up cold cases, when they are hit with a murder. Tara is the neighbor to a couple that she befriends, mainly because she's fantasizing on the man. You have two storylines going on, that finally come together for a crazy finale, one you don't see coming. Fast paced, twisty, and great characters. Not exactly a thriller, more of a cozy mystery, but definitely a fun read.
22 reviews
July 26, 2022
Read all the Emma Griffin series and started these on Ava James. I enjoyed the third novel due to the surprising difference in the character of Kara who has a mental disorder. It kept me guessing whether certain situations were reality or just distortions within her own mind. Very different from most plots and the suspense keeps going on the other issue of Ava's mother and best friend's disappearance.
1,394 reviews4 followers
April 20, 2022
Emma taught Ava well

Wow, Ava is now my second favorite FBI agent to read about! She juggles everything personal while she is solving cases. Love how certain cases tie in to her past and she gets more clues to that as she solves the current case. I can definitely see her and Dean as a couple down the line! Keep the stories coming!
Profile Image for Bobbi Stoffers.
262 reviews2 followers
April 22, 2022
Another Page Turner!

Lots of twists and turns in this book. It is told is two parts, one being Ava James and Kara Davis. I little hard to figure out what was going on, it does come together and it all makes sense. Ending was spectacular and the little sneak peek of coming adventures for Ava.
Profile Image for Patt.
466 reviews6 followers
April 22, 2022
This was a great book, even though it took me time to finish. Don’t let my dates read keep you from reading because I was dealing with sickness and death in my family and couldn’t find time to read.
I absolutely love this new series with Ava James , who we first met back in The Girl…… books. This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Koo Koo .
43 reviews
July 6, 2023
Kara storyline is SO boring and repetitive…

I would never willingly read a book about this character… I felt like she was forced on me! I saw the conclusion coming a mile away and I usually don’t. Hope the next one focuses on the pack of interesting characters she spent so much time creating.
Profile Image for Kelly Smelcer.
404 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2023
Excellent!

Things aren't always what they seem. When a couple moves in across the street from widower Kara, their friendship becomes what keeps her together. But when the wife goes missing, Kara starts to suspect she's the cause of it. Can FBI Agent Ava James and her newly appointed team get to the bottom of it?
154 reviews
August 12, 2024
Too slow

Too much time was spent on Kara's mental health. It was tedious and confusing and boring. Very little time was spent on developing Sofie's character.

Didn't the FBI send Ava to management or supervisor training? She let the childish behavior of her agents go on too long. That was annoying, silly, and boring. The book had the potential to be a thriller but got bogged down in cloudy thoughts and dreams of Kara and the inappropriate behavior of the agents.
259 reviews5 followers
April 20, 2022
Love this series!

Love this series (and the Emma Griffin series that launched it) and I loved this book. I don't know how AJ Rivers writes so quickly and writes so well, but I hope she keeps it up a very long time.
33 reviews
April 26, 2022
Psychologically riveting

I couldn't stop reading. I tried to reason out what was going on; and the description of the mind games of Kara was fascinating Excellent writing! I love the Ava James series and cannot wait for the next book.
227 reviews1 follower
April 30, 2022
Finally!!

I never was so bored with reading. Thought I never would get to the end. Was so bored with "Kara". Too repetitive.Now I see why, BUT...had to read over &over to get anything from it.
Tweety🐦🐦 ����
45 reviews
June 12, 2022
The Couple Next Door

Another great read by this author and continuing the series!
I had a hard time putting it down and looking forward to the next book.
Glad to see Ava getting a chance at leadership.
1 review
June 14, 2022
Great Series- Ava James

I like the way the mysteries of her best friend and her missing mother have intertwined. I think her mother might work for the CIA or some other organization other than the UN. Can’t wait for more of her story.
14 reviews
July 15, 2022
Amazing again

Another intense thriller by A. J. Rivers. I was riveted fro the beginning. The story is woven so well, you think you know the outcome. Until it’s over and you were wrong. Can’t wait to read more.
Profile Image for Paulette Reecer.
224 reviews
September 10, 2022
The Couple Next Door

This story is a little deep where it isn't a typical mystery. You have two on going stories and you keep wandering if the stories will merge, well they do with an off center explanation that just might give you a twist.
53 reviews
October 19, 2022
What an ending!

I actually almost stopped reading this book. The chapters about Kara were hard to figure out how they would they would join. Then bam it did. A.J. Rivers managed to bring it together. You just need to keep reading.
Profile Image for Clarence Strout.
2 reviews
Read
November 26, 2022
Enjoyed the book, but it wae difficult to follow at time going back and forth between charactors was confusing. I also wanted to read her two jurnals to figure kara out a little more. Surprised daphne didnt have impact.
Profile Image for Mary Rowe.
2,624 reviews8 followers
January 8, 2023
yikes!

Manipulation, gaslighting, mixed in with an unrelated simultaneous case of burglary, serial rape and grievous bodily harm with the chemical/medical case concluded - the serial case takes an unexpected and horrific turn.
1,507 reviews7 followers
January 24, 2023
The Couple Next Door

Another great Ava James mystery. I could not put this book down. I could not figure who done it. This book is full of thrills and intrigue I highly recommend this book.
Profile Image for Tamara.
1,152 reviews5 followers
June 18, 2023
good book

This one was a little confusing and required a lot of rethinking the different plot lines. There are basically multiple stories intertwined and a couple of cliffhangers at the end.
Profile Image for Sue.
6 reviews1 follower
December 8, 2023
Confused

There were times I was upset with this book. It seemed to paint a picture of schizophrenics that is far from the norm. People with schizophrenia are rarely capable of such conniving behavior. I will admit she fooled me.
Profile Image for Mary Tuohy.
Author 1 book8 followers
May 6, 2024
It took me much longer to read this novel than the other two in the series so far. It was long winded and easy to put aside. This book was also predictable and I have to admit I’m losing interest in Elizabeth and in Molly’s case.
5 reviews
December 28, 2024
I love AJ Rivers’ characters

But this book had too much jumping around - following the characters. It all came together with the ending, but it was very distracting while I was reading. Very different from her other FBI stories.
737 reviews1 follower
April 15, 2022
I enjoyed this book very much with much suspense and drama and the man doing thing to the lady next door and his wife with poison. Thank you
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews

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