The Neighbors Are Watching

by Debra Ginsberg

Set against the backdrop of the deadly 2007 wildfires that forced the evacuation of half a million San Diego residents, Debra Ginsberg’s new novel, The Neighbors Are Watching, examines the dark side of suburbia—a place where everyone has something to hide.
 
Aside from their annual block party, the neighbors on Fuller Court tend to keep to themselves—which doesn’t mean that they aren’t all watching and judging each other on the sly. So when pregnant teenager Diana Jones shows up, literally, on her biological father's doorstep, the neighbors can't stop talking. Joe Montana is a handsome restaurant manager who failed to tell his wife Allison that he fathered a baby with an ex-girlfriend seventeen years ago. Allison, already harboring her own inner resentments, takes the news very badly. She isn’t the only one. Diana's bombshell arrival in their quiet cul-de-sac sets off a chain reaction of secrets and lies that threaten to engulf the neighborhood along with the approaching flames from two huge wildfires fanned by the Santa Ana winds.

A former reality TV contestant who receives a steady stream of gentlemen callers at all hours, two women forced to hide their relationship in order to keep custody of their children, a sanctimonious housewife with a very checkered past, and a family who nobody ever sees—these are just a few of the warring neighbors struggling to keep up appearances and protect their own interests. But when lovely, troubled Diana disappears in the aftermath of the wildfire evacuation, leaving her newborn baby and many unanswered questions behind, the residents of Fuller Court must band together to find her before all of their carefully constructed deceptions come unraveled.
 
A potent blend of domestic drama and suspense, The Neighbors Are Watching reveals the secrets that bloom alongside manicured flowerbeds—and the truths that lurk behind closed doors.

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Book Club, Novels, Adult Fiction, Thriller, Contemporary

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Debra M. Ginsberg is a London born, American author. She is the author of three memoirs as well as two novels. Her first memoir Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress was published by HarperCollins Publishers in 2000, followed by Raising Blaze: A Mother and Son's Long, Strange Journey Into Autism, which chronicled her longtime struggle to get her son the education he was entitled to.

Find Debra on Facebook:
Twitter.com/DebraMGinsberg

Follow Debra on Twitter:
Facebook.com/DebraGinsbergWriter

Reviews

[Mauoijenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book just goes to show you, you really don't know what people are going through in their lives. I was totally shocked by the ending. I personally hate neighbor's that butt in and have to be gossip hounds. Karma will get those that continue to do damage. Until then. This is a great book and I highly recommend it!!! :)

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I suspect this may be a book my sister would like more than I did, although that's never a safe bet. This novel describes a circle of suburban neighbors -- Joe and Allison, a happy-seeming couple; Sam and Gloria, two lesbians adjusting now that their husbands have commandeered custody of their children; Dick and Dorothy, a stodgy couple with a self-righteous insistence on propriety; Jessalyn, who works as some kind of private call girl; the mysterious Sun family who talks to no one; and maybe one or two other people but I don't remember who. The catalyst for chaos on the block is the unexpected appearance of Joe's 17-year-old illegitimate daughter, 9 months pregnant. Joe and Allison's marriage is thrown into a tailspin; Sam annoys Gloria with her efforts to help Diana and Joe; Dick and Dorothy are horrified when Diana starts a relationship with their son Kevin, etc., etc. Little by little, we get to know the various characters in this story and their reactions to the chain of events set into motion by Diana's arrival.

This book was decently written but pretty bleak. The characters were certainly three-dimensional, which is nice, but no one was particularly likeable, not even well-intentioned Sam. I think it went on just a little too long, and I'm a little tired of books that paint suburban individuals as shallow, meaningless twits who live for gossip and not much else. It's decent, and I did give it three stars. I just didn't love it in spite of its good points.

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Diana Jones is seventeen and pregnant when she shows up on the doorstep of the father she's never met. Joe Montana lives in a good neighborhood in San Diego, the kind where exteriors are well-kept and interiors are presumed to be tidy as well. But Diana's messy arrival, and her subsequent disappearance during the chaos of a wildfire evacuation, turns into the loose thread that causes large chunks of the neighborhood to begin to unravel.

The story starts from Diana's perspective but shifts back and forth between others on the street, including Joe's wife, who is unable to cope with this step-daughter she never knew she had, a neighbor whose plans to build a happy home with her lesbian lover were thwarted by a vindictive ex-husband, and a seeming Stepford housewife who carries a heavier burden than anyone on the street would suspect.

While this novel is framed by the mystery of Diana's disappearance, it is less a tale of suspense than one of introspection. As the struggles and trials of the characters unfolded, there was something satisfying and real about the view Ginsberg provided into their lives - the choices they made, and how they coped with the results they never expected. Recommended with the caveat that it's more of a character driven novel than the marketing would suggest.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Neighbors being terrible during fire season.

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[Billjr13 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, Thanks. I liked this novel it was interesting and well written. I don’t think it was exactly what I was expecting but it was entertaining. I thought there would be a little more crime/mystery type element to the story. I would describe it is a tale of the American suburbs. What is going on behind the neighbor’s doors? Who is doing what, to whom, where and when? There are some of the standard stereotypes but I didn’t think they were too cliché. I didn’t feel like they were all flat two dimensional characters. I found myself wondering who was going to come though this unscathed. I can recommend this novel for anyone looking for a human drama, it is not a thriller and I don’t think was intended to be but it was entertaining. I didn’t guess the ending half way through, and I liked that. I liked being surprised by the end. Give it a look and enjoy.

[Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this book up because in one of the reviews said it would appeal to mary higgins clark fans--so i thought i would love it. (because mary higgins clark is one of my favs) Obviously whoever wrote that review as never read mary higgins clark because ginsberg is not even remotely close to mary higgins clark. This book was awful. Poorly written and hard to follow. The characters are just pathetic people. The suspense for me was when will this story be over!

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read. Alternating between thriller moments and relationship issues, the author penned an engaging story. What intrigued me was the layers of relationship in the neighborhood (which is also what creeped me out to some degree). I didn't expect it to be as strong as it was, so was pleasantly surprised.

[Marialacey4 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was dissapointed in this book. I got bored half way through the book. I was expecting alot more action and suspence wrapped around the fires, but got none of that. I struggled to finish the book without skipping pages.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kept waiting for it to get good, and it never did.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Yikes, I hope my neighbors are not like these characters. This book was interesting, sort of Peyton Place-ish. We all have our pasts and our secrets-but maybe this neighborhood had a bit more than its share.

[Erin *Proud Book Hoarder* · Rating 4 out of 5]

(This review also appears on my blog, posting in its enirety here since I won it through Goodreads First program.)

This book was depressing, uplifting, and makes you think. Isn't that the focus of most great books? There are multiple themes here -- at first the nosiness and judging of neighbors, to end with being sure to watch and know what your neighbors are about. At first sounds conflicting, but the change in perspective makes sense here. The biggest theme really seemed to be with children - through one character being alone, young and pregnant, to another woman who regrets all these years an abortion she had, to a father who never paid attention to having children, to a father who overdominates his child, and to tragic characters who lost their children due to their lifestyles. The pain of all is present through the book, the overwhelming burden of caring for a child, the aching emptiness when they're not there any longer.

You may imagine - and I would guess if hearing this description - that this book would be melodramatic. Fortunately it is not - the author Debra Ginsberg writes it in an almost detached way, yet laying out scenes which are emotionally wrenching, very deep, and very real. It's like looking inside a glass house at something played out, the real emotion of the persons mind and secret suffering played out to you.

There are secrets in the book and the back of the novel plays up on this for the sake of the story, and it's shown how devestating secrets can be, but really this takes a backstory. It's not the secrets that help doom these people, but human selfish nature, even more prevalent than keeping things hidden. While their selfishness is not villain-worthy and one-dimensional, it is realistic and biting. How things could be so different, we see as we read and as we finish the read, had they only lived less in themselves. It's ironic the book starts out with nosy people wanting to pry into others lives, while they keep so much hidden from even their own families. It ends with things exposed and healing but changes from prying for gossip sake to prying for community bonding and emotional support.

Ginsberg has created a neighborhood of characters that are very real and, even when they're not traveling moral streets, their actions make sense without having to display much backstory and reasoning. It's just the way it is. Pacing is a little slow as it's more of a character introspection type story. Despite the back blurb and the cover, this not a suspsense novel and is most definitely a top-notch drama. There is a mystery of what happens but it takes a back story to the tragedy of that mystery.

I have given four stars rather than five due to a bit too much detachment for my taste the first quarter of the book. I feel it could have grabbed more of my attention had it delved further into the characters with a unity which would befit it. The middle and end shone, however, with worthy points, extreme emotion, and the last page splashes on humans being able to change with uplifting clarity.

Definitely recommended for any reader of any genre.

[Purple Iris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure how to classify this. It's not a mystery in the sense that who did what to whom is not the most pressing question of the book. It's almost an afterthought. In fact, that aspect of the book really reminded me of Something Might Happen. Which is not a bad thing. I'm just not sure why the publisher chose to promote it as a mystery. If I was really in the mood for a mystery and was tricked into reading this, I'd be pissed. On the back cover, it says this book will appeal to fans of Lisa Gardner and Mary Higgins Clark. Um, no. First of all, those two authors are nothing alike, and second of all, The Neighbors are watching did not remind me of either one of them. Both Gardner and Clark write mysteries, albeit in their own ways.

Ok, having said that, Ginsberg creates some interesting characters and the plot is not bad. I like the whole neighborhood analysis factor. The book was also pretty well written. However, I honestly didn't care about any of the characters. I felt really detached from them, which made it hard to invest in what happened to them. The only exception was the lesbian couple, especially Sam. Towards the end of the book, I became more curious about Dorothy and Allison? became more interesting to me. But, overall, I really didn't care too much about any of them, to the point where I had no interest in the murder or finding out what happened to the victim at the end. And the big reveal seemed really random to me.

One thing I truly enjoyed was the description of the fire. I know nothing about wildfires and the whole description of how it encroached and developed and the soot covering everything... Fascinating.

I don't regret reading this, but I won't run out and read another of her novels, either. I'm actually more interested in her memoirs.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Neighbors are Watching is a gritty tale of one hot and fiery summer and fall in a San Diego neighborhood. The people on Fuller Court could be the neighbors on any affluent, middle class block. They mostly keep to themselves, furtively watching each other as they go about their daily business, but never really becoming involved. Until one blistering summer day when Joe Montana's pregnant, 17 year old daughter, the one his beloved wife didn't know he had, shows up on his doorstep. The arrival of Diana throws everything on Fuller Court into turmoil. She doesn't play by the unspoken rules of the neighborhood and, soon, dark secrets are being revealed. All this plays out against the back drop of the vicious Santa Ana winds and the arrival of wildfire season.

The intensity of emotion that Debra Ginsberg creates in this book sucked me in and didn't let me go until the end. There weren't any big surprises for me in the plot, but I couldn't put the book down. The use of the wildfire to ratchet up the tension was very effective and really had me hanging on the edge of my seat. There is also a prevailing theme of people having hidden sides, not always being what you think they are from first impressions that made me think about the relationships in my life. You will never look at your neighbors the same, that's for sure! The intrigue, everyday drama, and dark secrets combine with characters I could relate to and sympathize with to make The Neighbors are Watching one of my favorite books of this year!

[Stefani Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intriguing little look behind the curtains of a neighborhood that many could see on the front of a postcard. Everyone seems nice and amicable, but then they close their blinds and make judgements about the secrets they know of one another. This is a pretty typical scene in a lot of neighborhoods these days and it was interesting to see it from this point of view. When a formerly unknown, pregnant daughter of one neighbor shows up on his doorstep the whole neighborhood is thrown into chaos. When she disappears, everyone has an opinion but no one has any facts. You come to realize that while these people have no problem judging one another they don't know each other at all, at least not in any meaningful way. Everyone has their secrets.

After receiving this as a Goodreads First Reads, I was intrigued by the cover and the premise. Over all I thought it was a bit slow to get going, but it was interesting along the way. I found myself drawn into each of these people's stories and wanting to know their role in the larger storyline. Once the disappearance happens, unfortunately I found it much too easy to guess what happened. It was made very obvious by the fact that the author avoided that particular character through the entire book, but no one else. However, I was not disappointed with the book and ultimately was satisfied with the ending.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

What goes on at your neighbor’s house? How well do you know them?

The drama on Fuller Court pulled me right into the neighborhood. Well developed characters had me turning the pages of this novel set in suburbia where everyone has a façade, hiding their dark side within. From the first page I was drawn in by the diverse group. It’s so true that someone is watching you, not like a stalker, but rather is aware of your coming and going. Enter 17 year old, Diana, pregnant and deposited on the doorstep of the seemingly perfect couple, Joe and Allison Montana. With her arrival we begin to see the darker side of this made for TV neighborhood.

I was initially drawn to The Neighbors are Watching because of the fire. Having lived in San Diego in the aftermath of the fire, it was devastating. To my surprise this book wasn’t about the fire, but like a fire there are warning signs of trouble and there is new growth under the ruins. I loved how Ginsberg used the fire to build momentum and smolder until the satisfying conclusion.

Thank you, Goodreads, for sending me a copy!

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not my normal fare for reading material. However the idea seemed as if it would be of some interest so I thought I would give it a whirl. And I liked it, enough to come close to four stars, maybe more like a 3.5, would be my rating. The story kind of reminds me of that old classic country song that talks about what goes on behind closed doors. This is a story of a suburb street where everyone seems to have his or her own personal demons that they are hiding and nurturing. Nothing over the top or supernatural just the everyday crap that gets buried as people attempt to put on a normal face for the neighbors. Throw in a catalyst, such as a pregnant teenage daughter that shows up on the street, parental connections providing more fun, and you can sit back and watch the fireworks. There is a lot of darkness that will unfold with everyones secrets as well. Though not my usual read this was an entertaining read that carried this reader through it at a very well plotted pace.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this book three stars because found it an enjoyable read. It is a page turner that keeps the reader interested and curious about "the neighbors." This is not typical type of read, but Debra Ginsberg gives us a group of characters that she develops in such a way, you're hooked in. I also couldn't help thinking along the way, thank goodness that's not my neighborhood, I hope and pray! I just felt the plot was a bit predictable, but with a few good twists and turns. The characters are well developed, sometimes to a fault, and it's very hard to like any of them. Their interactions are interesting, but not surprising. My conclusion is that I felt this book was more about the neighbors than the mystery at hand. I gave only three stars because I felt if you are looking for a really good mystery, you might be disappointed.

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing much really happens in this book. The way it's written, about 95% of the 'action' actually happens when characters are reflecting on something that already happened. This was especially annoying in the last third if the book when you realize that everything that's going to happen has already happened, you just have to wait for the characters to sit around doing nothing but remembering things. The effect of it all was a real feeling of inertia, not a page-turning type of book where you can't wait to find put what happens next, because everything's already done. The characters were all flat stereotypes. The 'reveal' of one of the characters came out of nowhere, and didn't add anything to my understanding of her. I don't even really know why I finished the book, other than being too bored to do anything else.

[Georgiann Hennelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story is set against the deadly wild fires of 2007 that forced the evacuation of half a million San Diego residents, The story examines the dark side of suburbia- a place where everyone has something to hide. The neighbors on Fuller Court tend to keep to themselves- which doesn,t mean that they aren,t all watching and judging one another on the sly. So when pregnant teenager Diana Jones shows up on her biological father,s doorstep, the neighbors can,t stoptalking. But when Diana disappears in the after math of the wild fire evacution, leaving her newborn baby and many unanswered questions behind. The neighbors of Fuller Court must bond together to find her before all of there carefully constructed deceptions come unraveled. This story is a potent blend of suspense and drama.

[Melanie M. D. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads.
First off, I did think the story-line was interesting. I haven't read a book similar to this one before, and it does show uniqueness. However, I felt like I was drowning the entire journey of reading this book. The innuendo and cussing was what tipped the boat a little too far. More towards the beginning and on through the middle, there is cussing on every page. I'm the kind of person who believes a good story is not based on filthy words or phrases. I lose my respect for a book that has cussing in it, and my interest dwindles.
I wish I could give this more stars, but to be honest, I really can't. This book was not my cup of tea and I will not read it again or suggest it to someone.

[Wendie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book by winning the "Goodreads Free Book Giveaway," so I didn't know what to expect, but I had a hard time putting it down! The characters were so vivid: you really wanted to hate some of them; felt sorry for others; and vacillated between hating & feeling sorry for some. Debra Ginsberg has a way with characterization and I kept wanting to read more to find out what was going to happen to each, since they were all struggling with some dilemma (some of which you don't even find out until the end, but just know something isn't right).

I enjoyed the book immensely and will pass it along to someone else.
Thank you, Goodreads, for sending it to me!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great quick read. Loved that the story was set in Del Mar and centered around an event (Witch Fires) that really happened. Characters were developed to the point where you felt they could have been "your neighbors" - the only part I didn't like was the ending where one neighbor turns out to be a long lost criminal - just felt that this was an "add-on" and I would have liked to see this developed a little more but maybe the author did that on purpose so we would read her next book which could be all about the criminal? Otherwise - not sure what purpose it served other than to leave us wanting more?

[Gina Cummings · Rating 2 out of 5]

The general plot is interesting: everything is seemingly fine in this southern California neighborhood until a husband finds his pregnant 17-year-old daughter from a previous relationship on his doorstep. The neighborhood is evacuated because of fires and the young woman disappears, leaving her daughter behind.

The reality, however, was that the book got worse as it progressed. The characters were altogether unlikeable and the ending felt hasty. I liked it enough to finish it, but wouldn't recommend it.

[Ahtims · Rating 4 out of 5]

against all odds, I somehow liked this family melodrama involving a pregnant teen who comes to live with the father she had never met, his shocked wife, who never knew about the daughter and a neighbourhood of curious people of varying attitudes. The events steam up when the girl disappears in the chaos caused by an uncontrolled forest fire which requires immediate evacuation. This event is after the birth of a cute daughter. The clueless father, the girl's mother, his current estranged wifr and interfering neighbours are all caught up in the events that follow.

[Read It Forward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Debra Ginsberg writes a completely different book every time, and her latest novel is amazing. It's got the turn-the-pages speed of a thriller, the quiet and explosive drama of the best kind of small-town novel, and characters you won't forget. Really provocative - makes you wonder what you'd do if you ever saw what was really going on behind your neighbors' curtains....

[Amber · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. I won it from goodreads first reads
I found this book to be boring and hard to finish. I found that I didn't like the characters. I think some issues the characters had were drawn out and others not brought out enough.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So if you want to read a book about the fires, this book is not for you. It’s not at all what I thought it would be. It is a compelling story about Joe and his wife Allison and their neighbors. Very intricate story about hidden secrets and tragedies and forgiveness.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

take desperate housewives and add a wildfire.

[Amy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

carmel valley author. the epilogue floored me! too funny all the local references and this could be YOUR cul-de-sac....

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love my neighbors, but man this book makes never want to talk to them again! It just shows you that you never truly know someone. I didn't have this one figured out and the only thing that still as me wondering is why Dick was hold a flip flop in the middle of the road?!?