Sandra Jones puts her young daughter, Ree, to bed and goes to her own bed. Then she hears a sound coming from the stairs...When her husband, Jason, comes home from his night shift job at the newspaper, Sandra is gone.

Sgt. Det. D. D. Warren, last seen in Gardner's 2007 novel, Hide" knows that the spouse is always the prime suspect when the second spouse goes missing or is killed. When she attempts to interview Jason, he is uncooperative, almost nonshalant.

Is it her husband, who is guilty for whatever happened to Sandra? Is it the neighbor, Adrian Brewster, whose room overlooks the Jones' bedroom and is a registered sex offender? Could it be Ethan Hastings, a 13 year old high school student with a crush on Sandra? Or, could it be a late comer in the story, Wayne Reynolds, a state police computer analyst who met Sandy at a school basketball game and has been meeting her for the weekly basketball games, since then?

The story continues with Sandra's father, Judge Maxwell Black, entering the scene and demanding he be given visitation priveleges to his granddaughter. Sandra had no relationship with her father and had accused him of mistreatment.

As the story continues, the reader is privileged to know the various character's thoughts and it is difficult to see who might be the guilty character.

It is obvious that the author enjoyed writing this book and her sense of fun with the plot comes through. "The Neighbor" is a well written, fast moving story that would have made Alfred Hitchcock proud in the old TV days. ( )

From a distance Jason and Sandra Jones appear to be the perfect couple. They have a beautiful daughter, a new house and are in the beginning stages of building a life together. Their perfect façade slowly begins to crumble with Sandra goes missing shortly after putting their daughter to bed. Jason immediately turns into the prime suspect when he’s aloof and uncooperative with the police. What exactly is he hiding? Does he want his wife to be found? If he didn't kill her, does he know who did? These questions are what Detective Sergeant D.D. Warren is determined to find out ( )

good, but not great. it is actually a pretty simple plot, the author managed to stretch into a lengthy one. ( )

Not great literature but it held my interest. ( )

Finally - a mystery novel that doesn't rely on stereotypes, tired plot lines, or utilize cheesy dialogue. This book had me guessing up to the big reveal.

A young mother disappears overnight in South Boston. She has left her clothes, purse, and daughter at home. There is no appearance of a break-in at the home. A variety of feasible suspects are immediately apparent. Her husband, a neighboring sex offender, and one of her students are the primary suspects. We are told this story in first person from the victim, suspects', and lead detective's perspective. Gardner jumps between characters' viewpoints frequently yet doesn't confuse the reader. The plots twists in interesting and engaging ways for the reader. The subject matter is very mature and dark. I would say that this book is not appropriate for teen readers or anyone who is sensitive to issues of child abuse. Overall, this was a very satisfying mystery and I was very caught up in the character's personal histories and the unfolding of the crime. ( )