The Good Neighbor

When I got my Kindle for Christmas, I went on a bit of a spree trying to find books I could track down for either free or very low cost. I can’t recall how I tracked this one down–I’m guessing it showed up somewhere in my library as a free download, but the blurb looked interesting. A husband and wife, and the world around them shaken to its core. Sure. I like stories with suspense and intrigue, and it’s hard to pass up the low low price of free. So I picked it up, and about a month later got around to reading it.

I’m starting to wonder if that’s actually a good idea anymore. (Picking up free books at random, not picking up this particular one. But.)

Sarah and Johnny are a married couple who face a…uh. Dramatic? issue at the show more beginning of the novel. (Despite the fact that I don’t consider it much of a spoiler, I’m not going to say what happens. I’d rather anyone get to experience as much of the book blind as possible.) It shakes them pretty badly, and they move into a new place away from their old neighborhood in an attempt to start over as much as they can.

There’s a teaser at the beginning for one of the core scenes at the end, but even knowing that it’s going to come doesn’t hold much suspense with the reader. Johnny is strangely distant through the book, and while I see what the author was trying to do with the misdirection with his character, I saw it a bit too clearly. (To be fair, I did doubt myself a few times, but the rest of the story was fitting too neatly into what I was expecting to really doubt for long.)

Sarah is hyper-paranoid. This is both unsurprising and tiring. She shows surprisingly low levels of trust in her husband, and her communication skills are non-existent. (And this is coming from someone who has a lot of paranoid tendencies myself. When I think you’re being irrational…) I never really liked her, and as the book went on, I wasn’t given much of a reason to like her any more. The moment a partner begins spying on their significant other, I lose a great deal of respect for them.

When the final !Twist! of the book comes, it’s so entirely out of left field that it passes surprising and becomes confusing. Generally in thrillers, there’s at least a hint about who the true villain is. There’s an obvious one and a hidden one, and even if it’s an utter surprise, when you go back you can see the signs in the hidden one.

This doesn’t have that. I’ve gone back and looked at the book. I can see maybe? where the clues are, but they’re so hidden that it’s difficult. With the myriad tiny little plot lines thrown in that all manage to end up tied in at the end, it’s hard to be invested in any one line in specific. In its favor, I was fairly impressed that all the lines DID manage to tie back together. I’ve found more often than not that books will put in a bunch of side plot, and then forget about it by the end. I’m always disappointed, because there are often some really interesting happenings off on the side and they get lost in the shuffle. This didn’t do that, and I’m thankful for that.

My true problem with this book is that it’s marketed as a psychological thriller, and as suspense fiction. There is nothing suspenseful about this story, nor is there much psychological unless you consider massive levels of paranoia thrilling. We’re not connected enough to any of the characters to be on the edge of our seats, and the real drama behind the psychological edge behind this is so far hidden that we can’t be affected by it.

The tagline of the book talks about whether or not we can truly know the people we love. I don’t think it’s the people Sarah loves she needs to worry about–I think it’s everyone, including herself. The book earned the star rating it did because while I didn’t like the story, it was decently told enough and written well enough that I’ll edge it up for at least a look. It’s a cool idea, if nothing else. (Don’t pay full price for it though. If you can borrow it somewhere, I’d recommend that.)

Rating: *** – Worth a Look show less

The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner opens with a scene that left me breathless and promised a page-turner -- a promise kept, as I had trouble putting it down.

Sarah McDonald settles in to Shadow Cove, Washington, with her new (and handsome) husband, Johnny. All is well until a tragedy occurs, leaving Sarah vulnerable and uncertain. As the mystery deepens, so do her self-doubts, leaving her unable to know whom to trust. Sarah's unease increases throughout the story, and so does the reader's.

What I appreciate most about A. J. Banner's writing is her ability to convey the world of Shadow Cove so we can inhabit it fully. I can see the neighborhood and the people who inhabit it. Her characters are rich and distinct from each other. Jessie and show more Mia, one a teen and the other a young child, both touched my heart, and the other characters are richly layered. This allows Banner to keep us guessing with the twists and turns.

While The Good Neighbor is a riveting story, its greatest strength is its ability to connect emotionally with the reader. It's fast pace will appeal to those who like plot-driven stories, but I felt invested in several of these characters, as though I knew them, and that's what I liked best. show less

I was hoping for this twisting and turning thriller that would knock my socks off. Unfortunately, this is more of just a mystery with a few smaller plot twists.

Although this wasn't what I was hoping for, this was a good book. There are some plot twists that will keep you reading. There are subplots that play into the main plot more than I thought at first. Everything comes together in the end.

If you aren't a fan of psychological thrillers and mysteries, then don't worry. This isn't as profound as the synopsis makes it out to be. It's just a story about a grieving woman trying to make sense of the tragedy that has happened... a husband who is acting a little sketchy and an unlikely ally or two. It is an easy read that you will breeze show more right through. show less

The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner opens with a scene that left me breathless and promised a page-turner -- a promise kept, as I had trouble putting it down.

Sarah McDonald settles in to Shadow Cove, Washington, with her new (and handsome) husband, Johnny. All is well until a tragedy occurs, leaving Sarah vulnerable and uncertain. As the mystery deepens, so do her self-doubts, leaving her unable to know whom to trust. Sarah's unease increases throughout the story, and so does the reader's.

What I appreciate most about A. J. Banner's writing is her ability to convey the world of Shadow Cove so we can inhabit it fully. I can see the neighborhood and the people who inhabit it. Her characters are rich and distinct from each other. Jessie and show more Mia, one a teen and the other a young child, both touched my heart, and the other characters are richly layered. This allows Banner to keep us guessing with the twists and turns.

While The Good Neighbor is a riveting story, its greatest strength is its ability to connect emotionally with the reader. It's fast pace will appeal to those who like plot-driven stories, but I felt invested in several of these characters, as though I knew them, and that's what I liked best. show less

Captivating and emotional

This story held on to so many characters that you were always guessing the next move. Written beautifully and captivating to the last page. I fell in love with the main characters realistic traits and flaws. By the end, I wanted to hug her myself.

Isn't it nice to live in a quiet neighborhood where you feel safe? The neighbors are friendly and look out for each other. Sarah and Johnny seem to be content in their quaint neighborhood. Sarah is a children's author and Johnny is a dermatologist . One evening as Johnny is away at a conference, something wakes her from a sound sleep. She glances at the clock which she noticed was1:17 am. Sarah begins to smell smoke and starts running to find where it is coming from.

As terror engulfs her, she realizes that her neighbors house next door is on fire. These are her friends and she suddenly hears a small cry of help coming from the second floor . Sarah is now surrounded by others neighbors and screams to get her a ladder. She has already show more called 911, but she can't wait any longer. Will Sarah be able to rescue Mia, the little girl in the house? What about her parents? Why are they not responding to their names?

The story starts off with an intense trauma but does slow down a bit as the author begins to bring different characters into the forefront. The book had many layers and showed several couples who were having marital problems. Sarah starts to suspect her husband is having an affair and begins to follow him. It seems that Johnny has quite a few admirers. Is he cheating on Sarah? The investigation into the fire leads to more unanswered questions as they discover it was done by an arsonist . The story has many suspects and as you follow the trails the author does a great job of giving readers doubt as to the innocence of several people.
I thought I had figured out the arsonist, but the author brilliantly throws in a twist and it is like a cat and mouse game to the end. The true identity of the person responsible will definitely surprise readers. This is a true psychological thriller that will keep you on your toes.

In the midst of the storyline about the devastating fire, we have Johnny trying to declare his innocence to his wife about his being unfaithful . This was well written as I felt like I was reading a scene from ""Fatal Attraction." The author overall wrote a very intense well thought out story within a story. Who is the woman that is obsessed with Johnny? Will Sarah fight for him or give up and leave him? If you are looking for intrigue , deceit and an ending you won't see coming, this book is for you.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. show less

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 show more 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. show less