Stormi's Review: The Neighbor by Joseph Souza
APC PUBLISHER: Kensington RELEASED: April 24, 2018 GENRE: MYSTERY, THRILLER, SUSPENSE LENGTH: 352 pages FORMAT: EBOOK, HARDCOVER, AUDIBLE
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It all seems so promising at the start . . .
When Leah and her husband, Clay, move from Seattle to Maine, she envisions a vibrant new neighborhood packed with families--playmates for her twins, new friends she can confide in and bond with. But while Clay works long hours to establish his brewery, Leah is left alone each day in a nearly deserted housing development where the only other occupants are aloof and standoffish.
Bored and adrift, Leah finds herself watching Clarissa and Russell Gaines next door, envying their stylishly decorated home and their university careers. But Leah's obsession with the intriguing, elegant Clarissa grows until she's not just spying from afar but sneaking into their house, taking small objects . . . reading Clarissa's diary. It contains clues to a hidden turmoil Leah never guessed at--and a connection to a local college girl who's disappeared.
The more Leah learns about Clarissa, the more questions emerge. Because behind every neighbor's door there are secrets that could shatter lives forever . . . THREE BOUNDLESS STARS
Leah, her husband Clay, and their two kids move to Maine from Seattle. They moved into an upcoming neighborhood that is left abandoned by the constructor. So it's just them and one neighbor family. Clay is always away, and so Leah is left to her own devices. She soon becomes enthralled by Clarissa, her neighbor. You would think that since they have similar family setups (husband, wife, and two kids) that they would be fast friends, but sometimes people are not as they seem. A local girl is missing, and all around secrets come to light. This book is hard to rate. On the one hand, I enjoyed it, while at the same time I was bored. The main reason I kept reading was every now, and then you would get a piece of info that just grabbed you and made you go "What? Now I need to know more!" It had a way of catching you when least expected. The story was well told and well written. It had an exciting storyline and easy characters to like, dislike, and relate too. This book has drama and intrigue. It focused a lot on racial issues as well, which I figured it would early on. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, but I can't say it's a favorite of mine.