The New Neighbor was a fast paced, very enjoyable escape-from-real life read. I read it in one sitting as I quickly turned the pages. Karen Cleveland spent years working as a CIA analyst so while some of the escapades seemed far fetched, what do I know? I had a few problems with the book, I found the main character, Beth, not very likable and the ending rather underwhelming. I do think if you are in the mood for a fast read that will keep your attention you will like this book.

Fabulously delicious! So many twists and turns. I certainly won't be looking around my neighborhood the same way ever again. This was smart, dark, and fast-paced.

Author Karen Cleveland has a solid background for writing thrillers that revolve around intelligence agencies and personnel: she was a Fulbright Scholar, earned a master’s degree from Trinity College in Dublin and Harvard, and was a CIA analyst for eight years, focused on counterterrorism – and she also worked with the FBI. So, bottom line: she knows her stuff. Back in 2017, I gave four stars to her Need To Know, a thriller featuring a strong female protagonist who happened to be a CIA counterintelligence agent. Then, in 2019, I was given the opportunity to read an advance copy of Ms. Cleveland’s next book, Keep You Close, again featuring a strong female protagonist, this time an FBI agent. Now we have The New Neighbor, the story of a long-time CIA agent named Beth Bradford. Beth has worked for fifteen years trying to figure out the true identity of “The Neighbor.” This US-based Iranian spy has been recruiting others from within the CIA and FBI, in order to…??? Not sure, but it is definitely a plot against the U.S. Thanks to Random House – Ballantine and NetGalley, I received a copy of The New Neighbor in exchange for this honest review.

At the same time that Beth’s youngest child has just left for college, her husband leaves her for another woman, and then the CIA yanks her off The Neighbor project and essentially demotes her when they ship her off to a job teaching new agents the ropes. She is devastated, partly because she is sure she is THIS CLOSE to identifying The Neighbor, and she is desperate to solve the case. Her suspects include a woman named Madeleine, who has bought Beth’s house on a quiet cul-de-sac in a Northern Virginia suburb where many of the neighbors work for various intelligence agencies. Then there are Alice and Mike, and others, and Beth becomes consumed with the puzzle, going to great lengths including stalking her “friends” and former neighbors, several of whom seem to have the perfect reason or background or just might be THE NEIGHBOR. The story kept me guessing, and while admittedly I am someone who pretty much NEVER guesses or figures out the end, I did have a suspicion very near the end as to who was truly The Neighbor. And the unveiling was awesome!

This book was a perfect antidote to a pandemic-induced laziness, and totally took my mind off the looming end of our democracy for a couple of days. I hope there is a sequel. Beth is a solid character – really, all the female protagonists in the Cleveland books I have read have been well done. I could use more character development around both Beth and her daughter Aubrey…and I will definitely grab anything this author writes. Five stars, great for thriller fans, political junkies, mystery lovers, and people who enjoy stories with strong female characters.

Things are changing in the life of CIA analyst Beth Bradford. Her last child is leaving the nest, her home is being sold to a younger family, her husband is acting strange, and when she returns from some time off she finds things have also changed at her job. Protesting will not help but she is also suspect of everyone and everything as she tries to find answers to the questions about "The Neighbor". Karen Cleveland writes a suspenseful thriller in her new novel, The New Neighbor. Beth can't willingly accept that she is no longer useful to the project she has worked on for so many years. How could it possibly be linked to her neighborhood? She has known these people for years and nothing to date has been suspect. Suddenly everything is. This book has lots of fun characters, many of who work for the various spook organizations that surround the neighborhood. Do they have anything in common that Beth needs to know or is she simply losing it herself? A fun read with a fast-paced narrative and surprising ending. #NetGalley#TheNewNeighbor for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Karen Cleveland is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers and her story of Beth, a CIA analyst who’s unceremoniously dumped from a case she’s been part of for years. I expected the story to be more of a thriller and while there was some of that, there was a great deal of focus on Beth slowly losing all that’s familiar with her life, her house, her husband and her children who’ve flown the nest.

Keep reading and the ending will blow you away!

I won’t ever look at my neighbors the same way again after reading this book. What a wild and entertaining thrill ride! Beth was working in the CIA and had been tracking someone known as “the neighbor” for fifteen years, and then she got a new clue as to who the neighbor could be and was suddenly taken off the case and demoted. As this was happening she sold her house and was very suspicious of the people moving in. This lead her down a dark and dangerous path as she realized she couldn’t trust anyone.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review - - Wow -
Beth lives on a culdesac in a perfect neighborhood, with a perfect family, and a perfect job with the CIA.- but then it all ends - she is moved to another job, her children grow up, and her husband leaves her. They sell the house and Madeline and her family move in.
Beth becomes obsessed with Madeline and stalks her thinking she is the spy they have been looking for - or is Beth paranoid?
All the neigbours on the culdesac are they carrying secrets also? And then the unreal conclusion - what a book!!

I will say this read kept my interest! I did find the narrative to be far fetched……albeit the author is a former CIA counter terrorism analyst, so who am I to say? If you're looking for a fast paced book, with lots of twists and turns, The New Neighbor is for you! The ending was even more unconvincing, in my opinion. Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. #netgalley #TheNewNeighbor @netgallyarc @ballantinebooks.

This was a good thriller with lots of twists. The characters in the cul-de-sac will have you changing and re-changing your mind about them! This was a quick, flowing read and I enjoyed it.

Definitely a plot-driven story that keeps moving at a quick pace before taking surprise turns that keep you guessing.

I loved this book! Well written with a ton of twists and turns. I can not wait for more by author!! Thanks to publisher and NetGalley for this book.

OMG. This was amazing!!! I could not put it down... the suspense and intrigue from this book blew me away. Excellent writing and the characters were fantastic!!

I enjoyed the book very much. I really liked the twists and turns it took. The book kept me guessing and was captivating throughout. I was never bored. It reads like a good mission impossible movie with a female lead.

The New Neighbor is Madeline Sterling and she has moved into Beth’s old house. It seems she has what Beth once had with a husband and loving children and she seamlessly slips into Beth's spot in the close neighborhood community in the cul-de-sac.

Beth happens to be CIA and she has suffered a fall from grace due to a work issue - she hasn't identified a major spy in a project she has run for several years. She is reeling from a demotion, issues in her marriage and watching the new neighbor move into her old home.

It's not long before Beth realizes that all with Madeline is not as perfect as it seems. She suspects that Madeline could even be tied to her last spy mission. But is she just envious or is there more to the New Neighbor?

I enjoyed this thriller quite a lot. Believable and interesting.

I received an ARC of this thriller from NetGalley.

The protagonist in this story is Beth Bradford. She is a long-time CIA employee and a mother of three living on a quiet cul-de-sac with friendly neighbors, most of whom have some connection to the American intelligence community. Beth has spent 15 years trying to figure out who The Neighbor is. The Neighbor is an Iranian spy, recruiting for additional spies within the American intelligence agencies (CIA and FBI) to pursue some sort of mission against the United States. After these 15 years, Beth is yanked off this responsibility involuntarily. At the same time, her personal life has fallen apart. Shortly after her third and final child is sent off to college, her husband leaves her for another woman.

Beth continues her pursuit of The Neighbor from her new position, though no longer with the authority to do so. She pursues lead after lead, rubbing people the wrong way all along the way.

There is not much in the way of character development here. The author focuses on the chase for information that would lead to the identity of The Neighbor and his or her recruits. This pursuit gets repetitive and somewhat tedious as the story moves along.

Will Beth (and the reader) ever figure out who The Neighbor is? I won't spoil.

So good! Really enjoyed the back and forth plots and the ending was awesome. Definitely recommend. Great thriller! Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up. This book absolutely captivated me. I read it so quickly and became so immersed in the mystery. The premise in short is that Beth, the main character, is experiencing a dwindling marriage, an empty nest and a slow career in the CIA. She chooses to move from her previous home - a picture perfect house on a cul-de-sac with houses of wonderful families. Her CIA role involves tracking “the neighbor” a Iranian controlled American close to home. As she moves she starts to suspect that someone on her street has been “the neighbor” all along. I loved the plot and I loved the twist at the end that leaves you wanting another novel. This a fast-paced, clever spy mystery that is oh so enjoyable. My only criticism would be that the “lonely, heavy drinking, unreliable female” lead has been quite common with novels such as Girl on the Train and Woman in the Window. Some people may think this is too overdone but I can honestly say I liked this book better than both of those novels.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for sending me this eARC to review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for allowing me to read The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland prior to publication in exchange for my honest review.
I love a good spy thriller and this book did not disappoint! CIA agent Beth has the dream life: a successful career, a beautiful home in Langley Oaks, a terrific family, and wonderful neighbors. Beth has stopped many Iranian spies, except one: The Neighbor. Beth finds herself in a season of changes: her children all leave the nest, she is moving out of her dream home, separating from her husband, and being reassigned in the CIA. The woman who bought her house seems off and Beth’s intuition is telling her that the new neighbor is a spy! It begs the question, how well do we really know our neighbors?!
This book was fast paced and filled with many twists. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good spy thriller!

As a fan of Karen Cleveland’s previous novels, I was excited to receive an advance reading copy of her latest book, The New Neighbor. The plot revolves around Beth Bradford, a CIA employee who has been obsessed with finding a spy referred to as “the Neighbor” for 15 years. She experiences a tremendous amount of turmoil in connection with becoming an empty nester, a job demotion, moving from a home after approximately 20 years and a marriage falling apart.

Beth is not a likable character. This reader found her to be a self centered person who did not believe in following the rules and one who had no compunctions about using others to obtain information useful for her tunnel visioned objectives.

The reader is swept along with her quest to uncover the identity of the Neighbor, while blanching at her methodology. Overall, I found the novel disappointing and actually laughed at the preposterous conclusion in the epilogue.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read and review The New Neighbor.

The New Neighbor
A Novel
by Karen Cleveland

Wow. The New Neighbor was a good book. It was a train at full speed. NO stops insight. It is different than most mystery/suspense novels. It has you ripping thru the book to see, KNOW the whys. Who was this new neighbor? You will love the answer.