What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman is a slow burn domestic suspense/family drama set in a DC bedroom community. The drama does not disappoint! The conflict between the "friends" and how it impacts the outcome of the investigation into the death of one of the neighbors is a pretty wild ride. I know Desperate Housewives is mentioned in the blurb but there's a big sprinkle of adult Mean Girls too. The characters are well developed and this a very bingeable vacation or beach read with a nice cover. I hope to read more from this debut author.

I tried but could not finish this one. I’m sorry just not for me, unlikeable characters and some plot developments that simply didn’t make sense. Thanks for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Alexis and Sam finally hit the big time after working so hard to get into a tony suburb of Washington, DC, in What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman. They bought a crumbling mansion that eventually could become a palace with a little elbow grease and money. They're also having their second child to make their family complete. But will they fit in with the upwardly mobile and somewhat snooty neighbors? Time will tell until a shocking murder of an esteemed pillar of the community takes place.

I had high hopes for this book because I love how it is written. At first, I liked the characterizations of the neighbors and Alexis. I could relate to her struggles with handling the household, her children, and trying to maintain her marriage and thoughts of going back to her career. As the story moves along, though, some characters like her husband morphed from bland to a complete jerk in record time. No real reason seemed apparent. I couldn't even understand why Alexis who seemed like she just needed a break would marry this man.

The rest of the book until the climax and reveal of the murder focuses on the unraveling of her neighbors' lives and how they all appear frightened about the murder. No one can figure out who did it, and the trail where the brutal murder occurred now seems less like a nice place to stroll or jog in and more like a scary back road where devilish deeds take place. Even the cops who seem to be talking to everyone cannot uncover anything even though eventually Alexis discovers the answers herself.

And that is one of my issues with the book. Some of the reveals are weird and kind of out of left field. They were different, but I didn't think they made enough sense. And one reveal could have been a great lead-in to the murder but didn't pan out how I thought it would in a more believable way. When I learned the details of the murder, I found them to be haphazardly wrought out. I didn't suspect anything before that time, and that seemed like it would be a great, thrilling shock, but it really just didn't jive for me.

I would try a future book by the author because of the writing style, but the plot felt too perplexing and farfetched at times for me. Read it and see what you think about What the Neighbors Saw.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Multiple POV, Desperate Housewives vibes, past and present timelines

This was very interesting. It reminds me of Desperate Housewives. It was a bit too slow at times. The characters were very unlikable, though it's probably on purpose. I recommend it!

In 'What the Neighbors Saw,' readers are plunged into a suspenseful and gripping narrative. Set in an upscale DC suburb, the story revolves around Alexis and Sam who move into the neighborhood of their dreams. However, the idyllic neighborhood takes a dark turn when their neighbor, Teddy, is found dead, triggering a web of secrets and suspicion.

The author weaves a tale of murder and intrigue against the backdrop of a seemingly perfect community. As Alexis forms an unlikely friendship with Teddy's widow, Blair, the plot thickens, revealing layers of deception and hidden truths.

"What the Neighbors Saw" is a riveting page-turner that will leave you questioning the darkness that can lurk behind the doors of the most beautiful houses.

2.5 stars. Thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for an e-arc for an honest review.

I'm so sorry to say this wasn't my cup of tea. I just did not like any of the main characters, and while I'm sure you aren't meant to like them, this just took me out of the story at times. One part of the ending made me say eww....and not in the good thriller book eww but in the why on earth kind of eww.

When Alexis and Sam move into a prestigious neighborhood in DC they realize that their dream house is in need of alot of repairs. Pregnant with their second child, Alexis is on maternity leave so is home to see what needs to be done, while Sam is busy at work trying to get on as a partner at his firm. Throughout the summer, they begin to meet and get familiar with their new neighbors, but are they as they seem, or do they have hidden secrets.

This is a great read with many twists and turns that keep you guessing until the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

Well written mystery book by a first time author. Great story and character development with good plot twists.

This is a medium paced thriller filled with neighborhood drama. A quick read with good characters, twists, and mystery, I really enjoyed this one. If you like drama with a side of murder this is for you!

“There are rumors, but that doesn't mean much. There are rumors about everybody,” What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman
Alexis is married to Sam with one child and another soon on the way and is new to the neighborhood. Blair is Alexis’s across the street neighbor with what seems to be the perfect family life. Soon after Alexis and her family move into this desirable neighborhood, Teddy (Blair’s husband) is found murdered along a trail within the neighborhood. In her attempt to comfort Blair, Alexis builds a friendship with her and soon starts to learn about the other neighbors in the area.
This story is very appealing with its dual points of view, Alexis and Blair. The author did a good job differentiating each character, which are several. In fact, I could not believe all the drama going on in this elite community. The book is somewhat of a slow burn, almost to where I felt it was taking a bit too long to get to what exactly was happening in this “quiet” neighborhood. In the end, your patience is rewarded because the twist had me shook. I did enjoy this debut novel pretty much down the middle, but would have liked it to move a bit faster and for some of the side plots to have resolved themselves a little better. I would recommend this if you like domestic suspense with a murder mystery thrown into the mix.

ARC Review: What the Neighbours Saw

Thank you @stmartinspress for my copy of this book - it’s out now!

Continuing my fixation on thrillers, this book was definitely a little creepy but still thoroughly enjoyable if you’re a big suck like me 😂

I liked how the author used the unreliable narrator to make everything a little more unclear. I thought it was really obvious who did it but I didn’t trust all of the information being given so I remained unsure throughout the book.

This book is a slow burn and I found a lot of nothing happened throughout it. There are some additional plot points that were put in to keep the reader on their toes but ended up not being important for the story at all. I did enjoy the twist at the end of the book - it was incredibly shocking and something I would have never seen coming!

Read this if you:
- Loved Desperate Housewives
- Have always wanted to spy on your neighbours
- Have lived through the stress of expensive home renovations

I started this book forever ago and it took me so long to finish. I just did not enjoy it. Things took awhile to pickup and while I loved the different POVs, I felt like I was waiting the entire book for something to happen. This one just wasn’t for me!

3.5 stars

Though by no means did it blow me away, Melissa Adelman’s debut, "What the Neighbors Saw," is a decent domestic suspense novel.

It’s a neighborhood story, which I find fun, set in an affluent Washington, D.C. suburb with sprawling houses and chic residents. And like most of these sorts of tales, there’s a murder that rocks the community, causing new neighbors, Alexis and Sam, to wonder if they’ll ever feel safe in their new home.

If you’re looking for something different, you won’t find it here. But if all you want is an easy, intriguing read, then what Adelman offers will work fine.

Just don’t be surprised if you find it predictable, because I sure did. Only one of the twists shocked me, and it was a little too coincidental and far-fetched for me to buy it.

But hey, the genre has never been known for its believability. And bottom line, "What the Neighbors Saw" did its job: it entertained me until the very end.


My sincerest appreciation to Melissa Adelman, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the digital review copy. All opinions included herein are my own.

Told in dualling narratives, What the Neighbors Saw: A Novel by Melissa Adelman was decent, but a bit of a slog for me. I was excited for what I thought would be a great tale of domestic suspense; indeed it got off to a promising start with a murder. But what followed was a long drawn-out tale where nothing happens until the book is 99% over.

At least 80% of the book is just filled with the author telling us how horrible the people in this neighbourhood are. It could have done with about half of that cut-out, and it would have done the same job. I would have given this one two stars as my rating, but it gets extra points for the audiobook narration being absolutely top-notch, and for the couple of curveballs that were thrown into the story at the end.

This story was all over the place and not in a good way. I love a good suburban drama but this one tried to do too many things at once and none of them were good. Will not be recommending.

Alexis and Sam are thrilled to buy a neglected cape cod house in an upscale area in Washington DC. They move in with their son, Caleb. Daughter Carter is soon added to the family. But the stress of living in a run-down house catches up with Sam. He begins to complain about the cost of all the renovations. The murder of a neighbor, Teddy, soon takes forefront in their lives. Alexis befriends the widow, Blair. Alexis begins to feel unsafe in the neighborhood. Is someone hiding a secret? Is more than someone hiding secrets? The ending has several twists that surprised me. I wish I had pulled this to the top of my TBR list sooner.

Thank you @minotaurbooks & @netgalley for my gifted ebook. My thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed this domestic suspense, set in the suburbs of Washington D.C.

Alexis and Sam buy a rundown house in an exclusive neighborhood and soon discover they may have undertaken more than they can handle! As they meet their wealthy neighbors they feel slightly embarrassed and they start expensive renovations on their home. Remodeling the kitchen, replacing windows, perhaps adding a backyard patio and pool, and what about a personal trainer? I had to laugh at how Alexis and Sam bickered about money, yet kept on spending more!

Meanwhile, when one of their neighbors is murdered, Alexis begins her own investigation and becomes friends with Blair, the widow of the murder victim. Alexis gradually learns juicy secrets about the neighbors, and as she gets closer to the truth, an attempt is made on her life!

Balancing her neighborly suspicions along with her marriage, her two young children, her crumbling house, maternity leave, and returning to work may prove too much for Alexis!

This story unfolds through the perspectives of Alexis and Blair. I thoroughly enjoyed the setting, the dynamic with the neighbors, and the bickering! The conclusion surprised me! Don’t miss this one!

This was the author’s debut novel. I can’t wait to read more of her work!

REALLY enjoyed this one and surprised i havent heard more about it! I thought the characters were funny in a dark way, it kept me guessing, and the twist totally had me in the end. I enjoyed the main character (even though her husband was an ass). I think desperate housewives is the perfect comparison for this one, anyone who loves dark suburban drama will love this. I do think it will be easily confused with another new title THE BLOCK PARTY, though.

Traveling With T’s thoughts

Well folks, I hate to write this; but that is 2 books I reviewed in a row that just disappointed me. This is a debut so I have nothing to compare her writing style with but the Desperate Housewives comparison, the cover and the soapy description just had me primed for a good book (in a bad TV kinda way) BUT this was a 2 star read for me and I don’t give out 2 stars much.

I was expecting some build up, some good tension, a soapy cliffhanger at some chapters that would make me furiously press the buttons on my Kindle for “just one more chapter before bed!”

Instead, I got a main character that I could never really figure out why she stayed with her husband. A new friend that you knew from jumpstreet was going to be trouble and some secrets that fizzed a bit… but were mainly like soda that was almost flat.

I did loathe Sam, so at least I had some FEEEEEELINGS about this book.

Bottom line: For me, it just didn’t work.



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*