So there are obvious parallels with 'The Stepford Wives' but only regarding the concept. 
'The Perfect Neighbours' is a character-driven story, which has detailed imagery and a well-researched setting.The plot is multi-layered with a backstory written in real time, which informs the reader and increases the suspense and dramatic irony.
The first chapter sets the scene for what is to come, Helen is in trouble, but we don't know why. Chronological chapters trace Helen's time in the German village, interspersed with a tragic story of a mystery character.  The story builds to an unprecedented tragedy, which has dangerous consequences for Helen and this dramatic mid story scene makes reading the slower chapters in the first half of the book worthwhile.
The characters, seen through Helen's eyes are not likeable. Their outward friendliness is a thin veneer, which barely covers, their lies, deceit and abusive behaviour.
There are lots of twists, and the ending is not what you are led to believe. I did work out parts of the story, but there were still events that surprised me. Tragedy, when it strikes, is graphically written, so not for the squeamish but the violence is necessary for the story to progress. The pacing is slow at times, but again this gives the tragic events maximum impact when they occur.
 An exciting thriller, with a strange, chilling quality, which exposes the fragility of the human psyche and its capability for deceit.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse/ Killer Reads via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This book is a good thriller. I liked the way the story unfolded. It had a good storyline and solid characters. I would recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Rachel Sargeant for a copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

I have to start by saying that in general this book seems to be rated quite high by readers and bloggers alike, and I seem to be in the minority in my opinions, so, as usual, if you weigh everything up in terms of reviews and your own preferences, you'll be able to make an informed decision.

I had heard a lot about this book, and people said that it stood out from other books thrillers that were related to neighbours and neighbourhoods, and given that these are the type of books I love, I was thrilled to be approved to read.

You will note from the blurb that the lead character has moved abroad. The country in question is Germany and, as it isn't a country I've ever visited I felt like the descriptions were both lacking and where present, conflicting, and so I couldn't get a handle on the setting, either in terms of country or locality. There was talk at one stage of bomb alerts, but we weren't told whether this was a normal occurance, and that, along with the inability to picture the setting, kind of flummoxed me (I'm quite easy to flummox, so this could just be me!) We were also dropped german words, which is fine, but not always with the translation given, so it could get confusing.Then, in terms of said locality, it was like we were shown somewhere a little run down but I got the impression it was the Stepford of the area, again, leaving me scratching my head.

My biggest issue was with the characters. I've no problem with unlikable characters, especially in an 'everyone is a suspect' book, but this book took so long to get to the actual event, and the characters were all so mean to each other, everyone looking down on everyone else, people bullying and sneering and in general being SO unlikable. I couldn't even warm to the lead, Helen, and her husband, Gary. By the time everything kicked off, I was drained, miserably trawling through the pages, wondering if I should finish or not. It was good that I did, though, as the ending had a punch to it and made up in part for the rest of the book, with the building tension and 'explosion' well done, and actually the premise introduced in the final quarter of the book was very interesting, but everything, including flashbacks leading to the conclusion, was introduced too late and I'm afraid it was a bit too late.

As I said, I found parts confusing, although I can be very slow in terms of picking up on things, so all of this might just be me, people might be able to see it all better than I did, unfortunately, this just wasn't for me.

Thanks so much to Killer reads, an imprint of Harper Fiction and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.
Rating: 2.5/5

Have you ever read a book that when you get to revelation of the story, your jaw just drops? The Perfect Neighbours is definitely one of those books. I was provided with a free copy from Netgalley and Killer Reads in exchange for an honest review. When I first read the description, I automatically knew the killer would be easy to identify. I was wrong.

When Helen moves abroad with her loving husband Gary, she can’t wait to meet her fellow expat teachers from the local International School. But her new start is about to become her worst nightmare…

As soon as the charming family across the way welcome Helen into their home, she begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Then Gary starts to behave strangely and a child goes missing, vanished without a trace.

When violence and tragedy strike, cracks appear in the community, and Helen realizes her perfect neighbours are capable of almost anything…



Helen was uneasy at first leaving her home to move to Germany with her husband Gary, but she tried to assure herself that it was for the best and help strengthen her marriage. She left being her teaching position, friends and family. When she arrived to the community neighborhood full of expats like herself who teach at the international school with Gary, she thought she wouldn't quite fit in. After meeting the couple across the street, Damian and Louisa, Helen knew right away that she would not fall into Step-ford Wife territory. 

Helen begins to see right thorough some of the neighbors acts. She does take to her next door neighbor, Mel, but is extremely off put by Mel's Art teacher husband who spends his spare time working on a documentary. A lot of characters are introduced, some mysterious  and some who try to be helpful to Helen. While she feels like an outcast in the perfect neighborhood, she finds her solace in swimming. At the community pool she meets Sascha, a good looking young man who at first deceives her into taking him to her neighborhood. She later discovers that Sascha has been having an ongoing feud with Louisa, but no one will tell her why. Bad things start happening in their community and everyone points their hand to Sascha being the cause of it, but Helen is not so sure. As she digs deeper to uncover the truth, she never in her worst nightmares would have imagined what really happened to her neighbors. 

The story is also told by another point of view. A young college student who becomes entangled with an organization that will stop at nothing to find her and the man she met a few weeks before. At first I wondered how her story would fit into Helen's world, but when the answer comes out, my mind was BLOWN!!!

Not many books get the jump on me, but this one certainly had me put the book down after the big reveal and go 'Whoa!' If you're looking for a good suspenseful mystery, definitely check out The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargeant. Out in stores and Ebook on December 15, 2017

I must admit, I don’t know most of my neighbors. I wave as I drive by, say a quick hello as I retrieve my mail. But that’s it. Kind of sad actually. But after reading this book I think maybe I got off lucky!

After tiring of a long distance relationship, Helen finally manages to join her husband Gary in Germany. Gary gives Helen a quick tour of the neighborhood - then it’s time to meet the neighbors! Immediately Helen is completely put off by them. Something’s just not right! And if it was left up to her, she’d rather have nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, they’re more than just neighbors. They all work with Helen’s husband at the international School. Oh great!

This group of neighbors are all in each other’s business. Walking in and out of each other’s homes, having meetings and parties where attendance is expected. All of them dining at the same restaurant and vacationing together.

This is a fast thriller with a very clever backstory running throughout. I guessed most of the twists along the way but still enjoyed!

I am now closing the blinds and turning off the lights...hopefully my neighbors won’t come knocking on my door!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impulse & Killer Reads and Rachel Sargeant for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review.

Had such high expectations for the book. Started off well but unfortunately by the 2nd chapter i just lost interest. I found it tedius. Introducing the nieghbours the way they did put me off. I found it long and drawn out this way. It ended up sounding like hell. All these neighbours and who can your trust. Sorry this book just wasnt for me.

So I'm not going to lie but i had trouble staying entertained by this book. I caught myself skimming through it a lot just so i could get to the end. I got a little confused at first by all the characters and what exactly was going on. I really wanted to like this book but i guess it just was not my cup of tea. Lastly, i did not like adding the German words in there, i got quite confused by some of it.

Thanks again to NetGalley and the author for providing me with a copy, i wish i could of enjoyed it more.

Great read! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

Do you really know your neighbors? Lots of suspense and a ending I didn't see coming ! Great fast read!

Great twists. I couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend this book and read more by this author. This book kept me guessing until the end

Helen leaves her life in England to live with her husband in Germany where he has gotten a job with a school. Their home is in a community with other teachers as well as the Head teacher whose wife acts more like a drill sergeant. Helen is trying her best to keep her cool amongst these nightmare neighbors but when vandalism/burglary and ultimately murder happens Helen is finally ready to run. Unfortunately, Helen is a suspect. The story itself was good, although it did feel much longer than it needed to be.

I received a free electronic copy of The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargent from NetGalley for my honest review.

Helen, leaves her life in England to start a new beginning in Germany with her husband, who is a teacher. Helen tries to make friends and fit in with the other people who live on her street. Her neighbour's have lots of secrets and they will do anything to keep those secrets hidden. Helen
soon finds out that her perfect neighbours can't be trusted at all. Good read with lots of twists and turns and lots of characters.

The Perfect Neighbours was a great psychological thriller that hooked me from the first few pages.
Lots of twists and turns throughout and the ending, well I did not see it coming.
Is there such a thing as a perfect neighbourhood, certainly not in this book.
Have a read you won’t be disappointed.

Helen and her husband, Gary are excited about their move to Germany. The International School will be a place where she’s sure to make friends among her fellow expat teachers, but things don’t go according to plan. The neighbors, who seem to be so nice at first are…off. Something about them just isn’t right. Then a child disappears and Helen’s husband begins to act in a way that has both Helen and the local authorities wondering if he is somehow involved. Helen finds herself alone in a foreign country, not knowing up from down or whether her own husband has done something unspeakable. A real roller coaster ride for readers, I enjoyed this pacey mystery

Very much enjoyed this book it is a 'keep reading even though I am really tired' read. I did think some of the characters got a bit lost and we didn't really have a sense of who they were expecting. E.g. . Gary, but overall I thought it was written well and felt the ending was good.

Helen moves from her home in England to Germany to be with her husband who teaches at the International School. At first glance their neighborhood appears to be perfect. As Helen gets to know her neighbours she learns that looks can be deceiving. When the worst happens who can she trust? Who can she believe?

This was a fantastic book, the story builds up and all the clues are there. Thanks to Killer Reads and Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review