"We all have secrets...Having secrets is a trait that all humans share."

But nobody has secrets like these neighbors -- a collection of seriously flawed, conniving psychopaths involved in a series of events that spiral out of control and escalate into murder.

Leah and Clay live with their 11-year-old twins next door to Clarissa and Russell and their two kids in an all but deserted cul-de-sac in Dearborn, Maine. The developer was a crook and skipped town before completing the rest of the subdivision and just those two families have homes. The Daniels are white and the Gaines family is black -- race is a huge issue in this psychological domestic drama/thriller. Clarissa and Russell have money and both are employed at nearby Chadwick College. Clay has started his own struggling brewery in town, works long hours, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom. Unfortunately for all, Leah is lonely and bored and curious. Leah is obsessive and gets sucked up into local drama especially with regard to the case of a missing female coed. She starts sneaking into the neighbor's house when they're at work -- and that's when she finds Clarissa's diary. Meanwhile, all sorts of other activities are going on behind the scenes. When the dust finally settles on all the lies and manipulative behavior, who will be left standing?

The reader is immediately engaged with this story despite finding it hard to believe that this much craziness can exist side by side in one little neighborhood. The relationships between all of the characters are so messed up that it almost defies belief. Add in extra-marital affairs, racial tension, secrets and lies and you get an explosive reaction. It is the kind of book that you just can't put down because you just can't imagine people acting like this and doing the things they do. I don't want to spoil the twists and turns for anyone, so I'll leave it here -- make sure you have some uninterupted time to get through this in one sitting. I really enjoyed it! Thank heavens I was able to catch my breath after its conclusion. The book is narrated by Leah and by Clay, but I daresay you won't be able to guess how it's all going to end! Who will you believe?

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read and review. I definitely will read more by this author. The book was not what I expected, but that was all to the good.

This book had me hooked from the very first page. A thriller about what happens when family friends get too close and housewives get bored. Will highly recommend this book to everyone!!!!!!!

The main characters in this book are so complex, deceitful, hypocritical, and secretive, it's hard to tell the truth from from the twisted lies. I found them all to be quite unlikable, and didn't care so much about what happened to them, as I did about finding out the truth behind the chaos. This story definitely kept me guessing, and when I got to a point where I thought I had something figured out, there would be another twist that would throw me for a loop. It's a captivating, crazy story, though the ending felt kind of incomplete to me.

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Having read Joseph Souza's previous book "Need to Find You," I knew I was in for a treat with this new one, "The Neighbor." What I didn't expect was to fly through this book almost non-stop! Once again, the author has recreated his magic and crafted a story that literally pulls you from one page to the next. I can't count how many times I said to myself "just one more chapter and I'll take a break," only to find I'd read for another hour. Some authors just have that knack of writing suspense that truly is suspense. I won't say much about the plot because you just have to experience it for yourself. All I can say is, if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Mr. Souza's books, start with this one and get ready for the ride of your life.
**I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley**

4WTH Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Two houses... four adults... four extremely screwed up people.... I can’t remember a book with a group of more unlikable characters... with no morals or scruples or the capability to think things through.... I wanted to swoop in and take their kids out of this extremely unhealthy situation.... not sure how all these people had all this time for all the shenanigans when both couples had two kids? Going to be completely honest there were a lot of things that happened in this book that I’m not sure about... you really have to suspend belief quite a bit.... but these people really were so whacked out that it kept me so engrossed... that I just let some things go... and enjoyed the crazy ride!

This book also addressed the racial tensions in our country... not really sure if this was the ideal platform for this, but that’s not for me to judge.... and I’m not going to lie it did make me uncomfortable at times.... as someone who lives on the complete opposite side of the country in a very liberal Southern California I sometimes forget that there are still racial tensions... additionally I have absolutely no idea what the situation is like in the state of Maine.... I just know that where I live nobody would look twice if a mixed couple were dining at a restaurant, it probably wouldn’t even register with me at all.... I think this book would have been just fine without the discussion of race, but if that is something that will make you uncomfortable you are forewarned....

Now back to this crazy plot... first we have Leah... Leah is so bored with her life that she is breaking into her neighbors house taking items and reading her journal.... Leah here’s an idea talk to your 11-year-old son about what is going on with him, because believe me something is going on.... Clay you are a disaster, go check yourself into rehab or attend some AA meetings already.... Clarissa are you brillian and super manipulative or what... and you shocked me more than anybody.... WowwowWow..... Russell I don’t even know what to think, but anything you get you definitely deserve....

See what I’m saying a whole cluster of unlikable characters.... doing all kinds of things they shouldn’t be doing... but for me it worked, it kept me engrossed throughout the entire book... I just could not wait to see what was going to happen next!

Strongly recommend two fans of psychological thrillers... but be sure you are able to suspend belief for this one and enjoy the crazy ride...

*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***

Two couples are entangled in the twisted plot of this psychological thriller. Betrayal, lies, cover-ups, death. Everything that makes for a great read. This book makes you think twice of who you're neighbors may be. Are they watching you, are you watching them? Are they sneaking into your home? How many of your secrets have they uncovered and how will they be used against You?
4 Stars

What a bunch of screwed-up people!! I didn't like any of the characters (how could anyone like them?!?) and yet I found myself wanting to know what happened next. That was in the first half of the book. In the second half, things got so far-fetched and unbelievable, I kept reading just to see if any of them had any redeeming qualities whatsoever. How could Leah be that stupid throughout the story? And why on earth did she even want to be friends with Clarissa? The whole racial aspect seemed contrived - didn't ring true to me.

I give the book 3 stars just because it kept me turning the pages.

The ending of the book left things up in the air. I feel sorriest for the kids and Mr. Shady!!

As much as i wanted to know what happened that is the only reason i didn't give up on this one.
Wasn't drawing me in.. the racial issue i feel wasn't done justice. And this book just bored me.
Just wan't for me.


Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an early release of this book

Absolutely Loved it! Very good twists! Loved how the story jump from Leah to Clay, Clay to Leah.

I tried but I couldn't get past the idea that Leah was complaining about living in a development where there is only one other couple. Well, how about all the people out there who live in the countryside-with no neighbors to speak of? Geez. And Clay's starting a brewery. Hmm. Souza's effort to bring racial tension in was interesting but felt misplaced. Thanks to net galley for the ARC. Others might enjoy this but I wanted to tell Leah to grow up and keep her nose to herself.

The Bottom Line:
The Neighbor is made slightly interesting with a lot of layers, but they fail to hide the fact that the book is nothing more than the unpleasant story of two whiney, selfish, clueless adults who you just cannot like.
My review:
Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Psychological thriller. As riveting as Gone Girl. Twisted. Page-turner.
These are some of the terms you'd find associated with The Neighbor. I completely agree with the last one, but definitely not the others. In fact, my allegiance lies with those reviews and reviewers who chose to express themselves (while speaking about The Neighbor) with terms like illogical plot, shallow and unlikable characters, and unbelievable actions.
The Neighbor has a lot going on. There's a missing girl. There's a lonely housewife who wants some friends with whom she can connect. There's a murder. There are secrets. There are a whole lot of references to racism and discussion on the topic. There are marital concerns. There's alcoholism. And there is some BDSM-esque kinkiness tossed in too.
The problem is that all these aspects are just annoying.
To better explain, I need to mention that the book is written from the perspectives of Leah and Clay. And it starts with Leah, who is so dang annoying, saying that she gets "giddy with excitement" when she steps out of the house to good weather. It was actually difficult to continue reading after that start. But a twist thrown at you a couple of pages later gives you hope and keeps you going.
There are innumerable twists in The Neighbor. And that's the reason you want to know what happens next, the reason you turn page after page. There is a lot of stuff going on, most of which can add interesting elements. But what you can never get away from is the fact that, at its very essence, the story is about two incredibly selfish, annoying, and oddly stupid people - Leah and Clay.
These are two individuals who live life in their own bubble of misunderstanding (regarding each other). They are both alcoholics in denial who are quick to (hypocritically) blame each other. There are a few moments where they seem to show an inkling of self-awareness. Until it's drowned in their go-to habit of making excuses. All in all, they are incredibly unlikable as human beings, spouses, and parents.
As a result, you don't really care that anything is happening to them or that they're facing a problem. You're more interested in discovering which of the events is a lie, which isn't, and what's really going along. The only people you feel for in the book are Leah and Clay's kids and their dog, and that's mainly because they are stuck with terrible people for no fault of their own.
Leah and Clay's relationship and the way the book is told from their perspectives is what makes people draw the similarity to Gone Girl, I think. To be honest, similarities do exist. But the intentional, selfish twistedness of the characters in Gone Girl also made them associable. You could actually envision people like that - those who would do what it took to get what they wanted. It's what made the book uncomfortably good (check out my review of Gone Girl here for more deets on that!). In The Neighbor, the characters are selfish but too clueless. I mean, seriously - Leah's only goal in life is, "I want to be Clarissa's friend." These are selfish people who are too lost to actually do anything about what they want, except for crib when things do change. And that just makes them annoying, especially in their abrupt bipolarity (seriously, they keep contradicting themselves in consecutive sentences until their motivation, meaning, and drive is completely lost on the reader).
Putting the Gone Girl comparison aside, The Neighbor is just not a likable book. It's got some suspense and enough storytelling power to keep you turning the pages. But the many social problems it addresses seem to just be layers on an otherwise dry story of two not-nice people.
So should you read The Neighbor? I'd say give it a pass. There are other psychological thrillers out there that have real depth in their stories, that go deep into the chaos that is the human mind and what it can make one do. Try one of them instead. If you still want to give The Neighbor a shot - it releases on 24th April 2018.

It didn't bother me that all of the characters were so despicable however, the whole story is just so far fetched and the characters actions were just ridiculous. I barely made it through to the end. Was not for me.

The Neighbor by Joseph Souza is a psychological thriller that to be brutally honest was full of unlikable characters doing unlikable things. The very strange part is I found myself actually liking it’s twisted mess.

The story is told by Leah and Clay switching the point of view between them. The two are a married couple that moved from Seattle to Maine and took up residence in a quiet neighborhood that no one else seemed to want to live in other than one other home.

Leah is a stay at home mom with way too much time on her hands to the point she has a few obsessions like what happened to a girl that had disappeared from the local college and getting to know her only neighbors better. Clay on the other hand is trying to run his own business and has little time for his wife, he did however have time to have an affair he doesn’t want her to find out about.

Toss in a bunch of other crazy twists and turns along the way with this pair and somehow this one became quite addictive despite thinking everyone in here was a little off their rockers. I did need to suspend my disbelief of how some things worked in the story but I think the crazier it got the faster the pages turned. This one may not be for everyone but it certainly was an entertaining read for me and in the end I can only think gee my neighbors aren’t so bad after all….

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have read books before by this author and, I really liked how he could pull you into the story. With this one I started to enjoy it then I felt uncomfortable reading it. The whole calling females names that were derogatory from the other characters to how race played a part in the story it just didn't sit well with me.

Leah and her husband move across the US so her husband can open up his own business. Leah is a stay at home mom who doesn't have much to do but obsess over her neighbor. When a college student goes missing Leah wants to find out what happened to her yet what she uncovers is that everyone has secrets, even those that are close to her.

We go between Ben and Leah's point of view which is pretty easy to do, there is no confusion there.

We see what Ben has been up to and what his secret is, to what Leah does in her spare time.

This is a web that is woven so crazy.

There was an issue that I had to do some research on Bill Clinton because the author was discussing cheating and says "Bill Clinton, the first black president." That really threw me for a huge loop.

Overall the story was okay was not my favorite from the author and it is because of what I stated before. Between the derogatory use of names to how race was portrayed just did not sit well.

I did like all the secrets everyone had, and how they all came out eventually. Just goes to show that no matter what you can not bury secrets no matter who you are.

Character-wise I didn't really like any of the characters they were developed to an extent but Leah bothered me so much. She was too involved with herself and her neighbor that she didn't seem to have concern for her children. Especially her son who is showing signs of being a racist kid.

1 star--I didn't like it.

Shallow characters (more caricatures) who act in inconsistent, puzzling ways. A plot that makes no logical sense. Absolutely no one likable or with an ounce of charisma or morality. Mediocre writing. Women are called bitches or whores by everyone, and black women are called exotic. The author decided to introduce politics to the plot, either to be edgy or be current, but since it's so shallowly treated, it comes off as cringeworthy instead (and unfair to both sides of the political spectrum). Just all around unpleasant.

I like reading suspense novels as a fun escape, but this one merely annoyed me! I received this review copy from the publisher on NetGalley. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review; I appreciate it!

Sweet lamb of divine, this book had me gripped, a psychological thriller full of twists and turns that had my jaw dropping and speaking out loud to the book, I don't know how many times I said eh what, NO WAY! loved it, this book had everything from cheating spouse, lies, deceit, black and white privileged and not so much privileged characters, stalker elements, it is everything you could want from a book. Hats off to Joseph Souza, my first time to read a book by this author but I can guarantee it won't be the last!

I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for giving me this opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Ummmm...I don't even know quite what to say about this book. I've got to stop requesting every random psychological thriller I see from NetGalley, but I can't resist anything about creepy neighbors. I almost gave this book one star, but I have to admit it was SUCH a page-turner. I could not stop reading even though I didn't think it was very good. The dialogue was heavy handed, the main character was too stupid to live, and the approach to racial issues in America was...weird. But I can't decide whether to recommend that you stay far far away from it or urge you to read it to experience the sheer bananas-ness of this book for yourself.

Wow!!! Wtf but wow!!! 4.5 Stars!

The Neighbors by Joseph Souza just really took me on a ride! This is absolutely a suspense/psychological thriller with some domestic noir and neighborhood noir thrown in the mix. I have seen this book compared to a mix of The Couple Next Door and Gone Girl, but it really is more than that (and different). I can understand why they marketed it that way, but there is a whole extra plotline not captured by those comparisons.

I have seen mixed reviews, and so I want to state upfront that this book is a psychological thriller/domestic noir/neighborhood noir/suspense novel with an additional element of racial issues in this country. I don’t say this to spoil (this, I promise you, is not a spoiler), but I do want readers to be aware of that because it can be a controversial topic that some readers love, and others dislike.

PLOT
Leah Daniels and her husband Clay have moved their family across country from Seattle to Maine. Clay has pursued his dream of owning a brewery, and Leah is a stay-at-home mom with elementary-aged twins. Every day, as soon as the twins leave for school, Leah finds herself incredibly lonely. The neighborhood they moved to sounded like a dream—all of the houses are new and there was a promise of new families populating the neighborhood with mom groups, friends for their kids, and activity all day long.

However, after the Daniels move in they learn that there were problems with the contractors, and the other houses have remained uninhabited. In fact, the only occupants in the neighborhood are the Daniels and their next door neighbors—Clarissa and Russell Gaines. The Gaines are black and wealthier than the Daniels—they both work for Chadwick University and are attractive, respected, and successful. But Leah finds them stand-offish for reasons she can’t understand. She just wants to be friends with them.

And then Leah begins to imagine that if she could just know more about them, she could find a way to befriend them…

Leah begins to watch Clarissa and wait for her to leave the house. She knows their schedule, she peeks in their windows, and eventually, begins entering their home. Sure, the house is unlocked, but Leah knows she shouldn’t be doing this. But Leah can’t help herself. She begins to take small items, and grab a glass of wine.

And then one day while peeking around their home, Leah finds Clarissa’s diary, and nothing will ever be the same…

REFLECTION
The racial tension in this book was handled well, but it was uncomfortable at times to read about. This, I imagine, was Joseph Souza’s point. All of the racial tension was important and useful to the plot, but the plot could have existed with any mix or non-mix of race. The story is actually about people, and the impact of our actions and thoughts on our future. These themes know no racial boundaries. The book could have had no racial implications and the story would have held.

But, Joseph Souza chose to put them in there, and I think his point was that judging people on their surface attributes—whether it be race, socioeconomic status, career, age, gender, handicap, or behavior—these don’t tell the full story of that individual’s thoughts, emotions, suffering, or experience. People are so much more dynamic than their race. But maybe, race is an easy thing to categorize because it can (sometimes) be seen on a person. And yet, even that Souza calls into question.

I suspect this will be a very polarizing book. There are many scenes that you can feel the discomfort in, even as an outside reader. These scenes are important though. There are also so many things in this book. The description of the plot from the teaser is covered in the first few chapters, and from there you should expect a wild ride!

There were so many times while reading this book where I’d think “Well that certainly took a turn…” This is partially what I enjoyed though! There is absolutely no way that I could have predicted where the book would end up from the first quarter of the book. This is a book where I liked almost none of the characters, but I loved the story. There were so many themes—racial tensions in this country; the way people change from when they meet and how that impacts a marriage; missing people, deaths, and murder; the fine line between interest and obsession; moral grey areas; pushing your personal boundaries; secrets upon secrets upon lies.

How well do we ever know our neighbors? How well can we know the person sleeping beside us? And most important…how well do we ever know ourselves?

Thank you so much to Kensington Books, Joseph Souza, and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a hook from the first few pages for me. I don’t usually like when a book is written from a perspective of one character, then switches to the other character in the next chapter. But this book had a good base. It let he characters develop as each chapter went on. And I loved how much Clay began to hate his wife over time. Classic. Just classic.

How well do you know your neighbors? What happens in your neighborhood when you aren’t home? What secrets are kept behind closed doors? All is not what it seems in this solidly plotted book. Written in the dual voices of Clay and Leah adds to the suspense as Souza knows how to leave you hanging at the end of each chapter. This book was hard to put down. None of the characters were particularly likeable, leaving the reader unsure just who to root for. A very engaging read. Looking forward to reading more books from Joseph Souza!