This was my first Liz Alterman book, and even though it sat on my list for a while, I’m really glad I finally picked it up. I ended up really enjoying it. The story hooked me from the start. A child going missing in what seems like the perfect and peaceful suburban neighborhood was the perfect opening for this book, and right away you get the feeling that things aren’t as perfect as they seem.

As the story goes on, more characters are introduced, and with each one, you start to see just how many secrets this neighborhood is hiding. When a second child disappears, everything starts to unravel even more, and the list of possible explanations just keeps growing.

The book is told from different women’s points of view, which I really liked. You get to know a lot of them on a deeper level including the former model who just left her husband and is trying to figure herself out, the teenage girl who feels responsible for not being there on time to pick up the first missing child, the mothers who are living every parent’s worst nightmare, and the women who seem to have it all but are quietly struggling to stay afloat. Everyone is dealing with something, and it seems like everyone could be a suspect behind the children's disappearances.

There were so many twists and red herrings that I honestly didn’t know what to believe until the very end, which made the ending hit even harder. It was one of those stories that just pulls you in more and more. Once I was into it, I didn’t want to stop reading.

Liz Alterman has a way of blending suspense with really human, emotional moments. I’ll definitely be checking out more of her books. This one was a win for me.

I really enjoyed this one. It’s a smart, suspenseful look at what lies beneath the surface of a picture-perfect suburb. When a young boy goes missing, the story unravels through the voices of several women in the neighborhood, each with secrets of their own. It’s tense, emotional, and full of twists that kept me turning the pages. A great read if you like domestic thrillers with heart.

Tudo começa quando um casal famoso se muda para a pacata cidade de Oak Hill, e do nada tudo começa a acontecer.

Simplesmente duas crianças desaparecem, e a gente vai acompanhar o desespero das suas mães para encontra-las, e em meio as buscas a gente vai conhecer um pouco mais sobre cada uma das pessoas que moram naquela rica vizinhança.

Mas a medida que as coisas acontecem menos interessante a história fica, demora demais pra que a história se desenvolva, e depois que começa nada é tão interessante, nem tão criativo que faça com que a gente volte a se interessar por essa história.

O desfecho até é interessante, mas nada muito inovador.

This was my first time reading Liz Alterman and I could not put this book down!
Neighbourhood books are in my top 5 genres and this one did not disappoint! If suspenseful neighbourhood books are your thing, I definitely recommend reading this one.

This book had me sitting on the edge of my seat. I read it while I was on vacation- worth the sunburn as I lost track of time.

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day! I could not put it down! I loved the twists in this book. I would definitely recommend this book.

So this was a decent story and an intriguing mystery until the end where it just goes off into crazypants territory.

In this wealthy neighborhood, a few things happen around the same time. First, Allison leaves her husband Christopher in the middle of the night. No one in the neighborhood knows where she went. Then, on his way home from school, five-year-old Billy disappears. His babysitter Cassidy was late to meet him. When another child goes missing, the residents are scared and don't know what to think.

This story is told from multiple points of view, mainly Allison and Cassidy, but also the parents of the missing kids and various others in the neighborhood. I honestly could have been behind multiple explanations for the disappearances except for what actually ended up being the explanation. Also, after everything involving the kids is solved, then we get some extra epilogue style wrap up chapters and one of them is OTTM (one twist too many) or just beyond believability for me. There are also a few plot holes throughout and fairly inept police when all is said and done.

Although this was mildly entertaining, I don't think I'll remember it because other than the bizarre explanation for the missing kids, there just isn't much here. I don't know on what planet a parent would think it was okay to let a five-year-old walk to and from school by himself, because where I live they won't even let a kid that young get off the school bus at their driveway without an adult present, much less dismiss them out of a classroom to walk home on their own.

I listened to much of this as an audiobook and the narrator does an excellent job keeping the listener invested in the story.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

87 likes

I love a domestic thriller but I almost feel like I'd read this one like five times before. It didn't feel super unique and I left feeling quite bored.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic drama
Setting ~ Oak Hill, which I’m pretty sure is in New York
Publication date ~ July 12, 2022
Publisher ~ Crooked Lane Books
Est Page Count ~ 284 (31 chapters)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 29 minutes
Narratosr ~ Amanda Dolan, Priya Ayyar, Hillary Huber, Laura Jennings, Gail Shalan
POV ~ multiple 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ missing child, infidelity, miscarriage

Rachel’s 5 year old son, Billy, is missing and her husband, Ted, is a tool.

Allison leaves her husband, Chris, while he snores away oblivious. Well, actually, he’s probably too rich and handsome to snore.

Cassidy is the 18 year old babysitter that was late meeting Billy at his home, which he walks to all by himself from school. Ummm, what? Why is a kindergartener walking home alone? That just screams come kidnap me. Absolutely hated why Cassidy was late. This plot point is really bugging me in books lately, guess that’s my old grumpy momness of a teenager talking.

Lindsay & Sarah chime in with some gossip

This was a pretty predictable neighborhood drama filled with gossip galore and unlikeable, nosy, busybody characters. Right up my nosy alley, but could I find anyone to root for? Nope, and I don’t think you would either. But, I did like it well enough that I’ll give this author a go again.

Certainly when one runs for perfection, there might be a lot of running but never getting to the finish line.

Allison Langley, a model and an actress leaves her husband, separates from her husband, a former rock star, it sets the tongues wagging in her posh neighborhood. Oak Hill neighbors are in a gossiping frenzy, but things become even more serious when a young boy, Billy Barnes, is missing.

Many people blame themselves. Billy's mother thinks her job being away from home could be the reason why Billy was taken, while his babysitter, Cassidy blames herself for being late to arrive at Billy's house to care for him.

Then the unspeakable happens when a second child is taken. With no trace of either child, the hunt is on for the children, and lies, deceit, and sadness take hold of the families and those who revolve around them.

Some mixed feelings on this one.

I should have read the synopsis closer. I'm a bit over the missing child trope and didn't realize it was front and center to the mystery here in this Oak Hill community.

the book started off slow and it did take me a lot of time to be invested in it - no harshness to a published author but it did not capture my attention for the genre that this is from

Thank you for a copy of this book in exchange for honest feedback. I also read a physical final copy of this book.

This is a very quick read, with short brief chapters pushing the plot along. I will admit I found the actress POV a bit of a slog, but the rest were quick and interesting. There were some relents elements of the plot I found confusing like how a 5 year old could text or communicate critically but otherwise I think this is a creepy thriller with a moderate sense of thrill. It’s more on the quick story side, like not a season worth of episodes but a limited series of just 2-3. Ideally something you could suggest as for reading or audio when you need something you can put down and return to. Overall, a decent read.

A good mystery thriller that kept me wanting to turn the pages and wanting to know what happened. It really drew me in to the story wanting to know everything and the twists were good!

The plot is quite well woven but I was expecting a big twist that never really come. There are lots of secrets but mostly related to quite mundane domestic dramas. It ticks along nicely but never really gets going.

What makes a perfect neighborhood? Or to be more specific here, what makes a bad neighborhood?
From the way the author kept insinuating that the neighborhood is far from perfect, that every house has a chilling, dark secret, you'd expect to read about a secret society that leans to being a cult.
Instead, what happened in the book was a normal suburbia drama. The secret society is only a bunch of moms who love gossip and organizing anything kid-related.
Even the individual drama of each character was kind of forced, it felt as if the characters were screaming for attention.
There were no twists, I'd go as far as to say that you pretty much figure out the culprit 25% into the book.
The multiple POVs were a way to distract and conceal the fact that the book had no plot, or a weak plot if I'm being general. The kidnappings turned to afterthoughts several times throughout the book.
So, I wouldn't really recommend it. The writing was decent, but you can't build a thriller solely on good writing.
*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

In this cozy small town, familiarity reigns supreme, and gossip travels faster than wildfire. There's no such thing as a well-kept secret here. With casseroles exchanged, wine freely flowing, and tea-spilling conversations around every corner, I found myself drawn into the tight-knit community. While I had my own suspicions about the who, what, where, and why, "The Perfect Neighborhood" offered a straightforward and engaging read. I delved into the synopsis and embarked on this charming journey without giving too much away. Happy reading! 📖

Missing kids always get me! This book was well woven together and the mystery was very captivating. I loved trying to piece it all together.

Thank you to NetGalley, Liz Alterman and Legend Press for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This wasn’t my favourite, it’s good but it’s hard to read as a mother because it preys a bit on my fear of my child being abducted.

There is nothing more terrifying for a parent. Billy, who is five years old, went missing while walking home from school. Rachel, the boy's mother, feels guilty for letting him walk alone, and the babysitter is equally remorseful for arriving late. Police couldn't find any leads on the missing child, so Rachel started investigating her neighbors in the small neighborhood. Is it possible that she angered someone enough to take her child? And yet another child disappears.

The secrets of this little enclave that accommodates the wealthy and the famous are plentiful. Is it possible that some of them are too dark for children to be taken? This is both creepy and intense.

I really enjoyed this. The combination of suspense, emotion, and excitement was just right. The characters have been crafted well and you get to know them on a deeper level. The book changes perspective often, but it's less confusing than others thanks to its excellent writing. I was content with how the story concluded, even though I had guessed some of it, and it still left some room for speculation, which always makes you want more.