Cover Image: The Perfect Neighborhood

The Perfect Neighborhood

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

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.

Was this review helpful?

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!

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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*

Was this review helpful?

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! 📖

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

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.

Was this review helpful?

This premise felt familiar but the story still held my attention. I listened to the audiobook. Because it had multiple narrators, it helped to keep my interest.

The Perfect Neighborhood is very much your typical story of an affluent community of parents with young children that is built on gossip, competition to have the best, desire to be included. While it was easy to predict the storyline, it was just as easy to get sucked into the lives of these characters. There was nothing outrageously special that set this one apart from other family dramas, but the suspense was real. This would definitely be a great summer read.

Was this review helpful?

"The Perfect Neighborhood" is a story things that go wrong in the perfect neightborhood which seemed quite bland.

The story is told from multiple perspectives: parents of missing children, residents, Allison, Sarah, Rachel and Cassidy. Although it was a slow burn, I was swept into the story rather early. It almost felt like an episode of "The Real house wives." Alterman did a good job at creating an anxiety filled environment. I could feel the mothers tension as the chidlren went missing. With that being saif, the chracters felt one -dimensional. I would of liked more complexity in regards to the story lind and chracters.


Overall, this was a fun story.

Was this review helpful?

The Perfect Neighborhood by is an entertaining book that will take you on a ride!

I loved reading this so much, 2 days, that's how fast I read it 👓

Writing style is extremely important for me and I think it was a driving factor in the book. The characters and storyline are written so well.

I did feel the end was rushed and a few more chapters would have been welcomed.

However, I did like that the last few chapters gave insights on how things progressed after the story ends, I always enjoy such additions!

The book is 300+ pages and yet I read it so fast, you can imagine how engaged I must have been!

Perfect to get a reader out of reading slump!

Was this review helpful?

This was a good read. It kept me reading even though the who done it was very predictable. I would recommend this to anyone that likes easy to read thrillers. There are some trigger warnings for child abduction, and extramarital affairs.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this read.

Was this review helpful?

This was just ok for me. I like these kinds of thrillers but this one was predictable and I saw a lot of the plot twists before they happened

Was this review helpful?

Small, idyllic Oak Hill is the perfect place to settle down and start a family. Isn’t it? It all starts when actress Allison Langley leaves her ex-rockstar husband, Christopher. It’s all anyone can talk about, until suddenly five year old Billy Barnes is missing. While the town speculates, another child goes missing, and suddenly nowhere feels safe. Will the cops find these children? And who took them in the first place? “The Perfect Neighborhood” by Liz Alterman is a story of gossip, secrets, and the dark side of suburbia.

Whew. What a heavy read. I don’t think I fully anticipated how dark this book would feel emotionally when I picked it up. I was completely gripped from page one. Luckily it was a quick read, so I didn’t need to hang out in that emotional space for so long.

Despite the heavy vibes, I definitely enjoyed this book. Once I got used to the various voices throughout the book, I really got sucked into this one. I was trying to piece the clues together and was only ever one step ahead.

In the end, I gave this book 3 stars. It was a good plot, but it was so heavy at times that it was hard for me to stay focused on the main mystery plot points. I feel like if I had kids, I would not have made it through this one.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Was this review helpful?

This book called out to me because of the setting of the plot. Just imagine – a family living in a cosy neighbourhood with a supportive community, everyone knows each other, kids have a safe space…or so Rachel thought…until her son, Billy went missing in this very neighbourhood! Accusations were made, gossip started to circulate and Rachel no longer feel safe in her own home. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect…but why?

I loved every bit of this. It is one of those reads that you can finish in one afternoon with a hot cup of coffee! Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane books for the arc.

Was this review helpful?

I really, really love to read domestic dramas about families in wealthy neighborhoods. Each family in The Perfect Neighborhood had its own secrets to protect and storylines to advance. Liz Alterman's story centers on a missing child, so be warned if that's upsetting to you. More pieces of the puzzle are uncovered as four narrators alternate telling the story from their perspectives. I don't want to give anything away in describing the plot but it kept me guessing throughout the story. Fans of domestic suspense novels like those by Lisa Jewell and Joshilyn Jackson will enjoy this one.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars rounding up.

The book felt more YA than I was expecting and that's really not one of my favorite genres, so I don't feel I am really the right audience for this one. The teenage babysitter hooking up with the older, married, has-been rock star just creeped me out. Add to that two missing small children and I was a little triggered.

However, it was a well-developed mystery that had me guessing until nearly the end. Other than the missing children, I didn't have a lot of sympathy for any of the characters. Everyone was pretty loathsome. At least I had the kids to root for. That said, the characters were pretty well-developed. I disliked them all for good reasons.

I would still recommend this, but for a younger audience.

Was this review helpful?

I am a sucker for a neighborhood drama. I love that everyone feels like they have a right to know what everyone else is up to- no one can seem to mind their own business in these tight knit neighborhoods. This neighborhood is buzzing with the recent break up of the celebrity couple living down the street...that is until a little boy goes missing one day after school. All eyes are on the babysitter that didn't show up to get him on time..but who is really to blame?

This was definitely a slow burn domestic thriller. I loved that the story is told through various viewpoints. Among these viewpoints, we get the babysitter, Cassidy and the mother of  the missing boy. The variation of viewpoints really brings the story to life. 

Although I guessed the ending early on, I still loved the story and was completely immersed the entire time.

Was this review helpful?

A whodunnit that will have you questioning most characters and their motives. Not terribly hard to figure it out as the story unfolds. Many narrators/perspectives to keep track of. High end neighborhood horror story.

Was this review helpful?

The Perfect Neighborhood by Liz Alterman is a neighborhood/domestic drama with a mystery surrounding the missing children. It was a pretty slow burn, but I was able to stay fully invested thanks to the different viewpoints, and even though I thought I knew what was coming, I wasn't entirely correct. There wasn't as much drama as I was expecting as I was hoping for lots of gossip and other fun small neighborhood things, but it wasn't TOO heavy on that. The most drama came from Allison leaving, and then Lindsay's POV since she is right among the neighborhood gossips, but her part was a lot smaller than I was expecting. The mystery of the missing children, while being a main part of the story, did take a bit of a backseat at times in my mind, and the focus ended up being more on what each of the MCs was personally experiencing.

I found this book basically impossible to put down and it was a really easy listen/read. The audiobook was fantastic thanks to the different narrators for each viewpoint, and I loved Amanda Dolan, Priya Ayyar, Hillary Huber, Laura Jennings, & Gail Shalan all equally. Huber was the narrator for Lindsay's POV, so I was a little disappointed that she didn't have a larger part since she is one of my favorites, but I was really happy with all of them, so it all worked out in the end. The Perfect Neighborhood is so named because clearly nothing about Oak Hill is perfect and most of the residents are hiding something. I love these types of narratives and was definitely not disappointed. I also really enjoyed Alterman's writing style and would gladly read future books from her! If you want an escapist read that you can enjoy while sipping some wine on the patio during a summer night, The Perfect Neighborhood is a perfect choice.

Was this review helpful?