Good suspenseful domestic thriller about the unseen dark side of suburbia. Not exactly an original story idea these days but well executed nonetheless!

Allison and her husband Christopher are both former entertainers who lived the wild life in New York City. But now, feeling the call of a calmer life of domestic bliss, they have settled in what they consider the perfect place to have children and raise a family. They have the house, the dog, and the willingness to make a life together. All they're missing is the baby. Miscarriage after miscarriage, their dream is slowly slipping through the cracks. Chris is battling demons he can't seen to get under control and Allison feels herself drowning in a lonely hopelessness. Then one night, she slips away from Chris and away from the disappointment of what they thought was perfection.

Then little Billy disappears from the same street.

Rachel, Billy's mother is frantic with worry. But she seems to be the only one in her family who cares. With an older husband that considers Billy the scapegoat for all his woes and an adult brother that couldn't care less about his younger half-sibling, Rachel is left wondering...was it one of them who did something to her baby boy?

Cassidy, the babysitter who was minutes late in meeting Billy at his house after school, blames herself for his disappearance. Enthralled with a passionate new love interest, was it her lack of consideration that gave someone an opening to snatch him away? How can she live with the guilt of letting an afternoon of intimacies cloud her responsible judgement?

Who has taken Billy? And will they strike again?

Really good, edge-of-your-seat read. I was left asking myself who the culprit was until the very end. Told from multiple perspectives, past and present, this is a two-day kind of read. If you're looking for an intense missing persons mystery, this is the book for you.

If you're into desperate housewhifes and all the cliches about life in the suburbs with a dash of YA drama and psychopaths this is the book for you.

Sadly, that's not my cup of tea and I was disappointed.
I was expecting something along the lines of Vivarium, seemingly perfect but slowly but surely turning crypier and darker by the minute.
Instead, what I found here was extremely predictable filled with unnecessary details, shallow unlikable characters and not a well thought out storyline overall.
One example is having police around for decorative purposes, that waits around on people to return from vacation and "give them a call back" about crucial information regarding a kidnapping...
Also I don't have any idea why lately more and more authors seem to think that telling a story from multiple perspectives will add anything interesting to the plot.
How are you supposed to build up tention when you're letting us into everyone's head?
I couldn't care less about useless mean thoughts and memories of every bored gossiping suburban housewife I would much rather have a single unreliable narrator leading me through a twisty angsty drama filled mystery filled with information I'm not sure I could even trust.
Finally, cutting off the current flow of events only to present a memory mid sentence I can only describe as a confusing and frustrating experience.

Thank you NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for the digital ARC.

If you love a good suspense this a must read!!

I started reading ”The Perfect Neighboorhood” by Liz Alterman on my vacation road trip. I tend to be a multiple book reader and jump back and forth between books but I COULD NOT put this book down. A young boy goes missing in a small town in New Jersey famous for its safe reputation. Throughout the story you see through multiple characters point of views to get a better understanding of how they are feeling or struggling with the missing boy. I found myself lured into how everything ties together at the end. With many twists Alterman pulls you in engrossing you in the story.

Life in the suburbs:  perfect schools, beautiful homes, successful people all sounds wonderful but the constant one-upmanship, fingerpointing, backstabbing and overall gossiping that occurs in this little “utopian” village outside of Manhattan is staggering. Now put a missing child or two in that pot, give it a stir and watch what happens. In this story you will meet several couples and discover exactly what goes on behind those white picket fences and pristine lawns.
   The constant thread throughout the story is the disappearance of a 5 year old as he walked home from school. Just that topic alone causes the reader great angst.  The authorities in charge of finding the boy seem so inept, the fear of the parents is so well expressed, and the reactions of some neighbors is appalling.
   The author’s narrative of all the characters and their constantly crossing paths within the story kept the reader in constant turmoil as to the real offender of this crime. This is a gripping novel that will unsettle you and keep you turning the pages.

Liz Alterman's upcoming thriller "A Perfect Neighborhood" may look like a lot of other psychological thrillers on the market - the rooftops on the cover, the word "Neighborhood" in the title, the setup of a "perfect neighborhood" where families barbecue together, children romp around free-range style, and, this being a thriller, secrets abound. You would be forgiven for perhaps thinking "Not this again!" But, reader, you would be so wrong. For one, Alterman, who has also written for humor site McSweeney's, knows how to perfectly blend in some belly laughs into the melodrama. This not only makes for more fleshed-out, realistic characters (most of us crack jokes occasionally!) but a much more lively read.

But Alterman never wavers in precisely illuminating the dread and terror that also comes with a town where suddenly its youngest denizens begin disappearing. Her writing also has something that I find missing in thrillers these days—heart. Her characters aren't the one-dimensional "unreliable narrators" so popular now, or the uniformly disagreeable ones so popular now either. They are instead real people, with not just flaws but relatability, and you care what happens to them. Additionally, even veteran thriller readers will find themselves gobsmacked by the twist.

If there's only one thriller you read this summer, make it Liz Alterman's "A Perfect Neighborhood." Then work your way through Liz's backlist. I loved "He'll Be Waiting" too.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Liz Alterman, and #Crooked Lane for an ARC of this story in exchange for an honest review.

Normally I'm not one for multiple perspective books, but Liz Alterman did a fantastic job of mixing various characters into the mix in "The Perfect Neighborhood." Since the chapters are relatively short and told from various characters, this made for a very quick and interesting read.

The story starts off with five=year-old Billy disappearing and we hear from his mother, babysitter, neighbor, and a couple of other characters. There were times throughout the book that I thought everyone was a suspect and was surprised when I reached the end of the book.

If you're into domestic thrillers that are an easy read, I would recommend this one for sure!

I love bitchy, gossipy neighbourhood dramas. Two faced "well meaning" mothers with nothing better to do than secretly judge everyone. Well thats what I was expecting when I started this book but it got very dark very quickly in a very addictive way. Everyone has their secrets under their perfect facade.Definitely recommend this book for anyone that wants a book that is hard to tear yourself away from

A great book to while away a winter afternoon, this story centres around a small American town. Perfect people with perfect lives inhabit the perfect neighbourhood.....or is it.

When a child left in the care of a trusted babysitter goes missing, it doesn't take long for the perfect veneer to start slipping.

Neighbours start gossiping and before long people who were once friends are accusing each other.

I really enjoyed this book although I did guess the outcome long before the closing chapter.

This book was a slow starter, took me a while to get into it but once I did I was glad I perservered,
A new take on the 'child goes missing genre'. The plot kept changing direction from where I thought it was going and not until the very end did I realise 'whodidit'. Well worth a read for fans of psychological thrillers.

Oak Hill appears the perfect neighbourhood. Perfect houses, perfect families, the perfect place to start a new life. When Chris and Allison find themselves in this suburban New Jersey neighbourhood they immediately want to stay. However Allison mysteriously disappears one night followed by 5 year old Billy Barnes going missing leaving questions about what can we ever know goes on behind closed doors?

This thrilling story maintained the suspense and kept you reading until the end and I can’t wait to read more by this author.

⭐⭐⭐.3.stars
Oak Hill, New Jersey seems to be straight out of a storybook. It is deemed as the perfect neighborhood, the perfect place to live.
Story starts with the rumor mill in full swing when beautiful Allison Langley ups and leaves her handsome husband Christopher by taken an Uber at 3:00am. This actress and singer seemed like the perfect couple; which is what is expected in the perfect neighborhood.

Everyone is having a great speculating what went wrong. They continue for several weeks up come to a quick halt when five year old Billy Barnes disappears on his way home from kindergarten.
There had been a mix up when he went to school as his classmate Oliver Jordan had to make an emergency trip to the Dentist so it was unusual for Billy to be walking home from school alone. His babysitter Cassidy was a few minutes late arriving at his home and is surprise that he isn’t already there.
Billy’s mother, of course is distraught. She is fearful that someone is trying to hurt her family.
Then another child goes missing. The investigation is now looking into anyone in the neighborhood for clues. It appears there is a dark side to this perfect upper class neighborhood; there are some very private struggles and secrets happening that are soon revealed.

Story is told from the POV of
• Billy’s mother Rachel,
• Babysitter Cassidy and
• Neighbor Allison Langley
• Sarah Davies mother of Amy-Pat who also goes missing
• Lindsey Jordan mother of Oliver, Billy’s friend’s Mom

Timing wasn’t good for me to be reading this. This is actually the third child abduction story in just a few weeks! Hmmm I should have done my homework as I went into this blind. It, therefore, was not a perfect story for me. Additionally these characters were not all that likeable. It was a bit of a struggle at times, of course, I wanted Billy and Amy-Pat to be okay.

Want to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lance Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for July12, 2022

Liz Alterman, The Perfect Neighborhood, Crooked Lane Books, 2022

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected proof in exchange for an honest review.

Liz Alterman questions the perfection of an American neighbourhood. While there is a mix of wealthy and financially struggling families, some extremely grand housing and some that is more modest, and varying lifestyles, these seem to work together to present a superficially perfect community. The inhabitants believe that they are immune to serious crime and that gossip is an acceptable contribution to weaving together the various strands of the community where differences are happily ignored or become acceptable through gentle pressure to conform or calculated indifference.

Common understandings around the formation of cliques, muted criticism of a mother's return to paid work, a veteran’s overreaction to seemingly ordinary events, an au pair’s hasty departure and various women’s lack of support for this or that committee are overtaken by a dramatic event observed by none of the usual gossips. The departure of an actress wife, unencumbered by luggage, from her beautiful home and her husband of a rock star past, in the early hours of the morning disturbs the even tenor of the usual subjects of discussion in the perfect neighbourhood.

A more dramatic and disturbing occurrence is the disappearance of a five-year-old boy, and later, a younger girl. Both were in the care of a babysitter who has, until the disappearance of the first child, been part of the community’s network of carers. Carers, au pairs and teachers at the pre-school are all necessary to the women who take the major responsibility for their children. The way in which Alterman makes so graphic the constraints on women’s lives, emotions and ability to retain a semblance of independence from family life is fascinating – and draining. The description of the women’s feelings after the disappearances is perceptive. They search for reasons why a particular child has disappeared, and this speculation becomes part of the gossip: the perfection of the neighbourhood is gradually peeled away, but not without an energetic attempt to cast blame on individuals. As more questionable behaviour comes to light it becomes apparent that this is a neighbourhood in which turmoil rather than placidity is the overwhelming mood.

The story is told from the perspectives of several woman characters – Rachel, Allison, Cassidy, Lindsay whose stories are interspersed over the first sixteen chapters. Sarah, whose first-person story begins in Chapter 17, has been featured in previous chapters (as are all the male characters) then joins the group whose narratives are heard first-hand. The last section, Six Months Later, ties up the ends neatly, with characters developing further because of their experiences. Not all of them benefit from these, and I feel that Alterman makes a brave move with Allison’s character. I was initially disappointed in the closure Allison sought. However, perhaps her narrative was designed to take further the idea that permeates this novel – that women’s commitment to family and immersion of themselves in what appears to be a perfect way of life has its compensations but also its severe challenges. For some, it seems, Alterman suggests that the latter are too great.

I found this a thoughtful novel, with characters whose dilemmas and solutions to these were mostly realistic. The plot was sound, and although there were clues to the perpetrator these were well hidden in the all-encompassing domestic and small community details. I shall look out for other Liz Alterman novels, with their good mix of social commentary, engaging characters, and sound plotting.

The author dove right in with suspense and wonderful details introducing you to the cast of characters and their setting. The story moves along well and leaves bits of thrill along the way. A great read!

A well written, but emotional read for parents (or at least me, as a mom). Fast paced, unputdownable, and gripping, but so realistic, I found it hard to read at times (not the authors fault, in fact, it was too good and real)! The author truly knows how to weave a twisted tale, which is tense, intriguing, and chilling! Highly recommend to those whom can handle missing children stories!

I absolutely loved this small town mystery about the disappearance of a child and the secrets hidden in suburbia. An excellent read!

I absolutely loved this book and kept me excited to keep
Reading. Will read more from this author
Thank you

Thank you, NetGalley, for this advanced copy. This is a great neighborhood mystery that had me wondering who was responsible throughout the entire novel. Told from several points of view, it has you questioning everyone’s motives. If you like whodunnits this is a book for you!

Unfortunately, the beginning of the book really couldn't grab me and I had to give up due to the large number of characters right away introduced. Can't share much about the rest of the book, which based on the other reviews is quiet a read.

This was a page turner for me. The seemingly perfect, upscale suburb of Oak Hill is hiding many secrets. Marital conflict, affairs, surprise pregnancies and the rumour mill is very active. This story, told from multiple points of view, with many possible suspects kept me intrigued. Like others I was stuck on the thought of a 5 year old with his own cell phone, who was capable of texting and walking home alone. But I guess Billy was portrayed as quite precocious and Oak Hill was considered “very safe”. The story kept my interest and it surprised me in the end. Lots of suspense, drama and then that twist!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Liz Alterman for the ARC.