**ARC Review**

I really enjoyed this audiobook! It captured my attention from the beginning. I didn't see any of the twists coming, I enjoyed the narrator, and I really liked Isobel. I loved how as the book progressed, she turned into more of a leader who stood up for herself. I especially loved the ending with the recognition of Lupin's efforts. Go, Lupin! Thank you, NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Mirana Rijks for the opportunity to review this book.

This book was thrilling - I loved the intro - I thought it started out so strong and really piqued your interest. And the narrator was great. This was a really good domestic thriller based in the English countryside.

The book follows main character Isobel who loves her quiet neighborhood, until the neighbors teen boy is killed one night. The family moves away, unable to bear witness to the area their son died, and when a new neighbor moves in, Isobel thinks the town might get back to normal. But then weird things start happening - a dead rat on the doorstep, a ruined garden - and Isobel starts to realize that she and her family might not be safe. The TWISTS in this one - I was NOT expecting, and I loved it.


This was a super quick listen and read.

I received an audiobook ARC of this novel.

Story: 4.5/5. What you think starts out as a neighbour's perspective on another neighbour's demise / tragedy, turns out to be a twisty tale of not really knowing your neighbours...or even the people you live with. The twists were paced so well, so as you start to "recover" from one, another one comes!

Narration: 5/5. I thought the narrator was excellent! The second narrator that reads only a small portion was also good as well.

At one point, I suspected everyone, good thing there were t too many characters- just the right amount. I always want to main character to just leave things alone and not stick their nose into everything, but there wouldn’t have been much of a story if she had. Enjoyable, quick read.

DRAMA!

Isobel has always enjoyed where she lived. Six months ago, a young man was killed in a hit and run. There was never an arrest and it left residents uneasy. When Linette moves in, Isobel believes this will be a time of new beginnings but then things begin to happen, and Isobel feels the danger.

This is a book with a fair amount of danger and tension. There was a suspenseful whodunit with lots of drama. I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed it. The book progresses at a nice pace and was just the right length. There are a nice number of characters who went into my suspect pool. I did not figure out whodunit which I quite enjoyed.

#TheNewNeighbour #NetGalley.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Really liked this one! Was not fully expecting the big twist at the end, so it was fun to keep guessing. Some times the main character annoyed me but overall I liked it, and the narrator did a great job.

A twist I did not see coming.

This book will have you disliking so many people and questioning everything. I loved the “this can’t be happened” aspect of it. You think it’s cut and dry and plain as day, but then the first twist hits and you rethink it all.

Definitely a thriller that will keep you invested and guessing and even frustrated.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape for the ARC audiobook!

This book was pretty good. I had no idea the book would end the way it did and if left with a roller coaster of emotions towards the end. You really never know who your neighbors are!

Reading Between the Wines book review #50/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: The New Neighbour
Author: Miranda Rijks
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
RELEASES June 30, 2022!!!

Sipping thoughts: Kept my interest. I wanted to know what really happened the night of the hit-and-run. The reveals were surprising and came at the right moments. I cannot put my finger on what was missing and got in the way of being rated 4 stars but there was something missing. I did enjoy it enough and look forward to other Rijks books.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @DreamscapeMedia for an advance copy of @TheNewNeighbour.

#TheNewNeighbour #Mirandarijks #DreamscapeMedia #NetGalley #advancedreadercopy #ARC #Kindle #Booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #bookstagram #nicoles_bookcellar #bookworm #bookdragon #booknerd #booklover #bookstagrammer #bookaholic #bookreview #bookreviewer #IHaveNoShelfControl #ReadingBetweenTheWines #fiction #thriller #suspense #mystery #MysteryAndThrillers

It started off a little slow, but wow what a great read. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, another plot twist is thrown in. This is the first book I’ve read by Miranda Rijks and will definitely be on the lookout for more!

I loved the character development throughout, this is a book I couldn’t seem to listen to fast enough. I had the audiobook version and loved the narration.

Highly recommend! Happy reading!
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for the ARC through NetGalley! Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Something about this book didn't quite grab me like some of the author's previous books managed to do. This is your typical neighborhood whodunit, where everyone is a suspect and has a motive. Unfortunately the MC, Isobel, frustrated me more than gained my sympathy or respect. And I never felt the level of thrill or suspense I was expecting.

It's a quick and easy read, perfect for a beach or pool day, but there's nothing new or earth-shattering about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion.

This classic neighborhood thriller checks all of the boxes.

It's well-written, fast-paced, and character-driven, with a surprise twist ending.

I listened to the audiobook and both narrators did a great job. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this audiobook.

This was really good! I enjoyed the narrator.
This was well paced and entertaining. It really had me hooked as engaged since the beginning.
This has twist after twist after twist. You think you’re headed in one direction for the reveal, but then nope! Something else goes down.
This was a really fun neighbors in each other’s business story but didn’t actually have the ridiculous and petty drama.
I had a lot of fun with this one.

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the audio version. I actually really enjoyed this book a lot. The narrator did a great job. I honestly could not put the book down. I love trying to figure out who-done-it but this one has me stumped. It also kept me in the edge of my seat the whole time. I would read from this author again.

Don't you just love some good neighborhood drama? In my old neighborhood we had "Nextdoor"-almost like a private Facebook group for the neighborhood, things could get pretty heated on there. But since I have moved out I just crave some good neighborly gossip, thus I turn to my psychological thriller novels. (Thankfully my old neighborhood there were no crazy murders.....just dogs pooping in yards, speeding, petty theft etc.)

So as you can imagine by the title. A New Neighbor (please note the spelling, I believe this must be the UK spelling with the u?) moves into the Close. She is off beat compared to the other Traditional residents. Upon her arrival things in their docile little street get stirred. The house Lynette moves into, is where a teen boy was killed by a hit and run the previous year. The story centers on Isobelle Floyd, and we are told the story from her perspective. As a character she is pretty decent, I did become frustrated with her reminding us of what a boss woman she was in the architecture world--but I am glad she did the right thing and stayed out home with her kiddos and seemed like a pretty good mom--, and the amount of toast she ate...anywho.
So as things start getting hostile between neighbors and Isobelle learns she cannot even begin to trust her husaband, her best friend, the elderly couple....

What I liked:
-Very quick/easy read
-Kept me guessing, I had a sneaky suspicion but defiantly caught me off gaurd
-THe author does a great job building up the characters and back story.So I was totally invested in the characters and wanted to find out what happened.

Things I did Not Like:
-A little bit of repetition
-A pet pig....?? Really?
-Without spoiling the hit and run scenario was a bit far fetched...
-The big reveal was boarderline trope-ish

Bottom line: Would I tell you to go to B&N and buy this book? Yeah, its a good read. Ask me in a year details of this book....I probably will have forgotten everything except the Pig

Thank you Netgalley for this advanced audio book listen. I was not paid or influenced in anyway for this honest review

THE NEW NEIGHBOUR by the Miranda Rijks is a complex plot-driven multi-layered whodunit domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the final shocking page!

The Close is a quiet road of large houses tucked away in the beautiful English countryside. It seems like the perfect place to live. But appearances can be deceptive. There are many dark secrets buried in this posh neighborhood.

In the Close, everyone is a suspect and has a motive.

Until recently, Isobel Floyd has always loved this neighborhood. She, a successful architect partner, is also married to architect partner, Mike. She decided to give up her career to stay home with her two children, Harry and Harper. Harry is on the spectrum and takes a lot of care. She also owns a successful nail salon in her home.

Six months earlier, a young man, Wilson, was killed in a mysterious hit-and-run incident they knew in the neighborhood. The police investigated, but no one was charged. It's left a bad feeling in this little community, a feeling that someone knows more than they are saying.

So when a new neighbor, Linette, arrives, Isobel thinks it's the perfect chance to make a fresh start. To repair relationships and rebuild her community. However, Linette becomes a big TROUBLEMAKER, stirring up problems in the neighborhood and her business.

Bad things start happening, and now someone else is dead. Two deaths related to #2 The Close. A murder.

As the story progresses, the reader learns new information, and Isobel soon suspects everyone around her as the possible killer. The readers are right there with her, wondering who to trust or if anyone is trustworthy.

The plot twists will surprise you and keep you flipping through the pages until the end. Suspicion, betrayal, and dark hidden secrets abound in this tense story―all hidden just beneath the surface of a seemingly perfect suburban life.

For fans of authors: B.A. Paris The Therapist, Kimberly Belle My Darling Husband, Samantha M. Bailey Watch Out for Her, and Carter Wilson The New Neighbor.

I listened to the audiobook and highly recommend it. The narrators, Danielle Cohen, and Chris Devon delivered a spine-tingling performance.

A special thank you to #NetGalley and #Dreamscape Media for an ARC audiobook to listen to, enjoy, and review.

Blog Review Posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
Pub Date: June 30, 2022
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
June 2022 Must-Read Books

My listening thoughts:
I loved the audiobook, the narrator, and the UK setting, but honestly, I was about to give up before I was halfway through due to all the ongoing DRAMA (not a fan of drama): the pig, the burial ground project, the drone, nosy neighbors causing problems with her nail business, bickering, talk of a suspected affair, the issues with the husband, wife, and Isobel's suspicions, and worries about the killer which seemed to drag on. But all this is a setup for what is to come.

Trust me, you must HANG IN THERE because the novel HEATS up about halfway to three-quarters through to the end with fast-paced jaw-dropping action. THEN. You could not tear me away. So Good!

Expect the unexpected. That scene is so bloody good! It will blow your mind, and the author does a killer job with the unexpected twist when the killer's identity is unveiled. I did not see this coming. The author wraps us everything nicely, and we get all the details and answers.

First half: 3 stars (lots of drama)
Second half: 5 Stars (fast-paced and gripping)
Rounding to 4 stars.
I am intrigued by this author (my first book) and look forward to reading more of her titles. Love discovering new authors.

For this reason is why I love NetGalley and audiobook ARCs to get to know new authors, typically not on my radar. Highly recommend this one.

"Until recently, Isobel has always loved The Close. A quiet road of large houses tucked away in the beautiful English countryside, it seemed like the perfect place to live.
Then, six months ago, a young man was killed in a mysterious hit-and-run incident. The police investigated, but no one was charged, which left a bad feeling in this little community, a feeling that someone knows more than they are saying."

This is a quick and easy read, great for a day at the beach or sitting beside the pool. It's more of domestic fiction with a little mystery. The story is well written with several layers that adds to the mystery element. Even though this wasn't an "edge-of-your-seat" thriller, I was invested throughout the entire story and did not guess the final twist until the very end (which is the best kind of story!).


Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook.
Release Date scheduled for June 30, 2022.

I hope this book will still get some editing, but I'm not sure they will rework the writing as much as I'd like to see it. Although it was interesting, it never grabbed me and I wasn't rushing to get back to it. It was just a book I listened to while I waited on something else to come in. I enjoyed it until I started to get annoyed with Isobel, the main character, and tired of waiting around to figure out who was responsible for the mysterious death in the neighborhood.

Isobel was frustrating to me. I'm not even sure how to describe her, but she seemed very one-dimensional. She was supposedly intelligent with an enviable career and prestigious position, however she seems a bit clueless in the present. I really hate reading about women who constantly make excuses for their husband's behavior and can't see reality. This woman went on and on about giving up her career too, but then she also said she wanted to be home with her children. She goes over this detail a few different times in the book, but it doesn't add anything else to the story. After the half way point, I was ready to get some answers and be finished with this book. I don't want to spoil this for anyone, but there were some things that came to light which had me questioning how in the world they were overlooked in an investigation, so the believability factor went down for me.

The narrator did an okay job. Nothing to go on about, but no complaints either.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and #Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Welcome to The Close, a quiet lane with lovely homes in the countryside. An ideal location for a young family to grow and thrive---or is it?
Miranda Rijks has crafted another compelling thriller! Told from first person POV, Isobel is a mother of two young children and is married to a busy successful architect. She has given up her career as an architect so the family can live and thrive in this bucolic setting. While Isobel loves living in The Close, she finds the neighbors are not particularly “close” or friendly, and there is an unsettled feel to Isobel’s situation.
From the dramatic prologue, to the appearance of intriguing new neighbor Linette, to the stunning conclusion, the story has a consistently menacing tone. As more is revealed about Isobel’s neighbors, the story ratchets up in intensity, and it is expertly paced to keep the reader engaged and immersed in the mysterious goings-on in The Close.
Isobel is a sympathetic character and felt relatable—her conflicted feelings about being a “housewife” and putting her career on hold are shared by a number of women. While the rest of the cast were well-fleshed out and believable, everyone is flawed and they all have their own agendas playing out beneath their superficial friendliness. The tension among these neighbors is palpable.
Ms Rijks has written another masterful thriller, a taut mystery with nonstop suspense and enough twists to keep me guessing to the end! I enthusiastically recommend this novel to readers who enjoy clever character-driven suspense novels set in a modern British countryside.
The narration by Danielle Cohen and Chris Devon was very well done--nuanced and easy to follow.

I will look forward to Ms. Rijks future writings!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the Advance audiobook. This is my unbiased review.
1 like

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the approval of this audiobook.
It was good. It kept me engaged. I really enjoyed it.
The narrator was good. She was very animated and that kept me involved in the story.
I will definitely read more from this author and will recommend this book to my friends.
Thank you for introducing me to a new author!