Alexis and her husband Sam have found their dream home. It needs a lot of work, but they can figure it out, especially when Alexis finishes her maternity leave and goes back to work. Shortly after they move in, their neighbor is found dead near the running trail in their neighborhood. Alexis doesn’t know her neighbors well. They all bought gifts to welcome them but haven’t made an effort to become friends except for Blair, the wife of the dead man. Alexis isn’t sure if her skin tone has anything to do with their attitude as she has been mistaken for the help by a few people. The story is narrated by both Alexis and Blair which shows completely different points of view. There are a lot of secrets in this neighborhood and the ending blew me away!

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Alexis and Sam buy a house in a very wealthy neighborhood. Granted, their house will need a lot of work and time to get it up to par with the others, but Alexis is confident she and Sam can make it work. They have a small son and Alexis is pregnant with their second and this is the life they want for their children. Until their neighbor Teddy is found murdered on the trail by their house. As Alexis becomes friends with the widow Blair, she starts to question all of her neighbors and wonders what kind of situation she'd moved her family into.

A good whodunit, with a bit of "who's who they say they are" thrown in for fun. Alexis isn't used to this kind of neighborhood and these kinds of people so she definitely falls into the outsider role. The story dragged a little in the middle, but there was enough story that it didn't necessarily bother me too much. Alexis's backstory definitely added to the interest.

I liked this one and would read more by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available June 20, 2023.

I love, love, love a good neighborhood drama, full of secrets and all sorts of hijinks. Melissa Adelman's What the Neighbors Saw is a fresh take on what can be a genre that feels, at times, repetitive. Not this one. The streets, people, and homes of River Forest are beautiful, but the backstabbing is plentiful and oh so fun to read.

Thanks so much for the opportunity to review. With this being Melissa's debut, I'm already anxiously awaiting her next twisty novel!

Thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was a fun ride! I always enjoy a good mystery and this one held up.

I went into this book expecting high drama and that's exactly what I got!

I've seen reviews saying this is a fast paced thriller, but I found it to be on the slower paced side. That's not a negative for me. I often like my mysteries and thrillers to spend more time on character development in the beginning so that I care more about the stakes in the end.

What kept me reading were the characters. Now, they aren't likable characters. Not even Alexis, the main character who moves with her husband Sam to an exclusive neighborhood, buying a fixer-upper they really can't afford. The book focuses mostly on the small group of neighbors in this cul-de-sac and digs into their secrets and lies. When one of the neighbors, Teddy, is found dead on a trail near the homes, Alexis questions whether this neighborhood is safer than their previous home or if the rich are just better at hiding their crimes.

What dampened my reading experience was that the author withheld information from the reader that the characters clearly knew. We'd be in the head of a character and even though it made sense that they would be thinking about something connected to the murder, we'd never see those thoughts. There were just a lot of logical inconsistencies that drew me out of the story over and over again. The ending was also pretty absurd for me.

So, for me this was just an average thriller. The drama will pull you in, but just be prepared not to think too hard about if the plot makes much sense.

*Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital arc. All opinions are my own.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman

This seemed to be a dream neighborhood for Sam and Alexis. Huge homes on huge lots, they'd own the least of the homes in the area that they wanted to see as the place they would raise their children. But once in the house and with the second baby born, we see that the marriage leaves a lot to be desired. Sam is quick to criticize and demean Alexis, he seems to be the cruelest of a book full of unlikeable characters.

Alexis spends hours looking out her "front of the house" kitchen window, spying on whatever is happening outside. She covets the happy family of Blair, a woman about ten years older with an already successful husband and three teenagers. The other neighbors seem a bit standoffish or weird so she stays pretty lonely for the first few months after moving into the new to them house. But, Alexis's past, a life of living with a mother who worked non stop to feed herself and her daughter while they lived in dangerous apartments and dangerous areas, has Alexis grateful to finally live in a safe and secure neighborhood, even if they had to put themselves close to the financial brink just to buy this house which they can't afford to furnish.

Then the mirage of a safe haven is blown to smithereens when Blair's husband is murdered on the neighborhood trails. No longer feeling safe in this neighborhood they can barely afford, Alexis wants to know more, wants the killer to be found. At least this murder gives Alexis and Blair a reason to become friends, to bond. But too many secrets can destroy everything. How will these women deal with what they learn?

As a reader who doesn't mind slow burns this story came close to burning too slowly for me. It certainly took way too long for me to figure out where it was going or even if it was going anywhere. We get hints that there might be secrets and/or hidden pasts while getting bogged down in Alexis's dissatisfaction with her "miserable" life. Alexis is on a six month maternity leave while having the luxury of a live in nanny residing in the basement of her 1.5 million dollar fixer upper. Yes, I'd panic at having to fix up a house I bought for 1.5 million if I was short on funds, too, and I'd more than bristle a little at having such a horrible husband, but surely Alexis can find something to enjoy with this life of hers. I wavered between 3 and 4 stars for this book and decided to go with 4 stars although I do think the story could be tightened up a bit. It's almost like everything we learn is a red herring for something and most of that something never happens. Still, there is a payoff at the very end which rated the 4 stars from me.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book as an ARC.
This book captured me from the start. While I thought I had things figured out in the beginning, I was quite a bit off and definitely did not see this ending coming at all! I loved the story written from alternating view points. The story was captivating and kept everyone guessing but definitely felt like some parts were a little weak in explaining the background. I also felt that the protagonist, Alexis, seemed entitled and unlikable especially with her nanny, just leaving her with the kids even though she stressed so often that she didn't seem to really care for her. That part seemed a very unrealistic, I know I would never leave my kids with someone I don't care for. The entire situation also with her eating only once a day and the background behind that seems very unclear. Was she trying to lose weight or was she bulimic? What was the purpose of that part in the story? I never figured out what role this was supposed to play.
Also, even though Sam is Alexis' husband, it seems a strange way that she all of a sudden started disliking and hating him. It seemed brought up out of the blue. Was she suffering from postpartum depression or did something else happen that wasn't mentioned? She seemed too focused on how he called her an old lady and I don't understand why she put up with that?
The sudden interest of Alexis into Blair's background and life was strange and came all of a sudden. The ending felt rushed and not well thought out.
Even though with these questions and unknowns, the story line is a good one and I enjoyed it. Since this is an advanced readers copy. I would think that some additions and edits will still be made to clear up or take out some of these parts. I also hope the ending won't be rushed.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman is a twisty, fun read. I enjoyed being led along and each time a new twist came, I was surprised. This was a slow burn with two different POV’s. I agree that there was a Desperate Housewives vibe.

This was such a fun read! It was also super easy and quick to read which I love with thrillers. I was fully invested in this story at the 10-15% mark. There was so much drama between the neighbors and I loved every second of it. The only reason I'm giving this a 4 stars is because based on the blurb of the book, I was expecting there to be more happening with the muder case than there actually was. I still loved the book for the drama and learning the secrets of all the neighbors and seeing things unfold, but I just wish we got ot dive more into the murder case besides the few moments we saw with some of the characters talking to the detectives. This was a great debut novel and I can't wait to see Melissa Adelman writes next!

What the Neighbors Saw is Adelman’s debut domestic suspense novel set in the posh suburbs of D.C. Alexis and Sam can barely afford to move into the neighborhood until a dilapidated cape cod home becomes available. Despite the need of expensive renovations, the couple thinks they are on their way to living out their dream lives until a neighbor is found dead behind their house. Told between two POVs, Alexis and Blair, the deceased man’s widow, the two women begin to dig into the murder mystery. This slow-burn, page-turner thriller is executed with just enough paranoia and doubt to keep readers guessing until the end. Fans of domestic mysteries with deception, unfaithfulness, dark family secrets, and duplicity should pick this up as their next read! Congratulations to the author for a fantastic debut.

This was a good story of what goes on behind closed doors. It wasn't the tightly knit suspenseful story that I expected. In fact, it dragged quite a bit between the actual murder and the resolution. In addition, I felt like little pieces that the reader should have had were left out. Sure you don't want to give away the story, but I'd like more hints along the way instead of a huge unforeseen at all big ol' left turn at the end. Twists are good when you don't see them coming but can look back and figure them out. If there is nothing to see in hindsight that you had previously missed, then it isn't a twist that makes me ooh and aah. So maybe for me, it was a good story with a lot more potential than what the finished book delivered on.

🏘Plenty of strange goings on in a Virginia suburb: unpredictable, with good storytelling😊

4.5🌟 stars
This one snuck up on me and got better as it unfolded until I really could not stop reading. Alexis, one of the two main characters who narrate the story, had a lot of insecurities and hang-ups, but this plot that revolves around her family's move to an affluent Northern Virginia suburb was full of surprises. I had no inkling of who had murdered her popular neighbor until the big climax.

The neighborhood secrets, jealousies and rivalries kept the tension high and Alexis' problems with her fixer upper house and her status-loving husband kept me on edge, reading on to discover how their marriage would fare. The mystery of Teddy's murder on a nearby nature trail ebbed and flowed but seemed almost forgotten for a time. For me, that made it all the more shocking when Alexis finally figures it out.

A good story all around. Though I wouldn't say most of the neighborhood characters were all that likable, this was an excellent plot and I thought it was well executed, too. I would like to read more by the author.

Thanks to Minotaur Press and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I'm a fan of Desperate Housewives, so I had to check this out. This had plenty of drama, a little mystery, a little suspense, and some nice twists, all coming together to make one unforgettable read. I was happy we got to hear the story from two different POVs - Blair and Alexis. Not all the characters are likable, but they are unique, and feel real. I thought Adelman did a great job of bringing the story to life, drawing the reader in and surrounding them with the story. It was so easy to get caught up in the story, and I read this within a few sittings. Definitely recommend for anyone who enjoys the drama of Desperate Housewives!

WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAW by Melissa Adelman is a chilling novel of domestic suspense set in an affluent suburb of Washington, DC. Alexis and her husband, Sam, are successful young professionals with one child and another on the way. Sam is poised to make partner at his law firm and Alexis is on maternity leave. They decide to take a chance on buying a fixer-upper in an exclusive neighborhood. Even though the house needs costly repairs they will barely be able to afford, they go ahead with the purchase and renovations, hoping to fit in with their affluent neighbors. But when their neighbor, Teddy, is found dead on a riverside path near their home, they will soon be drawn in to an intense police investigation to find his killer. As the investigation continues, secrets and lies are revealed that pit neighbors against each other. Alexis becomes friends with Teddy’s widow, Blair, but is Blair who she seems? Who would want Teddy dead? Who can be trusted? This was an enjoyable and twisty story and I thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

Just when you're so sure you're on the right track, you discover that you're flying off the rails even though everything looks hunky dory and the way you dreamed life could be in Melissa Adelman's WHAT THE NEIGHBOR SAW. For Alexis and Sam, the fantastic find of a fixer-upper in an upscale DC neighborhood feels like the ultimate confirmation of their high-stakes, high-pressure life with Sam's legal career taking off and Alexis about to give birth to their second child. And for some time, that seems to be exactly the case. Then a neighbor is murdered, a new friendship between Alexis and the murdered man's widow Blair raises hackles, and the twists and turns of the perfect place wreck the fantasy. Both Blair and Alexis face their pasts and what it take to achieve the dream lives. I didn't expect to like the story as much as I did, pushing myself past the saggy parts and numerous unlikeable characters, but still found myself staying up way too late to find out what really happened. I received a copy of this novel and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

I love a good neighborhood drama. This one started a bit slow, but once it got going I was invested.

Many of the characters were unlikeable and unreliable. And it seemed everyone had a secret or something to hide.

Alexis and Sam are a young couple with a child and one on the way. They find a fixer upper in a lovely DC neighborhood. IT needs work, but it's the only way they can afford this area.

Shortly after they move in, Teddy - one of their neighbors - is found murdered along a wooded path along the river. Alexis has met his wife, Blair, earlier, and goes to offer her condolences. They becom friends and she gets to know other neighbors. Meanwhile the investigation goes on.

I wasn't totally shocked by who the murderer was, but leading up to that was fast and interesting.

Solid debut and I look forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Alexis and Sam are about to become second-time parents and he’s on the fast-track to making partner at his law firm. It seems like the perfect time to find the right home to raise their family in, and when they see a large Cape Cod home in an affluent suburb of D.C., it doesn’t take them long to decide they’ve found it. Their optimism and dreams silence the reality that it’s an older house in serious need of renovation that will cost them in ways they haven’t even imagined yet.

And then there’s the issue of their new neighbors …

This neighborhood boasts money, success and a host of individuals who’ve climbed to the top in one way or another. At the summit are Blair and her politician husband Teddy. When Teddy is found murdered near an exclusive jogging trail by the river, the whole neighborhood gets drawn together to support Blair. It sounds lovely, but soon the perfect veneer on all these people’s lives start crumbling, and it’s clear to see that Sam and Alexis don’t have the only messy “house” in the neighborhood!

The story is narrated alternately by Alexis and Blair, both of whom had less than stellar upbringings and seemed to find a kindred spirit in the other. I enjoyed their interactions the most. Blair was my favorite. She’s flawed … yes, but she’s also kind of fascinating! As a reader, I wanted to know more about her and get inside her head. She oozed confidence but also had an air of mystery around her, and that made her chapters fun for me. If the whole book had been told from her perspective, I’d have been all in. Then there’s Alexis …

Here’s where things fell apart for me a little. I found Alexis to be neither likeable nor unlikeable - somehow as a character, she just existed. For such a major character to be so forgettable is a problem for me. She’s supposed to be very smart and on leave from a high-paying consulting job, but she reads as mousy, insecure, whiny and given to foolish decisions. Added to that, Sam is an unbearable and emotionally abusive douchewad, and neither of them seem to ever be paying attention to their two young children. Her chapters weren’t bad … just not as enjoyable.

Throw into the mix a hodge-podge of interchangeable dysfunctional neighbor couples who I could never keep straight and a plethora of “neighbors gone wrong” scenarios, and the story got bogged down in too much unbelievable silliness. I thought the motivation for the murder was pretty unique and creative, but the actual whodunnit and why they were involved was a bit mundane and anti-climactic.

Despite the flaws, I was fairly engaged in the story, and I think it’s a decent debut. The writing is very good, and with a more nuanced, less predictable plot, this author has the potential for a really stellar book in the future!

★★★ ½

Thanks to Minotaur Books, NetGalley and author Melissa Adelman for this digital review copy to honestly review. The book is out today!

WHAT THE NEIGHBORS SAW, Melissa Adelman’s debut novel, is a well-written mystery. Alexis and Sam bought their dream house in the exclusive River Forest neighborhood, right outside Washington D. C. Trouble starts before the moving van is even out of sight. I loved the setting and the unique characters. Mark me as “hooked from the start.” Alexis, raised to be tough, is a standout, kick-butt protagonist. There are also characters who are so distasteful that the reader begins to side against them. What a great domestic thriller, one that must be read until the last page in order to put all the pieces together. There’s murder, intrigue, infidelity, and a prowler creeping through the woods. Read this one with all the lights on! The plot packs a punch and the writing is quick and clear. Well done, Melissa. Write us another one!

Domestic suspense seems to be the hot subgenre at the moment. How many moody house covers have you seen lately?

Personally I like a little more intensity/darkness in my thriller reads, BUT I do enjoy a suburban whodunnit.

What The Neighbors Saw introduces us to Alexis, she’s just moved into a bougie DC suburb with her husband, son and a bun in the oven. They have just bought a fixer upper and are keen to fit in with the local elite. Alexis quickly meets her new posh neighbor, Blair. Shortly after the two connect, Blair’s husband is murdered near the woods by their houses. The book alternates between these two women’s POV.

Alexis feels that there is something off with Blair. Is Alexis’ troubled past spidey sense tingling?? She turns into a bit of a down low sleuth (after she gives birth), which puts her in peril and at odds with her husband.

This is a slow burner without a lot of twists and turns. It does get a bit sleepy in the middle, BUT the reveal is worth it 👏 I was like, what’s that? Come again???? We are getting into Alice Feeney territory here!

Along with the digital copy from Minotaur and NeGalley, I also received the audiobook from Macmillan Audio, which is narrated by Hillary Huber and Sarah Hollis. I love multiple narrators!! Hillary is an amazing narrator, she does Riley Sager and Elena Ferrante’s novels. You really feel like you are listening to these two women’s stories.

Get ready for some neighbor drama in this Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door! Alexis and Sam move their growing family into an upscale neighborhood where everyone seems to hold secrets and no one can be trusted, especially after a murder takes place.

These characters are bad, rich people that you’ll love to hate. It’s a thriller so suspend your disbelief for this one. I found the ending to be predictable but overall was an entertaining read. The major plot twist was a bit out there but also less predictable than the rest of the story.

Chapters switch between Blair, whose husband was murdered, and new neighbor Alexis. Both characters helped build the mystery. They’re both a little un-likable but yet you kind of root for their budding friendship.

The audio had great narrators that perfected their characters. I was easily able to switch between audio and e-reader which made for a quick read. Thanks for the invitation to read this early copy @minotaur_books and thank you @macmillan.audio for the audio copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

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