The description mentioned that "What the Neighbors Saw" is like Desperate Housewives; that seems like a decent comparison. This neighborhood is so dramatic and has lots of secrets. Alexis is the primary character. I liked her backstory and dynamic of being a black woman in this neighborhood. It added another layer to the elitism. I loved the book but wasn't in love with how it ended, not so much the result but how it got to that point. Thanks for the advance review copy.

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I so, so, SO enjoyed this book which is really, a well crafted character drama with a mystery that lingers on the periphery of each chapter.

I am a huge sucker for books that drop you unceremoniously into the middle of the lives of wealthy people, who inevitably have secrets and are behaving badly. This book serves that up in truckloads, and I devoured the entire thing in one delightfully entertaining afternoon.

The story starts with a murder of one of the husbands in the neighborhood, but with no leads and no suspects that mystery drifts off to the side of the story, and the focus becomes the messy and entangled relationships of the neighbors. I truly enjoyed this dynamic, even though I was deeply curious about when and how the murder would pop back into play.

And then it does! With some totally wild twists that I definitely wouldn't have guessed and the last few chapters are a whirlwind of drama cranked up to 10.

Totally, totally fun to escape into and totally, totally the right kind of book to spend a summer day with. I won't say more so you can enjoy the mayhem for yourself, but I will recommend this to thriller lovers who really enjoy the character backstory drivers.

The description of this book - "Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door' - couldn't be more accurate. Alexis and Sam buy the dream home they can't quite afford in a posh D.C. suburb where everyone has a secret. With Sam working long hours to make partner at his law firm, Alexis, on maternity leave with her newborn and toddler, feels isolated and out of her league with the tony neighbors. When one of them, a well-liked father of three, is murdered, Alexis befriends his widow, Blair, and becomes embroiled in the mystery. Little by little, we find out how the neighbors are not at all who they appear to be. Told from both women's POVs, this thriller will keep you turning pages as you try to figure out who killed the man and why. The twists are so unexpected, but when I went back and reread the pages, I saw how skillfully the author foreshadowed them without giving them away. I highly recommend this novel and now can't wait for Melissa Adelman's next one!

What the Neighbors Saw is a wild twist that will keep you guessing until the next chapter. Alexis and Sam buy a run-down house in an exclusive neighborhood where they are exposed to money, secrets, and false smiles. As they get to know their neighbors, they realize something might not be quite right.

Thanky ou, NetGalley, for an advanced copy of this novel.

Things I liked: the descriptions of the neighborhood and homes, the appeal of the “perfect suburbia.” For some reason I really enjoy reading those in any novel and like picturing the perfect lawns and homes. I also thought the plot was interesting, I really couldn’t quite figure out where we were headed in this seemingly perfect neighborhood. I also loved learning more about this author! Sounds like she has an incredible background that she really utilized to write this book.

Things I disliked: the eating disorder that was not relevant to the plot…and the main character’s husband. What a total JERK and I found it hard to believe this young, successful woman would put up with his shit. Also the ending/twist we were driving towards was so weird and honestly gross that I was VERY WTF at the end. I wish that the relationship with the nanny, and the character’s backstory, had also been more developed. You’re led to believe it’s some shocking secret and it’s really…not.

Ultimately though, this was a quick thriller that I did enjoy breezing through. It just left me a little WTF at the end.

“What the Neighbors Saw” by Melissa Adelman is a slow burn domestic thriller. Alexis and Sam move into an exclusive neighborhood, purchasing a home slightly out of their means. The home requires many renovations, but came with the promise of safety and a good place to raise their children. However, soon after they move in, one of their neighbors, Teddy, is found dead. The police do not believe the death to be an accident, and Alexis finds herself bonding with Teddy’s widow, Blair. Through their friendship, Alexis learns all of the neighborhood drama and begins to form suspicions of her own.

This was such a fun read, and I did not anticipate the twist at the end. Thank you so much to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of this book!

3.5 Stars

This book is described as Desperate Housewives meets The Couple Next Door and that's pretty spot on. There is lots of drama in this neighbourhood (and between these pages) with twists a plenty. This is a case of keeping up with the Joneses and be careful what you wish for. Alexis and her husband have bought a fixer-upper in an affluent D.C. neighbourhood and they desperately want to fit in but have a hard time doing so.

The story is very engaging and I loved the dual perspectives of Alexis and Blair. The best thing about this book is everything is wonderfully secret until the very end plus the plot line wasn't too out there. The author's characterization was wonderful as I could clearly picture each character (and there are many) in my head. It was a bit of a slow burn at the start and nothing really exciting happens until about halfway through. But if you're patient this one is a decent domestic suspense with a murder mystery thrown in!

I have been to Alexandria, Virginia many times and am familiar with the area where this story takes place. so it was pretty neat to be taken back there again through this story. Melissa Adelman writes a pretty satisfying debut and I look forward to what she comes up with next.

Only finished this one because it was a NetGalley ARC. I guess this domestic thriller was meant to be a slow burn, but there's a difference between a slow burn and nothing happening at all. In this novel, the husband of one of the neighbor's is killed at the 12% mark and then literally nothing happens until the 95% mark. Unless you count emotional and mental abuse from your spouse, body shaming, and general neighbor pettiness and cattiness as nothing. None of the characters were likeable, not even the main couple, who I think the wife was supposed to be somewhat sympathetic. The "twist" didn't make any sense and was a stretch for a reason behind the murder. Disappointing.

Finding the perfect house.... well not easy. Finding the perfect neighborhood, maybe. Alexis and Sam a young successful couple buys a fixer upper in an exclusive neighborhood. Alexis is pregnant with their second child and Sam hopes to become a partner in his law firm.
When their next door neighbor Teddy is found dead, they start to wonder if they are safe. Is their neighborhood safe? Do they want to be raising their children there?
Rich people behaving badly, nothing new in our society.
Neighborhood drama, secrets and lies.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

If you've always been interested in what goes on behind the scenes of your neighbors' houses, then this is the book for you. Alexis and Sam are looking for a new home and come across an older home in a well-developed neighborhood, somewhere they wouldn't normally be able to afford if not for the older home that needed some fixing up. But they may have gotten more than they bargained for when one of their neighbors turns up dead. Alexis is immediately drawn into the murder investigation. She wants to make friends with her neighbors while also judging them from a distance.

Alexis was one of the few characters I enjoyed reading in this book. Most of the other neighbors were unlikeable and didn't provide as much interest. And the author was creative in the different surprises she left the reader, however several were pretty outlandish in scope.

Thank you to Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review.

A very good debut novel. A domestic thriller set in a DC suburb. Alexis feels like being part of a desirable neighborhood will be great for her family and convinces her husband Sam to buy a large fixer upper. What she discovers is that grand houses and tree lined streets don’t change the ugliness of unhappy people,
Their neighbor Teddy’s murder seems to be the start of uncovering everyone’s flaws.
My favorite part of a mystery is when I don’t see the plot twist coming and this story fulfilled that for me.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Deliciously addicting! I loved this one and devoured it quickly. Alexis and Sam move into a fixer upper in a nice neighborhood. They quickly learn that all is not as it seems when a neighbor is found dead.

As we learn more about Alexis and Blair (the widow of the dead man), we uncover more secrets about the neighbors and about the two narrators themselves.

I thought this flowed nicely and quickly with an interesting dual narration. Would definitely recommend this for all lovers of domestic suspense!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of What the Neighbors Saw in exchange for this review.

This is a quick and enjoyable debut novel by Melissa Adelman. Alexis and Sam feel lucky to be able to buy the big, ramshackle house in the prestigious DC suburb, picturing themselves attending fancy dinner parties and the exclusive country club with their new neighbors. But not long after they move in, there’s a murder down the street and suspicion brews between the neighbors.

While Alexis does her best to take care of her toddler and newborn, in the midst of renovations and unwelcome new issues with the house, she befriends the new widow and tries to piece together the motives, alibies, and relationships between the various neighbors. Will her curiosity be her downfall?

I hope to read more by Adelman in the future. Check this one out—it’s a perfect summer read!

Alexis and Sam have bought their dream house among the wealthy elite neighbors that they envy. When one of those neighbors is murdered, Alexis’s friendship with the deceased’s wife becomes revealing.

My favorite part of this was that it takes place near me. I could really visualize the home and the neighborhood. I loved that the view point changed between only two women. It added variety from chapter to chapter. This was almost like the game clue, but with a neighborhood full of wealthy, mysterious adults. I liked how there were a few clues within the book that the reader won’t notice until the end

What the Neighbors Saw comes out 6/13.

What the Neighbors Saw focuses on the main character and her family as they move into a new neighborhood. Shortly after moving in, a neighbor falls over a cliffside and it was not an accident. Who would want to kill him?

In a community where everyone is nice to your face lies a web of secrets in which everyone is connected - for better or worse.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Publication: June 20, 2023

I love thrillers and when I saw this cover and synopsis- I figured it was right up my alley!

Unfortunately, this was so slow and bogged down with too much descriptions. I wish there was more thrilling aspects. As a reader, I personally enjoy when the author throws us in with a balance of descriptions and thrill. Adelman had the potential with her writing style if some of those descriptions could be shaved back just a smidge. Overall, I wasn't a fan and I think there are other thrillers out there someone could try.

What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman was a slow read for me. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the main character Alexis. The ending also seemed not well thought out. Alex and her husband Sam have moved to a house in the suburbs of DC. The neighborhood is exclusive and the house they bought needed alot of work. I felt as if the story could have been broken out into 2. The author does talk about Alexis's background. She alludes to the fact that it was not easy growing up but we don't get all of the story. I almost didn't finish the book. However I do think there was alot of potential in this story. Unfortunately, it fell flat in the end.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

This book was fast paced and told from multiple points of view. A who done it story woven with exterior stories of mystery and intrigue that will have you at some point suspecting everyone.

Great debut! I'm not sure I would consider this a thriller since it's more of a domestic drama, but there was a bit of mystery woven into the story. It's a very slow burn focused more on the intersections between neighbors, which I found entertaining. The final quarter of the book really amps up for an ending that I wasn't expecting.

The writing is excellent. When parts of the plot dragged a bit, that writing is what kept me reading. If you pick this up expecting a murder mystery/thriller, you might be a bit disappointed. If you enjoy a good neighborhood/domestic drama with a little twist you'll like it. I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Melissa Adelman, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for giving me an ARC of this debut novel in exchange for an honest review. Even though many of the characters were unlikable, I kept turning pages, enjoying the story.
Alexis and Sam are young professionals, with a small child and another on the way, when they buy a fixer-upper in a prestigious Washington, D.C. neighborhood.
The money-pit house, the challenges of parenthood (although they do have a live-in nanny), and their career concerns put a strain on their marriage.
Shortly after they move in, one of their neighbors, Teddy, is found dead on the banks of the Potomac River, having fallen from a nearby jogging trail. When the police investigate, they determine Teddy was murdered, although they have no leads about the killer's identity.
The story.is told in first person, alternating POV between Alexis, the biracial newcomer, and Blair, Teddy's widow. Despite their different backgrounds, the two women become friends.
Although this novel is technically a murder mystery, it's more about the relationships among the neighbors and within the various marriages. Avid mystery readers might find the pacing slow, and once it's unraveled, the motive is a bit creepy, but I stayed engaged in the story to the end.