What a mixed bag- this had one too many themes in it for me, however was I hooked and couldn’t read it fast enough?? Yes!

Multiple POV and shifts past to present, themes of cult, paranormal magic maybe??, con job, infidelity, child abuse, murder, crazy religious stalker lady.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really fun fall Thriller to read! It has multiple layers that are all interwoven, multiple POVs, and dual timelines. It was fun to guess the ending, only to be thrown for a loop or shocked to find something out. It also has some magical realism which I thoroughly enjoyed and felt was very well done. Highly recommend!!

The Body Next Door* by Maia Chance is a confusing and weird mix of mystery and unsettling cult drama that just doesn’t work. The plot is bogged down by too many point-of-view shifts, making it hard to stay engaged and adding to the overall confusion.

The inclusion of a cult subplot feels out of place and disrupts the overall tone. Instead of creating suspense, it makes the story awkward and hard to follow. It was especially strange when inanimate objects would "talk" to Greene and his mother, adding an odd element that didn’t fit. The pacing drags, important details are skimmed over, and the whole book feels disjointed.

Overall, *The Body Next Door* fails to deliver an engaging, well-paced mystery. The bizarre cult plot, too many POVs, and strange elements make it a frustrating experience.

3 stars.

Pretty average thriller. Wasn't a huge fan of the characters but did find the overall story/plot to be enjoyable and thrilling. Wished the ending/twist would have been more surprising but I enjoyed this story for the most part. I will defiantly keep this author on my radar.

Mystery, magic, danger and a cult. I enjoyed reading and following each character’s journey. A bit confusing as to who is really who, but the author has brought order after all. Recommended read for mystery lovers.

I really liked this book.

Hannah lives a pampered life with her millionaire husband and two children. They own a beautiful home in Seattle and a vacation home on Orcas Island. The property next to their vacation home used to be the settlement of a cult. When a dead body is found near their property Hannah must face her past.

I loved the format of this book. It follows some very interesting and self absorbed characters. Green is traveling with his mother on a ferry in Orcas island. Josh is a world renowned violinist and Allan is a self absorbed narcissist that collects old artifacts. I’m wondering how the stories will come together.

The book involves a cult and some magical realism. I thought the plot was unique!

Thank you to netgalley for a copy of this book!

Got a copy from my library ebook system and it was a fast popcorn thriller. I found it a good read that I flew through. This book is great for readers who don't want too much thrills, chills or gore. I'd recommend it for new to the thriller genre.

The Body Next Door was sooo good. The twists in this one had my head reeling. Every time I thought I knew what was about to happen I was shocked.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review.

Hannah seems to have it all with two children and a doting husband. However, things are not as they seem and Hannah has a dark secret. When a body is dug up close to their vacation home, Hannah and Allen are forced to confront their demons.

This book had an interesting premise and a beautiful cover. Unfortunately, that is pretty much all I can say that was good about this book.

The characters were just so annoying and bad. I had no one to root for throughout the story. I also just felt like the writing was slow and I just had a hard time getting into the book. I also think the story itself was just hard to follow.

This book wasn't for me but I hope others love it.

This was a good twisty book but I admit, I got a bit lost trying to keep up with so many POVs and timelines. I enjoyed the cult storyline however and this kept me reading on as I was keen to see what happened. Sadly, the ending fell a little flat for me. This is my first book by this author though and I would be keen to read more by her.

The Body Next Door by Maia Change is a fantastic suspenseful novel.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns and the unexpected ending.

Well developed characters and a story that kept me guessing.

Tense, full of suspense, twisty and dark. I had fun and enjoyed it
A more extensive review will follow
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I enjoyed this book so much! I was confused at first, but the author does such a good job of keeping your attention and pulling it all together. By the tail end, I was shocked by the twists and I was so stressed out. (In the best way if course. I highly recommend this book. It was such a great read.

The Body Next Door is a mystery with a storyline that I really didn't expect. It revolves around Hannah who has what seems to be a picture perfect life but it is about to all come crashing back due to secrets from the past. I was kind of surprised the turn this book took because the description didn't mention the different kind of past that Hannah had. That was actually refreshing. I like not knowing all the details going into a story.

Then, other characters are introduced and for a good part of the book, I was really wondering how they would all connect. And then, when it did, I was surprised. I also was surprised at one of the twists when one of those relationships were revealed.

The author did a great job connecting everything together and I finally got some twists in a book. Usually, books today promise twists and don't deliver, so I was excited to get some in a story where I wasn't expecting any. I had never heard of this author, and I was happy to see she has written other books. I will definitely be looking into them.

Thanks to Netgalley and to the publisher.

Well, that was a wild ride! You have multiple characters, all with secrets related to the happenings on Orca Island several years ago with a crazy cult, rich guys who think they can own or buy anything, and people trying to survive all that. Add in a strange and unusual talent (really cool and I think it was a nice surprise) and a nice twist ( I did have my suspicions and I was right) and I really enjoyed the whole story.

Hannah was a good character, easy to like, especially when you learn about her backstory. She is a survivor and is doing the best she can with the hand dealt to her. This novel has several character POVs and the timeline jumps between past and present but I felt it melded well and revealed the story the best way. I did not get confused and each character added to the story from Greene and his special gift, to Caroline and her craziness, to Josh who had the violin with a mind of its own and then of course Allan, the uber rich guy who thinks the world revolves around him. I liked the magic realism and how it played a part in the book. Yes, it was a bit weird when first introduced but I rolled with it.

I liked this story a lot and the ending was nicely satisfying in how family (found and made) is more important than all the riches in the world.

A body discovered at a family's island home threatens to unearth secrets that night be better buried.

I thought the plot was interesting enough, but the writing style was really hard for me. Hannah's sections were fine, but Allan's were borderline painful to read. I'm not sure if Chance meant to write him that way - just really stiff and weird thoughts. The construction of sentences was also weird at times. For instance, the first time we get Allan's perspective, the syntax makes it seem like he is thinking of his wife as a corpse. I had to literally reread a few times to get what he was actually saying. Then there were more POVs and flashbacks and so much. I think if Chance had picked maybe two POVs and ~maybe~ flashbacks with those same characters it would've been an easier read.

This was an interesting read that was relatively slow paced, particularly for being billed a thriller. While I liked the interconnected components of the plot, I thought it was a little convoluted; the complexities and twists were easy to follow, but I got the impression from the description that it would be more focused on present day and less dual timeline with less build up of the cult. If I had gone into it expecting more of a story about domestic unraveling and cult life with a side dish of murder intrigue I probably would have been less disappointed. That said, taking it for what it is, I’m happy I read it and I really enjoyed the story once I hit Part 2.

This book hooked me right from the beginning but the plot and back and forth between characters become a little
difficult to follow

A dark, moody and mesmerizing tale filled with cult worship, intricate twists and complex relationships, oh, and importantly a bit of magical realism. I loved this book so much, I'd give it 10 stars if I could. Needless to say I devoured this book in almost one evening. It starts as a domestic psychological thriller and the author expertly yet casually builds the mystery that as you get into the depths of the book an eerie darkness is revealed. I can't reveal much other than rush out to your nearest bookseller and read this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Trade Publishing and the author Maia Chance for this ARC. The book was published on August 6, 2024, so it's available in the wild to get!

The cover really intrigued me. That is why I picked this one. I won't lie though. I may not be smart enough for this one. This book has four perspectives and two timelines. I would have probably loved it as an audiobook so I could just roll with the voices instead of going back to see who was "talking" in the moment. This is a me issue.
I loved the mystery though.