Perfectly paced and filled to the brim with tension, this suspenseful suburban mystery was an entertaining read. I did figure out the suspect early on but I think that was likely intentional by the author. It didn't hinder my appreciation for the story in any way.

Overall, this was a solid thriller with loads of drama and a dash of darkness perfect for fans of domestic suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and Little A for access to the e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

This is the story of a Desperate Housewives type of neighborhood where the families have a myriad of secrets. When Margaret, a dependable teenage girl with an amazing future goes missing, the whole town bands together to search for her.

The story is told in multiple viewpoints partly in the present time and partly in flashbacks. There were a lot of characters, so I did have to keep somewhat of a flowchart to keep track of all of them. I can't fault the author for that though, because I did feel that each of the characters was an integral part of the story. My one complaint would be that I would have liked to see more character development for some of them. For instance, I would have liked to know more about Harper and Ben, the new neighbors in town. We learn a little bit about Harper's background, but I wanted to know more. Since I really liked all of the characters, I would have enjoyed learning more about what made them tick. I guess this is sometimes difficult to do in a short book.

Despite the lack of character development, this book did keep my interest from beginning to end. This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed her writing style and i couldn't stop reading! I felt that the villain was somewhat obvious, but there were twists here and there and I really enjoyed You Must Be New Here. I will definitely be reading more books by Katie Sise. She has a similar writing style to Lianne Moriarty (one of my very favorite authors!), so if you are a fan of her writing, you will definitely enjoy this book.

Thanks so much to Little A and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the digital copy of this book.

Struggling to find community, Sloane is happy when new neighbours Harper and Ben move next door. As the friendship with Harper and Sloane builds so does the suspense. A teenage babysitter goes missing and secrets, suspicious build.

Katie Sise will keep you interested and wanting to read more as the tension builds in her new book. This is an easy to read thriller that I recommend.

Thank you Little A and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. This review is given freely and all opinions are my own.

In a seemingly laid-back community of Sycamore Glen, two women-Sloane Thompson and Clara Gartner, tell a story. A story about a teenager called Margaret who is connected to both of them through their children. Margaret works as a part time babysitter for Sloane’s daughter Daisy who is suffering from poor health since childhood and requires special attention despite her age. In the case of Clara, Margaret is dating her son.

Sloane is still settling in this town and finds it difficult to build any real connections with anyone from the local community. This changes as soon as Harper and Ben Wilson move in as her next-door neighbors. Sloane is drawn to them almost immediately especially towards Harper who seems cold, calculated and eccentric from the outside. But as the story progresses we get to see her chequered past and how those experiences have shaped her relationship with Ben.

On the other side of the town, Clara is busy being a perfect hostess, wife and mother. She has built a solid reputation for herself and her family in the local community. It’s more to do with her influential husband- Evan Gartner and his social status among the upper middle-class people of this town. So, Clara tries to complement him by being socially active with various fundraisers and committees for different benefit projects. Moreover, she is actively involved in her children’s lives to raise them with appropriate values and respect as a devoted mother.

Clara is also acutely aware of her husband- Evan’s secret life and how he has stepped outside the boundaries of their marriage to have one or multiple affairs over the period of their marriage. Still she is shocked to hear about her husband’s transgressions from at least two women in Sycamore Glen, one of them happens to be her close friend. That unnerves her and pushes her towards separation from her husband. But before she could act on it, Margaret’s sudden disappearance puts a break on her plans as Clara’s son becomes a prime suspect.

So, it’s interesting to read how these seemingly parallel narratives come together to form a consistent story and how their realities collide when the truth behind Margaret’s unfortunate disappearance comes to light. By the end of it, both Sloane Thompson and Clara Gartner bond over their shared trauma and consequences resulting from Margaret’s untimely demise.

Although this book is touted as a puzzling murder mystery, you will be able to unravel the truth if you are used to reading such small-town crime thrillers. Even if the mystery part falters in execution, what stands out is author’s style of building characters and giving them depth with solid backstories. For bringing forth difficult topics like domestic abuse and building substantial plot around a complicated subject, we certainly have to admire author’s writing expertise. It makes a worthy addition for a breezy reading experience. So, do check it out!!

*This post is based on the ARC copy provided by NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sloane Thompson has a daughter named Daisy, attends school activities with other parents, and even has an amicable relationship with her ex-husband. But after ten years in bucolic Sycamore Glen, Sloane has yet to find someone to call a true friend. Until Harper and Ben Wilson move in next door.

Harper is open, charismatic, and restless. She and Sloane quickly become confidantes and fall into a deep and intoxicating friendship. Then one afternoon, Daisy’s dependable babysitter, Margaret, fails to show. When texts from Margaret’s mother and boyfriend go unanswered, the inexplicable disappearance becomes a cause for alarm.

As anxious hours turn into days, suspicion grows. And tension tightens. As if something is about to snap. When it does, long-held secrets are revealed, and not everyone in Sycamore Glen is who they seem to be.

Deception and intrigue abound. I really enjoyed the story. Will recommend to others.

I love a good thriller and this one definitely was right up my alley!
A need a book that grabs me and I just don’t want to put down.
The multiple POVs were confusing at times and hard to follow.
This book was just missing that ‘something’ for me to think it was great.

Oh my gosh. I loved this book so much. It pulled me right away and kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. So many twists, especially one I did not see coming at all. Highly recommend!

Sloane and her young daughter, Daisy, live in the small town of Sycamore Glen. Divorced and busy with Daisy's medical condition, Sloane has no real close friends. Things change when Harper and Ben move in next door. Sloane instantly clicks with the couple, especially with Harper. The quiet and idyllic neighbourhood takes a turn when Sloane's babysitter, Margaret, fails to show up. With Margaret missing, the quiet town is on edge. And it seems more than one person is hiding something....

I really enjoyed this one! This one my first read by Katie Sise and it was very well done. I enjoyed her writing style and character development. It is a very twisted read that keeps you guessing until the very end. There are many different "suspects" making it difficult for the reader to predict what is going to happen. Really enjoyed the ending!

Thank you Little A and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this thriller about two women who live in the same small town and move around in the same circles. When a teenager goes missing, Sloanes babysitter, the town is shocked. Sloane and Clara try to find out what happened. Clara’s son , Cole, was dating Margaret so he is a suspect too. Sloanes neighbors are new and are acting suspiciously as well as Clara’s husband. With lots of shady people, you don’t know who is telling the truth. It was a quick read and perfect for a summer read. 3.75 ⭐️

The quiet, bucolic community of Sycamore Glen is about to get shaken up when a new family comes to town and a young woman disappears. Katie Sise sets us up for a twisty novel of suspense that will leave readers wondering if anyone in the small town is who they seem to be.

Sloane Thompson has been an active member in the community, volunteering at numerous fundraising events at school. But after ten years in the area, she hasn’t had any acquaintances she could call a true friend. That is until Harper and Ben Wilson move in next door to her and daughter Daisy.

Sloane and Harper become instant friends, spending all their free time together and becoming close confidantes. But when Daisy’s dependable babysitter, Margaret, fails to show one afternoon, the inexplicable disappearance becomes a cause for concern. As hours turn into days, suspicion builds and tension grows. What happened to Margaret, and is Sloane’s new friend the prime suspect?

This was a fun, engaging novel that had me turning pages. While it moved at a slower pace than I would have liked, the author did an excellent job of building tension and developing the characters in the novel. It was the perfect read for my week away at the beach.

Thank you to Katie Sise, Little A and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.

What a twisty, suspenseful story told with multiple points of view that just drags you further into the story. The cast of characters includes Sloan and her daughter Daisy, new neighbors Ben and Harper, who have a sordid history, and Clara, Evan and their kids. When a girl is found murdered and secrets start to be revealed nothing is quite as it seems.
This story was so good with it keeping me engaged the whole time and with an ending that just tied everything together so well.
Thank you for Netgalley and to the publishers for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little A for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Does anyone ever really know the people who live next door?

The cast:

Sloane Thompson and her young daughter, Daisy. Her ex-husband, Dave, visits the house every day, but there are hints that something significant ended their relationship.

Harper and Ben- the new neighbours who seem to be a little too eager to immerse themselves in everyone's lives.

Margaret- Daisy's babysitter, an A+ student, well-liked by many, but nothing is good enough for her high-achieving parents. Margaret hopes to ease their worries with her acceptance into Princeton, but she never returns home.

Clara- PTA mother with three teenage children- Cole( Margaret's boyfriend) and twin daughters. She and her husband, Evan, have a strained marriage. Cole's recent behaviour has worried Clara, and she wonders if she can keep her family together.

As the investigation into Margaret's disappearance heats up, it soon becomes clear that a lot well kept secrets in the neighbourhood are about to explode.


* Sigh* A good popcorn thriller, but it didn't get good until halfway through the narrative. I think what made it great was that EVERYONE seemed to have a good motive to hurt Margaret, even if I couldn't figure out the why.

That being said, some plot points were weird to me. I don't want to spoil anything, but as I write this review, they hover too much in my brain to go higher than a 2-star rating.


Publication Date 08/07/25
Goodreads review 14/07/25
#YouMustBeNewHere #NetGalley

No one can accuse this book of moving too slowly; the speed of the action definitely kept the pages turning. There were times, however, when I wondered if I had skipped a few pages - or chapters. There was a lot of telling rather than showing or discovering, and I did not connect with any of the characters.

It was tough to really care about our murdered high school student, Margaret. We are told that she is at the top of her class, has a boyfriend, Cole, fights with her parents and babysits for the neighborhood moms. One such mom is Sloane, a divorcee who lives with her daughter, Daisy. Margaret is babysitting for Daisy the night she disappears, but not before having a heart to heart with Sloane and her new - and kind of strange - neighbors. We meet many, many more characters as the book progresses - Sloane's ex husband, Margaret's boyfriend, her boyfriend's mother and her boyfriend's father, Evan.

When Margaret is found dead, most of the above become suspects. What Sise gets right: the suburban gossip mill and finger pointing. What does not work: there is no tension, no wonder as to whodunit since everything is basically spelled out.

And when an additional character comes in to bring the murderer to justice, there is again no actual discovery shown, just exposition as to what happens next.

It's pretty rare that I wish a book moved at a slower pace, but in this instance, I would have loved to have known - and therefore invested - in our characters a bit more.

Thank you Netgalley for the preview!

This is a good ole fashion summer suspense mystery that kept me entertained and invested. The multiple POV got a little bit confusing and there were red herrings thrown in that ended up giving a lot of extra history that wasn’t pertinent to the story. I liked it though and it was a quick read. 4 stars!

This book had a slow start for me. I didn’t really start to get into it until about 40% in, then I couldn’t put it down. I will be interested to see what else this author does.

I enjoyed it and am thankful for the ARC from NetGalley! I figured out the twist, but, there were many things that had me guessing throughout. Enjoyable and quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was just ok. Not bad, but not good. There were a lot of characters in this story, and I just didn’t find a lot of them to be especially interesting. The plot is typical and something that has been done many times before, so it doesn’t stick out much compared to all the other books I’ve read this year.

Maybe I read too much, but with all the content out there these days, a book needs to be really interesting with engaging characters in order for me to love it.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Little A for an advanced copy of You Must Be New Here.

A young teenage girl disappears from a close right knit community and everyone wants to know what happened to her. Three women from the neighborhood let you into their interactions with her. Who is responsible for her disappearance and why.

This was totally not what I thought it was going to be. I just feel like the author was trying to tell too many different stories and the book felt disjointed.

i was excited and intrigued to see where this book would go and it delivered on everything id wished for it to be going in. even the cover gives you a brilliant sense of this book.the themes explored in this book or done with such tight and clever writing. the characters are told in an equally as smart way.
set in a small town we are given the characters Sloane and Daisy and their new neighbours. at last Sloane might have a friend in this place? and yes! because her and her new neighbour Harper become fast friends.
but there is immediate dark spidy sense kicking off for us readers when one day Daisy's baby sitter fails to sow up. and things are about to get a whole lot darker, deeper and more complex. with secrets and reveal rising to the surface i was completely taken in to what was unfolding. and all through i was delighted in how some of those reveals came about and what we found out about these characters. they are suspicious of each other and so should they be! and we are equally as uncertain of who we should be believing. this small town in this affluent area is hiding more than golf clubs in their closets. and its all coming tumbling out.
i love the unease and tension that rumbled throughout the book its something Katie did a top notch job with.
this is one fantastic put together book. the timeline and POV aspect to it is a win as we get to know so much from it whilst also seamlessly following the story. like Katie at her own will, is constantly feeding you any extra info you might need or those snippets about people's characters or past.
brilliant. just brilliant.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Talk about a thrilling read! The build up of the plot was perfection and I loved the narration from different POVs. I could feel the tension throughout this book. This plot is very relatable when it comes to keeping secrets and balancing friendships. Of course the domestic drama between the couples in this book added a nice touch. This is certainly a book to get lost in!