I read this book quickly as the characters were great,the mystery thickened sharpish and the writing was engaging and kept me reading
A set of circumstances shock a very well to do neighbourhood and it goes from there with twists and turns aplenty and lots of repercussions
Really good writing and plot that made a satisfying read

The Neighbours is a twisty psychological thriller that had me enthralled.
Liv lives in a Sydney suburb, a quiet street with her husband and daughter. Her neighbour is a well known surgeon and has been found dead in the local park, hit at the back of the head so the police are investigating. Liv’s daughter runs early every morning there and asks her if she’s seen anything but apart from a “no” answer and her looking upset Liv has nothing to go on but her intuition as a mother sets in and feels she is involved and will do anythIng to keep her name clear and direct the police in a different direction. An old school friend has moved in down the road and Liv isn’t sure whether to trust her or not as she seems very friendly with her daughter. Who is the murderer?
This was a good read with plenty of different characters. I liked Liv and how she adapted to the pressures of her life with her job, what was happening to her daughter and her parents illnesses to cope with. The book was very pro women and the surgeon was just an awful man in every way. The plot line was a little slow at time but it didn’t last long so was easily read through. A few good twists to keep it interesting was well written.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

What can I say other than—I absolutely loved this book?

What would you do if a neighbour turns up murdered and you think your daughter has something to do with it? This is what happens when Richard Wellington is found in the park near his home.

The Neighbours is one of those stories that grabs you from the first page and doesn’t let go. From the mother daughter dynamic to the neighbourhood everything was well written. If you enjoy character-driven thrillers with lots of twists and turns, this one’s a must-read.

Thank you Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for gifting me a copy of this book for my honest book review.

Plenty to enjoy in this twisty psychological thriller, set in a Sydney suburb, where Liv's neighbour, Richard, is found dead in the local park where Liv's teenage daughter Gracie goes running every morning. Gracie is acting weird and Liv - fearing that she may have been involved - sets out to find out more and direct the police's attention away from Gracie. An old acquaintance, Meredith, recently arrived in the neighbourhood, also seems to be overly involved both with Liv and with Gracie. What's her story?

I really got into this thriller, intrigued to find out what had happened. The narrative is full of tantalising hints that put the reader on the track, but without creating a full picture until the end, so it keeps you guessing.

The writing is good, with well drawn characters, convincing dialogue and good pacing. Meredith especially keeps you guessing: is she a benevolent or malevolent person and what are her intentions? The victim, Richard, is an arrogant shit who probably got what was coming to him, but what actually happened?

There were aspects of the plot that were a little far-fetched, and some red herrings thrown in a little bit clumsily, but overall this is an intriguing story and a good read.

Who can Liv trust? And is anyone telling her the complete truth? Liv's neighbor, a well-known surgeon, has been killed in the park where her daughter runs every morning. Dr. Wellington certainly had plenty of secrets of his own! Is Liv's daughter, Gracie, hiding the truth about what really happened in the park on that fateful morning? Meanwhile, a face from Liv's past has moved back to town. Has Meredith simply returned home to Sydney, or does she have ulterior motives for moving just down the street from Liv? Even Liv's elderly parents seem to be hiding some secrets about Liv's own family.

The Neighbours is a fun read that kept me turning the pages to find out what secrets were being kept from Liv. As several story lines converge, the twists keep coming. Emma Babbington does a wonderful job creating interesting characters in a quick storyline. That along with her twisty plot kept me interested and reading. A great debut novel that has me looking forward to what Babbington will bring us next!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a terrific domestic thriller set in an affluent Australian neighborhood, with seemingly perfect residents. A suspicious demise of a local surgeon send the entire community into a tailspin, and a mother’s love is tested to the limit. A remarkable thriller!

OMG! What have I just read! This book is amazing!!! I loved the storyline, I loved the characters, the good ones & the bad ones. There's so many twists and turns, this book will have you staying up reading well into the night. I read this in one sitting. Definitely 5 stars from me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story is OK. But I found that there were just some parts which didn't make sense and didn't seem logical.

Thank you NetGalley, the author and publisher for granting me an ARC of The Neighbours.

Not sure how I feel about this one. It had enough going for it that I was happy to keep reading, but it didn’t grab me and pull me in.

I enjoyed the storyline and liked how you got flashes of what happened that morning, from different characters, without knowing the full story until near the end. Also the double twist and reveal was a big hit!

I wasn’t keen really on any of the main characters, and the teenage daughter, Gracie, was a real brat. Disappearing overnight and not telling anyone where she was when there’s a potential murderer on the loose in the neighbourhood! I would not be happy if my child did that, whatever the reason!

Overall though, a decent 4 star read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5 stars)

I FREAKING LOVED THIS BOOK. The Neighbours is the kind of thriller that grabs you by the throat and does not let go. Twisty, tense, and totally addictive, this murder mystery had my jaw on the floor more than once. The pacing? Perfect. The characters? Complex and layered. The stakes? SKY. HIGH.

I was especially hooked by the mother-daughter dynamic—Liv’s desperation to protect Gracie felt so raw and real, and every time a new secret unraveled, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. If you love domestic thrillers that are sharp, suspenseful, and leave you screaming “just one more chapter” at 2AM, this is your next obsession.

This one did not hook me like I thought it would. Nothing really came together, things felt a little jumbled up and it just never fully grabbed me.

This book was very good. It was very reflective because we all have annoying neighbors or a neighbors that my same funny acting or do crazy things that we might not like so I kind of enjoyed it. It was an OK.

Amazing! I love the twists, and how the characters intertwine. Truly excellent author, whose characters come to life so well! Highly recommend this addictive read.

After a well known doctor, who is a plastic surgeon and a TV celebrity, is found dead in a park near an expensive residential area, rumours fly about what lies behind his murder. Because this victim was not a likeable man.

Predatory behaviour with his female colleagues, sued for the untimely death of one of his patients, unkind treatment of his long suffering wife, lusting after the teenage daughter of one of his neighbours - it is safe to say there are plenty of people happy to see him gone. Though they are less pleased at the idea of a possible murderer on the loose in their neighbourhood...

Featuring a cleverly crafted mystery with strong, well drawn characters, this is an absorbing read. Well worth your time.

unfortunately having to dnf this one!

the premise sounded interesting but unfortunately it hasn’t hooked me

writing style and storyline not keeping me engaged

thankyou to netgalley for the eArc and the opportunity

When a neighbour is murdered on his morning run, Liv is worried her daughter, who also goes for morning runs is involved, and she will do anything to keep her safe.

Liv is relentless in finding out the truth, and finding someone to blame for Richard’s death, besides her daughter who says she didn’t do it. How far will a mother go to keep her child safe, and what did really happen to Richard?

Domestic thriller. Liv and family, with ageing memory troubled sick parents, with a past with a new newish our, with working at the hospital with Richard as well. A mess of every day secrets. It was enjoyable, enough, but some lingering questions and inconsistencies left me feeling not fully satisfied. Overall good, not great.

My synopsis: Set in Sydney, Liv and Andy have a 19 year old daughter Gracie. One of their new neighbours on the street is Meredith, who works at the same hospital as Liv too.
Meredith was known as the weird girl in school. She was consistently bullied, and wildly envious of Liv. Meredith would babysit Liv (even though there was only 18 months between them in age). She would regularly write letters to Liv in hopes of becoming her friend, and would even picture herself in Liv’s place at the dining table surrounded by loving parents.
A body is found in a body of water at a park. It is identified as Richard, a famous plastic surgeon and tv show ‘Morning!’ resident medical expert, who also lives on the same street as Liv’s family and Meredith.
The timeline swaps between 1989 as Liv and Meredith as teens, 2024 a year before the murder and the lead up to it, and 2025 the murder investigation.

“There’s a murderer on the loose in our neighbourhood.”

My review: I thought this was a solid crime book and great storytelling. It had lots of layers of subplots of the famous parents, dementia, abuse and SA within the main plot which kept it interesting. I liked the addition of letters from Meredith, it made you feel sorry and empathise with her. I really rooted for Liv and Meredith.
Swapping between the timeline never became confusing which is great, and there weren’t too many characters where it becomes overwhelming. The dad Andy and the mention of Desi felt a bit pointless in the plot to me. I found Gracie a slightly frustrating character, maybe if she was a younger teenager her attitude could make more sense? I also felt the two main plot twists were predictable, including the reveal of the killer.
I think if you enjoy a thriller and crime you’ll love this book!

Wow, The Neighbours was an excellent debut in my opinion. I loved the characters and their backstories. Thank you NetGalley and HQ for this advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was right up my street!! I absolutely loved everything about it.... except.... it was a bit slow at times! But noines perfect so well forgive the book for that and focus on all the amazing parts I loved the overall plot although the 50 sub plots intermingled did get a bit confusing at times. It is well plotted out though so they all come together well and slot in together without it all feeling too messy. The characters are brought to life well and everything is well plotted out with twists and turns in the most perfect places. I love series like big little lies and this book very much had those vibes

Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the ARC!

I think this book really had a strong start, but as we get into the middle chunk of the book, it feels like it is dragging. I really liked the characters and the exploration of their relationships and suspicions throughout the book. I think the dual timeline could have been handled better and been more. exciting, personally. It would drag or get too convoluted throughout the book, especially with some of the plot lines that did not really feel like they were needed to help push the story along. Gracie and Meredith were interesting characters, and I like how we only got glimpses of Gracie through other POVs, even though there was such a focus on her.

The twists were good and it did manage to hold me into the story for the most part, but I think it could have been better-paced, so 3 stars overall!