Review | Good Neighbours

by Sarah Langan

Published : 13th July 2021

Publisher : TitanBooks

Format : Kindle, Paperback

Genre : Psychological Thriller

{ 𝐚𝐝: 𝐩𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 / 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐜 }

* All words highlighted in Grey are affiliate links to either purchase from a range of sellers or links to the authors sites. Where ever possible I will try and provide different versions of the book on all purchase sites.

Synopsis

A sudden tragedy pits neighbour against neighbour and puts one family in terrible danger.

Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world.

But when the Wilde family moves in, they trigger their neighbours' worst fears. Arlo and Gertie and their weird kids don't fit with the way Maple Street sees itself.

As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and neighbourhood Queen Bee Rhea's daughter Shelly falls inside.

The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes. Suddenly, it is one mother's word against the other's in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.

A riveting and ruthless portrayal of suburbia, Good Neighbours excavates the perils and betrayals of motherhood and friendships and the dangerous clash between social hierarchy, childhood trauma, and fear.

Thank you @Titanbooks for this stunning copy and totally unputdownable read

My Review

It's a nightmare in plain sight. We ask ourselves how an upstanding community could conspire toward murder of an entire family, and we can make no sense of it.

Hofsta University Press, 2043

This is a story about a seemingly quiet neighbourhood that suffers a horrible incident of a sink hole opening up in their local park.

Think Stepford Wives, everyone is friendly, all follow the Queen Bee resident and there is even a local what’s app chat for the residents of Maple Street.

Except it’s anything but that. Rhea Schroeder is the Queen Bee. She wants everyone to see that she is perfect, when in reality her home life is anything but. Her marriage is of convenience and the children know this. She is a master manipulator and uses her talents on the entire neighbourhood.

Perfection is riled though when The Wilde’s move in. They are loud, living to there means and totally different.

Gertie is a beauty pageant, her children are a bit wild and her husband is a rocker.

Despite their differences Rhea befriends Gertie after seeing her as someone she can mould but one night after to much wine, Rhea spills the truth about her home life and how she feels so suffocated as a parent, Gertie try’s to pretend it she said nothing the next day to save her friends embarrassment but this back fires and the claws come out for Rhea. She is he’ll bent on turning the whole street on The Wilds, even the children, who were best friends get caught up in the nastiness until it eventually all comes to a head.

Why I Loved It

This is a fantastic thrilling read. Friends become enemies, nastiness is spilled around the whole street like water and when Rhea spills poison in her daughters ear, she in turns becomes very nasty to Her best friend, Julia Wilde.

This is an utterly terrifying and extremely clever story. The characters personalities are literally fizzing with hatred, anger, resentment and fear.

If you have ever feared what could go wrong on your seemingly perfect street then look no further then The Good Neighbours. It will send shivers down your spine.

I have been recommending this one to everyone that will listen and can not wait for her next book!!!

✨Thank you @titanbooks for this fantastic read and blog spot✨

#TitanTBR 🤞🏻😀

Rating

★★★★★

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Meet the author

Sarah grew up on Long Island, in a town called Garden City, but not on a crescent bordering a park.

She got her MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, and also received her Master’s in Environmental Health Science/Toxicology from New York University.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters.

She’s received three Bram-Stoker awards, and her work has often been included in best-of-the year lists and anthologies. She’s a founding board member of the Shirley Jackson Awards, and works in both film and prose.