What the Neighbors Saw

by Melissa Adelman

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Ginasbookreport Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Mystery / Thriller / Domestic Thriller
Read This If You Love: Shari Lapena novels

“I have crossed paths with many women like Blair. They exude the confidence that must come from never having been deprived of anything…”

Sam and Alexis buy their dream home in an upscale DC neighborhood full of massive homes and even more massive bank accounts. Soon enough, they discover their home is a money pit of renovations and the neighborhood is full of troubles, too. Neighbor Blair’s husband Teddy ends up dead off the trail that runs along the houses. On maternity leave, Alexis finds herself trying to hold together her crumbling marriage and house while paranoia and fear is building around her. Who killed Teddy and who is next? 

This is a fast little domestic mystery novel that will make for immersive poolside reading. An examination of our perception of society gets tossed with a whodunnit that meshes Desperate Housewives vibes with the feel of a Shari Lapena novel. The last 25% of this one will have people talking.

This book falls into a rash of new books where crime comes to visit wealthy neighborhoods. Compared to others I’ve read, this one holds more of a mystery with surprises than the other neighborhood mystery books. I do find it interesting that these books are popping up post-pandemic. It feels like the authors were musing on what was happening in the big beautiful homes that the families might not want known. Unlike some other domestic thrillers, this one “landed the plane,” so to speak. The ending was the strongest section of the book, imo. 

Side note: Alexis and Blair both discussed designing and home decor a lot and, while it wasn’t absolutely crucial to the story, I enjoyed these little asides.