**** SPOILER ALERT****

This one went down hard. I couldn't get into this at first.....by the time things get interesting, I was over halfway through the book.

The long short.....a couple...Jack and Sydney.....are buying a home...basically, they got a deal that seems to good to be true. You soon realize this isn't a fairytale couple....Sydney has a dark past filled with drug abuse, a dead sister and a severely abusive Father, who is currently in prison.

Sydney meets a young girl in the neighborhood who is also being abused. Weird things start happening...the storyline leads you to believe they could be paranormal....instead, you soon learn Sydneys Father is out of prison and harassing them. Plot twist and drama ensue. All said and done, it comes to light that Sydney killed Elsie dad to frame her Father.

The problems?......where do I start?....Lets see, the characters were unlikable.....Jack was the only somewhat redeeming addition....but even he was annoying in his weakness. Sydney is supposed to be a victim, but she just comes across as a whiney and entitled psychopath. The fact that you're obviously supposed to sympathize with her, and end the book on a happy note...her and Jack survived, they're still together, Elsie is safe..... all is well that ends well....just doesn't sit right. She planted evidence against her boyfriend at the crime scene....had her little plan backfired, he would have spent his life in prison for murder......just so she could get revenge on her dad and kill Elsie's? Why is this ok? There's also the fact that she still talks and thinks like a psychopath!

Nope, I ended up just feeling aggravated and disappointed with this one. ( )

Honestly I didn't really care for the way this book started off, written in the form of a journal, switching back and forth between Jack's point of view and then Syd's. A few times I wasn't even sure which point of view I was reading. I was considering giving up on it. I'm glad I stayed with it,

Jack and Syd were two broken people before they found each other. Now happily in love and moved into their new home it seems like maybe life will turn out ok after all. Except for that foul smell of death in the attic and the strange box hidden towards the back. Then there's the sound of footsteps where nobody should be walking, and the neighbor who threatens you for daring to be nice to his abused daughter. Something from the past has followed the couple to their new home and it's not the welcome wagon. This was a dark and twisty psychological thriller and the ending took me by surprise.
I received an advance copy for review ( )

Taut, fast-faced psychological thriller, but I wish there was just a tad more. ( )

The Short of It:

You might have a pre-conceived notion about what this book is about but you’d be wrong.

The Rest of It:

Jack and Syd find their dream home. It’s way outside of their means, but after the open house where couple after couple put in their offers, they toss theirs in as well thinking they don’t have a chance in hell of it being accepted but why not?

Well, it’s accepted.

The house is large and majestic in the way large, neglected homes are. It’s has good bones and potential but Jack and Syd can’t shake the feeling that something is off. When Jack goes into the attic to find the source of a strange smell, he discovers something and from there, one bad thing after another happens.

This was a good story but it’s not all “creepy house” and woo-woo if you get my drift. I think it’s marketed to be that way and in all honesty, the title doesn’t quite fit the story. It took a long time for something to happen and it wasn’t until 100 pages in that I began to really look forward to reading it. This is one of those reads where if you give it time, it does pay off in the end. There are some twists and interesting choices made with character and plot but ones that had me turning those pages. Overall, I enjoyed it.

For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter. ( )

The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic is a unique, chilling and suspenseful novel.

Jack Walsh and Sydney "Syd" Baker are amazed their bid on a sought after house in London was accepted. One of the major downsides of their move into their new home is they must clean out the previous owner's belongings. Although Syd is completely in love with their new dwelling, Jack cannot shake the uncomfortable feeling that all is not right with their purchase. Eerie sounds, a nasty discovery and a puzzling box soon take a backseat as they and their home fall under intense scrutiny of Detective Inspector Karen Leigh and her partner DC Granger. When their lives begin taking a sudden downward spiral, will Syd and Jack emerge from their troubles unscathed?

The first part of the novel alternates between Syd and Jack's points of view. Jack is the only child of middle class parents whose approval remains elusive. Syd has a very troubled background that has drastically improved over the four years she has been with Jack. While Jack decides to dig into the circumstances of the previous owner's decision to sell the house, Syd becomes close to thirteen year old Elsie Payne who lives with her father in the house across the way.

The second part of the story focuses more on the police interest in Syd and Jack. Both Jack and Syd have been withholding information from one another that comes out once they take their suspicions about some of the strange occurrences at their new home to the police. Jack is a little disturbed by DI Leigh's ability to accurately read him and use this knowledge to her advantage. Syd is distrustful once she receives shocking information and she is angered by the police reaction to their revelations.

The New Neighbors is a puzzling mystery with some very creepy elements and an unusual narrative style. Syd and Jack are interesting characters with very different life experiences. Simon Lelic brilliantly keeps readers guessing who (or what) is responsible for the mysterious goings on in the couple's new home. With plenty of shocking twists and unexpected turns, the tension builds to a fever pitch as the novel hurtles to a stunning conclusion. Fans of the genre do not want to miss this outstanding suspense-laden mystery!
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