Beth is a CIA analyst living an idyllic life on a quiet, suburban cul-de-sac, and she's been working tirelessly to uncover the identity of an Iranian intelligence agent known as "The Neighbor." While at work, "The Neighbor's" identity remains a mystery, at home, Beth knows her own neighbors (many of them CIA themselves) inside and out.
Or does she?
When Beth's life is upended in more ways than one, she's left questioning everything she thought she knew about the people on her cul-de-sac and even within her own four walls.
What ensues in "The New Neighbor" is an entertaining, espionage-centered domestic thriller, with Beth at the center as our unreliable narrator. While I love a good domestic thriller and somehow never find myself growing bored with them, the espionage/CIA theme in this one didn't hold my interest the way I hoped it would. This plot, once the stage is set and the story gets moving, delivers twist-after-twist and some stressful suspense as Beth works to uncover the identity of "The Neighbor" and protect the people she loves most.
Ultimately, I had to suspend belief more than I would've liked with the big twist here (how on earth? Why? Who, again?), and I never found myself totally bought into Beth's identity as a revered CIA analyst. She read as paranoid, case-obsessed, and said the words "neighbor" and "cul-de-sac" more times than ever would have been necessary. I was entertained throughout but can't say this read was terribly remarkable for me.
Rating: 3 Stars
Publication Details: Out 7/26/2022, Random House
Huge thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing my review copy!
