Review: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic

Title: The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic
Publisher:Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense
Length: 349 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

The Girl Before meets The Couple Next Door in a Hitchcockian thriller about a couple who moves into their dream neighborhood only to discover nothing is as it seems…

The perfect couple. The perfect house. The perfect crime.

Londoners Jack and Syd found their dream home: lots of space, a great location, and a friendly owner who wanted a young couple to have it.

Everything is exactly what they hoped for when they move in–except Jack makes a disturbing discovery in the attic, and Syd begins to wonder about the girl next door. And they each keep the other in the dark.

A mistake.

Because someone has just been killed outside their back door, and now the police are watching them.

This is their chance to prove they’re innocent–or to get away with murder.

Whose story do you believe?

Review:

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!