THE NEIGHBOR

Author: Lisa Gardner ISBN: 9780553591903 6/2010 SUSPENSE/THRILLER Publisher: BANTAM

A young mother, blond and pretty, vanishes from her South Boston home, leaving behind only one witness—her four-year-old daughter—and one suspect—her handsome, secretive husband.   From the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses’ snug little bungalow, instinct tells her that something is seriously off with the wholesome image the couple has worked so hard to create.    With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and a media firestorm building, D.D. must decide whether Jason Jones is hiding his guilt—or just trying to hide. But first she must stand between a potential killer and his next victim—an innocent child who may have seen too much.

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

THE NEIGHBOR is a psychological thriller masterpiece!

Jason Jones’ life falls apart one night when he arrives home to find his beautiful wife and cat missing, yet his four-year-old daughter is sleeping in her bed. Very few signs of a struggle are evident, and all her things are present. What happens in these cases? The husband becomes the suspect, and Jason Jones is man with many secrets.

Gardner has done her research, and this novel feels like a heightened version of exactly what could happen in real life. Characters are very well-rounded with their complete life histories coming in to play. I especially liked the handling of Ree, the young daughter.

One interesting aspect that Gardner does beautifully—the multiple viewpoints. Are these narrators reliable or not? Despite the length of the book, you will barrel through to find out the truth.

You’ll visit familiar characters from previous books, like D. D. Warren’s ex, Bobby Dodge, but THE NEIGHBOR is completely standalone.

Heather Hiestand