I really think this is the most well written book I’ve ever read! I felt like I was in the scenes with the characters because of the way Susanna Beard wrote. I loved everything about this book and can’t wait to read more by the author! Thank you to Netgalley & the publisher for this pre-release in exchange for my honest review.

EXCERPT: After a few minutes of calling and listening, there's a scuffle a few feet away and Ruff appears, soaked through and muddy, his tail wagging furiously, his nose to the ground.

"Ruff, you rascal - come here! Come. I've got treats, come..." She doesn't have treats. That was another mistake. Or a lead. But she's here now and she must get him, or suffer the humiliation of being seen in this muddy and disheveled state. She ventures after him into the bushes.

"There you are."

Ruff looks up at her, his tail high, tongue hanging. He's panting with excitement. Dark earth is scattered around his mud-caked feet, the beginnings of a hole dangerously close to a well-tended shrub. He looks filthy - that's going to make things worse getting back over the fence.

"Come here, come!" She reaches for him, but he's too quick. He darts around her, trotting towards the house, dipping in and out of the flower beds. Cursing softly, she gives chase along the manicured lawn, keeping her head down, hoping there's nobody looking from the blank windows of the house. Her wellies make an odd flumping noise as she runs. She corners him by a low wall, and to her relief he surrenders and sits, his eyes full of guilt. She bends to gather him up. As she straightens, despite herself, her eyes are drawn towards the house.

Something's moving in a first-floor window. A young, white-faced girl, jumping and gesticulating, holds a sign against the window. She's trying to say something, her mouth wide with urgency.

The sign says, in big bold letters: HELP ME.

Beth is transfixed, staring upwards at the house while Ruff struggles in her arms. In the girl's eyes she sees despair, panic, hope. She knows, instinctively, that this is no teenage prank. She lifts her free hand in acknowledgment, turns and hurries back down the garden.

ABOUT 'THE PERFECT NEIGHBOUR': Beth wants to love her new home on a quiet suburban street. She wishes she could make friends with her beautiful neighbour Oksana. She longs for a new group of friends. Welcoming neighbours to visit. Coffee dates and dinner parties.

But life here feels so closed. Then Beth runs into Oksana’s garden one day to fetch her runaway dog, and she sees something shocking that makes her wonder who her new neighbours really are.

A girl in the window.
A pale desperate face.
A hastily scribbled sign bearing only two words.

HELP ME.

Who is the girl? What are the neighbours hiding?

Sometimes, it’s the most perfect neighbours that hide the most terrible secrets.

MY THOUGHTS: Why wouldn't you just call the police? Just pick up the phone and call them....

Sorry, but this book frustrated me. Beth was such a moron as far as taking action went. Other than her shillyshallying around, I liked her. But on with the book . . .

The Perfect Neighbour gets off to a slow start. It is told from the points of view of both Beth and Sofia. By the time I got to the extract above I was, quite frankly, bored. There is no mystery, no suspense.

While I applaud the author for tackling this very topical subject, this missed the mark for me. A very average read, and definitely not a psychological thriller.

⭐⭐.4

#ThePerfectNeighbour #NetGalley

#contemporaryfiction #crime #domesticdrama

THE AUTHOR: Thriller writer Susanna is fascinated by human relationships. She can be found people-watching wherever she goes, finding material for her writing. Despite the writer’s life, she has an adventurous streak and has swum with whale sharks in Australia, fallen down a crevasse in the French Alps and walked through the sewers of Brighton - not in that order.

Her passions include animals — particularly her dogs — walking in the countryside and tennis, which clears her brain of pretty much everything.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Joffe Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Perfect Neighbour by Susanna Beard for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

A tense and heartbreaking story, this novel is an engrossing read covering an important topic. I wouldn't really call it a thriller, domestic or otherwise, so don't go into this one expecting a heart-racing, page-flipping read, but it is a worthwhile read.

I've read a LOT of thrillers, especially domestic thrillers so I am quite hard to please. Unfortunately, The Perfect Neighbour missed the mark for me. Whilst the idea was there, it ended up being very predictable and falling flat at the end. I did like that it explored modern-day slavery, something that's not spoken about much. It was also an easy fast-paced read but not my favourite thriller by any stretch.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book, although I did find it a little predictable. Very sad in places, still an engrossing and enjoyable read.

A little far fetched but a good read all the same. First book I've read by this author and I will look for more.
This book is quite dark at times . A bit sad , very intriguing . If you enjoy psychology this is the book for you.

This was a decent read, but lacked the suspense I would expect in a psychological thriller. The story shifts between the POV of Beth, who moves to a new neighborhood in the suburbs; and Sofia, who has been forced in to domestic slavery by a wealthy neighbor, Oksana. Beth and Oksana never become friends, making the synopsis a little misleading, but Beth is curious about her based on her standoffish attitude, and then sees what looks like a signal for help from her house. Sofia's storyline is pretty straightforward- though I felt for her, there weren't a lot of surprises.

This was a fairly quick read, as there was action throughout, but there were no twists. I kept trying to create twists in my head, only to find that the story was really very straightforward. Both Beth and Sofia are characters with whom the reader can empathize, and I rooted for both.

Overall, OK read but if you are expecting major surprises, you won't find them here. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I applaud the author for writing such a story. Bringing attention to the horror of modern slavery. There are a few surprises in this book making it very interesting. I found it well written. I couldn’t wait for get to the end to see how everything would turn out. Nicely done!

I really enjoyed this book. It was an incredible easy read due to being thoroughly engrossed in the story and wanting to find out what happened!
What would you do if you went into a neighbor's yard looking for your dog and you see a girl in the upstairs window holding a sign that says "Help Me"? That woman that sees it is Beth. She immediately goes to the police and they don't take her seriously until Beth sees her again. She will not rest until the police go to her neighbor's house and find out who this woman is.
There are so many twists and turns in this book, it is hard to put down. If you like psychological thrillers, this is the book for you!
I would recommend.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

If you are looking for a book that has a massive climax at the end then this book is not for you. A slim read that has no fat. It has a couple of threads that run simultaneously and weave together. Never read this author before but would read again. Good story.

I chose to quit reading this one over 100 pages in. There are two timelines and both of them were slow, with little suspense. The writing style was urgent (with short sentences and quicker pace), but almost no plot a third of the way in, which made it a difficult read.
If you like slow-burn thriller, then this is for you!

ARC given in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story line and how the book shines a light on larger problems going on secretly in most communities. The book is well written and hard to put down, easy to read in a single sitting. I enjoyed getting two different women’s viewpoints and narratives. Please people, introduce yourselves to your neighbors and get to know them! You never know what could be going on right on the other side of the fence.

Beth and her family move to an exclusive suburb after something that has happened to Beth in the past so that she wants a new start. Unlike her old neighbours who were all very friendly, this area is full of high fences and people who keep to themselves. But Beth decides to invite the neighbours over for a meet and greet and it’s here that she meets her immediate next door neighbour Oksana who looks and dresses like a model.
Soon after this event Beth’s dog finds a hole in the shrubbery and escapes into Oksana’s garden. Beth’s son retrieves the dog but notices a young girl in the window of an upper storey. Who is she and why didn’t Oksana mention her?
The story is told from the point of view of Beth and Sofia alternatively. An interesting mystery that is neatly wrapped up although the role of the gardener seems improbable.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. This was my first book by Susanna Beard and I thought it was really good. It was a great psychological thriller. It was a short, quick read. I enjoyed the way the chapters switched back and forth between Beth and Sofia. I will mention the trigger warnings for human trafficking and abuse. At times it was difficult to read about it because unfortunately we live in a world where these horrible things do exist. The only reason I didn’t give it a full 5 stars is because I expected a more exciting ending. I feel as though the book’s ending was satisfying to a point, but I just expected something bigger to happen…I was waiting for a big “omg moment” but it never really happened. Overall though I still definitely recommend this book which was just released on 9/30/21.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

To see other reviews I’ve left, check out my Instagram and Goodreads pages:
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Although I enjoyed the pretence of this book and the different type of thriller, I just feel it fell short for myself.

'The Perfect Neighbor': 3⭐

(Unpaid Review: thank you @netgalley, @susannabeard and @joffeebooks for allowing me to read this eArc copy in exchange for a review.)

Here's the thing about thrillers: I hardly read any but the ones that I think I'll like. This one had such an interesting premise and the cover is very appealing. It starts absolutely incredible but then loses its appeal a bit.

A heart breaking read about human trafficking. Beth recently moved to a new area and wants to get to know her neighbours. But her neighbours Oksana and Keith are not so friendly. One day, Ruff, Beth's dog, goes into her garden. Whilst trying to catch him, Beth see a young girl at one of the upstairs window, holding up a sign, HELP ME. A very gripping read from Beth and the young girl's point of view.

I really enjoyed this book; it was an easy read with not too many characters being introduced all at once. It brings you into the story nice and slowly and gets you hooked.
When Beth moves into a new home in a wealthy neighbourhood and wants nothing more than to get to know her neighbours, however Oksana, the Russian beauty who lives next door is trying her hardest to keep everyone out. Just what is it that she is hiding? When Beth’s dog escapes into her neighbour’s garden she sees more than she should.
The book itself is written from the points of view of both Beth and Sofia which I will admit to being conflicted on. On the one hand I really like the way we get to uncover the back stories of both characters; you get to find out all they are thinking and how they came to be where they are today. On the other hand, if it was told from just the point of view of Beth then it would have kept me guessing as to whether Sofia is all she is making out to be. It is definitely more a thriller than a mystery.
This story is both heart wrenching and heart-warming. I would highly recommend reading.

I really loved this book!! It had so many twists and turns. It kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next!! This was my first book by this Author, and it won’t be the last!! Quick read!! Highly recommended!! You won’t be disappointed!!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book

I found this to be a bit of a slow burner. The storyline was good, but I personally felt these was some depth missing at the beginning.

The last quarter is very face paced.

For a debut book, it is good and I can see this author developing her own style with lots of great things to come