Thanks to HQ and NetGalley for the ARC!

I think this book really had a strong start, but as we get into the middle chunk of the book, it feels like it is dragging. I really liked the characters and the exploration of their relationships and suspicions throughout the book. I think the dual timeline could have been handled better and been more. exciting, personally. It would drag or get too convoluted throughout the book, especially with some of the plot lines that did not really feel like they were needed to help push the story along. Gracie and Meredith were interesting characters, and I like how we only got glimpses of Gracie through other POVs, even though there was such a focus on her.

The twists were good and it did manage to hold me into the story for the most part, but I think it could have been better-paced, so 3 stars overall!

Thank you Netgally and HQ for this arc.
I feel like this book is just okay. I feel like there are way too many subplot weaved within and honestly the timeline is throwing me off. It does pick up in anticipation about 70% into the book. The big reveal happened, I did predict it and honestly it was a bit anticlimatic, I do feel like it was dragged out. So perhaps a 2.5⭐️

Thank you so much to HQ and NetGalley for this ARC!

This is how you debut! 👏🏼 I found this book to be intriguing and mysterious. I read it in a single sitting and loved the twists and turns. It did have its slow points but I felt when it picked up we were off to the races. I can't wait to see what Emma Babbington gives us next.

This book hooked me in right from the start and I finished it in a couple of hours. The pacing was good the twists were good and the suspense was good. I really enjoyed it

this book is a gripping psychological thriller that revolves around Liv Elliot, a mother who is certain her daughter, Gracie, didn't murder their neighbor, Dr. Richard Wellington. But when his body is found in a park, the investigation reveals disturbing secrets, and Liv is forced to protect her daughter at all costs. As the pressure builds, Liv's actions may risk everything, raising the question: How far would a mother go to shield her child from a truth that could destroy them both?

When the body of renowned plastic surgeon and TV personality Richard Wellington is found, with foul play suspected, it sends his neighborhood into a tailspin. Liv is only concerned with making sure her daughter Gracie, who was at the park the morning of Richard's death, is not implicated and will do anything to make sure she is safe, but is she putting them all at risk?

At first I thought the book was going be a rather cut-and-paste thriller, but there were quite a few twists and turns that kept things interesting. The characters are well defined and believable and the location in Australia depicted in the summer delivers loads of heat to the tale. A solid whodunnit. 3.5 stars.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

The Neighbours: 3 Stars 👟🪨👯‍♀️

Starting with a disclaimer: I’m a tougher critic when it comes to thrillers since I’ve read so many over the years! If I had to sum this one up in a word, I’d say it was solid—not amazing, but solid.

What I liked: There’s a strong focus on the characters and the central question of who committed the murder (not a spoiler!). That focus helped build characters I was invested in—and suspicious of—without being able to quickly guess the killer. I also really liked the setting—a neighborhood in Sydney, AU. It added depth to the plot without overwhelming it. I wasn’t trying to remember a million locations, which I appreciate in a thriller. I also really enjoyed it when we got to how the murder happened. I loved the detail here and how it was more than just one single moment. It gave the story some legs and I appreciated the depth here.

What didn’t work as well for me: The story dragged a bit before getting to the hook. There’s early suspicion around Meredith and Gracie, but we don’t get anything concrete on that front until over halfway through. I get that the pacing was likely designed to make the final twist hit harder—but that left the middle feeling like filler. I ended up skimming some paragraphs and still didn’t feel like I missed much. And while the ending tied things up, I was hoping for a bigger jaw-drop moment. I felt like I was missing something based on the synopsis of this book. Hard to explain without spoilers, but if you read it and feel the same—let me know!

All that said, I did enjoy this. Yes, it had flaws for me, but I had a good time reading it and would still recommend giving a go!

Oooooohieeeee what a rollercoaster + what a debut from Emma Babbington! The Neighbours grabbed me from the moment I read the blurb and it did not disappoint. I clocked some potential twists and others I didn’t see until they were right in front of me. Brilliant! The pacing was a little off in places but overall it worked!

Thank you so much to HQ + NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Neighbours before it’s released on 19th June 2025! I can’t wait to listen to this on audiobook when it’s released. I also can’t wait to see what Emma Babbington does next, an auto read author for me from here on out!

Twisty, tense, and brimming with moral gray areas, The Neighbours delivers a compulsively readable domestic thriller that asks the ultimate question: how well do you really know your child?

Emma Babbington crafts a gripping mystery around the murder of a high-profile doctor found dead in a harborside park—and the ripple effects that spread through a seemingly peaceful cul-de-sac. At the heart of it is Liv Elliot, a mother caught between loyalty and fear as suspicion begins to circle her teenage daughter, Gracie. The strength of this novel lies in that claustrophobic blend of parental instinct and growing doubt—Liv’s internal tug-of-war is rendered with a sharp emotional edge.

The pacing is brisk, the chapters short and propulsive, and the suburban setting is weaponized perfectly: nosy neighbors, media frenzy, and secrets buried beneath polite smiles. The unraveling of Dr. Wellington’s polished image adds a juicy layer of suspense, revealing just how many people might have had a reason to want him dead.

While a few plot turns stretch believability and secondary characters could have used more depth, the central mystery is tightly executed. Fans of Big Little Lies, The Push, or Defending Jacob will devour this.

This book was okay, but the overlapping plot lines never really came together the way the author clearly wanted them to.

I enjoyed this book however it felt incredibly slow. By the 60% mark I found myself skim reading a fair bit to get to something that would move the plot along.

I did enjoy the ending and would recommend this as an easy read, but would have liked it to be a bit more fast paced

Absolute dynamite.

When a wealthy surgeon is killed Liv has to think the worst, and in this case the worst case scenario is: Her daughter Gracie killed him.

I haven’t read a book with such well developed characters in a long time and this book manages to match that with a fast, clever plot.

For beach reads or for late night reads, I would just say read it!

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed.  I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.



****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****

Ok - wow. I could not put this down! The twists and turns - I did NOT see them coming!

In Sydney, Australia, plastic surgeon Richard Wellington is found murdered in a local park. A park where lots of people, including his neighbour Liv’s 19 year old daughter, Gracie, run. When Gracie returns from her run on that fateful day, she’s muddy & agitated. Liv doesn’t want to think it - but was Gracie involved…? We see how a mother would do anything to protect her daughter.

From beginning to end, The Neighbours by Emma Babbington was a dark and deceitful delicious little thrill-ride. Secrets hid in the alleyways weaving between the homes of this tale and each character presented me with a new sensation of unease and uncertainty. Beneath the steamy Sydney sun, witnessing this tale unfold was exhilarating, and I think Babbington did an excellent job of tugging me in and refusing to let go.

In this story, readers are introduced to a host of interesting characters, though I feel Liv and Meredith take centre stage. Now neighbours, it becomes clear to readers that these women knew each other when they were younger, and there is a strange tension between them, though the reasoning behind this tension remains unclear. Chapter by chapter, the author takes us back and forth in time, switching between narratives also, allowing us a complete 360 view of the history between the women. I love this structure and Babbington achieves it beautifully.

As the plot thickens, and news of the murder of Richard Wellington begins to surround everyone and everything, the pace quickens and suspicions begin to arise. Tension becomes even tighter when Liv realises that her daughter Gracie potentially may have crossed paths with the murder victim on the morning he was killed.

From here, an intricate and perfectly woven tale begins to unravel and the discovery of the truth of what really binds these women slowly begins to surface. I loved the mystery of this story, the intrigue that held me captive throughout, the constant anxiety that spread throughout the pages. With so many twists and turns, I was forever on the edge wondering where the author would take me next. I loved the depth of the characters, the hidden history between Liv and Meredith, the secrets, the vividness of the Sydney setting. It was all so brilliantly constructed and from chapter to chapter, especially towards the finale, the tension was enough to make me combust! I could not wait for the truth to be revealed, and I enjoyed every second of build-up to that moment.

The ending, too, was incredibly satisfying. Babbington tied up her tale with a neat little bow, and I could finally take a breath of relief that all had been dealt with.

Overall, this was highly satisfying and exciting story from Emma Babbington. Gripping, addictive, and fast-paced, and poses the question, "How well do you know your neighbours?" Bravo, Emma. I'll definitely be looking forward to reading more of your work in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Hq digital for the opportunity to review The Neighbors by Emma Babbington.
Liv’s neighbor Richard Wellington is not a nice guy. He’s a misogynist, who as a successful plastic surgeon and TV personality, thinks that he can get away with just about anything. That is until he is found murdered in the park in his own neighborhood on an early morning run.
For a man like Richard, the list of suspects are pretty lengthy. There’s Martin, who has on multiple occasions threatened Richard’s life after his wife died in surgery, Meredith, Liv’’s childhood friend who became a bit too obsessed with her and her family, and has mysteriously returned back into their lives, as well as Liv’’s own 19-year-old daughter. Liv suspects she went running in the park that morning and refuses to talk about what happened that day.
Liv doesn’t know for certain what happened but knows she must do what she can to protect her daughter, even if it means handling things a bit unconventionally.
This book is filled with twists and dark secrets not only amongst neighbors, but even by those Liv thought she trusted the most.
You will not be able to out this one down.

One of the neighbors is found dead in the local park and although it shocks everyone, others think he had it coming. One mom has to wonder if her daughter could actually be involved. One coworker has been a victim of his bad behavior. The wife doesn’t seem as upset as she should be. This is a quick read with some surprises in it. I enjoyed the book and think it would be a good summer read, although I had already guessed most of the ending before hand.

The Neighbours is Emma Babbington's debut novel.

The story is about 3 women: Liv Elliot and her daughter Gracie. The doctors wife across the street: Sandra and a new doctor in town: Meredith. There are other characters: Liv's husband Andy, the highly respected doctor: Richard of course, Liv's elderly parents and Martin Finch who's wife died after Richard performed an operation on her.

Richard is found murdered in the park where lots of people go running, including Liv's daughter Gracie. When Gracie comes home a bit disheveled and muddy she has to wonder if her daughter was involved in the murder of the highly esteemed doctor. Meredith is the new doctor in town and just started working with Richard and use to be Liv's sort of friend/classmate/babysitter. Then there is Richards wife Sandra. All the women eventually come together within the story with backstories all of their own. All of the characters are well developed and the story flows nicely. I enjoyed the additional side story of Liv's parents and their aging issues which bring new revelations to the story.

I think this is an excellent debut novel.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of the novel for an honest review..

This book felt both fast paced and and incredibly slow at the same time - which is where the star rating came from.

It follows Liv and Meredith after Richard, their neighbour, is murdered early one morning. It would seem from the get go that Liv’s daughter, Gracie, had something to do with the murder but Liv is going to do everything she can to turn the police in another direction.

I found Liv a slightly annoying character - yes she was doing everything she could to protect her daughter, but the way she went about it and her distaste for Meredith got a bit annoying, which I think played into the slow pace.

The ending was surprising and somewhat unexpected (though the murder itself not so much), but I do wish it moved a bit faster.

Review of ‘The Neighbours’ by Emma Babbington, due to be published on 19 June 2025 by HQ Books.

Psychological murder/mystery that is set in Sydney. Draws you in from the start - ‘you are almost certain that your daughter did not kill the neighbour, but what if she did?’

A TV Doctor is found dead, but off screen, he is not what his TV persona suggests.

Lots of suspects, all with motives to end him.

Recommended read.