THE NEW NEIGHBORS

5 stars out of 5

For openers, rating this book isn't easy; it's just different enough to leave me a little bit unsure of whether I loved it or simply liked it a lot. But for sure the plot is intriguing and the story well written - and in the end, after I'd stayed up an hour beyond my usual bedtime because I wanted (make that needed) to finish it, I had to go with 5 stars.

Chapters switch between "writings" by London friends with benefits Jack Walsh and Sydney Baker; together, they've bought a house and are striving for a life like any other couple. Except, that is, they're not; even the purchase of the house - a surprise since they were far from the most qualified bidders - isn't what it appears to be. Jack has misgivings from the start, especially when it comes to all the "junk" left behind by the former owner (like stuffed birds, things that go bump in the night and a few beyond-strange things in the attic that he keeps secret from Syd because he doesn't want to upset her). 

That's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to secrets, though. Jack encounters issues (of his own making) at his job as a social worker; Syd comes from an horrific childhood, the details of which she's never shared with Jack. While she has few misgivings about the house - loves it, in fact - she's seeing her childhood play out before her eyes in the form of Elsie, a 13-year-old neighbor who lives with her ne'er-do-well father. Bottom line? Jack needs Syd and Syd needs Jack - but each is afraid of alienating the other if their former and current lives are fully revealed.

It is when a dead body turns up near their back door that they decide to keep journals, of sorts - resulting in the chapters that reveal bit by bit what really happened, how it all relates to the here and now and depicts a fast-unraveling relationship. The ending isn't too surprising - and for some (in particular, those who view life in right or wrong, black or white terms), I suspect it may not be a satisfying outcome. 

But as they say, hey, it works for me. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. 

The New Neighbors by Simon Lelic (Berkley, April 2018); 349 pp.