THE NEW NEIGHBOR

3.5 stars out of 5

My first thought when I finished this book? Thank goodness the story doesn't take place on a bigger cul-de-sac. If there'd been more neighbors to accuse, I don't think I could have made it to the end.

You see, CIA counterintelligence agent Beth Bradford has long been on the trail of a spy nicknamed "The Neighbor" - a person who has been recruited by an Iranian uber-spy solely for the purpose of recruiting others in and around the D.C. area (reminiscent of the popular TV show, "The Americans" starring Kerry Russell and Matthew Rhys). On a day-to-day basis, Beth lives a relatively normal life with her husband Mike; the last of their three children just took off for college and the empty-nesters are packing up to leave their beautiful but too-big home on a cul-de-sac near the Langley military facility where she works. Like Beth, at least one person in her half-dozen or so neighbors' families has ties to Langley operations, and they've all formed a close friendship over the years.

Until, that is, Beth's house is purchased by a youngish couple sight unseen, and clues turn up that suggest The Neighbor has ties to a cul-de-sac. Other clues lead Beth to suspect the wife may be the person she's been looking for - but out of the blue, she's unceremoniously yanked off the case and reassigned to another facility teaching new CIA recruits.

To say that doesn't sit well with Beth would be an understatement; instead of letting others take over "her" investigation, she begins a relentless obsession with proving herself right - even if she has to tromp on legal and ethical boundaries to do it (over and over again). Each time she finds a new target - the one who she's certain must be The Neighbor - her cycle of angst begins all over again, and her efforts to confirm her suspicions threatened to cross the line into silly. Very soon, I grew weary - especially since fairly early on I'd pretty much figured out one "twist" and had a pretty strong feeling about another (I was right on both counts).

Those issues, though, didn't keep me from being just as eager as Beth to unearth the truth - keeping me glued to the pages all the way to an end that's far more complex than either of us could have imagined. Overall, it's a fast-paced story that was fun to read - one I think many readers will very much enjoy. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the pre-release copy.

The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland (Ballantine Books, July 2022); 295 pp.

NEED TO KNOW

4 stars out of 5


If I discovered that my husband of a decade isn't even close to who he claims to be and his truth goes against everything I've ever worked for and believed in, would I hang around even for the sake of our kids? Until it happens to me, I can't say for certain, but I seriously doubt it. But get pregnant by accident not once, but four times? Oh, hell no!

Such were my reactions as I read this otherwise totally engrossing debut novel that already is, according to several reports, slated to become a motion picture starring Charlize Theron. But setting aside my feelings that a professional woman like successful CIA analyst Vivian Miller simply couldn't, and wouldn't, make this many dumb decisions, I really, really enjoyed this book and all its psychological drama.

Vivian, you see, is trying to ferret out a Russian sleeper cell. One fateful day, she makes a breakthrough - and discovers the photos of five spies who are operating in the United States. Great news, surely; and for four of the five, that's true. The identity of one, however, chills her to the bone - bringing her entire married life into serious question and threatening the lives of her family, including the four children she shares with her much-loved husband Matt.

Now that she knows, she must wrestle with what she will do about it; at least the first quarter of the book deals with her angst in trying to rationalize her decision either way. Once she makes it, of course, there will be no turning back, and her life - and those of her husband and young children - will be forever changed (for better or worse). 

Finally, she makes her choice, and from that point on, things turn exciting. Throughout, Vivian continues to fret over every word, action and facial expression coming from everyone around her, but the action is inescapable and the twists (most of them surprising) keep coming right up to the end. 

As other reviewers have said, the book is reminiscent of FX TV's popular series, The Americans; visions of stars Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys danced through my head throughout whether or not I wanted them to. I also can see potential for the movie, and it might be interesting to see how the story translates to the big screen. I'll probably pass, since I'm not much of a movie-goer (especially if I've read the book). As for the latter, I absolutely recommend it and offer sincere thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland (Ballantine Books, January 2018); 304 pp.