The Neighbor

I really liked this book, so much so that immediately after finishing it I downloaded and listened to "Say Goodbye", also by Lisa Gardner. "Say Goodbye" is well written and well narrated, so I recommend it with a caveat: it does deal with child sexual abuse, and includes some truly horrible and heartbreaking scenes, so the listener should be forewarned.
One thing I didn't see mentioned in the overview of "The Neighbor" or in any of the other reviews, is that one of its key plot points is a continuation of one of the key plot points of "Say Goodbye". I figured this out pretty early on while listening to "Say Goodbye", so parts of the book weren't as suspenseful or surprising as they might have been otherwise. Bottom line, I recommend both books, but definitely recommend listening to "Say Goodbye" first. Just know what you're getting into, because it can be hard to take!

One of my favorite authors, Lisa Gardner strikes gold again! I love the use of previous characters. It is suspenseful and will leave you wanting more! Awesome book! Keep it up Ms. Gardner!!

I could not stop listening to this book. It was my first Lisa Gardner novel and now I am great fan. I am downloading my next Gardner book right now! It had great twists and turns.

This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. The wife who disappears evokes little sympathy. I don't think I could have stood listening to any more of her adultery. The husband was strange, as well. I don't think his reactions were natural at all. Detective Warren gave us too much information on her sex life (or lack thereof). Who cares? And she jumped to the wrong conclusions based on nothing. The women in this book were not likable at all. But then the men weren't likeable either. Everyone had such far-out thoughts and actions that it was quite off-putting. I found the part of the story about the sex offenders offensive and I didn't want to know that much about their thoughts. The most interesting person was the 4-year old but I thought her dialogue was not realistic or natural. All in all, I could not recommend this book.

Although it starts as a kind of ordinary crime book, it develops in nice thriller. Deceptions, unclear relations...

This story plot was very strange. The good part is you could never figure out the ending because it was so bizarre. It left me scratching my head.

I've heard Gardner's name for years, now I know why. I'll definitely get whatever else is available. First she turns the tables by making it a "who-didn't do it?" with too many suspects. She is able to add some mild eroticism with character thoughts and clothing without typical bodice ripping "play-by-play" specifics that many wish (as Gardner does) to leave to the reader's imaginations to fill in.
I could only put this book down long enough to let my device recharge! The characters are not cardboard (for a thriller).
One character voices an opinion about how we lump "sex offenders" together unlike ANY other crime... EVEN murderers who we sort into 1st, 2nd and 3rd degrees. Some pay their debt and are forgiven. (The book elaborates better than I.)
To be clear I agree that any sex offense, especially against a child, is a very heinous crime indeed.
Back to the book, the book is extremely well produced with three narrators smoothly edited, (a true audio treat) lending the "third person" realism. If this is typical Gardner give me more! Wow!

This book was creepy but boy did it keep me glued to the IPOD! The narration is terrific - I love it when there is more than one narrator. This is the first book by this author I've listened to, but not my last.

Dont get me wrong, this book was ok throughout...BUT the ending was just silly and predictable. It was like I was driving up a hill then dropped right off the edge, no surprise, no excitement. The story line was great, the characters were good, but no unexpected mystery, suspense or thrill.

Suspenseful- kept my interest until the middle where it became repetitious in plot and character development. I learned some interesting facts about investigation work, computers and child abuse. The resolution came suddenly, in the last five minutes, and all too neatly tied up in a bow. Still, kept me walking at a great pace when listening on my hikes