Reviewer: Tina The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner
Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Publication Date: August 25th 2015
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Pages: 196
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From a phenomenal new voice in suspense fiction comes a book that will forever change the way you look at the people closest to you...
Shadow Cove, Washington, is the kind of town everyone dreams about--quaint streets, lush forests, good neighbors. That's what Sarah thinks as she settles into life with her new husband, Dr. Johnny McDonald. But all too soon she discovers an undercurrent of deception. And one October evening when Johnny is away, sudden tragedy destroys Sarah's happiness.
Dazed and stricken with grief, she and Johnny begin to rebuild their shattered lives. As she picks up the pieces of her broken home, Sarah discovers a shocking secret that forces her to doubt everything she thought was true--about her neighbors, her friends, and even her marriage. With each stunning revelation, Sarah must ask herself, Can we ever really know the ones we love?
When I first found The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner, I was excited to read it because I have really been into psychological thrillers like Gone Girl and The Girl On The Train, just to name a few. I started the book and was pretty much hooked after the first couple of chapters.
The author had me pitted against the wrong character from the very beginning and I totally disliked this person by the middle of the book, only to find out that I was completely wrong. The twist at the end took me by surprise as I never would’ve suspected this person at all.
The suspense in the story was beyond fantastic and the build-up to the conclusion was superb as well. Ms. Banner definitely knows how to keep you guessing. The author is a skilled writer who knows how to keep the reader invested in the story. I love it when I find out that everything I thought I had figured out is wrong. That’s what makes a good thriller. The only thing that would’ve changed my rating from “really liked” to “loved” would have been to extend the part leading up to the ending just a little more. I would’ve loved to follow along in a more drawn-out version as Sarah picked up tiny pieces of the puzzle and put it all together leading to the same unexpected conclusion. But, that being said, I would still highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful read and I will definitely be watching for more from this author as well.
About A. J. Banner
As a child, A. J. Banner loved reading everything from Nancy Drew to Tolkien to her parents’ spy novels, “borrowed” from their bookshelves and hidden beneath her pillow. She wrote her first thriller, Mystery at Crane Corner, at the age of 11. She drew her own cover art and bound the pages with staples.
Born in India and raised in North America, A. J. graduated from high school in southern California and received degrees from the University of California, Berkeley. She tried various professions after college, including a stint in law school and a memorable job at a veterinary clinic, since she loves animals, but eventually she returned to writing. Her recent novel of psychological suspense, THE TWILIGHT WIFE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) became a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller.
Her debut novel of psychological suspense, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR was the #1 Kindle bestseller for 34 days, remained in the top five on the Kindle bestseller list throughout the book’s release month, and was in the top 50 in the Kindle store for 145 days in a row. THE GOOD NEIGHBOR was named by Harper’s Bazaar as a book that could be the next GONE GIRL. On August 7, 2018, Lake Union Publishing will release her third novel of psychological suspense, AFTER NIGHTFALL, which Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Kerry Lonsdale, calls a “stellar psychological thriller.”
A longtime fan of Agatha Christie, Daphne du Maurier, and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, A. J. feels at home writing stories with unexpected twists and turns. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and six rescued cats.