‘What the Neighbors Saw’ By Melissa Adelman. Minotaur, 304 pages, $28
What the neighbors see apparently is an eye-full as Melissa Adelman keeps the curtains wide open on secrets in this well-plotted debut. “What the Neighbors Saw” subtly but persuasively touches on racism, entitlement, and family issues in an engrossing story brimming with realistic characters.
Marketing executive Alexis Crawford and her attorney husband, Sam, need more room for their growing family than their Washington, D.C., townhouse offers. They settle on the upscale neighborhood of River Forest, near enough to the city for quick commutes but far enough from the noise, crime and congestion. They’ve found a beautiful Cape Cod Revival that’s been on the market only a few days. The spacious house will have more than enough room for their toddler daughter and the baby due in a few months, and the back yard is big enough for a pool. But the house needs work — a lot of work, more renovations than they imagined. Still, there’s that phrase about the investment value of buying the worst house in the best neighborhood.
The couple has barely moved in when Alexis begins to feel uncomfortable. As the only Black woman in this very white neighborhood, Alexis feels out of place, judged for her race and disadvantaged background. She overhears neighbors wonder why Sam, a white man, would marry her. She’s often presumed to be the housekeeper or the nanny.
The house’s problems seem overwhelming. The couple tackles restorations as they can afford them, but the neighbors, unsympathetic to their money woes, wonder what is taking so long. The repairs seem to affect their marriage as the couple’s fights escalate. A tragedy begins to end Alexis’ isolation as she becomes friends with her neighbor across the street, Blair Bard, after her husband Teddy is murdered.
Adelman begins “What the Neighbors Saw” on a slow boil. The Crawfords’ relationship seems strong with normal, but minor, disagreements that begin to intensify. The neighbors’ standoffish attitude begins to grow sinister as some of the women seem determined to make Alexis feel even more alone. As Sam travels more, working long hours in hopes of making partner, Alexis’ depression grows while she tends to two small children, a crumbling house and a disintegrating marriage. Alexis’ fears about her life grow as Adelman heightens the suspense.
Adelman shows she’s an author to watch with “What the Neighbors Saw.”
What’s perfect?
‘A Good Family’ By Matt Goldman. Forge Books, 304 pages, $30.99 hardcover; $18.99 trade paperback
Perfect families don’t exist, not in real life and certainly not in fiction. The most we can hope for is to have “A Good Family” who strives for near perfection, as Matt Goldman shows in his sixth well-plotted stand-alone novel.
Katie Kuhlmann is proud of her family, and, for her, it’s a perfect life. Her children, ages 8 and 12, are well-adjusted, happy and healthy. Her job at a major company gives her purpose outside the family. She enjoys her beautiful home in a prestigious neighborhood in wealthy Edina, MN. She loves her husband, Jack.
Katie didn’t grow up with wealth, but Jack inherited old money from his family and has made even more money. Katie makes sure her children know how lucky they are, have compassion for others and don’t take their life for granted. Katie insists the family eat dinner together, with a “no screens” rule, no matter how hard it is to put aside their cell phones or tablets.
But lately, Katie faces doubts about her marriage. Jack is increasingly distant, snapping at his family, conducting business through dinner, constantly on his phone, but not going to his office. Jack often disappears for hours. This especially upsets the children because their father seems to vanish when they are sure he’s at home, and they need him.
Tensions in the family rise when Adam “Bagman” Ross, the Kuhlmanns’ old college friend, shows up unexpectedly, looking for a place to stay. Adam says his job has brought him to Minnesota, but he keeps odd hours and also has a habit of disappearing from the family’s garage apartment. It’s been 24 years since the couple saw Adam, so who knows who this man has become during those decades.
Goldman ramps up the suspense, making this lovely home a scary place for Katie and the children. At the same time, Goldman keeps “A Good Family” grounded in reality — nothing supernatural in this well-constructed plot that leads to a surprising, “oh my goodness” moment that makes perfect sense.
