Customer Reviews

The Neighbors

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Always a bit frightened about life, Kate Ashenberry returns to her English home after suffering through an abusive relationship in New York City. Her family does not welcome the prodigal daughter home. Instead, Kate leases an apartment in a Victorian house in the Kensington area that she believes is safe.

As Kate begins to know her neighbors, she finds herself feeling even more secure by the welcome of most of the residents. However, her safe harbor changes when someone murders one of Kate's neighbors. This is not the first killing in recent times as someone was killed just before Kate moved into the building. Kate begins to feel paranoid as she thinks someone is watching her every movement. The once friendly residents all turn frightened victims wondering who amongst them is the killer. Kate's worse nightmare engulfs her in a phobia that she will be the next victim.

THE NEIGHBORS is an exciting suspense filled murder mystery that will provide much pleasure to the audience. The story line is filled with tension highlighted by Kate's fears of everything. Though the personalities of the secondary characters are fully developed, the sheer number somewhat overwhelms the reader. The building seems more like one of the main characters as Carol Smith breathes much life into it with her loving description. Though Kate is not an empathetic protagonist, the audience will feel for her current predicament. This is an entertaining novel that will bring new FRIENDS FOR LIFE to Ms. Smith.

When Kate escapes from her abusive boyfriend home to England, at first she doesn't find the home she thought she remembered. She has no friends, her mother is senile, her brother's a boor married to a witch,and her job keeps her isolated. Before long she starts making friends with her neighbors and a woman at the health club she joins. One problem, someone is killing them off. Everyone is not what they seem. It seems that every neighbor has a secret, especially the killer.

This is a well written and suspenseful novel for the most part. I would have preferred it if the author had tied up some of the loose ends, but other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

This was a very interesting plot. The characters were each different and well described. However, I can't believe that one man, Gregory Hansen, no matter how charming, could really have so many women all falling for him at the same time. Are women really as stupid as Jacintha, to pursue the same man for 15 years when he has had numerous women friends?It seems that some of these characters should be in a teen romance rather than an adult novel. Kate Ashenberry was a likable character. I enjoyed her relationship with her cat,Horatio. This is not really a mystery but more of a supense story. A fun plot.

Alice Kingsbury

When Kate Ashenberry, a freelance newspaper writer, returns to London, she is delighted to find such wonder accommodations in the Kensington Court apartment building. Since Kate is on the run from a hurtful relationship with her Argentine ex-boyfriend, Bruno, she is thrilled to now be living in such a "legendary, rock-solid building." All is not as safe as it appears in this stronghold of Victorian apartments, however. One by one, Kate's neighbors are being killed and no clues can be found. Carol Smith introduces us to an assortment of eccentric, peculiar and downright obnoxious neighbors who become Kate's confidantes and friends. Unfortunately, there are only one or two likable characters in the bunch. Regrettably, the reader has to meander through 250 monotonous pages before the book actually gets interesting. While I enthusiastically read the last 100 pages, I would have preferred for the rest of the book to have been as good.

While an entertaining look at the nosey world of apartment tenants with a promising heroine at its core, this books lacks any real suspense apart from its few startling surprises and gory details. It becomes quickly apparent who the killer is ...................