The New Neighbor by Valerie Keogh:

4 stars

Chloe Tomson lives in the grey house with a grey door and wears grey clothes. That’s how she likes things. Because she’s punishing herself for one awful mistake. Life is funny, though; sometimes a mistake puts us where we need to be, when we need to be there — and brings some color back into our lives.

The New Neighbor is harsh in its psychological realism, following a traumatic event. The narrative catches the spiraling thought patterns of someone who is damaged and has simply embraced it. Reading this is like being slowly smothered by a pillow with a plastic pillowcase — and, in this instance, that’s a compliment.

The character development doesn’t end there; tiny Tilda, iconic Lily, loud Shirley, and meek James all feel recognizable. We’ve all met some version of them at the grocery, school, or park — everyday people capable of extraordinary things. George and the offender manager are intentionally less developed, providing contrast. They are grey, where the others are vivid.

The plot has me fascinated; it was fairly straightforward, especially when loosely applying the principle of Chekhov’s Gun. Chloe’s obsession with punishing herself signals that the story hasn’t reached its conclusion. The murderer who was never caught signals danger. As such, the suspense doesn’t hit in the typical way; it’s in the fine print — Chloe’s reactions and decisions. She’s very nearly killed, but that quickly becomes a mere blip because the narrative twists. Crazy, but it fits.

The vodka… I didn’t quite buy it, but I understand the narrative intent. The horror that was wrought and Jo’s reluctant remorse were excellent, however. The conclusion was quietly devastating.

The New Neighbor is not a fun or light read. It is not the book you pick up after a hard day. It is perfect when you want to stretch yourself — when you want a book to purge trapped emotions and make you feel like a survivor! I still haven’t quite recovered.

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for the opportunity to read The New Neighbor. I received a complimentary copy through Netgalley and am writing this review voluntarily.