Good but not great. The mystery was mildly compelling. I was distracted the two times the book mentioned name brands that the women wore - Kate Spade and Steve Madden. Those are brands that suburban moms in big enviable houses would buy for their teenage daughters, not themselves 😬😅 Anyhow it was a fun lunchtime read.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own. Book: The Mother Next Door Author: Tara Laskowski Book Series: Standalone Rating: 3/5 Recommended For...: Halloween reads, mystery, thriller, suspense Publication Date: October 12, 2021 Genre: Mystery Thriller Recommended Age: 18+ (revenge, slight violence and gore, language, romance, sexual content, death) Explanation of CWs: Revenge is a major plot point. There is slight violence, gore, and language. There is an adultery scene and sexual references are made. Publisher: Graydon House Pages: 352 Synopsis: GOOD MOTHERS… Never show their feelings. Never spill their secrets. Never admit to murder. The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms—known as the Ivy Five—plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year’s block party should be the best yet... until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood’s dark past—and the lengths they’ve gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They’ll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year’s block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same. Review: For the most part this was a good book. The book gave me Stepford Wives vibes mixed with Mean Girls. The book did well building the suspense and the character development was well done as well. I also liked the writing and I thought it was well done. However, I did think that the pacing was a bit slow and there was some events that I didn’t think were possible within the realm of reality we were given. I also thought the world building wasn’t as well done as it could have been. I also saw some of the ending coming from the mid-point of the book. Verdict: It was ok!