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The New Neighbor
USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson returns with a chilling psychological thriller about Bury, NH, a standalone story with crossover to his previous novel The Dead Husband. A must for readers of Megan Miranda and Alex Michaelides.
Aidan holds the winning Powerball numbers.
Is today the best day of his life... or the worst?
Aidan Marlowe is the superstitious type—he's been playing the same lottery numbers for fifteen years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral.
Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes: instant wealth beyond his imagination, and the loss of the only woman he's ever loved, the mother of his twin children. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind. They can start a new life in a new town. So they do.
But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from, and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want...
"The New Neighbor is a dizzying descent into a Byzantine maze of psychological suspense. Carter Wilson proves once again why he is one of the best most inventive thriller writers working today." ― S. A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland
"Damn you. Wilson, I was up all night with this book. The mysteries of Bury are perfectly placed, the tension is thick enough to drown in, and the pages fly by. Brilliant escapism. I can't recommend it highly enough." ―Stuart Turton, internationally bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water
“A truly suspenseful and gripping read. I was filled with anxiety and on the edge of my seat throughout. Bravo!” —Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer’s Wife
"Some truly frightening scenes lead to a gripping and satisfying conclusion, but not before a twist that will leave readers' heads spinning. Marlowe is memorable ―single dads in thrillers aren't that common―but mainly he will stay with readers because of his offbeat vulnerability and the determination that shines through his grief. Wilson's (The Dead Girl in 2A) unusual psychological thriller is one for fans of Stephen King who are open to reading mysteries." ― First Clue
“Fast-paced, beautifully written and with the requisite heart-pounding moments, Carter Wilson’s The New Neighbor hits all the right thriller notes. Add this to your to-read pile immediately!” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of
You Can’t Catch Me and Six Weeks to Live
"I can never resist a book with a well-written, unreliable narrator, and Carter Wilson nails just that in his tautly written thriller, The New Neighbor. I couldn't bear to put this page-turner down until I figured out every single detail in Wilson's suspenseful and twist-ridden story of loss, mourning, and new starts that asks if money can ever buy happiness and even if it does―at what cost?" ― Emily Bleeker, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author
Aidan holds the winning Powerball numbers.
Is today the best day of his life... or the worst?
Aidan Marlowe is the superstitious type—he's been playing the same lottery numbers for fifteen years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral.
Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes: instant wealth beyond his imagination, and the loss of the only woman he's ever loved, the mother of his twin children. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind. They can start a new life in a new town. So they do.
But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from, and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want...
"The New Neighbor is a dizzying descent into a Byzantine maze of psychological suspense. Carter Wilson proves once again why he is one of the best most inventive thriller writers working today." ― S. A. Cosby, New York Times bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland
"Damn you. Wilson, I was up all night with this book. The mysteries of Bury are perfectly placed, the tension is thick enough to drown in, and the pages fly by. Brilliant escapism. I can't recommend it highly enough." ―Stuart Turton, internationally bestselling author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and The Devil and the Dark Water
“A truly suspenseful and gripping read. I was filled with anxiety and on the edge of my seat throughout. Bravo!” —Alice Hunter, author of The Serial Killer’s Wife
"Some truly frightening scenes lead to a gripping and satisfying conclusion, but not before a twist that will leave readers' heads spinning. Marlowe is memorable ―single dads in thrillers aren't that common―but mainly he will stay with readers because of his offbeat vulnerability and the determination that shines through his grief. Wilson's (The Dead Girl in 2A) unusual psychological thriller is one for fans of Stephen King who are open to reading mysteries." ― First Clue
“Fast-paced, beautifully written and with the requisite heart-pounding moments, Carter Wilson’s The New Neighbor hits all the right thriller notes. Add this to your to-read pile immediately!” —Catherine McKenzie, USA Today bestselling author of
You Can’t Catch Me and Six Weeks to Live
"I can never resist a book with a well-written, unreliable narrator, and Carter Wilson nails just that in his tautly written thriller, The New Neighbor. I couldn't bear to put this page-turner down until I figured out every single detail in Wilson's suspenseful and twist-ridden story of loss, mourning, and new starts that asks if money can ever buy happiness and even if it does―at what cost?" ― Emily Bleeker, Wall Street Journal and Amazon Charts bestselling author
384 pages, Paperback
First published April 12, 2022
561 people are currently reading
9201 people want to read
About the author
Carter Wilson
13 books1,289 followersCarter Wilson is the USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of ten psychological thrillers, known for their intense emotion, tight pacing, and haunting twists. His books have received starred reviews from every major trade publication, have been optioned for film and television, and his 2025 novel Tell Me What You Did was selected as a national monthly pick by Barnes & Noble.
In addition to his fiction, Carter is the creator and host of Making It Up, a podcast featuring unscripted, revealing conversations with fellow writers about the creative process. He is also the founder of Unbound Writer, a company devoted to helping writers find their voice through coaching, immersive retreats, and online classes.
A seasoned public speaker and natural interviewer, Carter is known for his dynamic onstage presence and his deep curiosity about the craft of writing. He lives in Erie, Colorado, and travels frequently to speak at conferences, moderate author panels, and lead writing workshops.
Visit him at www.carterwilson.com and www.unboundwriter.com.
In addition to his fiction, Carter is the creator and host of Making It Up, a podcast featuring unscripted, revealing conversations with fellow writers about the creative process. He is also the founder of Unbound Writer, a company devoted to helping writers find their voice through coaching, immersive retreats, and online classes.
A seasoned public speaker and natural interviewer, Carter is known for his dynamic onstage presence and his deep curiosity about the craft of writing. He lives in Erie, Colorado, and travels frequently to speak at conferences, moderate author panels, and lead writing workshops.
Visit him at www.carterwilson.com and www.unboundwriter.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 647 reviews
April 14, 2022
Can you imagine to win lottery at the moment you bury your own wife! Yes! After jaw dropping, heart wrenching and also extremely intriguing opening, you just hold your e-reader tighter and touch your screen to flip them faster. This book’s impressive start hooks you up!
The plot about widower Aidan Marlowe’s winning lottery ( just call him Marlowe) and moving to small town in New Hampshire named Bury ( because he found out he won the lottery at the exact minute they put his wife’s coffin into grave. ) with his seven years twin kids Bo and Maggs. But the house at 1734 Rum Hill Road they recently move has a complicated history with lots of disappearances including Logan Yates: an investment banker in his seventies left the house and never came back. His two daughters and his 11 years old grandson also shared the same destiny.
The mystery behind the house triggers the dark past and big secret Aidan keeps since his teenage years. It’s about his brother Christopher’s death. The moment he decided to share this secret at the grave of his wife, the lottery winning news intervenes his confession.
But now he starts suffering from time lapses in his memories and finding letters written for him by mysterious person who warns him about people call themselves “WE” are watching him day and night! They forbid him move out of the house.
Why those people watch him? What is the mystery about disappearances in the house?
Well, Aidan suffers from guilt feelings about his brother’s death ( we don’t know the man reason but we have several guesses) and anger management problems make us thing he slowly drift apart, hardly differentiating thin line between reality and delusions. This is great psychological thriller which gives us old school King novels’ vibes! Even though the culprit is so obvious, there’s a still delicious twist I truly enjoy!
I didn’t like one thing about the author’s decision to put one of the children into very inappropriate situation and I was expecting to get answers about some other parts of the mystery!
I still rounded up 3.5 stars to 4 : it’s still intriguing, smart, mind bending plot with short, strikingly effective chapters which end with powerful cliffhangers. I’m looking forward to try more works of the author.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The plot about widower Aidan Marlowe’s winning lottery ( just call him Marlowe) and moving to small town in New Hampshire named Bury ( because he found out he won the lottery at the exact minute they put his wife’s coffin into grave. ) with his seven years twin kids Bo and Maggs. But the house at 1734 Rum Hill Road they recently move has a complicated history with lots of disappearances including Logan Yates: an investment banker in his seventies left the house and never came back. His two daughters and his 11 years old grandson also shared the same destiny.
The mystery behind the house triggers the dark past and big secret Aidan keeps since his teenage years. It’s about his brother Christopher’s death. The moment he decided to share this secret at the grave of his wife, the lottery winning news intervenes his confession.
But now he starts suffering from time lapses in his memories and finding letters written for him by mysterious person who warns him about people call themselves “WE” are watching him day and night! They forbid him move out of the house.
Why those people watch him? What is the mystery about disappearances in the house?
Well, Aidan suffers from guilt feelings about his brother’s death ( we don’t know the man reason but we have several guesses) and anger management problems make us thing he slowly drift apart, hardly differentiating thin line between reality and delusions. This is great psychological thriller which gives us old school King novels’ vibes! Even though the culprit is so obvious, there’s a still delicious twist I truly enjoy!
I didn’t like one thing about the author’s decision to put one of the children into very inappropriate situation and I was expecting to get answers about some other parts of the mystery!
I still rounded up 3.5 stars to 4 : it’s still intriguing, smart, mind bending plot with short, strikingly effective chapters which end with powerful cliffhangers. I’m looking forward to try more works of the author.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
October 27, 2021
3.5 STARS
Won't you be my neighbor?
I love a good neighborhood thriller! I'm always intrigued by the ambience of a quiet street, a looming mansion, or any house with a story and the people that reside within the walls.
This was my first Carter Wilson book. I've seen much praise for several of his titles and wanted to give him a try. This one felt more like a character study of the protagonist, Aiden, rather than a typical neighborhood type thriller (imo). There is a mystery that involves his winning big with the lottery powerball numbers all while Aiden is coping with the recent loss of his wife, raising his twins, and managing the new wealth. Then some harrasing letters show up at his new home (he hides them inside a Stephen King hardback lol). The anonymous letters are signed We Who Watch .
Instead of an insecure wife, we have an unsteady, paranoid father who often has "gaps" in his memory. He feels an "energy" in the house, some hidden secrets are revealed, and eerie scenes from his childhood haunt him (there is a scene that describes a rabbit that was harmed). The big twist, felt anticlimactic and was quite a stretch.
It was a fast read with a good pace, and short chapters with those cliffhanger endings that make you want to read another chapter. Never boring or slow, however, the ending had me shaking my head a bit.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my early copy. OUT April 15, 2022
Won't you be my neighbor?
I love a good neighborhood thriller! I'm always intrigued by the ambience of a quiet street, a looming mansion, or any house with a story and the people that reside within the walls.
This was my first Carter Wilson book. I've seen much praise for several of his titles and wanted to give him a try. This one felt more like a character study of the protagonist, Aiden, rather than a typical neighborhood type thriller (imo). There is a mystery that involves his winning big with the lottery powerball numbers all while Aiden is coping with the recent loss of his wife, raising his twins, and managing the new wealth. Then some harrasing letters show up at his new home (he hides them inside a Stephen King hardback lol). The anonymous letters are signed We Who Watch .
Instead of an insecure wife, we have an unsteady, paranoid father who often has "gaps" in his memory. He feels an "energy" in the house, some hidden secrets are revealed, and eerie scenes from his childhood haunt him (there is a scene that describes a rabbit that was harmed). The big twist, felt anticlimactic and was quite a stretch.
It was a fast read with a good pace, and short chapters with those cliffhanger endings that make you want to read another chapter. Never boring or slow, however, the ending had me shaking my head a bit.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my early copy. OUT April 15, 2022
December 4, 2021
Inconceivable… that you could possibly experience the best and worst day of your life all at the same time?
Aidan has lost the love of his life. The woman who grounded him. Completed him. The mother of his precious twins. Now he’s not sure he can even put one foot in front of the other.
During his last precious moment saying goodbye at his wife’s burial, his phone chimes with an incoming text. Giving it an agitated glance he notices yet another text with the winning Powerball numbers. The very same numbers he’s been playing for years.
In this time of his most profound loss and sorrow…Aidan has won the greatest prize.
“Crack”
Did you hear that?! Was that a tree limb breaking in the graveyard? Or is it Aidan’s soul shattering.
He immediately moves his family to Bury, New Hampshire to start over. But the grand home he just bought comes with a dark history. The previous owners all mysteriously vanished. Now Aiden is receiving threatening letters stating “we are watching you”. The tension ramps up as you witness Aiden imploding.
Carter Wilson once again writes a gripping and suspenseful thriller that’ll keep you glued to the pages. In fact, I devoured it in one day. With short chapters that leave you hanging, I had no choice but to keep going…I simply couldn’t stop!
My third read by this author and looking forward to his next!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.
Aidan has lost the love of his life. The woman who grounded him. Completed him. The mother of his precious twins. Now he’s not sure he can even put one foot in front of the other.
During his last precious moment saying goodbye at his wife’s burial, his phone chimes with an incoming text. Giving it an agitated glance he notices yet another text with the winning Powerball numbers. The very same numbers he’s been playing for years.
In this time of his most profound loss and sorrow…Aidan has won the greatest prize.
“Crack”
Did you hear that?! Was that a tree limb breaking in the graveyard? Or is it Aidan’s soul shattering.
He immediately moves his family to Bury, New Hampshire to start over. But the grand home he just bought comes with a dark history. The previous owners all mysteriously vanished. Now Aiden is receiving threatening letters stating “we are watching you”. The tension ramps up as you witness Aiden imploding.
Carter Wilson once again writes a gripping and suspenseful thriller that’ll keep you glued to the pages. In fact, I devoured it in one day. With short chapters that leave you hanging, I had no choice but to keep going…I simply couldn’t stop!
My third read by this author and looking forward to his next!
Posted to: https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.
April 20, 2022
EXCERPT: . . . she puts her arms on the table and folds her hands. Gleaming nail polish, raven black.
'I tell you about the disappeared.' Her gaze is steady. 'No one else.'
'The disappeared?' It takes me a second, then I connect the pieces. 'Right. Logan Yates.'
'No,' she says, raising four fingers. 'There are four disappeared.'
I look at Maya, who gives me the same uncomprehending expression I give her. Turning back to Abril, I say, 'Four?'
She nods. 'Mr Yates. Both his daughters. His grandson. All disappeared. Four.'
ABOUT 'THE NEW NEIGHBOR': Aidan holds the winning Powerball numbers.
Is today the best day of his life... or the worst?
Aidan Marlowe is the superstitious type—he's been playing the same lottery numbers for fifteen years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral.
Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes: instant wealth beyond his imagination, and the loss of the only woman he's ever loved, the mother of his twin children. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind. They can start a new life in a new town. So they do.
But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from, and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want...
MY THOUGHTS: The New Neighbor started out as a truly gripping and suspenseful read. I was holding my breath as I eased the pages over, almost frightened of what might be hiding behind them. I haven't had such a visceral reaction to a book in a long time. This reaction continued for the majority of the book. If Carter Wilson let me relax, breathe normally, I knew it was only because there was more and worse to come.
Twist after twist kept my anxiety at peak levels. The plot is fast paced, and I loved it, reading it overnight, but I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Aiden. Marlowe I loved. Aiden? Nah. A great deal of the time his actions just didn't make sense to me, but I managed to keep a lid on my frustrations, swept along by the tension and drama, until almost the end. And then, I'm afraid Mr Wilson, you lost me. I deflated like a balloon.
I read through to the end, but the damage was done. I still, mostly, loved this read. It was never boring, or slow. The chapters are short and each packs a punch. But it also frustrated me that a mystery that was a major thread in the plot was totally ignored at the end. Not. Even. Mentioned.
⭐⭐⭐.7
I: @carterwilsonauthor @poisonedpenpress
T: #CarterWilsonAuthor @PPPress
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mentalhealth #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson has written eight critically acclaimed, standalone psychological thrillers, as well as numerous short stories. He is an ITW Thriller Award finalist, a four-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, and his works have been optioned for television and film. Carter lives in Erie, Colorado in a Victorian house that is spooky but isn’t haunted…yet.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The New Neighbor by Carter Wilson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'I tell you about the disappeared.' Her gaze is steady. 'No one else.'
'The disappeared?' It takes me a second, then I connect the pieces. 'Right. Logan Yates.'
'No,' she says, raising four fingers. 'There are four disappeared.'
I look at Maya, who gives me the same uncomprehending expression I give her. Turning back to Abril, I say, 'Four?'
She nods. 'Mr Yates. Both his daughters. His grandson. All disappeared. Four.'
ABOUT 'THE NEW NEIGHBOR': Aidan holds the winning Powerball numbers.
Is today the best day of his life... or the worst?
Aidan Marlowe is the superstitious type—he's been playing the same lottery numbers for fifteen years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral.
Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes: instant wealth beyond his imagination, and the loss of the only woman he's ever loved, the mother of his twin children. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind. They can start a new life in a new town. So they do.
But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from, and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want...
MY THOUGHTS: The New Neighbor started out as a truly gripping and suspenseful read. I was holding my breath as I eased the pages over, almost frightened of what might be hiding behind them. I haven't had such a visceral reaction to a book in a long time. This reaction continued for the majority of the book. If Carter Wilson let me relax, breathe normally, I knew it was only because there was more and worse to come.
Twist after twist kept my anxiety at peak levels. The plot is fast paced, and I loved it, reading it overnight, but I had a hard time connecting with the main character, Aiden. Marlowe I loved. Aiden? Nah. A great deal of the time his actions just didn't make sense to me, but I managed to keep a lid on my frustrations, swept along by the tension and drama, until almost the end. And then, I'm afraid Mr Wilson, you lost me. I deflated like a balloon.
I read through to the end, but the damage was done. I still, mostly, loved this read. It was never boring, or slow. The chapters are short and each packs a punch. But it also frustrated me that a mystery that was a major thread in the plot was totally ignored at the end. Not. Even. Mentioned.
⭐⭐⭐.7
I: @carterwilsonauthor @poisonedpenpress
T: #CarterWilsonAuthor @PPPress
#contemporaryfiction #familydrama #mentalhealth #mystery #psychologicalthriller #suspense #thriller
THE AUTHOR: USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson has written eight critically acclaimed, standalone psychological thrillers, as well as numerous short stories. He is an ITW Thriller Award finalist, a four-time winner of the Colorado Book Award, and his works have been optioned for television and film. Carter lives in Erie, Colorado in a Victorian house that is spooky but isn’t haunted…yet.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The New Neighbor by Carter Wilson for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
December 27, 2021
I enjoyed this thriller so much! When you read the reviews for those of you debating it, you will see a broad spectrum of ratings and understandable because it will have you thinking outside the box.
It was a sad beginning with Marlowe losing his wife to a brain aneurysm and left to pick up the pieces of a devoted mom to 7 year old twins, Bo and Maggie. While he is saying goodbye at the burial site, his phone tings with a message, he subconsciously expects a message from his wife, but shaken to reality with a notice he has won 30 million from his handpicked lottery numbers. Hearing a “crack” in a tree branch, which reaches inside his soul, he slowly spirals from there.
Packing his family up and buying the Yates House, a sprawling mansion in Bury, New Hampshire. The house is a character itself and displayed in Carter Wilson’s book The Dead Husband, but definitely can read this as a stand-alone. With uncanny energy and an unsettling history of family members that lived here before disappeared….You might compare Marlowe to “Jack” in The Shining! What is imagined or real?
A lot of triggers of paranoia, Threatening letters appear with the signature We Who Watch, a security advisor recommended by the local sheriff requires an invasive questionnaire and gaps in his memory created by his own self destruction will have you turning the page quickly in one sitting to finish this heart racing thriller.
*Warning…a torture scene of a rabbit 🐇😭
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this Title in exchange for my honest review.
It was a sad beginning with Marlowe losing his wife to a brain aneurysm and left to pick up the pieces of a devoted mom to 7 year old twins, Bo and Maggie. While he is saying goodbye at the burial site, his phone tings with a message, he subconsciously expects a message from his wife, but shaken to reality with a notice he has won 30 million from his handpicked lottery numbers. Hearing a “crack” in a tree branch, which reaches inside his soul, he slowly spirals from there.
Packing his family up and buying the Yates House, a sprawling mansion in Bury, New Hampshire. The house is a character itself and displayed in Carter Wilson’s book The Dead Husband, but definitely can read this as a stand-alone. With uncanny energy and an unsettling history of family members that lived here before disappeared….You might compare Marlowe to “Jack” in The Shining! What is imagined or real?
A lot of triggers of paranoia, Threatening letters appear with the signature We Who Watch, a security advisor recommended by the local sheriff requires an invasive questionnaire and gaps in his memory created by his own self destruction will have you turning the page quickly in one sitting to finish this heart racing thriller.
*Warning…a torture scene of a rabbit 🐇😭
Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this Title in exchange for my honest review.
November 29, 2021
A certain trip to Never Never Land.....
Why is it that particular authors feel compelled to overload at the literary buffet? The New Neighbor is in the hands of a very competent writer, Carter Wilson, who begins his novel with a strong yank at the heart and then over-promises on the delivery of every rabbit hole afoot. Let's sink our fork into this one.
They always say it's the Luck of the Irish. That pot of gold and that all too famous rainbow at the end. Aidan Marlowe played the same lottery numbers for years without a spark. But it finally hit on the worst day of his life.....the funeral for his beloved wife, Holly. There's not a whimper of joy even though as a Powerball winner it hits at 30 million dollars. His bartending days in his father's pub in Ireland always prepared him for a simple life. That's all he's ever known.
But living now in Baltimore, Aidan who answers to only "Marlowe", must provide comfort to his seven year old twins, Maggie and Bo. He's decided to leave big city life and buy a house in Bury, New Hampshire. What appears to be a solid decision turns into a nightmare for Marlowe. There's a heavy backstory on the former owner who abandoned this house after several of its occupants went missing. The house is immense with a secret room in the basement with a huge safe.
Marlowe invites his father from Dublin to stay with them as they get settled in. His newly hired lawyer oversees his good fortune and is a source of comfort for Marlowe. But Marlowe is now receiving threatening letters signed "We Who Watch". Small town police don't seem equipped to deal with the threats in a timely manner. Now Marlowe is alone and is responsible for his family's safety.
The New Neighbor is a promising read and I encourage you to check it out. My issues were the complexity of overload. We have a heavy-duty backstory in the life of Marlowe as well as a constant journey into his slanted psyche doused in buckets of booze. The storyline dances on the head of a pin in the hands of Marlowe the majority of the time. And more concerning, we have a ton of unanswered questions at the end. Carter Wilson is an author to keep your eyes on. Perhaps the next offering will serve up a leaner storyline with more emphasis on content than frills. I'll be the first in line.
I received a copy of The New Neighbor through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks) and to Carter Wilson for the opportunity.
Why is it that particular authors feel compelled to overload at the literary buffet? The New Neighbor is in the hands of a very competent writer, Carter Wilson, who begins his novel with a strong yank at the heart and then over-promises on the delivery of every rabbit hole afoot. Let's sink our fork into this one.
They always say it's the Luck of the Irish. That pot of gold and that all too famous rainbow at the end. Aidan Marlowe played the same lottery numbers for years without a spark. But it finally hit on the worst day of his life.....the funeral for his beloved wife, Holly. There's not a whimper of joy even though as a Powerball winner it hits at 30 million dollars. His bartending days in his father's pub in Ireland always prepared him for a simple life. That's all he's ever known.
But living now in Baltimore, Aidan who answers to only "Marlowe", must provide comfort to his seven year old twins, Maggie and Bo. He's decided to leave big city life and buy a house in Bury, New Hampshire. What appears to be a solid decision turns into a nightmare for Marlowe. There's a heavy backstory on the former owner who abandoned this house after several of its occupants went missing. The house is immense with a secret room in the basement with a huge safe.
Marlowe invites his father from Dublin to stay with them as they get settled in. His newly hired lawyer oversees his good fortune and is a source of comfort for Marlowe. But Marlowe is now receiving threatening letters signed "We Who Watch". Small town police don't seem equipped to deal with the threats in a timely manner. Now Marlowe is alone and is responsible for his family's safety.
The New Neighbor is a promising read and I encourage you to check it out. My issues were the complexity of overload. We have a heavy-duty backstory in the life of Marlowe as well as a constant journey into his slanted psyche doused in buckets of booze. The storyline dances on the head of a pin in the hands of Marlowe the majority of the time. And more concerning, we have a ton of unanswered questions at the end. Carter Wilson is an author to keep your eyes on. Perhaps the next offering will serve up a leaner storyline with more emphasis on content than frills. I'll be the first in line.
I received a copy of The New Neighbor through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Poisoned Pen Press (Sourcebooks) and to Carter Wilson for the opportunity.
April 20, 2022
Fast paced, kept my attention, but I felt like something was missing or held back.
March 31, 2022
Alanis Morissette could have added another verse to her song "Isn't It Ironic." You win the lottery and bury your wife. Millions of dollars won't buy Aidan Marlowe the one thing he really wants -- his wife Holly, home with him and their twins, Bo and Maggie. So, what does he do? He uproots the whole family from Baltimore and moves them to a mansion in Bury, New Hampshire. We can all see it -- this house is becoming a character all its own with a mystery inside to boot. Then the weird letters start. Aidan finds he is losing chunks of time. He has two people he can trust: his lawyer, Maya, who is on speed dial; and his Da, who he flies over from Dublin. There are some fascinating twists and turns in this story. I detected a "The Shining" vibe to the book (thank you for confirming that in the author interview, Carter Wilson) and this is my first one from the author. Now I want to read the previous Bury book: The Dead Husband. So, teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.(Psalm 90:12 ESV)
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
April 2, 2024
Check out my #AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A with Carter!
A powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret and a new resident with haunting secrets of the past. TENSE AND COMPULSIVE. A whodunnit domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. I LOVED this book! Wilson nailed it.
Carter Wilson returns to the scene of the crime, from The Dead Husband to Bury, New Hampshire, with THE NEW NEIGHBOR. An addictive, twisted, witty, and darkly wicked psychological/crime thriller that will have you longing for the next resident of 1734 Rum Hill Road.
INTENSE. RIVETING. ADDICTIVE! Thriller lovers, you are missing out if you have not read this author.
2018 Baltimore, Maryland: we meet Aidan Marlowe. He is now a thirty-five-year-old widower with seven-year-old twins, Bo and Maggie.
His lovely wife, Holly, has passed an aneurysm at age 34, and he is at the funeral at the graveside. He never told her about his past, and right before they lowered the casket into the ground, he told everyone he needed a minute alone.
Something dark happened back in Ireland that was in the past. However, he never gets the chance to tell her. There is a text from an old childhood friend, which he will reply to later, and THEN he sees an older text that says he is a POWERBALL WINNER! He knows the numbers he has played for years. Every Wed and Sat.
Winning #s 01-05-08-10-14 PB 22. One Winner. He does not tell her after all his confession. This may be a sign of a new beginning. $30 Million, which will give him a new life. He wants to move somewhere different and start over with his children. He buys a mansion in a nice quiet, upscale neighborhood on impulse. Something he would otherwise not be able to afford on a bartender's salary.
BURY, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Two months later, Aiden and the twins are moving into the mansion at 1734 Rum Hill Road Bury, New Hampshire.
Now you know, if you have read THE DEAD HUSBAND, this is a HOUSE OF HORRORS.
He hears his wise wife's voice speaking to him all the time.
Don't screw up our kids.
Don't let the money change you for the worse.
Make a difference.
Own who you are.
Figure your shit out, Marlow.
A bartender turns a millionaire overnight. He does not want anyone to know this in his prestigious new neighborhood. He just wants a fresh, clean start and a safe community and school for his children.
The minute he steps through the massive castle-like front door, he knows this house has a strange vibe. (You aren't kidding. Man, does it ever. ) The mansion is eight thousand square feet, built in the 1980s. Multiple levels. Aidan suddenly desires to know more about the past, which the realtor did not tell him much.
In his seventies, the home formerly belonged to a wealthy investment banker, Logan Yates. Some other family members also went missing (you can read all about it in THE DEAD HUSBAND). He just left the house one day and never came back. The house was already in his son-in-law's name (Peter Ainsworth) since the deed was changed five years earlier.
Not long after moving in, he receives strange and creepy messages. He is distraught and must find out who is sending the threatening letters. A welcome letter and warning signed "WE WHO WATCH."
He decides to host a dinner party and invite the close neighbors so he can do a little sleuthing. Reminiscent of B.A. Paris's The Therapist. If you loved her book (a fav), you must read this one
Aidan spins out of control. He becomes obsessed with their safety and the source of the mysterious letters. He suspects everyone. He even calls in his old attorney friend from Baltimore (Maya) and his dad from Ireland (who owns a bar) to try and help him with his detective work. They all come up with different scenarios, leading to a new search.
He has gone to Police Chief Walter Sike (creepy) without a lot of assistance except to give him the name of a friend, Owen, who owns a security company.
There was an old housekeeper and a gardener. They seem a little strange when he questions them. He knows no one except the realtor who sold him the house and his attorney back in Baltimore.
Soon after a housewarming party, the news that he has won the lottery makes it more difficult. The eerie, chilling notes continue arriving mysteriously from WE WHO WATCH , making it clear they want him to stay and they know about the money.
Each letter is more sinister.
Aidan has a troubled past revolving around the death of his younger brother, Christopher, which haunts him to this date. He met his wife in Dublin at the bar where he worked, and she changed his life, and they later moved to the States.
Bestselling Author and popular podcast host Wilson takes us from Day 1 through Day 97. The notes get more dangerous and sinister each time, sending Aiden into hysterics. He then discovers a secret panel downstairs (or does his daughter). This is the last straw. No one will harm his children. (The daughter reminds me of Kimberly Belle's My Darling Husband.)
Does the person writing the notes know about his past?
Aiden (unreliable narrator) starts hallucinating, drinking more, losing chunks of time, and seeing former people who lived in this house from looking at photos. Is he losing it?
When he heard the tree snapping at the gravesite, was that him snapping? How could he take care of his children in this house of horrors, but the note warned him not to leave? He is losing his mind. He is not a good father, and Holly would be so disappointed.
His dad and his attorney, Maya (a former psychologist), are trying to help him because they are worried about the children and his sanity. This house. The millions. Why did he choose Bury? Is this his punishment for the sins of his past? Is he sabotaging himself?
The complex maze will have your head spinning with non-stop action and adrenaline-fueled suspense leading to the explosive showdown at 1734 Rum Hill Road. Someone was out to get him and his money.
Who is the villain and the motive?
"Confession is the path to absolution."
Deliciously evil and funny. I have discovered a new FAVORITE author and quickly found myself going back to read The Dead Husband and will be purchasing the remainder of his backlist between new books. Here is hoping for more Rum Hill Road!
I was trying to solve this puzzle and was a total wreck on pins and needles. The author cleverly keeps the twists coming into a dark world of madness.
Carter can flat-out write. Every time I see his name (which was my name - Judy Collins Carter Wilson) when married and after both divorces, went back to my maiden name "Collins." Also, English/Irish ancestry. I DEVOURED this book!
I highly recommend you read The Dead Husband first. This one can be read as a standalone, but why miss out on all the juicy details and background? Both books are excellent, but I loved THE NEW NEIGHBOR more. This author is on my radar now, and I cannot wait to read more. I love dark humor, and he does it so well!
Check out Carter's popular fun podcast MAKING IT UP.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Please, Carter, continue Rum Hill Road by either bringing back the old owners (who are not dead) or a new family. It's too good to end!
A very special thank you to Poisoned Pen & Netgalley for a paperback copy and e-galley ARC.
Blog Review www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Top Books of 2022
April Must-Read Books
Pub Date: April 12, 2022
#AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A
A powerful tale of a house that holds a shocking secret and a new resident with haunting secrets of the past. TENSE AND COMPULSIVE. A whodunnit domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the final page. I LOVED this book! Wilson nailed it.
Carter Wilson returns to the scene of the crime, from The Dead Husband to Bury, New Hampshire, with THE NEW NEIGHBOR. An addictive, twisted, witty, and darkly wicked psychological/crime thriller that will have you longing for the next resident of 1734 Rum Hill Road.
INTENSE. RIVETING. ADDICTIVE! Thriller lovers, you are missing out if you have not read this author.
2018 Baltimore, Maryland: we meet Aidan Marlowe. He is now a thirty-five-year-old widower with seven-year-old twins, Bo and Maggie.
His lovely wife, Holly, has passed an aneurysm at age 34, and he is at the funeral at the graveside. He never told her about his past, and right before they lowered the casket into the ground, he told everyone he needed a minute alone.
Something dark happened back in Ireland that was in the past. However, he never gets the chance to tell her. There is a text from an old childhood friend, which he will reply to later, and THEN he sees an older text that says he is a POWERBALL WINNER! He knows the numbers he has played for years. Every Wed and Sat.
Winning #s 01-05-08-10-14 PB 22. One Winner. He does not tell her after all his confession. This may be a sign of a new beginning. $30 Million, which will give him a new life. He wants to move somewhere different and start over with his children. He buys a mansion in a nice quiet, upscale neighborhood on impulse. Something he would otherwise not be able to afford on a bartender's salary.
BURY, NEW HAMPSHIRE: Two months later, Aiden and the twins are moving into the mansion at 1734 Rum Hill Road Bury, New Hampshire.
Now you know, if you have read THE DEAD HUSBAND, this is a HOUSE OF HORRORS.
He hears his wise wife's voice speaking to him all the time.
Don't screw up our kids.
Don't let the money change you for the worse.
Make a difference.
Own who you are.
Figure your shit out, Marlow.
A bartender turns a millionaire overnight. He does not want anyone to know this in his prestigious new neighborhood. He just wants a fresh, clean start and a safe community and school for his children.
The minute he steps through the massive castle-like front door, he knows this house has a strange vibe. (You aren't kidding. Man, does it ever. ) The mansion is eight thousand square feet, built in the 1980s. Multiple levels. Aidan suddenly desires to know more about the past, which the realtor did not tell him much.
In his seventies, the home formerly belonged to a wealthy investment banker, Logan Yates. Some other family members also went missing (you can read all about it in THE DEAD HUSBAND). He just left the house one day and never came back. The house was already in his son-in-law's name (Peter Ainsworth) since the deed was changed five years earlier.
Not long after moving in, he receives strange and creepy messages. He is distraught and must find out who is sending the threatening letters. A welcome letter and warning signed "WE WHO WATCH."
He decides to host a dinner party and invite the close neighbors so he can do a little sleuthing. Reminiscent of B.A. Paris's The Therapist. If you loved her book (a fav), you must read this one
Aidan spins out of control. He becomes obsessed with their safety and the source of the mysterious letters. He suspects everyone. He even calls in his old attorney friend from Baltimore (Maya) and his dad from Ireland (who owns a bar) to try and help him with his detective work. They all come up with different scenarios, leading to a new search.
He has gone to Police Chief Walter Sike (creepy) without a lot of assistance except to give him the name of a friend, Owen, who owns a security company.
There was an old housekeeper and a gardener. They seem a little strange when he questions them. He knows no one except the realtor who sold him the house and his attorney back in Baltimore.
Soon after a housewarming party, the news that he has won the lottery makes it more difficult. The eerie, chilling notes continue arriving mysteriously from WE WHO WATCH , making it clear they want him to stay and they know about the money.
Each letter is more sinister.
Aidan has a troubled past revolving around the death of his younger brother, Christopher, which haunts him to this date. He met his wife in Dublin at the bar where he worked, and she changed his life, and they later moved to the States.
Bestselling Author and popular podcast host Wilson takes us from Day 1 through Day 97. The notes get more dangerous and sinister each time, sending Aiden into hysterics. He then discovers a secret panel downstairs (or does his daughter). This is the last straw. No one will harm his children. (The daughter reminds me of Kimberly Belle's My Darling Husband.)
Does the person writing the notes know about his past?
Aiden (unreliable narrator) starts hallucinating, drinking more, losing chunks of time, and seeing former people who lived in this house from looking at photos. Is he losing it?
When he heard the tree snapping at the gravesite, was that him snapping? How could he take care of his children in this house of horrors, but the note warned him not to leave? He is losing his mind. He is not a good father, and Holly would be so disappointed.
His dad and his attorney, Maya (a former psychologist), are trying to help him because they are worried about the children and his sanity. This house. The millions. Why did he choose Bury? Is this his punishment for the sins of his past? Is he sabotaging himself?
The complex maze will have your head spinning with non-stop action and adrenaline-fueled suspense leading to the explosive showdown at 1734 Rum Hill Road. Someone was out to get him and his money.
Who is the villain and the motive?
"Confession is the path to absolution."
Deliciously evil and funny. I have discovered a new FAVORITE author and quickly found myself going back to read The Dead Husband and will be purchasing the remainder of his backlist between new books. Here is hoping for more Rum Hill Road!
I was trying to solve this puzzle and was a total wreck on pins and needles. The author cleverly keeps the twists coming into a dark world of madness.
Carter can flat-out write. Every time I see his name (which was my name - Judy Collins Carter Wilson) when married and after both divorces, went back to my maiden name "Collins." Also, English/Irish ancestry. I DEVOURED this book!
I highly recommend you read The Dead Husband first. This one can be read as a standalone, but why miss out on all the juicy details and background? Both books are excellent, but I loved THE NEW NEIGHBOR more. This author is on my radar now, and I cannot wait to read more. I love dark humor, and he does it so well!
Check out Carter's popular fun podcast MAKING IT UP.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
Please, Carter, continue Rum Hill Road by either bringing back the old owners (who are not dead) or a new family. It's too good to end!
A very special thank you to Poisoned Pen & Netgalley for a paperback copy and e-galley ARC.
Blog Review www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Top Books of 2022
April Must-Read Books
Pub Date: April 12, 2022
#AuthorElevatorSeries Q&A
February 10, 2023
3.3⭐
Featuring ~ single POV
Aidan Marlowe (goes by Marlowe) lost his wife, Holly, and learned he won the lottery at her funeral. Now a single father to 7 year old twins, he decided on a fresh start and moves from a big city ~ Baltimore, Maryland to a small town ~ Bury, New Hampshire. As they're trying to settle in and learn to live without Holly, he starts getting threatening letters that are signed from who we watch . Now he's on a downward spiral, drinking heavily and questioning his own sanity.
Looking back now I'm mad that I didn't know who the who in the who we watch was, but I should have guessed. But then again, I do like not figuring it out ahead of time sometimes.
There was an added little mystery of how his brother, Christopher, died when they were teenagers that was interesting.
My heart was pounding a bit when Maggie went missing for a little while and I liked where she was found.
Gary Bennett did a good job of narrating, however, Aidan is Irish, so I wouldn't have minded listening to an Irish accent.
This one started out really strong for me and I was really excited for it, but I hate to say that somewhere along the way my mind started to wander a bit. Was it because there were apparently references from another book of his that I should have read first ~ maybe? I guess I should have read the blurb first and not judged the book by the cover. And who is Max? I thought the twins names were Maggie and Max, but it seems his name is Bo ~ ugh. I did start hearing the name Bo towards the end. That shows how well I was paying attention.
With that said I will give this author a try again ~ maybe I'll read it, instead of listening to the next one.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media LLC and the author for the advanced audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ single POV
Aidan Marlowe (goes by Marlowe) lost his wife, Holly, and learned he won the lottery at her funeral. Now a single father to 7 year old twins, he decided on a fresh start and moves from a big city ~ Baltimore, Maryland to a small town ~ Bury, New Hampshire. As they're trying to settle in and learn to live without Holly, he starts getting threatening letters that are signed from who we watch . Now he's on a downward spiral, drinking heavily and questioning his own sanity.
Looking back now I'm mad that I didn't know who the who in the who we watch was, but I should have guessed. But then again, I do like not figuring it out ahead of time sometimes.
There was an added little mystery of how his brother, Christopher, died when they were teenagers that was interesting.
My heart was pounding a bit when Maggie went missing for a little while and I liked where she was found.
Gary Bennett did a good job of narrating, however, Aidan is Irish, so I wouldn't have minded listening to an Irish accent.
This one started out really strong for me and I was really excited for it, but I hate to say that somewhere along the way my mind started to wander a bit. Was it because there were apparently references from another book of his that I should have read first ~ maybe? I guess I should have read the blurb first and not judged the book by the cover. And who is Max? I thought the twins names were Maggie and Max, but it seems his name is Bo ~ ugh. I did start hearing the name Bo towards the end. That shows how well I was paying attention.
With that said I will give this author a try again ~ maybe I'll read it, instead of listening to the next one.
*Thanks to Netgalley, Dreamscape Media LLC and the author for the advanced audiobook. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
December 29, 2021
The story centers around Aiden Marlowe who is grieving the loss of his young wife to a brain aneurysm. Not only is Aiden a widower but now he's left to take care of his seven-year-old twins alone. During his wife's funeral, he receives a text from the lottery notifying him that he just became a millionaire. Aiden has had to struggle his entire life to make ends meet but now he doesn't have to worry about money.
Aiden decides to relocate from Baltimore, Maryland to an upper-class neighborhood in Bury, New Hampshire. Soon after Aiden and the twins start to sense that something is wrong. Someone is watching them. Someone who knows every personal detail of his past and what Aiden is trying to hide.
This is the first book I've read by Wilson and it did not disappoint. The New Neighbor is a highly entertaining, dark, and twisty read. The chapters are shorter so it takes no time at all to finish it.
In fact, I finished this one in less than 24 hours.
Carter Wilson did a fantastic job writing this one and I highly recommend this one to fans of psychological thrillers/suspense novels! The New Neighbor will be available on April 12. Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Aiden decides to relocate from Baltimore, Maryland to an upper-class neighborhood in Bury, New Hampshire. Soon after Aiden and the twins start to sense that something is wrong. Someone is watching them. Someone who knows every personal detail of his past and what Aiden is trying to hide.
This is the first book I've read by Wilson and it did not disappoint. The New Neighbor is a highly entertaining, dark, and twisty read. The chapters are shorter so it takes no time at all to finish it.
In fact, I finished this one in less than 24 hours.
Carter Wilson did a fantastic job writing this one and I highly recommend this one to fans of psychological thrillers/suspense novels! The New Neighbor will be available on April 12. Many thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
May 7, 2022
Can the worst day of one's life also be the best day of one's life?
On the day of his wife’s funeral, Aidan Marlowe wins the $30 million Powerball.
Aidan uses his newfound riches to move himself and his 7-year-old-twins from Baltimore to Bury, New Hampshire (a play on words?) to start a new life.
When Aidan and his family move into their huge new home, threats to his family and newly acquired fortune begin.
The book's storyline was intriguing: a widower with a dark past wins the lottery and moves into a huge mansion with an equally dark past.
We quickly learn that the widower is a very unreliable narrator.
The book's "Who Dunnit?" storyline was also compelling. Who was sending the widower threatening letters and extortion demands?
The book starts off strong and then falters.
Unfortunately, the book dragged and fell flat. I listened to the audiobook and narrator Gary Bennet did a superb job with the narration. With a different narrator, this book would have been a DNF for me.
2.5 stars.
On the day of his wife’s funeral, Aidan Marlowe wins the $30 million Powerball.
Aidan uses his newfound riches to move himself and his 7-year-old-twins from Baltimore to Bury, New Hampshire (a play on words?) to start a new life.
When Aidan and his family move into their huge new home, threats to his family and newly acquired fortune begin.
The book's storyline was intriguing: a widower with a dark past wins the lottery and moves into a huge mansion with an equally dark past.
We quickly learn that the widower is a very unreliable narrator.
The book's "Who Dunnit?" storyline was also compelling. Who was sending the widower threatening letters and extortion demands?
The book starts off strong and then falters.
Unfortunately, the book dragged and fell flat. I listened to the audiobook and narrator Gary Bennet did a superb job with the narration. With a different narrator, this book would have been a DNF for me.
2.5 stars.
January 1, 2022
This is my first time reading a book by this author, and after this one, I’d definitely be willing to check out some of his other books. “The New Neighbor” isn’t a masterpiece by any means, but it was thoroughly entertaining and a quick, easy read.
The book opens with Adain Marlowe attending his wife’s funeral. She died suddenly and quite young of a brain aneurysm, and now Marlowe (as he’s known to his friends) is a widower with seven-year-old twins and no clue of what to do next.
While at the funeral, Marlowe’s phone buzzes, and he briefly wonders if it’s his wife, sending him a message from beyond. No such luck, but while looking through texts he’s ignored since his wife’s death, he sees a text from the lottery. The numbers he’s been playing for years have paid off, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. He couldn’t afford a nice tie for his wife’s funeral, but now he’s a millionaire.
After spending a lifetime scrimping and saving, his biggest dream has come true, but now Marlowe doesn’t even want it. All he wants is his wife back. Having such a good thing happen as he’s dealing with the worst day of his life really hits hard. He decides to make a big change and move from their home in Baltimore to the quiet and affluent town of Bury, New Hampshire.
Once settled in their new, palatial home, Marlowe and his twins start feeling vibes. There’s a smell and an energy that makes them uneasy, and there are many rumors about the last owners. Certain rooms feel more creepy than others. There are secrets in the walls (and in the basement). There is something strange about this house, but this isn’t a typical haunted house book … the ghosts in this book live in people’s minds.
There is much more to this story than a broken man trying to raise his children alone. The house has a long history, Marlowe himself has a long history, and a mystery begins when vague notes start being left outside the house. Those notes begin as something curious, but soon take a dark turn. The police department in the small town has few resources and little ambition, so it’s up to Marlowe to find out who is threatening his family.
This book was completely enjoyable and as I mentioned, a quick read. I’m torn on the ending, and still trying to decide if I liked it or not. I guessed some parts of it, and it had so many twists - I kind of wish some of the twists were more spread out, but it definitely made for a speedy conclusion. This wasn’t brilliant or thought-provoking, etc., but it was definitely entertaining, and a reminder that money can’t buy the truly important things in life. 3.5 rounded up for the entertainment value.
(Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Carter Wilson, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
The book opens with Adain Marlowe attending his wife’s funeral. She died suddenly and quite young of a brain aneurysm, and now Marlowe (as he’s known to his friends) is a widower with seven-year-old twins and no clue of what to do next.
While at the funeral, Marlowe’s phone buzzes, and he briefly wonders if it’s his wife, sending him a message from beyond. No such luck, but while looking through texts he’s ignored since his wife’s death, he sees a text from the lottery. The numbers he’s been playing for years have paid off, to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. He couldn’t afford a nice tie for his wife’s funeral, but now he’s a millionaire.
After spending a lifetime scrimping and saving, his biggest dream has come true, but now Marlowe doesn’t even want it. All he wants is his wife back. Having such a good thing happen as he’s dealing with the worst day of his life really hits hard. He decides to make a big change and move from their home in Baltimore to the quiet and affluent town of Bury, New Hampshire.
Once settled in their new, palatial home, Marlowe and his twins start feeling vibes. There’s a smell and an energy that makes them uneasy, and there are many rumors about the last owners. Certain rooms feel more creepy than others. There are secrets in the walls (and in the basement). There is something strange about this house, but this isn’t a typical haunted house book … the ghosts in this book live in people’s minds.
There is much more to this story than a broken man trying to raise his children alone. The house has a long history, Marlowe himself has a long history, and a mystery begins when vague notes start being left outside the house. Those notes begin as something curious, but soon take a dark turn. The police department in the small town has few resources and little ambition, so it’s up to Marlowe to find out who is threatening his family.
This book was completely enjoyable and as I mentioned, a quick read. I’m torn on the ending, and still trying to decide if I liked it or not. I guessed some parts of it, and it had so many twists - I kind of wish some of the twists were more spread out, but it definitely made for a speedy conclusion. This wasn’t brilliant or thought-provoking, etc., but it was definitely entertaining, and a reminder that money can’t buy the truly important things in life. 3.5 rounded up for the entertainment value.
(Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, Carter Wilson, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)
March 28, 2022
Well this started dark and tantalisingly different as our main character is at his wife’s funeral and receives a text that he has won the ‘double ball’ lottery and tens of millions of dollars, I expected a tale of what this did to him and his family and with the ‘new neighbour’ giveaway title that he moved and all was not well….some of it happened, most didn’t and it was a case of an enticing start that led to an ok middle and unsatisfying ending
Draining weak characters, ( the main in narration has a habit of saying ‘well bless me’), none of them gel they jar, a less than basic look at some areas of mental health ( better left if not going to be fully explained ) and a constant nattering back to an early life event for the main man meant tbh I finished it as did want to know the outcome but was more a labour than a joy, brilliant start that just wasn’t able to be sustained
4/10
2 Stars
Draining weak characters, ( the main in narration has a habit of saying ‘well bless me’), none of them gel they jar, a less than basic look at some areas of mental health ( better left if not going to be fully explained ) and a constant nattering back to an early life event for the main man meant tbh I finished it as did want to know the outcome but was more a labour than a joy, brilliant start that just wasn’t able to be sustained
4/10
2 Stars
January 7, 2022
Aidan Marlowe dreams of hitting the Powerball lottery. Determined and superstition, he has been playing the same numbers for fifteen years with no luck.
On the day of his wife’s funeral, Aidan is struggling to cope with the loss of the love of his life, the mother of his children, and suddenly winning the lottery.
The newfound money gives them endless opportunities and is a new beginning for him and his kids. Aidan and his kids purchase a new huge home, in a new neighborhood where they can try to move on with their lives.
However, this new home comes with an attachment; a stranger who is watching them, waiting. This stranger knows exactly who Aidan is and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The sketchy stranger lurking outside was so creepy. I loved the thrill ride!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
On the day of his wife’s funeral, Aidan is struggling to cope with the loss of the love of his life, the mother of his children, and suddenly winning the lottery.
The newfound money gives them endless opportunities and is a new beginning for him and his kids. Aidan and his kids purchase a new huge home, in a new neighborhood where they can try to move on with their lives.
However, this new home comes with an attachment; a stranger who is watching them, waiting. This stranger knows exactly who Aidan is and will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
I really enjoyed the premise of this book. The sketchy stranger lurking outside was so creepy. I loved the thrill ride!
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 28, 2021
Carter Wilson is a thriller writer I’ve come to enjoy reading enough to acquire his new books on name recognition alone, as was the case here. Wilson isn’t the most consistent author, but, although he’s seldom great, he’s always, reliably, good and that’s pretty impressive in and of itself, a built-in quality control of sorts.
With his latest, he is, once again, good, very good. At least for the first two thirds on the novel, the last one can strike readers this way or that.
So, the wealthy denizens of Bury are getting a new neighbor. Bury’s a place Wilson already created and established before, so this is a revisit, after all a town with a name that creepy deserves one. The neighbor’s name is Aidan, he’s a recent widower, his beloved wife suddenly died and now at 35 he finds himself devastated and unmoored, but since he has two young kids to take care of, he can’t allow himself to unravel, so he does the next best thing…buys a new life. The reason he can do this isn’t his prowess as a bartender, it’s his winning lottery ticket. The win he, eerily, finds out about on the day of his wife’s funeral. Now Aidan, who has always, at best, threaded water, is a multimillionaire, and so he goes out and buys a mansion suited for one. A place that used to belong to a family that had mysteriously vanished. Does that factor creep Aidan out? Apparently not. It puzzles him, though, makes him want to solve the mystery, until a mystery of his own crops up in form of increasingly threatening letters.
Is someone merely after his wealth or is here something more sinister at play here? Well, read and find out.
It stands to mention that Aidan in his grief (his multilevel grief spiked by guilt as it turns out) is something of an unreliable narrator, increasingly so as the novel progresses, so it adds to the general WTF*ckery of his situation. Staying authentic to his Irish blood, he drinks too much, which muddles his existence. But overall, he’s a nice guy, someone you want to succeed and so you read on.
By now, with so many thrillers under his belt, Wilson has gotten the formula down perfectly. Short chapters, each ending in the way that you simply have to read the next, the novel zooms by, the last third in a somewhat hallucinogenic state of uncertainty, but still…There’s a nice plot twist in the end too. Likable characters, etc. Although it stands to mention one of Aidan’s seven year old twins, Bo, seems/talks almost distractingly mature for his age. Overall, a very engaging production that’ll certainly have you turning the pages.
It is very disappointing the way a central mystery of Aidan’s new place is introduced and then left unsolved. I definitely would have loved more on that, it seems like a more interesting secret to uncover than Aidan’s own letters situation, in fact. But alas, the author chose not to. We’re given the story he wanted to tell, the mystery he wanted to solve, and that’s perfectly fine and mostly sufficient. Makes for a fun and entertaining character driven suspense thriller. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
With his latest, he is, once again, good, very good. At least for the first two thirds on the novel, the last one can strike readers this way or that.
So, the wealthy denizens of Bury are getting a new neighbor. Bury’s a place Wilson already created and established before, so this is a revisit, after all a town with a name that creepy deserves one. The neighbor’s name is Aidan, he’s a recent widower, his beloved wife suddenly died and now at 35 he finds himself devastated and unmoored, but since he has two young kids to take care of, he can’t allow himself to unravel, so he does the next best thing…buys a new life. The reason he can do this isn’t his prowess as a bartender, it’s his winning lottery ticket. The win he, eerily, finds out about on the day of his wife’s funeral. Now Aidan, who has always, at best, threaded water, is a multimillionaire, and so he goes out and buys a mansion suited for one. A place that used to belong to a family that had mysteriously vanished. Does that factor creep Aidan out? Apparently not. It puzzles him, though, makes him want to solve the mystery, until a mystery of his own crops up in form of increasingly threatening letters.
Is someone merely after his wealth or is here something more sinister at play here? Well, read and find out.
It stands to mention that Aidan in his grief (his multilevel grief spiked by guilt as it turns out) is something of an unreliable narrator, increasingly so as the novel progresses, so it adds to the general WTF*ckery of his situation. Staying authentic to his Irish blood, he drinks too much, which muddles his existence. But overall, he’s a nice guy, someone you want to succeed and so you read on.
By now, with so many thrillers under his belt, Wilson has gotten the formula down perfectly. Short chapters, each ending in the way that you simply have to read the next, the novel zooms by, the last third in a somewhat hallucinogenic state of uncertainty, but still…There’s a nice plot twist in the end too. Likable characters, etc. Although it stands to mention one of Aidan’s seven year old twins, Bo, seems/talks almost distractingly mature for his age. Overall, a very engaging production that’ll certainly have you turning the pages.
It is very disappointing the way a central mystery of Aidan’s new place is introduced and then left unsolved. I definitely would have loved more on that, it seems like a more interesting secret to uncover than Aidan’s own letters situation, in fact. But alas, the author chose not to. We’re given the story he wanted to tell, the mystery he wanted to solve, and that’s perfectly fine and mostly sufficient. Makes for a fun and entertaining character driven suspense thriller. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
April 12, 2022
The new neighbor was an enjoyable read. Marlow was an unreliable narrator so you were always questioning if what he was saying was really the truth or not. I loved the characters and the backstory for Marlow.
March 19, 2022
This thriller managed to subvert my expectations multiple times and keep me guessing throughout which is not something that a lot of books do.
In this novel, a man moves to a new town and new neighborhood after his wife dies on the same day he wins the lottery. After his arrival, he begins receiving mysterious notes and finds out that his new house has a dark history where an entire family disappeared.
It goes to weird places. I actually really liked the kind of off the wall conclusion but I am not sure it would work for everyone. Things I was asking myself ended up being answered in an almost amusing “oh of course’ way. I thought the writing was sharp and engaging and the character’s weren’t exactly the deepest but still enough to connect with and propel through the story. There are many, many threads of this story and they all are rather frayed and scattered and not tidied up at the end but I kind of liked that realism to it. It ended up with some tropes (that I'm not going to mention because spoilers) that I am not a fan of but the way they were utilized was different enough for me to not be too annoyed.
The loss of a loved one and the trauma that can be inflicted isn’t exactly nuanced here but it shown as powerful but there was enough emotional distance from it to not be traumatizing for the reader. You can step back and enjoy the story without being emotionally manipulated.
I also noted that this is my first time in a long time with a central male character in a thriller and WOW the lack of gaslighting was astounding. No one ever, not once, asked this man if these things are really happening this way until things started getting like REALLY wild. Is it that not being believed is a central fear to women so its written about more? Or are men just written as being more ‘believable’? I don’t know. This is only one example from one book. I’d be very curious if any other thriller readers have noticed this as a trend at all?
Anyways, I can’t talk too much about what I liked without spoiling this. I should say I DID guess what was happening but I also guessed like 20 other options because there was literally so much going on and possible at different times that it felt like it could have gone in any direction. So it doesn't really count as 'guessing' lol
I listened to the audio book provided by Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. The narrator did a great job HOWEVER, the character was supposed to be Irish and have an Irish accent which is mentioned throughout the story and this narrator did not. It was a little distracting and not sure why they didn’t hire someone Irish.
In this novel, a man moves to a new town and new neighborhood after his wife dies on the same day he wins the lottery. After his arrival, he begins receiving mysterious notes and finds out that his new house has a dark history where an entire family disappeared.
It goes to weird places. I actually really liked the kind of off the wall conclusion but I am not sure it would work for everyone. Things I was asking myself ended up being answered in an almost amusing “oh of course’ way. I thought the writing was sharp and engaging and the character’s weren’t exactly the deepest but still enough to connect with and propel through the story. There are many, many threads of this story and they all are rather frayed and scattered and not tidied up at the end but I kind of liked that realism to it. It ended up with some tropes (that I'm not going to mention because spoilers) that I am not a fan of but the way they were utilized was different enough for me to not be too annoyed.
The loss of a loved one and the trauma that can be inflicted isn’t exactly nuanced here but it shown as powerful but there was enough emotional distance from it to not be traumatizing for the reader. You can step back and enjoy the story without being emotionally manipulated.
I also noted that this is my first time in a long time with a central male character in a thriller and WOW the lack of gaslighting was astounding. No one ever, not once, asked this man if these things are really happening this way until things started getting like REALLY wild. Is it that not being believed is a central fear to women so its written about more? Or are men just written as being more ‘believable’? I don’t know. This is only one example from one book. I’d be very curious if any other thriller readers have noticed this as a trend at all?
Anyways, I can’t talk too much about what I liked without spoiling this. I should say I DID guess what was happening but I also guessed like 20 other options because there was literally so much going on and possible at different times that it felt like it could have gone in any direction. So it doesn't really count as 'guessing' lol
I listened to the audio book provided by Netgalley and Dreamscape Media. The narrator did a great job HOWEVER, the character was supposed to be Irish and have an Irish accent which is mentioned throughout the story and this narrator did not. It was a little distracting and not sure why they didn’t hire someone Irish.
December 11, 2021
Carter Wilson books always find a way to surprise and The New Neighbor was no different. I read it in 2 sittings, keeping me up late into the night reading. Twisty and dark, this is book you need to read. It has ties to his previous book, The Dead Husband, but can easily be read as a standalone.
It is the worst day of his life, burying his wife. On the same day, he discovers that he has won millions on Powerball after playing the same numbers his whole life. Life can be funny that way. Overcome by grief, he packs up his twin children and buys a house far way for a new start. Only the house has a dark past, and somebody is watching them. Having all the money he could imagine doesn't necessarily make life better. What do these people want and how far will they go to get it?
A page turner that I highly recommend for lovers of thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out April 12th, 2022
It is the worst day of his life, burying his wife. On the same day, he discovers that he has won millions on Powerball after playing the same numbers his whole life. Life can be funny that way. Overcome by grief, he packs up his twin children and buys a house far way for a new start. Only the house has a dark past, and somebody is watching them. Having all the money he could imagine doesn't necessarily make life better. What do these people want and how far will they go to get it?
A page turner that I highly recommend for lovers of thriller. Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my advanced copy of this book to read. Out April 12th, 2022
April 24, 2022
The New Neighbor is the eighth novel by American author, Carter Wilson and crosses over with his previous novel, The Dead Husband. On the worst day of his life, the day he buries his wife Holly, Aidan Marlowe learns that he has won Powerball. Two months later, he and his seven-year-old twins, Maggie and Bo, have moved from Baltimore to a mansion, sight unseen, in Bury, New Hampshire.
The move seems to have been made on impulse rather than logic: Aidan admits to being inexplicably drawn to this town and this house. When they arrive, Aidan feels an energy on entering; Bo, his eerily perceptive son, tells him the house is creepy.
Mere hours later, there’s a hand-delivered letter, not junk mail, but something addressed directly to Aidan, knowing much more about him and his family than any stranger should, mildly threatening and signed by “We Who Watch”.
As Aidan sets about furnishing the house and managing his enormous windfall, he does indeed get the feeling of being watched. After a second letter, he involves the police, who recommend updated security, but get no trace or other clues from the letters. Aidan finds himself seeking advice and reassurance from his very expensive (and attractive) lawyer quite often.
Aidan enlists his father to help keep his family safe, but what happens at a gathering of his neighbours seems to emphasise that someone has malicious intent. Timothy Marlowe agrees with his grandson about the house: “Like a thousand secrets trapped under the floorboards, radiating.” His father’s presence here recalls a long-buried guilt for Aidan, in addition to all the strange goings-on.
Wilson gives the reader (what turns out to be) an unreliable narrator, a strange house with a very unusual basement and a bizarre history attached, a hint of paranormal, and enough intrigue to keep the pages turning right up to the nail-biting climax. This one is hard to put down.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.
The move seems to have been made on impulse rather than logic: Aidan admits to being inexplicably drawn to this town and this house. When they arrive, Aidan feels an energy on entering; Bo, his eerily perceptive son, tells him the house is creepy.
Mere hours later, there’s a hand-delivered letter, not junk mail, but something addressed directly to Aidan, knowing much more about him and his family than any stranger should, mildly threatening and signed by “We Who Watch”.
As Aidan sets about furnishing the house and managing his enormous windfall, he does indeed get the feeling of being watched. After a second letter, he involves the police, who recommend updated security, but get no trace or other clues from the letters. Aidan finds himself seeking advice and reassurance from his very expensive (and attractive) lawyer quite often.
Aidan enlists his father to help keep his family safe, but what happens at a gathering of his neighbours seems to emphasise that someone has malicious intent. Timothy Marlowe agrees with his grandson about the house: “Like a thousand secrets trapped under the floorboards, radiating.” His father’s presence here recalls a long-buried guilt for Aidan, in addition to all the strange goings-on.
Wilson gives the reader (what turns out to be) an unreliable narrator, a strange house with a very unusual basement and a bizarre history attached, a hint of paranormal, and enough intrigue to keep the pages turning right up to the nail-biting climax. This one is hard to put down.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.
May 2, 2022
“The premise of THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Carter Wilson, Author grabbed me in an instant: the day a man buries his tragically deceased wife is also the day he wins $30 million in the lottery.
How do you cope with the juxtaposition of immense grief with an event that's supposed to bring you unbridled excitement and joy? For Aidan Marlowe it's not very well at all, and thus we find ourselves in the mind of a man whose life slowly unravels.
This is one heck of a thriller, and Marlowe's voice is incredible and compelling. The story is creepy yet tender, shocking and hugely emotional. I absolutely loved this book, and am about to make my way through Carter Wilson's entire backlist.
Mr. Wilson, you have a new fan! 😊”
How do you cope with the juxtaposition of immense grief with an event that's supposed to bring you unbridled excitement and joy? For Aidan Marlowe it's not very well at all, and thus we find ourselves in the mind of a man whose life slowly unravels.
This is one heck of a thriller, and Marlowe's voice is incredible and compelling. The story is creepy yet tender, shocking and hugely emotional. I absolutely loved this book, and am about to make my way through Carter Wilson's entire backlist.
Mr. Wilson, you have a new fan! 😊”
April 12, 2022
I really enjoyed this book because it was full of twists and turns that made this book impossible to put down. The only issue I have is that the book ended up in a sort of a cliffhanger. Regardless, I would still recommend this book to those who are into psychological thrillers. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
Thank you Netgalley for Providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you Netgalley for Providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 10, 2022
Blimey, what a page turner.
Imagine losing your wife then winning millions on the lottery. That surely would mess with your head and that's the starting point for this brilliant thriller from an author that's new to me but I've just ordered two of the previous novels.
This is one of the twistiest thrillers I've read this year so far with the most unreliable of unreliable narrators and enough "ooh" moments to satisfy the most ardent of psychological thriller readers.
An emotionally charged, oft edge of the seat, addictive novel that works its way to a confrontational conclusion. I adored every minute of it.
Highly Recommended
Imagine losing your wife then winning millions on the lottery. That surely would mess with your head and that's the starting point for this brilliant thriller from an author that's new to me but I've just ordered two of the previous novels.
This is one of the twistiest thrillers I've read this year so far with the most unreliable of unreliable narrators and enough "ooh" moments to satisfy the most ardent of psychological thriller readers.
An emotionally charged, oft edge of the seat, addictive novel that works its way to a confrontational conclusion. I adored every minute of it.
Highly Recommended
February 13, 2025
I read and loved Carter Wilsons, The Dead Husband last year. As soon as I saw his upcoming release, The New Neighbor, I requested it on Netgalley immediately.
This book had SO much promise but unfortunately it just didn't do it for me. I kept waiting for one of the main parts of the story to reveal itself, and it never did. I was left with a whole lot of unanswered questions. I was so invested, some closure would have been awesome!
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for my copy.
This book had SO much promise but unfortunately it just didn't do it for me. I kept waiting for one of the main parts of the story to reveal itself, and it never did. I was left with a whole lot of unanswered questions. I was so invested, some closure would have been awesome!
Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for my copy.
December 19, 2021
This latest book by Carter Wilson starts off with Aidan at his wife’s funeral. While at the funeral, he finds out he’s won a $30 million lottery ticket. Can you imagine? Aidan and his 2 twins move to a big house in Bury, NH and strange things start happening. This book kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.
October 14, 2023
After discovering this author in The Dead Husband a few weeks ago, I immediately sought out this one, coincidentally somewhat of a follow up to the first, in that it takes place in the same house and references some of the same characters.
Aiden Marlowe's life is feeling over after the death of his wife, when on the day of her burial he reads a text that he's won $30 million in the Power Ball. He goes on to prove that handling either situation is not easy. He has two young children and moves them into a mansion in a new state, where immediately strange things happen that make Marlowe feel that maybe the move was a mistake.
There was a creepy vibe from the start, and I was thinking either something supernatural would make an appearance or that Aiden would go mad. I won't say if my instincts were right or not; just that I liked it even more than the other book. There were a few odd occurrences that I wondered about, but I could overlook those. A good read for October, when I especially aim for that creepiness factor in my reads.
Aiden Marlowe's life is feeling over after the death of his wife, when on the day of her burial he reads a text that he's won $30 million in the Power Ball. He goes on to prove that handling either situation is not easy. He has two young children and moves them into a mansion in a new state, where immediately strange things happen that make Marlowe feel that maybe the move was a mistake.
There was a creepy vibe from the start, and I was thinking either something supernatural would make an appearance or that Aiden would go mad. I won't say if my instincts were right or not; just that I liked it even more than the other book. There were a few odd occurrences that I wondered about, but I could overlook those. A good read for October, when I especially aim for that creepiness factor in my reads.
March 19, 2022
Name of Book: The Neighbors
Author: Carter Wilson
Genre: Sci Fi
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Pub Date: April 5, 2022
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Aidan Marlowe 'Marlowe' has been playing the same numbers in the Lottery for fifteen years. On the sad day of his wife’s funeral ~ guess what? He wins thirty million dollars in the lottery!
He decided that he is going to use the money for a new home for himself and his children ~ seven year old twins Bo and Maggs.
He picks a small town named Bury. He chose this city as the day he was burying his wife Holly he got a text message. He was going to ignore but his first reaction was it was a message from Holly. Of course, it wasn’t but it was the biweekly message he got with the winning lottery numbers. He sees this as a message from Holly to use the money and create a new special life. So he moves from Baltimore to Bury, New Hampshire.
His new house has a strange past with the previous owner, his two daughters and grandson ALL missing. Marlowe starts to get letters warning him that “we” are watching! His dark secret about the death of his young brother is haunting him.
This story had a hold on me ~ could NOT put in down.
Personal Note: I know I am the only person in the world who isn’t a fan or uses profanity.
Author Carter Wilson has a great vocabulary and his writing is great. He uses obsolescence in one sentence and then drops an f-bomb or other swearing in the next~ surely he can do better!
I know nasty people talk this way but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
This was first my Wilson novel!
Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audiobooks for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 12, 2022.
Author: Carter Wilson
Genre: Sci Fi
Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Pub Date: April 5, 2022
My Rating: 3.6 rounded up
Aidan Marlowe 'Marlowe' has been playing the same numbers in the Lottery for fifteen years. On the sad day of his wife’s funeral ~ guess what? He wins thirty million dollars in the lottery!
He decided that he is going to use the money for a new home for himself and his children ~ seven year old twins Bo and Maggs.
He picks a small town named Bury. He chose this city as the day he was burying his wife Holly he got a text message. He was going to ignore but his first reaction was it was a message from Holly. Of course, it wasn’t but it was the biweekly message he got with the winning lottery numbers. He sees this as a message from Holly to use the money and create a new special life. So he moves from Baltimore to Bury, New Hampshire.
His new house has a strange past with the previous owner, his two daughters and grandson ALL missing. Marlowe starts to get letters warning him that “we” are watching! His dark secret about the death of his young brother is haunting him.
This story had a hold on me ~ could NOT put in down.
Personal Note: I know I am the only person in the world who isn’t a fan or uses profanity.
Author Carter Wilson has a great vocabulary and his writing is great. He uses obsolescence in one sentence and then drops an f-bomb or other swearing in the next~ surely he can do better!
I know nasty people talk this way but it doesn’t mean I have to like it.
This was first my Wilson novel!
Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this Audiobooks for this audio eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for April 12, 2022.
December 28, 2021
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND THE PUBLISHER FOR THIS REVIEW COPY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
Aidan Marlowe won a lottery on the day of her beloved wife's funeral. He is suddenly a rich widower with 7-year-old twins. He decided to move to a new town because he thinks his wife would want that. Bury is the hub of rich people and life is reserved here.
Aidan is trying to adjust his new money with the help of his lawyer Maya. The house Aidan bought a history and so the Aidan. One day he got a letter from an unknown source who wants him to live in the house. With time one letter turned into two-letter. Bury police are out of resources and motivation to solve any new case. Aidan decided to throw a party to get to know the neighbors but after that party letters are now asking for money.
I was completely absorbed into the world and the character development was just fine that made me feel for Aidan despite him being a not-so-interesting character. This book was standalone but there were certain references from the past books. I was really enjoying the book (read getting angry at the police and the people who were writing letters). The ending spoilt my mood and it was the troop I hate the most in mystery.
Aidan Marlowe won a lottery on the day of her beloved wife's funeral. He is suddenly a rich widower with 7-year-old twins. He decided to move to a new town because he thinks his wife would want that. Bury is the hub of rich people and life is reserved here.
Aidan is trying to adjust his new money with the help of his lawyer Maya. The house Aidan bought a history and so the Aidan. One day he got a letter from an unknown source who wants him to live in the house. With time one letter turned into two-letter. Bury police are out of resources and motivation to solve any new case. Aidan decided to throw a party to get to know the neighbors but after that party letters are now asking for money.
I was completely absorbed into the world and the character development was just fine that made me feel for Aidan despite him being a not-so-interesting character. This book was standalone but there were certain references from the past books. I was really enjoying the book (read getting angry at the police and the people who were writing letters). The ending spoilt my mood and it was the troop I hate the most in mystery.
April 24, 2022
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to win the lottery? Of course you have. Seriously, who hasn’t? Aidan Marlowe is just like all of us, fantasizing about winning big money. He plays the same numbers every time and, like most of us, has never won. Aidan is not a lucky man. He lost his brother when they were both in their middle teens. And now he’s burying his wife. He loved Holly beyond words, but she died way too soon.
As Aidan stands there by her grave, remembering their lives together, his phone pings. Irrationally, he reaches for it in the hope that it’s Holly, sending him a message. Ridiculous, of course. It’s not from Holly, but what he sees seems almost as absurd: after 15 years, he’s won the lottery! The feeling is bittersweet. Holly, who meant everything to him, is gone, leaving him heartsick. But he has to soldier on for their young twins, Bo and Maggie. In the days following the funeral, he struggles to put his life back together and finally comes to a fateful decision: They will leave Baltimore and start fresh.
So it is that, in a small town by the name of Bury, Aidan, Bo and Maggie arrive at their new home. Standing there before the giant mansion, the three gaze at the massive front door. Awed by its size, Bo and Maggie run inside to explore. Aidan experiences momentary second thoughts, then reassures himself that this is going to work out. They are home now. But why this house in this town? There was an unnatural draw about 1734 Rum Hill Road that compelled him to buy it. When he found it online, he simply had to have it. He can’t explain why. Maybe it’s the story behind it; the mystery of the family who owned it before him. Also, the place is magnificent.
Initially, the townspeople regard him with the suspicious eye that residents do when outsiders move in. It’s not hostile exactly, but not what you’d call warm. That’s fine; Aidan simply wants to settle in, go slow, nurture his kids and take time to heal. He chose to leave Baltimore so they could live in peace and anonymity. Keeping the source of his wealth a secret has been a priority. He feels it's safer if no one knows he won the lottery. But then sinister notes begin showing up on his doorstep. Who found him out, and how? More importantly, is his family still safe? The messages aren’t overtly threatening, but they warn him not to try to leave Bury. And then the notes take a darker turn. How can he protect his children with this hanging over their heads?
Aidan is a man broken by grief and then by guilt over winning the lottery, a stroke of luck that he can’t share with the only woman he ever loved. What good is the money if he will be puttering around a huge house without Holly? He and the twins miss her desperately. His mind has trouble coping. As many people do in his situation, he turns to alcohol, which naturally doesn’t help. He’s experiencing gaps in time. Is he losing his mind, or is it the drinking? Bo and Maggie are too young to totally understand, but they see that something isn’t right with their dad. Desperate, Aidan asks his father to come stay with them while he sorts things out --- which means confronting ghosts from his past, not just the ones in their new house.
Carter Wilson’s THE NEW NEIGHBOR is one of those unputdownable books; you can’t bear to leave the story to attend to mundane aspects of life. Who is doing this to them, and why? How is Aidan going to fix this? Those questions push readers ever forward. The mystery is over-the-moon compelling, and the narrator --- Aidan himself --- is a fine guide to the solution.
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
As Aidan stands there by her grave, remembering their lives together, his phone pings. Irrationally, he reaches for it in the hope that it’s Holly, sending him a message. Ridiculous, of course. It’s not from Holly, but what he sees seems almost as absurd: after 15 years, he’s won the lottery! The feeling is bittersweet. Holly, who meant everything to him, is gone, leaving him heartsick. But he has to soldier on for their young twins, Bo and Maggie. In the days following the funeral, he struggles to put his life back together and finally comes to a fateful decision: They will leave Baltimore and start fresh.
So it is that, in a small town by the name of Bury, Aidan, Bo and Maggie arrive at their new home. Standing there before the giant mansion, the three gaze at the massive front door. Awed by its size, Bo and Maggie run inside to explore. Aidan experiences momentary second thoughts, then reassures himself that this is going to work out. They are home now. But why this house in this town? There was an unnatural draw about 1734 Rum Hill Road that compelled him to buy it. When he found it online, he simply had to have it. He can’t explain why. Maybe it’s the story behind it; the mystery of the family who owned it before him. Also, the place is magnificent.
Initially, the townspeople regard him with the suspicious eye that residents do when outsiders move in. It’s not hostile exactly, but not what you’d call warm. That’s fine; Aidan simply wants to settle in, go slow, nurture his kids and take time to heal. He chose to leave Baltimore so they could live in peace and anonymity. Keeping the source of his wealth a secret has been a priority. He feels it's safer if no one knows he won the lottery. But then sinister notes begin showing up on his doorstep. Who found him out, and how? More importantly, is his family still safe? The messages aren’t overtly threatening, but they warn him not to try to leave Bury. And then the notes take a darker turn. How can he protect his children with this hanging over their heads?
Aidan is a man broken by grief and then by guilt over winning the lottery, a stroke of luck that he can’t share with the only woman he ever loved. What good is the money if he will be puttering around a huge house without Holly? He and the twins miss her desperately. His mind has trouble coping. As many people do in his situation, he turns to alcohol, which naturally doesn’t help. He’s experiencing gaps in time. Is he losing his mind, or is it the drinking? Bo and Maggie are too young to totally understand, but they see that something isn’t right with their dad. Desperate, Aidan asks his father to come stay with them while he sorts things out --- which means confronting ghosts from his past, not just the ones in their new house.
Carter Wilson’s THE NEW NEIGHBOR is one of those unputdownable books; you can’t bear to leave the story to attend to mundane aspects of life. Who is doing this to them, and why? How is Aidan going to fix this? Those questions push readers ever forward. The mystery is over-the-moon compelling, and the narrator --- Aidan himself --- is a fine guide to the solution.
Reviewed by Kate Ayers
April 18, 2022
3 stars...
This started off with a bang - a funeral, a lottery winner, and some very creepy messages after a widowed father moves with his two children. The middle of this book is where I found myself bored/struggling... not much was happening and the characters were unlikable.
The ending finished as it started, stronger - however I was overall a little let down.
Thank you netgalley & publisher!
This started off with a bang - a funeral, a lottery winner, and some very creepy messages after a widowed father moves with his two children. The middle of this book is where I found myself bored/struggling... not much was happening and the characters were unlikable.
The ending finished as it started, stronger - however I was overall a little let down.
Thank you netgalley & publisher!
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