Liz Alterman’s engrossing novel is a thought-provoking read about the dark side of suburbia and the secrets of close-knit communities, perfect for fans of Joshilyn Jackson.When actress and model Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband, Christopher, in the middle of the night, it’s all her Oak Hill neighbors can talk about. The gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten.
Billy’s mother, Rachel, blames herself for being at work and letting her only child walk alone. Cassidy, Billy’s teenage babysitter, was also late to arrive on the afternoon he disappeared and blames herself for his disappearance.
As the clock ticks down, police are unable to find any trace of Billy, forcing Rachel to ponder the enemies she’s made in their well-off suburb. Could it be one of her neighbors who stole her son? Would they abduct Billy to hurt her? How easy would it be to take a child while the parents or nannies are distracted?
When another child goes missing, the town is put under a microscope as the police try to get to the bottom of the disappearances. Will they be able to find the two children, or will it be too late? What secrets lie at the heart of this tragedy, and how far will one go to keep those dangerous secrets buried?
"When actress and model Allison Langley leaves her former rockstar husband, Christopher, in the middle of the night, it's all her Oak Hill neighbors can talk about. The gossip comes to an abrupt halt when five-year-old Billy Barnes goes missing on his walk home from kindergarten. Billy's mother, Rachel, blames herself for being at work and letting her only child walk alone. Cassidy, Billy's teenage babysitter, was also late to arrive on the afternoon he disappeared and blames herself for his disappearance. As the clock ticks down, police are unable to find any trace of Billy, forcing Rachel to ponder the enemies she's made in their well-off suburb. Could it be one of her neighbors who stole her son? Would they abduct Billy to hurt her? How easy would it be to take a child while the parents or nannies are distracted? When another child goes missing, the town is put under a microscope as the police try to get to the bottom of the disappearances. Will they be able to find the two children, or will it be too late? What secrets lie at the heart of this tragedy, and how far will one go to keep those dangerous secrets buried?" -- Jacket flap
Praise for The Perfect Neighborhood:“No neighborhood is perfect, but Oak Hill has more secrets than most. When a young boy goes missing, four women’s lives are sent spiralling: the babysitter who was late to pick him up, his mother, a neighbor and a woman who escaped Oak Hill only months ago. Suspicions arise, and everyone’s a suspect. And then another child goes missing … Can they figure out who is responsible before it’s too late?
Alterman deftly uses alternating perspectives to show us the building tensions, leading to one surprising twist after another. I couldn’t put this down.”
—Catherine McKenzie,
USA Today bestselling author of
Please Join Us and
Fractured“In theory,
The Perfect Neighborhood is the ideal place to raise a family. In reality, it’s disturbing and completely riveting. Inside every house is another fascinating character, another lie, another betrayal. Reading this book made me feel like I lived in Oak Hill, and I refused to leave until every secret was uncovered.”
—Samantha Downing, internationally bestselling author of
My Lovely Wife and
For Your Own Good.
“In Liz Alterman’s debut psychological suspense novel, The Perfect Neighborhood, everybody is gossiping, everybody is watching, but nobody saw a child disappear. I loved reading the way social paranoia took second place to fear as this picture-perfect suburban community dissolved. Alterman dives deep into the emotional secrets of the babysitter, the retired actress, the mother of the missing boy, and all those neighbors in their "fairytale marriages.” The combination of super-relatable characters and nearly unbearable suspense made it impossible to stop reading”
—Sarah Warburton, author of
You Can Never Tell
“
Big Little Lies meets
Everything I Never Told You in this wholly propulsive and utterly enthralling neighborhood suspense. With razor-sharp commentary and biting humor, I simultaneously howled with laughter one minute while tearing through the pages, racing toward the entirely shocking conclusion. Liz Alterman is a masterful storyteller and The Perfect Neighborhood is a devour-in-one-sitting read.”
—May Cobb, author of
The Hunting Wives“Liz Alterman has crafted a riveting mystery that epitomizes every parent's greatest fear. With characters so compelling and real in both their humanity and flaws, you’ll feel certain you’ve known these people in real life. A page-turning whodunnit that also packs an emotional wallop, if you love Lisa Jewel’s dark domestic suspense, don’t miss Alterman’s captivating new book. This perfect neighborhood is anything but!”
—Rebecca Taylor, award-winning author of
The Secret Next Door