The New Neighbor by Karen Cleveland

 Fast-paced spy thriller pits a demoted CIA agent against a clever and cunning enemy.

Beth Bradford had an idyllic life in a lovely home with her husband and three children. Until she didn't. In just days, Beth's husband has left her, her house is sold and she has to move, she has an empty nest, and she has been taken off the case that she has been working for over a decade. Of all of those losses, being removed from her position tracking an Iranian intelligence network and the asset known as The Neighbor, is the worst. She can't stop trying to find them to try to prevent their hacking into CIA computers.

And, she's really resentful and overly curious about the woman who has moved into her old house on the cul-de-sac where she raised her children. Madeline Sterling quickly becomes friends with Beth's old neighbors and Beth feels like she is being shut out of everything she once held dear. But, could it be more ominous than just a new person on the street? Perhaps Madeline is connected to Iranian intelligence and is actually the entity she has been searching for through the years.

Well, this was quite a convoluted and entertaining story. Beth often seems unhinged and irrational as she defies orders and continues to work her case even though she was ejected from her office and reassigned. No one is above suspicion as Beth unearths the secrets in the cul-de-sac and uncovers some startling connections in order to identify the spy. As she entertains one suspect after another, her behavior seems motivated by paranoia and there is little she won't do to pursue this hunt. As usual, everyone thinks Beth is in need of psych help and discounts her.

I always find it frustrating when the narrative tries to make the main character look unreliable and unbalanced. As Beth skips from one possible Neighbor to another, it keeps the reader guessing, but the big reveal at the end was a bit of a surprise after all and the book seemed to end quite abruptly without the full resolution I was hoping to see. Not that I want any more of Beth or this plot line, but I do like a concrete conclusion. I've read all of Karen Cleveland's previous books and this was probably my least favorite. But she is definitely an author whose next work I will definitely seek out. It makes a good beach read for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.

This is a standalone and is not part of any series.

Genre - spy thriller, domestic drama