“They hold on, and by holding on, they survive.”

I’m always searching for the next book to read. My usual search consists of checking my recommendations on Good Reads and Amazon. “The Good Neighbor” by A.J. Banner kept coming up on both of my recommendation lists, so I finally decided to give it a try.

It’s a new book by a small publisher, released September 1, 2015. The story takes place in the dense forest filled suburbs of Shadow Cove, Washington. Sarah and her husband live in a perfect neighborhood, or so it seems. An unexpected tragedy strikes the neighborhood giving way to secrets, lies, and betrayals.

Sarah – “People keep layers of secrets, I realized – the ones held close to the surface, wanting to be revealed, and the deeper ones, hidden too far down to be retrieved or sometimes even acknowledged.”

Sarah and her husband are forced to rebuild their lives while solving the mystery on Sitka Lane.

Sarah – “Change was born of necessity. I had to be practical now.”

This book is an easy read and the characters are very relatable. I enjoyed the story and never saw the ending coming. The book has some good quotes, one of my favorites is this:

“Neatness came with age, I thought, along with the decision to color one’s life within the lines.”

This quote makes me think of my children, and how as they age it becomes more and more important for them to color in the lines. Why can’t we scribble any more as we get older? It’s more fun sometimes!

“The Good Neighbor” by A.J. Banner is worth the read. Have you read it yet? What did you think?