Release date: August 19, 2025
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Synopsis:
The lengths neighbors will go to protect their secrets become downright frightening in a gripping novel of suspense by Minka Kent, the Edgar-nominated author of Unmissing.
Camille and Will Prescott have relocated from San Diego to Phoenix for a fresh start in a quiet gated community. After the traumas Camille’s marriage survived, it’s just the sanctuary she needs. As for her new neighbors, there’s Sozi, seemingly well intentioned if not for her invasive meddling and her desperate overtures to make a friend. And Mara and Oscar, an unstable couple around whom troubling rumors swirl.
Patiently listening to Sozi’s gossip and watching Mara and Oscar ever so closely has become something of a hobby for Camille. But while she obsesses about the cracks in everyone else’s lives, she begins to see the cracks in her own. And when a monster from her past reaches out to reconnect, it’s all Camille can do not to snap. Then one day she finds a dead body in her garage lying in a pool of blood.
Camille is about to discover what’s really going on behind the closed doors of this cozy cul-de-sac. And the worst is yet to come.
Review:
This is the second book in a twisty domestic suspense series, and you absolutely need to read book one first. This sequel picks up right where the first left off, dropping us back into Camille’s unsettling world. Both books are fast paced, bingeable reads that you can tear through in an afternoon, but this one takes the tension up a notch. The Arizona gated community setting adds a fresh layer of creepiness, with its manicured streets hiding shady neighbors, whispered secrets, and the constant sense that something is about to go very, very wrong.
What makes this installment stand out is how much deeper we get into Camille’s mind. She’s such a fascinating character, a sociopath who’s both unsettling and oddly compelling. Being inside her head again was an experience in itself, as she navigates family dynamics, neighborhood drama, and her own unpredictable impulses. The atmosphere is thick with dread, yet Kent’s pacing keeps you flipping pages without ever feeling weighed down.
As for the twists, most were unpredictable, which is always a win for me in this genre. The ending in particular took me by surprise and has me crossing my fingers for a third book. If you like domestic suspense with a smart, sharp edge, and you’re not afraid to spend some time in the mind of a morally complex character, this series is well worth starting from the beginning.
Overall rating: 4/5
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.
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