Fdquo;A modern-day Cruciblemellip;.Beneath the surface of a suburban utopia, madness lurks. dquo; —Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
ldquo;Sarah Langan is a phenomenal talent with a wicked sense of wry humor. Good Neighbors knocked me out. Like Shirley Jackson, Langanssquo;s work blends a bleak streak with an underlying sense of the humane that wrung my heart.odquo; —Victor LaValle, author of The Changeling
Celeste Ngfsquo;s enthralling dissection of suburbia meets Shirley Jacksonssquo;s creeping dread in this propulsive literary noir, when a sudden tragedy exposes the depths of deception and damage in a Long Island suburb—pitting neighbor against neighbor and putting one family in terrible danger.
Welcome to Maple Street, a picture-perfect slice of suburban Long Island, its residents bound by their children, their work, and their illusion of safety in a rapidly changing world.
Arlo Wilde, a gruff has-been rock star whoysquo;s got nothing to show for his fame but track marks, is always two steps behind the other dads. His wife, beautiful ex-pageant queen Gertie, feels socially ostracized and adrift. Spunky preteen Julie curses like a sailor and her kid brother Larry is called ldquo;Robot Boyddquo; by the kids on the block.
Their next-door neighbor and Maple Streettsquo;s Queen Bee, Rhea Schroeder—a lonely community college professor repressing her own dark past—welcomes Gertie and family into the fold. Then, during one spritzer-fueled summer evening, the new best friends share too much, too soon.
As tensions mount, a sinkhole opens in a nearby park, and Rheawsquo;s daughter Shelly falls inside. The search for Shelly brings a shocking accusation against the Wildes that spins out of control. Suddenly, it is one momhsquo;s word against the otherusquo;s in a court of public opinion that can end only in blood.
A riveting and ruthless portrayal of American suburbia, Good Neighbors excavates the perils and betrayals of motherhood and friendships and the dangerous clash between social hierarchy, childhood trauma, and fear.
