Hey!

I just finished reading Such Lovely Neighbors by Jack Dane.

And it's about a couple who move into a neighborhood that seems too good to be true.

A perfect house, a perfect couple, a perfect little community, with something rotten underneath, is something I keep coming back in domestic thrillers.

Here are my favorites.

Too Good to Be True Thrillers

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Grace and Jack Angel look like the couple everyone wishes they were: beautiful, charming, and devoted to each other. But no one ever sees what happens once the front door closes.

In Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris, we follow Grace as she tries to show the world what her husband really is, trapped inside a marriage no one would believe is anything but perfect.

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

A glamorous wedding on a remote Irish island, every detail meticulously planned and every guest exactly where they should be. Then the lights go out, and a body turns up.

In The Guest List by Lucy Foley, we follow the guests as old grudges rise to the surface, and it becomes clear that more than one of them had a reason to kill.

The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose

Sarah is a high-powered defense attorney with what looks like an enviable marriage, until her husband, Adam, is accused of murdering his mistress.

In The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, we follow Sarah as she agrees to defend him and discovers just how many lies the marriage was built on.

And the newest addition to the list:

Such Lovely Neighbors by Jack Dane

Nikki and Noah are thrilled to land an affordable first home in a charming commuter town outside New York City. The neighbors are warm, the block is picture-perfect, and the whole thing feels like the suburban dream. Then their dog digs up two wedding rings buried in the backyard.

Such Lovely Neighbors by Jack Dane is a domestic thriller set in a suburban neighborhood outside New York City.

Dane's writing is functional and stripped back. Short sentences, short chapters, and dialogue that gets a little too cheesy here and there. That simplicity is what I like in books that let me enjoy the plot, and is also why the book is a genuinely quick read you can finish in a sitting or two.

We follow Nikki in a single timeline. The book starts as more of a community drama than a thriller: the small politics of a tight-knit, slightly elitist cul-de-sac, and Nikki finding her footing as the new arrival. Then it turns into a mystery once the rings come up, and the thrills arrive later, building toward the end.

Nikki is a bit of both proactive and reactive. A lot of the challenges come to her simply because she's the new face in town, but she doesn't just sit with it. She pushes back and digs when something feels off. And underneath the mystery, the story is really about class and fitting in, what it takes to be accepted into a community that has already decided who belongs.

I had to suspend my disbelief a small fraction, but I bought into this premise much more than I did with The Apartment Across the Hall. The tone stays light throughout.

There is no romance, no swearing, and no graphic violence.

So, what about the ending? (No spoilers, obviously)

I enjoyed the ending. It ties up the open loops, and the late twists mostly land. There was a short denouement, which was appreciated.

Such Lovely Neighbors by Jack Dane is a solid, easy-to-read domestic thriller around a picture-perfect neighborhood that isn't what it seems. If you like a slow build that starts as suburban drama and turns up the tension as it goes, you'll have a good time with this one.

Latest Updates

• Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard is out July 28. Two women's lives collide around a house whose secrets could bury them both. Inspired by so-called "stigmatized properties." A fitting one after this week's read.

• Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena also lands July 28. When a bad investment leaves Jill and Ted about to lose their beloved New York brownstone, they land on a solution: murdering a wealthy relative.

That’s all for this week. See you next time.

— D.E. Dunne

P.S. Let me know how I did today by replying to this email.

P.P.S. I would love to hear your recommendations for thrillers you loved. Reply to this email, and I’ll add them to my TBR list. Thanks!

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