Hey!

I just finished reading The Neighbor Two Doors Down by H.K. Christie.

And it follows a woman who has no choice but to investigate alone when the police won't act.

Taking matters into their own hands when no one else will is a trope I see in most thrillers.

Here are my top ones.

Going It Alone Thrillers

I Came Back for You by Kate White

Ten years after her daughter's murder, Bree learns the convicted killer may not have done it when he makes a deathbed confession. In I Came Back for You by Kate White, we follow Bree as she returns to the university town where her daughter was killed and investigates, with the case long closed and no one else willing to look.

The Stranger at No. 6 by Gemma Rogers

Molly is a junior reporter who sneaks into a family home and lives undetected alongside the residents to save on rent. When a local woman goes missing, and the trail leads back to the family she is hiding with, going to the police is not an option. In The Stranger at No. 6 by Gemma Rogers, we follow Molly as she investigates on her own, walking a fine line between uncovering the truth and not giving herself away.

The Night of the Crash by Jessica Irena Smith

Steppy is a true-crime podcaster who wakes up in hospital with no memory of the last few weeks, her mother murdered, and her brother named as the main suspect. In The Night of the Crash by Jessica Irena Smith, we follow Steppy as she investigates alone, convinced the police have the wrong person and that the weeks she can't remember hold the real answer.

And the newest addition to the list:

The Neighbor Two Doors Down by H.K. Christie

Five years ago, Allison nearly killed an innocent man. She had been certain he was the one who took her sister almost 20 years ago, and she was wrong. Now she is settled in a new neighborhood in Seattle, trying to move on. Then she spots him — the man she now believes actually took her sister — living quietly two doors down. The police say they need more evidence. Her therapist says her mind may be playing tricks on her again.

The Neighbor Two Doors Down by H.K. Christie is a domestic thriller set in a suburban neighborhood in Seattle, Washington.

Christie's writing is functional and easy to follow, though it has a "dear diary" quality to it, glossing over details and going over events as if recounting them from memory, which creates some distance from Allison. It wasn't overwhelming, but it was noticeable. Short chapters keep the momentum up, and the dialogue flows naturally throughout.

We follow Allison in a single timeline as she investigates. The story starts slow — the first chapter has a lot of setup and backstory to get through — but picks up from chapter two onwards. What starts as a mystery, with Allison gathering evidence and building her case, slowly turns to thrills as the story gets going. And the plotting is solid throughout, with information revealed at the right moments to keep things moving forward.

Allison is a smart and proactive protagonist for the most part, pushing back against the police, her therapist, and her own doubts, and keeping the plot moving. Stories compel me more when the characters are grounded but also smart, so this was a nice read.

There is some romance, but no explicit content. There is no swearing or graphic violence.

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

I enjoyed the ending. The mystery resolved cleanly, and the final act delivers. The denouement was the perfect length. Just enough to show us where things land after the wrap-up.

The Neighbor Two Doors Down by H.K. Christie is a solid, easy-to-read domestic thriller with a well-plotted mystery that slowly builds to genuine thrills. If you like proactive protagonists and a story where the question of whether anyone will believe the main character keeps you reading, you'll enjoy this one.

Latest Updates

• It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell came out June 23. It follows Jane Trevally, a woman who finds a stray dog and offers to return it to its owner in London, only to arrive at a house she has a dark history with and find herself pulled into a missing teenager case.

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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