The Mother Next Door - by Tara Laskowski (Paperback)

About the Book

"The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms--known as the Ivy Five--plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year's block party should be the best yet...until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood's dark past--and the lengths they've gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They'll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year's block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same"--

Book Synopsis

"A polished and entertaining homage to Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives... The denouement is bonkers, but satisfying."
--The New York Times Book Review

"A witty, wicked thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of the suburban dream."
--Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

GOOD MOTHERS...
Never show their feelings.
Never spill their secrets.
Never admit to murder.

The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms--known as the Ivy Five--plans the event for months.

Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time.

When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year's block party should be the best yet... until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood's dark past--and the lengths they've gone to hide it.

As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They'll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year's block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same.

"Suspenseful, compulsively readable... Extremely fun to read." --ShelfAwareness

*Don't miss The Weekend Retreat, Tara Laskowski's next novel of suspense. Available now for preorder!

Review Quotes

PRAISE FOR THE MOTHER NEXT DOOR

"A polished and entertaining homage to Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives... The denouement is bonkers, but satisfying."
--The New York Times Book Review

"If the women of Big Little Lies were the moms of East Coast high schoolers, they'd be right at home in The Mother Next Door--a witty, wicked thriller packed with hidden agendas, juicy secrets, and pitch-perfect satire of the suburban dream."
--Andrea Bartz, New York Times bestselling author of We Were Never Here

"Suspenseful, compulsively readable... Extremely fun to read. Steeped in all the best parts of spooky season."
--ShelfAwareness

"Suspenseful, sinister, and just the right amount of spooky, The Mother Next Door absolutely captivated me. Tara Laskowski combines an idyllic suburban setting, an almost terrifyingly organized clique, a creepy urban legend, and a healthy dose of long-buried secrets for a propulsive, expertly paced novel you won't be able to put down."
--Kathleen Barber, author of Truth Be Told

"Packed with shocking twists and wonderfully complicated characters, The Mother Next Door is such a suspenseful read. Like the best Halloween candy, it was delicious--and I couldn't put it down."
--Alison Gaylin, Edgar Award-winning author

"A scintillating suburban thriller... The Mother Next Door promises to mix its feminist sensibilities with plenty of entertaining camp."
--Crime Reads, Most Anticipated Books of 2021

"Trust no one, absolutely no one while reading The Mother Next Door because everyone has secrets, all of them are liars, and everybody has at least one thing to lose. Tara Laskowski's brilliantly paced tale of perfect-suburbia-until-you-scratch-the-surface is as compelling as it is twisted. With oh-so-privileged characters you'll love to hate and a storyline that has more twists than a pretzel, you'll be sure to devour this novel in a couple of sittings at most. Great fun!"
--Hannah Mary McKinnon, internationally bestselling author of Sister Dear and You Will Remember Me

"The Mother Next Door is a wonderfully creepy and sinister read which drew me in and kept me gripped as the web of lies and mysterious secrets from the past unravelled. Tense, twisty and intriguing. Readers definitely won't be able to put this down."
--Karen Hamilton, international bestselling author of The Last Wife

"Ivy Woods Drive is an idyllic place to live--and the moms keep it that way, no matter what. In The Mother Next Door, Tara Laskowski plans the perfect suburban Halloween party, filled with tricks and treats both, as well as secrets, lies, and murder."
--Lori Rader-Day, award-winning author of The Lucky One

"Smartly paced, menacing, full of bizarre twists... this is a fine domestic thriller."
--Booklist

"A smart thriller that is, dare I say it, perfect for Halloween, The Mother Next Door delivers surprising twists with effortless pacing that keeps the reader turning pages long past bedtime."
--Washington Independent Review of Books