The Perfect Neighborhood

An idyllic town, safe and secure with little crime, what could possibly go wrong? A neighborhood rife with gossip, secrets and oozing from drama involving hypocritic moms who would rather shove their kids onto electronics than actually mother them, this is a must-read book.

The book opens with several people gossiping about the model/actress Allison Langley and how she snuck out and left her husband Chris and has seemingly disappeared. How could this happen? How is he holding up? Where did she go? This is definitely more interesting than who is throwing what party or who didn't get into the prestigious preschool nearby.

This break-up is the talk of the neighborhood until 5-year-old Billy Barnes fails to return home after walking home from kindergarten, his mother reeling from the guilt she feels for allowing him to walk home instead of picking him up. His babysitter, Cassidy, was running late meeting him and now she's racked with guilt as well, but for other reasons. What secrets is she hiding?

Billy is missing for weeks when another child goes missing. Cassidy is watching, Amy-Pat and her two brothers when, while changing the baby, Amy-Pat manages to go outside and disappear. Is Cassidy somehow connected to these two disappearing? Who has the children? Will they be found safe or is something more sinister at play?

I am definitely drawn to the mystery/thriller genre. Neighborhood gossip can be interesting and as a mom, children missing is always something in the back of my mind. The story is told from several perspectives and each one gives you insights as to who might have the children, but I have to admit, I had no idea who it was and was pretty surprised to see who the kidnapper was. The chapters are short, and the writing is perfect. The story is plausible. A definite page turner that I could not put down. I received this book free from NetGalley for an honest review.