Wednesday, July 27, 2011

The Neighbors Are Watching-Deborah Ginsburg

The Neighbors Are Watching
Deborah Ginsburg
Broadway, Aug 2 2011, $14.00
ISBN: 9780307463876

In the summer of 2007 seventeen year old pregnant Diana Jones arrives at her father Joe Montana’s home in the upper crust Fuller Court of San Diego. Joe’s wife Allison is shocked by the biracial Diana’s arrival because her husband never mentioned a teenage daughter. Feeling betrayed and irate as she had an abortion as Joe wanted no children, Allison cannot cope without alcohol as even her hair is no longer brushed.

Neighbors Dick and Dorothy Werner gloat over the scandal next door. However, a few months later they are taken aback as their son Kevin is attracted to Diana and likes her newborn Zoe. In October wildfires threaten the area while Diana vanishes. Foul play is suspected as the teen’s extended family and the neighbors are suspects.

The Neighbors Are Watching is an entertaining thriller that looks deeply at the impact of Diana’s disappearance on her family and the neighbors though their eyes. The cast is solid except ironically the missing person who may be the focus of the tale, but is more a shadow as there is not much action re what happened to Diana. Still this is en enjoyable tale that centers on degrees of connection between people.

Harriet Klausner

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