Neighborhood Watch: A Novel

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Worst of all, Betsy deteriorates as a character. As the narrative digs into her suburbanite self, the zen prison librarian disintegrates into a neurotic mess of a 70s housewife who occasionally reminds us that she is also a dang good librarian--when she's not totally falling apart or making questionable relationship choices. I don't think the book was supposed to be set in the 70s, but I constantly got that vibe from the writing.

She wasn't strong, she wasn't intriguing being a mess of issues does not make you interesting by itself , and by the end, I didn't find her likable. Despite all the crap she had been through, I didn't feel like she "deserved" a happy ending. I wasn't really rooting for her to piece together the mystery or to get her life back.

In fact, she comes across like she really was her best self those last few years she was in prison The story plays fast and loose with Betsy's memory issues, and it does it in a way that is downright frustrating for anyone who cut their mystery teeth on Agatha Christie and "fairplay whodunnits. All of that is fair enough. However, throughout the course of the story, Betsy is constantly unearthing "repressed" or forgotten memories She also "revises" certain memories--remembers things happening one way, and then several days later suddenly remembers that it happened completely differently.

I understand that memory is a terribly complicated thing, but there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to why Betsy would suddenly remember something that it later turns out didn't actually happen. This is fundamental to the plot of the story, and the way it is written made me seriously confused as to how I was supposed to understand the motives of the killer. That Betsy was never conscious she was covering for Paul, but Paul thought she was? Why does Betsy turn herself in? Why does Betsy forget that Paul is the murderer? Do Maryanne and Roland ever stop?

Are they poisoning their neighbors with radiation? Why did Geoffrey write that inscription in Trish's book? What was the nature of the relationship between Geoffrey and Trish? Where was Linda Sue's money coming from?

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Why did she move into the neighborhood? Why do all the mental health professionals in this story completely suck at their jobs and make therapy seem worse than faking sanity until you crack? There doesn't seem to be any point at all to including Betsy's prison romance in the story, except perhaps to give her a man that is not entangled at all in the murder plot. Most of the characters come across as plot devices, and most are uninteresting plot devices at that although I was genuinely invested in Trish.

By the time the story plodded to its by then, telegraphed conclusion, I was more than ready to be done with this story.

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Unfortunately, the ending was a disappointing as the rest of this intriguing, but ultimately limp mystery. Cookie cutter homes and secrets A twisted tale of murder and secrets on a street where all the houses are alike, but the people within Who killed Linda Sue? Was it the protagonist who served twelve years in prison, or is another person in the neighborhood?

Follow the paths, let the story unfold, as Betsy trues to figure it out, too. Sep 17, Leah and 26 Letters rated it it was ok. While it was nothing spectacular that I have never read before, I still enjoyed Neighborhood Watch. Prior to this I read an almost 1, pages novel that took a long time to get through. It was nice to have a quick read. I think the perfect time to read this type of novel is between summer and fall.

Betsy, a former librarian, is convicted of murdering her neighbor, Linda Sue, and is sent to prison. Twelve years later, DNA testing proves her innocence and she returns to her previous community in order to try to discover who the real killer actually is. The plot description isn't a bad one. It sounds fairly intriguing and this novel had potential early on. But it quickly turned into a train wreck. The characterization was odd, especially the main character of Betsy.

The author's attempt at var Betsy, a former librarian, is convicted of murdering her neighbor, Linda Sue, and is sent to prison. The author's attempt at various plot "twists" wasn't very cohesive and there was just too much going on in this novel, much of which really didn't add to the main story line and which felt unnecessary. Add to that some plot points that just felt implausible and you're left with an unfulfilling story. I'd read Cammie McGovern's earlier novel, Eye Contact, and enjoyed that one quite a bit, but this follow-up was largely a letdown.

Sep 10, Patti rated it it was ok. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Within the first few chapters of this book, I made up my mind: But I told myself to hold off and not pass judgment so quickly So first of all, if I just got out of prison, I would at least gorge myself on food and coffee and all of the stuff I didn't get whilst locked up.

Or at the very least, I would just lie in a comfortable bed and roll around. It seemed like Betsy just floated from prison t Within the first few chapters of this book, I made up my mind: It seemed like Betsy just floated from prison to not-prison without having it register with her. Her reaction was just She acted like she had just been away for a few days and not locked up with violent crazy bitches for 12 years. Next, and oh boy Ima get slammed for this but here we go. There are hundreds of reasons why I don't want kids and why I am glad I have never wanted them: Betsy is about the number one reason.

I truly do not understand how women let this ruin their lives. As I always say--never want something so much such that failure to get it will ruin you. Should there be commas in there? I feel like there should be. To put your body through what she put it through, to stay married to a gay man come on now, she didn't just figure this out!

I don't get it. Life doesn't turn out the way you think it will. I thought I'd be 40 years old, living in Washington DC, have the president's ear, go to high class parties, be a wealthy attorney living in a sweet house with a sweet ride It's okay that it didn't happen, but I can't let that ruin me. I'm sure folks will say that this is different than the "urge" to have kids which leads me to this Is it an "urge" that is nature or nurture?

I guess we'd have to ask infertile women from that era and ask how they reacted to not being able to have kids. If they didn't much care, I would argue that this "biological clock" need to have a kid hanging off your tit is nurtured in our society. My mom was fairly honest with me about how it was to have kids and so I never "learned" that I should want one. She loved me but, to this day, doesn't care for kids in general. I felt like everything Betsy did was shaped by her inability to breed.

And why didn't they even discuss adoption until the Trish thing? Are these people that selfish that they have to have their genes floating around? I don't get that I want a sailboat and I don't give a crap if it's used not that adopted kids are "used"; probably a bad example. I also didn't quite get why certain things were just sort of thrown into the novel as an afterthought--Geoffrey getting sued for plagirism? The whole cold fusion thing?

And speaking of Geoffrey How could those stupid people be so You could see this punk coming a mile away yet they all swooned and fell into it like lambs. The only part of the book that I can say I really enjoyed was the description of cold fusion and the story of Trish. Why were these people all so secretive? Is that what happens when you live in McMansions which by her own admission, Betsy could not afford The Linda Sue character was oddly written too If nothing else, this book made me extremely happy that I never once had the biological or learned desire to have kids.

The way Betsy lost herself in her pretend kids will stay with me for a long time. Pertanto ero sicura che vi avrei trovato gli elementi tipici di questo genere narrativo: Se pensate anche voi di accostarvi al romanzo della McGovern con la stessa mia convinzione, dimenticatevene. Hanno in comune i segreti che ogni persona nasconde e il tentativo di apparire un buon vicino per poter carpire i segreti dell'altro.

Hanno in comune un delitto misterioso. Eppure anche lei sembra nascondere mille segreti.

Neighborhood Watch by Cammie McGovern

Mar 20, Michelle rated it it was ok. Here is my review for The Associated Press: When sleepwalker Betsy Treading found a blood stain on her nightgown days after her neighbor was murdered, she assumed her nighttime stroll had turned deadly. But after more than a decade in prison, Betsy begins to question what happened that night. But that's where the mystery begins. If Betsy isn't guilty, who is? And several real-life defendants have unsuccessfully tried sleepwalking defenses like Betsy's.

McGovern explores why someone would confess to a crime he or she didn't commit, and the author looks at how they could, over time, come to believe their own guilt. Like everyone on Juniper Lane, Betsy and her husband conform in an effort to fit in. Almost as upsetting as her wrongful conviction is Betsy's realization that she hadn't kept her sleepwalking and grief over multiple miscarriages hidden from her neighbors as she once believed.

McGovern creates a sense that a murder conviction is, in some ways, less shameful among Betsy's set than the gossip generated by depression, marital problems or other failures to achieve the community standard of normalcy. The supporting characters also feel somewhat flat compared with Betsy, as if McGovern was so focused on developing her identity and thought process that she skimmed by the others.

In one of McGovern's most acute observations, Betsy reflects she might have been less likely to accept her own guilt if she hadn't been hungry. She wanted to do what was right, but she also hoped a signed confession would get her a sandwich. Anyone who likes contemporary mysteries. The problem is, former librarian Betsy Treading couldn't feel less innocent - even after new DNA evidence irrefutably exonerates her of the murder of her eccentric and noticeably single neighbor, Linda Sue Murphy.

True, the evidence may have released Betsy from prison, but she quickly discovers that innocence in court doesn't necessarily redeem her in the eyes of old friends. The truth is, Betsy will never feel exonerated until Linda Sue's true killer is found, and the murder for which she was wrongfully convicted is successfully solved.

Back in her old neighborhood without a job, a car, a place to live, or her husband, Betsy is determined to clear her name and find Linda Sue's murderer at all costs. So, she sets out to unravel the complex web of denial, delusion, and secrets that have seemingly paralyzed the community. But the ultimate question is: A Novel by Cammie McGovern is an intricately woven, psychologically astute tale that will keep readers guessing until the very last page.

This is a riveting and frightening story of false accusations, and of the lengths to which some people will go to to keep their 'white-picket-fence' facade in place.

In my opinion, this was an amazing book. I was immediately sucked into the story; it was an engrossing, nail-biting psychological tour-de-force - filled with all the secrets, lies, and deceptions of life in small-town suburbia. I appreciated that this story was so well-paced; I found it not necessarily over-dramatic, but always flowing and moving. In my opinion, the plot never became boring or stilted; what drama there was, never slowed or stalled the story.

I found this story thoroughly intriguing and I wanted to know what happened next. I would give Neighborhood Watch: This is the first book that I've read by this author, but it most certainly will not be my last.

Apr 14, Bert Edens rated it liked it Shelves: The first part of this review is actually safe I note below where the Spoilers start Won this in a First Reads giveaway. And the more I read it, the more I kept reading it because I felt obligated. First, the story just plods along. It flips back and forth between current and past events too much, sometimes making it difficult to follow what's happening and when. I really never felt like I just HAD to keep reading another 15 minutes, so so I can see what happens. Part of the issue with the p The first part of this review is actually safe Part of the issue with the plodding is there really never was the tension you would have liked to have seen.

There were many dramatic revelations without the dramatic build-up. So when they happened, they seemed really out of place and forced. Second, the characters just weren't that strong, especially, and unfortunately, the protagonist. I saw a review stating the supporting characters were a lot stronger than the primary character, and I agree completely. While we learn a lot about Betsy Treading in the story, I never got to the point where I really cared what happens to her.

Everything just seemed to be forced together, like a toddler with a jigsaw puzzle. Finally, and I know this has less to do with the author than it does with the editor, there was a LOT wrong with spelling, word spacing, indentation, punctuation, etc. That made it hard to get into the flow when you had to regularly re-read sentences.

It was like the author was methodically eliminating one person at a time, again without the build-up and drama, so that by the time it got to the end, you had a pretty good idea who was the murderer. And it just made sense it was the one main character from her past who was absent during the present. It was almost too convenient. Dec 11, Dolly rated it liked it Recommends it for: I keep meaning to attend a book club meeting at my local library.

The first step was knowing it existed and noting the book selections. The next step was borrowing the book and reading it. Now the only real step that remains for me is to actually attend the meeting. One of these days I'll do it. This month, Neighborhood Watch was the book selection.

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I borrowed the book in time to read it before the meeting, but I forgot and read other books instead. When I realized what I had done, I di I keep meaning to attend a book club meeting at my local library. When I realized what I had done, I didn't have enough time to read the book before the meeting. But I still finished the story and it was a thought-provoking read indeed.

I think I would have enjoyed the discussion. This was a twisted tale. The movement of the story from past to present was often sudden and somewhat confusing. Questions ran rampant through my brain as the story progressed, although I was pleased that most, if not all, were answered by the time the story ended. I liked the way that the author depicted her characters as flawed and often a bit disfunctional, but sometimes I felt like the story was a bit muddled.

Overall it was a good mystery and I never guessed "whodunit. The characters didn't ride off into the sunset or live "happily ever after," and that is okay. Apr 02, Diane rated it really liked it. Betsy Treading, a librarian from a small town in Connecticut is convicted of murdering her neighbor --loner, and somewhat eccentric Linda Sue Murphy. The quiet librarian suffered from panic disorders, and was known to sleepwalk, and she was unable to recall earlier events that may have occurred during those times.

After spending twelve years in prison, losing her job, her home, and her husband, she is released from prison when DNA evidence proves she was not the killer. Upon her release, Betsy re Betsy Treading, a librarian from a small town in Connecticut is convicted of murdering her neighbor --loner, and somewhat eccentric Linda Sue Murphy. Upon her release, Betsy returns to live in the same neighborhood, at the home of a loyal friend and her husband. Although some of the people have moved, Betsy is obsessed with finding out who really killed Linda Sue, hoping to clear her name once and for all. As she begins a slow and steady process of questioning people and events, Betsy seems to recall some important bits of information about the night in question.

In the process she must also deal with some painful secrets of her past. I liked the fact that the characters were every day people, who could be most anyone's neighbor. The novel was fewer than pages, and was good, but it lacked that nail biting effect. The ending was a total surprise. I love when an author leaves me stumped. Overall a decent read. I also enjoyed this author's earlier books: Eye Contact and The Art of Seeing. When Neighborhood Watch begins its main character is in prison for a murder that she thinks maybe that she did not commit, although she confessed to it.

May 31, Pages Buy. Jun 10, Pages Buy. May 31, Pages. Jun 10, Pages. A psychological tour de force, Neighborhood Watch rips the surface off a seemingly idyllic world and keeps readers guessing until the very last page. A riveting and frightening tale of false accusation from the author of Eye Contact Twelve years ago librarian Betsy Treading was convicted of murdering her neighbor, the bohemian loner Linda Sue. After DNA testing finally exonerates Betsy, she returns to her suburban community determined to salvage her life and find the true killer.

As she begins to pick apart the web of secrets, lies, and love affairs uncovered in the wake of her trial, Betsy suspects that her tight-lipped neighbors may know something that she has denied even to herself. It is also the story of a woman coming into her own, finding her strength, and taking control of her life. It asks readers, what sort of price would you pay for the sake of your reputation? Intricately woven, psychologically astute, and filled with complex and surprising characters, Neighborhood Watch marks a significant step in the career of this talented author.

This is her second novel. Your new novel goes into some pretty complex territory—prison life, sleep disorders, physics. Will you talk a bit about how you went about researching Neighborhood Watch? Researching ends up being one of the most fun, but also the trickiest parts in writing good suspense fiction, I find. In this one, I found sleep disorders particularly compelling.

There are a surprising number of real cases where sleepwalking has been used as a successful defense in murder cases. He argued that he was sleepwalking the entire time and had no memory of the events. Because he had a well—documented history and genetic predisposition to the condition his father had also been a sleepwalker he was eventually acquitted.

For my purposes, I was most interested in the idea that a chronic sleepwalker might become terrified of her own subconscious desires and impulses and what was getting acted out in the middle of the night. In Eye Contact , I was much more focused on the depiction of the autistic boy who has witnessed a murder at the center of that novel.

For that, my research was basically our lives and especially the first six years of his. I was also new at writing a mystery, which I discovered was much harder than I expected it to be. I feel like this book is plotted with a much surer hand and told with a more intriguing narrative voice.

Why do you think the suburbs make such a great setting? My sense is that the flourishing of American suburbs gave rise to an emphasis so many of us grew up with: Houses and lawns should look a certain way, as should—by extension—the children and the occupants of those houses. They look like an oval of Monopoly houses.

Neighborhood Watch

Part of me can see the great appeal of these developments—everyone would be equal, with identical houses. To me, that idea of a cul—de—sac of identical houses, cut off from the outside, felt like a great, pressure—cooker setting. Who was your favorite character to write? Were any of the characters particularly difficult to create? I suspect my favorite character to write was Linda Sue, the one who moves onto the block, lets her lawn run wild and says whatever she feels like at the neighborhood gatherings.

And, sadly, she pays the ultimate price for it. Were it not for DNA testing, Betsy would have never been released from prison.

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