Such Lovely Neighbors
Nikki and Noah Anderson believe they’ve struck gold when they secure a budget-friendly home just a short commute from New York City. On the surface, the community is the picture of suburban perfection, complete with welcoming neighbors and manicured lawns. However, the charm quickly wears off. The locals’ friendliness feels forced, and the nights are filled with unsettling noises. When the couple unearths a pair of wedding bands buried in their own backyard, they realize their new neighborhood is hiding dangerous secrets—and they may be in over their heads before they can escape.
- Nikki - Noah’s wife
- Noah - Nikki’s husband
- Petey - Nikki and Noah’s dog
- Emma - Nikki’s best friend
- Jenna - Nikki and Noah’s neighbor
- Mary - Nikki and Noah’s neighbor, Noah's second wife
- Lily - Nikki and Noah’s neighbor, Noah's first wife
- Breckman - Police officer
- On the day Nikki and Noah move into their new house, all the neighbors come over with welcome desserts.
- That night, they see the word ‘run’ written in frosting on one of the cupcakes.
- Petey digs up two gold wedding rings in the backyard.
- Nikki and Noah attend a party at Mary’s house and everyone seems very friendly and inviting.
- Nikki and Noah ask about the couple who lived in the house before them, but everyone says they kept to themselves.
- When Mary realizes the dish Nikki brought was store bought rather than homemade, she chastises her.
- The HOA drops off a letter fining Nikki and Noah for leaving their trash cans at the curb.
- Petey and Nikki find a mask with a few drops of blood on it in the trees in the center circle of the cul-de-sac.
- Nikki asks Lily about the mask, and Lily says some of the neighbors are in a cult and that she saw two people wearing that mask the night her husband went missing.
- They call the police and Officer Breckman responds but says there is nothing he can do.
- The neighbors begin shunning Nikki and Noah, and the HOA continues issuing fines for minor infractions.
- Emma comes to visit Nikki.
- In the basement, Emma and Nikki find a dirt hole in the wall that had previously been boarded up. The walls are covered in fingernail marks.
- That night, thirty masked figures dressed in red stand in a circle around Nikki and Noah’s house.
- People begin digging from the other side of the dirt hole, which Nikki and Noah realize is actually a tunnel.
- Jenna says she wants Nikki and Noah to become one of them and spill blood with them.
- Nikki and Noah fight off the people in the tunnel with dumbbells and escape through it into an adjoining house.
- They run to Lily’s house for help but discover Lily is one of them.
- Mary appears and knocks Lily out.
- Mary explains that when she first moved to the neighborhood, everyone was welcoming until she upset Lily and was shunned. The fines and shunning were part of a hazing ritual. When the masked people appeared, Mary and Ron joined, but Mary always planned to destroy the cult from the inside.
- Mary played along and eventually became the head of the HOA.
- She used her position to gather blackmail on the neighbors.
- Mary is Nikki’s mother, who abandoned her when she was one, though Nikki doesn’t know it.
- Mary made the cupcake that said ‘Run' to try and warn Nikki.
- Noah is actually Mary’s husband, who pretended to be Noah to lure Nikki to the neighborhood.
- The rings in the backyard belong to Noah’s previous wives, Mary and Lily.
- Mary, Nikki and Petey take off in Lily’s car.
- A police car cuts them off before they can exit the neighborhood. It’s Officer Breckman, and he’s one of them.
- Mary gives Nikki a flash drive and tells her to run.
- Emma shows up in her car and rescues Nikki and Petey.
- Officer Breckman chases Emma and Nikki and accidentally runs over Noah, killing him.
- Epilogue: The flash drive contains evidence on the neighborhood. Lily and most of the neighbors are arrested, while Breckman and Jenna flee and go on the run.
- Noah owned all the houses in the neighborhood, so ownership transfers to Nikki, who sells them to a developer.
- Nikki buys a house in New York and is living with Emma and Petey.
This book grabbed me right from the start. Such Lovely Neighbors is a fast-paced thriller with an engaging writing style that hooks you immediately. The momentum is great throughout without any lulls or dragging middle section, which makes it incredibly easy to binge. It’s told from one person's POV, except for a few chapters at the end.
As for the plot, the twists were surprising and unique. This is my second book by Jack Dane and I've learned that his books are going to give you a unique spin that is a bit out there, but in the best way possible! It’s a fun, wild ride that keeps you guessing right until the end.
If you're looking for something quick, twisty, and well-written, definitely pick this one up.
- Noah - Dead - Ran over by Breckman
- Mary - Dead - Died during the neighborhood altercation
- Emma - Alive - Dating and living with Nikki
- Nikki - Alive - Living in New York with Emma
- Petey - Alive - Happy and healthy
- Lily - Alive - Arrested for her role in the cult’s activities
- Breckman - Alive - On the run from authorities
- Jenna - Alive - On the run from authorities
- Cult activity
Publisher: Independently published
ISBN: 9798289030092
Publication Date: June 27, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.