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The Good Neighbor by A. J. Banner

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Brief synopsis (no spoilers)
Sarah is an author of children's books, and lives with her husband Johnny, a dermatologist, in a quaint street of identical houses. One catches fire one evening and Sarah becomes a reluctant heroine.

Category
Mystery
Why I chose this book
Kindle First
My personal opinion (the review)
I typically do not prefer mystery novels, and I most especially avoid modern mysteries. They usually contain a murder and a deranged murderer- hiding in plain sight. I care for neither. And true to form, this novel contained both. But I'm giving this one a positive review for a few reasons. Firstly, the murder was not gruesome, demonic, violent, or born from a gang war. Secondly, while there was some language, it was not pervasive enough to turn me off. Thirdly, while it did involve some references to things that consenting adults do, it was not used to sensationalize this novel. My bar for modern novels is set quite low, and this one cleared it with tons of room to spare.

Warnings
Language: sparsely used, not strong, possibly one "F-word", but I'm not 100% sure there was
Violence: indirect violence, and some abuse "off-screen"
"Adult" situations: discussions about previous relationships, one or two instances of intimacy in a married couple, but they immediately faded to the next morning with no details
Death: yes, and of major character(s)

Movie rating equivalent
PG
Protagonist description
Sarah is average. She typically expects the best of people, and is genuinely shocked when they don't deliver.
Point of view of story
First
Book length
Medium
Story flow
Great
Grammar and spelling issues
None
Character connection (no spoilers)
None, really. Everyone was developed enough

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