Andrew Morrison sacrificed everything—his childhood, his education, and the girl of his dreams—to look after his alcoholic mother. But enough is enough, and now he’s determined to get out and live his life. That means trading the home he grew up in for a rented room in the house of an old childhood friend—both of which are in sorry shape.
The only thing worse than Drew’s squalid new digs and sullen new roommate is the envy he feels for the house next door: a picture-perfect suburban domicile straight out of Norman Rockwell, with a couple of happy householders to match. But the better acquainted he gets with his new neighbors—especially the sweet and sexy Harlow Ward—the more he suspects unspeakable darkness beyond the white picket fence.
At the intersection of Blue Velvet and Basic Instinct lies The Neighbors , an insidiously entertaining tale of psychological suspense and mounting terror by the boldest new master of the form, Ania Ahlborn. **
From Booklist
Andrew Morrison is at loose ends, fed up with caring for his alcoholic mother and living out his life in a dying Kansas town. His break-out is to the nearby town in which his old friend Mickey lives, offering a chance to do something new. Although it’s not a big move physically, it is big enough psychologically to keep Andrew second-guessing the wisdom of his decision until he meets his neighbor, Harlow Ward, a woman who looks as if she’s the 1950s ideal of the perfect wife. She wears dresses and heels and bakes cookies, welcoming Andrew to the neighborhood. Despite his misgivings about Mickey’s sloth and squalor and the relentless chirpiness of Harlow’s devoted husband, Red, Andrew settles in and finds himself caught in a disturbing tableau. Ahlborn slowly builds suspense in this horror story of seeming suburban bliss. --Vanessa Bush
Review
"Discovering a new female, horror author is a rare find indeed, especially one who truly understand the subtlety of a good scare. The Neighbors is a chilling look at what can potentially lie beneath the surface of classic Americana. Under the circumstance, calling Ania Ahlborn a "breath of fresh air" is probably about as appropriate as a fit of giggles at a funeral. So instead let's just say she's surprising and skin-crawly and as much fun as getting the snot scared out of you at your local haunted house."-Black Gate
" The Neighbors will have you guessing until the very end. The characters are full of mystery and intrigue that keep you glued to the pages... I love mystery, suspense and thriller and this book delivered it all." -Beautybrite
"Ahlborn has a keen eye for detail and through her narration, she transports you into Andrew’s world. Reading the novel is reminiscent of a vivid nightmare you wake up from: the imagery is so real, but it’s all in your imagination. The struggle the author addresses, replacing a void with the idea of a quaint and flawless home life, is very much real. The readers can relate to a character like Andrew, but maybe not to the extent of hopelessness that he has experienced." -neontommy.com
"...tailor-made for readers who get completely excited about the creepy-crawly ‘Stephen King-y’ world. And…just between us…if you’re still afraid of Nightmare on Elm Street after all these years, wait till you get a load of the evil on Magnolia Lane!" - Suspense Magazine
" Ania Ahlborn’s stunning and terrifying psychological thriller, The Neighbors, is a breathtaking journey into the desperate and gruesome underbelly of the suburban dream...a psychological thriller that will wrap you around its twisted finger in two seconds flat...Lit with equal parts beauty and horror, The Neighbors is an exquisitely terrifying ride through the landscape of the subconcious of evil." - SheKnows.com
Description:
Andrew Morrison sacrificed everything—his childhood, his education, and the girl of his dreams—to look after his alcoholic mother. But enough is enough, and now he’s determined to get out and live his life. That means trading the home he grew up in for a rented room in the house of an old childhood friend—both of which are in sorry shape.
The only thing worse than Drew’s squalid new digs and sullen new roommate is the envy he feels for the house next door: a picture-perfect suburban domicile straight out of Norman Rockwell, with a couple of happy householders to match. But the better acquainted he gets with his new neighbors—especially the sweet and sexy Harlow Ward—the more he suspects unspeakable darkness beyond the white picket fence.
At the intersection of Blue Velvet and Basic Instinct lies The Neighbors , an insidiously entertaining tale of psychological suspense and mounting terror by the boldest new master of the form, Ania Ahlborn. **
From Booklist
Andrew Morrison is at loose ends, fed up with caring for his alcoholic mother and living out his life in a dying Kansas town. His break-out is to the nearby town in which his old friend Mickey lives, offering a chance to do something new. Although it’s not a big move physically, it is big enough psychologically to keep Andrew second-guessing the wisdom of his decision until he meets his neighbor, Harlow Ward, a woman who looks as if she’s the 1950s ideal of the perfect wife. She wears dresses and heels and bakes cookies, welcoming Andrew to the neighborhood. Despite his misgivings about Mickey’s sloth and squalor and the relentless chirpiness of Harlow’s devoted husband, Red, Andrew settles in and finds himself caught in a disturbing tableau. Ahlborn slowly builds suspense in this horror story of seeming suburban bliss. --Vanessa Bush
Review
"Discovering a new female, horror author is a rare find indeed, especially one who truly understand the subtlety of a good scare. The Neighbors is a chilling look at what can potentially lie beneath the surface of classic Americana. Under the circumstance, calling Ania Ahlborn a "breath of fresh air" is probably about as appropriate as a fit of giggles at a funeral. So instead let's just say she's surprising and skin-crawly and as much fun as getting the snot scared out of you at your local haunted house."-Black Gate
" The Neighbors will have you guessing until the very end. The characters are full of mystery and intrigue that keep you glued to the pages... I love mystery, suspense and thriller and this book delivered it all." -Beautybrite
"Ahlborn has a keen eye for detail and through her narration, she transports you into Andrew’s world. Reading the novel is reminiscent of a vivid nightmare you wake up from: the imagery is so real, but it’s all in your imagination. The struggle the author addresses, replacing a void with the idea of a quaint and flawless home life, is very much real. The readers can relate to a character like Andrew, but maybe not to the extent of hopelessness that he has experienced."
-neontommy.com
"...tailor-made for readers who get completely excited about the creepy-crawly ‘Stephen King-y’ world. And…just between us…if you’re still afraid of Nightmare on Elm Street after all these years, wait till you get a load of the evil on Magnolia Lane!"
- Suspense Magazine
" Ania Ahlborn’s stunning and terrifying psychological thriller, The Neighbors, is a breathtaking journey into the desperate and gruesome underbelly of the suburban dream...a psychological thriller that will wrap you around its twisted finger in two seconds flat...Lit with equal parts beauty and horror, The Neighbors is an exquisitely terrifying ride through the landscape of the subconcious of evil."
- SheKnows.com