The New Neighbor

Stewart (The History of Us) embarks on a promising exploration of the secrets we all carry and our refusal to forgive ourselves. Margaret Riley is an elderly woman who lives on a pond in the Tennessee mountains. She is comfortable with her seclusion and the company of mystery novels. This changes when Jennifer Young moves into the house across the pond from her, with her young son Milo. Margaret can tell right away that Jennifer has a secret, but she can't figure out what it is. Jennifer becomes her masseuse and Margaret starts to let her guard down, hiring Jennifer to write down her story, while Margaret tries to pry out some details of Jennifer's own life. When Jennifer's secrets come out, Margaret makes confessions of her own. Throughout, it is difficult for readers to feel completely situated within this story. It feels like one part character study and internal monologue, and one part suspense, but without a strong sense of dramatic tension. Readers never feel that either woman is in danger from anyone, so they lack a sense of urgency around their stories. While readers might find their struggles of conscience intriguing, the denouement is clumsy and feels rushed. (July)