The New Neighbor

An Ending I Did not See Coming!



Cleveland's book begins with intrigue.
Beth Bradford is a well-respected CIA analyst in counterintelligence related to Iran. She's tracked an elusive target for over a decade, named, “The Neighbor”. Beth and her attorney- husband, Mike, live in a McLean, VA suburban cul de sac, with several neighbors, who also have ties to the CIA.
The Bradford's are empty-nesters. The last of their three children just left for college, so Beth is eager to immerse herself in her work, to find the unidentified target that she has pursued for so long. Then suddenly her life is turned upside down. She is pulled off the case, her husband wants a divorce it's all a hot mess. Which made for a great story.
Beth is reassigned to the Kent School, to teach and train newly-minted CIA hires. Beth feels blindsided and banished. She drives home in a daze. Beth moves to the rental home that she'd planned to share with Mike, after the sale of their beloved house. Reeling from all of the changes, she tries to digest the abrupt implosion of her life and career. Cleveland does an excellent job of conveying the unraveling of Beth, who is now solely-focused on uncovering the secrets of “The Neighbor”, despite not having the same access and resources that her prior position allowed

This was a quick read for me. I love a great thriller and the ending of who is actually “the Neighbor is something I did not see coming.