THE NEIGHBORS /
THE NEIGHBOURS

Abby looks forward to meeting the family who just moved in next door—until she realizes they’re the one couple who could expose her deepest secrets.

After a night of fun back in 1992, Abby is responsible for a car crash that kills her beloved brother. It’s a mistake she can never forgive, so she pushes away Liam, the man she loves most, knowing that he would eventually hate her for what she’s done, the same way she hates herself.

Twenty years later, Abby’s husband, Nate, is also living with a deep sense of guilt. He was the driver who first came upon the scene of Abby’s accident, the man who pulled her to safety before the car erupted in flames—the man who could not save her brother in time. It’s this guilt, this regret, that binds them together. They understand each other. Or so Nate believes.

In a strange twist of fate, Liam moves into the neighborhood with his own family, releasing a flood of memories that Abby has been trying to keep buried all these years. Abby and Liam, in a complicit agreement, pretend never to have met, yet cannot resist the pull of the past—nor the repercussions of the terrible secrets they’ve both been carrying…

PUBLICATION DATES:

US & Canada: March 13, 2018 by MIRA (all formats)
Australia, New Zealand & South Africa: September 17, 2020 by Hodder & Stoughton (eBook)

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Excerpt of THE NEIGHBORS

Then: July 18, 1992

ABBY

***

“HELP.”

The faint voice floated toward me. Gliding smooth as a paper airplane from somewhere in the midst of the fog swirling through my brain. Orange lights flashed in a steady rhythm and—

“Please.”

I wondered if I’d uttered the words, but I hadn’t moved my lips. Hadn’t moved at all. Couldn’t. It hurt too much. Everything hurt too much. Moments passed, and I tried to string together the few wispy fragments my mind allowed me to cling to. My arms, chest and legs were pressed against something hard and uncomfortable—the ground, not my soft bed—but the reason why I found myself in that position escaped me entirely. And I was too exhausted to care.

A breeze softly brushed across my cheek. The pavement beneath me felt warm, and despite the distinct taste of rust invading my mouth, I could smell freshly cut grass. Hadn’t I been—

“Help me, Abby.”

The voice was too low to be mine. A man’s then—it had to be. Why wouldn’t he let me sleep? My eyes felt heavy and impossible to open, so I let my thoughts start pulling me away, ever so slowly, to the deliciously inviting state of unconsciousness.

“Abby.”

Rest would have to wait. Against my better judgment I raised my head, each millimeter expending energy I didn’t think I had and causing pain to shoot through every part of my body like a thousand burning hot pins. I tried, but my legs and lower back stubbornly refused to budge even the tiniest amount, as if I’d been nailed to the ground.

I forced my eyes open.

And I saw him.

“Tom.” My own voice this time, barely a whisper. “Tom.” A little stronger, louder.

My brother lay a few meters away in what had been my blue Ford Capri, but which was now an upturned carcass of
broken glass and mangled steel. The flashing of the hazard lights illuminated Tom’s bloody face and body every few seconds, a perverse freak show. He hung upside down. Unlike me, he was still in the car, somewhere between the front and back seats, his arms and legs bent at impossible angles. Eyes
wide and glazed. Staring at me. Desperate. Begging.

“Abby,” he said once more, and I watched as he attempted to lift his arms, tried to reach for me. “I can’t get out.” Tears rolled up his forehead, mixing with a steady stream of blood from the deep gash above his eye that looked like a second mouth. “I can’t get out.”

“Tom,” I said again, before my eyes closed despite my efforts to keep them open. Fighting the beckoning darkness felt like a struggle I’d never win.

The light from the wreck somehow became brighter, warmer, too. Somewhere in my brain it occurred to me it wasn’t the sun—couldn’t be the sun—it was still so dark. Wasn’t it? My mind started drifting away.

But then the pungent smell of smoke and petrol filled the air.

I wanted to move. I needed to get to him. But I couldn’t.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my eyes open again, staring into his. “Tom. I’m so sorry.”

The last thing I heard were the screams, Tom’s and mine, as the car burst into flames.

***

First published by MIRA Books

Praise for THE NEIGHBORS

“The Neighbors will satisfy readers looking for something new after Paula Hawkins’ or Liane Moriarty’s latest. McKinnon weaves twists and turns throughout and keeps readers guessing until the final pages.” — Booklist, starred review

“I strongly urge you to give The Neighbors a try. It’s unlike anything I’ve read in quite a while, and I’m now on a hunt for more like it.” – All About Romance, Desert Isle Keeper review

“A haunting story about love, loss, and the complexities of marriage. A graphic, gritty exploration of unfulfilled desire and deceit with an explosive finale that readers won’t forget anytime soon.” — Mary Kubica, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Girl and The Other Mrs

“Secrets and scandal are at the heart of [this] up-all-night tale. Filled with a tangled web of twists and turns, The Neighbors is a gripping, edge-of-your-seat story all the way to the shocking end.” — Kimberly Belle, bestselling author of The Marriage Lie and Dear Wife

“Juicy, compulsive, twisty and truly surprising to the very last page, THE NEIGHBORS is a stellar debut. If you like Liane Moriarty, you’ll love Hannah Mary McKinnon, who delves into that deliciously sinister place known as Suburbia, where neighbors are friends, foes, and everything in between. A spring must read!” – Kate Moretti, NYT bestselling author of The Blackbird Season.

“[T]he perfect couple, the perfect neighbors and haunting secrets that won’t stay hidden. McKinnon expertly leads you down a dark, twisty path and just when you think you are safe…one final surprise that will leave you gasping for air.” — Heather Gudenkauf, NYT bestselling author of The Weight of Silence and Not a Sound

“Secrets never stay buried forever… Loved the twists and turns and surprises through the pages, and stayed up far too late finishing this book!” — Karma Brown, bestselling author of Come Away with Me, In This Moment and Recipe for a Perfect Wife.

“I was immediately hooked… With The Neighbors, McKinnon establishes herself as a deft new voice in domestic suspense.” — Mindy Mejia, author of Leave No Trace and Everything You Want Me to Be

“McKinnon spins a captivating tale of secrets and lies with such intriguing characters you can’t help but root for. You don’t want to miss this one!” — Karen Katchur, author of River Bodies and Cold Woods

“[J]ust when you think you’ve figured out what will happen next, a twist will leave you breathless. An emotional, smart and gripping story, you’ll race through the pages, waiting to discover just how wrong you were, again.” — Kaira Rouda USA Today Bestselling Author of Best Day Ever and The Favorite Daughter

“Twisty and riveting, suspenseful and smart, McKinnon’s novel lingers well after you close the cover.” — Tish Cohen, bestselling author of Town House and The Truth About Delilah Blue

“An emotionally-charged domestic suspense novel that will keep you guessing right up until the last page, The Neighbors is a riveting exploration of a marriage that will make you question how well you can ever really know the ones you love.” — Bianca Marais, author of Hum If You Don’t Know The Words

“In The Neighbors, Hannah Mary McKinnon brings together the powerful forces of love, loss and lies to weave a suspenseful, tragic story.” — Wendy Walker, bestselling author of Emma in the Night

“THE NEIGHBORS pulled me in right away and had me turning the pages well past bedtime. I loved the rich characters and complex relationships, but best of all was the unexpected way in which all the characters stories became intertwined. The result is a heartbreakingly satisfying tale of love, loss, secrets, and family. Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty and Mary Kubica.” — Jill Orr, author of the Riley Ellison mysteries.