Editorial Content for The Neighborhood
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Reviewer (text)
If there is one lesson to be learned from Matthew Betley’s insanely intense thriller, THE NEIGHBORHOOD, it's being aware of just how thin a veil of security actually protects each of us. For the residents of the upscale gated community of Hidden Refuge, Virginia, which is not far from Washington, D.C., it comes down to merely knowing the code to punch in at the gate in order to burst through that thin veil of so-called security.
"THE NEIGHBORHOOD is a high-octane, realistic read that shows a very plausible outcome for the dangerous world in which we live."
Griffin Huntsmen is the CEO of Huntsmen Enterprises, one of the most successful private military and security contractors in and around D.C. He is supported by his COO, Barrett Connolly, and they have put together a team of specialized paramilitary types specifically trained for this mission. They will move into Hidden Refuge disguised as police officers. There also will be six expert searchers seeking out a laptop that contains extremely valuable information to Griffin and his group.
On the night of the takeover, the phony officers, led by Connolly, start waking up the residents. They hit them up with a bogus story about a freight train derailment involving dangerous chemicals not far from them that requires the development to be temporarily relocated to a nearby elementary school that FEMA has utilized in the past. Since this all sounds legitimate, most begin to comply.
However, an elderly resident suffering from dementia confronts one of the armed searchers, who ends up blowing him away in full view of others. Now all bets are off. One of the witnesses is Zack Chambers, a seemingly unassuming programmer and family man. He quickly puts together a small band of armed rebels, which begins a standoff that is legendary and does some serious damage.
All the while, the bad guys are still scrambling to locate the laptop. The community is in complete lockdown, and no one is going anywhere. However, Zack has more than a few tricks up his sleeve. The twists continue to keep both sides on their toes throughout this unpredictable showdown where no one is safe from each other.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD is a high-octane, realistic read that shows a very plausible outcome for the dangerous world in which we live. This is the first novel from Matthew Betley that I have read, but it certainly will not be my last.
Teaser
Welcome to Hidden Refuge, a normal American subdivision full of normal American suburbanites. At least that's what the citizens thought before men impersonating police officers show up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night. Once the entire community is under siege, so begins a long, dark night that will prove to be anything but ordinary. But Zack Chambers, suburban family man and programmer by trade, has his own secret. One he had dearly hoped that he’d never need to use again. The deadly ex–CIA agent and trained operative plots to take back the night, doing whatever it takes to protect his neighborhood. In the face of a small army of trained killers, he has his wits, his babysitter, his equally lethal brother and a ragtag group of neighbors willing to help.
Promo
Welcome to Hidden Refuge, a normal American subdivision full of normal American suburbanites. At least that's what the citizens thought before men impersonating police officers show up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night. Once the entire community is under siege, so begins a long, dark night that will prove to be anything but ordinary. But Zack Chambers, suburban family man and programmer by trade, has his own secret. One he had dearly hoped that he’d never need to use again. The deadly ex–CIA agent and trained operative plots to take back the night, doing whatever it takes to protect his neighborhood. In the face of a small army of trained killers, he has his wits, his babysitter, his equally lethal brother and a ragtag group of neighbors willing to help.
About the Book
It's not such a beautiful day in the neighborhood...
From the critically acclaimed author of the Logan West thrillers comes a can't-miss, brand-new novel that proves Matthew Betley is the modern master of the unputdownable page-turner.
It was supposed to be just another ordinary night...
What happens when your neighborhood harbors a secret so destructive that dangerous men are willing to kill for it?
Welcome to Hidden Refuge, a normal American subdivision full of normal American suburbanites. At least that's what the citizens thought before men impersonating police officers show up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night. Once the entire community is under siege, so begins a long, dark night that will prove to be anything but ordinary.
But Zack Chambers, suburban family man and programmer by trade, has his own secret. One he had dearly hoped that he’d never need to use again. The deadly ex–CIA agent and trained operative plots to take back the night, doing whatever it takes to protect his neighborhood.
In the face of a small army of trained killers, he has his wits, his babysitter, his equally lethal brother and a ragtag group of neighbors willing to help.
Action-packed and relentless with twists and turns and old scores to be settled, this propulsive and brilliantly plotted can't-miss thriller brings a shocking end you won't see coming. Fans of Matthew Betley’s trademark blend of gritty realism and edge-of-your-seat action will be delighted.
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
