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The Neighborhood

Review

The Neighborhood

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.

Reviewed by Ray Palen on August 12, 2022

The Neighborhood
by Matthew Betley

  • Publication Date: July 4, 2023
  • Genres: Fiction, Suspense, Thriller
  • Paperback: 328 pages
  • Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
  • ISBN-10: B0BT14FNCK
  • ISBN-13: 9798200988273