The man next door

After breaking her leg while on a cruise to Hawaii, Louise Hartman finds herself back home looking for ways to fill the day. Louise's daughter, Zona, who is staying with her after a financially disastrous divorce, and Zona's daughter, Brie, suggest that Louise should finally write that mystery she's talked about for so long. With some help from her new home caregiver, Gilda Radovich, Louise casts about for inspiration. Alec James, their handsome new neighbor, is a bit of a Jekyll-and-Hyde. One minute he comes across as incredibly charming and the next he is heard vociferously, maybe even violently, berating the young lady living with him. Could the mystery Louise seeks be unfolding right next door? Roberts (The Best Life Book Club, 2024) cleverly pays homage to Hitchcock's Rear Window while making the most of her flair for creating an engaging cast of multigenerational characters and then setting them loose in a heartwarming story that thoughtfully explores the bonds of family and friendship.

In this spunky nod to Rear Window, Roberts (The Best Life Book Club) infuses a charming domestic comedy with a soupçon of suspicion. Love has not been lucky for twice divorced, 44-year-old Zona Hartman, whose last husband was a secret gambler who pilfered her daughter's college fund. Broke and working two jobs, Zona is forced to move in with her spirited mother, Louise. When Louise becomes housebound after breaking her leg during a dance floor mishap, Zona hires Gilda, a part-time nurse, to keep her mother company while she works. Gilda and Louise immediately bond over their shared love of true crime, and their interest spills into real life when handsome Alec James buys the house next door. At first, Alec seems like a potential new love interest for Zona. Then Louise and Gilda start watching his house at all hours and taking note of suspicious occurrences, like the appearance and then sudden disappearance of a woman with whom he starts arguing. The danger never rises above a gentle simmer, but Roberts poignantly renders the romantic disappointments of both Zona and Louise while making their dynamic with each other and Gilda feel thoroughly lived-in. It's a heartwarming diversion. Agent: Paige Wheeler, Creative Media. (Oct.)