VBT# The Girl Next Door - Matt McGregor

VBT# The Girl Next Door - Matt McGregor - October 2025

There's something uniquely thrilling about discovering a page-turner penned by a fellow Kiwi, and Matt McGregor's The Girl Next Door delivers that hometown pride alongside genuine suspense that kept me reading well past my bedtime.

Helen Martin's story begins with a relatable pang of empty nest syndrome—her son Noah has left for college, and the house feels too quiet. It's a moment many of us dread, that shift into a new life phase. But Helen's quiet existence is about to become anything but peaceful when Dakota arrives next door.

Dakota is everything that disrupts suburban tranquility: young, beautiful, brash, and seemingly unconcerned with the homeowners association's pearl-clutching disapproval. She's the kind of neighbor who draws attention—including from Helen's husband, Sam—and  Matt McGregor skillfully plants those early seeds of unease without tipping his hand too quickly.

What I appreciated most about this thriller is how Matt McGregor subverts our expectations. Helen isn't the suspicious, jealous wife we might expect. Instead, she's determined to be kind, to be neighborly, to help when Dakota's violent ex-husband surfaces. It's this very goodness that becomes her undoing, and watching her simple act of compassion unravel into something sinister is both devastating and completely gripping.

The premise—"She's beautiful. She's charming. She's going to destroy your life"—promises twisted psychological suspense, and Matt McGregor delivers. The escalation feels organic rather than contrived, each revelation peeling back another layer of deception. Dakota isn't simply the villain in a domestic thriller; she's a force of chaos that exposes the fragility of everything Helen holds dear.

As a New Zealand reader, there's genuine pride in seeing our local authors craft thrillers that can stand alongside any international bestseller. Matt McGregor understands the genre's requirements—the twists, the darkness, the moral ambiguity—and executes them with confidence.

The Girl Next Door is a cautionary tale wrapped in a propulsive thriller: sometimes kindness isn't enough, and sometimes the greatest danger comes wearing a friendly smile.

Amazon: https://amzn.to/4h9jKxm