The New Couple in 5B

Author: Lisa Unger
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Park Row Books, 2025
Pages: 384
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Rosie and Chad Lowan are barely making ends meet in New York City when they receive life-changing news: Chad's late uncle has left them his luxury apartment at the historic Windermere in glamorous Murray Hill. With its prewar elegance and impeccably uniformed doorman, the building is the epitome of old New York charm. One would almost never suspect the dark history lurking behind its perfectly maintained facade.

At first, the building and its electric tenants couldn't feel more welcoming. But as the Lowans settle into their new home, Rosie starts to suspect that there's more to the Windermere than meets the eye. Why is the doorman ever-present? Why are there cameras everywhere? And why have so many gruesome crimes occurred there throughout the years? When one of the neighbors turns up dead, Rosie must get to the truth about the Windermere before she, too, falls under its dangerous spell.

Review: I saw this on a book stand on a business trip to Tampa in February. This is my first Lisa Unger novel, and what a ride. The setting, plot, and descriptions of the Windermere drew me in, but this novel wasn't without flaws. A pet peeve about many thrillers, this one included, the author writes in a character confession. I prefer the protagonist put the pieces together him or herself, and the details are revealed to the reader in a more organic way.