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A review by justinkhchen
The New Couple in 5B by Lisa Unger
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
Lisa Unger might be my new go-to author for fun, popcorn mystery thrillers, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was a novel when asked which thriller tropes it wanted, it replied 'yes' (and I enjoyed its chaos nevertheless). The New Couple in 5B is fortunately more tightly constructed, taking a restrained approach in term of location (centering around the apartment building) and the size of the ensemble cast.
It is easy to be critical of the plot, especially towards its last act, where it decidedly takes a less ambitious, domestic conflict route, rather than leaning into the lineage and energy of a place as it was hinting at in the beginning. Still, it does contain all the elements I enjoy reading about (building with history, an author protagonist, questionable neighbors, New York theater scene...), Lisa Unger's writing is effortlessly consumable without missing on style, and the consistent pacing keeps one checked-in (even though certain perspective in hindsight does feel very filler-y). Yes the characters are basic and vanilla, but they are also unchallenging and familiar, and I can slip into their stereotypical psyche like worn gloves.
Comparing apples-to-apples, this tale of 'a couple moving into a too-good-to-be-true apartment' is nothing next to Nestlings by Nat Cassidy, which boasts bespoke characters, vivid imagery, and a compelling underlying theme. The New Couple in 5B is just surface level fun, and I'm all for it.
It is easy to be critical of the plot, especially towards its last act, where it decidedly takes a less ambitious, domestic conflict route, rather than leaning into the lineage and energy of a place as it was hinting at in the beginning. Still, it does contain all the elements I enjoy reading about (building with history, an author protagonist, questionable neighbors, New York theater scene...), Lisa Unger's writing is effortlessly consumable without missing on style, and the consistent pacing keeps one checked-in (even though certain perspective in hindsight does feel very filler-y). Yes the characters are basic and vanilla, but they are also unchallenging and familiar, and I can slip into their stereotypical psyche like worn gloves.
Comparing apples-to-apples, this tale of 'a couple moving into a too-good-to-be-true apartment' is nothing next to Nestlings by Nat Cassidy, which boasts bespoke characters, vivid imagery, and a compelling underlying theme. The New Couple in 5B is just surface level fun, and I'm all for it.