***Shortlisted for the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction 2021

Jane Darrowfield is using her retirement years to work as a professional busybody, with most of her business coming from her West Cambridge, Massachusetts, community. This time her client is right next door…

Available in mass max paperback, ebook, audiobook, and large print formats from all retailers.

Megan, who’s purchased the house next to Jane’s, needs some help from her snooping neighbor. Megan’s been having blackouts, hearing voices—and feeling like someone’s following her. Are these symptoms of an illness—or signs that she’s in danger?

Considering the extensive security system in Megan’s house, it seems like she should be safe—yet she soon vanishes into thin air. Some think she’s run away, but would this ambitious young lawyer on the partner track really miss a meeting with an important client? And where’s Megan’s cat?

The mystery is about to deepen when the cat is finally located in a hidden panic room—and as Jane and the police look into Megan’s friends, family, and past, it may be time to sound the alarm…

With this latest cozy novel, Barbara Ross cements her status as my favorite living mystery writer. In less than three hundred pages, she delivers yet another taut, intelligent tale full of empathy and sensitivity, written with both economy and verve.

Criminal Element, January 18, 2022

This book had me transfixed from the first page until the dramatic conclusion.

Dru’s Book Musings, October 19, 2020

…a great read cozy readers will love, and the ending is a real humdinger I never saw coming.

Suspense Magazine, January 2021

…a dark, suspenseful, intricate plot set right next door to Jane’s home. Pay attention because this is a really creepy mystery.

Bushnell on Books, Kennebec Journal, December 22, 2020

The weighty emotional beats are as genuine as the low-key humor and observations, making this a smart and cleverly crafted mystery.

Kings River Life, January 16, 2021

Jane is an independent woman, fully capable, intelligent, and solid…

Rosemont Publishing, December 24, 2021

Just about the time I thought I knew where things were going, a twist would come that would make me question everything I thought I knew. 

Carstairs Considers, October 29, 2020

I loved it, read it straight through in one sitting, and am already looking to the next book.

A Biblio Paradise, October 27, 2020

I am thirsty for more from the author, and I will definitely be first in line to read the next one.

This is My Truth Now, December 3, 2021

This is one of my favorite cozy mysteries so far this year! I was very pleased at how complex the mystery became.

Open Book Society, June 2022

Blog Posts about the Madwoman Next Door

The Moment of Inspiration

Wicked Authors, September 14, 2020

Gaslight the Movie

Wicked Authors, October 12, 2020

Happy Release Day Jessie & Barb

Wicked Authors, October 27, 2020

Digital Gaslighting

Jungle Red Writers, October 28, 2020

An Interview with Author Barbara Ross by E. B. Davis

Writers Who Kill, October 28, 2020

Get to Know Me–Jane Darrowfield by Barbara Ross

Drus’ Book Musings, October 30, 2020

What the Heck is a Professional Busybody?

Between the Chapters, October 29, 2020