Lisa Unger has written some great novels, so I'm always anxious to read her latest. But THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B is not her best.

The first 200 or so pages of this book are very repetitious and pretty ho-hum, i.e., boring. Rosie tells us over and over how she resents her upbringing by parents who were superstitious fakes. At the same time, she tells a silly ghost story.

Unger's main premise is that Rosie and Chad, a married couple, have inherited an apartment in an old building that seems to be cursed. Throughout the years many of its residents have died there, some murdered, others APPARENT suicides. But the ghosts: the story would have been better off without those. They only made the suspense feel silly.

I did enjoy that every character (except Rosie, who tells the story in first person ) is suspect throughout the novel. That's what made me keep reading to the end.

I also liked that Unger slips in references to her older books here and there. For example, Chad, an actor, was given the starring role in a TV series about The Hollows.

But THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B is a disappointment because I know Unger can do better. That's why I'll still be on the lookout for her next book.

I struggled to read. At one point I thought I may DNF. Then suddenly it picked up and stirred my curiosity. The ending was rushed. Overall it’s okay, but certainly not one of my favorite books.