A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

When the Whitman family moves into a newly built home that abuts the backyard of Valerie Alston-Holt and her teenage son, Xavier, no one expects a death several months later. Brad Whitman, who owns Whitman HVAC, lives with his wife, Julia, stepdaughter Juniper, and young daughter, Lily in a house where no expense was spared. African-American college professor, Valerie, a widow, lives with her biracial son in a small ranch house with a beautiful yard and a hundred-year-old oak in the backyard. When Valerie realizes that the oak tree is slowly dying--probably because of the fence that the Whitmans put at the back of their yard (and that Brad probably cut corners to get built)--it sets in motion a lawsuit that will reverberate far beyond the halls of justice. The tensions between the families are further exacerbated by the burgeoning secret relationship between Xavier and Juniper. A Good Neighborhood is a timely novel, perfect for book groups and fans of Liane Moriarty. It will be published in March.