A LONELY WOMAN IN NEW YORK SPENDS HER DAYS GUZZLING MERLOT, POPPING PILLS AND SPYING ON THE NEIGHBORS-UNTIL SOMETHING SHE SEES SUCKS HER INTO A VORTEX OF TERROR.
THE MILLER HOME ACROSS THE STREET-ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE-IS ONE OF FIVE TOWN HOUSES THAT I CAN SURVEY FROM THE SOUTH-FACING WINDOWS OF MY OWN. A NEW FAMILY IS MOVING IN ON HER HARLEM STREET AND DR. ANNA FOX ALREADY KNOWS THEIR NAMES, EMPLOYMENT HISTORIES, HOW MUCH THEY PAID FOR THEIR HOUSE AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN FIND OUT USING A SEARCH ENGINE. FOLLOWING A MYSTERIOUS ACCIDENT, ANNA IS SUFFERING FROM AGORAPHOBIA SO SEVERE THAT SHE HASN`T LEFT HER HOUSE IN MONTHS. SHE SPEAKS TO HER HUSBAND AND DAUGHTER ON THE PHONE-THEY`VE MOVED OUT BECAUSE THE DOCTORS SAY TOO MUCH CONTACT ISN`T HEALTHY-AND CONDUCTS HER RELATIONSHIPS WITH HER NEIGHBORS WHOLLY THROUGH THE ZOOM LENS OF HER NIKON D5500. AS SHE EXPLAINS TO FELLOW SUFFERERS IN HER ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP, FOOD AND MEDICATION (NOT TO MENTION CASES OF WINE) CAN BE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR; YOUR HOUSECLEANER CAN TAKE OUT THE TRASH. ANNA`S PSYCHIATRIST AND PHYSICAL THERAPIST MAKE HOUSE CALLS; A TENANT IN HER BASEMENT PINCH-HITS AS A HANDYMAN. TO FIGHT BOREDOM, SHE`S GOT ONLINE CHESS AND A HUGE COLLECTION OF DVDS; SHE HAS MOST OF HITCHCOCK MEMORIZED. BOTH THE GAME OF CHESS AND NOIR MOVIE PLOTS-REAR WINDOW, IN PARTICULAR-WILL BECOME SPOOKILY APT METAPHORS FOR THE EVENTS THAT UNFOLD WHEN THE TEENAGE SON OF HER NEW NEIGHBORS KNOCKS ON HER DOOR TO DELIVER A GIFT FROM HIS MOTHER. NOT LONG AFTER, HIS MOTHER HERSELF SHOWS UPAND THEN ANNA WITNESSES SOMETHING ALMOST TOO SHOCKING TO BE REAL HAPPENING IN THEIR LIVING ROOM. BOREDOM WON`T BE A PROBLEM ANY LONGER.
CRACKLING WITH TENSION AND THE SOUND OF PAGES TURNING, AS TWIST AFTER TWIST SWEEPS AWAY EACH HYPOTHESIS YOU COME UP WITH ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN ANNA`S PAST AND WHAT FRESH HELL IS UNFOLDING NOW.
२४ ऑक्टोबर रविवारपासून सुरू होणाऱ्या या कहाणीची नायिका आहे, मॅनहॅटनमध्ये एका भव्य घरात एकटीच राहणारी, बाल मानसशास्त्रज्ञ असलेली, ३८ वर्षांची अ‍ॅना फॉक्स! सुरुवातच अ‍ॅनाच्या हेरगिरीपासून होते. ती स्वतःच्या घरातून आजूबाजूच्या घरांवर आणि त्यातल्या लोकांवर आपल्या कॅमेऱ्याद्वारे नजर ठेवून असते. गेले दहा महिने तिने स्वतःच्या घराचा उंबरादेखील ओलांडलेला नसतो. अ‍ॅगोराफोबिया असल्याने घरातून बाहेर पडण्याची तिला नेहमी भीती वाटत असते. तशीच ती सातत्याने अगदी सराईतपणे मद्यपान करते. तिला जुन्या जमान्यातले उत्तमोत्तम कृष्ण-धवल चित्रपट पाहण्याचा छंद आहे. तिने आपल्या तळघरामध्ये डेव्हिड नावाच्या एका पेइंग गेस्टला राहायला जागा दिलेली आहे.
तिच्या बोलण्यामधून समजते की, तिचा नवरा एड आणि ८ वर्षांची तिची मुलगी ऑलिव्हिया हे दोघेही तिच्यापासून दूर कुठेतरी राहत आहेत आणि ती त्यांच्याशी संपर्क ठेवून आहे. अ‍ॅनाचे डॉक्टर आणि बिना ही तिचा व्यायाम घेणारी स्त्री हे दोघे अ‍ॅनाच्या घरात अधूनमधून ठरावीक काळाने येत असतात. त्यांना अ‍ॅनाबद्दल काळजी वाटते.