THE PEOPLE NEXT DOOR: A gripping psychological thriller from the no. 1 bestselling author

Product Information

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

As communication breaks down between all parties, the neighborhood rapidly turns into a suburban battleground. Overall, this was not a winner for me, but I sit at the outlier table as many have loved it. I remain a huge fan of this author as all of her previous books have been 4-5 star reads for me. I look forward to what she comes out with next. But except for that gripe, the rest of the book was amazing. The courtroom scenes were excellent, as you’d expect from this author.

There were some good plot twists such as Vince being Juno's brother and the neighbours turning out to be some sort of crazy cult preparing for the end of the world Neighbours Benjamin and Virginia appear to have plenty of secrets but I liked watching how Ellie felt comfortable enough to try and develop a friendship. The description of Benjamin’s garden sounded envy-inducing and I could vividly imagine such a lush, colourful landscape. It actually made me want to go and emulate some of his successes in my own garden, if it wasn’t for the fact that we are rapidly approaching winter!

Perfectly Nice Neighbors is an A++ Legal Thriller featuring major Neighborhood Drama from Kia Abdullah. This psychological thriller was about my worst fears….Living next to a creepy family. Everything was fine until it wasn’t. The suspense and fear unfolded in stages. Creating more uncertainty which in turn gave me that really scary feeling. I was waiting for something to jump out at me, keeping me on the edge of my seat. Also, the family’s dog, Molly, is used as a means to create tension and APPREHENSION-which never sits well with me. Lana soon makes friends with their neighbours and is warmly welcomed. She is told everyone is so happy in this corner of the world that "nobody ever leaves". If that is true then what happened to the people who lived in their house before them? And the doctor Roman is replacing in the village? If no one ever leaves, why did they?The only character I liked was Sandy, Lana's old friend. I didn't care what happened to the others. Ash and Ellie had been together for a few years when they decided they were ready to buy a house together. They come across one they can’t resist-it was an amazing deal in the country side, perfect for a young couple with dreams of a family in the future. Once they move in, their best friends, Pete and Roxanne come and visit and Roxanne is hyper critical over the house and reminds them of the history in the town, which Ash and Ellie wanted to put out of their minds because of how much they liked their new home. Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. Ellie Summers and her boyfriend Ash Brady move into their dream home. It’s in the boonies and needs a lot of work, but it has a beautiful garden. In between working on the home and adopting a dog she accidentally hit with her car, Ellie befriends her neighbor, Benjamin, who lives next door with his sister, Virginia.

Outstanding and has taught me a lesson that instant gratification in a book is not always needed, not when the writing and story is so so good This was a fun, fast read that I could not put down. The twists and turns kept me guessing most of the way through. I listened to the audiobook version and could not stop listening.

I found both halves of the book to be really good. The first half is the neighborhood/domestic suspense with the second half being the courtroom scene. Certain parts of the trial can be repetitive but also provide new insights from witnesses. The characters are well rounded (none particularly likeable), although I did warm slightly towards Lara as the the story progressed. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and I was certainly lead up the wrong garden path more than once.

However, much as it grieves me to give this author whose books I usually like a lower rating than normal, I’m sorry to say that it starts to get too OTT and far-fetched for me to buy into especially the conclusion. Some characters are not sufficiently fleshed out and so it doesn’t feel authentic and especially latterly, some of the dialogue makes me wince. The actual ending is extremely abrupt, what are we meant to make of that? Loved the characters and the setting ( and the local gossips in the Spar Shop ) and the way the book turned into a very tense, and yes at points scary read that had me sat up at certain bits shouting encouragement to the victim (s), dark but enjoyable and have to give a big mention for 3 legged doggy Poppy 😍 so many characters were unlikeable and it this book really makes you think “what would i do if that happened to me?” keeping as spoiler free as i can, but it’s definitely a moral compass type of book 😳 As Lana struggles to adjust to her new life in paradise, she begins to believe that these events are somehow connected.Lana and Roman Wade move from London to rural Oxfordshire and their pretty thatched cottages for a fresh start after a horrific experience that changed their lives. The new home in the residential close known as The Gardens is idyllic and charming. But is it too good to be true? Well, these are those neighbours. With a different craziness taking it to extreme levels. The drama spiralling out of control -on both sides of the fence. But there is a dog. And that had me lose my sh*t. This was an intense physiological thriller to say the least! Instead of the main character trying to uncover a mystery they’re involved with, the main character here is a direct part of the mystery itself. This made the story’s events all the more terrifying, as the reader experiences them through the lens of the protagonist. Kia Abdullah is the queen of thought-provoking, smart, and twisty domestic thrillers, as well as riveting legal thrillers. She creates remarkable, multilayered characters with unique voices, providing their different perspectives and directing us into their dramatic and traumatizing lives.