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

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There are parallels to a certain classic horror/thriller film and while I did guess a couple of the main twists later in the book based on that there were still plenty of things I didn't see coming. When they are invited next door to a neighborhood BBQ, they meet the Hutton family, Tom, Willa and their son Jamie, who is deaf. I thought I was really going to enjoy my first read from this author as the opening third strongly pulled me in.

This time the themes are class and race, and their contemporary manifestations in our society, the story illustrating just how shockingly matters can spin out of control and beyond belief between neighbours, exacerbated by the use of social media, the bitterness and rage culminating in horror and a court case. I actually forced myself to slow down reading it, rather than consuming the book in one sitting, because I was enjoying it so much.With such a dramatic and ever-changing cultural shift, it's easy for so many of us to lump people into "us vs. 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 house is isolating- the friendly man next door and his troubled sister the only people around, and there are secrets hidden seemingly everywhere. The discussion around race, privilege, and class here are thought provoking, and I love how Abdullah doesn’t let anyone off the hook.

Perhaps the publisher knew me better than I knew myself and/or was not seeking an early and honest harsh review. 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. After attending an uncomfortable neighbourhood barbecue, Salma placed a 'Black Lives Matter banner belonging to Zain in her garden.Kia Abdullah is a fantastic author known for her legal thrillers, but this one takes place less in the court room as her other novels have, and more in a suburban setting. One thing leads to another, and the neighbors find themselves in a destructive war that could lead to something more dangerous or even lethal. Her charactisation is good though I frequently want to punch Roman who is so patronising at times and some of his behaviour doesn’t add up and you question his actions.

A house with a safe room that gets mentioned frequently but then doesn't get used when somebody is in the house threatening Lana.Abdullah captures the moral complexities of her cast of flawed and human characters, including the impact of parental attitudes and behaviour have on the friendship between Zain and Tom's son, Jamie. Clearly, may other readers liked this very much, but for me it was a lost opportunity to become a very good book. Ash and Ellie have been together about three years when they move into an old, worn down, rural home in Norfolk, England.

Personally, I think I'd find that offensive if I belonged to one of those groups but I understand changes are in the works. But they are also a couple with a secret; a secret buried in the life they have left behind, a secret they have shared with no-one.Ellie and Ash have just moved to a isolated house in the countryside with only one other house nearby. They move into an idyllic Cotswold Village but quite quickly learn that their house was the scene of a family tragedy, when the father lost his job and went mad with a shotgun. There were still a lot of unanswered questions; something which I find to be one of the most frustrating weaknesses in writing, especially when the story is so promising.