Skip to main content

A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder - Louise Candlish

 


Description

A gripping new thriller from the author of Our House, packed full of stunning twists!

‘Louise Candlish has a gift for examining hotly topical issues with intelligence, wit, and a keen eye for observational detail. A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder is a smartly constructed psychological thriller with a wicked twist in the tale. Flawless!’ Lucy Clarke

‘A terrific story, witty, engaging and a total page-turner.’ Liz Nugent

'A whip-smart, razor-sharp domestic thriller… a fiendishly twisty plot. Gwen is my new obsession!' Isabelle Broom

‘A brilliant mess-with-your-mind slow burn thriller. Louise is a master manipulator and this is not to be missed’ Nikki Smith

'Louise Candlish excels at issue-led plots. A clever “through the keyhole” take on neighbours.' Jane Corry

'Meticulously plotted with twists and turns aplenty. It's a truly addictive read.' Hannah Beckerman

Her secrets will be the death of you.

It’s rare for a room in beautiful, iconic Columbia Mansions to be up for grabs and retiree Gwen is thrilled when its new occupant Pixie turns out to be the most delightful neighbour she could have wished for. Before long the two women have formed an unlikely age-gap friendship and Gwen is making herself useful to Pixie in all kinds of ways.

But when a crime comes to light Gwen’s protective instincts go into overdrive, igniting an appetite for revenge that none of the residents are prepared for.

The last thing they need in Columbia Mansions is a scandal.

The last thing they want is a murder.


Review

Gwen is in her 70s and lives in a flat in a prestigious building. She is on the Board of Directors and is friends with one of the other occupants. However, when young Pixie moves in to her neighbour's flat under the "rent a room" scheme she feels a connection with her, a new young friend. Soon everyone in the building is part of Pixie's life and not for the right reasons.

I've really enjoyed previous books by this author, so I was looking forward to this one. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I kept checking the title of the book every so often, because I thought I was expecting something that wasn't going to happen. It also read more like a cosy crime drama - which is ok, just not what I was expecting.

I didn't care for any of the characters. Gwen is rather too much of a pushover, despite her own internal dialogue saying differently. Pixie has her own agenda and uses it to her advantage over others in the building. One of whom is Gwen's Son, who is staying with his Mother after his failed relationship and felt to me like a wet blanket.

The book highlights some of the modern day housing issues experienced in the UK. Also a portrayal of trial by social media, together with the journalistic hunt for a good story. It felt a little protracted with the initial minutia of the story, but at the same time it displays genius plot writing. I was glad I finished the book, it just wasn't really what I was expecting.

I'm giving this book 4 out of 5 stars. My thanks to Net Galley for the ARC to review. The book is published on 17th July 2025.

Comments

Post a Comment

Those leaving a comment on any post on this blog do so in the knowledge that their name and blog link are visible to all who visit this blog and by providing their comment they have published their own personal details on this blog and also consented to our use of that personal information for that specific purpose.

Popular posts from this blog

No One Would Do What The Lamberts Have Done - Sophie Hannah

  Description The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable in order to save the life of one of its beloved members? Both? Or something else altogether? You'll have to read until the very last word in order to find out… You think it will never happen to you: the ring of the bell, the policeman on the doorstep. What he says traps you in a nightmare that starts with the words, 'I'm afraid…' Sally Lambert is also afraid, and desperate enough to consider the unthinkable. Is it really, definitely, impossible to escape from this horror? Maybe not. There's always something you can do, right? Of course, no one would ever do this particular something – except the Lamberts, who might have to. No one has ever gone this far. Until Sally decides that the Lamberts will… 'An incident involving a dog in a small village escalates to an all-out conflict, turning neighbour against neighbour, and culminating in murder. Bu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Dilemmas of Work Women - Fumio Yamamoto

  Description The classic Japanese bestseller published in English for the very first time -  a darkly funny and relatable book portraying the lives of five women 'Witty, wise and thought-provoking' Cecelia Ahern 'Crackles and pops with humour, empathy and intelligence' Lisa Owens, author of  Not Working 'So brilliantly written that I kept trying to memorise sentences in order to repeat them to people later' Roxy Dunn, author of  As Young as This Izumi  needs to get a job. Haruka  needs to stop talking about how she once had cancer. Katō  needs to get through a shift at the convenience store without being harassed. Mito  needs to break up with her boyfriend - or marry him. Sumie  just needs somewhere to live. In this classic Japanese bestseller, published in English twenty-five years after it took Japan by storm, the lives of five ordinary women are depicted with irresistible humour and searing emotional insight. Review A collection of short ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins

Description THE NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER. YOU DON'T KNOW HER. BUT SHE KNOWS YOU. Rear Window  meets  Gone Girl , in this exceptional and startling psychological thriller Review I must be one of the last people to read this book. I did apply for a review copy but unfortunately wasn't successful. I then waited for the book to come down in price which it didn't - so I decided I would buy it and read it straight away! I'm sure it will be a film and before anyone gives away what happens I felt I really needed to get it read, so it jumped the TBR queue. There is not much plot outline from the publisher as you can see in the description above, so there wasn't a lot to go on when I began to read the book. First of all the book jumps around date wise - past and present and also between the main characters. I did have a little trouble remembering who was who and which time frame we were in - but that soon settled down. I also had to re-read the beginning because I th...
3 comments
Read more