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

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The Wades are an attractive, popular couple. 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. But their new neighbours – these friendly, affluent, educated men and women in the Gardens – have secrets of their own.

It then jumps into the paranoid "everyone is out to get me" with the wife spotting areas of concerns, finding bones in the garden, putting two and two together that sinister things are afoot. Rosemary's Baby to the character names (a Roman). Toxix herbs are potentially used as murder weapons. The story wears its influences transparently. Overall much of this is enjoyable especially the first 60% but the last 30% percent is not to my taste.Took me a good 10% to ‘settle’ into this book, not sure why?, maybe we are so used to the big starts now that any ‘build up’ seems laborious BUT once I had settled what a thriller this turned into This was one of my most highly anticipated reads this year. While I enjoyed it for the most part, this is my least favourite book by this author. The intensity was no were near as impactful as her other novels. Most of the characters actions and decisions were over the top and unbelievable which took away from my connection to and investment in the story. I wasn’t bought into what was happening. I was emotionless while reading this and I failed to develop sympathy for any of the characters. I had no one to root for in this revenge-filled story.

Finishing this book last night, I was left musing about how I felt about the book. It was definitely addictive reading and kept me hooked. The parts which left me wondering, were, I felt, a little too far-fetched.But except for that gripe, the rest of the book was amazing. The courtroom scenes were excellent, as you’d expect from this author.

Soon Lana discovers the truth behind what happened in their dream home and it is increasingly making her uneasy. She can't settle, especially when she discovers strangers trespassing on her property stealing a photo of her house or two. When she discovers that Roman knew about the house's history she is furious. How could he even think she would want to live here with that hanging over them? And then a chance encounter with the internet sleuths who she caught on her property has her digging for answers about what really happened behind these closed doors. But the more Lana digs, the more uneasy she feels.It is important to note, Salma's family is Bangladeshi, while Tom's family is white. Also, please note, each family has a dog and the dogs are also involved in the drama. This book dives deep into the human condition. Like all the books from this author, it will stay with you long after finishing and keep you thinking…