This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

The Intruder is billed as creepy and sinister Andi couldn’t agree more.

William Heming is an estate agent. He does viewings, he sells houses, he negotiates. Oh and he keeps a copy of your house key.

From starting this book you feel you have a permanent sense of unease as you read about Heming’s exploits. It’s really well written and you find yourself totally immersed in the plot. I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK and the author for the chance to review.

Soooooo bit of a slow burner but when it gets going oh my god! William is so creepy he seriously freaked me out and I didn’t read the book late at night haha which is rare for me as it takes a lot to creep me out. Fair play though the author managed this with ease and what a corker of a book it is, get the book you won’t regret it!

Ooh!! I don't know about the 'most sociopathic narrator of 2018' (I haven't read all the books out there!), but my word WHAT a narrator!

William Hemming is an estate agent. He keeps copies of keys of houses he's shown and sold and lets himself in to, well, for his own reasons. William tells us quite calmly how and why he does what he does and basically brings us about his daily life, where he is pretty much always in the right. THIS is the epicness of the book. Because he is most definitely an enigma, an intriguing character with a sense of right and wrong that generally results in him dishing out vigilante justice in a non vigilante, way, and this is coupled with a play by play of his past- including a despicable genius plan that was formulated to get him to the top of his game. I love books where you get a good back story that shows us where things went wrong and he's got one to make you think.

In 'The Intruder' we get attention to detail that is spellbinding, and narration that is perfection for who you decide he is. Oh and do I have to add that there's murder involved somewhere in the book, and Mr Heming may or may not be involved, having been in the wrong or right place at the wrong, or right time?

I have to say I have a special fondness for this book, for William's character, his narration, for the settings, his workplace, all of it really and I will most likely be re-reading this book in the future.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Transworld Digital for this book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Wow! I hardly ever use that word in my reviews but here I feel it is warranted. I am starting to think that the creepier and more horrific the book, the higher my praise usually is for it! These sort of books could be described as walking the tightrope between thriller and horror extremely well. I have never enjoyed horror movies and had assumed that it also applied to those type of books too but I don't think that is the case at all - I have started to read and really get into the horror genre of late.

This is a book with a unique story featuring a truly sinister baddie! The creepy factor was present throughout, making this a tense rollercoaster ride with added unpredictability. Hogan's characterisation is incredible, he builds William Heming so that it's impossible not to feel something for him.

This is a highly original concept and one that works well. It was previously under the title A Pleasure and a Calling, which may be more fitting than The Intruder. The Intruder makes you think that there are people within the particular building, and for the most part there is not. This is a helluva amazing read, and Hogan must write further books in this genre, he is just that good at drawing you into the story. Finding an author that truly engages you is a difficult task these days but Hogan does it with ease. As if that wasn't enough, he also excels at injecting black humour into the novel.

A magnificent title that is endlessly entertaining, and disturbing in equal measure! I cannot wait for more from this author.

I would like to thank P. S. Hogan, Random House UK - Transworld, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

In my honest opinion, this book was terrible. It certainly wasn't the 'gripping, sinister, deeply, unsettling novel' that was promised....

The book follows William Heming, an estate agent that has kept a copy of every key to every house he's ever sold. Sometimes he visits them. He lets himself in when the owners are out. But what will happen if he gets caught? What we he do next?

There wasn't anything about this book that I liked. The character wasn't very likeable at all, he had no realistic reasoning behind why he does what he does and I honestly just thought he was a weirdo.

The plot itself was incredibly boring, and there really wasn't much of a storyline. It took me twice as long as it normally does for me to finish a book purely because I couldn't read a lot before falling asleep. The only reason that I actually finished it in the first place was because I hate leaving books unfinished and I was hoping for some sort of twist at the end but no such luck.

One of the worst books I have read this year. I'd give this one a miss if I were you.

I really enjoyed this book, highly original and actually much better than I was expecting it to be. I did have to go back and read the first couple of chapters again before I 'got' the concept of it. The narrator, William Heming, gives us glimpses of his story, but it isn't until a couple of chapters later that the story is fleshed out. Once I got the hang of this I couldn't put it down! There is a strong thread of black humour running through the book, which I loved, and a lot of the time I could empathise with the actions of our antihero Mr Hemming. Some of the story is really quite disturbing and macabre, other times it is humorous, but always entertaining and readable. This book was previously published under the name A Pleasure and a Calling and to be honest, I think this title is more fitting for the book. Mt Heming sees himself as a savour of the town, it is his pleasure and his calling to sort out the residents and dole out his sense of justice.
I would certainly recommend this book, I thought it was really excellent.

3.5 stars
An unusual story, well written and character driven. It was interesting and enjoyable most of the time, although not gripping. A good read if you are looking for something different.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

*thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

2 stars.

I found parts of this to be dull. I was expecting so much more. It was written in a way that I just couldnt really get on board with. I tried. I Fort my way through, but it still didn't grab me. I think this is just one that simply isn't for me.

This is a really hard review to even write- as I finished this book and I'm still thinking about it. But at times it annoyed the hell out of me!

The premise for the book is unlike something I have never read before- and the story kept me guessing throughout- but I have to be honest and say Williams internal monologue really irritated me. His mind was so scattered and he flitted from one moment to the next without taking a second- I had to re-read passages to figure him out sometimes.

And then there was backtracking- he would refer back to a story he'd told you 3 chapters ago- then add more to it?

But that said- I couldn't put it down!

I do think the writing needs polishing up- and story line thought out from the beginning and not elaborated on further along- but it didn't completely ruin the story for me- overall it was enjoyable

I really enjoyed this book. It was different from the other psychological thrillers out there and was very well written. The main character was quite sinister and creepy and made you think it could actually happen. Would definitely recommend this book

A totally different book with an interesting concept. If you are about to sell your house and move I would advise you change your locks to your new house. William Hemming is an estate agent and he has a key to every house he has ever sold so that he can revisit the new owners and leave his mark. Hopefully that will wet anyone's appetite. William has been watching and going into rooms since school and this has had a great effect on his life. Overall to say too much would give a lot away but this is a totally different premise for a book and one I loved.

I really loved a good thriller, especially one that focuses on a new and interesting concept. For me, that's exactly what The Intruder was offering. I've never read a book that tapped into a trusting world and relationships such as that of Estate Agent and client before, and I thought that the idea of someone having a copy of every single key to every house he has ever sold was equal parts creepy, intriguing, and potentially entertaining.

William Heming is a secretive and unusual protagonist, and it becomes clear very early on that he is going to be the negative influence throughout the narrative. Heming is a creepy, quiet guy who uses his position as an estate agent to gain the trust of his victims. He waits, sometimes days, weeks, months, even years, and then invades their personal, delves through their intimate things, and ultimately has an unknown level of control over the lives of others, the degree too which becomes more and more evident as the plot unravels.

The start of the book is gripping. The true depths of the depravity of Heming develops slowly through glimpses into his past and through windows into his present day routine; both the public persona and the hidden agendas. The start of the books carries so much promise, and although it's not 'enjoyable' (the level of creepiness and uncertainty that the premise creates in everyday life is unsettling) it's certainly engaging.

And then, suddenly, it's not. The book just completely falls away about 20% through. The narrative begins to unravel and make less and less sense to such a degree that the main plot twist half way through disappears within the mundane. More accomplished writers might say there is a level of intent to this, but I couldn't help but feel like it was sloppy writing. The side characters merge into one in a way, for me, that prevented me from following clearly who was who and who had done what, a big problem later in the book.

The Intruder is also written in first person. I am not a fan of first person fiction on the whole, but I do admit that in this sub-genre fiction there is a place for viewing the story through the eyes of the protagonist. It adds a certain level of unsettling knowing, and it carries the plot through the main points of the story. In this, first person perspective grated on me from start to finish and added very little to the story, detracting from knowing the other characters well enough to follow their relevance, and acting as a jumpy story telling medium. Yes, Heming is the archetypal unreliable narrator, but this is poorly executed by Hogan.

At the end of the day, there is nothing else to say other than I really didn't enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it. I have read similar fiction that I felt was well done, and for me, this was poorly executed.

I absolutely loved this. Very unnerving (in a good way!) I’ll definitely be recommending. Thank you.

EXCERPT: It's easy to say,now, that I wish I'd drawn a line under 4 Boselle Avenue, but there are some things you cannot let go. Certainly there was something about the man with the small incontinent dog that continued to rankle. Perhaps I felt that my honor - the town's honor - had not been quite satisfied. Or maybe I was still in the grip of excitement after the disappointment of the farcically unreliable Cooksons earlier that day. But in the great chain of things - and in view of what happened afterwards at 4 Boselle Avenue and other sites of disquiet around town - I shouldn't understate the influence of Aunt Lillian, who has become forgotten in all this talk of property developers, wing mirrors and unwanted rowing machines.

THE BLURB: He has the key to hundreds of houses.
Maybe even to yours.

William Heming is an estate agent. He’s kept a copy of every key to every house he’s ever sold. Sometimes he visits them. He lets himself in – quietly, carefully – to see who lives there now, what they’re like, what they’ve been doing.

But what will happen when he gets caught?

MY THOUGHTS: The Intruder by P.S. Hogan is quietly sinister. Hogan writes with an easy humour, which serves his purpose well. He doesn't appear to try hard to be creepy or sinister, but he succeeds in doing so. It is a relaxed kind of book, one that had me smiling one moment, and my jaw dropping the next. It is unexpected. It grows on you, and you are never really certain what is going to happen.

Hogan has done a magnificent job in portraying his main character, William Heming. He is a character who could live anywhere; you probably have one or more in your town. He is quietly unassuming, successful in his own right, a man who keeps to himself even as he supports local causes, a man about whom nobody knows much. He is just 'there'. A man who watches. And when you pique his interest, watches even more closely.

Probably the most unsettling thing about The Intruder, is that it is all possible, it may even have happened, it may still be happening. Read this and I don't believe you will ever again leave your precious house keys in the hands of an estate agent.

This appears to be Hogan's debut novel. I am eagerly awaiting his next.

Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Transworld Digital for providing a digital copy of The Intruder by P.S. Hogan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system. This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...

Oh my, this was too creepy. If we hadn't already changed the locks on our house since we moved in (broken lock, not paranoia!) I would have probably been googling locksmiths as soon as I finished this book. In William Hemming, this author has created one sick individual. I say sick, but he also has moments of being really nice. Complex really doesn't do him justice! He also does things that I would really love to do, the meting out justice and retribution part of things I hasten to add, so for those alone, I do have to applaud him. The rest of what he does, well...
So, it's a bit of a slow burner at the beginning. There's a lot of scene and character setting and, as things begin, his crimes are relatively minor (ish). Along the way, we also hear about his childhood, drip fed little and often at appropriate moments in flashback. These do add a bit of spice and indeed wonder to what is happening in the now.
As things progress in the book, Hemming begins to unravel and escalate somewhat and the book nearly degenerates into a bit of a farce. At times I was reminded of the late, great Joe Orton and some of the things he wrote about, especially in Loot and What the Butler Saw.
As far as liking Hemming, no way! As much as I admired (ish) some of the things he did, was impressed with exactly what he got away with, and indeed how much - as far as the creeping round people's houses is concerned, he wasn't the brightest and this was his ultimate downfall. As he spiralled out of control, we also learned more about his past and the two threads together really complemented each other as they meandered towards the climax.
The whole gamut of emotions were run with this book too. I laughed, cried, was shocked and was also very creeped out at times. It also contains some rather impressive black comedy. The best thing was the way that the book was narrated almost devoid of remorse and regret. Like he was entitled. It was also, at times, very uncomfortable to read. Probably because the early parts where he is popping in and out of other people's houses was completely credible and really rather creepy.
All in all a good solid read that was a little different from the norm for this genre. I am trying to work out whether this is a debut book but, if it is, it is very brave and impressive. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

William Heming is a real estate agent. William has also kept a copy of every key of any house that he has ever sold.

Worst nightmare right? William is a real multifaceted character with deep underlying psychological issues and a strange attachment to going through people's things to find out more about them when they are not around. His snooping has gone on for so long that it's a natural part of him and throughout the story we get flashbacks to his childhood and teen years and how this addiction progressed.

This book was a slow burn but delightfully creepy and chilling. Really interesting subject matter.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars!

Wow what an unusual and creepy book this was.  I really enjoyed reading it and it was definitely a book that kept me up at night, both trying to read more and through some weird dreams that I had after reading it.

I think the thing that most struck me about this book is that this could actually happen.  How many people change their locks on moving into a new house, how many old owners of a house keep the key to their old houses and how many estate agents get rid of the keys they are given?  I'd hope the answer is none or if they do they just keep them in a draw or a bag forgotten but it has definitely given me food for thought .  Having just moved house myself I will be asking my husband if we can change our locks at the earliest opportunity.  I think this shows great skill by the author in creating such an creepy and sinister story that it has gotten under my skin in this way and made me think about it long after I have finished reading.

William is a very strange though fascinating character to read about.  His obsession of going into unoccupied houses and spying on people's lives is very creepy, particularly when you learn how confident he is about doing it.  The fact that he has a routine of what he does whilst he is in someone's home, including having something to eat and drink, is very calculated.  It sent a chill up my spine imagining him casually sitting there and someone doing similar in our house without my knowledge.  It was very interesting to learn about what he was able to glean about people's lives from their possessions and what they leave lying about the house.

One thing I did like abut William was the rough justice he dishes out to those who have wronged him in some way.  Some of the things he does are inspired and very funny, helping to break some of the tension and creepy atmosphere.  The incident with the do poo was brilliant and i wish I could do something similar to inconsiderate dog owners!

The book does start of slow as we learn more about William and his childhood but I felt that this is necessary as we are able to establish from it what type of person William is and what makes him tick.  I felt the slow pace also helped to contribute to the creepy, slimy atmosphere throughout the book and complimented William's character. The story soon picks up though and I found myself riveted as I wondered what William would do next and if he would get caught.  I often found myself holding my breath as he explored people's houses, wondering if this was the time he'd be discovered.

This is the first book by PS Hogan that I have read and I look forward to reading more from him.  If you like creepy, sinister and gripping books then you will enjoy The Intruder.

Thank you to Rosie Margesson, Hayley Barnes and Transworld books for my copy of this book and for inviting me onto the blog tour.

A refreshingly different, creepy little masterpiece.

Mr William Heming is our protagonist and what a strange, pedantic, almost endearing little man he is. I don't want to give anything away but I highly recommend you read this and let you decide for yourself whether to feel sorry for, repulsed by or like me, a bit of both. It certainly makes you think about nature vs nurture and you might also want to change your locks next time you move house!

I’m sorry to say I was a little bit disappointed with this book. I expected it to be really eerie and creepy but it didn’t really live up to the description. Parts of it were edge of your seat reading but unfortunately the rest didn’t quite cut it for me. Sorry.