Those People was a great read. I loved how the twists were revealed as the book progressed. Another great book by Louise.

I've really enjoyed the previous books I've read by Louise Candlish and although this one had me turning the pages, I perhaps wasn't quite as enthralled but maybe that's because my expectation was so high.

This is all about a middle class neighbourhood where the worthy mums, and dads, have organised life so that there children can have a car free Sunday but for this to work it means everyone has to follow the same aims. So when a 'rough' couple inherit the house on the corner and park broken-down cars and turn the place into a building site the harmony disappears. And then there is a crime.

This is a book that explores the darkest thoughts of those concerned which I'll be honest aren't pretty.. While the reader's attention is taken in this exploration the police investigation follows another entirely to the surprise of some.

So even though she's written better books in my opinion, Louise Candlish has produced another book that demands attention.

Those People would make an excellent film, with an all star ensemble cast. There isn't really a main character, just a group of neighbours that are all united against the new people in their street.

For the new people, Danny and Jodie aren't like the rest, they seem a bit dodgy, and they aren't even attempting to fit in.

And all the neighbours are left with an unpleasant feeling whenever they try to interact.

It is clear initially that something big happened, from the snippets of police interviews with each neighbour, as we get the background to the day in question.

And then once we are up to the present day bits in live time, as such, you slowly realise that every time you think you have got to grasps with the situation, something else happens, and you are left re-evaluating.

For nothing is what it seems with those people!

Louise Candlish has written a compelling story about how you can never truly know your neighbours, your friends, and even your other half until you are pushed to breaking point from nightmare neighbours.

At times I felt sorry for all the characters in this and at others, I really disliked them too! Definitely a book that will make you feel something towards the characters.

And that leaves you pondering what on earth you might do if someone unsavoury moves into your road, and becomes the source of your life being utterly wretched. Would you consider revenge?

Thank you to Simon & Schuster on Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Louise Candlish does it again with this diffuse thriller based around a too-perfect-to-be-true suburb disrupted by the neighbours from hell. Not my favourite of hers - Our House and The Swimming Pool have the edge on it - but it's a good read, with multiple narrators and strong writing throughout.

I was given a copy of Those People in exchange for an honest review. The book is set in London street where the neighbours are very close a new couple move into the street. They are soon upsetting the old neighbours parking cars in the street and starting yo do renovations. When an accident happens the old neighbours begin to close in. But who really caused the accident. The book is told by many different characters. I found the story a bit slow going and unfortunately struggled to get into the story.

Despite Louise Candlish having written many many books, I have only read last year’s books “Our House”, which I absolutely loved, so was eager to read this one.

I was promised that the book is full of ‘not very nice people’ and the was certainly a promise kept. Louise writes the characters so well, you can easily imagine as real life people.

The whole book was set on one street, which might sound limited but the multiple viewpoints helped make sure that this was not the case, the scene is beautifully set, and in a lot of ways, this sounded an idyllic neighbourhood, but then, as often can be the case, it’s the people that ruin it.

I’ve seen Best magazine describe the characters as “Marvellously Toxic”, and that is the absolutely perfect description.

The attitudes from some of them, you can picture perfectly, and while I agree the new neighbours were terrible, reading theses attitudes at certain points were funny and very cringe-worthy.

I don’t want to say too much about the plot, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s not a fast paced novel, but that adds to the overall atmosphere and effect.

Louise Candlish has done it again another outstanding book, cementing her place firmly as one of my must buy authors.

I love Louise Candlish’s writing so this book was a real treat! You know from the start that something bad has happened on this street but you don’t know exactly what or who to. The novel then follows interviews and the perspectives from each of the neighbours and you gradually learn what has led to the awful incident that has happened. I loved this book! It takes place on a lovely, quiet street where everyone is friendly and considerate of each other. Then a new couple move in and they are selfish and seem determined to do what they want when they want no matter what. I loved how this novel made me really dislike the new couple at first (don’t we all live in fear of nightmare neighbours moving in next door?!) but as the novel went on I did feel there were times when the antagonising behaviour came from all sides and people were escalating things without realising what they were doing. This is a novel that kept me guessing and it definitely had shocks in store. I read this novel in one sitting as I just didn’t want to put it down until I knew how it was all going to turn out. I definitely recommend this one!

I read this book on holiday, and for me it made the perfect summer read as I simply couldn't put it down!

Right from the beginning the characters and plot become very addictive - the premise is simple, and the characters quite archetypal to begin with. Lowland Way is an extremely middle class street in London, with friendly neighbours, children playing in the streets. Everything about their lives is just as they have planned it. Then along come Darren and Jodie. Building work. Noise. The neighbours from hell....

At first I wondered whether although the plot and characters were fun, maybe this was all quite predicable? But then the plot began to twist and turn, different character traits begin to show and I didn't really know where things were going to go.

I recommended this book on my 2019 Holiday Read post - https://sophiejobooks.home.blog/2019/10/04/2019-holiday-reads/ I haven't read Louise Candlish's Our House yet, but I would definitely pick it up now!

Thank you for review copy of this.Having read this book I went out and purchased Louise's other book our house.Louise is a new author to me and I definitely will read more of her books thank you.

The blurb sounded good but the book was disappointing. It lacked pace and did not hold my attention, and the main characters were just so unbelievable and unlikable. Just not for me.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I had read the author's previous book and I enjoyed it although it wasn't the best psychological thriller I had read.

This book had a lot of crazy things happening. I just love books where the adults misbehave. Lol, maybe I live vicariously through them. This is a good book with lots of twists and turns. I really enjoyed it.

Louise Candlish writes about houses, streets, communities and the people that live in them, her take on neighbours and ‘hoods is second to none, ‘those people’ continues this!
Lowland Way is perfect, an idyll in South London, not too far from ‘estates’ BUT far enough, the neighbours all get on, why they even have a ‘safe street sunday’ where cars lay idle and children play freely
Heaven
Until its turned into Hell
New neighbours arrive at Number 1, Darren and Jodie, loud, uncouth, ‘common’, they are going to change the street forever, and they couldn’t care a less
WattsApp groups are started, FB secret groups updated with these intruders movements and neighbours form allegiances and stick together to rid the street and themselves of this menace.
Never has a street been more united.
Until tragedy strikes.
And they are all under suspicion, now the ties that bind them loosen and fractures appear, maybe the neighbours are not as close, or as goody-two-shoes as we think.
Brimming with characters and alive with descriptive vocabulary this tale moves you into Lowland Way and had me ‘setting up camp’ there to see exactly what happened, who was guilty and what would become of all the neighbours.
As said at the beginning the author writes just superbly on these themes.
Only disappointment was it ended quite abruptly, I would have been happy for another 400 pages.
Seamlessly eye waveringly great fiction.

Those People felt for me quite a departure from Louise Candlish’s previous novel, Our House (which I absolutely loved – read my review here), but was similarly entertaining, well-written and absorbing. It’s perhaps less of a ‘thriller’ as such, but it still has a real air of mystery around it, which made me want to keep turning the pages and kept me up far too late before work!

We know from the beginning that something bad – a crime of some sort – has happened in an affluent suburban street in South London, and we see various interviews with residents after the fact talking about the gripes and horrors which surrounds the new neighbours, who have loved in to disrupt the peace, tranquility and family-friendly atmosphere of the street’s community.

What we don’t know, of course, is who is involved in this crime. And from then on, the story unfolds…

I loved the multiple narratives and character’s stories in this novel. You’re never quite sure which character may be hiding something, and who knows more than they’ve left on. There’s also a real sense of foreboding as you wonder who will be in danger – the new neighbours or one of the other residents?

This is definitely a slower-paced story than Our House, but Those People has its own twists and turns, albeit slightly less dramatic ones. It feels almost more suffocating, though, because it’s so damn relatable! Even if you’ve never experienced the frustration of a terrible neighbour, you can imagine what it would be like, and how you would feel trapped as you realise that house prices are plummeting, and you’re stuck with these people unless they decide to move out.

At the same time, Louise Candlish has cleverly created an array of complex characters who make you question your own judgements, because I felt for the existing families of Lowland Way… but another part of me thought they were really snobby and privileged. As horrifying as it must feel to suddenly have your world invaded by people you feel are ‘less than you’ and who have no care for your perfectly curated life, some of their judgements feel based on class, not on the people that these new neighbours are (and I’m not denying they seem awful people to live near!). This book really made me think about pre-judgements.

Therefore, as a reader I’m sure this book will provoke varying feelings, depending on how you yourself would react. For me it’s a truly entertaining read and I think I almost enjoyed the character development and details of what is seemingly just ‘everyday life’ *more* than the mystery at hand – which, as a real crime fiction fan, I wouldn’t say often!

3.5

When buying a new house, one of the most asked questions from buyers is along the lines of ‘…and what are the neighbours like?’

Horrible neighbours are something that most of us fear, especially those of us who have suffered them in the past. No-one wants unpleasant people living in close proximity to them, making their lives a misery, but that’s exactly what happens to the residents of Lowland Way when an elderly neighbour passes away and the house is passed through the family to Darren and Jodie Booth.

Lowland Way is a relatively posh suburban area of South London enjoying media interest for the ‘play out Sunday’ initiative the residents have devised - every weekend the cars are moved, the neighbours socialise, and the kiddies play out safely in the street. When Darren arrives, he refuses to entertain the idea and parks his collection of clapped out old cars and caravans on the street and makes it clear that he isn’t planning on moving them anytime soon. It quickly becomes obvious that Darren is running an illegal motor trading business from his new home, and along with playing loud music at unsocial hours and making huge, noisy and unsafe renovations to his inherited house, he is not making a good impression on the genteel residents of Lowland Way. He is especially hated by his next-door neighbours who suffer his loud music at all hours of the day and night through the wall they share which unfortunately borders their new baby’s nursery.

But the residents aren’t going to take this behaviour lying down. They get together to see if they can find a way to end Darren and Jodie’s reign of terror. When traditional routes such as the police and local council fail them, they start to think up more sinister ways to get rid of the unwanted couple. As a group, they’re pretty ineffective as they’re all worried about landing on the wrong side of the law - but they’re all taking matters into their own hands as well, which only causes more trouble. Before long, a tragedy occurs…from then on, the police become involved, things become completely unbearable, and then get steadily worse.

My main criticism of the book and why I gave it a 3.5 – it starts off very slowly. For me it took a bit too long setting the scene and left me waiting for something to happen. When I did get to the end I found it a bit far-fetched although I suppose it’s fair to say that desperation makes people do strange and unusual things. However, Louise Candlish is an excellent writer who keeps you engrossed in the story even when not very much is happening and I read this book quickly as I wanted to find out what became of the people of Lowland Way. The story builds nicely and the subject matter will really resonate with anyone who has had a troublesome neighbour, especially one who seems to get a huge kick out of upsetting the status quo. The character development of the various residents is done ever so subtly and the creeping, bullying menace of Darren Booth really jumps out of the pages at you.

Filled with characters you love to hate! I have inconsiderate, noisy neighbours too, so there was plenty in there that I identified with.

Louise Candlish has done it again! She takes everyone's worst nightmares and makes a compelling read. No ghosts or ghoulies here something much worse - property! Dreadful neighbours are all too real and I definitely felt for the residents of this once quiet street. Gripping realistic storyline which kept me hooked to the end and made me sigh with relief at the end that all was well in my street.

I should have liked this book more than I did. It's a razor sharp observation of the usual middle class nonsense. Maybe the neighbours were all too much of a caricature? I'm not sure. It's well written, keenly observed etc I just didn't enjoy it as much as her previous book.

I love Louise’s books. I think that’s why I had such high expectations for this one. It’s not bad by no means, I’d still give it a 4/5! But it didn’t have the same chilling impact as the end of ‘our house’ - that book still haunts me to this day! This book is all about a perfect little community that goes wrong, when the nightmare neighbours move in! I find this storyline really relatable because, your home life happiness really is all about the people who live by you! Loud music... violent threats... murder...

It had me guessing until the end!

Lowland Way is a London suburban paradise: beautiful homes, friendly neighbours, and kids can play out in the road once a week. Darren and Jodie have inherited number 1 Lowland Way and it soon becomes apparent that they don't and won't conform to the neighbourhood values. Complaints their about loud music, DIY late into the night and parking rights escalate into public rows, calls to the police and the council plus threats of violence from both sides.

Then a horrific accident shakes the residents. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone’s story is the same: Darren and Jodie caused it but the police don't agree and start looking for a culprit amongst the disgruntled residents.

Whilst it's an interesting story, dealing with the neighbour from hell, I do feel that it was told in a messy way. The story is seen from multiple points of view from those living in the street, going backwards and forwards in time from doorstep enquiries, the weeks leading up to the accident and then onwards from there. Plus there is also a police interview that only the answers are provided and not the questions which I found was a little frustrating to read.

By the time I got to the end I was left feeling confused by all the neighbours meddling in one way or another, and it became a bit a more confusing so by the time I did get to the end, I didn't care who had done what

However the final ending made me smile knowing who was going to come and live in the house after Darren and Jodie!

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

I have loved all of Louise Candlish's books that she has written and I was really excited to be accepted to review this novel.

There has been a crime on the street and when the police go knocking on the doors, everyone's story is the same.

Each chapter focuses on a particular character with many of them headed by notes from inquiries conducted by the Metropolitan Police that gives the reader little clues about what is yet to come.

This was a gripping novel and I really enjoyed it and liked the ending.