My thanks to Simon and Schuster U.K. for an eARC via NetGalley of Louise Candlish’s latest domestic noir, ‘Those People’ in exchange for an honest review.

Lowland Way in South London is a suburban paradise: lovely homes and friendly neighbours. They have even worked together to establish a weekly event Play Out Sunday to allow local children to play in the street without fear of traffic.

However, when the occupant of No 1 Lowland Way dies, the house is inherited by her nephew, Darren Booth. He moves in with his partner, Jodie, along with a number of manky cars including a white van. Yes, a white van man has moved into their paradise! From first contact there is friction with the existing residents and it swiftly escalates into war.

As always with these kind of novels I will avoid saying too much about the plot. Still the premise of new people perceived as unsuitable moving into an established community provides plenty of scope for tension. Certainly stress about the availability of on-street parking is something that I am sure will strike a chord with some of readers.

Each chapter focuses on a particular character with many of them headed by notes from inquiries conducted by the Metropolitan Police that teases the reader about events to come.

None of the characters were particularly likeable (apart from Tuppy, the golden retriever, and the local swans). Still rolling my eyes at everyone being rather awful was part of the fun.

While not a hundred percent my cup of tea, I would expect it to be very popular. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Yay!!! Louise Candlish is back with a stunning and unpredictable new novel. I have been waiting for her new book since I finished reading Our House and I wasn’t disappointed. My nose was stuck in this novel for two straight days and I couldn’t put it down.

I love how each chapter is introduced by one of the characters being interviewed by the police for something that happened in the neighbour’s house (in true Big Little Lies fashion). What do we discover from these interviews? We know that the people in Lowland Way have been complaining about their new neighbours for months. We know that a terrific accident happened. We know that someone got hurt. Who did get hurt? Who is responsible for the accident? And how did things go so badly? To find out, the author takes us back to the beginning, when Lowland Way was a beautiful quiet neighbourhood where the street was closed off on Sunday so children could play freely and safely outside, where the people living there are not just neighbours but also friends, where everyone is happy without a care in the world. Until Darren and Jodie move there. From then on there is loud music, house working, and old cars parked in the street at every hour of the day and the night. As the residents try to find a solution to their problem, their secrets come to light and it seems that Lowland Way is not as idyllic as we thought…

Louise Candlish created a cast of characters that are completely unlikable. They are selfish, arrogant, and self-entitled, and just a few of them got my sympathy. A closed community of well-off families made of well-behaved wives and husbands with high-flying jobs: these characters kept me glued to the pages because I wanted to see how far they would go to protect their lifestyles and they didn’t disappoint. The story is told from different points of views and, as I read their sides of the story, they all seemed guilty of something.

THOSE PEOPLE is a carefully-plotted novel full of twists and with a surprising ending that shocked me and made me laugh at the same time (you will really need to read it to see the irony of the brilliant ending of the novel). Highly recommended!!!

A huge thank you to Simon and Schuster UK and NetGalley for providing me with a proof of the novel.

I loved reading Candlish's last title Our House earlier this year so was delighted to see there was another book on the horizon for release! There is a lot about the titles that are kind of similar, in particular as they are based in residential settings. The premise of this story was pretty straight forward and it included a lot of interesting characters, however, I found it really difficult to stick with the book whilst I was reading it. There were only two dramatic things that happened so everything in-between that was kind of lost with me. It very much sits in the crime genre and had a great writing style but I was hoping for more!

Wow, Louise Candlish is back with a bang! Those People follows the story of a utopian neighbourhood which rapidly descends into a dystopian nightmare due to selfish, badly behaved couple Darren and Jodie moving into the street. Before Lowland Way was apparently a quiet, respectful and friendly place to live but now people are living in fear after some explosive bust-ups. If the residents of the street thought the arguments and vile threats were bad then just wait until a cataclysmic incident takes place which will change everyone forever. So are the new residents, Darren and Jodie, the problem or does the street look down on them viewing them as inferior leading to them being ostracised?

This is a refreshingly original domestic thriller with a cast of intensely unlikeable characters; characters you will love to hate. Right from the get-go you are pulled into the story and held hostage by the superb writing which flows well page-to-page. It's beautifully plotted and the incident about halfway through the book had my jaw on the floor — something that rarely happens these days. You can always rely on Ms Candlish to provide a quality tale of suburban noir. It certainly shows the very worst humankind has to offer, and although we know many of this bullying nastiness goes on to read about it through fictional characters still has the power to shock. A truly gripping page-turner. Many thanks to Simon & Schuster UK Fiction.

I have read other Louise Cavendish books so was delighted when my wish was granted, and I was approved for These People.

The title says it all. Those People are Darren and Jodie who move into a suburban paradise. The street has Play Days, and people can park their cars in front of their houses. Privileged people who are most disgruntled when Darren and Jodie move in and start to lower the tone of the neighbourhood.

Not to mention what the Darren’s car business is doing to the property prices.

The novel starts in the middle. Something has happened to Darren and his neighbours are closing ranks.

I found this novel quite a funny one to read. The nasty ones in the novel are not Darren and Jodie, who whilst being inconsiderate with their loud music and parties, did not go out initially to be nasty. What goes on is like some Soap Opera drama, but at the end of it I really felt bad for Darren and Jodie, who turned out not to be the horrible people living in the street.

Its hard to do this review without issuing spoilers. For me, the incident half way through the book was unexpected with a complete OMG open mouth. But the outcome of this came to soon, and I found the novel lost its way after that. I was left at the end slightly unsatisfied that most of the self-entitled will go back to their on street parking and Sunday playdays,

Thanks for letting me read an advance copy of this book. I really enjoyed Louise Candlish's last book and this one was also a good read. More complex that you realise.

"Those People" by Louise Candlish is a wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable tale of suburban noir.

I really loved this book. The plot was well-written and brilliantly executed and the author's masterful structuring helped to make sure that I got to know all of the different characters really well, thus making it easier to remember who was who. In fact, I had no trouble at all keeping all of the people straight in my mind. Most of them though were not particularly likeable! This, however, was a necessary part of the story and I am sure it was intended. I found that whenever I started to bond with one just a little, I was then made aware of just how truly nasty and horrible some of the residents were.

Regardless, the overarching feeling I had while reading "Those People" was not its nastiness, but that it was such an engrossing and thrilling read. I was always happy to pick it up, eagerly anticipating what was going to happen next.

This was an extremely worthwhile read and I really need to pick up a book from Louise Candlish's extensive backlist.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Simon & Schuster UK via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate to threats of violence. Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it.
But there's a problem. The police don't agree. The door they're knocking on next is yours.

What a sensational, thrilling and exhilarating read this is! I adored this for its ordinariness, this plot could happen to anyone, well maybe some of the plot threads are a bit far-fetched, but the basic plot line could happen to anyone. For me, that is what brings the intensity and creepiness to the plot, it is so easy to envisage this scenario happening and therefore we can place it in the real world and experience what the characters must be going through.

I would say the plot is fairly simple, we have a street, we know something terrible is going to happen and we know one of them has to be responsible. All fairly straight-forward and Candlish definitely proves that keeping things simple can work extraordinarily well. There are twists in this and I was pleasantly surprised to say they do not come where I would have expected them too, therefore I found them all the more surprising and one in particular really turns the plot on its head.

The plot is realistic but so are the characters. Again, they are just ordinary people that are easy to imagine in the real world. We have people from all walks of life in this book and they all bring something to the plot. They all have secrets and of course, some are more likeable than others but they are such fabulous characters to follow. I adored seeing them in this plot and I thought all of them only worked together to ensure the plot works even more than it does on more.

'Those People' is an intense, electrifying read that could easily happen to you or I. This works spectacularly well, creating an atmosphere of mistrust and leading you to question, can you really trust who you live next door to?

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK for an advance copy.

After reading this book all I can say is ‘thank goodness I have lovely neighbours !!’

Lowland Way is a lovely neighbourhood with equally lovely residents. They all get on and every Sunday they close the road so all the children can play in the street, without the worry of cars around. But then Darren and Jodie move in. These two couldn’t be more different from the other residents. They don’t care about the noise they make, the mess they make, and to top it off Darren starts running a car business from his property which involves numerous vehicles being parked at the property as well as on the street.

How much can the neighbours tolerate from the newcomers before tempers get the better of them ? Is it really enough for one of the neighbours to resort to murder ?

This is a great book with plenty of mystery that will keep you turning the pages to find out what happened and who was involved. There are also a couple of characters that you will just be grateful don’t live near you !! There are lots of twists and turns to keep you hooked right until the very last page. I look forward to reading more from Louise Candlish in the future.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Not quite sure what to make of this book. It was all about a bunch of entitled people with their first-world problems, whose lives were suddenly turned upside down by an unpleasant neighbour who seemed hell bent on taking them down a notch or two. Even though Darren Booth was an awful neighbour by all accounts, it was difficult not to cheer for him at times. Oh, and I did love one particular aspect of the ending <spoiler>that is, knowing who was going to come and live in the house after Darren and Jodie</spoiler>.
Pacing-wise, it took a very long time for anything to happen (40 per cent in when the incident happened), and there were times that it dragged, but overall it wasn't a bad read. I loved Louise Candlish's Our House, and didn't think Those People quite lived up to it.
(Review copy from NetGalley)

I've most this authors books and I really enjoyed the characters through out, I found it a bit slow to start with but once the tess and all the characters started to take shape I couldn't put it down.

The blurb sounded good but the book was disappointing. I kept on reading waiting for something to happen. It lacked pace and did not hold my attention. The main characters were just so darn right unbelievable and unlikable. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more. Just not for me.
I would like to thank the author, Simon and Schuster UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for giving an honest review.

3.5 stars, rounded down.
This is car-crash story telling at its best. All the way through I had the feeling of being a lookie-loo into the devastation a new neighbour can cause when they rock the boat in an apparently tight neighbourhood. I've had a bit of a struggle with neighbours myself so some of what I was reading was a little close to home, but (fingers crossed) I've not experienced anything in the league of what I read here. I also live in an area of tricky parking so I resonated with that part of things a little too much. Suffice to say I was a little uncomfortable during my reading of this book but this has not influenced my overall review/rating as I am aware that this is my stuff to deal with and no fault of the author. Indeed, the connections I made probably made the book better overall for me as it gave it a realistic feeling throughout.
So, Lowland Way is a wonderful place to live. The neighbours all get on and have striven together to make this a happy, safe pace for them and their families. And then Darren and Jodie move in. Along with multiple cars, appearing to run their used-car business from their residence. And then there's the noise - music blaring at all hours - not to mention all the renovation work they are undertaking. Even worse, they refuse to participate in the Sunday play-out scheme that the neighbourhood is so proud of. Things come to a head early one morning when there's an accident which sadly causes a death. The story is then told in the format of witness statements, followed by some appropriate narrative, until the whole sorry mess is revealed, with more than a few shocks and home truths delivered.
This book takes a bit to really get going. This is probably due to the way that the story is told with the witness statement delivery. I am not sure I really liked this initially but, once I got over that and went with the flow, it did start to come together for me better.
Characterisation was, for me, a strength. I do love a book where the characters are so much more than appear at face value. Here, we have this in spades! Every single character either has something to hide or has so many faces I'm not sure they themselves can even work out who they really are! I'm not sure I really liked any of them - I definitely liked aspects of most, but no one really springs to mind as someone I would actually be friendly with myself. But then again, I did meet all of them at their very worst, when tempers had been tested over the limit and their lives had already started to crumble. Cracks started to form in relationships and true colours inevitably came out.
The whole idea behind this book was brilliant but I do feel that it did lack something in its execution. I'm not an editor so I can't put my finger on what but, for me anyway, it failed to fully engage me as a reader and it was a bit of a struggle to get to the end as it never really captured my attention fully. To be honest, and I have to be, by the time we did get to the end, I didn't much care who had done it. Consequently, and also probably due to the nature of the ending, it didn't leave me as satisfied as I would have liked to make this a good read.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I found Those People an easy but disappointing read. I kept waiting for something to happen but the storyline just fell flat. I enjoyed the format of the different characters ' points of view but they were all such unlikable people who didn't evolve throughout the story that I didn't care what happened to any of them. A let down.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I really wanted to like Those People but found it lacked pace and didn’t really hold my attention. I couldn’t really gel with any of the characters and although I did finish the book, I didn’t particularly enjoy it. Sorry but this book wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster and the author for the chance to review.

The house next door to me is currently unoccupied so from the start I was picturing Darren and Jodie as my new neighbours and thinking what a nightmare that would be. They truly made the worst of my current neighbours seem rather saintly. Of course as the book progressed and we scratched off the surface of the ‘perfect’ neighbours of Lowland Way I definitely had cause to rethink my early opinions. The characters were really well written and I recognised the traits of a few folk I know.

I really enjoyed this book. Set on an affluent middle class road of beautiful houses with friendly neighbours. Children playing on the road as the parents socialise. All this serenity comes to an end when neighbours from hell move in. You can feel the trauma of the residents as things escalate. House prices drop, the B+B empties and marriages are on the rocks. Throw in a death and all kicks off. Lots of suspects and a gripping ending.

I’m a big fan and have loved the last few books that Louise has written but this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I do love the way she takes difficult characters that we dislike and builds her storyline around them but this time it just felt a bit flat and without the payoff of Our House. Disappointed.

The premise of the book was interesting and it was an easy read, but I kept waiting for the twist to happen and was overall disappointed.

Louise Candlish never fails to deliver a great read. I loved this book. The characters were believable as was the storyline.
It certainly made me think about how I would deal with bad neighbours, would I go to such extremes. probably not, but then I am not being driven crazy by noise ad being kept up half the night.
This is an excellent story, written well and the situation is one that many people deal with on a daily basis.

The reactions and the actions of the characters are realistic, the underlying currents of doubt, hatred and ties to family and friendship run through the story which enhances the story's main theme.

The ending is surprising, not exactly fair but surprising all the same.

Great summer read and I thoroughly recommend this book.