Once, many moons ago, I lived next door to a horrid man. I was only young at the time and for some reason he took a dislike to me; obviously because he was horrible rather than something I’d done! So I had huge sympathy for the residents of Lowland Way when Darren and Jodie moved in and spoilt the idyll, in fact at times I felt perhaps too emotionally invested in it. It’s this empathetic connection that makes Those People such a good read.

Darren and Jodie aren’t likeable characters at all, determined as they are to alienate themselves from their immediate neighbours surrounding their house. But it’s not what they do that keeps you reading, it’s the effects their actions have on everybody else that’s the draw. The perfection of Lowland Way and its Play Out Sundays, to the marriages and businesses that Darren and Jodie manage to slowly but steadily destroy. Who doesn’t silently pray for good neighbours when houses in our own localities go up for sale? It’s all too easy to imagine how possible it would be for a new occupant to be as vile and disturbing as they are.

The story is a slow unravelling rather than a fast-paced thriller, but it doesn’t suffer for that at all; in fact I’m not convinced it would work any other way. It begins with the present and then skips back in time so we get a definite sense of the destruction caused, as well as the question of who it was that committed the crime. To be honest there were that many suspects it was hard to choose.

I enjoyed the book and my mind is already pinning this as a perfect summer holiday read, though perhaps don’t pack it if you’re not on the best terms with those on your street.

Those People
Author: Louise Candlish
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published 27/6/19
4.5 out of 5

I loved this book. Louise Candlish puts ordinary people in extraordinary events and weaves a story which is both compelling and believable. 

Anti-social  behaviour is something we can all be concerned about. But how far would we go to put an end to it? I didn’t see the main twists coming and found the conclusion very satisfying. 
Highly recommended. 

I would like to thank the author, publisher and netgalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Could not out this book down, read it all in an afternoon! Brilliant book, full of surprise twists that you just will not see coming!

I found this book a little hard to get through in a timely manner. There were so many characters, none extensively developed, so I had a difficult time during the first half of the book remembering who was who and what the relationships were between the characters. I also felt like the overall vibe of the book was so negative; I would have liked to see some relationships built or some bonds formed between the characters as they united against a common enemy.

While this book was not for me, I hope it finds its way into the hands of the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this one - Those People is a great insight into troublesome neighbours, as well as the snobbery some people are prone to exhibiting. As someone who lives on a similar estate to Lowland Way, though further out of London, and someone who has less than ideal neighbours who have seventy work vehicles and like slamming doors and stumbling home drunk at all hours of the night, Those People is a very honest account of what it can be like having to deal with difficult neighbours, which could, perhaps, drive one mad. 

But how many people have been priced out of places like Lowland Way? How many affordable houses have been ripped down to make way for multi-million pound properties, or to remove "an eyesore" for those paying an extortionate price for their luxury accommodation? Those People is also an interesting insight into the class wars of Britain, where in some estates those from different backgrounds are having to live side by side. Almost 2 years after the tragedy of Grenfell, are we still so divided? The have-nots and the have-a-little-bit-mores?

All the characters are interesting and fallible, in a variety of ways, and reading multiple points of view makes the story even more engaging. A twisty, enticing whodunit.

I loved Louise Candlish previous books but I wasn't sure about this one. It was an interesting concept but I felt the plot didn't go anywhere. I also didn't engage with any of the characters. This wasn't because they were unlikeable but because there were so many that I wasn't that interested in what happened to them - my attention was spread too thin. This might just be my personal preference though. My main issue was that the plot was too thin and didn't develop enough.

When Darren and Jodie move into Lowland Way they immediately disturb the middle class status quo with their loud rock music, party lifestyle and ad hoc building work. When tragedy strikes, the novel investigates who is responsible.

There's some interesting commentary on class warfare and judgement but it doesn't really develop enough. It reminded me a bit of Nick Hornby's How To Be Good and how we think we're better than other people.

This is the second book I read from Candlish, and I enjoyed this book more than Our House for sure.

I think the book was really addictive, I wanted to know the end from the beginning. The writing was engaging and smooth, perfect pace and length. Neighbour relationships are always intriguing and such a real aspect of our lives, that's why I found the plot even more interesting. 
I recommend this book to anyone who's after an addictive and fun thriller. 
Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is set on a suburban London street - it is so terribly middle class - with 'play out Sunday' organised by some of the parents, and some typical alpha female mothers.  I have to say it reminded me quite a lot of our village (mentioning no names).  When we moved into our house almost 14 years ago there had been upset about them being built, and we were known as one of 'those people' in one of 'those houses' for quite a while!! 

Back to the book!

Some new neighbours move in - who the existing residents immediately look down their nose at - and there are issues with parking and noise and dog poo (honestly, it could be our village Facebook page.......)

But then disaster strikes (no spoilers here, although it wasn't what I expected) and the road becomes infamous.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a different resident of the street - and it's interesting to see how their stories all interlink - and the relationships, publicly and behind closed doors, being revealed.

I have to say that I didn't really take to any of the characters - but that didn't detract from the book at all - I was really keen to find out what was going on and read through it quickly to keep the pace.

The twists and turns are great - and you're never quite sure who you should be siding with.

I also liked the use of modern communication methods - the residents Whatsapp group (all our neighbours in 'those houses' have iphones, so we have an imessage group!) and the Facebook pages for the various local community groups. It just felt very true to life in 2019. 

Whilst there wasn't a final shocking sentence, as there most definitely was in Our House, the last chapter does leave you wondering what would happen next!! 

I would definitely recommend this when it comes out in June.

Those People is a tale of a neighbourhood shattered by an incoming resident who doesn’t quite live up to the quiet, respectable residents. They quickly take offence at the new couples rowdy lifestyle, loud music, and especially the used car lot which suddenly springs up on their doorstep. 

The nearby residents themselves all have reason to complain and want rid. A couple with a six month old baby. An older lady who runs a little B&B. A family who class themselves as pioneers who set up a Play Out Sunday scheme for car-less children’s street play. Their sister in law next door who believe the new neighbour killed a cygnet left on their pathway. 

Frustrations run high. Deeds are done. But who did what?

Those People rolls along at a leisurely but interesting pace, switching from neighbour to neighbour on the run up to the event, and continuing afterwards as secrets unfold. I found it a little underwhelming with surprises, but a gentle kind of whodunnit. The ending however was sudden and unexpected, and not in a good way. I’m not keen on books which don’t really end, and leave the reader dangling a little!  

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in respect of this unbiased review.

This book just pulled me in with its story. It gave me nightmares just to imagine how the neighborhood would be if the newly moved couple were difficult to deal with. The peace was shattered.

The book was cleverly written by author Louise Candlish, and there were twists galore, things were not as it appeared. The writing was so smooth that the chapters just rushed by. The reveals had me holding my breath...

A brilliant book. I loved it

Louise Candlish is an author I will always look out for especially after reading ‘Our House’.

The one thing I love is that her story lines include graphic detail about the people involved and their interrelationships and this one is exceptional in that.  There will be at least one character in this that we can all relate to as being in our neighbourhood, whether it is the ‘snobbish’ attitude of some or the total disregard of the customs built in making the area friendly and welcoming.

So, Jodie and Darren move into Lowland Way and immediately show how hellish neighbours can be to what was a quiet suburban street, which allowed children to play on the road on Sundays by moving all the cars off the road.

The chapters were written from the viewpoint of different neighbours and when a serious accident happens all of them are suspects, to their dismay as they believe there is only one person guilty.

Numerous twists and turns kept me guessing and I grew to dislike a few of the characters that I thought were victims.

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster UK Fiction and Louise Candlish for my ARC in return for my honest review.

Great Read. Recommended.

This book is written in a very clever way from the start to keep you reading to get into the story to find out what happens. It is quite thought provoking for those of us who have difficult neighbours and the interactions that take place when faced with this situation. I have enjoyed this book and will be recommending to friends. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read.

Those People centres around Lowland Way, a fairly exclusive residential street in suburban London, where everybody knows each other, looks out for each other and there’s a great sense of community. Until Darren and his girlfriend, Jodie, move in that is. 

This couple are never going to fit in, what with their endless house renovations, loud music and Darren’s used car business which he runs from the front of the house. Soon everybody is plotting ways to get them out of Lowland Way. 

On the face of it the long time residents of Lowland Way are fine upstanding law-abiding citizens while Darren and Jodie are the misfit neighbours from hell, but as we get to know the other residents we discover many of them have secrets that they’d prefer to keep that way. 

A riveting twisty read guaranteed to keep you turning the pages till late at night.

Nothing better than a book you have been eagerly anticipating and which does not disappoint in any way. One of the (many) things I love about Louise Candlish's books is the way that they are set among us all. Ordinary homes, ordinary streets, ordinary families...but extraordinary events which keep you turning the pages until the very last. Those People could have been any of our neighbours. More than once I found myself nodding as memories of less convivial neighbours of my own were triggered. Far more than once I decided that if I ever move house again then it needs to be a detached property in the middle of nowhere. Unsettling, fascinating and a really great read.

Candlish has a knack for taking those mundane, ordinary daily irritations of suburbia and lighting a match underneath. Once again she does it again with Those People, where familiar neighbourly disputes are placed on a cooker. They slowly simmer in the first half and bubble up in the second half to surprising reveals and twists. 
Thanks Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed Candlish’s previous novels so always eagerly anticipate her new books and Those People doesn’t disappoint. This is set on Lowland Way Road. The narrative alternates with testimonies of the residents of Lowland Way, dripping in suspense, and then rewinds weeks back to the start when Darren Booth and his partner moved into House 1. It began with parking monstrous cars taking up half the space, loud music blaring in the middle of the night, and noisy DIY beyond the permitted time creating a mess of dust and rubble on the street. This novel is narrated in close-person following Booth’s neighbours who are directly affected by Booth:
* Ralph and Naomi, the scrubed up affluent middle-class couple with their double-gazed windows, two kids and dogs, slightly vain and pragmatic.
* Finn and Tess. Finn is Ralph’s brother and lives next door to his brother with his wife and children. They’re shadowed under Ralph and Naomi, with secrets of their own. 
* Ant and Em. The young couple, whose house is attached to Booth’s. They’ve just had their first baby, several months old, and what should’ve been an exciting, joyful time is turned into a waking nightmare. The thunderous music that vibrates through the walls and shakes the floor affects their baby’s sleep, as well as their own, taking a psychological toll and this couple’s marriage suffers the most. My heart went to these the most following Sissy.
* Sissy is a 60-Something divorced woman who’s making the most of her empty house by converting it into a b&b. However following the Booths’ arrival her business starts to suffer. As tensions increase something irrevocable occurs...
My favourite aspect of this novel was the cast ensemble and their nuanced relationships with each other. Each character is well sketched and so vivid I felt like if I passed them in the street I’d recognise them in a heartbeat. The second thing I loved that Candlish excels at is creating good settings and Lowland Way really leaps off the page. My only pet peeve was the ending. I personally felt the threads weren’t tied up and would’ve preferred an ending with better closure. It wasn’t clear to me what had happened. However that didn’t deter from this complex and layered read. Some readers have found this slow-paced, but personally I couldn’t put this book down. This isn’t a serial killer or a dark read, rather this is one where characters are people you’re likely to know and drama comes from daily scenes, except tension and stakes is raised here, so adjust your expectations accordingly. For me this was 4.5/5

I was really looking forward to this - the blurb was compelling and I have enjoyed the author’s other work - but it just didn’t seem to mesh properly for me. I wasn’t gripped (or even slightly bothered about finishing) - not one for me sadly, but I recommend the author’s previous books.

A 'Whodunnit' with a great premise that didn't quite live up the blurb on the back. Perhaps I was tired whilst reading it but I struggled to stay focused and noticed that I was being pulled to skip elements. I think that there were perhaps too many characters and at times it was hard to distinguish between them all. It does pick up around halfway through the book but perhaps not enough for this to be a book I would re-read.

"Lowland Way is the suburban dream. The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends.

But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn't take long for an all-out war to start brewing.

Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying--and everyone has something to hide."

I have complete mixed feelings about this book.. I really love Candlish's writing style and have loved her other books, the characters are believable, the pace of the story is just right, relationships develop well - but I found the ending of Those People a little flat. It made me slightly disappointed BUT it doesn't take away the fact that all of the above positives still happen in the book! I am looking forward to any other books by this author and i would still recommend this to anyone who loves a mystery. A worthy 4 star read.

Louise Candlish is fast becoming a favourite author. She is incredibly visual and descriptive of her characters and their surroundings.  Those People is a dark slow burner of a novel,  the characters were realistic and mostly unlikeable.but I was eager to know what was going on and what would happen next.

Thorougly enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading more by this author.

Louise Candlish seems to be rather specialising currently in property-based dramas. Our House dealt with a situation whereby a house was sold without the owner’s knowledge; Those People describes a neighbours-from-hell scenario, whereby the comfortable middle-class residents of Lowland Gardens find themselves terrorised by a new neighbour who is emphatically Not One of Us. 

Snobbery aside, Darren Booth and his partner Jodie are objectively awful, playing heavy metal at deafening volumes in the middle of the night, turning the street into a parking lot for Darren’s used car business, and aiming kicks at the neighbours’ dogs. Still, it’s hard to avoid concluding that for the other residents, “they’re just not people like us”. It’s perhaps most clearly demonstrated through the character of Ralph, who, having once been on the other side of the People Like Us divide himself, is determined to hang on to his hard won middle-class smugness.

Worst affected, though, are immediate neighbours Em and Ant and their baby Sam, suffering horribly from the non-stop noise; and Sissy over the road, whose B&B business - and her livelihood - is collapsing thanks to Darren’s effect on the neighbourhood.

With the police and the council of little help, how far will the residents go to restore peace (and house prices) on their street?

Those People was an excellent read which I really enjoyed.