Come A Little Closer is a thriller I definitely couldn’t put down, this is another winner for Karen Perry.
I have read a previous book by Karen Perry but this one is just immense. The writing style is fantastic, you really get into the characters background and their feelings and reasons which makes this a really absorbing read. I flew through this book as I was hooked from the first page.
Anton has been released from jail, he’s just spent nineteen years there for murdering his wife but he still maintains he’s innocent, throughout this book I bounced around from believing him to not believing him, moving onto different characters and off them again. I love Anton’s relationship with Leah who lives in his basement and to watch from the outside how he slowly gets infatuated with her, leaving you thinking is he or is he not a murderer.
I’m not going to spoil the book by revealing anything but this is a book you have to read.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A slow burn thriller that didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

With thanks to Penguin. and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

The residents of Wyndman Park were enjoying their traditional summer party. However it stopped abruptly when a little boy walked out of his house dazed and covered in blood. .

Nineteen years later Leah and boyfriend Jake were offered a downstairs flat in a big house. They were told the owner of the main house kept himself to himself and they would never see him.

Anton had recently returned to his house after a long period away. When he first saw Leah, she reminded him of his wife Charlotte who had died. Lonely Anton formed a friendship with Leah. Jake instantly disliked Anton but she saw him as a father figure. After Anton tried to commit suicide, Leah revealed a dark secret she was keeping from Jake. As the weeks went by .Anton became obsessed and starred to spy on her.

The story was told from the POV of Anton, Leah and neighbour Hilary. I thought the story was slow and didn't really pick up the 60% mark. However once the events of the party were unravelled I was hooked.

Although Leah was hiding a terrible secret I thought she was boring. I thought Hilary was a more intriguing character. I felt sorry for Anton and thought his abrupt personality change towards the end of the book was unrealistic.

Leah and Jake are moving into a little basement flat. It's just what they need with one exception, Their upstairs neighbour is a newly released criminal. He murdered his wife in the house above him and now he's got his eyes on Leah. Did he murder his wife and what secrets is Leah hiding?

This wasnt as good as I'd hoped it would be. It was an interesting idea and the final twist did take me by surprise. However the reasoning seemed a bit weak to me. I found the plot slow and none of the characters really drew me in. I wanted to like Leah but I just found her okay, I wasnt concerned enough about her to truly care about her. An okay thriller but too slow for me.

What a compulsive read this was! The reveal is slow but sure, the many flawed characters are well drawn and the writing is such that I felt uncomfortable with Anton, despite his proclaimed innocence. There were definitely surprises but one reveal I did see coming, but it didn't spoil the story in the least. Well written, well paced and thoroughly enjoyed.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Karen Perry/Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Come a Little Closer is a modern psychological thriller set in Dublin.. A murder, a miscarriage of justice and adultery all combine to make this a very readable novel.

Come A Little Closer kept me guessing right up to the last chapter about what really happened in 14 Wyndham Park. The story is told from the perspectives of three characters, Leah, Hilary and Anton. The suspense builds in each chapters as past secrets and present intentions are revealed. I wasn’t sure who to believe, or who to trust through the lies, betrayal, affairs, obsessive love… and murder. People are not what they seem and I found Anton and Hilary particularly interesting as different sides of their characters were revealed. There were moments in the book when my stomach lurched with fear when Anton spoke.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a great thriller packed with twists, turns and surprises that all happen in a residential street. For me it was the closeness with ordinary lives that made it all so believable and sinister. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my personal review.

Leah and Jake have moved in to the basement of a house together. This is the start of them living together and they have rented the house from a friend of a friend. The owner of the house is "away" and has been for a long time. Shortly after they move in Anton moves back in to the house. He is a lonely odd man who is having problems adjusting to being back. Himself and Leah strike up a tentative friendship but Jake is not keen on him. This lends itself to a suspense filled story as the reader discovers where he has been, what his relationships with his family and neighbours are like and what secret Leah has in her past. Once these secrets start to come out everything changes!
I really enjoyed the book alt ough at times I was annoyed with Leah and her naiviety. The characters were complicated and I liked that.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and Karen Perry for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

A slow moving story that didn’t keep me gripped. The charters seemed to lack any sense so I felt more annoyed with them and their decisions.

I’m quite indifferent to Come A Little Closer. From the premier I thought the book sounded promising. However I found it to lack place and in some parts become quite boring and predicable.

Sorry but this wasn’t for me. Thank j you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joesph and the author for the chance to review.

An enjoyable psychological thriller with some good twists and an unexpected ending, however I didn't feel some of the characters - Mark, Jake and Greg - were as well written as others.
Thank you to netgalley and Michael Joseph for an advance copy of this book.

I was given a copy of Come A Little Closer by Karen Perry in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book I have read by Karen Perry. Leah moves into the basement flat with her boyfriend Jake, she has her own secrets. Anton lives in the upstairs house, he has recently been released from prison after being jailed for killing his wife, murdered he denies he did. The two soon befriend each other but they both have their own secrets. This is a well paced psychological thriller, a fantastic read.

I enjoy Karen Perry's stories and this one did not disappoint. A good read from beginning to end, I found the plot gripping and it kept me guessing to the end. One to recommend.

A chilling suspense novel with some well-crafted twists

Leah has just moved into a basement flat in Wyndham Park with her boyfriend Jake. As he busies himself with work and spending time with his young son Matthew who he shares with his ex-wife, Leah begins to feel lonely and she finds herself reaching out and befriending her upstairs neighbour, Anton. He has recently moved back to the street after nineteen years away and is a kind and sympathetic ear for Leah to share her problems with. However, it is not long before she discovers the reason behind his absence – he was convicted of murdering his wife Charlotte, a young woman who when alive looked a lot like Leah. Whilst Anton always swore his innocence, many on the street are hostile and cold towards him, including Jake when he eventually finds out the truth. Leah can’t believe that such a gentleman would be capable of such violence and maintains their friendship in secret. But does she really know Anton and what he might be capable of?

This was an entertaining and chilling psychological thriller, which builds up the tension in a gripping way and gradually reveals pieces of the puzzle throughout until all becomes clear at the end. The story is told from three perspectives – Leah, Anton and Helen, another resident on the street – and from their viewpoints, we build up a picture of what happened to Charlotte all those years ago and also gain insight to some of the characters’ pasts and the other secrets they carry. There were quite a few unexpected twists, with the author teasing the reader with snippets of information about the characters (such as Leah’s traumatising backstory) in a way that kept you turning the pages.

Whilst none of the characters were stand-out original, the author does an excellent job of portraying Anton and making him seem sympathetic one minute and creepy the next so that you’re never sure whether he can be trusted or not. The writing is quite atmospheric, and some passages really capture Leah’s feelings of tension and claustrophobia from living in a place where such unspeakable violence happened.

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of this book was hampered slightly by the fact that I found Leah a little bit wet and annoying as a character, and Jake was also quite unsympathetic and at times seemed to not even like Leah at all. Some aspects of the story also felt a bit silly and unrealistic (namely the Helen subplot) and the personalities of the characters seemed a little bit half-formed at times, with their behaviour varying wildly in different situations to the point where you weren’t really sure what to make of them. This may have been partly intentional, but other than for Anton where it worked well, it felt a little sloppy.

In conclusion, whilst not hugely shocking or original, this was an enjoyable and unpredictable thriller which keeps the reader turning pages. I would recommend it to fans of this genre and would be interested in reading more stories by this author.

Daenerys

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of this book to review.

I enjoyed this book was a nice read ... took me a while to finish as I kept having to start again ... as other things got in the way ...

The story was good but not the best I have read ... but still worth finishing thank you once again net galley

Nope ... not for me ... hard to feel anything for any of the characters and hard to get into - sorry but I found it pretty boring and I can't bring myself to recommend it although there are plenty of very positive and 4 and 5 star reviews out there so obviously it appeals to others so don't take my word for it ... try it for yourself.

Thank you to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you for the advance copy of this book.

Young couple Jake and Leah finally find a basement flat to live in at after several months of searching. Although a little run down and unoccupied for a while, they decide to take the plunge with the property. .

What the couple don’t know, is that there is a man who lives in the house upstairs (who owns the whole property). This man is Anton, who has been in prison for the last 19 years convicted of killing his wife Charlotte. Anton still maintains his innocence but very few believe him.

With Jake out of the flat and working a lot, Leah often finds herself alone and bored and she soon befriends Anton, who is also craving company since his release.

This is where the book really starts and you find yourself willing Leah to be careful!

It’s a good read, if slightly predictable in areas. Would recommend

This book had such promise but unfortunately for me I found it turgid and was actually quite bored for great parts of it. I struggled to finish it and actually the ending did surprise me, which gain this book an extra star. I didn’t like any of the characters which also makes it difficult to really enjoy a book. Sorry but this one wasn’t for me, but others may like it’s more slower pace.

Leah and Jake move in together. The owner of the flat lives in the house above them. Is there a reason why the flat is cheap. As the truth behind their landlord comes out so the relationship between Jake and Leah is tested. Leah has her own secrets. Fast paced and plenty of twists and turns would recommend.

An intriguing story with characters and their demons, Leah and jake move into a basement flat not knowing the man above has recently been released from prison....it was compelling and had good twists and turns...a decent read but not my top pile! Thanks