Jake and Leah have finally found a basement flat which they can afford via Mark, a work contact of Jake. Shortly after they moved in find why the rent was so affordable – Mark’s father, Anton, who lives upstairs has just been released from prison after serving 19 years for the murder of Mark’s mother.

Leah befriends Anton and finds it hard to believe that he murdered his wife. Anton. Jake is somewhat more cautious, not least as his young son, Matthew, from a previous relationship comes to stay often.

Life gets more and more difficult for the neighbourhood as Anton’s presence back in the street does not go down well with some. Hilary and Greg lived in the basement flat in the months leading up to the murder and now still live down the street. We find out more about their relationship with Anton and his wife and that all wasn’t entirely well in plenty of relationships leading up to the murder.

This is a well-written book with a lot of suspense which kept me wanting to read it.

With thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Honestly, there wasn’t much that I liked about this book. This would have been a 1 star rating, but I was a little surprised by the ending. I found this book really slow going and uneventful and had no motivation to pick it up. A lot more action is needed in this one. I didn’t connect to any of the characters and found most of them quite annoying. This is the first book I’ve read by Karen Perry and unfortunately I wasn’t impressed. Due to my rule of always trying two books by an author before deciding if I like them or not, I will be reading another book by Perry, but this one has really put me off.

A young woman called Leah and her relatively new boyfriend, whose name I literally couldn’t remember from one page to the next (it’s Jake, apparently), move into a basement flat in the house of an older man named Anton. He’s been away for a while. Quite a while, actually. But now he’s back, causing an apparent stir in the neighbourhood, and taking quite an interest in Leah... who has, of course, past secrets of her own.

Come a Little Closer is a very well written and constructed story which I really enjoyed, even if I never quite found it “unputdownable”. I’ve read a few Karen Perry books now and if you like well written psychological drama (I’d hesitate to call it a thriller), they’re definitely worth your time.

Leah is in love. It should be the happiest summer of her life, but she can't help feeling lonely with Jake's attention divided between her, his ex-wife and his young son. As insomnia sets in, the walls of their new basement flat feel as if they're closing in around her.

Until she meets her upstairs neighbour, Anton, who has recently moved back in after a long absence from the street. He's a sympathetic ear when Jake can't be, and even though others on the street seem strangely hostile towards him, Leah soon comes to rely on Anton and their secret conversations in the night.

Leah has no idea that nineteen years before, Anton was convicted of killing his wife. A wife who looked a little bit like Leah. He has always said he didn't do it. Is Leah his redemption? Or is she befriending a killer intent on luring her closer and closer.

Come A Little Closer by Karen Perry is a psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. The story was dark and chilling and I didn't know what was going to happen next. It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages. A brilliant binge-read thriller with a real roller coaster of an ending.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK for an Advance copy in return for a fair and honest review

If you want a book that will send shivers down your spine then this is one you should pick up. The story builds up to reach a breathtaking level which left me trying to grab every available minute to read more.

The story is narrated from the three main characters in the book with flashbacks from the past weaving extra dimension to the present day story.

Leah and her boyfriend Jake are delighted to find a cheap basement flat in a beautiful area. Jake has a 7 year old son and is struggling to spend time with him. Leah finds the time he spends with his son difficult especially as their relationship is new.. Leah is struggling herself with a secret from her past that she knows she must share if they want a future together. But when is the best time to tell.?

Anton is the owner of the house they rent the flat from. He has just been released from prison after served 19 years for the murder of his wife Charlotte. Anton strongly protests his innocence and finds a friendship with Leah who reminds him of his late wife. Anton is estranged from his two children and is struggling with coming back to the real world and the loneliness he has felt since has been released from prison.

Hilary is married to Greg and is one of Anton neighbours. They both share a secret which could implode and change their lives forever. Hilary is obsessed by Anton and has visited and wrote to him throughout his prison term.

The burning question throughout this book is who killed Charlotte.? Is Anton innocent or is he a dangerous killer? As the plot progressed my suspicions were swinging like a pendulum!, The final twist in the plot was fantastic!, No one knows what goes on behind closed doors and this was resounding explored throughout.

Thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my chance to read this twisty page turner.

Another great psychological thriller from Karen Perry which may or may not have a twist at the end . The book starts with a young blood covered boy crashing into a party on the crescent with the words somebody help me . Fast forward several years and Leah and Jake a young couple rent the basement flat of the house that he appeared from .
The flat is rented cheaply to them by Mark the son of the owner and an acquaintance of Jake . Leah has trouble settling in as Jake is often off seeing his son and ex partner and she feels out of place in that particular bit of London . Anton, the owner ,returned after an absence of nineteen years still protesting his innocence of the charge against him . The neighbours are not welcoming with the exception of Hilary ,an old lover ,who still appears to hold a flame for him . Both Leah and Anton have secrets in their past that they are trying to keep hidden ,something that ,together with their loneliness, will draw them together . The book is told in the third person from the point of view of three characters Anton Leah and Hilary. Creepy and tense with various twists and turns this is a great psychological read.

This is a good read. The story is a slow burner and the pieces gradually come together. I had guessed the ending but that did not spoil my enjoyment of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

I’d like to thank Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Come A Little Closer’ by Karen Perry in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Leah and her boyfriend Jake move into the basement flat of 14 Wyndham Park East and despite eggs being thrown at the house and bags of dog mess left on the path, they don’t realise that the person who owns and resides in the rest of the house is Anton who’s just been released from prison after 19 years for the murder of his wife Charlotte. Leah makes friends with Anton and they meet in the garden at night when Jake is out, but Anton is attracted to her and although he says he wasn’t guilty of the offence he was imprisoned for, is Leah safe with him?

From the description of this book I thought it was going to be an exciting psychological thriller but I found it very slow and tedious, somewhat hard to get into. It had an interesting storyline but I didn’t much like the characters and it didn’t have the buzz that I’d expect to catch my imagination. I haven’t read anything else by Karen Perry so I’ll give another of her books a try but I’m afraid ‘Come A Little Closer’ wasn’t the sort of book I can get enthusiastic about.

A gripping story from start to finish. Brilliantly written with plenty of suspense. Keeps you guessing all the way till the end. A must for fans of Karen Perry and those who love titles such as Gone Girl.

The best way I can describe this book is 'an enjoyable easy read'. Personally I think it has been marketed in the wrong category, definitely doesn't feel like a physiological thriller.

Very slow going and I didnt get that usual excitement from this genre. I was just left feeling disappointed in all honesty.

Thank you to netgalley and Penguin UK for the ARC

I found this book to be a very slow story. Even though I did guess the ending but I still thought it was an OK read

A plot of few characters. Anton, Mark, Leah, Jake, Hilary and Greg. And not one of them to root for. I thoroughly enjoyed Karen Perry's Your Closest Friend. I cannot say the same for Come a Little Closer. It was far too slow for me.

Anton is released from prison where he has been incarcerated for nineteen years, for murdering his wife. He returns to the family home to find that his son Mark has found new tenants for the basement flat - Leah and Jake. Jake has a seven-year-old son, Matthew, who lives with his mother, Jenna. It's a tangled mess. Anton has always claimed that he did not murder Charlotte. Hilary and Greg are teachers who had occupied the apartment all those years ago, waiting for their house over the road to have renovations completed. Hilary it seems, was obsessed with Anton...

So, if Anton didn't - who did? With so few possible culprits I had it figured out all too soon, which made completing the book a chore; although the final fifteen minutes had some redeeming qualities of suspense. It just did not grip me...

My thanks to Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and NetGalley for my ARC.

I was a bit disappointed with this book. I know that books described as 'psychological thrillers' are usually slow paced with not too much of significance happening but should have two or three 'wow - didn't expect that!' moments that make it all worth while. I didn't find any real 'wow' moments in the book. The outcome was always going to be limited given the small number of main characters so as you progress through the book you wonder whether Anton did kill his wife or whether someone close by was the culprit.

This story is about Leah who moves into the basement of a large house with her boyfriend Jake. Anton lives upstairs and has just been released from prison for murdering his wife. Then we have Hilary and her husband who used to live in the basement before Anton went to prison. Leah strikes up a friendship with Anton but as readers we have no idea whether or not she is safe with him.

Unfortunately I really didn’t enjoy this book. I found the story far too slow and in my opinion it is marketed wrong being called a thriller. I really didn’t care very much about any of the characters. I guessed the ending from around halfway through the book. From the premise of this book I thought it would be a bit creepy but it definitely wasn’t. I have previously read a book by this author and enjoyed it so I will definitely give this author another try.

Psychologically thrilling. How intense relationships can be and how two people have differing views. Was surprised by the ending in a good way.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Penquin UK - Michael Joseph for the ARC.
Oh my goodness! This certainly is the epitome of a tense, suspenseful, creepy psychological thriller. What a film this would make!
Does this mean I liked it? - no, I loved it! Couldn't put it down.
This has a fantastic opening - a happy, congenial, neighbourhood gathering in the park; a young boy wanders across from No.14 - someone screams - the boy is covered in blood. The door to the house is besieged by neighbours.
Set in Ireland and narrated from 3 main characters' point of view in the 3rd person, 19 years later.

Twenty-six year old Leah and her boyfriend Jake have finally found a cheap basement flat to move into together, in Wyndham Park, No.14. The owner's son, Mark, is renting it on behalf of his father Anton. Jake is divorced and has a 7yr-old son Matthew who will stay with them some weekends. Leah is thrilled with the new life they are beginning, she and Jake share everything - except one secret from her past she hasn't revealed.

Anton is recently released from prison having served 19years for the murder of his wife Charlotte - which he has consistently denied. His neighbourhood is now a hostile environment to him. Gradually Anton develops a friendship relationship with Leah who feels lonely and excluded from Jake's relationship with his ex-wife and son Matthew. It is to Anton that she reveals the secret which constantly haunts her. Leah has a physical resemblance to Charlotte and shares his ex-wife's piano-playing capability.

Hilary has been married to Greg for 25 years. Leading up to his incarceration, Hilary and Anton were lovers (she and Greg having rented that basement flat for a time before moving), and for 19 years Hilary has been waiting for him; she regularly sent him letters expressing her love for him and that she would await his return. She's now awaiting a sign from him that they could now be together. Hilary's life has been dogged by numerous miscarriages and she and Greg no longer share a bed.
She is just awaiting that 'sign' once she learns of his return.

Did Anton really kill his wife? Where will his obsession with Leah lead? Will Hilary finally get together with Anton and leave Greg?

Oh, so many questions which keep the reading guessing until the very end.
Go on - read it - it's really very good.

Twists and turns galore in this psychological thriller. I was racing through it, wanting to read more and find out how it ends. Brilliant.

I don't repeat the blurb - you can read that. I quite enjoyed this book although I'd worked it all out about halfway through. None of the characters were particularly appealing but it was worth the read.

This is a thriller with an interesting concept - what happens when a man convicted of murdering his wife returns to his home, the scene of the crime, after serving 18 years in prison for the crime. This is told from the perspective of Anton who still proclaims has innocence after all these years, Leah who has just moved into the flat below Anton with her boyfriend Jake and occasionally from the point of view of Hilary who lives opposite Anton’s flat and who knew him back when his wife was alive. These three characters are all complex, Anton who has an unnatural fascination in Leah, Leah who is hiding a big secret from her past from Jake and Hilary who is obsessed with Anton.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, I think Leah was a good character overall and her relationship with Jake well written however I struggled to understand what drew Anton to Leah and Hilary just bemused me. I also worked out how this was going to end (to some degree) well before the end which spoilt it for me a bit. The book is well written and original, it just didn’t fully grab me.

This is my first book by Karen Perry and I quite enjoyed it. It is a creepy psychological thriller that’s quite intense in places but written well to keep you on the edge of your seat. It is also quite ghostly at times with the house creaks and the eerie music playing. I would recommend this book and I will look to read more by this author.