A quick read. I feel that I got to know the characters and I liked that the narrator was the serial killer. I felt though that there was something missing. There was not as enough suspense and drama to make it a 4 star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

What a delightfully chilly read!!

I loved every minute of this book! There are some really dark and twisted parts that are definitely not for the faint-hearted but there's also some wickedly funny banter between the main character and his alter ego! At times you actually feel sorry for Brogan. What would have happened if he had a happy childhood? Who we are as adults are very much formed by our childhood. Who would he have become if he didn't witness the death of his parents or was the darkness in him the whole time?

This book is definitely up there with the best I've read this year!

Thank you very much to Elizabeth from Profile books for allowing me early assess to this title on NetGalley.

First of all, I want to say that I saw this book last year commented by reviewers saying how good it was, now that I had the chance to read it, I can totally understand them, this is a read that any crime lover will enjoy, different and hunting it will not let you sleep. Ready?
This is not a story to discover who the killer is or the motive, you know it from the beginning, the mystery here is who will survive during his killing spree, because he is watching 3 families from the attic and his mind games are about to start, who will be the first one to die?
The story is told in first person, by the killer Thomas Brogan, explaining what he sees and his conversations with the dark side on his mind, we will review some memories from the past, to make us understand him the way he is and how he feels, he didn’t have an easy childhood but, what makes someone to cross the line between being angry to the world or being a killer? This is not an answer that this book will have, but it will make you think about it, don’t doubt it.
In this book the reader will feel like a voyeur, watching the families lives, their secret conversations and private moments, but as you can imagine everyone has secrets, could it be the end of their lives as they know it? If Thomas decides it, their fate will be sealed, that’s why he is an experienced killer without any remorse, and only one goal in his life, to kill.
I really enjoyed this read, how the reader portrayed an amazing character making the reader fear for his life even when he was the dangerous one on the story, you fear for his possible victim’s lives, but as you start discovering their secrets, you start feeling the killing spree too…
Ready to discover The Resident?

The book was a fairly quick read with easy to place characters and having the story told by the serial killer made it different. I didn’t really get the tension though and the placing of the action got a bit claustrophobic.
The use of the voice in his head helped to make clear why Brogan was like he was but overall I felt a bit dissatisfied.

An excellent, creepy and gripping story that couldn't put down.
It's a book that you can't read at nighttime or when you're alone in the house because you will be frightened by any unusual sound.
The plot is flows and it keeps you hooked, there's a lot of growing tension and Thomas is an interesting and frightening characters. All the characters are well written.
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Creepy doesn’t begging to express this book. It’s full of blood,murder,voyeursm and ghosting. The struggle Brogan has with the voices in his head is brilliantly played out. The tension builds up word by word until the book delivers a mind blowing twisted ending. Definitely one to read with the lights on omg imagine it as a movie how awesome would that be.

I just had to stay awake last night to finish this book.

It was quite a quick and easy read I whizzed through in a few sittings. There are only a handful of characters so it is easy to follow.

We begin with serial killer Brody evading capture from the police and finding a derelict boarded up house to hide in. He has a look around and finds a filthy mattress to sleep on whilst he decides what to do next. Bored, he sees the trap door to the attic and goes up for a look around. He is thrilled to see he can access the attics of 4 of the houses in the terrace.

Hungry and thirsty, he goes into each of the houses to find food, and to look for his next victims.

He becomes obsessed with a young couple who live in one on the houses. He can see them in their bedroom through a hole in the ceiling. He decides they will be next but he has to wait until the time is just right. He prides himself in being able to wait and build up the excitement. When they go to work he begins to toy with them by moving objects and making them start to have doubts about each other. He finds out secrets about them which he intends to make them tell each other just before he kills them.

How long can he wait?

The story is all told from Brodie’s point of view, plus there is a conversation going on with the voice in his head. We get to know about Brodie’s background and what turned him into a killer.
Once I got into this book I was hooked but it was not one which had me from the first chapter.

Thank you to NetGalley and Serpent’s Tail / Profile Books. I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

Wow, this book was sooooo good! A rollercoaster ride with twists and turns that had you gripped from start to finish.

It was about a serial killer, Thomas Brogan, who is on the run from the police and ends up hiding in the loft of an empty house. It's a terraced property which through the loft has access to the lofts in the three other houses along side it.

The story is interesting because it is all told from Brogan's perspective and as you read along you get an insight into what lead to him becoming a serial killer. It's really well done, because it really evoked empathy for Brogan. It really led to some hairy, heart in mouth moments, with you rooting for Brogan. Odd thing to do considering he's a serial killer, but well, it tells you how well the character was wtiiten that you felt yourself feeling sorry for him.

The thing I loved was his conversations with his inner voice. They were hilarious at times. That's one thing that David did so well, balancing out the creepiness and gruesomeness with wit and humour.

I also loved Elsie, the old lady who lived in one of the houses next door. Everyone needs an Elsie in their life! She was amazing.

It was a brilliant book and I would highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and David Jackson for the chance to read this book.

Ps. I don't think those of us with lofts will be venturing into them anytime soon!

Holy shitballs (is that a word? I don't know) that's what I said after finishing this book off. The Resident is utterly creepy and disturbing.

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer and he's on the loose. He's just evaded capture and is now hiding out in an abandoned house. This turns out to be an ideal spot for a slightly blood hungry killer. As he now has access to three other houses in the row. Through the attic space!!

Brogan is a fantastic character, he is obviously evil and twisted. The bloke loves to play games with his victims, what's more deranged than that? What I enjoyed were the conversations he had with...himself. It was like having the devil and the angel on his shoulders, though the angel part wasn't very angelic. More like the devil and an even more angrier devil. This is were we got some dark humour thrown in, and I loved this. It brings a different tone to the storyline, rather than it being all about killing and death.

As the storyline develops we get more insight into who Brogan really is? And, this is the part where I started to empathise with him. And, actually feel sorry for him. This is a huge testament to David Jackson's writing skills, that one moment I'm squirming and getting creeped out by Brogan and the next I just want to mother him.

Brogan is a devious character, and I really enjoyed how he broke down and evaluated the people that he was watching. This is when we got to see another layer of his character. His obsession with Colette and his...well I won't say much more because I don't want to ruin your enjoyment.

Now, the bad thing about this book is, that you won't feel safe in your house anymore. I am now constantly looking upwards and checking my ceilings, I am counting my bananas daily. And, I'm wary of any noises in the house. This book will make you jumpy and anxious. Imagine someone watching your every move? Listening in to your private conversations! Watching you sleep at night. This book gives you that fear!!

The Resident is a creepy thriller that will give you nightmares and make you fear what is lurking above your head. Do you #FearTheResident will you be brave enough?


Thanks to Viper Books for my gifted digital copy

I'm a huge fan of David Jackson's work although, with dark twisty thoughts like his MC in The Resident, perhaps I'd prefer not to meet hin on a gloomy wind-swept night or any day...or night for that matter.
This is chilling, riviting and horrifying in one breath - the only downside I can see is that I live somewhere, which could be thought to be similar. Not going to sleep much from now on!

Deliciously dark, sinister and addictive, The Resident is the kind of twisted story you won’t forget. Get ready to read your new favourite thriller...

Serial killer Thomas Brogan is on the run, but residents are hopeful that he’s long gone from the area after the police found his latest hiding place and victims. But for five people he’s much closer than they think. They are unaware that the ruthless killer is hiding above them, sneaking into their homes when they sleep and waiting for the perfect time to strike...

WHAT. A. BOOK! This chilling thriller is the thing nightmares are made of. I devoured it in one breathless sitting over the course of just a few hours. It jumps straight into the action and the author doesn’t take his foot off the brake, keeping me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

The story is told from Brogan’s point of view and I enjoyed reading from his sick, twisted perspective (though I don’t want to think what that might say about me lol). The Brogan we meet is a cunning, vicious, merciless predator who delights in toying with people before slowly torturing and killing them, but through flashbacks we are given glimpses of his past that offer small clues as to how he became a killer. I found myself feeling really sorry for Brogan at times and came to have a real affection for him. This is a testament to the spectacular talent of the author who manages to evoke feelings of revulsion and affection simultaneously, The potential victims are also brought vividly to life and I had a particular soft spot for Elsie. I spent the whole book really hoping that she wouldn’t end up Brogan’s victim and loved the arc of her story.

The Resident is like no other psychological thriller I’ve read - and I’ve read a lot of them. Sharp, searing and filled with dark humour, this was an easy five-stars from me. Read it now!

The Resident is a fast-paced, creepy and gripping read.

I enjoyed that the story was written from the perspective of the serial killer (Brogan). This helped to add suspense to the dynamic of the story. It also allowed for some back story into his life which caused me to develop some empathy for him - despite the fact that he is a serial killer and a sadist!

I found The Resident to be a clever and well written novel with moments of high tension, dark humour and twists. However, as enjoyable a read as it is, not a lot happens and I definitely expected more developments that didn't come. The ending does not do it justice either. As fitting as it was, it was far too rushed and made me think I must have skipped a few pages.

Overall, I'm really glad my house doesn't have an attic.

Thanks to Viper and NetGalley for the ARC.

The Resident is David Jackson’s latest standalone serial killer thriller that has more than a little touch of horror added into it for good measure. It is an utterly riveting read from the moment you begin until the last page is turned and it has me furiously racing through its pages like a bit of a maniac.

Thomas Brogan is a sadistic and ruthlessly efficient serial killer who murdered his parents and who is currently on the run from the police having left a trail of devastation in his wake with many bodies discovered brutally tortured and mutilated. Whilst looking for a place he could hide away he trespasses by breaking and entering into an empty terraced house and he feels as though he has won the jackpot when he discovers that all the houses in the row are interconnected via the shared loft space. He takes pleasure in spying on them without their knowledge and when the oblivious inhabitants leave he loves to venture into the main house to eat and shower. He watches them both day and night, watching their every move and listening to their private conversations. He soon discovers some of their darkest secrets and uses them in a game of masterful psychological warfare which he enjoys immensely. So let the games begin...

This is a riveting, chilling and addictive read which hooked me in from the very beginning and had my head spinning and my heart thumping. I have NEVER been disappointed by a Jackson thriller yet and I have read all of his books. This is by far his best and most gripping of them all. This is the first book of Jacksons where black humour is utilised quite a lot and I enjoyed the contrast between the lightness of the darkly funny quips and the horrific nature of the slayings. It becomes quite sick and twisted so it is not for the faint-hearted but I adored this aspect of the story. I particularly liked that the author tried to humanise Brogan and there were definitely times where you felt for him despite his despicable actions; the parts where we get to hear his thoughts and feelings were very well executed and made for compulsive reading. It's a brilliantly creepy story full of fun and it provides edge of your seat entertainment. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Viper for an ARC.

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer on the run when he finds an abandoned house along with an attic that links to the other houses. He has somewhere to hide and soon finds himself venturing into the lives of the houses around him but he's getting too close. This could be dangerous.

This was such an interesting book, it's not often the whole story is told by the killer. It gave a whole new dynamic to the story. The plot itself is slow but in a good way as you know its building to something but you're not sure how it will play out. It also throws you that you find yourself almost wanting to escape despite knowing how awful he is. The ending is so well done and fits with the story. A brilliant thriller.

This is only my second David Jackson book, and I see that when I read Your Deepest Fear I was excited by the potential for a new author whose style fits my sense of what a creepy thriller should be. I do like a book where everything the reader knows is seen from the perspective of the killer, and this is just the right vehicle for David Jackson’s disturbed serial killer, Thomas Brogan.

Now, I have to admit, somewhat shockingly, that I enjoyed this book. Whether that says something about me, I don’t know, but it is mildly disturbing that I can feel so warmly towards a novel that is creepy, involves unpleasant murders, rotting corpses and a killer who has conversations with the voices in his head. Yet, I do feel kindly towards it and I was thoroughly entertained by it.

Brogan is a disturbed individual. On the run from the police he literally stumbles in tan abandoned house at the end of a terrace, which, fortuitously for him, has an attic space that hasn’t been bricked off by the individual houses. Thus he has the run of the three remaining houses – or really two, because one householder has the presence of mind to have a rather large dog.

We see the other residents through the eyes of Brogan as a voyeur and visitor to their houses when they occupants are out, or in Elsie’s case, in bed. The focus of his attention is the couple in the end house. Young and attractive, he enjoys playing games by finding out their secrets and using them to conduct a form of psychological warfare on them.

It helps that all is not perfect in their marriage and Brogan enjoys exploiting those flaws and creating a rift between them, all the while waiting for his moment to alert them to his presence.

As the reader spends time with him in the attic, we get a sense of why he is as disturbed, what his background has been and it is hard not to feel some sympathy for this disturbed human being whose sense of humanity still lurks somewhere inside, deeply repressed and in constant argument with his other self.

Even as he creeps around the houses, helping himself to food, taking showers, rifling their drawers, you sense that playing with the objects of his attention is all part of the enjoyment for this sadistic killer.

Verdict: Fast-paced, creepy and nicely twisty. There is a lot of dark comedy built into this book, which saves it from being unremittingly bleak. It is written with a light and easy hand. I was completely absorbed by it and thoroughly enjoyed it. A stonking good read!

It’s the stuff of nightmares, that feeling of being watched, bumps in the night, a serial killer living in your attic.....

I’m glad I don’t live alone and just saying I’m also glad I live in a detached bungalow where the loft is difficult for me to get in to never mind an unhinged serial killer.

The Resident is a disturbing read, a look in to the mind of a complete psychopath, a man who enjoys torture, both physical and mental with a bit of murder thrown in. It follows Thomas Brogan, his passion for killing has left a long line of bodies, his last spree nearly got him caught and he finds himself on the run. With nowhere to go he finds himself holing up in an abandoned terrace house.

He is a curious man and as he explores the house he finds himself in the loft and to his delight he finds that there isn’t a full wall between him and the next house, rubbing his hands in glee (he might not have but he strikes me as the type) he unleashes his inner voyeur and sets about finding out if there is anyone is the other houses he can play with. Urgh, that last bit gives me the chills!

The first house belongs to an old infirm lady, the second house belongs to an older couple and their dog and the last house belongs to a young couple. He is enthralled and starts finding ways to enter their homes, steal food, have showers and poke about.

Brogan has a mind that doesn’t switch off, he argues with himself, he plays out scenarios in his mind and as the book progresses his ventures in to the house in the terrace becomes bolder. The residents oblivious to his comings and goings until one night he comes face to face with Elsie, the old lady in the first house and from then one he becomes even more unhinged as different emotions plague his mind.

Thomas Brogan is a sadistic, clearly screwed up in the head individual. The story is told from his point of view and it keeps you gripped as he creeps and crawls his way through the lives of these poor unexpecting people. The Resident paints a gruesome picture as we learn more about Brogan’s past and we learn what he is capable off.

I enjoyed it but don’t say I didn’t warn you, it may keep you up at night.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Now this is what I call a thriller! I haven't read any of David Jackson's books before but you can be sure I will be soon. In a nutshell The Resident is about a serial killer on the run who takes shelter in an abandoned house and then discovers that he can access the other houses in that row through their joined attics. And then chaos (and psychological torture) ensues. Brogan (the killer) has two seemingly separate identities within himself and so there is an almost constant running narrative / conversation with himself about what's happening, what' he's thinking, what should happen next etc. And although this is a little weird to get used to at the beginning it does create a good pace within the book, as in it keeps things moving during times of actual little action such as when Brogan is just stuck in the attic waiting for the residents to come home.
We do get to learn some of Brogan's childhood and the things that have led to him being a serial killer which was interesting and I enjoyed how that then led us to why he makes the decisions that he does with regards to who he will kill and who he will spare.
This book kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more and its firmed up my love of thrillers told from the villain's perspective. I wasn't happy when I had to stop reading to deal with life stuff. The one small thing that dropped this book from a 5 star to a 4 star for me was that I wanted the ending to be a bit more gruesome and gory. From learning through the story about the other people Brogan had killed and the ways he had tortured them prior to death it felt a bit like I was being promised more would come but then it didn't really.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Oh my word this book was fantastic. It is a creepy and at times a stomach churning crime thriller. There are also some excellent funny one liners in it. I just loved the creepiness and also the dark humour. 5 ⭐️

The Resident by David Jackson is a super-creepy, chilling, suspenseful thriller that is very clever but also sometimes slightly stomach-churning. The new Resident on the block is a serial killer who watches and learns about his new prey before making his fatal moves. To make things interesting, he intently listens to their conversations and from behind the scenes adds a little “spice” to their relationships.

We get some glimpses into the killer’s backstory which confirms that he is a character with a complicated past which goes some way to explaining what he does. The three other characters in the book are vividly portrayed and we get a lot more from them than we might have expected!

So, you want to get inside the head of a serial killer - well step right in my friend, this is the book for you.

This isn't just your average serial killer, this one likes to play with them first, the trouble is they don't even know he is there, in the house. The other weird thing is that this one is likeable too. As a reader we learn his story, what makes both of them tick, yes that's right both of them. If you want to know more you are going to have to read it.

As a debut novel this is a real cracker, I have to admit I was a little skeptical - you know when you see a book with a great long list of quotes recommending you read it. Then you get it and can't see what all the hype is about, this book is nothing like that. It is an exciting riproaring tale, you find yourself egging on the killer and awaiting the next move. Written with a great insight into the human soul. Clever, witty and hugely entertaining.

#TheResident #NetGalley