Darkly funny creepy tale.  On the run from police, serial killer Thomas Brogan hides out in an abandoned end terrace. Whilst exploring, he discovers a shared attic with access across the four homes on block. And so the fun begins with it's residents.

I have long been a fan of David Jackson and I am delighted that this, stand alone, novel did not disappoint.   I particularly like the Nathan Cody series, but enjoy his writing so much that I was delighted to receive a review copy of his latest work and was happy to give his new book a try.

Thomas Brogan is a murderer and he is on the run from the police.   Fleeing from the scene of his latest crime, he takes refuge in an abandoned house and discovers that the attic gives him access to the next three houses.  In one lives an elderly lady, called Elsie, the next has a middle aged couple and then there is a young couple, with the beautiful Colette, who catches the eye of Thomas Brogan.

Although Brogan is, most definitely, a bad guy, Jackson writes his character wonderfully.   You begin to understand who he is and why he is the way he is, as well as getting to know the residents as he spies upon them.   Gradually, he makes his way into their homes, their cupboards, bathrooms and lives.   Amusing himself, he begins to flirt with danger and with his desire to hurt and harm those he comes into contact with.

I really loved this crime novel.  It is well written, with dark humour and great characters.  Without doubt, my favourite was the elderly Elsie, whose carer is nonplussed by the odd events happening in the house whenever she returns.   Jackson takes an average road, full of ordinary people, and shows us their secrets and the fact that no individual is really ‘average’ or without interest.  Brilliantly written, and a must for crime fans.  I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.

This is not something that you want to think about but imagine there is a serial killer living in the attic space above your house and the houses connected to yours.  

Imagine that this serial killer likes to play games before killing his victims.  Imagine that you have secrets that you don’t want anybody else to know about!  

Welcome to Thomas Brogan’s world.  Brogan is on the run from the police and loves to watch his victims and play with them before killing.  

I need to start by saying something that I don’t normally put in my reviews - WOW!!
David Jackson has pulled off a masterpiece with this book.  Ever so slowly, I was sucked into this book and eventually spat out feeling worn out!  The emotions I went through were exhausting and by the end of the book I felt as though my heart was going to pound out of my chest.  I found myself continuously thinking about the story to the point I even dreamt about it last night!  Not a pleasant dream but I won’t tell you as I don’t want to give anything away - never before has a book done this to me.  

This is a dark and creepy psychological thriller that will have me listening out for noises for weeks to come!  

My thanks to NetGalley and Viper for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in return for an unbiased review.
First publication I've read by this author and it certainly didn't disappoint.
In reality the plot and background is very simplistic in many ways.
Killer on the run and hides away where no one would ever think of looking for him.
Inter mingled to the killers story there is then the story of those he comes into contact with.
Superb read, thoroughly enjoyed it and away to read more by David Jackson.

This was not my usual type of thriller but the premise intrigued me so thought I would give it a try.  The story was well written, dark and sinister but too far fetched for my liking and it didn't really grip me.   

Thank you to Netgalley the author and Serpents Tail/Profile books for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was going to be a solid 3 stars from me.  It was ok.  It wasn't the kind of book that had me gripped and I found it easy to put down and wander off to do other mundane things. 

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer.  He's on the run from the police and there is literally nowhere to go until he finds an old abandoned house. But the best bit, for Brogan, anyway, is that from the attic of this house, he can gain access to three other houses. 

This is where the fun begins .. . again, it's only fun for Brogan.  He's able to spy on the homeowners and discover secrets and lies that they are hiding from each other and this is when Brogan starts to play the games that he loves so much. 

Unfortunately, the ending really let this book down for me.  So much so that I have bumped it down from 3 stars to 1. 
I was very disappointed.

Been a while since I've had the pleasure or opportunity to read any of David's books but I jumped at the chance to try out this standalone thriller and boy was I glad I did!

Thomas Brogan is trapped and has nowhere to go and nowhere to run - apart from the forgotten loft spaces in an ordinary row of houses, inhabited by seemingly ordinary people. Nothing exciting I hear you say? At first you'd think this is a stop gap to escape capture but with each hour brings new discoveries - for Brogan and the reader. Turn each page and discover a new relationship, a new character and dark secrets just begging to come out.

I loved the book, incredibly easy to read and I devoured it in just a few days. Brogan is one of those characters you aren't supposed to feel empathy for but somehow you start falling for the protagonist - in a weird sort of way! I think it's his mind that fascinated me more than anything and the conversations. Oh those conversations!

This was so creepy & so good!  It's dark & scary & addictive.  I liked the way the book was written, and the interactions Thomas had with his unwitting housemates.  The characters were great, and I loved the ending!

This was unlike most thriller books that I read. It was darkly comical and I loved that. The plot wavered a little at times and I found some parts repetitive but overall a great read with Dexter vibes.

This is the first David Jackson book I have read and it certainly won't be the last ... The Resident is a deliciously eerie and unnerving read which I thoroughly enjoyed however I did have to send my husband up to the attic to make sure there were no gaps between us and the next door neighbours as I live in a terrace!!!

This is a totally engrossing psychological thriller told from the perspective of the main protagonist Brogan and what an excellent character he is ... a perfect bad guy but with a vulnerable side to him that almost makes you feel sorry for him ... I say almost because he is one sick and deranged individual who enjoys playing with his victims before inflicting pain and suffering.

There is plenty of dark humour to lighten this dark book and with a simple and straight forward plot written at a good pace, this is a great read that I have no hesitation to recommend to readers out there who enjoy a book that takes the mundane of daily life and turns it into something sinister.

Thank you Serpents Tail / Profile Books / Viper Books via NetGalley for my advance copy in return for an unbiased and unedited review.

The Resident by David Jackson.. what can I say? This book is brilliant! It is nothing like previous books of his but that is ok. I was expecting a far scarier and dark read. Don’t get me wrong, it is dark and scary but it is also funny and addictive. I read this book in one night, staying up late to finish it. 

The main character of this book is Thomas Brogan. He is an evil and sadistic serial killer... and you can’t help but like him. He is on the run from police, after a brutal murder. He breaks into an abandoned house and discovers a shared attic space across 4 homes, the perfect hideaway for a fugitive.  He watches his new housemates and sneaks in when they are not there for food and showers. He likes to mess with their minds and play games with them. They don’t even know that he is there and it is creepy!  Imagine this happening to you. I have to admit the noises in the night while I was reading this did make me jump!

This is a fun but creepy read and I cannot recommend it enough.  Thanks so much to Viper and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read.

What was that creaking noise? Sounds like someone's in the attic! I'm sure all of us have had that thought at some point but we tell ourselves that it's just the house settling. But what if a stranger, no, a serial killer really was hiding out in your house... Meet Thomas Brogan. He's on the run from the police, wanted for the vicious murder of a married couple so he hides out in an empty house which turns out to have a loft space shared with multiple residents of the street.

Not content with just laying low, Brogan is spying on the neighbours, studying their lives, messing with their heads and inevitably planning his next victims. The whole concept is creepy and whole lot of fun as you just never know what will happen next - Will he kill someone? Will he be discovered?

I love the fact that we get an insight into the tough childhood that led Brogan to kill but even that isn't my favourite thing about the book! Reading this is almost seems as if there are two people up in the attic. This is because Brogan has a split personality that is in constant conversation, guiding his decisions. This internals battle of wills is both fascinating and often very amusing. The grounded sensible Brogan seems to be dominant but his darker side has a thirst for killing and it's a constant battle to keep this part of him in check.

Brilliant psychological thriller, couldn't put it down.

Thanks to @netgalley and @viper.books for providing a #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. The Resident is released on the 16th of July 2020.

Oooo this book made me feel so comfortable...which is good!

I've never read a book from the perspective of a serial killer and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Said serial killer is on the run when he finds a derelict and boarded up end terrace house to hide out in when he discovers that he can access the attic space of the three adjoining houses (and therefore can potentially access the houses themselves).  And so the games begin...

I wasn't sure about the "second voice" in the serial killer's head but I actually felt this provided the book with some light relief which I thought helped me understand what the killer was thinking and feeling.  A very clever way of giving the reader an insight into his thoughts (which are sometimes quite disturbing!)

I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes to feel slightly on edge and likes a bit of dark humour.

This was so good. Five minutes in I was checking the locks and scouring the ceiling for peep holes. Thank God I don't have an attic. The story kicked off immediately, no messing about. I was hooked but in the end I was screaming at my kindle. It was exactly disappointing, it just wasn't the ending I wanted. 

Thomas Brogan is a deranged serial killer who, whilst on the run, takes up residence in an abandoned townhouse. Unbeknownst to the other tenants, Brogan can access the other homes through their attic spaces. Creepy AF. He immediately beings getting to know his new neighbours by becoming a demented Big Brother, listening to their conversations and occasionally dropping in for a bite to eat. I was completely unsettled throughout this book. It's amazing how easy it is to move things around the house or eat the food and the home owners simply chalk this up to coincidence. Just blame it on your husband, it makes perfect sense. 

With one man playing hide and seek for 300 pages I thought this would get boring fast. Happily, there was more than enough to keep the story line interesting. In fact, I couldn't get enough of Brogan and his constant search for food. I wasn't even bothered by the distinct lack of murder. His 'roommate' doesn't count. 

The ending was infuriating. Maybe I'm a psycho but I was rooting for more death. The only consolation is the fact I definitely didn't see it coming. I had several possible endings circling my brain but not this one. I'm always happy to be surprised. I look forward to more from David Jackson.

**I received a free review copy from Serpent's Tail via Netgalley in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.

4/5🌟 #TheResident
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The favourite part about the book was definitely Brogan’s inner dialogue. The best friend and the worst enemy! 
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Throughout the book, I actually started liking him... Until he killed the cat. Serial killer who goes after people, I can like, go after a dog or cat - I’m no longer a fan! Anyways, jokes aside, I still hoped for a good outcome for him. 
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Very dark and and twisty read. I found myself walking around the house looking for holes... That sounds weird, but if you read the book, you know what I mean!
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The only downside is that the ending was rushed. A LOT. I think I could have given 5/5 if the ending was slightly edited. It’s still a great ending, don’t get me wrong, but too many things happen in very few pages and... Before you know it, it’s done. It just didn’t feel quite right.
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Overall, great book, would definitely recommend!
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Thank you #NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I thought the premise sounded really good and I enjoyed how this was written with Brogan's inner dialogue and switching back and forth. I found it quite dark,twisty and sinister and found myself actually hoping for a good outcome for the bad guy at points. My only negative point would be that I found it was quite a slow build up and then the ending felt rushed. Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

I thought the premise sounded really good and I enjoyed how this was written with Brogan's inner dialogue and switching back and forth. 
I found it quite dark,twisty and sinister and found myself actually hoping for a good outcome for the bad guy at points.
My only negative point would be that I found it was quite a slow build up and then the ending felt rushed. 
Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

This one of the best suspense books I have read in ages. It was quite frightening and I literally could not put it down. Lots of twists and turns in the story to keep you guessing. Would love to read more from this author.

I love the premise of this one, but found the story difficult to get into. Perhaps it was the internal dialogue with himself, that did it. There were some entertaining scenes (Ralph for example!) but they didn't build into a gripping story for me. Brogan didn't feel real.

David Jackson’s The Resident cleverly plays upon some of our worse fears.

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer on the run. The police stumbled on his latest bloody scene while he was there and now he is running. In desperation he breaks into an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet English street. He climbs into the loft to hide and realises that the four houses in the terrace are linked by the shared attic space. Initially Brogan is glad of a place to lie low, but gradually he comes to realise that he can spy on the residents of the other houses and even drop down into their homes. It is not long before the voices in his head are convincing him to play games with the other residents, especially the young couple at the end of the terrace.

Jackson takes a little while to set the various elements of his story in place, but once underway The Resident is gripping tale with some very dark moments. Unexpected developments keep the story moving along at a good pace and Brogan’s internal dialogues provide insights into his childhood and the factors that influenced his descent into killing. Everything is seen through Brogan’s eyes and some of his observations have a darkly humorous touch to them. There are also surprising flashes of poignancy and reflection, especially in Brogan’s relationship with one of the occupants.

The violence in the book is not overly graphic, although there are realistically gruesome moments towards the end. The tension mounts considerably over the last few chapters and the ending delivers some good surprises. Some suspension of disbelief is needed, but not enough to detract from the enjoyment of the story.

In all, it is a good chilling read that will make you think twice next time you hear something go bump in the night.

Four stars out of five.

Thanks to NetGalley and Viper for an electronic copy of the book to review.