I have to admit, this is the first book I have ready by Adam Southward, and I have certainly been missing out! before even finishing The Stranger Next Door I had ordered his previous books to dive straight in to!.

The story starts with Matt, Imogen and their daughter Ashley leaving their lives in London and moving to the less chaotic gated community in Surrey. This move occurs following some rather awful accusations are made against them, leaving the Roberts family feeling like there was little choice left but to move away and start a fresh.

Imogen certainly finds her new life far from Idyllic, and is struggling to adjust to her new, much quieter life within the community. But then she meets Nancy White who lives nearby along with her rather poorly teenage daughter Ruby. Soon enough, Nancy and Imogen are inseparable and become close friends. With Nancy being widowed, she has plenty of time for Imogen, something that Imogen really needs to allow her to feel more settled in her new life.

The more time the women spend together, it becomes increasingly obvious that Nancy certainly isn’t a fan of Matts, despite her never actually voicing her disapproval. But things suddenly take a drastic turn when Nancy begins to accuse Matt of the same thing they left London to escape, and now Imogen finds herself stuck in between Nancy and Matt, feeling rather unsure who to trust. Matt has faced such accusations before, but is Nancy really as innocent as she wants Imogen to believe?

As soon as I read the description for this book I knew it would be a captivating read, and I certainly wasn’t wrong. As a lover of psychological thrillers, The Stranger Next Door ticked all the boxes of what compiles a truly gripping read. The characters are well fleshed out and realistic, yet all of them are totally unique as individuals possessing their own secrets and drama’s. The storyline is perfectly paced, and as the suspense and tension ramp up as the story nears its conclusion, you find yourself perched on the edge of your seat, holding your breath!. There were twists and turns I didn’t see coming, and the ending was utterly brilliant. An absolute page turner that I would urge you all to go and read.

This book begins when married couple Matt and Imogen move with their daughter to a quiet and private neighbourhood. Imogen soon befriends their neighbour Nancy who makes a shocking accusation about Matt and one he has been accused of before.

I really loved this book and Southward had me gripped from the very beginning! The plot is so fast paced with tension quickly building, I read the last half of this book in a day as I just couldn't put it down. I liked how the plot was told from multiple characters points of view as this added to my suspicion and frustration with Imogen. Southward definitely kept me guessing, I did think I had the plot all figured out but the final twists proved I hadn't and I love being taken by surprise.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good psychological thriller where the plot is pieced together very well. Please be aware that this book does include mental illness and miscarriage.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and Headline for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unedited feedback.

Before being invited to a tour of this magnificent book I have never read any books from Adam Southward. I don't regret reading this book at all.

From the start you are wondering what happened in London to make them move and as I kept reading the answer was finally revealed and I wasn't expecting it at all.

As soon as the new neighbour was introduced you knew something was up with her and that she was going to be trouble.

The characters and the story was well fleshed out. The suspense was ramping up in all the appropriate places.

The story took on a darker tone which I wasn't expecting at all but it fit well with the genre and the story.

I loved this story and highly recommend it to all people who love psychological thrillers.

I must admit that prior to being invited to take part in the blog tour for ‘The Stranger Next Door’ I hadn’t actually come across Adam’s work before. I know just where have I been? I read the synopsis for ‘The Stranger Next Door’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of psychological thriller I particularly enjoy at the moment. Well ‘The Stranger Next Door was certainly a read and a half, which I thoroughly enjoyed but more about that in a bit.
I have to say that I didn’t warm to any of the characters at all but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I would suggest that that has to do with me being naturally suspicious of other people and the fact that I am an avid crime fiction fan. I just got the impression with this book that every one of the main characters was hiding something although I wasn’t exactly sure what.
It didn’t take me long at all to get into ‘The Stranger Next Door’. In fact by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I knew that I would have difficulty prising the book out of my hands for any length of time. The characters intrigued me and certain characters set off little alarm bells ringing in my head. As I mention above, I had my own suspicions as to what was going to emerge and I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right track or if I had wandered off down the wrong path entirely. The book wasn’t exactly glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I managed to finish ‘The Stranger Next Door’ within the space of a single day, which is pretty good for me. I found ‘The Stranger Next Door’ to be a gripping read, which kept me guessing and which kept me on the edge of my seat.
‘The Stranger Next Door’ is extremely well written. The author certainly knows how to grab the reader’s attention with an intriguing synopsis and he entices you into what proves to be a compelling story. The story is written in chapters and each chapter narrates the story from a certain character’s perspective. The different chapters complement each other and I found that the story flowed seamlessly. Reading ‘The Stranger Next Door’ felt like being on an at times scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.
In short, I really enjoyed reading ‘The Stranger Next Door’ and I would recommend this book to other readers. I will definitely be reading more of Adam’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Thank you @headlinebooks for inviting me to participate on this Book Tour.

Goodness me, this book took a completely dark turn that I was not expecting at all! It was an uncomfortable and difficult subject to read about but it really made a great impact on the story and the whole misconception of trust.

It is a gripping thriller from the start, and is packed with twist upon twist. The unraveling and the ending is dark and terrifying which would literally be your worst nightmare - jaw dropping doesn’t cover it!

The book is told from multiple perspectives - Imogen, Matt & Nancy. I really enjoyed the going back and forth, I just wish that Ruby could have had her voice heard too. That was all that was missing from my opinion.

I definitely would recommend this for thriller fans, or someone looking for a dark book to get lost in.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Adam Southward for the eARC, in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

The Stranger Next door is a thoroughly enjoyable, dark, creepy, edge of your seat psychological thriller.

At the beginning of the book, Matt, Imogen and their young daughter Ashley, have just moved (from London) to Surrey to start a new life; we’re not let into the secret of why at first, but slowly the twisty story unfolds.

I was drawn in from the beginning, with an intriguing plot and well developed characters - in particular Nancy, their unlikeable, quietly sinister, new next-door neighbour.

The suspense simmers away throughout, bubbling up occasionally with an added sense of unease, it eventually reaches boiling point, but not before a generous pinch of foreboding is stirred in for good measure.

The twists and turns steer you one way, then another; you’re never quite sure who’s telling the truth. I thought I had the ending all figured out, how wrong I was!

Well written, with a solid plot and a chilling sense of atmosphere. I was totally engrossed, turning the pages late into the night to find out more.

If you’re looking for a solid, gritty, psychological thriller to sink your teeth into, then look no further.

The Stranger Next Door is a compulsive domestic thriller and asks the age-old question: how well do you know those you call neighbours (and friends)? Married couple Matt and Imogen Roberts and their four-year-old daughter, Ashley, recently upped sticks from their chaotic lives in London and moved to the vast countryside of Surrey where they settled in a quiet gated community to begin life anew after a series of vicious, reputation-destroying accusations were made against them. They felt they had no choice but to uproot everything and everyone in order to move on and hopefully see the past disappearing far behind them in the rearview mirror. However, it hasn't turned out to be as idyllic as they initially thought, and Imogen struggles to adjust to the isolation and peacefulness but it isn't long before she meets neighbour Nancy White who lives nearby with her poorly fifteen-year-old daughter, Ruby, and they quickly become the best of friends. Nancy is widowed and appears to have all the time in the world to spend with Imogen which helps her to grow accustomed to the new area considerably.

Nancy doesn't give the impression she's much of a fan of Matt, though, although she never voices her opinions. But the situation is a rapidly changing one and becomes increasingly more sinister and disturbing as time progresses. Nancy accuses them of actions similar to those they had escaped The Big Smoke because of and Imogen's intention to curtail their friendship is thwarted when she falls ill and must turn to Nancy in her hour of need. What exactly did they do back in London that was so egregious that they had to leave, and is this their past coming back to haunt them? This is a compulsive and unsettling domestic thriller with plenty of drama and a mystery surrounding what happened back in the city that unravels slowly as the book progresses. It's a slow-burner that gets under your skin and the creep factor certainly hits heady heights. It is very much a story of deceit, lies, mistrust, love, friendship and perhaps a little Munchausen by proxy, and while some parts were quite predictable the conclusion was a huge, twisty and satisfying surprise.

This is a fast-paced and twisty thriller; The Stanger Next Door is a well written and exciting read that ticks all of your favourite thriller qualities.
She was the perfect neighbour. Until she made a terrible accusation.
When Matt and Imogen move out of the city, they’re hoping for a much-needed fresh start. Matt throws himself into his new job, but Imogen struggles to adjust to life in the suburbs. She’s grateful for the kind welcome from new neighbour Nancy, and they soon become close friends.
So, when Nancy makes a shocking accusation, Imogen doesn’t know who to trust. This isn’t the first time Matt has found himself on the wrong end of a false accusation… but is Nancy hiding secrets of her own?
I really enjoyed this fast-paced psychological thriller. The story focuses on Matt, Imogen and their daughter Ashley. They have moved into a quiet, gated community to start a new life after some accusations in London left them with no other choice.
I felt invested in the characters and the story, so much so that I read this in one sitting, only pausing very briefly to answer the call of nature and to refill my tea pot! It is a thriller lover’s dream, just as you think you know where the plot is going, you are thrown head first down yet another twist in what is a rollercoaster of a book. You are certain that you have predicted what is going to happen next, and wham, there you go again, down a sheer drop of unpredictability.
I would definitely recommend this book, even if you are not normally a reader of thrillers, I suggest you give this a read, you won’t be disappointed. Just make sure you have a clear diary before you start to read this book, as you won’t want to stop!
Thank you to Netgalley and Headline for an e ARC of The Stranger Next Door in return for an honest review.

If you love, like me, stories of folk moving house and the new villages/streets/houses and neighbours it brings then this is for you
Imogen and Matt are the ‘movers’ and Nancy, welcoming Nancy, the neighbour, who from the second you meet her as a reader you know is trouble, with her home made cakes, her smoothing of her skirt and her wide smile, as a character she is delicious and what books are written for
This story was reading pleasure, I read it in a day and couldn’t get enough of what was happening to poor Imogen and Matt….amongst others
It starts with part of the ending and then you work back to that point and its no lie to say Nancy is amongst the worst neighbours you could ever imagine having, so helpful, so caring, she’s wondrous……and as sly and evil as they come
I guessed pretty quick what was going on but In these scenarios I love that and love the thrill of the characters working it out and seeing what is really happening and trying to stop it
The ending deserves a shout from the rooftops, clever and menacing and one I didn’t work out
I could write for ages about this book but I’ve said my piece, for me it was perfect, psychological thriller heaven

10/10
5 Stars

A fast-paced and twisty thriller, The Stranger Next Door is a well written and exciting read that ticks all of your favourite thriller qualities.

As an avid reader of thrillers, there was a lot at the beginning that I had already sussed out as it is easy to see some of the deceptions. But I was still intrigued to carry on reading and enjoyed how the story progressed. By the end, I feel like Southward was only teasing me with the more common thriller traits to make the ending even more surprising, making you think you know where it’s going and then dropping a twist that will make you rethink everything.

And there's certainly a lot that I didn't predict! The ending is filled with suspense and is sure to leave you on a high note. There's certainly a lot of fun to be had with it. The only reason I have given this book half star less than four is because I have read something similar so I did guess some of the twists. But this is no fault of Southward's great writing, plotting, and characterisation, and I still think this will be a shocking read for others.

(I'm on tour for this on the 29th so my reviews will be live then)

I did enjoy reading this book, even though I thought it was a bit slow at the start, and I didn't like any of the characters. My dislike of the characters and annoyance with them did not stop me from reading and finding out what was happening. I did have a pretty good guess ,and I was right. I even managed to work out the final twist or at least it was one of my theories .I would say it was worth a read, and a pretty good read.

Oh I loved this. I am never more relaxed and absorbed in a book when I am reading a creepy thriller and this was well on the mark. I loved it and could not turn the pages fast enough.
Twisty, turny, full of guesses and nasty surprises. You do not know what goes on behind closed doors. Fantastic.

With so many thanks to Net Galley and Headline for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable book that made me want to keep reading after a slower start. I was intrigued about what exactly happened in London to cause Matt & Imogen to move to Surrey. My questions gradually got answered throughout the book. I have to admit I did suspect what was going on with Nancy from quite early on in the book, so it wasn't a surprise when it was fully revealed. Although there were some parts of the ending that I didn't predict. Characters were well developed and the storyline built well with narrative from Matt, Imogen & Nancy. I'd definitely recommend this book.

Firstly, thank you Netgalley, Headline and Adam Southward for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read! It was an extremely fast paced thriller with really well developed characters.

It was wonderfully written and I would recommend it to anyone who loves an “on the edge of your seat” thriller.

I would definitely read more from this author.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Hatchette Books.

I loved the plot of this story! However, it was so easy to guess what was happening. I guessed around halfway through the book most of what was going on - there was just 1 thing I didn’t guess which was revealed right at the end.

I’m kinda disappointed that this was such an obvious reveal but maybe i’ve read too many thrillers that they’re becoming predictable?

I absolutely loved this book! It was horrible, in the sense that it was very realistic and you never truly know what lies behind closed doors! Wonderfully written, will definitely be looking forward to future works by this author! Would definitely recommend!

The Stranger Next Door by Adam Southward Pub Date 27/5/21
When Matt and Imogen move out of the city, they're hoping for a much-needed fresh start. Matt throws himself into his new job, but Imogen struggles to adjust to life in the suburbs. She's grateful for the kind welcome from new neighbour Nancy, and they soon become close friends.
So when Nancy makes a shocking accusation, Imogen doesn't know who to trust. This isn't the first time Matt has found himself on the wrong end of a false allegation. . . but is Nancy hiding secrets of her own?
As simmering tensions threaten to boil over, Imogen is in more danger than she realises. Can she uncover the truth before she loses everything?
A well-written unsettling, compelling domestic psychological thriller with relatable characters and a great plot.
Watch out for the unexpected twist at the end; very dramatic.
I am happy to recommend it.
I want to thank NetGalley, Headline Accent and the author Adam Southward for a pre-publication copy to review.
If you enjoyed this, check out this author's Alex Madison trilogy.
Synopsis from Book 1, Trance
Alex Madison, a former forensic psychologist, turned private therapist, is brought in to interview Victor. He suspects that Victor is controlling his victims, somehow coaxing them into a suggestive trance. It seems like science fiction, but as Alex digs deeper, he uncovers a frightening reality of secret research and cruel experimentation—and the perpetrators are closer to home than he could ever have imagined.
Book 2, Pain Book 3, Mirror

This has been a read filled with tension and suspense and I have been completely hooked. I have adored the way this has been written and fully engaged in this novel.

Matt, Imogen and their daughter, Ash, move to their dream home and away from London after an incident that cost Matt his job and left Imogen doubting her husband. Desperate to fit in to her ideal life, Imogen becomes quick friends with neighbour Nancy, but is everything as it seems?

This was a bit of a slow burner for me at first and I wasn't really invested in the story. I don't like it when past incidents are obscured from the reader so I didn't feel the desire to pick it up for the first. However, it picked up pace rather quickly after the first 30% of the book and I looked forward to reading it to see what happened next.

I did not expect that twist at the end, which I thought was really good. However, I think it could have been executed a little better.

I realllllly loved this read! It is addictive, frustrating and twisted!

I did guess pretty early on that Ruby wasn't ill and Nancy was keeping her that way but it still made me want to know how they were going to get out of the situation they were in.

I LOVED the twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all!

I may have misread (so apologies if I have) but I swear Matt went to the supermarket with Ruby then rushed off leaving her behind - and this niggled me slightly.