This book started out well - a couple come to live in a gated cul-de-sac in Oxfordshire; the neighbours are well-heeled and there's there own security guard. The couple, Lana and Roman (a doctor), have had some trauma in their lives, and hope to lay the ghosts with a new start. However, almost straight away they find a panic room with CCTV cameras in the house, and then they discover the previous occupants of their home were all murdered by the husband.

The stage is set, we meet the neighbours, and all seems well except Lana is drinking more than Roman likes, and he starts to medicate her to improve her mood. From there it becomes a sort of pseudo psychological thriller that just stretches the boundaries of belief too far. And I lost interest. I finished the book, but it didn't grab me and I didn't believe half of what I was reading - the conspiracy theories, the ends to which this company of neighbours will band together.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for allowing me access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'd give this 3 1/2 stars if I could, but I just can't quite push to 4 stars. I've read pretty much every book that Tony Parsons has ever written, and sadly this was one of my least favourite ones so far. Especially at the beginning it was very ploddy, I couldn't see where the plot was going, I was disengaged and not that interested as well. It was heavy, the characters clumsy. About 3/4 of the way through it gripped me, but the big twist, was something I had guessed hundreds of pages before. I'm a big fan of disliking characters, I think that makes them more relatable and more attractive. But these characters, they weren't only dislikable, they didn't feel very fleshed out. They were quire two dimensional and just .... boring? Despite all their horrendousness.

I'm not sad I read it, I don't feel like I wasted my time, but it's not the kind of book I'll go around raving about.

Roman and Lana leave their London home for the countryside. They had a very distressing and violent home invasion which made them both extremely uptight. Lana is a photographer and hoped to continue her passion in their new home. This does not happen even though her mentor travels from London to boost her confidence. Roman is a doctor and has accepted a post as a gp in a private practice. Off they go to Oxfordshire and are welcomed with open arms into The Gardens with the country house at the end of the close. The families all seem extremely pleasant and are pleased with their new neighbours. As Lana is meeting with two neighbours for coffee it comes to light that the family who were in the property before them had died but in a terrible way. The father, an airline pilot which had lost his job and had a nervous breakdown shot his wife, son and them himself. Lana struggled with this information especially as Roman had not told her. During meetings with the neighbours Lana becomes distracted with things that seem to be happening which her husband s so oblivious to. The more she delves into the neighbourhood the more stressed she becomes and the more frightened. Roman feels that the stress of the neighbourhood is in part due to the home invasion and does not take her concerns to heart. Take pills and it will all be ok but this is not the answer and she leaves. Roman goes to London to bring her home and that is when the drama begins and it is very interesting and a little weird. The neighbours are closer and more “out there” than Lana thinks. It gets better as the story progresses. This book really twists and turns in a way that I love. I really enjoyed this book and would not hesitate to recommend it – a good read

Roman and Lana move to an idyllic house in a small close in Oxfordshire after they were attacked in their previous house, Lana soon discovers that something terrible happened in their new house and the neighbours know the truth. I read the book quite quickly but the more I read the more unbelievable it became especially the behaviour of Roman. Lana runs away but amazingly returns despite suspecting some of what happened and knowing there is at least one murderer in the road.
I would rate the book three and a half stars but rounded to four as I did carry on reading..
This is an honest review of a complementary ARC

This book follows the story of a couple who move to the country to start a new life and escape some traumatic past. There were so many characters, plot twists and tangents to the story that I actually found it very confusing. The writing is gripping and I wanted to finish with the ‘oh! I see!’ feeling but honestly I’m quite confused and not really sure if I enjoyed it or not!

A book that is dark and has a chilling component. I enjoyed the story. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book.

I wanted to finish this so it did keep me gripped, but despite an interesting story I felt it all got a bit unbelievable by the end and pretty odd. Just ok for me.

This book really surprised me in what a departure it is from earlier books I've read from the same author. I didn't enjoy it and found it too far fetched.

First three quarters of the book had me gripped. Love the interplay between Lana & Roman, and the changing relationship between them and their new neighbours. Creepy, well written and engaging, but the last quarter of the book did not feel the same, less pacey, less atmospheric and it almost lost me. Great writer but this one left me feeling like I needed more.

I have to confess that parts of Tony Parsons’ Max Wolfe books were too grisly for me – I prefer allusions and thought-provoking passages to literary descriptions of brutality. I was, however, very interested in the premise of his latest novel – a house in an idyllic setting that becomes anything but – so I was delighted to be granted an ARC in order to review The People Next Door.

Initially, Lana and Roman appear to have fulfilled their dream: they have exchanged their city flat full of unhappy memories for a gorgeous property in an idyllic Cotswolds setting. Although the neighbours seem friendly enough, the discovery of a panic room and the gradual realisations that each neighbour harbours a secret, lead Lana to question the wisdom of her decision and to become increasingly erratic and terrified. This causes tension between her and Roman and as more and more secrets are uncovered, we finally learn what an extraordinarily claustrophobic situation the couple are actually in… I did not recognise much of the genteel Cotswolds in the descriptions in this book, but its often unbelievable, feverish plot would have worked well in any location. A very good choice for thriller readers who enjoy being taken on helter-skelter thriller rides. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the ARC of a thriller that I can only recommend.

Cleverly written psychological thriller written from the perspective of different characters. Lana the wife and Roman the husband.
The relationship with their new neighbours deteriorates as Lana becomes increasingly anxious and appears to be paranoid about circumstances around their lives and what happened in this village prior to their arrival.
My one criticism is at times I felt some of the storyline to be a bit far fetched and hard to believe. However, in the end it all came together to a satisfactory conclusion.
The book was well written and easy to read.

I really did not enjoy this at all. I felt none of the characters had any real substance and the story was too far fetched

We meet Lana and Roman Wade as they move into their new home in rural Oxfordshire. There is an undercurrent of unease from the beginning and this intensifies as Lana gets to know the neighbours and finds out the history of the house.
This book contains lots of secrets and twists and the tension increases but I was not sure of the ending.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

This was all quite creepy, it was clear from the get go that things were not as they seemed but had no idea the turn things would take and the weirdness of the neighbours. You were rooting for them to escape and seemed so sad after all they had endured before they moved to have even more to cope with!

A great read and one you couldn't put down.

This is a hard one to review, it started off well but ….

Following a violent home invasion, Lana and her husband, Roman move to Oxfordshire. Initially, I was sucked in, but the plot seemed to go around in circles rather than lead anywhere. There are a LOT of plot ‘twists’ but they were more like tangents that didn’t add up. I think the author tried to include too much resulting in a story that didn’t make any sense. I like my crime fiction to be believable, fiction is allowed to stray from fact, but, personally, I like it when it is believable.

The characters, most of which served no purpose, weren’t likeable. With the exclusion of Lana, none of them were strong characters that added to the story. The only reason I kept reading was to see if it all come together at the end – it didn’t!! The ending was very far-fetched and didn’t tie up any of the loose ends

Usually, when I read a crime novel, I’m thinking about which character committed the crime not here, I could decide what the crime being committed was.

Overall, the authors’ writing style was enjoyable and very descriptive, it just seems like the novel was rushed.
2.5/5 Star

I wasn't sure if this book was for me but I have enjoyed some of Tony Parson's previous books so wanted to have a look. After completing it I'm still not sure! Parts of the story were intriguing and the world building was good but, at times, it read like the script for an ITV mid-week drama rather than a standalone book. At times it was a bit pulpy, at others it made some interesting points about society. The central drama wandered all over the shop and wasn't convinced by the ending. (Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review).

I expected a really good read from Tony Parsons, but this was not it.
It all felt a tad derivative, bits of a plot with a setting I’ve read before. The story started off well enough, but it got very tangled and implausible, with dislikable characters. It had way too many internal musings, which I personally dislike like in a book, it slows the narrative right down.
Outdoor pool swimming in October in UK? Really? Where exactly?
I didn’t get the ‘twisty suspense’ aspect of this story, sadly.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this title.

Told through the perspective of Lana and Roman this book follows their move to the idyllic Gardens. Country living at its best. A new start following a traumatic experience in the city. Surely it’s the fresh start that anyone would relish?

Lana isn’t convinced that it’s the place for them but Roman is there to try and talk her round. But when she discovers a panic room in the house and finds out about the tragic end to the family that lived there before them Lana starts to question their new neighbours and what they are hiding.

Soon she discovers that her own husband has been keeping secrets from her and that their new neighbours will go to any lengths to protect themselves.

This is a gripping story that takes many turns. Murder, conspiracy and doomsday fanatics - this book really does have it all. There are moments when you start to believe the stories that Lana is being told but Lana is strong and she is determined to find the truth and get justice. Will she succeed? that remains to be seen.

Definitely one to add to your to be read pile.

Oh my gosh I absolutely loved this book, so much so read over two days, unputdownable. I’ve bought it for my husband I enjoyed it so much.

I’ve really enjoyed Tony Parsons man and boy trilogy and was really interested in this psychological thriller and it didn’t disappoint. I liked the characters and enjoyed the different points of view. I wasn’t sure who to trust and enjoyed the twists and turns. Set in current times even has a nod to Covid. Thank you net galley and the publishers for giving me the chance to read the ARC copy. Definitely hope to see it on lots of sun-beds this summer

I struggled with this novel but persevered only because I have enjoyed Tony Parsons other work. The plot was slow, story unrealistic, many of the characters dislikeable and card board cut outs of real people. Three stars and I hope for better in the future.