The People Next Door is the latest thriller from the ever-popular Tony Parsons.
After a horrific experience in their London flat Lana and Roman Wade decide to move to the safer environs of rural Oxfordshire. From the beginning Lana feels uneasy despite their seemingly idyllic new home being in an exclusive close, "The Gardens", with friendly ,affluent and well-to-do neighbours. When Lana discovers the circumstances of the tragic deaths of family who lived in the house before her and Roman she begins to see her home and neighbours as hiding dark secrets, secrets that her attempts to discover the truth threaten to put her in danger.

This is a superior psychological thriller from a master of the genre. There are a lot of current issues addressed in a scarily believable plot and there's an diverse range of characters with very different backstories.
The experience that drove that couple from London is very slowly revealed,and never in detail,but a big part of the story is whether Lana is suffering the psychological aftermath of that or is there indeed something very nasty beneath the veneer of The Gardens and its genteel residents..

Another excellent read from Tony Parsons.............with an ending I doubt anyone will see coming.

Lana and Roman Ward escape the city to a lovely honey coloured cottage. There neighbours are young, gifted and rich.

But,in reality, how do we know what secrets are geld by our neighbours or even our house?

A cracking fast paced thriller by Tony Parsons that was difficult to put down!

I’m sure this will be made into a movie as it’s terrifying and this street is nuts but I couldn’t put this book down and had to know what was going on and what would happen.

This is the first book I have ready by this author.
The story follows Lana & Roman who move to a new home in Oxfordshire after being victims of a horrific crime in their old place.
Looking at it as an outsider, everything looks peaceful & idyllic on their new street, but once they get settled in Lana realises that all is not as it seems in their neighboughood.
All the new neighboughs are welcoming enough, and they soon become friends with some of them. However, Lana senses that there is something underlying that is weird, and just a bit unnerving. She soon discovers that the previous occupants of her new home were murdered, and everyone assumes that it was the husband who had murdered his family befroe killing himself.
There is also the fact that one of her neighbours wives has gone missing, and another is regularly beaten by her husband.
What is going on in this street?
I really enjoyed the first three quarters of this book, but then found it got a bit far fetched. I also didn't like the ending that just seemed to stop abruptly, and left me confused as to what was going to happen to Lana & Roman. For that reason, I have only given 3 stars. Otherwise, I would have given it the full 5.

I read this book really quickly, it was gripping right from the start and had a good amount of intrigue, mystery and unpredictability, I couldnt put it down.

Lana and Roman Wade exchange their flat in London for an idyllic cottage in the Oxfordshire countryside after a traumatic experience at their flat. However, Lana struggles to adjust to life in her new home in what is known as ‘The Gardens’. Despite her new neighbours being friendly, Lana is uneasy and gets a bad feeling about the close and this unease is increased after finding out what happened to the people who lived in their house before them. Lana starts digging, trying to find out what her neighbours are hiding from her and finds out all is not what it seems. In contrast, Roman is won over by the close and it’s inhabitants, wanting desperately to believe they will be safe here after what happened to them at their flat.

I found this book to be an enjoyable psychological thriller however, I found the ending a bit abrupt and would have liked an epilogue.

Tony Parsons writes well. His books are pacey and always worth reading. I have read some of his other stuff but this book is slightly different. More domestic noir with a side portion of murder. That being said I loved it!

Lana and Roman want a new start. He will be the local doctor and they will live in The Gardens. The neighbours seem ok - but time begins to tell a different story and Lana's struggle to adapt to living in the country seems focused on the previous occupants of their new house. Pacy and well driven thriller.

Lana and Roman Wade move to the country to start a new life after an invasion in their home which has left them traumatised. The move to The Gardens which is idyllic but is it all too good to be true. The neighbours are all really lovely but it is obvious from the start that something is not quite right. The book is written in sections of narrative from either Lana or Roman. I thought it started really well with twists and turns but then it all became a bit rushed with the ending a bit of a let down. Overall I enjoyed this and would look for more from Tony Parsons. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Uk, Cornerstone for the ARC.

I did enjoy reading this book. I wasn't sure about the reliability of the characters, but that was okay. The writing and story kept me interested and I wasn't sure how it was going to pan out .However, without giving too much away, I did find the ending to be a little contrived and it did take away the shine for me .I still thought it was worthy of 4 stars because it had kept me entertained up until the last few chapters.

I love Tony Parson’s Max Wolfe detective series; sad to say, ‘The People Next Door’ is not in the same league. The story is narrated by photographer Lana and her doctor husband, Roman. They have moved to a desirable village in the Cotswolds, trying to escape memories of a violent attack in their previous home. Lana is not sure that this is the way forward and becomes increasingly dubious as she begins to understand that her welcoming neighbours are not as straight-forward as at first they seem.
Parsons can tell a story but, although the reasons given for his characters’ behaviour and beliefs seem just about tenable at first, they become less and less credible as the narrative unfolds. Whilst I was keen to read on to see how the many tense moments are resolved – or built upon – I found myself less and less convinced by the characters’ motivations. Perhaps better development of fewer threads would have made this a more arresting read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.

The idea behind this book was a good one, but unfortunately it was all just too far-fetched to be credible. Once the reader no longer believes in the story the book is a waste of time.

Oh, the lure of yellow oolitic Jurassic limestone. Yes, the honey coloured stone used in some Cotswold buildings and it was lovely enough to tempt Lana and Roman Wade from their city flat to the rolling green fields of Oxfordshire. An idyllic residential close known as The Gardens was where they settled and at a bargain price too. Now, anyone searching for a house in the Cotswolds should always be cautious of a bargain property and sure enough they soon found out why. The house was a former crime scene where the occupants were found slaughtered, seemingly without the need to look elsewhere for the perpetrator as one committed suicide after murdering the others. The couple were welcomed warmly in to the rural idyll and Lana tried her best to assimilate but sensed the perfect life here in The Gardens was anything but.
Quite an intriguing novel but one based on a path well trodden. I must confess to researching Oleander as soon as it was mentioned in the novel as I have only seen it abroad and not in England, I guess as welcome in a domestic garden as Laburnum. The ending was fitting for an end of days neighbourhood.

A feeling of unease runs through this book from the start. Quite reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby (without the black magic) and Stepford wives. A bad experience causes a couple to move to 'The Gardens' where the neighbours are not as they seem. An enjoyable book that you want to keep reading. My only criticism is about the actions of the main female character who continually returns home despite her reservations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advance copy of this book.

Rating: 3.9/5

For some reason or other, in spite of already having a sizeable back catalogue, Tony Parsons is an author who has simply passed me by until now. However, based on my experience of reading "The People Next Door", I will certainly be back for more in future. The very premise of the story and a number of the plot developments do require the reader to suspend disbelief and grant the author a fair amount of dramatic licence, but if you are prepared to do that, you will be rewarded with a pacy thriller that is engaging and entertaining.

Lana Wade and her husband, Roman, have moved away from London after having endured a harrowing experience. Their new home is in a well-to-do residential close known as "The Gardens", located in a leafy part of Oxfordshire. Roman seems to be immediately won over by the new location and their welcoming neighbours. Lana is less convinced and feels somewhat ill at ease. Are her reservations unfounded, or is there, indeed, something more sinister going on behind the flawless facade?

There are echoes of Ira Levin's, "The Stepford Wives" - perhaps overlaid with elements of a British version of "Desperate Housewives" - in this novel, but is is certainly far from being a facsimile. Tony Parsons may well have made use of some other influences, but he has created something that is very much his own. The author's storytelling abilities are clearly evident, with each and every one of the characters being well-drawn and memorable. Good stuff!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5 stars

Photographer Lana and Dr Roman Wade moved to Oxfordshire after a violent home invasion. Roman is very keen to settle in a more rural location, Lana less so. They’re warmly welcomed and told “nobody ever leaves“ so why is Lana so full of disquiet? Is it really a garden of paradise, an idyllic and beautiful village or do bad things happen here the same as elsewhere? Most importantly for Lana, what happened to the people who lived in their house before them? Sometimes, village life albeit a beautiful one, isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, sometimes lives are just as broken as everywhere else.

This starts really well as a good slow burner psychological thriller. The author frequently lulls you into a false sense of security and that is certainly the case here. Initially all looks well and then the mystery of the small enclave starts to deepen. Equally puzzling is some of the behaviour. Lana is a bag of nerves but is she right about her seemingly upstanding “people next door“? Her charactisation is good though I frequently want to punch Roman who is so patronising at times and some of his behaviour doesn’t add up and you question his actions. There are some good twists as you realise that this is a very strange place with surface nice people.

However, much as it grieves me to give this author whose books I usually like a lower rating than normal, I’m sorry to say that it starts to get too OTT and far-fetched for me to buy into especially the conclusion. Some characters are not sufficiently fleshed out and so it doesn’t feel authentic and especially latterly, some of the dialogue makes me wince. The actual ending is extremely abrupt, what are we meant to make of that?

Overall much of this is enjoyable especially the first 60% but the last 30% percent is not to my taste.

PS definitely going to have to try Léoube as Lana quaffs it so happily!!!

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Random House UK, Cornerstone/Century for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Lana and Roman Wade have left the city and their unhappy memories and moved to a residential close among the rolling green hills of Oxfordshire. Living here is their dream and their neighbours seem welcoming so why does Lana feel uneasy? They may have a secret that they don’t wish to share with their new neighbours, but it seems they’re not the only ones keeping secrets. As time passes, Lana is more and more convinced the neighbours are hiding something from her, something about what happened to the family who previously loved in her house. This book is part psychological thriller, part murder mystery and part love story - about the secrets we keep and what we will do for love. One thing is for certain, once you start reading this book, you won’t want to put it down. Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author for the chance to review.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I am old enough to remember when Tony Parsons was a "hip young gunslinger" writing for the NME. More recently he is the author of the Max Wolfe series of crime novels set in London. The People Next Door is a standalone psychological thriller - a couple, Lana and Roman move to a seemingly idyllic house in the country following a traumatic event which is only hinted at until late in the book. The new hours is set in a close and the affluent friendly neighbours aren't what they seem. The couple find themselves drawn into the past history of the house and Lana becomes increasingly paranoid as time goes on. No spoilers here but the denouement involves a couple of characters who have been seemingly peripheral to the action throughout. A good read - finished it in a couple of days - recommended.

Following a home invasion Lana and Roman Wade leave London and set up home in the countryside. With friendly neighbours and an idyllic setting everything seems perfect until Lana discovers that a murder/suicide took place in their new home. Lana is convinced that something sinister is happening among her neighbours.

The opening chapter is terrifying and really grips the reader. The thought that intruders have broken into your home during the night fills you with dread. The author does not go into graphic detail, leaving that for the reader to imagine.

Following the disturbing opening we then move to Lana and Roman moving into their new home. The descriptions of the rural setting, the beautiful houses and the friendly neighbours make this seem like an idyllic place for anyone to set up home and make a fresh start.

Affluence is on display, from the top of the range cars to the swimming pools in the gardens. When Lana and Roman meet two other couples who live nearby they discover that the wives have given up successful careers to become homemakers. This, along with the beautiful setting, gave me a sense of "Stepford Wives" and had me wondering what secrets were lurking under the glossy veneer.

While Roman settles well into his new surroundings, Lana becomes ever more doubtful that things are as perfect as they seem. This brings tension between the couple and we are given subtle hints as to what happened during the home invasion in the opening chapter.

As secrets are revealed we discover the truth behind what brought the couple to their new home, along with the terrifying situation they have put themselves in.

I know this author from the Max Wolfe books which are a good read. This book, however, was not as good.. Towards the end it became somewhat farcical with just about every plot line you can think of thrown in. None of the characters were particularly likeable. For all the killing that went on it was actually quite boring. There were a number of inconsistencies in the story line that didn't gel.
Sadly not one of Mr Parson's best