This novel is about a couple who move to a seemingly idyllic Oxfordshire village following a harrowing experience in the city. Unfortunately for them, it soon becomes evident that things aren’t quite right in their new home which is suspected to be the site of a familicide. The welcoming neighbours also start becoming increasingly suspicious, leading to tensions between this already-troubled couple. The novel was quite entertaining, but unfortunately I couldn’t relate to either of the main protagonists and the plot was overly implausible. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me an advanced copy of the book in return for an honest review.

I was really looking forward to this as I loved the Max Wolfe series, but I found it quite slow to get going and rushed at the end.
None of the characters were very likeable and Lana was particularly annoying, I quite often found myself wanting to shout at her to get a grip.
I also found there were several unnecessary characters that didn't add much to the story
The ending was quite unbelievable and not what I was expecting, and didn't quite tie up the loose ends.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.

This book started off well but sadly my interest dropped. Not one of the better books by this author in my opinion

A good beginning with lots of promise but unfortunately, as the story progressed I became irritated and disappointed. The characters were not at all likeable, which is okay, but they were also not at all believable. I could have liked this book but unfortunately, I didn't -sorry!
Thank you Random House and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

Although I prefer his Max Wolfe series, this is an excellent standalone from Tony Parsons. Some of the tropes of the psychological thriller are perhaps all too familiar but this is nevertheless an intriguing story, full of surprising revelations and unexpected twists. When a young couple move into a house in idyllic Middle England to escape their demons, they are shocked to discover that their dream home was previously occupied by a murdered family, and their seemingly charming neighbours are all keeping secrets. A real page turner and immensely readable.

The opening was interesting then it went downhill for me.
Lana and Roman move to a new house in Oxfordshire in a gated community after a terrifying experience they had at their old house, everyone is very friendly but things are not as they seem and the more Lana investigates the deeper she gets into something she can`t get out of.

I thought it vey far fetched and Lana was very irritating just wanted to slap her, an d none of the other characters were likeable so not for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Intriguing if somewhat confusing storyline nevertheless I thoroughly enjoyed this novel a very lmaginatve theme congratulations to the author.A great read well recommended.

Man and Boy remains one of my favourite books of all times, which meant this one had lots to live up to.
It surpassed all expectations and I loved this book. The characters were intriguing and interesting and I was quickly pulled into the plot. I’d definitely recommend it and it’s more than worthy of 5 stars.

@currentlyreading__
Book 16 of 2022

Everyone knows I am a big admirer of @tonyparsonsuk, from 'Man and Boy' at the end of 1990s to his more recent domestic thrillers, and it was a treat that I was sent an e-ARC from Random House, Cornerstone UK, @NetGalley and the author himself. Thank you all so much! 'The People Next Door' will be published on 31st March, just in time for your lazy Easter reading sessions and it is a page-turner, I'll tell you that. The story follows Roman and Lana, an affluent couple who are escaping a traumatic incident in London by relocating to Oxfordshire and a seemingly perfect exclusive neighbourhood, The Gardens. Roman, as a doctor, is aware that Lana is suffering from trauma and realises how she is spiralling into some sort of mania after discovering events which have taken place in their new, again seemingly perfect house.

There is, as was the case with @tonyparsonsuk's last novel, tension which is constantly bubbling and menace pervading through the beautiful setting with the yellow cottages and rolling green fields, helpful neighbours who provide local honey and the fact that nothing is quite as it seems. To quote Lady Macbeth, these characters may "look like the innocent flower(s)" but they certainly have hidden and sinister depths. As always, characterisation is spot on - from Lana and Roman, to the affluent neighbours of The Gardens and Sandy, somewhat of a mentor to Lana, who makes her aware of her own talents and how she needs to have more faith in herself. Get it on your pre-order list and you are guaranteed a tense domestic thriller.


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This book is a mixed bag. It opens with photographer Lana and her doctor husband, Roman, a city couple escaping personal trauma, as they move to The Gardens, an exclusive enclave in sleepy, rural Oxfordshire, seeking a fresh start.

Their new neighbours appear to be very friendly and welcoming, but are they what they seem on the surface or are they hiding secrets? Only time will tell. The house they move into has a horrible tragic history which unnerves Lana and causes her to question everything.

Her neighbours’ responses fail to fully reassure her especially when she discovers that one of the rooms in her new home is constructed like a panic room. And while Roman is willing to overlook the implications of it, Lana isn’t satisfied until she has answers.

The dramatic tension ramps up as differing perspectives are offered. Though it’s clear that she has several reasons to be concerned. Her anxiety and fear increase as she discovers more horrors lurking behind the scenes in this rich, privileged environment.

Confusing, alternative versions of the truth make Lana begin to doubt herself and exhibit signs of precarious mental health, which Roman privately medicates. Lana’s discoveries cause her distress because she doesn’t know who to trust. Evidence she sees, and relates to the police, mysteriously disappears when they come to investigate.

Good, gripping thriller material so far. And then it isn’t. The unlikeable cast of characters, plus the ever changing plot twists and turns, make the storyline unbelievable, and the ending seems completely farcical, which is such a shame. A great beginning spoilt by an unsatisfactory ending. Grateful thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, for the ARC. 3.5**

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I enjoyed this book, liked the storyline and also the characters but have to be honest not as good as this authors previous books.

After an horrific experience, Lana Wade and her GP husband Roman, move to an idyllic Oxford village. It’s a perfect environment; luxury houses bordering open countryside, a dedicated security man and friendly neighbours. However, when Lana accidentally discovers a brutal murder has been committed in their home, she begins to see the neighbours in a different light.
This is a fast paced novel which touches on the problems of the Wade’s neighbours (single parenting, domestic abuse, mental health to name a few) and incorporates them into this cast of characters (some likeable, others not so much) who below the surface of their perfect lives, hide a huge dark secret. Plenty of twists and turns tricking you into thinking you know what’s about to happen. But you don’t. Not at all. A gripping read which is difficult to put down. My only one complaint was the ending. Not what I expected and in some ways it left me a little disappointed. I wanted closure, but sadly that wasn’t to be.

My thanks to Netgalley, Random House and Tony Parsons for an ARC of The People Next Door in exchange for an honest review.

Lana and Roman Wade have fled the city after a traumatic incident, seeking peace and a new start in the idyllic setting of The Gardens in Oxfordshire. The high tension of the story is well signposted in the italicised prologue, so the reader is already anticipating dark deeds and danger, in spite of the lush and beautiful surroundings they find themselves in. The opening chapters of the book are well-paced with the troubling and unexplainable incidents fed in fairly steadily. As it gained momentum, however, the plot became more farce than suspense with a frankly ludicrous and over-blown ending. A big disappointment from one of my favourite authors.
I voluntarily read an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'The People Next Door' gripped me from the first page. The setting in the beautiful Oxford countryside was well drawn and evocative, but there was a sense of unease from the start, which I found irresistible. The portraits of the neighbours were. occasionally overdone, particularly the two women, but were nevertheless intriguing. I found myself swayed between the two main narrators, convinced first by one, then the other. The final denouement resolved this in a startling way. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, but one which also captures the darker side of unpredictable events, and we've had a few of those recently. Highly recommended for an entertaining read..

Tony Parsons is best known for his hugely successful Man and Boy novels. This book takes a much darker approach and personally I wasn't really in the mood for it. But if you fancy a terrifying psychological thriller set within an ordinary domestic setting, this may well be your cup of tea.. That's assuming you like people to occasionally throw your cup of tea in your face to ensure you get the adrenaline rush you only ever really get from frequent sudden shocks.

Lana, a photographer, and her husband Roman, a doctor, move from London to a picture postcard Cotswold village to start a new life. Roman has embraced the move, whereas Lana yearns for the hustle and bustle of London. They are warmly welcomed by their neighbours in the Gardens, something that Lana concedes would never have happened in London. The women become instant friends with Lana, again something that Lana concedes wouldn’t have happened in London. Despite this, she feels that it’s all a little too good to be true. She eventually discovers what happened to the former owners of her house and starts to see her neighbours in a new light and wonders whether they are masking something else more sinister.

The story unfolds from the perspectives of both Lana and then Roman. It’s a fantastic psychological thriller with so many twists and turns - I really didn’t know what was going to happen next.

This is my first Tony Parsons book and I absolutely loved it and will seek out his other books based on this book.

Huge thanks to the publishers Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century and NetGalley for the ARC for a fair and honest review.

4 Stars from me

What should have been the perfect life for Lana and Roman soon appears to show a few cracks.

This psychological thriller definitely messed with my mind and at places in the story I was virtually screaming at Lana!

The story and the depth of character development was everything that I would expect from Tony Parsons. I got to know all of the residents of the perfect leafy close... and all of their increasingly concerning habits!

Once life begins to unravel for Lana, things between her and Roman soon become rocky and she begins to lose sight of so much about herself, their relationship and why she ever though that the quiet, private, village life was ever for her.

More than that though, just what IS going on with her neighbours and, what exactly are her husband's plans?

The People Next Door, is gripping, disconcerting and a must for psychological thriller fans!

A couple move to rural Oxfordshire escaping a horrific event that is never quite revealed until very late in the tale. Seemingly an idyllic location the Garden and its residents are not what they seem as slowly they are shown to be a cult preparing for Armageddon. Missing people , violent murder/suicide and bones under a swimming pool all eventually combine in a probably too short climax. Reasonable but improbable tale but you have to go to the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reading. I love Tony Parsons books and this was a good one but I felt it dragged a bit and ended quite abruptly. Still a good read though.
#ThePeopleNextDoor #NetGalley

Great premise and lots of intrigue and suspense, with some truly vile characters to really hate but for me the ending seemed a bit abrupt and the loose ends tied up so rapidly that I felt I needed another 2 chapters to really get to the end!