Another good read from this author, well written, intriguing and interesting characters and a flowing storyline

‘A Neighbour’s Guide to Murser’ by Louise Candlish is an incredibly twisty domestic thriller where no character can be trusted… perfect for anyone who was glued to ‘Only Murders In The Building’.

I enjoyed the unconventional main character Gwen, and the variety of twists and turns in the story of her friendship with much younger fellow resident of the gorgeous Columbia Mansions apartment block. Some of the issues explored in the novel are very topical, making it a gripping read.

While this book doesn’t reach the heights of the darkly compelling and thought-provoking ‘Our House’, it’s another captivating domestic thriller by Louise Candlish and gets 3.5 stars from me!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher HQ via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Another brilliant book by Louise candlish. No one could predict the goings on in a highly desirable residence. Where rental prices are at an all time high. Alec is accused of offering an alternative method of payment. Gwen is a huge figure throughout the book and the writer really brings her to life through the pages. At times I felt Chen and at others you are left wondering what she would be like as a neighbour. Full of things you don’t see coming. Very easy to get lost in this book 💜

Fantastically written, such great characters. Louise never disappoints - such topical subject matter in today's housing crisis. I was completely hooked from the opening pages.

This book will appeal to fans of Richard Osman’s Thursday murder club series. It is told from the POV of an older lady Gwen who becomes involved when she believes her new neighbour Pixie is being taken advantage of by her landlord Alec.

It starts out with a murder and the reader is taken back by Gwen by the vents leading up to it.

The book was really well plotted and had a few twists in it that I wasn’t expecting. I loved the character of Gwen and felt quite sorry for her as she was obviously lonely.

I really enjoyed this and would recommend.

I love Louise Candlish books, she always has such great characters in such normal situations that get out of control. A Neighbours Guide to Murder is slower burning mystery with an elderly woman at the centre of it all. There were some dark moments and there were some very funny moments. The residents of Columbia Mansions were not the kind of neighbours that I would want, so much drama!!

Gwen was a frustrating character but she had a big heart. When she sees a young woman in trouble she tries to help, but she makes a lot of assumptions and finds herself neck deep in hot water, and sinking fast. It shows the divide in the generations, of what is happening in the world today with the housing crisis and cost of living crisis skyrocketing. Of course, there is the social media side of things, how much damage it can do so fast.

Fantastically written, this author never disappoints. The ending was wild and crazy, just as I like them!!

Thanks so much to HQ for m copy of this book to read. So entertaining

A well written but disappointing read.

Whilst I enjoyed the way in which this book was scripted I have to say that the storyline itself was just awful. Gwen, the main character is exactly what she claims not to be… an old busy body with enough problems of her own that she really shouldn’t have stuck her nose into others problems.

I felt like there was an important message that Louise wanted to highlight and discuss throughout this novel - however it just felt clumsy, un-researched and therefore became no more than a point of change within the book.

The way the book ended and the ‘mystery’ resolved was underwhelming and a bit far fetched. I was waiting for Pixie to step up but instead she just drifted around in the background of her story.

Very disappointing and I’m wondering why it was rated so highly.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Neighbours Guide To Murder was a different type of read from this author for me and one I enjoyed.
Gwen is a typical nosey old woman living in Columbia Mansions, a few flats too tightly knitted together with a community of different characters in their own flats. Gwen gets wind that her neighbour across from her home is renting out a room in exchange for sex. She brings it upon herself to get friendly with the girl and help her out as much as she can. But little does she know how this will play out and it’s not the way she thinks it will.
This book is told predominantly from Gwens POV which worked well, the range of characters, don’t worry there aren’t that many that you’ll get confused, are so widely apart it makes the book solely on that. The storyline was different and one I didn’t instantly gel with but the more I got to know the characters the more I loved it. The dilemma Gwen gets herself into over who is right and who is wrong made me wonder what I’d do in that situation. The ending was great and left nothing unanswered.
I would like to thank NetGalley and HQ for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling story about Gwen, an elderly resident of an apartment in an exclusive mansion block of flats who befriends a new neighbour in her twenties called Pixie. A friendship develops between the two neighbours and all seems to be well until a revelation emerges over the rental arrangement that Pixie has agreed with her live-in landlord. This leads to media interest and a series of calamities placing Gwen’s comfortable retirement in jeopardy. The story is well-written, with engaging, if not always likeable characters and the stifling social set-up of the mansion block and its management committee is well-observed and skilfully portrayed.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is an intriguing storyline that kept my interest. The main character Gwen is a complex individual and as time went on my view of her changed from initial impressions! It is well written and fast moving. I loved the setting of the building where Glen and the other main character, Alex, live. Although in an expensive and no doubt beautiful area and surroundings, the management committee seem to rule the residents lives rather and everyone likes to know what their neighbours are doing. There are many plot twists and turns along the way and some quite unexpected moments. Definitely one to recommend for a really absorbing read.

I hoped to love this book but was left a little flat

I’ve read three previous books by the Author and was quite excited about reading this once, hoping for the usual little twists and periods of excitement. I didn’t find this book quite as thrilling and found myself skim reading the odd sentence.

It’s not to say it’s not a good book but I needed a little more buzz!

I was able to have imagine the characters well and had a particular feel for each of them. The description of the characters helped and I enjoyed the storyline and how well the book was written.

I would recommend the book to my friends but more as a easy read
Thank you for the opportunity to read it and I will still be working my way through her other books

I loved this book. I loved Gwen's voice and was really hooked in by her narrative, this was a hard to put down read...I loved the humour injected throughout...I actually laughed out loud a number of times. I loved the glamour and intrigue of Columbia Mansions (it kept reminding me of a British version of only murders in the building which I binge watched on TV). I found the authors perspective on the housing crisis and the cost of living as well as loneliness in older people to be cleverly woven in and it gave the story even more depth.

Clever, entertaining and hard to put down. Fantastic read!

When Gwen discovers that her neighbour is letting a room in his flat for free in exchange for sex, she knows she has to get the young woman out of the exploitative situation but she doesn’t quite know who is telling the truth and who is twisting the situation for their own needs

This is a fascinating book, exploring truth and lies , and how an older woman can be dismissed and situations manipulated . Well worth a read

A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish is a slow-burning, character-driven novel full of darkly comic observations, nosy neighbours, and tension - LOTS of tension...

We follow Gwen, a retired woman living in a south London flat, whose sharp tongue and even sharper observations make her both deeply entertaining and, at times, rather abrupt. We read the story through Gwen’s often critical view of the world around he. It’s through her eyes that we learn about the 'situation' that Pixie, a new tenant in Alec's flat across the hall from Gwen. Things start to snowball from there...

Though the title might suggest a fast-paced murder mystery, the 'killing' itself is just a small piece of the puzzle. The real drama is in the relationships, the long-standing resentments, the ridiculous communal politics of leasehold living (which I found especially relatable as a leaseholder myself!), and the slowly unravelling secrets that remind us we never really know the people who live around us.

As always, Louise Candlish excels at creating a real atmosphere. She draws us fully into Gwen’s world and her overactive mind - her daily routines, her gripes, her growing fears - with such authenticity that you feel like you're living inside her head. It’s clever, claustrophobic, and often humorous.

The cast of characters is excellent. There are some who you’ll absolutely love to hate - those people who feel just a bit too familiar - and others who it's a joy to watch unravel! You're never quite sure who’s telling the truth - something feels like it's simmering just beneath the surface.

There are darker moments - this is a book about murder, after all - but it’s never gratuitous. The darkness is more psychological: the slow reveal of how resentment and loneliness can fester, and what happens when they’re left unchecked.

I really enjoyed this novel. It’s an immersive, slow-burning story that blends social commentary with a satisfying, sinister edge. If you enjoy unreliable narrators, neighbourly tension, and plenty of dark humour, I think 'A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder' is well worth a read!

Set in the elegant yet quietly claustrophobic Columbia Mansions, A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder introduces us to Gwen, a retiree whose life takes a sharp turn when she befriends her new neighbour, Pixie, a younger woman with charm to spare and secrets to hide. Their unlikely age-gap friendship begins innocently enough, but when a crime surfaces, Gwen’s protective instincts spiral into something far darker, threatening to unravel the façade of civility that holds the building together.

Louise Candlish is known for her incisive portrayals of domestic tension, and this novel is no exception. The plot is meticulously constructed, with slow-burning suspense and a narrator whose reliability is as questionable as her motives. Gwen’s descent into obsession is both unsettling and compelling, and the setting—a character in its own right—adds a layer of social commentary on privilege, appearances, and the politics of neighbourly decorum.

While the book is undeniably well-plotted and features some standout character work, I found it didn’t quite match the impact of the author's strongest titles like The Sudden Departure of the Frasers or The Other Passenger. maybe because the emotional stakes felt slightly muted in comparison although the ending had me sitting up wanting more.

Still, A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder is a smart, stylish thriller that subverts expectations and offers a fresh take on the domestic noir genre. It’s a compelling read for fans of psychological suspense, especially those drawn to stories where doing the right thing can go very, very wrong.

Hugely enjoyable - it was a lovely slow build up to an unpredictable conclusion- well written and beautifully resolved. Highly recommended. 4 1/2 stars

Another property porn thriller from Louise Candlish sees an actual sex scandal develop as 70-year-old Gwen becomes convinced that 48-year-old has-been rocker Alec is exploiting Pixie, the young woman he rents a room to in his luxurious mansion flat. He denies it but is he lying? Is Pixie lying? Could it even be Gwen who is lying to the reader?
With a host of intriguing characters inhabiting Columbia Mansions, there is room for for plenty twists and turns in in this thrilling book, and they come satisfyingly thick and fast as it becomes clear there are more ways than one of exploiting women of any age. I loved how this kept me guessing as to who was the real villain, who was playing who, and who would finally come out the winner in this war for a place to call home.
Though it opens with a murder, the story is light-hearted in tone. But it has an added layer of depth in its exploration of the reality of homelessness for many young people, and the very real threat of the impermanence of a secure home for people of any age.
It also casts a light on the dark side of social media, with Instagram, TikTok and even WhatsApp all playing a part in the developing scandal.
And what about Gwen? This was a really masterful character portrayal of a woman defined, not by her age, but by life's experiences. She's difficult to like and difficult to trust, but she certainly engaged my whole attention.
Every character in this story is flawed, but the snobbery, deception, callous disregard for others and greed of some are balanced by the kindness, humour, wit, a sense of community and perceptiveness of others.
How I'd love to live in Columbia Mansions. But on balance, I think I'd choose different neighbours!

I do enjoy books by this author & this was no exception. I liked it straight away, It felt warm and welcoming. I liked Gwen and Pixie and how the story was told.
I'd definitely recommend this.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I've just finished reading Louise Candlish A Neighbour's Guide To Murder. Now I thoroughly enjoyed We Solve Murders, it was a great whodunit and I've read some great books this year but this, this is 100% 5 stars!

I knew immediately who the killer turns out to be but I don't think it was meant to be a secret and knowing didn't spoil it one bit.

Readers will be greeted by the lead female Gwen an aging and lonely divorcée, her voice consistent to the end.
I loved this character and rooted for her the entire way through.

Caught up in a 'he said, she said', where the she becomes her friend and the he is a neighbour, its understandable that eventually Gwen has doubts over who was really at fault but her instinct wasn't wrong. If only her young friend hadn't been, in my opinion, so, I'm not sure what the right word is; selfish, immature, ignorant, thoughtless, dishonest by omission.

Needless to say I didn't particularly like either of them although written extremely well.

Gwen fights for the cause and in the beginning is steadfast in her belief but as the story unfolds and one or two of her actions start her downfall it's also understandable that she might be inclined to switch sides.

If only she had the backing and support of a good friend. A good friend who she so selflessly backed and supported without any thought for how it would play out.
Because that's what friends do in times of need.

The she who became a friend, came out smelling of roses. Whilst I don't condone his behaviour it was hers that contributed to the actions Gwen takes.

Don't take my word for it, it's out now so grab yourself copy!

This was a really good book. Gwen lives in Columbia Apartments, but when Pixie moves in to another flat as a lodger, everything changes. I think it was a great subject and I’m sure it does happen, the author wrote about it very well. It keeps you engaged and was an interesting read. Highly recommend 5 stars. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.