If someone mentions domestic thriller to me, Louise Candlish is the first author that I think of. I have loved her previous books and I'm at the point now where I will read anything that she reads.

This book felt like a slightly different change of pace from what I've read of hers previously. It was much more character focused and less twisty and turny, but I still had a great time with it. The underlying theme of Gwen aging, very slowly recognising her loneliness and clinging onto others to fill the gap really touched me. Regardless of her flaws and such poor decision making, I couldn't help but feel bad for her. Nothing that she did was with ill intention, but my goodness this woman needed to keep her nose out of other people's business.

If you're expecting a story that centres around a murder, then you should probably adjust that expectation slightly. The majority of this book is about domestic dramas, how neighbours navigate through that and can impact on each others lives; whether it's well received or not. rightly or wrongly, I loved Gwen, but would I want her to be my neighbour? No thank you!

A Neighbour's Guide to Murder (Kindle Edition) by Louise Candlish a thriller which was in parts quite unbelievable.

The saga pans out in a much sought after room to rent in Columbia Mansions where Alec Pedley a man in his fifties is looking for a young female to rent a room in his apartment.

Pixie is the lucky candidate but Alec has a hidden agenda on his mind and he wants much more. Pixie confides in Gwen an elderly resident who will be fighting Pixie's corner to the bitter end.

It is a case of 'She said, he said' scenario which will escalalate in scandal, intrigue and murder.

This is definitely one of my favourite books this year, it’s a cracker! I really enjoyed this book and will certainly be recommending it to others. It’s more than worthy of 5 stars.

I've been a big fan of Louise's previous novels, rating each one highly, and was excitedly wauting for the release of "A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder". And the premise is certainly a topical and intriguing one: as social media and rental schemes play central roles.
I did struggle to engage with our protagonists however. And I do realise that it's not necessary to love all protagonists (after all, we have seen the rise of anti-heros and morally-grey characters in recent years), but I struggled to bring myself to care for Gwen or Pixie's dilemmas. So much drama could have been avoided by simply talking calmly and reasonably. Of course, then we would not have had a thriller to read!
I can imagine many readers loving this story, especially the numerous twists, where it's so difficult (impossible!) to tell who is lying and this book will earn Louise Candlish new fans. Sadly, it's just not for me.

Louise is known for her domestic thrillers and I’ve read the majority but this one for me was not the best.
Interesting concept and well written but I found it was quite dragged out and not twisted enough for me.
I would have given 3.5 stars but couldn’t.

A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder, by Louise Candlish is a crime thriller with unlikely friendships, buried secrets, and the volatile consequences of interfering in others’ lives. The novel is set in the Set in the blissful, friendly world of Columbia Mansions, and is packed with suspense and dark humour.

The idyllic Columbia Mansions is the last place you would expect scandal but behind its elegant doors, the truth is far more shocking. Long-time resident Gwen welcomes new tenant Pixie, and rapidly they develop a surprising friendship given the age difference. Their unexpected friendship sets off a chain of events that will shake the Mansions reputation to the core.

Gwen, who is a seemingly sweet retiree, finds purpose in her friendship with the youthful and vibrant Pixie. Their relationship begins innocently enough with regular chats over a cup of tea and helping each other out. But it soon becomes clear that Gwen’s protectiveness knows no bounds and when a crime emerges and puts Pixie in danger, Gwen turns from kindly neighbour to someone more sinister.

I enjoyed the character Gwen, sharp, loveable but still somehow unsettling. The novel is well written and the tension builds as the residents of Columbia Mansions realise that even their neighbourhood is not safe from murder. This is a slow burner with good characters but didn’t quite have a the wow factor for me. I do enjoy Louise Candlish’s writing style though and will have no hesitation reading her next book.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told from the viewpoint of Gwen a elderly resident of Columbia Mansions who forms a close relationship with a young female who rents a room from another resident of the same block.
The story then develops with a situation which quickly escalates and involves various characters within the building.
This story will have you feeling all the emotions from frustration to sadness, disappointment, and regret – there are plenty of twists and turns in this storyline which leave you questioning what you thought was the direction of the book.

A felt this book outlined how friendships and relationships can break quite down easily and shows how callous and insensitive people can be.
I don’t really want to give too much away but I started this book with no real expectation finding it slow at first to then racing through it to reach the end.
I would definitely recommend this book – thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I loved this latest domestic thriller by Louse Candlish. The tale of Gwen, and her neighbours. The story of retiree Gwen being revealed, her friendship with her new neighbour Pixie and her own children. Gwen is a formidable woman, if not always easy to like. She roots for the underdog, and is someone we would want as a friend, not as an enemy.
An excellent read, as we expect from Louise, highly recommended.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publishers for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Another great domestic thriller by Louise Candlish, A neighbour's guide to murder is an easy read with some great twists thrown in the mix.
Despite being a bit slow to start, I found the story quite engaging and tense. The second half of the book was truly impossible to put down. The characters were all quite unlikeable. I struggled to form a connection with them, however considering we are reading Gwen's interpretation of the story it is only natural the characters weren't depicted in a good light, seen all the rivalries that were going on. Gwen herself came across as a strong character used to get her way. She surely had the best intentions, but ended up doing more bad than good. Still, I did not anticipated the ending and I felt sorry for everyone involved.

This book didn't quite hit the spot the way the last few by Louise Candlish did. I enjoy an unreliable narrator and don't feel characters need to be likeable to be interesting but there was something off about Gwen and Pixie.

I found Pixie aggravating and couldn't see why Gwen would become so invested in her plight, even with the back story about her former assistant which I felt came too late. In fact, I found most of the characters annoying or nothingy - Maya and Daniel didn't really offer much in explaining why Gwen was the way she was.

By the time we got to the twist at the end I’d somewhat lost interest and it seemed very unrealistic and hurried.

Do we have any idea what happens in our neighbour’s houses? 🤔

This was such a great read! Gwen is your stereotypical nosey, elderly neighbour. She lives in a prestigious block of flats, Columbia Mansions with her sponging and selfish son. These desirable residences host a range of personalities, but all keen on maintaining their esteemed address. Our main protagonist, Gwen, reminded me of Miss Marple as there appeared to be nothing that escaped her attention.

With the recent agreement to allow residents to rent a room, Gwen gets to know Pixie who is moving into Alec’s flat. Gwen has known Alec, a one hit wonder musician for years, and has always got on with him well. However, as Gwen and Pixie’s friendship deepens, she becomes aware of issues relating to Pixie’s tenancy at her neighbour’s flat.

As events spiral, the reader sees how far Gwen will go to protect her friends/neighbours and herself, but also, we find out what lengths they will go to as well. Every story comes with a question and the reader tries to ascertain each truth as we progress through each twist and turn.

This story is extremely clever, thought provoking and topical. Very worthy of a book club read as much to discuss. I loved the pace and vibe of this book, and Gwen was a character that had a familiarity about her, both likeable and annoying. I could easily see this book as being made into a television series.

The ending was a little stop start with some twists but a thoroughly enjoyable read. Well recommended.

Thank you to Netgalley, HQ and Louise Candlish for access to the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Due to be published on 17 July 2025.

Gwen is in her 70s and lives in a flat in a prestigious building. She is on the Board of Directors and is friends with one of the other occupants. However, when young Pixie moves in to her neighbour's flat under the "rent a room" scheme she feels a connection with her, a new young friend. Soon everyone in the building is part of Pixie's life and not for the right reasons.

I've really enjoyed previous books by this author, so I was looking forward to this one. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me. I kept checking the title of the book every so often, because I thought I was expecting something that wasn't going to happen. It also read more like a cosy crime drama - which is ok, just not what I was expecting.

I didn't care for any of the characters. Gwen is rather too much of a pushover, despite her own internal dialogue saying differently. Pixie has her own agenda and uses it to her advantage over others in the building. One of whom is Gwen's Son, who is staying with his Mother after his failed relationship and felt to me like a wet blanket.

The book highlights some of the modern day housing issues experienced in the UK. Also a portrayal of trial by social media, together with the journalistic hunt for a good story. It felt a little protracted with the initial minutia of the story, but at the same time it displays genius plot writing. I was glad I finished the book, it just wasn't really what I was expecting.

This latest book from Louise Candlish was super quick to read. The writing style was easy to follow.
Personally, I hated all the characters, especially the narrator - a boomer narcissist and complete busybody! However, I recently heard Ms Candlish speak about her books and it seems that she has a penchant for writing really hateful characters, so she definitely succeeded in this book!
By the end of the book, I wanted to throw it across the room - and that was exactly the sort of reaction that Ms Candlish wanted to provoke in the readers of this book - so again another success!
If I hadn't heard her speak, I probably would have rated the book lower, but given her explanations of writing the plot and characters the way she did, I can only say that she absolutely hit the nail on the head and achieved exactly what she had set out to do - altering my perspective of the book entirely!
Will definitely be picking up more from this author in the future.

A clever and twisty murder story but not like anything I’ve ever read, absolutely top marks for originality. The plot centres around the residents in a set of apartments, all with their individual quirks and fascinating characters. They all have inbuilt likeability and yet flaws which make it an even more interesting read.
There are lots of contemporary elements and topics covered and lots of food for thought and astute observations of life along the way. A definite recommend from me.

This book kept me guessing all the way through, and even at the end I’m still unsure on some things 😂 I’m still questioning who was the bad person or were they all just terrible people in their own way? I don’t think I had a favourite character in this as I disliked everyone!
I love the way the book was written from the POV of one character a bit like a diary and it moved between past and present smoothly.
The book highlights the housing issues that people face at any age and brings to light issues that aren’t really talked about. This was done in a clever way.
Overall, it could have had a bit more murder but I still loved it!

Gwen is a resident in one of the apartments in the beautiful Columbia Mansions. Pixie moves into a room in one the apartments owned by Alec. Gwen is the buildings busybody knowing everything that goes on there. Pixie soon and forms a friendship with Gwen, despite the age gap. Gwen is very protective of her young friend and when Pixie confides in that she has been coerced into paying her rent to Alec by sexual favours, Gwen decides to take matters into her own hands. Soon things escalate, getting way out of control and the story becomes a media sensation, and very soon scandal ensues.
I am a massive Louise Candlish fan and this book didn’t disappoint. It covered some really interesting topics which kept me glued to the book. Overall another great read from this brilliant author!

Gwen lives in an upmarket residence called Columbia Mansions. She retires with two spoilt grown-up children and a vile ex-husband. She is quite noisy and wants to get into everyone’s business. In the close-knit community that she lives in. But she has a good heart. She befriends Pixie a girl that moves into a spare room of her neighbour. But she finds out that something is not right. That Alex is wanting sex instead of rent.
Louise Candlish writes another addictive read. A bit different than her usual books and a slow burn but a fascinating one of one person’s life disintegrating around her after she thinks that she has done a good deed. But little does she know that we never really know people and we find out that some people are not as they seem. But far to late. This is a great story but didn’t really like any of the characters. But a great twisty domestic thriller. That I enjoyed until the end. 4 stars from me.

This book is most thought provoking on quite a number of social issues. Friends and family especially in the focus. Trust, self-reflection and "the truth" become dominant themes.

The plot reflected a variety of perspectives from the main characters and these views could easily change. Very much like real life!

The book evolved pretty smoothly with no clues as to the outcome. I should qualify that to say I had no clue.

Emotionally I felt sad and rather disappointed in how things turned out. That only served to confirm the content was most realistic..

A new novel from Louise Candlish, of course it’s going to be five stars! ‘A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder’
is another head spinning , twisting turning domestic thriller from the Queen of the genre that is never what it seems.

Retired Gwen lives in the sought after Columbia Mansion apartments in central London, where properties are sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds. When she hears a rumour that her neighbour Alec has offered his room to new tenant Pixie in exchange for sex not money, Gwen is horrified both at Alec’s actions and the power imbalance in the household.

Gwen decision to support Pixie and speak out against Alec’s choices quickly spirals out of control with accusations being thrown around on all sides and things moving much faster and further than Gwen ever intended. The entire apartment block becomes involved, everyone taking sides. In the middle of it is Pixie an innocent victim of London’s terrible renting crisis, stuck in a situation she can’t escape.

As we have come to expect from Louise Candlish’s books, nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems. The plot twists and developments in this book are superb, so well crafted and hidden. The characters are perfectly crafted; I particularly enjoyed reading about Gwen’s tradwife influencer daughter Maya.

Excellent work, keep it coming!

In A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder, Louise Candlish delivers a smart, slow-burning thriller set in Columbia Mansions—a friendly, close-knit building where everyone knows everyone… or so they think.
Gwen, a retired and long-time resident, loves her peaceful routines—until Pixie, a vibrant young woman, moves into her neighbour’s spare room. Gwen senses something isn’t quite right. Is it nosiness, or intuition? As she starts asking questions, she sets off a chain of events with shocking consequences.
Candlish masterfully builds tension out of the everyday, exploring how little we truly know about the people living next door. Gwen is a relatable and likeable heroine—sharp, curious, and just determined enough to get herself into trouble.
Twisty, atmospheric, and full of slow-burn suspense,