I'm really enjoying the trend of having older people, usually women centred in crime stories, their life experience and lack of giving a damn usually makes for a great read. Unfortunately in this case I didn't feel the central crime quite lived up to the setting and narration. Entertaining, but I was flicking through towards the end

I eagerly anticipated reading this book as I enjoyed reading Our Holiday by Louise Candlish so much.
For this reason alone, I plodded on through the first forty percent of the book telling myself that it must get better. I don’t mind a slow burn novel but the slow pace really spoiled the reading experience for me. Yes, the characters are quite interesting but I did not feel that I cared about them enough. The last twenty percent of the book brought the story together and had some suprises but it wasn’t enough for me to say that this is a book I really enjoyed. It might appeal to others who like this genre. Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced reading copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you for allowing me to review this book. I enjoyed Louise Candlish's writing and this was as good as I expected. The twists and turns in the story, kept me guessing until the end. I felt sorry for Gwen, an older lady living in a posh flat who generally gets on well with her neighbours. However, I felt that she is treated unfairly by some, who take advantage of her. Pixie, appears as a niave young lady to begin with, but it later becomes clear that she can hold her own. Dee, looks to support her daughters journalism career at the expense of others. Alec, a man with a hidden background. What a mix? How are they linked? Who comes out well? From the offset we know who is murdered, but not why or by whom.
You must read this book if you enjoy crime thrillers.

I absolutely loved Our Holiday so I was delighted to be given an advanced reader copy of Louise Candlish’s new book, A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder.
This twisty tale is told in first person by Gwen Healy, a curtain-twitching seventy-something resident of the beautiful apartment block, Columbia Mansions.
We know from the get-go that there’s been a murder. But the joy in this book is unpeeling the unfortunate chain of events that lead to it.
Gwen is utterly delicious: a straight-talking, somewhat embittered divorcee, who is the perfect unreliable narrator. We are in her head, but can we trust her?
Gwen befriends Pixie, the young tenant of her insufferable neighbour Alec Pedley. When Pixie confides in Gwen that Alec is demanding sex for rent, her maternal instinct and sense of justice goes into overdrive.
But when she helps Pixie expose her erstwhile landlord, she finds herself on the receiving end of a libel claim. Suddenly, she’s not so sure Pixie’s quite as guileless as she first thought …
Who to trust: Pixie or Alec? This is the crux of a story that covers trial by social media, misogyny and the world of difference between the haves and the have-nots.
It’s told at a very different pace to Our Holiday, but the sharp observations, dark humour and wit are all there in spades. And the writing is first class.
I loved it!
My favourite line: “There is kicking a woman when she’s down and then there is grinding her face into wet tarmac and flattening her with a steamroller.”

The latest banger from LC occupies familiar territory - terrible people do terrible things in enviable South London properties, with home at the heart of the novel. The author has her narrator walk the fine tightrope between delusion, candour and slyness in a way that is nothign short of masterful. I was reminded in places of Zoe Heller's brilliant Notes On A Scandal. Brilliant.

A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder by Louise Candlish
I have read a number of Lousie Candlish’s novel and so I was really looking forward to reading this novel. It is a very quick read. It is all written from the viewpoint of Gwen an elderly lady who is currently living with her adult son who has just split up from his wife. She is on the committee of the block of flats in which she resides and takes great interest in the goings on around her. She befriends a young girl called Pixie who moves in as a tenant of her neighbour.
They form a firm friendship and Pixie confides with Gwen about unpleasant goings on with the landlord. Gwen becomes involved in trying to solve Pixie’s problems. We know that Alec, the landlord is dead and that his tenant has killed him but there are many twists and turns along the way.
It is easy to be drawn into the lives of all the characters in the block of flats and you are desperate to find out how the story will be resolved. The twist at the end is excellent and I was not able to predict the ending. I will be recommending this novel at my various book groups and would like to thank Louise Candlish, the publishers and Net Galley for the opportunity to read the book in return for an honest review.

Really good book and just a wee bit different to your run of the mill thrillers. This had all the aspects of a cosy mystery with quite a bit of humour, several unreliable narrators and plenty of twists. Your perspective changes as the book goes on and the story unfolds. Cleverly written and kept me guessing.

ooookay Louise Candlish is back with a new book. breathe people, all is truly right again in the world now. because she is a superb, top notch, magic authored fingers writer. and i cant wait to once again be engrossed in her books and then be left feeling wonderfully satisfied over what ive just read. and super excited over just how good books, authors, Louise, is!
i cannot recommend her books enough.
you are never quite sure with this book. never quite sure and thats in the best of ways.
in this book we are at Columbia Mansions. a beautiful building split into beautiful flats. the landlord is Alec. down on her luck Pixie jumps at the chance when room comes to rent at the Mansion.
Gwen already lives in one of the other flats. and it is her that tells her the story. but can we trust her? can we trust anything in this book? because Gwen's depiction in people and goings on is a little uneasy at times. is she a goody or a baddy here?
we have a few suspicious in this book. but you are constantly questioning your own idea each time they come. or questioning whether you are being teased by Louise down a mysterious or devious path.
i dont want to give any more away! its too good and you need to find the details and brilliance Louise once again gives us in your own way. but this is gripping and non stop read territory.
loved it. and once again proves what a master and my hero of this genre Louise truly is.bravo.

I always love a Louise Candlish book and this was no exception. A different style of writing this time but still full of twists and turns which kept me turning the pages at speed. A great will which will not disappoint.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

A carefully crafted domestic thriller with touches of dark humour which ensure the reader is both captivated and entertained from the very beginning of this sorry tail.
Gwen is a seventy something divorcee living in the decidedly upmarket Columbia Mansions. She is on the management committee and takes delight in the activities non offer in her lovely home. When her neighbour Alec, takes in young Pixie as his lodger, Gwen and Pixie form an unlikely multi generational friendship.
However as the story progresses, told in the first person by Gwen who might or might not be an unreliable narrator, some very unsavoury and indeed unsettling facts are revealed which compel Gwen to try and do the right thing and help Pixie.
The author uses a wry humour when telling the story in Gwen’s own words “ Well have you ever met a 2 combination?nd wife who was older than the first? fine Queen Camilla, but besides her?” This serves to make this dark and progressively unsavoury tale a little more light hearted and serves to break the tension.
I really liked Gwen. She seemed well meaning and the reasons for her actions can be traced back to her unfortunate past life. She seems the sort of person that would be incredibly annoying in reality but as a character in a book it makes her that much more interesting.
The neighbours in Gwen’s block are well described and Pixie herself is very cleverly depicted. Is she an innocent caught up in nefarious deeds or is she duplicitous herself.?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and raced through it in a few days.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

3.5 ⭐


This felt like straight forward, fast paced uncomplicated entertainment to me.
Sure, you might not always know who was telling the truth, but that's life.
I very much enjoyed it, the cat and mouse aspect of the whole thing.
Good fun.

I’ve said probably in every review of this author’s work that I would read a shopping list written by her such is my love of her books and her writing

I still would

Now, this is different from previous books,not in its brilliance or the ease the author has at writing about people, places where people live and the relationships between neighbours in these places, more the way it is presented, it took me a few chapters to feel the story and the characters and to understand the dynamics but once I did it was an explosive yet at times intricate story that had me reading….and reading and I knew there was nothing else to be done except keep reading until the finish

A rare look into a subject not yet illegal but affecting many, and how one neighbours misjudged ( possibly ) warcry to resolve it and make friends with the victim and an enemy of the perp caused her life to cascade to, well, hell, and then back

Such feasible yet fascinating characters tied to such a toxic tale and written by the best could mean it could only turn out to be as electrifying as it was

I make no apology for the love for this and the others authors books, her work is stunning and makes my hobby ( maybe a bit more than a hobby 😎) a truly exciting one

Loved it

A domestic thriller set in a London mansion block from the bestselling author of Our House, Louise Candlish. Fast paced and easy to get through with short chapters but not a particularly engaging novel. It lacks the tension and twists of Candlish's previous novels, and feels like a lazy mashup of The Woman in the Window, Only Murders in the Building and a very narcissistic Miss Marple with a bit of #MeToo thrown in for good measure. Not one for me.

I have read all the authors books and I was looking forward to reading this one and wow what an outstanding book this is, and I stayed up till 4am as wanted to know the ending, without giving away any spoilers I really enjoyed this book and loved all the characters with the busy body Gwen my favourite as I have been know to curtain twitch too !

I loved the twist to this book

I enjoyed the different style writing of this book to the author previous books And would highly recommend this book

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book

Knew this would be a fantastic read, love this author. Different style to usual and took a little getting used to but still a great read!
Will def recommend to others.
Thanks for arc Netgalley and publisher

A great twisty read, just when you think the truth has been revealed, something else is uncovered that leaves you questioning everything again, and this carries on right to the superb ending. The characters are mostly likeable until you realise they aren’t! There’s a moral dilemma thrown in for god measure and the best and worst of human behaviours are littered through out the story. A great absorbing read that’s difficult to put down!

Thank you to Netgalley the author and publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Wow! This book had me gripped from start to finish in fact I read it In a day as I needed to know what happened. This thriller leaves you second guessing all the characters especially as it's told through the writings of one women, Gwen an older lady who strikes up a friendship with Pixie her new younger neighbour. A question of he said she said of knowing who to trust and even trusting your own mind. This book packed a punch. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this arc.

I finished this book in 24 hours as I could not put it down.

Gwen lives in Columbia Mansions and is a nosy neighbour who spends her time involving her self in her neighbours business. I suppose we all know someone like that so it was easy to begin to understand her as a character and I did feel for her at times.


There are few characters in the book which I felt was good as it is easier to immerse yourself into the story. They were well written and I really felt like I knew them all.

I felt the way the story was written really added to the suspense and had me gripped.


The book had twists and turns and I thought the ending was excellent and I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, Louise Candlish and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

A Neighbour's Guide To Murder By Louise Candlish
Published by HarperCollins
Publication Date 17th July 2025

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NO SPOILERS

Don’t be deceived into thinking this is a cosy crime read - it’s a brilliantly written story with a topical moral theme at the heart of it. You really don’t know who is telling the truth and who to trust throughout which makes for a very enjoyable and engaging read. Would also make great tv.
Thanks to the author, publisher and to netgalley for providing me with this advance digital copy one exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.