The novel starts with a murder but we’re not sure who or why.
It’s told through Gwen - an older woman who proves to be something of an unreliable narrator. But her voice is humorous and the novel is really well-characterised.
In a nutshell it involves Gwen and a young woman -Pixie- who moves into the flat next door and whom she befriends.
Events start to get murky when it becomes apparent that Pixie is providing sexual favours in lieu of rent..
I won’t give away anymore but do read it. The narrator’s voice is fresh and the novel is well-paced (there is a bit too much plot that happens quickly at the end but it doesn’t detract from the novel).
Recommended: sharp, funny and keeps you guessing along with narrator Gwen!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-arc
, I loved this gripping and twisty story with its surprising ending.

I am a great fan of Louise Candlish. She has a talent for taking a contemporary issue and turning it into a thrilling and thought-provoking read.
A Neighbour's Guide to Murder shines a light on the rental crisis and the role of the media. All the characters are convincing but Gwen stands out as a kind and compassionate elderly lady who strikes up a friendship with Pixie, her neighbour's young tenant. When she learns of Pixie's situation, Gwen becomes outraged. The issue becomes a media sensation with all the residents of the block and the general public taking sides. Then doubt is cast on Pixie's story and it is unclear who is telling the truth. Events spiral out of control, leading to devastating consequences, including murder.
A 5-star read from a very talented writer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review

Wow I'm reeling from this, I did not see a large amount of it coming, nor was I sure how to predict it for the most part. I was completely and utterly hooked and by the last quarter was totally unable to put the book down.

I needed to see how everything would turn out, and in fact just what the truth was.

The book is told in the form of a diary / journal from Gwen's point of view. She is the only head we get to go inside, and she has a wonderful turn of phrase and way of explaining things.

It starts a bit confused, as we get mentions of many characters, but as the people start to develop and we get a gist of the first key pieces of information, it becomes more and more intriguing.

We get to meet her next door neighbour Alec and his new lodger Pixie. And Pixie and Gwen strike up a fast friendship and it's that friendship that is central to everything that occurs.

I've noticed that Louise Candlish has found a niche in writing stories that seem to have properties and possibly crimes involving properties at their heart, and this is no exception. It shed's light on an unsavoury renting practice, that I feel almost certainly catches young women especially out. It's well researched and it's clear the topic has been given a big audience and will get you thinking.

All in all a wonderful drama that I wasn't sure who to believe, and it certainly keeps you guessing. Just fabulous.

Thank you to HQ and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Very different to this author's previous reads and it took me longer to get into the storyline and gel with the characters.

I wouldn't buy this book for myself but would recommend to others as they may like it better than I did.

A gripping read, this is a psychological thriller tackling serious social issues, yet peppered with humour..

This is definitely a departure from Louise Candlish’s style, she’s known for her pacy thriller and i’m not quite sure this change in direction paid off.

We follow Gwen who is investigating her neighbour Alec who she suspects is accepting sex as a payment for rent. The story is set in a posh mansion of flats filled with different types of neighbours.

Gwen is the quintessential elderly nosy neighbour and makes it her mission to find out what’s really going on.

I didn’t mind this book, Gwen was an interesting character and the sex for rent storyline is something i’ve not read about before, however it dragged on quite a lot and just felt quite lacklustre if i’m honest. Not a bad book but not the thriller I was expecting.

This book shines a light in a topic I didn't really know much about. Not one for reading or watching the news I must profess that I had completely missed that this was happening in the world. But the story had me gripped. Yes I understand where people are coming from that it is a bit of a slow burner and the ending does feel a tiny bit rushed. I was completely there with the characters every step of the way. Perhaps a little more eaking out the story for the last few chapters and it would have been amazing. But overall I really enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Louise Candlish has done it again - with her trademark cast of characters I’m glad not to meet in real life but about whom I find myself *fascinated* to read.

When pensioner Gwen is selected by new neighbour Pixie as confidante for the unethical way her landlord is collecting her rent, it sets in chain a sequence of events that ultimately leads to murder …

Trigger warnings for coercion and prostitution. It’s a novel about greed, hunger for fame, and the terrible things of which people are capable. And how easy it is to become lonely in our society.

I love Louise Candlish's books so was excited to receive this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

It seemed like a departure from her usual novels, following Gwen, an older lady who lives in an exclusive apartment building in London. Gwen is a lonely lady who has had a bad experience in her marriage but making the most of her retired years in her local community. I loved the narration from Gwen as she struck up an unlikely friendship with Pixie, the tenant in the flat next door, but at times the pacing seemed a little off - parts of the book flew by and parts dragged a little bit as we discovered the nature of Pixie's arrangement with her landlord.

The book delves into 'sex for rent' and the unscrupulous media, and soon Gwen finds herself out of her depth and unsure about who to believe. At times I found the story very sad but none the less compelling. It's a solid 4.5 stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher :-)

Columbia Mansions in South London is a very desirable location. A big 1896 mansion block, it is extremely attractive, but also very expensive. The residents are proud of their enclave and strive to keep it exclusive. With a management board made up of four owner residents, the rules are strict and the board ensure they are adhered to. When Gwen brings an incident regarding Alec and his new ‘lodger’ to the board, tempers soon flare and lines are drawn. Pixie has moved into Flat 4 with Alec under the Rent a Room Scheme, but is all what it seems? What starts as an undesirable and unacceptable, though not illegal, ‘relationship’ in Flat 4, soon becomes out of control and repercussions abound.

I love Louise Candlish books and am a great advocate for her works. However, this one I struggled with. Quite a departure from the usual, which is no bad thing, but this was a very slow plot, with the pace only ramped up in the last third of the book, when Gwen’s vacillations became a joy!

Still very good writing with all those characters readers love to hate (not one redeeming feature amongst any of them!), this is a fine example of who to believe and when, with speaking out not always the best option.

No thrills and chills in this book, but a good depiction of human nature.

Not a favourite for me from this author, but still worthy of a read.

Thank you NetGalley and HQ.

I really struggled with this book. I could not relate to any of the characters and it was just way too slow for my liking. There was very little suspense and it felt very repetitive.

I'm a huge fan of Louise Candlish and I absolutely was not disappointed by her latest.
Scandal hits Columbia mansions and it's clear not everyone is on the same page! Cracking ending as well. 10 stars

This book provides a forensic dissection of a neighbourhood and community that holds itself in high esteem, yet manages to fall apart with surprising ease when things go wrong.

A nuanced, compassionate look at the increasing invisibility of women as they age, alongside the disturbing social phenomenon of "sex for rent" and the "he said, she said" elements it raises, which are well portrayed.

Louise Candlish is a gifted and sensitive writer, skilled at delivering unexpected twistsI. and this story left me feeling a little sad from the authenticity of its take on loneliness and rapidly changing social mores in the western world.

Well worth a read, it gets 4 stars.

This book is a change of style for Louise Candlish and I have to say I did not find it quite as enjoyable as previous books of hers that I've read. I struggled to have any empathy at all with the characters and guessed quite early on what was going to happen which rather spoiled my enjoyment.

Reading a Louise Candlish novel always has the feeling of indulging in a good old gossip about some unpleasant characters who are all too human. Lonely divorced Gwen, in her 70s falls under the thrall of Pixie, 20s, who becomes her neighbour Alec’s lodger. When Pixie admits she’s sleeping with Alec in exchange for rent, Gwen can’t help getting involved and a series of calamities for Gwen ends in murder. I adored Gwen who was hilariously snarky about her neighbours and children, and I really felt for her. Despite being a nosy neighbour and rather interfering, she was just trying to do the right thing. As well as delicious commentary on the characters, Candlish has much to say about the difficulties of the London rental market, and the media. I especially loved the twists and turns at the end.

This book is quite different from her usual style. It address a contemporary issue (I won't give any spoilers although I guessed it very early on so you may too) and had a few twists I didn't see coming.

Overall though I did not enjoy it as much as many of her other books, although it is still worth a read. I struggled to like any of the characters, even the main character Gwen.

Fiendishly clever writing from the incomparable Candlish. She serves up more topical current issues and creates two very memorable characters in friends Gwen, a bit of a nosey parker, and Pixie, several decades younger. Totally gripping and full of twists and turns that pack a punch.

This is a fantastic book with a hilariously witty narrator in Gwen Healy. Gwen is an older woman (I don't think we're ever told her exact age) who lives in a fancy housing block in London. She seems possibly a little lonely and has some trauma in her past involving an ex-husband and fraud at a charity. She's got principles and opinions, and doesn't hesitate in making savage judgements of people who in her eyes fall short of what she'd hope for. So Gwen is the perfect person to aid Pixie, a younger woman who moves into the block as the lodger of another tenant, Alec.

The main things I loved about this book were the sharp writing and Gwen's character. There's lots more to like - the plot is interesting and twisty, the other characters are very believable. But it's Gwen and her observations that were the standout feature for me.

The story centres on exploitation of women - mainly the fact that Pixie appears to have been pushed into a 'sex for rent' situation with Alec, whereby she sleeps with him instead of paying any rent. When Gwen discovers this scandal all hell breaks loose - but as the story progresses, we aren't really sure exactly who is telling the truth.

When Pixie initially tries to diminish her ordeal, comparing it to being similar to her getting free food at the cafe where she works, Gwen's reaction is typically robust: 'I bit my tongue at this preposterous conflation of a cheese toastie and her most intimate anatomy.'

So much of the writing of Gwen's thoughts are laugh out loud funny. In a discussion with her daughter, Maya, Maya complains that Gwen always wants to see the underbelly in situations. 'I don't want to see it at all,' Gwen replies. 'It keeps flipping up before I have a chance to avert my eyes.'

Maya, once a political activist, has now become a trad wife, and Gwen's disparaging thoughts on this are sublime to read. Her interactions with various police officers are also hilarious. In one way or another feminism and sexist ideas are themes running through the novel.

My favourite in the hilarious bits however is this: 'There is kicking a woman when she's down and then there is grinding her face into wet tarmac and flattening her with a steam roller.'

Gwen's uncompromising-ness is one of her most likeable traits. So she herself feels terrible when it transpires she has been conned. I thought the book was clever in how it cast doubt on Pixie's version of events, seemed to have drawn a line under the whole episode, only for the plot to continue with a further surprise.

Having read a couple other novels by Louise Candlish, and enjoyed them, I would say this is probably my favourite because it's the one with the sharpest character. I'd highly recommend it and thanks to Netgalley for the advance read.

Living in desirable Columbia Mansions in London, retired Gwen keeps herself busy with Pilates, book club, and the management committee for her building. Not to mention dealing with her adult son, who has been staying in her spare room after a breakup and shows no signs of moving on. Despite all that, her life is perhaps a little empty and lacking in excitement. But when her neighbour across the hall advertises for a new flatmate, Gwen's life takes a turn for the dramatic that will soon have the press massing outside the doors of Columbia Mansions.

There are echoes of other stories here - Columbia Mansions gives Only Murders In The Building vibes, while Gwen's character, and her narrative style, reminded me of Barbara from Notes on a Scandal - but without living up to either of them. Judging by the reviews on Goodreads, however, I am very much in the minority for not liking A Neighbour's Guide to Murder, so it may just be personal preference.

2.5 stars rounded up