I was excited to read this by the description. Unfortunately, it wasn't what I expected. I felt unsympathetic to all 3 characters, which made me unable to really get into the story, & there is abuse situations that some people may not care for. Overall I loved the idea behind this book, but feel it fell flat.

This book promised far more than it gave. The characters are not likeable. The story is not engaging enough to keep me reading DNF

I can describe this book as a dark version of The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Consistently, it was a 3 star read for me and this one too. Before I move on to the rest of my review, I want to say there is TW here of abuse. And it's very detailed. So, if you don't enjoy reading that material like me, you should know it. Also, I'm a bit disappointed with the number of books out there with abuse content and how graphic it's described. Only this year, I stumbled upon many of them. I would be really grateful if publishers start marking these books with TW ratings, as it's done on TV shows.

**The rest of the review contains SPOILERS***

I liked the beginning of the book. t started with a good pace, creating the suspense. When the descriptions of abuse started, it made me really upset because there was really no need for it. I'm under the impression that writers think it will be more effective, agitating and emotional when they describe abuse in a more graphic way, or even include abuse in their books. Well, it doesn't! It really upsets the reader, spoils all the good writing and a story that could be already interesting without those elements.
And by the way, if I want to read about abuse, I'll just read a newspaper, watch TV, or find some real stories to read. I don't need abuse in fiction. Or at least put a warning please because it's just unfair to expose someone to disturbing content out of her/his will.

Still giving 3 starts, but I wish the content didn't contain this. It could be a higher rating.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for granting a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

**This review contains SPOILERS***

I was really enjoying this book until the second half.

Why does abuse have to come out of every book, fingering it's way through stories?
I liked the way it looked on autism/Asperger syndrome and the criticism to a mother's career jumping on rails the moment she has children whereas dad's career just stays undamaged. But then the story started getting agitated. The mother who didn't sacrifice her career turned out to be an obsessed, cold hearted selfish jerk and the autistic man started not only killing people but becoming a victim himself in a way that's clearly written to upset the reader.

Why do authors think their stories will be GOOD if they put details of child abuse in their books, if they write about it in detail. Well, let me tell you something: It doesn't. It makes the text cheap. Playing with the reader's emotions isn't a wow factor. It is a bit like emotional blackmail. If I wanted to read abuse, I'd just visit some newspaper websites. Quality writing is not about agitating the reader or forcing them to see disgusting details, in your face mode. If you want to write about abuse, the trick is making it crystal clear without actually giving the details.

Still giving 3 starts, but I wish the ending wasn't like this, I hope murder/thriller/crime writers one day will stop playing abuse card to give everything an 'edge'.

The is a book that I did not enjoy at all. It was filled with unlikable characters, very dark subject matter and misrepresented both Aspergers and Autism. I was actually unable to finish, which is a very rare occurrence for this reader.

This is one of those books that will not appeal to everyone's reading tastes, and may be a little polarising. Having said that, I am glad I pursued it to it's conclusion.

In a three-flat building live three different people: an ex-cop, an young man, a doctor - all living their own lives, all with their own secrets and struggles, barely intersecting. That is until the neatly ordered world of Asperger sufferer Nick, comes crashing down around him by the intrusion of a random act. Only then does the story take off, as long hidden secrets bubble to the surface, and drive the story along.

This isn't a standard crime mystery but it is thought provoking, as our main narrator, Nick, is not your usual character. This story is more character driven then plot driven - we know what has happened but equally we want to know what - in the past - could have lead to these events. It is a compelling, unsettling read, and yet you can't help but find yourself drawn to Nick's vulnerability. I appreciate that the story didn't just stop with the crime being discovered - that there was follow up, resolution if you will.

This is such a thought-provoking and insightful read I just couldn’t put it down. Raising subjects we need to be more mindful and aware of, it was just refreshing to read. Absolute page turner which I read in one sitting! Testament in itself. Definitely recommend.

I want to say upfront I am 100 percent sure this is a work of fiction. This is research or a true story. I read a few “OMG I am so offended” and “kitty murder” reviews and I could not help chuckling to myself. What about the dead Polish girl? How about the incest and abuse of a small autistic child? Well?

Anyway, it is a really well written book about three people living in an apartment building, Tam, Nick, and Crazy Non-Mom, mad scientist Carol. The plot includes double murder, kitty murder, mental health issues, family disconnect, alcohol, risky sex...did I leave anytjing out? Besides a wonderfully told story?

Oh yes, NECROPHIlIA. This book has it covered. I am personally looking forward to reading more from you Elizabeth S. Moore.

If you haven’t read this book, what are you waiting on?

Thank you for the free book for a fair review.!

This was an interesting story. Three very different people share a house on three different floors. They go about their business until their lives start intertwining.
I liked the set up of the book, a different character per chapter, getting different points of view on the plot.

Being autistic myself I found this book to be offensive, badly researched (if at all) and using old terms and stereotypes that are hurtful to us. I refuse to keep reading and will not review this.

(I was given an ARC of this book by NetGalley but could not read it all)

This book started out which such promise. I loved the idea of nosing into the lives of 3 neighbours and the front cover with its striking imagery really grabbed me. I also enjoyed the little illustrations and quote details throughout but unfortunately finished the book feeling a bit underwhelmed. The pacing is very well done, nice neat chapters which effortlessly switch between the characters and successfully lead to a tense climax. However, I came away feeling that the book was trying to make a point but wondering what that point or message was. I disliked most of the characters which didn’t help and I questioned whether we were meant to struggle to connect to them.

Tam is a typical Daily Mail reader; middle-aged, bitter and slightly xenophobic – a slimy old man type spewing “pub banter”.

Nick, who suffers from Asperger’s, started off being a likeable young man who is striving his best to live a normal life. He’s had a horrific upbringing and is pushed to his limits throughout the book.

Karen, in the words of her husband is a “selfish, career-obsessed bitch”. She is completely lacking in self-awareness and struggles to form relationships especially with her own children and is overall a thoroughly unlikeable character. At one point she describes a minor character as being of “Ethiopian extraction”. The use of extraction seems a strange antiquated way of saying descent and its irrelevance jarred with me, it struck me as something Tam’s character would say instead.

With all that said, it did maintain my interest and I was curious to know the ending. While the violent content wasn’t a big problem for me and I get its purpose, some may find it unnecessarily extreme. I think this book will sell copies because it is well written and has an interesting synopsis but it just wasn’t for me.

All characters are just too depressing, I could find no sympathy for them and gave up half way. Stars for good writing and pace.

This is the kind of book that will be great for some but others like me will not perhaps appreciate it as we might. I have no idea about Aspergers or Autism of any kind and so don't know if the book manages to pull this off, but to me it felt very stilted and strange.

It felt as i was reading a case study as each character was well drawn but still felt a bit flat and I couldn't identify with them. Their three stories were separate but then start to merge and the three various members of the house who at first don't know each other, gradually become involved in each other’s lives. I think essentially this is a book about crime, a murder, the problems of living in a city when you are coping with various different challenges and darker issues such as abuse. I was the wrong person to read this I think but will be reading the reviews of those who got this book.

While I feel that the description of this book
Is misleading, it does follow the lives of the three occupants of the same building, but it’s not so much a whodunnit as the description leads the reader to believe, it was a really well written book.

I read it in one sitting and had very strong feelings (not positive ones) towards all
Of the characters.

My only concern is that the author makes people
On the Autism spectrum seem like they are frightening people when in reality, they are the complete opposite.

This was an enjoyable read. Good characters and fast paced. I look forward to more by this author! Thanks to Netgalley for the book in exchange for an honest opinion.

A murder in their building bring together characters Tam, Nick, and Karen. The resulting suspense is beautifully crafted. Great writing, great plotting.

A thought provoking and unsettling page turner which I read at one sitting as I found it difficult to put down. There were flashes of very black humour which I enjoyed, as the main protagonists - flawed and unsympathetic characters - tried to find a place in a society that they found confusing, and hurting many others along the way. Following Nick's thinking and reasoning was interesting, and made the book a different read.
A great debut and I look forward to further books by this author.

Debut author Elizabeth S. Moore shares a tale of suspense that is also moving and heartbreaking in THE MAN ON THE MIDDLE FLOOR. Tam, Nick, and Karen live in the same three-flat house in the suburbs of London, but they are strangers to each other. Tam is a police officer just recovered from being shot. In his forties, Tam is struggling to adapt to the changing expectations of policing. Nick, who lives on the middle floor has Asperger’s and struggles when his schedules and routines are disrupted. Karen is an expert on autism and has made it her life’s work to study those who are diagnosed on the autism spectrum while at the same time becoming completely oblivious to the lives of her three young children. Two murders bring the neighbors out of their solitary orbits and throw them together with tragic consequences.

I just love it when I find a gem of a book in a title that I didn’t expect to enjoy all that much. THE MAN ON THE MIDDLE FLOOR is one of those books. I’m so glad to have read this book. It is a fantastic blend of literary fiction with a suspenseful edge that had me hooked from the beginning. Told from the alternating perspectives of the three main characters, the book takes a difficult subject and injects it with moments of humor, exasperation, and heartbreak. I really grew to care about two of the main characters, Tam and Nick. Nick’s chapters are told in the first person and the reader is quickly drawn into his story of order, routine and emotional detachment. Tam finds himself in a bit of a mid-life crisis and provides some truly funny, much needed, laugh out loud moments. I really liked his character and I hope to see more of him in future titles. The story is beautifully told with a fast paced plot and lovely prose. This is one of those books that I call “sticky”. The story and characters have stayed with me several days after finishing it. The end of the novel brought tears to my eyes and left me feeling a sense of peace and sadness all at the same time. Readers may find the subject matter controversial but I think this would make an excellent choice for a book club read as there are so many avenues of discussion within the book. This is a solid 4/5 star read for me and I highly recommend it.

A big thank you to RedDoor Publishing for sharing an e-ARC of this title with me in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

A great debut novel by Elizabeth Moore. What I thought was going to be a quirky modern whodunnit, turned out to be a thought provoking page turner about society, Autism, relationships and abuse.
The character of Tam a policeman who find himself alone and no longer working for a force he loved but one which has moved on without him, plays a great role at keeping the book grounded and more understandable, whilst we learn about the more complex characters of Karen and Nick. A very deep book but also a well balanced story and a great read.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Red Door in exchange for an honest review.

Three people living in the same building but barely knowing of each other’s existence. Karen is a doctor and researcher, doing a study on the rising rates of autism. Tam has just lost his job as a policeman and now spends his days between takeaway containers and whiskey bottles. Nick is trying to live independently with his Asperger’s but has to deal with visits from his grandfather disrupting his routine.

But these three lives become intertwined when Karen tries to get Nick a job in her hospital and Tam’s inner-policeman is awakened with an unsolved murder in a nearby park.

Told from all three perspectives, The Man On The Middle Floor attempts to look at how society sees and treats people with autism. At least, that’s what I think it was trying to do. It’s difficult to know exactly what the point of this book is. In all honesty, I don’t know much about autism, but I do know that autistic people can get a bad rep, and this book does nothing to hinder that point of view.

Nick is one of the most unsympathetic characters I’ve ever read. He has all of the qualities that people use against autistic people, such as complete lack of empathy towards people and animals (the bit with the cat is completely unnecessary). Not all autistic people are like this!

Karen’s study, looking at proving that autistic people can function normally in the workplace, could have been a great way to go against these stereotypes, but Nick’s character traits mean this falls through as well. It’s all kind of a giant mess.

Karen is one giant stereotype herself. She personifies the stereotype of women not being able to have a job and a family. She’s divorced and sees her own kids as more of a chore that takes away time from her job. She basically kidnaps her own son because she thinks it will help her research, instead of doing what’s best for him and leaving him with his sister. She doesn’t report Nick’s seriously inappropriate behaviour in the morgue because she knows it will make her research look bad.

She’s just a terrible person overall. The opinion that women can’t have a successful job and be a mother is so prevalent and, in my opinion, a character like this is just dangerous because she does nothing to dispel this ridiculous opinion.

Even Tam is a stereotype of a man. He’s attracted to every single girl he meets throughout the book and is proud of himself for not acting on his attraction to Nick’s mother, even though it would have been ridiculously unprofessional of him to do so. Not being inappropriate at work is not something to be proud of, it’s just called being a decent human being.

I didn’t hate this book when I finished it, I just disliked it a little bit, but the more I thought about it afterwards the angrier I got about it. I don’t normally like to say just negative things about a book, but the characters in this book just make me so mad that I don’t feel like looking for something good to say.