Eh... this plot sounded interesting but couldn’t keep my interest. I like the author and was excited after reading a previous book but this one didn’t do it for me. Hopefully next time!

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Those People” by Louise Candlish is a mystery/psychological thriller set in England that strikes at the heart of where you live. I found it incredibly gripping, similar to the 1990 film, “Pacific Heights,” about a bad renter. Only this was more disturbing, because you don’t have to become a landlord, but you can rarely control who moves into your neighborhood. What’s your recourse when the new neighbor on the block is a menace?

The characters were well written and easy to relate to. I couldn’t stop turning pages to see what would happen next. What would this lunatic newcomer do next? And, how would the historically friendly neighbors react? What stands out the most about this book is how venerable we all are to the perils of neighborhood life. Social norms and manners are the glue that keeps us together. When those are gone, you can expect the worst.

Candlish made good use of a one-sided police interview to start each chapter. She names the neighbor being interviewed. Without knowing the question the police are asking, we read the brief response of a neighbor, which then leads into a chapter focused on that neighbor. There are several neighbors, but the author was able to keep the storyline organized and easy to follow. It was a very effective technique that moved the story along at a brisk pace.

Regarding the blush factor in “Those People,” there was no graphic sex or violence, but the language was at times quite coarse. It’s understandable, given the extreme circumstances presented. At the same time, any of us could find ourselves in that neighborhood. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you will love “Those People.”

“Those People,” is currently available for presale, and will be released on June 11, 2019.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars This started off well but couldn’t hold its place. Our house by this author was a much better read. This was disappointing. Too slow for me.

This amazing book is the perfect follow-up to "Our House." Candlish seems to have her fingers right on the pulse of upper middle class homeowners and their issues with property. I expect her next book will be a thriller based on renovation reality programs. Whatever it is, I can't wait for it.

This book is a must read! I enjoyed it and all the twists and turns that came with it! It will keep you up late thru the night not wanting to stop!

Thank you to NetGalley, Louise Candlish and Berkley Publishing Group for the free e-book in exchange for an honest review.

Lowland way is the perfect place to live; all the neighbors get along, the houses are beautiful and the children can play outside on the weekend. But suddenly Darren and Jodie move in and everything changes. The blast music constantly, start and fail to finish all sorts of unsightly renovations and run a used car business from their home. It doesn’t take long for the residents to begin a feud with the new couple. Then one Sunday morning there is an accident that leaves one innocent victim dead and police are trying to find out what exactly is going on in this neighborhood.

This novel starts off with accounts of what has been going on since the new couple has moved in from all the residents and I loved that and whipped through the first little bit of the book trying to figure out already who is dead. I loved the not knowing and having to continue to flip through the pages to find out who was the victim. This novel is definitely more of a slow burn dramatic novel, but that totally works for this story line. You really want to hate these new neighbors and help the old ones find a way to get back to their old peaceful lives. I loved how the author made every character deal with the same struggles in their lives differently and how one gets so caught up in it, they are tried for murder.

Out June 11th!

“Those People” by Louise Candlish is about two rotten apples spoiling the entire bunch, or in this case, block, for their neighbors. All anyone wants to do is enjoy their lives on their peaceful, picturesque block. But, new neighbors, Darren and Jodie, move in and it seems like their only purpose is to terrorize everyone around them. The surrounding neighbors try talking to Darren and Jodie on separate occasions to change their disapproving behavior, but to no avail. They have meetings to discuss how to best deal with this “threat” to their peaceful lives but nothing seems to help change their situation. There is only so much people can tolerate. Tragedy was inevitable.

This book keeps you hooked especially when neighbor after neighbor fails at trying to compromise with Darren and Jodie. Even I was losing my patience with them! Drama mixed with mystery is what Candlish does best and she delivered once again. Thank goodness I have good neighbors!

I appear to be in the minority of reviewers who didn't enjoy this book very much. I just couldn't get engaged with these characters. It's supposed to be domestic suspense but all I found was neighborhood egos run amok and gossipy squabbling.

The development of the plot of this book unfolds at the breakneck pace of O.J.'s Bronco chase on the LA 405 freeway, only it's not nearly as entertaining.


I always keep notes as I'm reading a book...quotes, pivotal moments, etc. I only had one note on this book upon completion and that was...

page 113

...that's how long it took for something of the most miniscule bit of interesting to happen in this book, and even that something was so cursory I nearly drowned in it's wake.

The best descriptive word that comes to mind for this story is LABORIOUS with a capital L for "LAWD LET THIS BOOK END ALREADY".

I looooved the domestic cray cray of Our House by this author but this book was insipid domestic and about as cray as Cocoa Puffs.


2 Stars ⭐⭐ because I thought the format was cleverly composed.



*** I received an ARC from via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ***

What do you do when the neighbors from hell move in next door? So begins the story of a quiet tight knit community and their desperate efforts to remove the offending newcomers at all costs.

Everyone has had one of those neighbors. The kind of neighbor to make you avoid your own home. Whether it's the loud music, general unfriendliness, or a trashy front yard, we've all experienced it. This book brought back all those memories. Candlish did such a fantastic job dredging up feelings of dread and pure, seething, red-hot rage. I found myself rooting for blind revenge on the neighbors and felt legitimate hatred towards them, as if they had just moved in next door to me.

The relationships between the neighbors were realistic and the character development was fantastic. Although nobody really wants to relive their "neighbor nightmares," this novel is cathartic in the sense that the main characters take action. The ending was really great - just when you think you've reached a resolution, think again.

The blurb does describe what the book is about and would prompt you to believe that you will be reading a thriller. Sadly I did not find that to be the case. I would say the book is more of a character study. Once you scratch the surface of those seemingly perfect lives, the secrets and flaws are revealed. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and didn’t really like any of them either. I struggle with this review because it isn’t a bad book and it is well written, but I personally found it rather boring. Not enough tension and suspense to hold my interest.

I found the book to be exactly what the publisher reveals about the story except that the (original) neighbors seemed to be very whiny and narrowly focused on keeping life exactly as it had been. Yes, the new neighbor is literally a loud, rude jerk - the kind of person no one wants moving on to one's street. The interesting part was that this new resident unintentionally uncovered all the plastered-over cracks in the others residents' polished facades, all the things they wanted no one else to notice.

Those people starts out on a beautiful, suburban street, Lowland Way, the houses are beautiful, on Sunday’s the streets are closed to traffic so the children can have free play with no worries, until new neighbors in #1 inherit the house.

Once Darren and Jodie move in, long gone are the quiet, beautiful days of the street. Loud music plays all hours of the night, cars are parked all over for their used car business, and don’t forget the house renovations in which safety standards are questionable. With accidents waiting to happen, tempers flaring, and finally the unthinkable...a tragic death everyone feared was just a matter of time. The neighbors have had all they can take of Darren and Jodie, and when tragedy strikes again, the fingers start pointing and everyone is a suspect with hidden secrets coming to light.

I loved Louise Candlish’s first book Our House, this one wasn’t the close second I was hoping for. I certainly enjoyed the book, the story, the crazy characters, but it seemed drawn out and dragged on. The amount of crazy should have been enough to keep me interested, but it fell flat. I’m giving this a generous 2.5 stars, because of the crazy, and my hope that Ms. Candlish knocks the next one out of the park like Our House did.

I would like to thank Netgalley and publisher Berkeley Books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good mystery and thriller that kept me guessing all the way through. I loved the multiple points of view, the police interrogation transcripts, etc. It kept the story fresh in a genre that can produce the same ideas and twists.

I wasn’t expecting the first death. I was shocked! I expected one thing and got something completely different. That was a nice surprise for once. And then it came down to who did it. Who sabotaged the property to cause it?

I think every neighbor was likable in their own way. We definitely got to know some of the characters better than others. And again, whenever I had a suspect in mind, something was flip-turned and I was back at square one. There’s so much plotting. And secrets. It becomes convoluted, in the best way.

My only complaint would be the ending. A little abrupt and not fully closed, in my opinion. We got the whodunnits, but I think I needed a little more from Em...because I felt her role was definitely bigger than what we even know.

This is a great character study (and--although race is never overtly discussed--a excellent profile of what white privilege looks like) but not exactly a thrilling page tuner. If you're cool with that, you'll likely find this book fascinating.

In my opinion, the strength of the book are the characters who are all deliciously unlikeable, each convinced of their inherent superiority. Like a good Agatha Christie novel (which they cheekily name drop in the novel itself), any one of these neighbors might have killed their problematic neighbor for reasons that likely seem very valid to them.

What I liked about the book is none of these people are portrayed as particularly evil, they've simply all succumb to the extreme thinking many others subscribe to these days: "I know I am right--and the people with whom I surround myself each day concur with me--therefore anyone who thinks/behaves differently must be "wrong" and should either change their mind or suffer the consequences." In that respect, this very much felt like a novel for our times.

However, on the flip side, I felt like not much actually happens in this book. I think the ominous cover and description really pitch this book as a fast moving mystery, and for me it just wasn't. That's not necessarily a BAD thing, but it did somewhat affect my enjoyment of the book.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story of a bad neighbor. Once Darren moved in with all his annoying habits, the neighborhood was like a war zone. It's a nightmare that everyone can identify with. What if this happened in my neighborhood, was all I could think. As his antics and hostility grew, the suspense built and built. I found myself squirming, trying to figure a way out of it for the neighbors. The outcome of the escalation was surprising. As with her book, Our House, Louise Candlish leaves the reader with one last twist at the very end.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. (less)

This book had me anticipating the worst case scenario , and the author didn't disappoint . Great book , easy to read . I was sucked in immediately.

Those People by Louise Candlish
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Darren and Jodie have just moved into the house on the corner and they definitely don’t fit in with the rest of the neighborhood. Their outright lack of respect for their neighbors brings on a series of retaliations. Then early one morning the unthinkable happens, there’s a horrid death in their little neighborhood. The police begin their search and it becomes clear that they all have something to hide.

I know it’s said a lot, but I truly did not want to put this book down! It had the perfect amount of suspense to keep me totally drawn in without prolonging it too much and getting boring. The story is told from the perspectives of several neighbors starting eight weeks before the shocking death. Sometimes I get lost with that style but I found no problem with that at all with this book. It’s got a good flow and it’s well written. I definitely recommend this book!

"My relationship with him? Mutual hatred, I would say. I recognized his type straightaway. Doesn't give a shit what anyone else thinks. Uncivilized, basically." - Ralph Morgan, 7 Lowland Way

Lowland Way is a lovely tree-lined residential street filled with old Victorian homes. This award-winning community is known for self-monitored harmony and peace; a place where children can safely play in the streets on every Sunday. This upper class oasis turns a blind eye to the economically depressed area on the other side of their manicured hedges; this "Stepford" community pats itself on the back with haughty self-importance and perfect neighborly respect for rules and regulations. There is suspense hovering over the neighborhood. Who will inherit the home of the recently deceased neighborhood matron who lived at 1 Lowland Way?

The opening chapter reveals that the new owner, Darren Booth, having moved in eight weeks earlier, was not fondly received and that something tragic has happened at that address. The British Metropolitan Police are interviewing one of the residents, Frank Morgan from 7 Lowland Way:

"Yes, we're aware that someone's been killed; of course we are. What a terrible way to die, absolutely horrific. . .Yeah, it all looked normal on the corner when I left. The usual scrap heap. Piles of rubble everywhere. . . A total disaster zone."

The neighborhood's hopes that the heir to Jean's home would be a respectable up-and-comer were dashed when Darren blew into town with massive sound system, fleet of rusting used cars, and a tool box filled with ear-splitting devices. This misplaced commoner began a 24-hour renovation of the house and staged a used-car business parking his broken down vehicles in the limited parking available on the street.

1 Lowland Way is a duplex; one of the only semidetached homes on the street. The residents of the other half of the house are introduced to Darren Booth in the dead of night when the adjoining wall in their baby's bedroom came under assault from a power tool. The jack-hammering noise was overlaid with an accompanying dose of heavy metal music.

An elderly resident across the street from 1 Lowland Way suffers financial ruin as her B&B loses it's ranking due to the situation at the Booth house. Guests were turned off by the noise, the rusty cars, and the haphazard scaffolding.

Day after day the noisy intrusion continues with no relief to be found. "Friendly and unfriendly" visits to the new home owner have been worthless.  The police and the community council feel they have no reason to step into the fray.

As the police investigate, what at first appears to be a tragic accident, the placid nature of the neighborhood begins to slowly disintegrate. Tempers rise and suppressed feelings surface that break apart friendships. A seismic shift begins in their group dynamics; everyone within range of 1 Lowland Way exposes their dark side.

When the repeated police interviews begin to reveal that a murder has been committed, everyone begins to take sides. Cue the finger-pointing and accusations.

The story unfolds slowly; excruciatingly slow, flipping from present day to events leading up to the tragedy. Although the story hones in on the lives of Darren Booth's neighbors, we never get inside the heads of Darren or his girl friend, Jody. We are given just enough information to deduce that neither side of the neighborhood conflict is without fault.

It is an interesting study of human behavior when individuals are put under uncontrollable pressure. "Those People' creates a scenario where both sides of the social strata make no attempt to find an amenable compromise. The ending, predictable, has a few surprises but overall leaves the reader feeling underwhelmed.

The book was an easy read but fails to match the success of the author's first book, Our House.  Let's hope the author steps up to the plate with her third book..

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.