Perfectly Nice Neighbors is an A++ Legal Thriller featuring major Neighborhood Drama from Kia Abdullah.
This is my second novel from Abdullah and I have given both 5-stars. I think it's fair to say, I'm a huge fan!

As far as Thrillers with a Legal bent go, I don't read a lot of them, only a few a year, but the ones I read, I do tend to enjoy. I feel like Abdullah brings such substance to her stories though, they almost go above and beyond.

In this story we follow two families. Salma, Bil and their son Zain, who are the new family on the street, and Tom, Willa and their son Jamie, long-time neighborhood residents. It is important to note, Salma's family is Bangladeshi, while Tom's family is white. Also, please note, each family has a dog and the dogs are also involved in the drama.

You have been warned now about these two aspects. In other words, you may read things in this book that will make you uncomfortable. You may read things in this book that will make you angry, or emotional, but I promise, you'll walk away with a lot of thoughts and it will be memorable.

Basically, Salma and Tom get into it. They get into it deep. This is a neighbor feud for the freaking record books. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. As events escalate, the tension really amps up. I was squirming in my seat. It feels very unsafe, like a ticking time bomb, but how far will the battle be taken?

Y'all, I am always down for the drama. But this is a different sort of neighborhood drama than I'm used to. This was on a different level than most.

I appreciated how quickly Abdullah got to the action. She didn't waste a lot of time on build-up. We meet Salma and her family, basically as they've just moved into their new home. It seriously takes no time at all for the event that leads to the initial confrontation to take place. After that, each subsequent run-in just digs both families into their position deeper and deeper.

The snowball keeps rolling until the point where I was feeling emotionally drained. I don't mean this as a bad thing, because hey, at least I was feeling something.

In fact, one of the things I love most about Abdullah's stories is that she sets her Readers up with space to do some critical thinking. The way she frames her stories, it explores both sides, instead of hammering home with one character's perspective. It's so engrossing.

I feel like her style is a great platform for Readers to have some real self-reflective, as well as shoe-on-the-other-foot, moments. It feels written with such intention and what's not to appreciate, and respect, about that.

I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy tense neighborhood dramas that explore current societal issues. I know this won't work for everyone, but for the Readers who do end up enjoying it, I think they'll walk away feeling like they've had a memorable reading experience.

Thank you so much to the publisher, G.P. Putnam's Sons, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I can't wait to see what Abdullah comes up with next!

Wow! I loved this book. This is my first book from the author but won't be my last. This was a fast paced book and I didn't see the ending coming. Very timely with current issues. 5 stars!

I absolutely love this author!! Now having said that, I have to be in the right frame of mind to read her books. They are not light, easy reads. There is always a heavy hitting issue at the core of what is always a well written, suspenseful and often heartbreaking story. This one is no different. The Khatun family has moved to Blenheim for a new start. We slowly learn why as we read. The Khatun's are from Bangladesh. The neighbors are welcoming at first, but we get a sense of unease. Then they begin having issues with white neighbor Tom. The family tries reasoning with him as things escalate out of control. The tension is great with this story, and as I have said, it is a heavy read, but quite eye-opening. The courtroom scenes are fantastic. I can't wait to read what comes next from Kia Abdullah.

Thank you to #NetGalley, Kia Abdullah and Penguin Group Putnam for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I had not previously read anything by Kia Abdullah, but “legal thriller” is possibly my favorite genre, so I was happy to receive a copy of Perfectly Nice Neighbors from Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review.

The publisher’s blurb didn’t tell me much, other than that it was a “twisty and consuming thriller” and Lisa Jewell said “ One of my ten best reads of the year. Easy five stars.” The focal point as the novel opens is Salma Khatun, who has recently moved to Blenheim, a suburban development where she, her husband, and their son Zain have moved, hoping for a new start. It isn’t clear at first why they needed a new start, but this one unfolds in ways that are subtle and surprising.

The underlying story of suburban racism is introduced when Salma notices her neighbor, Tom, removing a Black Lives Matter banner from the Khatun’s yard. She retrieves it, this time in her window, but the next day finds her window has been painted over. WTF? This introduction to Tom as a white man who wants reminders of racial issues GONE from the neighborhood is really well done. Salma tries speaking to Tom, but that doesn’t go well, and as for Tom’s wife, Willa, she “had been raised with a stiff upper lip and a suspicion of the “other,.”” As Salma talks with her son Zain about the situation between the two families, she says “You don’t understand, sweetheart, women like Willa wield power and if they choose to, they can wound far deeper.” Then clarifies she is referring to women who are “Pretty. Educated…White.” Later, during the trial that takes up much of the story, Salma thinks about Willa as one of the “Beautiful… Skinny white women who wore their looks with false humility…”

As for the racism, Salma had “…seen it all her life: tears used as a weapon against people like her…Sometimes, they were subtle, like the time Salma accidentally toes a classmate’s mat in their weekend yoga class. The look of revulsion made her feel like an ogre: larger, darker, hairier…People like Salma made a thousand adjustments for the sake of others’ comfort.”

The second half of the book becomes this grabber of a legal thriller, with family drama, teenage angst, financial and political issues, and friendship between teenage boys thrown in.

The racial and social tensions escalate slowly but surely, and the drama and tension are handled extremely well. There is a sense of foreboding as things spiral out of control, and plenty of twists along the way. I plan to read more of Ms. Abdullah’s work, and recommend this to fans of suburban mysteries, legal thrillers, and well-written stories. Five stars

Do you really know your neighbors??

Yikes, Perfect Nice Neighbors may just be the thriller for everyone. Salma and her family have just moved into their new home, hoping for a fresh start. A welcoming BBQ and meeting new neighbors… they all seem so nice. But you already begin to feel some undertones of racism.
Heated disagreements and acts of aggression ensue in the coming days and weeks - a banner kicked out of a yard, a window painted over, and the slurs begin to fly. And it all spirals out of control from there.

A great thriller, great plot and character development. Told from multiple POV. Amazing courtroom dialogue as well.

Many times I thought I had it all figured out and it came down to the very end and I was wrong.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for this early release in exchange for my honest opinion.

Pub date: 12 Sep 2023

This book is a very heavy read for a thriller, as it gives a very real depiction of racism, microagressions, and victim-blaming that occurs subtly in everyday society. This book made me very emotional and uncomfortable, but in the right ways - it has forced me to really reflect on the actions and words of each character in this book. That all said, it is still definitely a thriller, and the reader is left unsure who to trust and believe right until the very end. The last couple of pages left me in shock, making it an easy 5-star read for me.

I really enjoyed this! It has twists and turns and kept me on my toes. I wasn't sure how this book was going to end and was surprised and shocked by the ending. This is a well done thriller and I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Kia Abdullah, Penguin and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars. Bangladeshi family Bilal, Salma, and Zain Khatun have recently moved to the Blenheim neighborhood of London. After dealing with financial stress related to Bil's failed restaurant, as well as the social fallout from Zain's misbehavior in their old neighborhood, they're ready for a fresh start in their new home. Their new neighbors, Willa and Tom Hutton, seem nice enough at first, and Zain becomes fast friends with their teenage son Jamie. But then Salma witnesses Tom knocking down a Black Lives Matter banner the Khatuns have placed in their yard, and tensions between the families swiftly escalate -- until someone is hurt, and the families are forced to face off for a final time in a courtroom.

Perfectly Nice Neighbors is a domestic neighborhood drama, but not one that deals with salacious secrets. Instead, it focuses unflinchingly on heavy themes like racism and prejudice, classism, and the fraught political climate. No popcorn thriller vibes here: This book is straight-up not a good time -- it made me so stressed while I was reading it -- and that's exactly the point. It's meant to make the reader anxious and uncomfortable, to force us to face our own internalized prejudices and perceptions, to make us think about our answers to complex moral questions about bullying, race, and revenge.

Kia Abdullah doesn't take an overt side in the narrative, instead presenting us with multiple viewpoints so we understand each character's motivations and the complexities of the issues involved. Both the narrative and the characters are pretty in-your-face, without a lot of nuance, which again I think is precisely the point. Everything seems a bit exaggerated for effect as Abdullah spotlights these timely, charged social issues. I didn't really like any of the characters, but I absolutely understood where they were coming from, how their various life experiences affected their choices.

This was my first book by Abdullah, and I'm not sure that her writing style is really for me -- it's a lot of telling vs. showing. Also, I was bothered that the animals were used as plot devices. Leave the pups out of the messy human conflicts, please! Overall, though, Perfectly Nice Neighbors is a thought-provoking, socially relevant examination of the most uncomfortable parts of humanity. Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons and NetGalley for the complimentary reading opportunity.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 stars! This was such a great mystery/thriller! Kia is such an amazing writer and has me guessing all the way until the end. Salma and Bilal just wanted to move to a nice neighborhood for their son, Zane, so that he can be raised in a safer environment. What they got was not what they expected or wanted! Definitely recommend to anyone that enjoys mystery/thrillers!

3.5 stars. This book is about a family that moves into a new neighborhood and has conflict with one of the new neighbors. This is my first book by this author. It was a good book! I will definitely read more of hers. I really liked the plot of this book. The twists were good and I did not see the big one coming. I felt like the timeline was off a little bit a couple of times.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

Wow, what a wild ride!! Who is actually at fault here???

4 out of 5 stars and my respect to the author.

Perfectly nice neighbors is a taut, social thriller. A new family movies into a neighborhood and Selma catches her white neighbor removing a Black Lives Matter sign from the yard. She then places it into her window only to later find her window smashed. Believing it to be her neighbor, Selma confronts him and tensions between the two families escalate to the point of no return. What starts as a domestic thriller soon turns into a courtroom thriller. Hints of Celeste ng and Angie Kim’s influences are felt throughout. The story moves at a rapid pace and the characters are believable. Timely and relevant a great read for anyone looking for a thriller that will give the reader something to think about when finished.

Thanks to the publisher for providing the arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

A Bangladeshi family moves into a suburban neighborhood in England and their white neighbors start a series of micro-aggressions and tensions and retaliations escalate. The story definitely kept me engaged trying to see where this would lead. The far-fetched ending let me down a bit--but overall it was a great ride.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this neighborly dispute book going into it, but once I got to know the characters, it was easy to became invested. The narration felt perfect for the story and was easy and enjoyable to listen to! I really loved the ending and how I never would’ve predicted where it was going from the start! If you like neighborhood psychological thrillers with a heavy focus on race, check this book out!

A unique domestic suspense that will give readers a lot to think about. Each of these characters is flawed and has something to hide. Abdullah’s writing is exquisite.

A London neighborhood-mostly white until the Khatun family moves in. They are invited to a neighborhood barbecue, but experience micro-aggressions right away, and some not so micro. They moved there to keep their teenage son from the trouble he was starting to get into in their old house. But things are not much better here, and he is struggling. The tension between the family and their next door neighbors increases, until tragedy strikes. This is kind of a thriller, but also an exploration of racism in the suburbs. I liked this one okay, definitely felt that both sides could have made better decisions in many cases. #perfectlyniceneighbors #kiaabdullah #bookstagram #booklover #reader #bookblog #lovetoread #fictionreader #bookreview #bookrecommendation #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #readallthebooks #booksbooksbooks #booksofinstagram #bookwormproblems #bookaholic #booknerd #whattoread #readingtime #bookaddict #ilovetoread #ilovebooks #needtoread #readallday

I enjoyed this thriller and in no way did I see the ending coming. The courtroom scenes were well written and I enjoyed a how all the chat were written, except Tom. He was kinda all over the place and I just really couldn’t (good or bad) connect with him.

The story really made you think about how things are perceived and received with today’s “woke” culture. Racism, tolerance…do we no longer know what these words mean?!

Perfectly Nice Neighbors is the newest legal thriller/mystery by Kia Abdullah. I am a big fan of Abdullah's writing. I enjoy that her books feature a legal aspect as well as some great unexpected twists. This latest book now has me wanting to wave and smile at my neighbors so that I never get into an escalated situation like the characters experience in Perfectly Nice Neighbors. This book tackles race relations and perceptions as well as how quickly judgment occurs now that so much of our daily interactions are immediately posted online. A well-told book that will have you thinking about a lot. Read and enjoy!

Salma Khatun and her Bangladeshi family move into a mostly-white suburban neighbor, and quickly clash with neighbor Tom Hutton, who unceremoniously rips out the anti-racist banner her son put in their yard. When she puts it up inside the house instead, someone paints the window white so that the banner can't be seen outside.

This is a marvelously written thriller diving into the prickly topics of class and racism. As the issue ends up in court, we see the justice system at work (or not). I really appreciated the friendship between the two families' boys while the adults were in the middle of this dispute. I was surprised by the ending. Fascinating page turner. Absolutely loved it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This book was a bit different than Kia Abdullah's other books I've read, which were legal thrillers. In Perfectly Nice Neighbors, a new family moves into the neighborhood - Salma, Bil and Zain are hoping to make a fresh start. After some odd interactions with their next-door neighbors, Willa and Tom, they notice their BLM banner taken down from their front yard. They put the banner back up in the front window of their home, and then the next morning, they notice someone has painted white over the banner. This must be an act of racism? It doesn't look like the fresh start they had anticipated.

I thought this was a thought-provoking psychological thriller that dives into our perception of others and things people do that can be interpreted as racism. When posts go up on social media, anger really flares between the neighbors. I think every reader can interpret things in this book in different ways, which I thought was very creative by the author.

I really enjoy how the suspense builds throughout the book. There are some good twists and unexpected surprises. Not everyone makes it out ok.