Cozy apartment building related mystery? Honestly making the building it's own character was so smart.

I like these books that are pairing unlikely allies together. This time it’s a Gen Z and a baby boomer. At first neither understands the other but they grow to recognize and appreciate each other.

This book centers on found family, community and feeling like you belong. Both Dorothy and Kat are complex characters that became more endearing the more I learned about them. Dorothy doesn’t quite hit the charm of Ove, but this opposites align kinda reminded me of it.

There is a bit of a mystery buried in this one in addition to the budding friendship of the women. I enjoyed the journey the women faced and how the more that came out about them, the more my feelings of them shifted. I wasn’t really loving either one in the beginning of the book, but had grown quite fond of them by the end. The author does a great job of building complex characters whose secrets add relatability and charm.

And I need to add there are dogs in the book. I love when characters have pets. And in addition to the two main characters, there are some great supporting ones. I really was charmed by the way they bonded together and had each others back.

Loved this another great story from Sampson. The building was described so well I felt I was living there. A wonderful cast of characters one can really relate with. This has a mystery, romance, suspense, and keep the tissues handy. An excellent book club selection. Looking forward to the next one from this author.

I adore cozy mysteries, so when I was approved for an advance reader’s copy of Nosy Neighbors (a recent release categorized as a cozy mystery on Penguin Random House’s website) I was ecstatic.

The novel starts cozy enough; right from the start, it felt like I stepped into a Frederick Backman novel, with quirky neighbors, a housing complex to save, and a mystery to solve.

However, the novel loses steam, and the focus shifts from the mystery to the secret pasts of two tenants: Kat and Dorothy. From the reveal of Dorothy’s trauma, it took me two months to finish reading this. Add in Kat’s trauma, Dorothy’s plan to avoid eviction, and I was in a world I did not want to be in. The mystery-solving - typically central to a cozy mystery - occurred off-page and as an afterthought.

I firmly believe that I’m not the audience for this book, because this book is not a cozy mystery. If you’re a fan of A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman, then I’d recommend Nosy Neighbors. It is well-written, slow-paced, and character-driven, which I do typically love. Unfortunately, this one was simply not for me.

Content Warnings
death of a child (historical), grief, addiction, lying to/manipulation of a child (historical), suicidal ideation

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a finished copy in exchange for an honest review.

Freya Sampson has become an auto-buy author for me ever since her first book. Nosy Neighbors is one of my top five books of the year so far. The interactions between Dorothy and, well, everyone else in the apartment building are downright hilarious! And the fact that Kat, who is new on the scene, just won't put up with her attitude. Once they find out that Shelley House is scheduled to be torn down, all the neighbors--including Dorothy--come together to try and save it. While there were so many funny moments in the book, there were also so many heartfelt, emotional moments. Dorothy's and Kat's pasts were both tragic and while they go about their lives a little bit differently, they ultimately understand and help each other, I laughed out loud, I cried happy tears, and I just loved this book so much!

Nosy Neighbors is a found family mystery with some comedy thrown in! In this Only Murders in the Building style story, a rag-tag group of tenants are dealing with eviction notices and strange occurrences in their dilapidated building. Kat, new (illegal) sub-letter, is running from her past and trying hard not to get drawn into the happenings. Ms. Darling, who has diligently watched and reported on the comings and goings in the building for 30 years, is also hiding a secret in her past. The two collide when Kat's flatmate is rushed to the hospital after being attacked in their home.

This book is great for fans of Thursday Murder Club or Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. If you love old curmudgeons who really have a heart of gold, then Ms. Darling will win you over!

This was such a fun book, I loved the back and forth between Kat and Dororthy and how both had this big mystery looming over them of something happening in their past. There were a lot of funny moments throughout the book but also moments that tug at your heart and make you cry. When I found out what happened to Kat and the truth behind things that was really hard to read. I did find that there were some slow moments throughout the book that dragged along and didn't add to the story but all in all I loved how this one building brought all these different characters together.

Nosy Neighbors by Freya Sampson was a cute entertaining book. This is a sweet story about community and intergenerational friendship! Nice character development throughout the book. Anything with a grumpy old lady and her dog makes a book and this one definitely had it! I always love a good mystery with a plot twist.

This was one of the most wholesome, emotional reads I've read so far this year; it being so emotional totally took me by surprise. I cannot believe how many times this one had me tearing up. I loved following our two polar opposite characters as they navigated saving their beloved apartment building. They were both so prickly and lovable, I could have read about them for dozens more tales of their lives.

Another win for Freya Sampson! Having enjoyed "The Lost Ticket", I was excited to pick up "Nosy Neighbors", a cozy mystery that lets its mystery take a supporting role so that its collection of misfit characters take center stage instead. I'll be honest, it took a little bit of reading before this book pulled me in, but I fell for the rich character development in the end.

The plot centers around a historical and beloved home, Shelley House, where several tenants find themselves under threat of eviction as the house is scheduled for demolition. Reigning over the house is its longest tenant, Dorothy, a rather grumpy older lady who keeps herself isolated from everyone else while nonetheless making everyone else's comings and goings her business (as well as fodder for her meticulous notes on their behaviors). Dorothy is far from pleased when a fellow tenant, Jacob, illegaly subleases part of his flat to Kat, a spunky 20-something with pink hair. When Jacob is unexpectedly sent to the hospital, Kat and Dorothy form a grudging and then friendly alliance to get to the bottom of what happened to Jacob and to ultimately save their home from demise.

There is both tenderness and humor in Dorothy and Kat, as well as the other quirky characters who share their home. "Nosy Neighbors" delivers strong themes of guilt, forgiveness, and redemption. While the plot does have some moments of predictability, it always led me in exactly the directions I preferred. This novel is a good choice for those looking for a heartwarming, feel-good read — light enough to be a beach read with a twist of intrigue, but with engaging emotional depth to make the conclusion truly satisfying. Love the title and cover art, too!

This book ended up being a surprise in that I went in thinking it was just going to be a cozy mystery and instead, I left it close to tears from how much heart was in this story.

Nosy Neighbors follows the tenants of the historic Shelley House, a building of six flats that has been around since the 1800s and has certainly seen better days. We primarily get to know two of the building's inhabitants: Dorothy, a 77-year-old woman who has lived alone for over 30 years and Kat, the 25-year-old that has temporarily moved in. When faced with mounting pressure to vacate the home by an aggressive housing developer and after one of the other tenants is suspiciously attacked after his public protests, this unlikely pair teams up together to save their home.

We start off thinking we know exactly who these characters are: Dorothy is a nosy busybody who has nothing better to do than to spy on her neighbors and Kat is an aimless millennial with no attachments because of her aloof nature. However, once we peel back the their shells, we learn vivid backstories as to why it is so important to save Shelley House. My heart broke for both of them when we learned what has happened in their lives to shape their existences. If I wasn't listening while I was at work, I honestly think I might have started crying.

I listened to the audiobook, and I highly recommend it, I think narrator Sarah Lambie did a phenomenal job of differentiating between these two leads as well as the entire cast of side characters we meet throughout the novel. I'm thankful that I was given the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book as I'm not sure I would have picked it up otherwise and I'm so glad that I did.

Thank you to Berkley and Netgalley for this advanced copy through the #BerkleyBesties program. All thoughts are my own.

This was cute, but something about it just felt off. Maybe it was the time jumps? It was a cute story and I enjoyed the characters.

A fun romp with a super cute premise and lovely characters. It reminded me in some ways of Finlay Donovan but it all the best ways.

This was such a fun read! A murder mystery that's not really a murder mystery, interesting neighbors, lots of found family and community, and heart warming characters. I am writing a book review and waiting for the author's interview responses to post for the Feminist Book Club.

We all know someone who is nosy. But sometimes the snooper can take it to a different level. Sometimes it's just that they are bored. Other times it could perhaps be for another reason no one knows about. In Nosy Neighbor we discover the many different types of being nosy. The book is funny, mysterious, heartwarming and surprising as a group of residents from different backgrounds who live in a complex and who are not too cordial with each other, all with secrets, must somehow join together and not only try and solve a crime but also save their residence before it's too late.

The apartment complex is called Shelley House. It is an aged building and some of the occupants have been there for decades. But when a young woman with multi-colored hair named Kat sublets with one of the older tenants named Joseph, the biggest busy body of them all, Dorothy is disgusted and angered.

Dorothy, who was married but has lived alone in her apartment for many years keeps a daily diary of all the goings on and activities that occur during the day. This includes what is happening at the other resident's apartments as well as what is happening outside of the building. She sist at her table, drinks tea and takes copious notes and keeps logs. She rarely speaks to any neighbor and if she does it's to inform them of something more than likely against breaking rules...hers!

So when Kat moves in to Joseph's apartment, she takes an immediate dislike to the young girl. But in Kat's defense, she doesn't really want to be there either, but she has some secret unfinished business she needs to attend to so she can put this town behind her forever.

But, when the owner of the building decides to evict the residence so he can tear down the building, Dorothy cannot and will not accept this. She decides to ignore it. Another tenant Joseph decides they must fight to keep their home safe. But as Joseph begins his campaign to stop the evictions, he is hurt in his apartment. At first, they thought due to his age he perhaps tripped, but it is soon discovered someone attacked him. He is hospitalized and Kat decides she must try and figure out who tried to hurt Joseph.

Dorothy unfortunately does not want to help Kat, but over time agrees to assist with Joseph's dog, a Jack Russell who is miserable without him and takes care of him while Kat is at work. As time goes by, Dorothy and Kat will discover that even with their age gap, they have a great deal in common. They both have had great heartbreak and loss in their lives and that has changed them forever.

And with this blooming friendship, Dorothy's snooping and Kat's investigating come together and they discover not only what happened to Joseph, but also much, much more. Will it stop the evictions? Who really knows, but what they do discover is that the residents of Shelley House need each other and surprisingly understand each other.

And what about Kat? Why did she come back? What has she experienced to make her so angry and untrusting?

Out of hurt and anger sometimes can come forms of peace and acceptance in this charming, witty, reflective story in which a group of neighbors not only try to save their home, but also, their lives.

Thank you #NetGalley #Berkley #FreyaSampson #NosyNeighbors for the advanced copy.

NOSY NEIGHBORS is the cozy contemporary british litfic of my DREAMS! I thought this was a silly little mystery, but it’s NOT. Instead, it’s a delightful story about an old woman and spunky younger woman who bond over their mutual love for the adorable building they live in and their neighbors. Isn’t that the cutest thing you’ve ever heard?

I just adored this and it gave me so many feelings. I love a complicated character, and this book had so many! I love a little old lady, and this book had a fantastic one! I love a story about community, and togetherness, and belonging, and NOSY NEIGHBORS had all of that and more.

This was really cute! A cozy mystery, sweet characters you instantly bonded with and fell in love with and a story that kept me captivated!

Cute for a cozy mystery book. There was a lot of filler type content that had me a bit bored throughout the middle of the book. But I appreciated the relationships between the least likliest of friends - or should I say neighbors with zero things in common except a home. When someone builds up a wall to protect themselves and others due to major trauma, seeing someone unexpected break down those walls is fun to watch. This book was all about that. It was easy to cheer for the grumpy character and to hope they eventually realize they aren't just a bad luck charm.

What a lovely combination of a cozy mystery and an exploration of how past trauma has long-term effects. Add in one of my favorite themes, found family, and you have a winner in Nosy Neighbors.

The two main characters are Dorothy and Kat. You couldn’t find two women more different, or that’s how it seems at first. Dorothy is in her 70s and lives by herself in an apartment/flat in a building that is over 100 years old in a village in England. She’s lived there for over 30 years and keeps an eye on the comings and goings of her neighbors, writing in her notebook about everything she sees: So-and-so left the building at such-and-such a time, someone else left their trash in the wrong place, etc. Kat is in her 20s, with pink hair and tattoos and never stays in one place for long. She is subletting a room from another neighbor, Joseph. Both Dorothy and Kat have sad backstories, and eventually they come to understand one another. The book is the story of how that happens, starting with Joseph getting seriously hurt. Was it an accident or did someone attack Joseph and why?

The building they are living in is Shelley House, a once grand edifice that has fallen on hard times, after a succession of owners have failed to keep it up. The neighbors mostly don’t talk to each other much, and again, over the course of the story this changes. Eviction notices have arrived and the neighbors are trying to stop the current owner from tearing down the building to build a more modern place with many more flats. Joseph was trying to spearhead a protest when he got hurt/was attacked. The local police get involved, but of course, Kat also gets involved in trying to figure out who is behind everything.

A charming story that had me both laughing and tearing up. You will fall in love with not just Dorothy and Kat, but all the Shelley House neighbors: Joseph and his adorable dog Reggie, Tomasz and his dog Princess (who needs training!), Gloria and her stream of lousy boyfriends, Omar and his daughter Ayesha.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Completely charming and quirky, I loved this book with its amazing cast of characters! Ms. Darling was one of my favorite characters ever. So nosy! So so so nosy! Her inner dialogue made me laugh out loud multiple times.

Not quite a cozy mystery, but it does have mysterious elements. I loved the coming together of the group for their big plan and how all of the characters had so much growth in pursuit of their goal.

I did think certain parts could be tightened up and it was a little long, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this novel!