I'm a fan of British humor and cozy mysteries that aren't too niche, and this was really enjoyable! I can't wait to see what the author writes next!

3.25 stars - in theory this has a lot of the things that I love in a cozy, feel-good story: lovable characters , a strong sense of community, satisfying character archs and an adorable dog!
Unfortunately I was very underwhelmed with the first half of the book, the story set up was a little slow. Only halfway through did I start feeling a connection to the characters.
Some of them have secrets but the stakes feel very low, I think these bits are supposed to compel the reader but I was certain about the outcome. Also, I didn’t feel the spark at the romance parts.
It’s a cute story, I really got into it during the second half. Bonus points for The Last Chance Library references!

This is a first time read by this author for me and I was not disappointed. Well-written and entertaining, with a delightful cast of characters. Dorothy and Kat's relationship is exactly what you'd think considering their age differences, and it's touching to see them come together in their attempt to save Shelley House together. Joseph is charming and his drive to save Shelley House is quite unique. When he is attacked in his home, is it because of this or something else. But that is not the main point in this book, it's about forgiving yourself and others.

Nosy Neighbors is a delightful and heart-warming read. If you're a fan of feel-good stories, I'd give it a go.

I received this advance review copy from NetGalley & the publisher for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I loved this book! The story was fun and easy to pick back up. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen. A wonderful cast of characters and a great little mystery.

"Nothing brings neighbors together like someone else’s secrets… At Shelley House, the walls have ears, and they’re attached to a ragtag duo of busybodies ready to pry, snoop, and generally annoy their neighbors into solving a crime."
Freya Sampson has written a good book. Filled with treachery and mystery it couldn't have been better.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

I enjoy reading Freya Sampson books as they are usually heartwarming. In this one, Kat has returned to the town where she has fond memories of her grandfather-before she was disowned. She arrives to let a room at Shelley House. Upon arrival, she is greeted by Dorothy with a list of violations. But, Joseph stops Kat before she gets away.
Throughout the novel, Kat just wants to leave the town, but events keep her coming back. Dorothy seems bitter and reports on everyone's comings and goings. She is rude and short with Joseph. But, after some of the tenants become hospitalized, Kat digs into what is going on with Shelley House, and finds that someone is trying to raze it, just like they did to her family farm. The story tells of the fight to save Shelley House, and the reason that Dorothy is so bitter. Or is she?
Sweet story of family and friendship.

Two neighbors-at-war band together to stop a dangerous criminal in their midst in this enthralling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Ticket.

Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.

Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.

When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it's up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.

Link to purchase the book

MY THOUGHTS:

The residents of Shelley House have a fight on their hands. But, let’s start with seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling. She is the self-appointed guardian of the one-time historic home. Taking notes and sending letters to the building owner to mark every infraction in the building. Not only does she have concerns for logical safety issues, she is watching her fellow neighbors with an eagle eye, and they are quite tired of it.

Building meetings don’t go well at all. Some of the other neighbors include Kat Bennett, father and daughter Omar and Ayesha, Joseph, Tomas Wojcik, Gloria Brown and a mysterious neighbor who never shows his face. With the building owner planning an eviction of all of the neighbors with grand plans for the building. Even before this can happen, some of the neighbors end up banding together, and this includes the nosy Dorothy.

When Joseph, who has know Dorothy for decades, falls ill, his boarder Kat takes responsibility for his dog. But Kat is only at Shelley house for a limited time and is more than reluctant to get close to her neighbors in any fashion. Her job means that she needs help with caring for Joseph’s dog, and this creates an unlikely bond with young Ayesha and Dorothy. But, the danger of eviction looms over all of their heads, and the tension in the building is unsurprisingly high.

Nosy Neighbors was not the book I thought it would be. I have read books or even watched television shows where neighbors are entirely too nosy. But this book has a surprising emotional edge. Just as the neighbors found ways to actually care for and about one another, as a reader, I felt close to the neighbors and really worried for all of them. The drama that Freya Sampson executed was done remarkably well, just as in her previous book, The Lost Ticket. This talented author has a way to make the reader connect with the characters, and in both books that I have read by her did just that.

Yes indeed. This book really drew me in. It was wonderfully heartwarming and was just the kind of feel good I needed to read. If this is how Freya Sampson can make me read while reading one of her books, then bring future ones right to my reading list. I certainly won’t pass them by.

Many thanks to Berkley and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

This book surprised me. The cover and title had me thinking it would be a funny, cheeky story or maybe a cozy mystery. Instead, I got a book filled with traumatized characters with questionable coping mechanisms—and I wasn’t mad about it. I’d recommend this book for anyone needing a reminder that people aren’t always what they seem—and for those who enjoyed Backman’s A Man Called Ove.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5/5)

After reading The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson, I knew I immediately wanted to read more from this author. You can only imagine how excited I was to receive an arc via NetGalley from Berkley for her new book. So here’s my honest review. 🫶🏻

This story follows Dorothy Darling, a 77-year-old woman who has lived in the Shelley House for over 30 years and Kat Bennett, a 25-year-old nomad who sublets an apartment in Shelley House. Both women are reserved, battling grief and guilt, and seem to be at odds. But when the tenants of Shelley House are threatened with eviction, Dorothy and Kat may realize they’re more similar than different. There’s power in numbers, after all…

I absolutely ADORED this book. From start to finish. It was nothing like I was expecting in the best way possible and it kept me on my toes. From the synopsis, you’d think this book would be a light-hearted cozy mystery with some humor. And while there was humor and it was definitely cozy, it was so much more than light-hearted. I should’ve KNOWNNNNN after reading The Lost Ticket that Ms. Sampson doesn’t play around!!!! Sampson is amazing at weaving together subplots with underlying themes and complex relationships to form heart warming stories. This book dives deep into the guilt and grief we can hold onto from our past and how we can learn to forgive ourselves to move forward.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved the characters, the storyline, the themes, how everything came together in the end. Everything. I loved this book. Freya Sampson has officially made it onto my auto-buy authors list.

Nosy Neighbors was not a book I would usually pick up, but I'm glad I did. There's a bit of a cozy mystery feel to it that hooked me, but the characters are why I kept reading.

Shelley House is a rundown apartment building and Dorothy has been tracking the comings and goings of the residents for years. Kat is subletting a room and only plans to be in the building for a short time. Their lives become unexpectedly intertwined as they both face difficult pasts and uncertain futures.

The story did feel a bit long, but Kat and Dorothy were interesting characters and I liked their stories. Neither was perfect, but you definitely get to understand what made them the way they are. This was a nice read and I do want to try more from this author.

“A home is not made by bricks and mortar, but by the people in it.”

Dorothy is an ornery older woman that lives in Shelley House where the residents are being evicted. Dorothy’s fave pastime is acting like the neighborhood watch, keeping track of all the building’s visitors in her notebook. Kat is a young girl that moves into the building. When a neighbor ends up injured, Dorothy has a list of suspects that may be responsible.

I first had the pleasure of reading Freya Sampson when I picked up another book by her, The Last Chance Library. This book, like that one, has a likable cast of characters. There is also a strong sense of community in both books. I enjoyed that this one has lighthearted cozy mystery vibe of this one, while also managing to hit some deeper topics along the way.

Pick this up for a cozy mystery with really enjoyable characters.

Kat Bennett is 25 years old, with pink hair, tattoos, and she is constantly on the move. Dorothy Darling is 77 years old and virtually reclusive, except for her time spying on neighbors and monitoring her apartment building. Kat and Dorothy have one thing in common: they live in Shelley House, an old apartment building in the suburbs of London. Then several things happen at once. The building's owner plans to shut it down, displacing all the residents. Kat's landlord, Joseph, is injured, and Kat and Dorothy end up taking care of Joseph's lively Jack Russell Terrier and working to solve the mystery of what happened to Joseph - as more mysteries arise.

I wanted to read this book because I love mysteries. I read a review that said this book was a great read for fans of Only Murders in the Building, and that intrigued me too.

This is a charming and unique mystery. As you read, you will get to know all the residents in this small apartment building and learn about their place in the mysteries and also their life in this eccentric little community. This book has some unexpected depth - and was quite moving - as it also deals with how different people handle grief, and life decisions that can help one move on (or not). There is a strong message of found family in this community.

The book is well told, with short chapters, well developed characters (especially Kat and Dorothy), and several compelling storylines happening simultaneously.

I recommend Nosy Neighbors for fans of mysteries, especially with a British setting, and yes, for fans of Only Murders in the Building too.

When Kat Bennett reluctantly returns to her old stomping grounds, all she wants to do is keep her head down and lay low. Still, she answers an ad where there’s a room for at Shelley House, an ailing apartment building that’s seen better days.

Suddenly, Kat finds herself the roommate of an elderly man who despite her protests, makes her dinners, and his way into Kat’s heart. But when his efforts to save the building result in a suspicious attack, Kat slowly find she anonymity going out the window.

Forced to work alongside the building’s colorful residents including the prickly Dorothy Darling, Kat becomes embroiled in not only solving the mystery, but saving the building. But the more Kat and Dorothy are forced to work together, the more they come to an unexpected understanding, and an even more unexpected friendship.

Nosy Neighbors is a fun whodunnit in the vein of Only Murders In the Building or A Man Called Ove. The eclectic group of residents, each with their own stories to tell, gave this mystery depth. Not unlike its prime time comparisons, I could also see this being turned into a series or movie. So if the opportunity to read this comes knocking, don’t hesitate to give it a warm welcome.

I enjoyed the a curmudgeonly snoop in flat #2, the quirky pets and the cozy mystery in this heartwarming story of found family in a London apartment building. 3.5 stars

Thanks to Berkley Publishing for the copy to review.

A narrative that is not what I was expecting. From the cover art and description, I was thinking banter and whimsey and that’s not what the story is about.

Dorothy Darling evokes memories of Britt-Marie from Fredrik Backman’s novels. She’s the woman in the window flicking her curtain, making notes in her journal, and sending endless letters to the management company.

Then there is Kat, a twenty-something with secrets. She returned to the area after a teenage incident forced her to flee. Now, as a tenant renting a room, she befriends Dorothy and gets into the middle of the snooping escapades.
But here’s the twist: Nosy Neighbors isn’t the slapstick comedy its cover suggests. Instead, it’s a tale of sadness and depression.

As Dorothy and Kat team up, the story unfolds into a blend of mystery, camaraderie, and unexpected connections. The apartment house becomes a microcosm of life, where secrets simmer and unlikely friendships blossom.

So, don’t judge this book by its cover. Beneath the projected quirkiness lies something darker.

Thank you to Berkley for my review copy.

I wouldn't label this as a mystery, but it does have some mystery elements to it in solving what happened to one of the residents. This one is definitely more of a cozy found family with a side mystery. This one was also relatively heartbreaking, and I honestly didn't think I was going to feel so attached at a couple points.

The characters were aggravatingly human, and their flaws made them both funny and irritating. Dorothy was so stubborn, so I was happy to see her get the chance to really come alive in this and get drawn out of her self-imposed isolation.

Each resident at Shelley house was so different and it was particularly fun when they all really started interacting together, I found myself becoming much more invested.

As a fan of “Only Murders In The Building” and “Thursday Murder Club”, I enjoyed the premise of this book. I just wish it had actually lived up to its premise. It wasn’t bad with the characters and the mystery, I just felt like some of the big surprise things were not quite as surprising as she expected them to be (I literally thought Kat murdered someone, that was so blown up. What she actually did wasn’t quite so huge). I also found Dorothy insufferable for most of the book. I think I would recommend it, though for people who like the two things I mentioned.

I shouldn't have requested this book on NetGalley - cozy mystery books aren't for me, but I was going to give this one a try anyway after hearing good things about it. After reading about 5% I am just not engaged at all and am going to DNF. Thank you so much for the ARC, hopefully others who enjoy this genre will really enjoy this book!

Thank you so much @BerkleyPub for giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 02 April 2024)

SYNOPSIS | Shelley House is a historic building under threat of demolition. The tenants don't always see eye-to-eye, but they agree that they don't want to be displaced from their home.
Dorothy (a seventy-seven-year-old cantankerous lady who is also the longest resident) + Kat (a prickly illegal subtenant) band together to try and save the property.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the teamwork between Kat + Dorothy (despite their interactions often being somewhat awkward)
- all the cozy vibes, but with complex characters and an emotionally charged plot
- the interpersonal relationships between all of the characters really shone through
- slowly discovering more about Kat + Dorothy's backstories as the story progressed
- the epilogue was lovely

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- how Joseph's attacker storyline ended
- Fergus was basically a caricature of an evil villain

Hm, I haven't read this author before, so I was kind of blind when I read it. And I have some mixed feelings regarding it. First, I don't hate the book, but it took me awhile to get into it. Second, I don't know why, but the beginning took forever. I couldn't get it at all. I kept getting bored until the middle, and that's with pausing multiple times. Third, I found the older main character annoying. I could not stand her. The redeeming wasn't that redeeming.