A once seemingly idyllic neighborhood becomes a nightmare soon after Kendall Casey moves in while researching her subject for her latest true crime book.

This book has a lot packed into it. A cold case, Kendall’s best friend since college, unexplained occurrences in her new neighborhood and murder. Oh, and some supernatural, mind control and cult like vibes, just in case that wasn’t enough for you.

I really like the FMC. She’s strong, independent and can take care of herself (usually). The antagonists are super creepy and I’m happy to say that while I thought I had it all figured out, I was happy to be wrong.

The ending can be seen as satisfying or HEA depending on your definition.

I will definitely be reading more from this author although I will probably take a break from this series only so I can look my own neighbors in the eye, but I will be back.

Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and author for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

#TheWildThings #LondonClark #NetGalley #Horror #Suspense #MysteryAndThriller #Spernatural
#creepy

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't realize how hooked I was by this book until I had to leave the house and couldn't stop thinking about it. I love creepy cult stories so this was right up my alley, although I felt that it was a bit too ambitious and there were elements of the story that I felt weren't necessary. It went from being a cult story to involving the supernatural and I think I would have preferred it to be one or the other. I wasn't a huge fan of the way that the first person perspective was written in the beginning - it felt as if I were reading a letter that the narrator was writing to me instead of being in the moment, but that went away as the book went on. This was definitely a super bingeable read and I couldn't put it down!

If you're searching for a book that keeps you on the edge of your seat, look no further than "The Wild Things" by London Clarke! I couldn’t put this down; it’s an absolute page-turner filled with jaw-dropping twists and turns. The suspense builds with every chapter, delivering chills and thrills that leave you breathless. Clarke masterfully weaves a gripping narrative that pulls you in from the start and doesn't let go until the very last page. If you're a fan of thrillers that keep you guessing, this is a must-read! Trust me, you won’t regret diving into this wild ride.

So, this author, London Clarke, is now an auto-buy author for me! This book was so immersive that I could not put it down. Her characters and the problems they face are intriguing and you need to find out what is happening. I absolutely loved this book and am in my unhinged horror era. This book was so satisfying and such a wild ride. You definitely won't regret picking this one up!

It was a good book, not a great book. It had a lot of potential but ultimately the author essentially over produced the story, adding too many elements. I'll likely read London Clarke novels again but this one just wasn't it.

This book is a thrilling nightmare where a true crime writer moves into a new neighbourhood with the worst neighbours ever. Some throw wild parties, others scream at anyone who parks on 'their' curb. The writer just wants to write and research about a missing girl case in the area, but the insanity of the neighbourhood peaks when the writer's sister comes along and befriends some sketchy neighbours.

I really, really enjoyed this novel. I've never read any of the other Neighborhood Nightmares books, but thankfully I didn't have to enjoy this one! We follow Kendall Casey, a true crime writer, as she moves into The Cove to follow the lead of a missing girl for her new book. Everything seems well, aside from a couple annoying neighbors, but what HOA neighborhood doesn't have those? However, Kendall quickly discovers that this suburb is not all it seems - and neither are the neighbors.
This novel is a ride of twists and turn. Chills and thrills. The entire thing, start to finish, is an enjoyable ride that keeps you guessing. I even got goosebumps a couple times! The writing is solid and well-crafted. The only thing holding it back from me giving it five stars is the resolution of the climax. I still have some questions. I feel like there was just one conversation that needed to be had, and I would've been satisfied. Overall, it's a very solid horror/mystery/thriller and I look forward to reading more books from London Clarke. I'm even considering going back and reading the other two in her Neighborhood Nightmares series!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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3.5 stars

The Wild Things is the third book in a series about horrific neighbors. We all have them, the senior citizen that reports every HOA infraction, the person who doesn't understand privacy and boundaries, and the suspicious neighbor that makes you wonder what is happening behind closed doors. This story is taken straight out of America's headlines, except maybe for the weird attempt at supernatural eeriness.

This book centers on true crime novelist Kendall Casey and her college friend Sam. Kendall has just moved into a secluded community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina to research a cold-case about a missing girl, 10-year-old Eliana Conway. The new home, gives her a chance to reconnect with her friend, and the neighborhood's hot handyman, Sam. Things aren't as cozy as they seem in "The Cove" as Kendall immediately gets a sense of unease when she starts seeing the ghost of a young girl she believes to be Eliana. This sensation only escalates when she observes a young woman trying to escape from the backyard of her next-door neighbors, the Robinettes. Kendall suspects these successful, party animals aren't the neighborhood darlings she was originally led to believe.

This is an easy read, with a compelling story and suspense. It reads similar to a Frieda McFadden story, sans the romance. Granted there is some sexual tension between Kendall and her friend Sam - something the neighbors note and try to manipulate. But I found the supernatural elements, while they did add to the spookiness and tension, became rather twisted to the point of feeling out of place in this story. We are led in a downward spiral from suspicious neighbors, to supernatural beings in trees to a conjured "Baron Samedi" spirit as an antagonist. It was a bit overdone and disjointed toward the end.

Still, this is a good book to binge read on the week or vacation. It will keep you turning the pages until the very end.

This is a book I really wanted to like. The first-person narration was enjoyable, feeling more like a stream of consciousness than a simple recounting of events — something that’s often surprisingly difficult to pull off, but it came quite naturally to the author. The premise was fascinating, and the cover made me expect more of a supernatural theme than the thriller-horror direction it took.

What I would have preferred is for the characters to be more complex. In my opinion, most of them felt two-dimensional. I would have liked to see fewer characters, but with richer interactions and plots. I also feel the story missed a certain something to keep me immersed.

The Wild Things is a tense neighborhood thriller with dashes of the supernatural. I wish there had been more of the supernatural.

Having almost lost her life bringing a killer to justice, our crime-writer protagonist Kendall moves for a fresh start. This is complicated by the arrival of her sister, and her subsequent involvement with Kendall’s neighbours, whom she had been trying to maintain distance from.

This was my first book by this author and found it utterly engrossing. It started off slow but managed to avoid the trap of taking too long to ramp up. The story is both a thriller and supernatural with a side helping of romance, pinch of Agatha Christie vibes and sprinkle of horror.

There is a lot going on, but everything is woven together very neatly and a very talented author pulls it off. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but I am keen to avoid spoilers by not going into too much detail here.

I do need well written characters to enjoy a book, and this one delivered those in spades, alongside a truly compelling writing style. I’m surprised I haven’t heard of this author before and will be looking out for her to read more in the future. I was up reading this one far too late, the sign of a really good book.

Although this is part of a series (and I will be going back to read the first two) but can be enjoyed as a standalone.

Many thanks to NetGalley and London Clarke for an ARC.

★★★★

Kendall Casey, a successful true crime writer, has just brought a killer to justice—but it nearly cost her her life. Her newest project takes her to North Carolina, where 10-year-old Eliana Conway disappeared 13 years ago. Though the police continue to release an age-progression photo each anniversary, the case has not received much attention—until someone matching Eliana’s description showed up at Last Chance Tavern, a bar near her hometown.

Kendall looks forward to a fresh start and putting her last case behind her. But the community she moves to—The Cove—and its adjacent woods hold dark secrets. At first glance, her neighbors fit all the classic stereotypes. The Robinettes, the successful entrepreneurs next door, frequently entertain and throw lavish theme-parties. The Guffs, the HOA enforcers from across the street, are despised by all. Though she hasn’t met the rest of The Cove, plenty of rumors circulate.

When Kendall’s wayward sister, Holly, arrives unexpectedly in The Cove, she is immediately drawn to the Robinettes, who, in turn, invite her into their inner circle.

Kendall herself has been trying to distance herself from them after a recent party took a strange turn. Already suspicious of the Robinettes, Kendall finds Holly’s odd behavior only deepening her concerns. With her manuscript about Eliana’s case abandoned, Kendall starts digging—and as she gets closer to the truth, terrifying visions haunt her nights, and she has unsettling encounters with the paranormal…

This was my first book by London Clarke, and the storytelling was so immersive that I could not put it down! The vivid descriptions of the paranormal experiences were truly disturbing (especially since I decided to start reading this late at night) yet deliciously intriguing.

As someone who doesn’t read paranormal fiction often, I believe most mystery and thriller readers would still enjoy the true crime aspect and the lurking horror in places we might not expect at first glance in pretty setting such as The Cove.

Note: I loved the map included at the beginning of the book. Not only did it help map the streets and understand the properties, but the color and style of the Neo-Gothic homes, with the woods closing in all around, created the perfect, eerie picture of The Cove.

Thank you, NetGalley, BooksGoSocial, and London Clarke, for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This book was incredible! Many thrillers start slow to allow for character development, atmosphere, or setup for later twists, which can sometimes make the first half boring. However, this book kept me on my toes the entire time. It blended elements of mystery, suspense, and psychological tension, especially as the protagonist tries to uncover the truth about a missing child while dealing with eerie neighborhood dynamics and personal struggles, keeping readers questioning what’s real and who can be trusted. It even incorporated some romance! Every twist was a surprise—I truly never knew what was coming next. Especially when the paranormal things came into play. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves crime and romance, and I’ll definitely be reading more from this author!

This was my first book from London Clarke and it did not disappoint! I loved the storyline with its quirky side stories. The sub story lines and action every chapter kept me on my toes. I like that the neighborhood felt like its own character. All the characters were a little mysterious so it was fun to guess what was happening. Will definitely read more London after this one.

Do you like mystery? And horror? And losing sleep because you must keep reading? Then this is the book for you! It's not your typical suspense novel; it's better! I'm not going to give a synopsis; I'm going to recommend opening the book, read, and enjoy! This is a fantastic author who deserves to be more talked about and this may be the book that breaks through.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy. All opinions are my own.

I didn't know what to expect when I got The Wild Things from NetGalley. I LOVED London Clarke's writing style. She had me hooked till the end. I finished it in one sitting, biting my nails the whole time.

It's about Kendall, a True crime author who moves around quite a bit since she likes to live where the crime occurred. So she can Investigate the area and interview people. Her newest book is about a little girl who goes missing. She just left her house, and no one knew what had happened. So Kendall moves into a house nearby and is near her childhood best friend.

The Neighbors here are something else. Between the secrets, the parties, and the ghosts. Kendall will be lucky to get this book finished.

There's Mystery, Paranormal, True Crime, and some Romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, The Publishers, and London Clarke for allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an Honest Review.

I snagged this one on NetGalley and wow I’m so glad I gave it a chance. I really enjoyed the whole ride, part true crime part paranormal, part thriller?

There were definitely some twists and turns that completely surprised me which was so nice because I feel like a lot of stuff I’ve read recently I’ve been able to figure out or catch on what kind of twist was coming but not here.

This was a new author to me and kind of shocked I’ve never heard of her before but I’m definitely going to check out other books by her.

I received a complementary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the author and the publisher.
This book starts out as your typical thriller, but boy of boy does this take some crazy turns. I enjoyed the writing, it was easy to read and a quick fast paced thrill ride. This one had mystery, intrigue, supernatural and just some real creepy things going on in this small neighborhood full of strange interesting neighbors. I didn't know this was part of a series, I don't think you need to read any of the others first because I was pulled in to this book right from the start.

London Clarke has done it again. She's scared the hell out of me.

Kendall Casey is a true crime writer who immerses herself in her subjects. She moves to the crime scenes and digs deeper than anyone has before. Her latest subject, a missing girl, brings her to The Cove, an exclusive community in the North Carolina mountains.

Luckily, Kendall won't go into the neighborhood blind. Her best friend since college, Sam, lives in the neighborhood. The neighborhood is cliquey; there's the Gruffs, who everyone hates because they are the Karen and male Karen of the neighborhood. The Pooles are a quiet couple who keep to themselves. And then there's the Robinettes, Flip and Blair, two beautiful people who are quick to invite Kendall to their monthly party. When she arrives at the elaborately decorated backyard, she meets more neighbors and starts to feel strange about her neighbors. Something isn't quite right. Another evening, after a dinner with the Robinettes and Sam, Kendall wakes up next to Sam, and neither can explain why.

When Kendall's sister unexpectedly shows up, Kendall reluctantly lets her stay. The Robinettes quickly welcome Holly, who then disappears from Kendall's life and house, communicating only occasionally via text.

Kendall's struggling with her latest book and slowly finding new clues, but she's also being haunted by a young girl in a nightgown and bare feet who keeps appearing to Kendall...and later Sam.

Kendall knows that the Robinettes are hiding something and she will do whatever it takes to find her sister, even with terrifying results, some of which are otherworldly.
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I know that I should expect this type of story from London Clarke. I should plan to just miss sleep because its impossible for me to put the book aside. I MUST know what happens.

It's scary, it's supernatural, it's weird, it's so, so good.

The Wild Things - Netgalley

by London Clarke



Creeeepy!

Kendall Casey a true crime writer moves to The Cove North Carolina to complete a book about a young girl Eliana Conway who disappeared thirteen years before but possible sightings of her in the last three years.

The Wild Things the third book in The Neighborhood Nightmare Series an excellent read I absolutely loved it. London Clarke brought in paranormal witchcraft cult and spun it into a story that pulled me in and had my attention up to the last page.