Those People by Louise Candlish
Publication Date 27th June 2019
Published by Simon &Schuster UK
Thriller
Book Description:
MEET THE NEIGHBOURS YOU'LL LOVE TO HATE Until Darren and Jodie move in, Lowland Way is a suburban paradise. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Kids playing out in the street. But Darren and Jodie don't follow the rules and soon disputes over loud music and parking rights escalate to threats of violence.
Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it.
But there's a problem. The police don't agree. And the door they're knocking on next is yours.
Then, early one Sunday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone's story is the same: They did it.
But there's a problem. The police don't agree. And the door they're knocking on next is yours.
My Review:
'Those People' is a tale which most people can imagine themselves being part of. Lowland Gardens is the scene of ideal family life for many, with neighbours all getting along famously and the successful implementation of Play Out Sunday where all vehicles are banned in the street so that the children of the area can play outside in the street as they would have done in bygone times without the risk of speeding cars. The peace and tranquillity is shattered one day following the death of one of its longest residents, when new residents Darren and Jodie Booth move into the street. They couldn't be more different from the house's previous owner an elderly lady who ruffled few feathers and was a pillar of the community.
What follows the arrival of Darren and Jodie is a cacophony of noise and disruption, disrespect and outright rudeness. As well as untimely home improvements next door neighbours Ant and Em are forced to endure loud music and intimidation late into the night. With a young baby in the house they are horrified at the reaction they get from the local authorities and police when they complain about the noise. Neighbours from further down the street all join forces with Ant and Em to try and keep the newcomers under control, reporting them to Trading Standards for running an illegal car sales business from the address when the vehicles they are selling online start to spread along Lowland Gardens. Unfortunately they don't get the support they expect from the local constabulary or the council and are shocked to find the focus being placed on every resident in the street except those living at number 1. Tempers and tethers start to fray and people start making comments which get taken out of context so when things come to a head everyone is under scrutiny.
Someone on the street knows more than they are telling, but the guilt is a heavy burden to carry - especially when the neighbours they have lived alongside are being blamed for crimes they are not responsible for.
What follows the arrival of Darren and Jodie is a cacophony of noise and disruption, disrespect and outright rudeness. As well as untimely home improvements next door neighbours Ant and Em are forced to endure loud music and intimidation late into the night. With a young baby in the house they are horrified at the reaction they get from the local authorities and police when they complain about the noise. Neighbours from further down the street all join forces with Ant and Em to try and keep the newcomers under control, reporting them to Trading Standards for running an illegal car sales business from the address when the vehicles they are selling online start to spread along Lowland Gardens. Unfortunately they don't get the support they expect from the local constabulary or the council and are shocked to find the focus being placed on every resident in the street except those living at number 1. Tempers and tethers start to fray and people start making comments which get taken out of context so when things come to a head everyone is under scrutiny.
Someone on the street knows more than they are telling, but the guilt is a heavy burden to carry - especially when the neighbours they have lived alongside are being blamed for crimes they are not responsible for.
This is an interesting study into relationships between neighbours when the cracks start to appear. Friendships are tested to their limits and accusations are thrown around with little evidence to back them up. Even extended families who enjoyed the closest of relationships up until The Booths moved in start to suspect each other. And when the authorities won't help resolve the situation maybe the only thing they can rely on is Fate.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this book.
My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to review this book.
About the Author:
Louise Candlish is the bestselling author of twelve novels. Her thriller Our House was a number one bestseller in paperback, ebook and audiobook and is shortlisted for a 2019 British Book Award - Crime & Thriller Book of the Year. It has been optioned for TV by Death in Paradise producers Red Planet Pictures, and was picked as a Book of the Year 2018 by the Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, Real Simple, the Guardian, the Daily Mail, the Sunday Express, Red and Heat. Louise lives in London with her family.
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