This psychological thriller starts off OK, plods around clunkily, and then ends in a finale that embarrasses both the reader and the writer (probably not the writer).

As communication breaks down between all parties, the neighborhood rapidly turns into a suburban battleground. I thought the story was going to just follow the reputations of a supposed mystery of the former inhabitants of there new home in Oxfordshire. 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. Overall, I liked Ellie and Ash and thought they were good together. Ash’s best friend, Pete seemed a likable character as well. I detested Pete’s wife, Roxanne. I found her to be an overbearing and controlling character. She talks down to Ellie and is hyper-critical of everything Ellie does, from the house to the dog. The more I learned about Roxanne, the less I liked her. The plot also heavily centres around a family of foxes who apparently scream but definitely aren’t mating. They also howl at odd moments and can be seen cavorting around in the empty swimming pool at all times of day and night. They are more like pets than wild animals to be honest. Oh, and the swimming pool - where Lana happily lounges, and even falls drowsily to sleep - in OCTOBER.They live in the Gardens – a quiet leafy corner of the countryside – but not so quiet that you can’t get decent coffee. I was privileged to listen to the audio version recording, and unequivocally, I highly recommend the audiobook. I fell in love with the narrator Shakira Shute! Extremely talented in her expressions and character voices - completely believable! She definitely has a part in making this good book, great! I would listen to any book she chose to narrate. Overall much of this is enjoyable especially the first 60% but the last 30% percent is not to my taste. Lana and Roman Wade move from London to rural Oxfordshire and their pretty thatched cottages for a fresh start after a horrific experience that changed their lives. The new home in the residential close known as The Gardens is idyllic and charming. But is it too good to be true?

Tony Parsons is a bestselling novelist and an award-winning journalist. His books have been published in over forty languages and his multi-million selling novel Man and Boy won The Book of The Year prize in 2000. Most recently, he created the Max Wolfe crime series. Tony lives in London with his family. Tom is confronted by Salma, who, when angry, can be loud and rude. He denies painting the window. Bad feelings increase. Within a short time, Salma believes Tom is responsible for keying her car, stealing their dog, having the restaurant they were selling trashed, and hiring young hooligans to occupy the restaurant as squatters, making it impossible for the Khatun family to sell. So many aspects of this book has been carefully considered, everything down to the title and use of the word ‘those’ to mean ‘different’ or even ‘antisocial’, but certainly not ‘us’.Also, the family’s dog, Molly, is used as a means to create tension and APPREHENSION-which never sits well with me. Salma Khatun, her husband Bil, and teenage son Zain move to a nice neighborhood of Blenheim for a fresh start. Zain is expelled from his old school and Bil's restaurant closed up for good due to the pandemic. i loved the eerily realistic themes and events of the current political and social world we live in right now and think Abdullah’s writing was chef’s kiss (per usual).

This had the makings of a very good domestic thriller/court room drama, and very far into this I very much enjoyed it but sadly I parted at the end less enamoured with Those People Next Door. A creepy tale of a couple whose move to the country, to what they'd hoped was their little corner of paradise, turns into a nightmare' Choice Holy Hell. Have you ever had a neighbour that drives you crazy? Maybe plays their music too loud all hours of the day? Maybe doesn’t mow their lawn? Maybe just annoyingly chatty? Nosy? Do they make you tense with anxiety when you see them? Hoping to avoid them? When Ellie goes missing not long after moving in, things really get creepy. The tension in this book is great and the narrator did a great job conveying that and the slightly unsettling tone to some of the characters. A few months ago, this book's very discriminatory publisher declined my NetGalley request to review this audiobook which, ironically, was a book about discrimination and rejection.Salma Khatun, her husband, Bil, and their teenage son, Zain, have moved to a suburban area in Blenheim with the hope of a fresh start. They are a Muslim family of East Indian origin determined to avoid bad influences on Zain from his friends. You know it’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt. No one can come out of this conflict unscathed. Like a runaway train, there is nothing you can do to stop it. When Ellie and Ash move into a beautiful old house in rural Norfolk, England, they believe they’ve found their perfect home. Intrigued by the people next door, Ellie befriends shy but sweet Benjamin, and as time goes by, becomes ever more curious about his elusive sister, Virginia. The idea that Roman and Lana has swapped London for a more tranquil village location is an interesting one, especially as Lana starts to learn about this history of their new home. Those People Next Door” was my least favorite book by Kia Abdullah perhaps because it was reminiscent of “Those People” (my least favorite book by Louise Candlish) ?

The Nightmare living beside ‘Those People Next Door’. As events spiral out of control so too do the accusations and repercussions for both families, which leads to someone losing their job, horrific life injuries and of course all played out on social media and ultimately in the court. The Dream House Move …. to the ideal suburban neighbourhood of Blenheim is a fresh start for Salma Khatun, her husband Bil, and their teenage son Zain. Although forced to move, their relocation is rewarded with a beautiful home, nice neighbours, and a great school, and when invited to the family barbecue next door the families, including the two sons realise, they have a lot in common. And there’s an ending, well there’s more than one that blindsided me….I thought I knew the ending and actually admonished the author in my mind for making it ‘too easy to see what was going to happen’ how wrong I was and how great a book this is 🤗 my favourite part of her books is when the court room drama begins. KA is skilled at creating an intriguing case and filling it with immersive details that make you feel as if you are sitting in the courtroom alongside the characters. this plot was particularly hard hitting with so many relevant points on race and violence. The narrator, Shakira Shute, has a soft voice, however she fits the character she is narrating especially for Benjamin. She did sound sinister with a patronizing tone that perfectly fits Benjamin's character. I didn't mind that there's only one narrator. She changes her voice very well that I can distinguish one character from the other. Brought the book to life especially the exchanges between Ellie and Benjamin. She also did a good job with the Australian accent for both Ash and Pete.

The true story of an unhappy wife who ran away. The true-crime of a happy family who lived – and so tragically died – in Lana and Roman’s new home. The Khatun’s move into a tight-knit community looking for a fresh start. Not long after the awkward initial neighbourhood party, they spot their next door neighbour ripping out an anti-racist sign they have in their front garden. Confronting the next door neighbour begins a neighbourhood battle that ends in violence, drastically changing everyone’s life. I thought the novel started off okay, I liked the concept and I had house envy, even if I had to fill myself with disbelief that anyone would be swimming in an outdoor pool in late Autumn. However, the more I read, and the longer it was drawn out, I just became bored and more incredulous.