I could not put this book down and cannot recommend highly enough to thriller readers. Great story line and plot. Amazing work Fiona

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I literally could not put this book down and cannot recommend highly enough to thriller readers.

Fiona Cummins has established herself as a crime writer with strong elements of creepiness, menace and horror. All these elements are present in this standalone psychological thriller, set in Essex, where a serial killer, dubbed 'The Dollmaker' by the media, has claimed a fifth victim discovered in Blatches Wood, next to The Avenue. The police team are led by DCI Clive 'Mac' Mackie, under severe pressure and under the threat of being removed from the inquiry. With tensions growing in the team, the investigation has stalled and there are no fresh leads, and the latest victim is one of their own. DS Wildeve Stanton had a traumatic childhood and is struggling with grief and a devastating sense of loss with the latest tragedy, it has also fired inside her a strong motive and determination to chase down the killer, no matter what it costs.

Garrick and Olivia Lockwood, and their two children, 9 year old Evan and teenager, Aster, are moving into 25 The Avenue, securing the house at a knockdown price, given that a serial killer lurks in the area. They are hoping to patch their marriage together after recent stresses, although there are festering and fraught emotions that threaten to spill over. The family are going to regret ever having moved to The Avenue, surrounded by neighbours with secrets, strange disappearances and deceptions. All the victims share the same MO, dressed with immaculate care, painted faces, with eyes removed and substituted with glass eyes, just like dolls. However, the police have failed to identify the direct cause of death, despite the cardiac arrest and respiratory failure. Young Evan is drawn to the treehouse in the garden, despite his mother forbidding him from going there. Aster is resentful at having to move and in seeking to belong, gets involved with a local group of boys. There are a host of suspects, including Trefor Lovell, who runs a doll shop on the street.

Cummins gives us different timelines and insights into the killer's life and mind in this chilling read. There are numerous misdirections and twists, and a compelling police officer in DS Wildeve Stanton, with a strong personal drive to seek the truth and identify the killer. However, I must admit it took me a long time to immerse myself and emotionally engage in the story and the characters. In fact, it was only in the last 20 per cent that I finally invested in the book, finding it hugely gripping from that point on. Do not get me wrong, I was definitely interested in the unfolding tale, more than sufficiently to keep me reading. Fans of Fiona Cummins previous novels and those who enjoy chilling crime reads will enjoy this. Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for an ARC.

This is my first Fiona Cummins book. From the opening paragraph I was totally hooked and completely thrown headfirst into this chilling but compelling story!!

The Lockwood family move to The Avenue on the coast of Essex. Garrick is an Architect and has bought the house for a real bargain, he plans to extend it and then sell at a later date to make a profit.

There is a serial killer amongst the residents of The Avenue and there have been 5 victims so far. All of the neighbours seem to have their own secrets and are all acting suspiciously.

My favourite line “Nobody comes to The Avenue without death seeping through the gaps in their walls”

Loved how the tension slowly builds, you have an insight into the neighbours lives where everyone seems guilty and everyone is watching each other.

Amazing twist and the ending which I did not see coming. Made me take a good look around after reading this book, definitely shutting the curtains tonight just incase someone is watching!!

A must read book that is creepy but 100% addictive. Do you ever know what goes on in you’re neighbours lives? Now that’s a thought!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

A really great, creepy crime novel. I really enjoyed this. Dark, haunting and intensely disturbing. This was my first from this author and won’t be the last. I really enjoyed how past and present intertwined. Very clever story

A small village in Essex is rocked by a number of murders. A family have moved into the street where it’s all happening where there is a lot of secrets in each household. The lead detective is in a state of distress but who is killing???
The characters were well written and with beautiful names, Wildeve, Trevor, Aster. I really enjoyed this and will go back and read fiona’s previous books which I have in my tbr pile. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book to start with. It seemed a bit self-conscious, a bit artificial in how the story was narrated. But after a while I got into it and found it to be a gripping read.

In particular, I loved the character of Wildeve. I would read other books about her journey through grief for her husband whilst throwing herself into her police work. I also enjoyed the way that all the different characters' secrets intersected and influenced each other.

I would say, though, that the plot isn't quite as clever as it thinks it is. I knew as soon as the evidence in the tooth was found (trying to avoid spoilers here!) who would turn out to be the eventual culprit. And I couldn't quite believe that one particular murder would have taken place.

Overall, though, a chilling but enjoyable read.

An OK read, not as good as I'd hoped for but still worth a read. I loved the author's previous books but this one I didn't feel was as good.

FOR SALE: A lovely family home with good-sized garden and treehouse occupying a plot close to woodland. Perfect for kids, fitness enthusiasts, dog walkers . . .

And, it seems, the perfect hunting ground for a serial killer.

Sounds good right? Sometimes the blurb on the book can be better than the actual book but not in this case. This book lives up to the blurb plus so much more. And if you have read her other books Rattle and The Collector then you know what you are letting yourselves in for with this one. The Neighbour is her best book yet.

Filled with some memorable characters, not all likeable it will make your street and neighbours seem less irritating and much more likeable 😂

On The Avenue, behind every door hides a secret, and behind one of these doors is a serial killer that has been living in plain sight. But which door? The chapters give a snapshot view into each of the ongoing lives, into each of their secrets, slowly building up to an emotional terrifying conclusions.

A twist that not even the best of you will see coming even if you are expecting it, which is not easy to accomplish but is the best kind of twist plus some extra surprises along the way.

For fans of crime thrillers this one is not to be missed and I can guarantee it is a real treat of a read.

Thank you to the author Fiona Cummins, publishers Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for my digital advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest and independent review.

https://debbiesbookreviews.wordpress.com/2019/02/22/the-neighbour-by-fiona-cummins/

I really enjoyed this book & will be reading more by this author. Amazing writing style, creepy & so many twists. Would 100% recommend this book.

The Neighbour has been recommended for me by a lot of my reader friends and I had high expectations going in. Unfortunately the writing style was not my cup of tea, the quirkiness and whimsical language was really off putting and I wasn't able to complete more than 10% of this. I really wanted to love this. :(

“Smoke. Mirrors. Secrets. Lies”....... I finished this book with such a satisfied sigh because for me it was the perfect thriller and an absolutely 100% incredible read !!!
When you first start a new book by Fiona Cummins you know that you are in for a wonderful read going by the previous two books she has written but this book goes above and beyond that it’s just superb. The writing as always is brilliant and you find yourself being teased with snippets of information spinning you in circles as the twists keep coming. I read a lot of thrillers and enjoy most of them but this book surpasses them all it’s so damn clever it took my breath away and I savoured every page not wanting it to end but desperate to find out who did what !!! Everyone in this book has secret’s and things to hide, the plot is complex, creepy and the characters are brilliantly written and I could go on and on about just how good it is instead I would just say read the damn book it’s amazing and top of my list for this year !!
My thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.