I loved this! It's really terrifying how this type of situation could almost happen to anyone - a series of misunderstandings and impulse reactions that quickly escalate into a truly toxic situation with life-changing implications. As one of the characters says: "If the wrong thing reached the wrong person one day - an overheard comment, an missent text.....It was disturbing how small dials could change the course of your life." It’s so well written with the author doing a brilliant job of explaining an event and the two different interpretations of that same event, so that even when the characters are behaving badly you still can't help feeling a bit of understanding and empathy for them. Whilst the ending was an unexpected curve ball, I would've liked a different one but just a minor thing in an otherwise gripping read.

I always feel a great sense of anticipation before starting one of Ms Abdullah's books, knowing that i will be in the hands of a master storyteller, and
this one didnt let me down.
It certainly couldn't be described as a comfortable read, as it addresses a number of contemporary issues head on such as knife crime, bullying and racism and highlights how a small incident can lead to an unimaginable outcome. The author throws a courtroom drama over a suspected murder into this toxic mix and created a page turner that made me stay up way past bedtime!
Thank you to netgalley and HQ for an advance copy of this book.

The People Next Door by Kia Abdullah is a captivating and intense thriller which kept me on the edge of my seat at all moments. The aspect of racism within this thriller was also a unique and thought-provoking element of this novel.

When Salma and Bil move into a nice, new neighbourhood where the grass has always seemed greener, trying to escape their past, things don't turn out quite as they expected. When Salma witnesses Tom knocking down a 'Black Lives Matter' banned in her garden, she begins to suspect that her neighbour is not as perfect as he may seem. Then, after replacing the banner in her window and waking to find it painted over, things begin to rapidly spiral downhill. The two families wage an outright war upon one another, leading to some horrific consequences.

The constant sense of danger and threat is felt throughout this book, keeping you constantly guessing as to what could possibly happen next. I did not predict any of the twists and turns within this book, which was a nice change, and I found myself totally gripped. The ending as well had me in complete and utter shock; I was horrified.

Overall I rated this book a 5 out of 5. Definitely a must-read! Thank you to Netgalley and Kia Adbullah for allowing me to read this ARC.

Kia Abdullah has once again written a MUST read for those who love a courtroom drama that centres around a modern day and relevant dilemma. Those People Next Door tells the story of married couple Salma, Bil and their son Khatun desperate for a fresh start, they move to a ‘safe suburban development’. But it’s not long before battle lines are drawn between Salma and her neighbours Tom and Willa. As the troubles between the couples unfold, and misunderstandings and arguments escalate, a terrible incident takes place, which leads to a tense and shocking court case.

The story explores some pretty tough themes, racial tensions, discrimination tolerance, values, truth and justice. Normally when reading this type of book, the author’s own POV is obvious, but I always find Kia Abdullah remains indifferent. She offers the reader a variety of perspectives. Which Allows us to come to our own conclusion regarding the ‘rights and wrongs’ of the characters behaviour. I really liked how the book highlights how one incident starts as a ripple and grows into a tsunami of anger, resentment, paranoia and hatred.

One of the strengths of this book is how the tension slowly builds until it reaches boiling point. You eagerly flick the pages, wanting to know how Salma and her neighbours end up embroiled in a court case. Talking of court cases, this is where the author comes into her own. The court scenes are authentic, dramatic, and make you question your own assumptions and beliefs. As always, Kia Abdullah throws in her trademark twist, which throws everything you believe up in the air. It’s brilliantly executed and definitely one of those ‘OMFG’ moments! All the strands of the plot are drawn together and matters are explained in the most delicious, twisted way! Highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and Kia Abdullah for an advance copy of such a thought-provoking book. Once again Kia has written an exceptional book that I could just not put down. Tensions between neighbours Salma and Tom and their respective families rapidly escalate, spilling over into dangerous and ugly territory. As the tension builds and the nightmare begins, we see the situation from every angle making an, at times very uncomfortable, extremely suspenseful story. A well written book worth every one of its five stars and one I have no hesitation in recommending. Many thanks. I look forward to reading your next book.

A book that explore neighbours, how you wish they would all be amazing when most of the time they turn out really not to be. Racism and the effects that it has on people and life in general really. It isn't really a thriller for me. But a well written book none the less. With some unsettling characters who really need their heads checked.

A very well written thought provoking book with good characters. For me personally it wasn't an 'edge of seater' but I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and it did keep me involved.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Publishers for this ARC.

Neighbours can be angels or devils and there never seems to be a middle ground! Her Kia Abdullah gets it spot on with her neighbours at war with racism raising its ugly head, leading to some devastating consequences.
I found this to be a compelling and thought provoking look at the racism that still exists in full sight in today’s society with some shocking acts taking place.
Recommended.

As the TV programme song goes "Everybody needs good neighbours" and you'd like to think that if you move to a more suburban area this would be the case. But from the day Salma, her husband Bil and son Zain move to the Blenheims, a predominantly white estate, trouble arises. Problems start with their neighbour Tom but soon escalates into tragedy.
This novel explores racial tension and prejudice and is very cleverly written. As the reader, during each chapter, my allegiances changed from Salma to Tom and Milla constantly.
Are the actions by both parties deliberate or misunderstood? Again this is something that changed my mind each chapter. I totally did not see the ending either
A thoroughly thought provoking, engaging read.

Well Kia Abdullah does it once more and writes another stunning book and one that is destined to be a sure fire winner.
The story begins with Salma, husband Bil and son Zain moving to a new house and hoping this will be a new start after a troubled past with their son Zain and also financial difficulties but right from the start things begin to go wrong.
It all starts with Salma seeing their next door neighbour Tom removing a banner from their garden she decides not to say anything and puts the banner back but inside the window instead. When Salma wakes up next morning she finds someone has painted the window to block out the banner and from then on a war of words develops between the two families and things escalate into chaos.
This is a story that shows how something so small can change things into life changing situations with accusations thrown leading to violence ending in a heartbreaking finale all from intolerance and hate filled words and it is a story that is written so brilliantly.
Kia Abdullah has always written novels that speak to the heart but in this one she really has excelled herself the situations, the characters and the underlying emotions that come to fore are hard but she has dealt with them beautifully.
So a wonderful 5 star book and one I can highly recommend, many thanks Kia and roll on the next!
My thanks also to NetGalley and HQ for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

An absolute firecracker of a suspense novel. Kia Abdullah is such a consistently great writer, but here she has honestly knocked it out of the park. My heart was in my mouth the whole way through, as tensions rise. Topical without being too on the nose or preachy, this is an exceptional read about the subtle forms of racism that exists in Brexit England.
I liked how balanced the narrative was and that we see things from both perspectives, with neither being complete saints. There’s also twists and reveals at the end that were surprising. An exceptional read.

This follows Salma who moves into a “nice” neighbourhood with her family, but when she sees her white neighbour knock over a Black Lives Matter banner on purpose she confronts him and the incident results in a series of paybacks that start to escalate…with a person almost dead.

I devoured this. It really brought to light how POC are expected to conform and constantly adjust their behaviour. I also liked her well researched Salma’s profession as a teacher in East London was. Teachers are never well represented in novels with patronising comments on “nice long holidays” ignoring the fact that their weekends are made up of long book marking sessions. Here Abdullah exceeds by portraying an honest depiction. A truly remarkable novel. Definitely one of my favourite reads so far of the year.

Another cracking read from Kia Abdullah!

Salma and Bil move a couple of miles out of Ilford onto a new build estate where they encounter immediate and niggling difficulties with neighbours Tom and Willa. Despite the sons apparently getting on ok problems rapidly escalate, culminating in a court case that we’ve come to expect in Kia’s books.

Written in extremely engaging and pacy prose, the story explores issues of prejudice and discrimination from a variety of perspectives. As the troubles unfold, arguments and misunderstandings are all too easy to imagine. Be prepared for a twist or two as well in this highly enjoyable read.

This book certainly makes you think! About the actions we take and things we say that can be misconstrued, about how much we lie to ourselves about our motives, about how far we would go to protect our families…

Salma and Bil are trying to ensure their son Zain is safe. They think by moving to a better neighbourhood life will be easier. What they discover is that they swap one set of problems for another!

This book is about race, tolerance, values, truth and justice. The author manages to make you think at every juncture, it shows the intricacies of life and relationships and makes you question who is at fault and how much?

The story is tragic on so many levels. The characters are unlikeable in many respects and real enough that my like/dislike for almost all of them fluctuated throughout.

A very well rounded book which in part 3 goes to another level. Part 2 is a court room drama but part 3 is where the aftermath is dealt with.

This author set the bar high with her previous books and I am not sure this one is my favourite but it is a brilliant read and will keep me thinking for a while about the choices we make, how far we would go for our children and how much we learn from our experiences.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book.

I’ve read all of Kia’s books and they really do make you look at situations from different angles and keep you thinking. This was no exception, a really great read and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

I was so looking forward to this novel, having read the authors previous three novels, which have all been highly recommended
Unfortunately this novel felt a little flat for me. There was a lot of reputation and at around 34% of the book I didn’t feel like all that much had happened.
I did persevere with the book but found it to never really get going, completely unlike her previous books
I will not be posting a review on social media for this book

Superb! I loved, loved, loved this book. I have read all of Kia Abdullah’s books and found this to be quite different to the others, but as good as, if not better than her previous novels. The storyline was so plausible and relatable that I found myself completely immersed in it. Salma was and is still, so real to me - I see her, and identify with the way she thinks and feels.
This book will stay with me for a while. I thoroughly recommend.

This was an enjoyable read that I couldn't put down. It was fast paced and had me on the edge of my seat practically the whole time. it was twisty and unpredictable. I loved it.

Whenever I see Kia Abdullah’s name attached to a book, I get very excited, and ‘Those People Next Door’ was a perfect example of why this author elicits such feelings.

Salma Khatun has moved to the suburban development of Blenheim, together with her husband Bil and teenage son Zain. This is meant to be a move for the better, a safe environment where her son will no longer be under the influence of boys who were in the process of leading him astray. He’d already been thrown out of college and this was to be a new start.

However, they’ve not been there very long when their next door neighbour, Tom Hutton, takes an anti- racist banner out of Salma’s garden. Because they’re new here, she doesn’t want to make a fuss, so she puts the banner in her window and chooses not to say anything to Tom. Next morning she discovers that someone has painted her window white, but the banner and the paint are just the start of what is to become an absolute nightmare! Battle lines are drawn between the families that will lead to prejudice and anger of such volatility that it has devastating consequences for both families, and each will pay dearly for it.

A terrific storyline that had me thinking maybe this person has a point, and the next I’d think no, the other person or family are right but ultimately neither family are completely blameless. After a long drawn out battle the reckoning comes, and it’s severe, heartbreaking and completely irreversible. With a couple of stunning twists at the end, this is yet another example of Kia Abdullah’s exceptional talent!

If good fences make good neighbours, what happens if someone’s all too happy to nip over those fences and rip up an anti-racist flag from the new residents? That’s what happens with Salma Khutan and her family move into suburban development Blenheim. It’s the start of a new life after a few incidents that necessitated their moving, and while their new home is comfortable, it comes with a certain level of discomfort. Salma watches Tom, her next door neighbour, remove the flag but says nothing, not wanting to rock the boat. It’s too soon, isn’t it? But the next morning, there’s paint on her window, and then other incidents begin. When battle lines are quickly drawn between the families, and consequently, between the Khutans and the community, cue a build up of uncomfortable incidents to a reckoning where it’s clear someone is going to get injured. The novel will force you to think how you’d react in the same circumstances.

WOW this book!! It has completely surprised me, made me gasp and be quite disgusted at the attitudes of some of the characters in the pages. This is a book unlike any other I have read previously and one of my favourites by this author. There are so many themes to unpick with this one, so many characters to discuss and moments that make you completely speechless.


*** Full review to follow***