Fantastic storytelling as always. I loved Kia's books and was so happy to get the chance to read this book. Her books always give me so much to think about long after I've finished reading. I hope this book is the huge hit it deserves to be.

Probably the wrong place to start, but Kia Abdullah does the best endings of any contemporary writer of psychological thrillers. This one really packs a punch.

In many ways, Those People Next Door is a provocative novel that challenges readers to examine their own instincts. It is beautifully constructed to highlight historic behaviours and attitudes in the context of modern times. It draws the reader into a middle class world which is deceptively ordinary; we meet characters very like people we know who show us how racism wears ordinariness as a disguise.

The novel illustrates how quickly things can escalate from minor disagreement to something life-changing. And how much harder it is when society is underpinned by prejudices that individuals simply don’t recognise. A Black Lives Matter banner becomes a symbol of division as residents claim to believe in its message even as they are offended by its visibility. Attitudes to the BLM banner are compared with the St George’s Cross flag and the reader is left to draw their own conclusions.

The court case is compelling. Barristers’ arguments echo an understanding of racism that has been challenged in recent years. The case captures how the weight of history so often prevents a truly equal society.

There are many decent people in this novel, but there is a tribal nature to their loyalties. Tribalism wears many guises, involving loyalty to class, ethnicity and family. Children add a layer of complexity as they navigate the prejudices and values of their parents.

This is a pacy story and Kia’s strength is in balancing the dialogue so that we understand why her characters think and behave as they do even when we have no sympathy for them. It raises the question of what we understand by community.

It is an extraordinary ending and completely unpredictable, which is something of a trademark of Kia Abdullah. She doesn’t let the reader off with a comfortable solution. There are a lot of guilty people in this story and one particular villain.

As always, Kia Abdullah writes a story that is thought provoking as well as memorable. Much of its power lies in its middle class setting: Middle class families think they are better than this. They wear their modern attitudes with a degree of pride and think racism is someone else’s problem. Yet there is real tragedy in this story that illustrates these issues are not simply points of debate but about how our lives turn out.

The real victims of this story are the children, though. The impact of the adults on the children is what stays in the reader’s mind. If adults can’t learn to live together better than this, it will be their children who pay the price.

I love Kia Abdullah’s books – they always leave me with a lot to think about, and this was no exception. This story is about racism between neighbours, and shows how a few careless words, or a misconception, can rapidly escalate and fuel anger, rage and hate. It also highlights the power and the danger of social media (I never go anywhere near!). It is a well written, gripping and tense novel that left me breathless at times, and although I have given it 4 stars I can’t say I ‘enjoyed’ it. I found it to be an uncomfortable read at times and it left me feeling sad and depressed! Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Kia Abdullah is one of a handful of must read authors for me and this proves why.

WELCOME TO YOUR DREAM HOME…
Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen.

MEET YOUR NEW NEIGHBOURS…
Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner her son put in their front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint.

AND PREPARE FOR THE NIGHTMARE TO BEGIN…
This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt.

Abdullah writes so well and what I love about her writing is that she brings both sides to every story she tells, your sympathies are pushed and pulled between every character as they become likeable and hateable as the story twists and turns.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Fantastic believable storytelling as always.

Salma, Bilal and their teenage son Zain move into a new house on a pristine estate to give themselves a new start. Life in their previous house had been a bit fraught, with Zain getting into trouble at sixth form and Bilal's dream of a restaurant falling apart following covid lockdowns. When they arrive, they realise they are the only non-White faces on the estate. Following a neighbourhood barbeque, Salma notices Tom, their next door neighbour, deliberately knocking down the Black Lives Matter banner that Zain put up , She posts a photo on Twitter, and a social media uproar escalates. This understandably causes tensions between the families. The situation between them quickly deteriorates and escalates.

The second half of the story is the subsequent court case featuring the two families following a terrible incident at the end of the first part of the book - familiar Kia Abdullah territory and expertly told.

The story was fantastic, as we have come to expect from Kia's writing. This is the fourth book I have read of hers, and she is an auto-read author for me. The way in which the neighbourhood tension ramped up and the impact on both families and their wider circle were so well told and laid out, with each development following on seamlessly from the next,. The situation gained its own momentum, well out of the control of Salma and Bilal, and things get worse and worse for everyone.

The courtroom section of the book looks at the whole event from various angles, with the incident that brings them there focussing everyone's attention and all the while, with the question of, what if Salma had said nothing, in the background.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ books for the chance to read the ARC.

I am obsessed with domestic noirs and thrillers but do tend to always gravitate away from the ones that are a bit more character driven as I find them slow and hard to get into. I picked this up as a thriller and when I started it did appear to be incredibly character driven and I have to say, i could not put it down! I cancelled plans with friends to keep reading this book!!

I found this to be one of the best domestic noirs ive ever read. Ever! That's not a statement I make lightly. The characters are entirely what drives the narrative and they are all just so ordinary. They're so well written and fleshed out that they are just the average people next door. This makes it so so easy to relate to them and to understand how small misunderstandings and minor slights can escalate to an unimaginable level.

The plot of the story was so captivating and compelling that I was absolutely dying to see how it'd all play out. I loved the fact that there's nothing "extreme" or nothing that is clearly artistic licence or fiction. All the events in this book are routine things that happen every day. And it can so so easily get out of hand.

The book does an amazing job of keeping the characters relatable and also showing that most people do have a public and private side to them. That the can have racist behaviours but not be racist. That they can justify micro aggressions and play them down as someone being overly sensitive without even being aware of it. That a simple tweet can be twisted to make the victim seem like the perpetrator.

I can't even explain how relevant and thought provoking this books is. It is so current, but without being preachy or biased. And it does such a good job of showing things from various perspectives and the justifications behind both the behaviour and the excuses. It's also very honest about how these things can drive normal people to behave as monsters and the devastating consequences that can have on entire families

It's also amazing that such a topic can be the driving force behind such a captivating thriller! This could easily have bn the plot of a chic lit or a drama and I would have had very little interest in it but because its done in the thriller/ domestic genre and done so amazingly well, I was hooked. The tension is built so steadily and consistency that you can feel it oozing out the pages and cut it like a knife.

It's also just so incredibly honest and open about the causes and effects and doesn't shy away from it or try to sensationalise them. It shows the doubt about whether things are intended, the shame and helplessness that can be felt. The embarrassment to raise the issue aswell as the indignation that you shouldn't have to raise the issue in the 1st place. It shows how easily things are played off and overlooked or dismissed and how the accuser can often be made to look like the one with the prejudice because they have the aundacity to mention a pattern of behaviour noticed from the own lived experiences. How things can be dismissed and minimalised by calling people "woke" or "sensitive" and the defense of "oh but I'd say it about a white person aswell if they had done x,y or z so why is it wrong to say it about a POC". It shows how minorities are judged differently and treated differently by the police and by a number of people in the UK, and how triggered and defensive British people can be when faced with their unconscious bias and the micro aggressions are highlighted. Often it is being labeled racist that is more shameful and offenses to some, that the racist behiours and beliefs they display. It also shows the humiliation that can be felt and the desperate acts that a person can be driven to when they are made to feel that entirely helpless and out of control and when it appears that noone understands.

And the twists and turns are jaw dropping!I did not see those coming in such an explosive ending. It was also quite heartbreaking that it did end on a note that wasn't a nice happy resolution and wasn't that happily ever after with everything tied up neatly. It ended, the way things often do in real life. With the journey continuing and hoping for the best and to put the trauma behind you.

The book manages all of this and more, without it even being apparent that its doing all of it! It's not preachy or in your face or using the topic for clout, it's actually done so so cleverly that it's there..... but it's not! Just like real life. And it shoes how just the smallest of comments and actions can make someone's entirely life a living hell and set of a chain of events that cause devastation for all and leaves no winners.

I have no doubt that not only will thiller/ domestic noir fans love it for the tension, suspense and mystery but it will definitely get a few people thinking about the undertones and their own beliefs/ unconscious bias/ reactions

This isn't just a highly captivating and entertaining thriller, it's a though provoking and such an important one. If it makes even one person reconsider their own comments/ actions then the world will be a better place for this having been written. I dont think that's a stamens I've ever said about a thriller before lol. Especially not a fiction one!

This is the fourth book I have read by author Kia Abdullah and have to admit I have rated them all five stars. ‘Those People Next Door’ is so well written, great believable characters and a plot that had me guessing throughout. This is an excellent read.

Salma Khatun and her family move house to Blenheim, a renown nice area and hoping for a much better and safer environment for them all. Salma, husband Bilal and their teenage son Zain are looking for a fresh start and hopefully Blenheim will prove to be that place. They are hoping to make friends with their new neighbours Tom Hutton, wife Willa and son Jamie. But shortly after they move in Salma spots her neighbour, Tom ripping out the anti-racist banner her son put in their front garden. Salma doesn’t want to cause any bad feeling so chooses to ignore what Tom has done and puts the banner in her window instead. The following morning she discovers her window smeared with paint.

When Salma confronts Tom an argument occurs that threatens to get out of control. Tension escalates and it becomes only a matter of time until someone is going to get hurt.

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait for the next one.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and HQ for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Took me a while to get into this book, as it progressed i found it a good well written story.
Not thrilled with the ending.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.
Overall a good read and i will check this author out for other titles.

Salma and Bilal swore they’d never end up in a modern house like Blenheim but viewing weary, nothing matches it for space or price. So, they make an offer and here they are, moving in. They receive an invitation to a May Day barbecue and feel as if they have to attend. It proves a bit awkward at times even a bit cringeworthy. Will they fit in? Only time will tell.

I love Kia Abdullah’s books and yet again she gives us a plot that packs a powerful punch to the guts. This latest novel demonstrates how things can start with a misunderstanding or a misjudgement or maybe some careless words and shows how they escalate beyond measure. Central to this not so neighbourly story is racism which is initially fuelled by the power of social media. I inhale with shock at some of the actions which rapidly descend to anger, hate and rage and the burning desire for revenge. This is a terrifying nightmare of a story which brings tragedy in its wake which breaks your heart. It becomes more more scary, characters are fearful as things escalate and become dangerous. Needless to say this intense storyline is utterly gripping as it is suspenseful with tension that is so taught the atmosphere can be cut with a knife. The plot is fast paced with unpredictable twists with some scenes where you can scarcely breathe. Above all though it is deeply thought-provoking.

This is an edge of your seat read because it’s a devastating story and it makes you think about how things can spiral out of control in a short space of time. Kia Abdullah is a hugely talented writer and here she demonstrates that she’s at the top of her game. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HQ for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I’ve loved Kia Abdullah’s previous books, without a doubt they always leave you thinking and this was no exception. When Salma and Bilal move into a new neighbourhood with their son Zain they don’t instantly click with their neighbours Tom and Willa but when Salma observes Tom knocking over Zain’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ banner in their front garden she’s determined not to let the matter rest and bad relations between the two houses quickly escalate. This does an excellent job of telling the story from both perspectives, there’s plenty times where I thought ‘why did they do that it’s just going to make things worse’ and it was alarming just how bad ‘worse’ became. The ending was an excellent surprise, I’d a few thoughts on how it would go but I was nowhere near but it certainly went to show how each party retaliating had implications for themselves too if you unravel it all backwards.

Took me a good 10% to ‘settle’ into this book, not sure why?, maybe we are so used to the big starts now that any ‘build up’ seems laborious BUT once I had settled what a thriller this turned into
Half pre Court and half Court/Post Court and it all centres around new neighbours and a dispute that turns nasty very quickly
As you know I LOVE new neighbours stories and new streets but this was kinda different, the rawness of the dispute and the real anger and nerves touched where based on colour, the author very cleverly and succinctly gave both sides of the story, one of those where you read a chapter and you are ‘right, that’s my side decided’…..until you read the next one and you are then ‘well, actually I think I’m changing my mind’, I LOVE how the author brings in all sides of ( perceived ) prejudice, highlights them, does not pass judgement on anything( as some authors can’t resist doing ) and leaves us the reader to ‘come to our own conclusion’, and to think, it was great to have to have a good think about the points and situations being raised, it’s so well done,I can’t compliment the writing enough
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 🤗
Outstanding and has taught me a lesson that instant gratification in a book is not always needed, not when the writing and story is so so good

10/10
5 Stars

I thought this book was very good. I enjoyed seeing how events snowballed and felt the sense of dread for the characters as things got progressively worse. The writing was very good, I enjoyed how descriptive it was.

The plot held my interest and I was looking forward to seeing how it all played out. I wasn't the biggest fan of the ending, I thought the twist was thrown in for shock factor rather than making sense for the story, but I believe others will like it.

The book as a whole was great and covered some very interesting themes.

Kia Abdullah has been on my radar for a while as an author I'm interested in reading, though this is the first book of hers I've actually read.

The title and basic plot - difficulties between neighbours which escalate drastically - was quite reminiscent of Louise Candlish's Those People. Salma, a geography teacher, restaurateur Bilal and their teenage son Zain move into a new area, but tensions quickly develop with neighbours Tom, Willa (sorry, but that is one ugly name) and their son Jamie, initially triggered by Tom's apparent issue with a Black Lives Matter sign which Zain displays in the garden. A social media post fuels the fire, and things escalate fast - there's vandalism, trouble at work, a missing dog (I was really worried about the dog), and worse, and ultimately it all ends up in court.

Abdullah handles the subject matter well - neither side is entirely blameless, mistakes are made and the worst culprits aren't necessarily who you would expect. She's very strong on the microaggressions and "othering" experienced by the Khatun family, mainly from people who would hotly deny ever being remotely racist.

Tom, by the way, works for an advertising agency called "Sartre & Sartre". How existential. I enjoyed the scenes with Salma's class of pupils - their questions and comments were really fun.

A very good read and I'll definitely check out Kia Abdullah's back catalogue and whatever she writes next.

Ever since Truth Be Told, Kia Abdullah has been a must read asap author.

Those People Next Door tells the story of Salma Khatun and family moving to a supposedly safe, suburban, and otherwise all white neighbourhood.

There are tensions with their neighbours, which escalate dangerously.

As always Kia Abdullah's character writing is very good, I love how she presents British Asian experiences, and this book is rich with them.

A book of two halves for me, I preferred the setup and the first half to the resolution. An enjoyable read and I'll be eagerly waiting for whatever Kia Abdullah writes next.

Thanks to Netgalley and HQ