I am a big fan of Kia Abdullahs books me was thrilled to get an early listening copy of Those People Next Door. As always, the narrator was fantastic and really brought the characters to life. This book was more a family drama/thriller than the usual legal thrillers, but ai throughly enjoyed it.

One of the things that ai like most about this authors writing is that she is not afraid to go there. She will push that boundary and talk about the things that others may not be brave enough to. This book is all about racism and class. It always feels authentic in the writing and the characters are believable. You really do have strong feel is one way or another on what is happening and to who it is happening.

And then there is the fact that you can never think it is over. Until that very last chapter, there is still things to come. I love being shocked right at the end.

Another brilliant book from a much trusted author. I can’t recommend this authors books more.

Thanks to Harper Collins UK Audio for the early copy to listen to to. This one comes out January 19th so grab a copy then.

My second book by Kia Abdullah with Next of Kin being my first. I found my first read to have quirky characters and a story that built chapter by chapter to an impressive ending. This book had that same footprint except that it was even better! I am a fan and look forward to her next one for hopefully more of the same!

I listened and read this book and preferred reading it. If there had been 2+ narrators then perhaps it would’ve been better via audio.

Thank you to both Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity in exchange for an honest review

This was very much more of a domestic drama than a thriller. While I enjoyed bits of it, overall it just didn't grab me and felt like I was going to struggle to finish in parts.

Many Thanks to Netgalley for this Arc.

Those People Next Door made me want to go out for long walks just so I could pop my earbuds in and continue listening to the riveting story of Salma's and and Tom's families.
Salma, Bilal and their son Zane move into a house in Blenheim, a better neighborhood, hoping to give Zane a better chance in life, but soon enough, they start questioning their decision.
The story deals mainly with racial and class issues, and Abdullah does an excellent job presenting both sides of the argument. As others have mentioned, the courtroom chapters are excellent!
The topics of job loss as a result of a tweet, a business going bankrupt during lockdown, teenage crime, squatters and their apparent rights are also present in Those People Next Door making this novel relatable to many a reader.
I thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to more books by Kia Abdullah.

I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a book was both character and plot driven. The build up was excellent and getting to know the characters was gradual which I loved. Sometimes when there is an information dump at the start of a book it really puts me off! As we got to know each character, flaws and all, the plot developed alongside. At various points in the book I thought I had it forgives out but to turn the page and totally throw theories out the window.
A thought provoking book, dealing with racism in middle class suburbia, leading to a court room drama.and a plot twist to end. The style and pace of this book was fabulous What’s not to love.

Thank you #netgalley and #HQ for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed it!

This book shows how the smallest of actions can have the biggest implications and cause a snowball of effects resulting in an avalanche on someone else. Just remember, everything is not always as it seems.

When I first started this book, I didn't think I would enjoy it much. It felt long in places but after finishing it, I understand the need of so much background information to really set in the scene for parts 2 and 3. I ended up truly enjoying the whole story.

The book addresses some tough social issues faced in the world at present. The author has touched on everything so carefully but really packs a punch which makes you feel the impact of such.

Kept me listening and I could never have predicted the final twist. Not my favourite mix of characters which took the edge off for me plus some quite unlikely events too

A powerfully impactful and thought-provoking thriller, Those People Next Door is a strongly-explored contemporary story about how small acts can easily spin out of control, as this ultimately heartbreaking game of retaliation results.

The reasons why I like to read Abdullah's books so much are two-fold. First, I know her books always promise a diverse set of characters and will tackle relevant social issues in an incredibly balanced way. With the main themes of Those People Next Door being class and race, there's so much that Abdullah manages to explore, from unconscious bias to prejudices on all sides. But no character is left blameless, as Abdullah looks at the story equally from both perspectives to craft a story that is sure to make you think twice before acting or responding in haste.

My second reason is that I always expect Abdullah to take things one step further to completely blow your mind. Stupidly, I thought the plot of this one seemed quite domestic and straightforward, so I thought I had it sussed out quite early on. Of course, I should have known that that wouldn't be the case! The tension builds and builds as things escalate dramatically. And just when I thought things had settled, Abdullah throws in even more curveballs, and I'm still left with my jaw hanging open.

If you've not read a book by Kia Abdullah before, you need to get on! She is always an author that I recommend, and I haven't been disappointed by her yet!

The audiobook is narrated by Tania Rodrigues who has narrated all of Abdullah's books so far, and it's easy to see why Abdullah puts her trust in her. Rodrigues does a fantastic job of engaging you in the story and narrates it so clearly that it reads perfectly at a fast speed (which I always find useful!).

Holy cow! What a book! This book takes a neighborhood conflict and turns it into a nightmare! One simple act by Tom turned into a battle between his family and the new neighbors next door. Paint on the window, cars keyed, a lost job etc. This is intense. It shows how people can let their tempers get the best of them and one mistake make your entire life spiral out of control. Never saw the ending coming! Great book!

This is a totally compulsive audiobook! I literally couldn’t stop listening to it. My commute, my hoovering all done while listening to this story. A fantastic thriller with court room drama to boot. I listened to this on audio so forgive me if I misspell the characters names. Salma and Bill move next door to Tom and Willa. What follows is a thrilling, winding story of racism, feuding neighbours, crime and more and more. The court room element is so good. But, there were a few things that weren’t tied up for me and also the ending was a small bit complicated. Because the book was so good it didn’t need the extra elements that the ending had. This is my second Kia Abdullah audiobook. The narrator here was top class. I am recommending this to my book club as I feel it will be enjoyed by all..

This has an interesting storyline rather then a gripping storyline. It’s definitely an important subject matter that needs to be out there. I was intrigued but at times bored. I felt it was very drawn out at times and I just urged it to move on. The narration was engaging and it helped to be busy while listening. I didn’t really take to the characters and could take them or leave them but having said that I had no time for Willa of Tom. I found the last 1/4 of the book gripped me more. Not a favourite of mine unfortunately but it was ok.

3.5/5 🌟🌟🌟/🌟

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK Audio for the opportunity to listen to #ThosePeopleNextDoor

I have read and enjoyed other books by this author so I was really pleased to be approved for an advance copy of Those People Next Door. For a change, I decided to listen to the audiobook version. Thanks to Harper Collins UK Audio and NetGalley for my copy to review.

Salma and her family have just moved to a new area for a fresh start. The house is ideal and the area seems nice, with friendly enough neighbours. When Salma sees her neighbour, Tom, tearing down a Black Lives Matter banner from outside her house, she decides to move it to her window instead. Then she sees Tom vandalising her window with paint. A seemingly minor dispute sets in motion a chain of events which end up destroying both families. How far will they go to protect their loved ones?

This story goes from 0 - 100! The characters are very well done and I definitely felt for Salma and her family.
I also warmed to Jamie and was curious as to why the author had a deaf character. This was well researched as the author was aware of deaf vs Deaf, BSL, speech differences and Audiology.

I was drawn into the story straight away and totally gripped by it. The story covers various issues such as racism, deafness, and prejudice and I found them all to be dealt with sensitively.

The narration is clear and fits well with the story. I found I had to speed it up quite a bit to make it tolerable to listen to but that’s not a problem.

I didn’t see the twist coming and my suspicions were definitely elsewhere!

I really enjoyed this book and flew through it. It’s a real page turner and I would highly recommend it!

This is an absolute stunner. The first book I’ve read ( listened to) by Kia Abdullah, but it certainly won’t be the last. She absolutely nails the domestic thriller; one in which tensions between neighbours escalate out of control. A couple and their teenage son move into a new neighbourhood after financial problems cause the collapse of the husband’s restaurant. They want a new start for themselves and their son and the Blenheim estate seems ideal. It’s a close knit community where everyone is apparently friendly and they’re invited to a barbeque to meet the neighbours.

In no time, it’s clear that they’re outsiders. There’s an assumption that they’ve taken the property as social housing rather than as owner occupiers and insidious racism is an issue when a BLM poster is removed. Tom, next door, is controlling and spiteful and the hell begins. This is a multilayered story filled with plausible characters. As I was listening I felt both anger and shame at the way society acts. There was a clear social, class and race divide making day to day life totally intolerable. Alongside that there’s the nosy interfering neighbour and an unexpected development in the relationship between Tom and his wife. It’s a complex story that builds bit by bit with tension escalating all the way. It’s so good, I’ve listened to the whole book in a single sitting from early afternoon into the night. And the final scenes have left me thinking through much of the night, Kia Abdullah has an easy to read style. The narrative flows and her observations and insight into many issues, particularly racism, are at times heartbreaking. Narration throughout is excellent and I’m sure this will be one of the best reads of the year.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley

When Salma and Bil move to Blenheim, they're hoping for a new start with their teenage son Zane. Initially, their neighbours seem to be welcoming, if a little clumsy in their attempts to make the Khatuns feel part of their community. But then Salma sees her new neighbour Tom taking down an anti racism banner from her garden. Not wanting to jump to conclusions or rock the boat so early, she moves it to her window. But the next morning, the window has been painted over. This time, she does confront Tom, but her refusal to be kowtowed leads to a gradually escalating war between the families that it seems can only lead to tragedy.

I've been a big fan of this authors courtroom drama's so this seemed a bit of a change. It's a classic neighbour clash story. What's great about it is that their are no victims in this argument. Salma doesn't take crap from anyone and isn't afraid to stand up to bullies. Often, it backfires, but she has her principals. Tom is just an eejit but is he a racist one? He doesn't think so, but you can read this and decide for yourself.

Or you could listen to the audio version as I did. I'd highly recommend it. The narrator, Tania Rodrigues, makes an already great story compelling. She acts out each role very well and makes this a pleasure to listen to.

A great standalone from an excellent author.

I found this book a little slow to start with - the idea was a good one and I had high hopes, but I found the initial neighbour conflict a bit repetitive and not that exciting.

When we got into part 2 though at around 60% in, it picked up rapidly. We follow the court case surrounding an incident that results after the neighbours’ conflict, and I found this section a lot more interesting. It was sitting at a 3* read until this section, but this pushed the rating higher because it was so much better than the first.

The end of the book got DARK. I loved the dark twists - I thought I had it figured out, but there was no way I could’ve guessed that killer twist!

Lots of trigger warnings in this one so please look up before reading! The book largely revolves around race-related conflict so there is a lot of discussion on racism.

Wow! I can’t tell you how much I’m kicking myself that this is the first of Kia Abdullah’s books I’ve read.

This is a chilling, disturbing, deeply thought provoking and wholly believable story. When they move to Blenheim Salma and Bilal Khatun are hoping that the suburban development will offer some sanctuary and a fresh start for their teenage son Zain. Zain has sort of lost his way a little, kicked out of college but hoping for more. The micro aggressions and othering are evident immediately they are invited to a community barbecue, filled with all of the white faces of their neighbours. But when they place a Black Lives Matter banner on their lawn, what unfolds is horrific.

The writing is stellar, the characters are so well formed (we’ve all met someone quite like each of them) I was gripped from the start. Without adding spoilers the courts room scenes for me were absolutely perfect. I ached with sorrow, i pulsed with anger and injustice, yet somehow the characters are so well formed I felt something like pity for the very people I didn’t think I would, they people who would absolutely have you believe they are not racist. Pity I guess because they seem to genuinely believe they are not. Anger because they fail to see it in themselves. That said not everyone is blameless and a lot of tit for tat has shocking and deeply upsetting consequences, that see them end up here in court.

The PLOT TWIST is absolutely divine! I had an inkling all along that it was coming but I was so far off the mark it was a genuine shocker.

Of all the lines in the book, I keep coming back to “we couldn’t understand why they had a Black Lives Matter banner when they are not black” it makes me want to smack my own face!

All the stars ⭐️ this is fantastic, my final read of the year and it couldn’t have been better. #Jorecommends

Many thanks to Harper Collins UK Audio/HQ for gifting me an audio ARC of the latest thriller by Kia Abdullah, wonderfully narrated by Tania Rodrigues - 5 stars!

Selma and her husband, Bilah, moved into a "better" neighborhood, trying to get their son Zane away from bad influences. They have high hopes when they are invited to a neighborhood barbecue, but when Selma spots her neighbor, Tom, ripping out her Black Lives Matter banner, tensions between the neighbors quickly escalate. Soon, things become dangerous.

If you don't have Kia Abdullah as a must-read author, that needs to change. Her books are always 5 star reads for me and seem to get better all the time. This is a situation all too common - skirmishes between neighbors - but goes in depth into all the layers involved. There are a lot of relevant topics too - tolerance, racism, classism, protecting our families. Plus, society seems to be very sensitive and on the lookout for any perceived slights, so that things can be misinterpreted easily. I loved the twists but hated to see this book come to an end. Another book from this author that you won't be able to put down - the narration on this one was perfect as well.

When Salma and her family move to a new neighbourhood, the residents seem to be welcoming, but cracks start to appear soon after they move in when their new neighbour takes down a BLM banner from in their garden. Seemingly just as it was 'against the rules', but after a confrontation the racist connotations are very apparent and it then quickly escalates to levels nobody would have expected.

This was a fast-paced, compelling and frighteningly realistic read. You can definitely see something similar playing out in neighbourhoods across the country.
Highly recommended!

This one was a surprise catch on Netgalley by publishers HarperCollins UK Audio, HQ. I really enjoyed the drama and the action, secrets around the characters. Something not easy for me but really well done. I would reccomend this audio to all my friends that love this kind of books. Totally surprised by the ending

I received an advanced reviewer's audiobook in exchange for an honest review

This is not an easy book to get through as a mother, but this author has always made it worth my while to suffer through. This book adds to the usual neighborhood drama with social problems such as racism, class and disability, but it is fundamentally a thriller and I had no idea whodunit until the end. Another 5 star book from Ms Abdullah!