A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder catapults readers into the peculiar world of London’s Atbara Avenue, set in 1968. This tight-knit community is cloaked in intrigue, where every resident seems to be a sleuth in their own right, especially the nosy vicar and his meddling wife, who delight in eavesdropping and dissecting the neighbour’s antics with barely concealed disdain.

Atbara Avenue reads like a soap opera! Each chapter shifts focus, spotlighting an eccentric resident in a new house and, of course, shocking deaths — sure, there’s murderous mischief around every corner! The structure navigates through the delightfully bizarre tales hidden behind closed doors, inviting readers to unlock the secrets of the street.

This novel teeters on the edge of cosy crime, reminiscent of The Father Brown Stories and Midsomer Murders. Yet, beneath the polite facades lies a bubbling cauldron of chaos! As the characters concoct their schemes for violent deeds, they maintain an outward prim and proper charm, determined to uphold their appearances no matter the cost.

Rich with dark humor, this narrative dissects the often concealed facets of human nature within this eclectic ensemble. Underneath its somewhat shabby surface, Atbara Avenue transforms into a veritable hive of crime and mischief. While the plot may seem a tad far-fetched, I imagine it would shine as a series of short stories or an enthralling TV drama! 3⭐

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read via NetGalley. As always, this is an honest review.

A debut that is fabulously addictive. A book that interweaves different stories through one street. Some characters keep popping up whereas others only once. Very cleverly and a book that I’ve been recommending to everyone.

After some confusion on figuring out when this was actually set, I got into the swing of the book following Pauline and Colin then suddenly the perspective changed.

It's a cleverly written novel, more in the setting of short stories rather than a full length novel. Each story follows the neighbours of Atbara Avenue, all linked by the reverend and his wife.

This felt slow to me and I wasn't very invested in any of the characters or the book itself unfortunately. I'm in the minority with this opinion.

The tone of this book is perfection! Loved reading this. Book and will be recommending to others! I do hope there’s more coming!

Set in a suburban London street in the 1960s, this riveting debut is like a series of interlinked stories with two things in common: Atbara Avenue and murder. The humour is dark, the characters brilliantly, sometimes wickedly, drawn. But this is no cosy crime novel. Each chapter takes us to a different door, and a different death and disappearance. Nothing is as it seems in this neighbourhood, where everyone knows each other’s name, and it’s grim, twisted and disturbing but highly entertaining!

Peer through the deadly keyholes of Atbara Avenue, in a story of interconnectedness, and overlap, of friends, foes and families, an eclectic collection of characters whose secrets you cannot wait to uncover. A delightful and easy read with a distinct style, you will thoroughly enjoy.

This was one of the most bizarre books I've read in a while - and I mean it entirely as a compliment!

The novel is set on Atbara Avenue in 1968. It's a seemingly close-knit community where people know each other's business and routines, especially the vicar and his interfering wife who watch and discuss the goings-on on the street in often humorous detail. Each chapter has a different focus - a quirky resident, a house, usually a death - and it's a structure that works brilliantly as we move between distinctly odd vignettes about what goes on behind the closed doors of the road. There's also tonnes of clever plot points, as bits from earlier stories prove key later on.

When I initially picked this up, I assumed it would be cosy crime. There's actually not much cosy about Atbara Avenue - but there is a dark humour that runs throughout and some really compelling observations about human nature, whether it's sibling rivalry, the concealment of secrets or the domestic situations people normalise (such as the bullying parent/adult daughter relationship that opens the novel). Underneath the slightly shabby but genteel surface, Atbara Avenue is an absolute hotbed of crime! It might not be completely believable that all this happens in such close proximity, but each story is engaging and lively in its own right.

I also loved the setting - the 1960s time period allows us to see the contrast in the staid and conservative older generation and the younger characters. It also allows for some gripping murders that probably now would be solved in a trice with CSI and forensics and so on. Instead, there's a good chunk of the Atbara Avenue murderers who get away with - yup - murder! At least seemingly...

This is an unusual and highly engaging book - there were plenty of twists that surprised me, but I also think I need to read it again to go over some of the more subtle points and links between the stories. If dark humour and a clever narrative is your thing, this is for you!

I found this an enjoyable read, each chapter a look into the lives of one of the residents of Atabara Avenue. They all have their quirks and secrets and it did make me think of Tales of the Unexpected a little. It would make for a very good tv series with the fabulous 60’s setting. Very keen to see what the author does next.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

London 1968 - following the lives of inhabitants of a suburban London street
But Atbara Avenue is no ordinary street - where murder feels like the only solution
Feels like.a collection of short stories, as each chapter focuses on an individual occupant
Loved how the occupant’s stories linked seamlessly, make it a fast paced addictive read
It has a unique format and writing style
How well do you know your neighbours?
Do you really know what happens behind closed doors
Thanks @gaymarrisauthor @bedfordsquarepublishers & @netgalley for the unique interesting read

A Curtain Twitchers Guide to Murder takes a behind-doors look into the lives of the various inhabitants of a 1960's suburban London street, where a collection of seemingly ordinary people all share one thing in common: murder.

It's a hugely entertaining novel. Gay Marris has a wonderful style and voice that is refreshing to read. Although set out in classic chapter format, and all the stories connect, it is a series of vignettes or short stories, [mostly] independent of each other. Each chapter is the story of a different household and the death or deaths associated with it. Is it dark? Yes, I suppose so, but it's so much fun too.

It would make a terrific TV series.

Thank you to @NetGalley_UK, @gaymarrisauthor and @bedfordsqpublishers for giving me a free copy of this book. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

#ACurtainTwitchersBookofMurder #NetGalley #bookreview #gaymarrisauthor

This was a great book to read, many stories filled the pages. It made me feel like watching a TV series with each episode (chapter) being different and it really kept going but I enjoyed how it all came in one circle at the end. One hell of a way to write short stories!! Had a great time thank you for letting me read it early

A Curtain Twitchers Guide to Murder centres around the inhabitants of a 1960's suburban London street, where many have lived there so long they know their neighbours insiden out....or do they?

I really enjoyed this book! It reads as a series of short stories, each chapter about a different resident of the street and an untimely death connected to their household. Fun to read, humurous and slightly dark, I'll definitely look out for more from this author!

A Curtain Twitcher's Book of Murder offers a refreshing departure from traditional murder mysteries with its unconventional format and darkly comedic tone. What initially appears to be a novel centered on a single murder on Atbara Avenue reveals itself as an intriguing collection of short stories, all set on the same street in London. This approach creates a vibrant tapestry of interconnected narratives, with recurring characters, such as the vicar and his wife, providing a thread of continuity throughout the collection.

The stories range from clearly defined beginnings and endings to those that leave much to the reader’s interpretation, with some threads picked up later and others left unresolved. While not every tale concludes with death, they all carry an air of despair, maintaining a consistent tone of dark humor and grotesque situations.

Author Gay Marris presents a series of bizarre and macabre characters, each more despicable than the last. The book’s dark humor, reminiscent of a grown-up Roald Dahl, is both unsettling and captivating. For readers who appreciate a touch of grimness and a departure from cozy crime, this collection will likely be a compelling choice. However, the blend of dark humor and twisted narratives may not appeal to everyone, particularly those who prefer lighter, more comforting crime stories.

Loved this debut novel and can't wait yo read more from this talented author. The story I'd set in a London suburb I'm the sixties In Atbara Avenue, a hot bed of intrigue and murder. The novel reads like a series of linked shirt stories featuring the residents of the street with the vicar and his wife being at the centre of the puzzles. A definite page turner.

1960s London with a murderous twist! A fantastic debut novel from Gay Marris, which has a series of interlocking stories about neighbours who all have murder in mind and a Vicar and his wife who has theories but none are really correct. It reads a lot like linked short mysteries and is full of dark humour and although I’d class it as a darker cosy crime, there’s a lot of deaths. The residents of Atbara Avenue will keep you guessing and there’s a tonne of twists on the way. Can’t wait to see more from this author!

I absolutely loved this debut book ,a different way of telling a story .Set in 1968 each chapter tells the story of a resident who lives in Atbara Avenue but they are all linked up and sometimes appear in each others stories .The constant characters are the Vicar Desmond and his busy body wife Deidre .Great fun I can't wait for the next book by this Author. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

A Curtain Twitchers Book of Murder
By Gay Marris - 20th June 24

****

Would you buy a house in this street?

Set in suburban London - Atbara Avenue, built in the late Victorian era, now not quite as upmarket as it was, but still desirable. The first chapter introduces us to the oldest resident of the street, Mrs Muriel Dollimore and her daughter, Pauline. We are also introduced to Desmond and Deirdre O’Reilly, the local vicar and his wife. The title of the book gives us a clue, and sure enough before we get to the end of the chapter there is an unexpected death.

Each of the eight chapters covers the events in the household of a different resident of Atbara Avenue with it similarly leading to another departure from the Avenue. As you would expect characters introduced in one chapter often occur in another. Each of the stories are quite different and quickly engage the reader.

As all the stories concentrate on the events leading up to, and in some cases following, the murder, instead of the investigation, as is usually the case, we have a somewhat different perspective, and as all the events occur in the same neighbourhood we have a greater familiarity with the characters than might otherwise be the case. Thus these well told episodes have an appeal to regular readers of ‘crime fiction’ as well as those with who simply enjoy the narrative of a good story of whatever genre.

I read this book from a pre-publication copy kindly supplied by the publisher, but this is an honest review with no concession to their generosity.

Would you buy a house in this street?

This was such a fun read
Atbara Avenue, London in the 1960's where neighbours gossip among themselves whilst queueing in the local shops.

I think this should be viewed as a series of short stories that happen to be on the same street. There are a few characters who pop up here and there in other stories which links them all together.
I had felt a little confused while reading until I began to think in this manner. This made for a much more pleasant reading experience.

A fab read , and let’s just say I’m glad I don’t live on Atbara Avenue or I might not live to tell the tale!
The chapters are short stories highlighting the lives of residents and their families there are secrets and lies abound and just a sprinkling of murder.
This book is very cleverly written and made for a different and highly enjoyable read.
Full of intrigue and sometimes dark with some humour added for good measure .
An excellent debut and the bar is set very high for the books that follow from this author!
Eagerly awaiting the next book from the author .
Thanks to NetGalley and Bedford Square Publishers.

Not exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it.

It's lots of short stories from residents on a street all linked through murder. Diedre's story was a particular favourite.

I think if you go into this book know the format it's a great but may be a surprise to those that don't and not what they were expecting!