Lee Allen's Blog - Posts Tagged "louise-candlish"

Those People by Louise Candlish

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A gripping domestic thriller that explores an escalating crisis of neighbours from Hell.

Lowland Way might just be the most idyllic neighbourhood in which to live. Beautiful properties and gardens, friendly neighbours, a popular B&B at one end of the street, a weekly initiative to ensure the children are able to play in the street safe from the dangers of traffic; this is the sort of community that seems to have been lost to time.

But all of this tranquility is abruptly disrupted with the arrival of new neighbours Darren and Jodie. Fond of loud heavy-metal music and home improvements, whilst building a collection of ramshackle vehicles to fill the street to begin a potentially illegal used-car business, they make a sour first impression and care little for the community established by their neighbours.

As tensions escalate, a group of neighbours become determined to do whatever it takes to rid themselves of those people. When a tragic accident rocks the street, the general consensus is clear that this was bound to happen. Only, the police suspect malicious intent and are intent to uncover the truth that lurks behind the doors and windows of Lowland Way.

‘Those People’ hinges on a largely universal experience – no doubt, the vast majority of people will encounter the problem of nightmarish neighbours during their lifetime, if not in their own homes, but in the homes of family or friends – thus making the concept immediately relatable from the beginning. The everyday experiences of ordinary people no doubt drive the popular appeal of the domestic thriller and this novel is a fine example of the sub-genre.

Told from the perspective of several of the established group of Lowland Way, this is a twisty thriller that compels you to keep on reading to find out what happens next. The full extent of the central tragedy is slowly revealed throughout each of the character’s narratives. Each of them not entirely reliable narrators, often coming across as a little entitled and at times pompous, they may not be the most endearing group, but this is perfectly juxtaposed with just how dreadful the new neighbours are – loud, obnoxious, selfish and disruptive.

There are moments of black humour throughout as we can also experience with the luxury of being an observer of such a situation; these hilarious moments jutted up against the true tragedy that unfolds as the plot uncoils and culminates in a neat conclusion.

Gripping, fast-paced and humourous, ‘Those People’ is an entertaining read that peels away the veneer of respectable, middle-class neighbourhoods.



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