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The Woman Next Door
Excellent book.
255 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1981
5 people are currently reading
225 people want to read
About the author
T.M. Wright
63 books64 followersTerrance Michael Wright (AKA T. M. Wright) is best known as a writer of horror fiction, speculative fiction, and poetry. He has written over 25 novels, novellas, and short stories over the last 40 years. His first novel, 1978's Strange Seed, was nominated for a World Fantasy Award, and his 2003 novel Cold House was nominated for a Bram Stoker Award. His novels have been translated into many different languages around the world. His works have been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and many genre magazines.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 17, 2020
This isn't really one of Wright's best, but is still better than a lot of the bulk schlock horror that appeared in the wake of King in the early '80s. It's a quiet and creepy story of abuse and the downer ending is inevitable from the start. The viewpoint shifts frequently between the lady in the wheelchair and the titular woman next door (lots of books with that title, huh?), and between 1961 and the current 1981. It's a decently written chiller for a rainy evening.
October 12, 2016
October is when I tend to shift back into horror mode and I wanted to read something vintage. Like 70's or 80's era by an author new to me. This one looked like it would be a slow burn ghost story, from the description. And it had the obligatory Stephen King blurb, which I've come to long since ignore on horror novels.
Well, it was a slow burn, yes. But as for a ghost story, I'm not sure. The haunts in this novel are the ghosts and horrors of abuse. And that's the sum of it. Bad things happen to a child in 1961 by an abusive teenager, who herself is an abuse victim. Things jump to 1981 and we have Christine living in a wheelchair, her next door neighbor Marilyn, and their husbands Tim and Brett respectively. Both husbands are almost non-entities, with Brett getting only enough stage time to have an affair with strange seductress named Andrea. Marilyn and Brett have an only child, a boy named Greg, who sees a "ghost" named Little Rat. There is also a handicapped neighborhood kid named Sonny Norton, who gets headaches whenever he's in the vicinity of Marilyn and Brett's house. Christine's husband Tim is something of a ghost himself, only showing up to worry about Christine's more and more frequent blackouts and to call her doctor. Time jumps back and forth between 1961 and 1981. Chapters are short and everyone is kind of fucked up, and there you have it.
The novel is well-written, and is compelling in a strange way, but disappointing as a "horror" novel. I didn't not like it, but I didn't flip over it either. I think the writing was good enough to give one of Wright's other novels a go.
Well, it was a slow burn, yes. But as for a ghost story, I'm not sure. The haunts in this novel are the ghosts and horrors of abuse. And that's the sum of it. Bad things happen to a child in 1961 by an abusive teenager, who herself is an abuse victim. Things jump to 1981 and we have Christine living in a wheelchair, her next door neighbor Marilyn, and their husbands Tim and Brett respectively. Both husbands are almost non-entities, with Brett getting only enough stage time to have an affair with strange seductress named Andrea. Marilyn and Brett have an only child, a boy named Greg, who sees a "ghost" named Little Rat. There is also a handicapped neighborhood kid named Sonny Norton, who gets headaches whenever he's in the vicinity of Marilyn and Brett's house. Christine's husband Tim is something of a ghost himself, only showing up to worry about Christine's more and more frequent blackouts and to call her doctor. Time jumps back and forth between 1961 and 1981. Chapters are short and everyone is kind of fucked up, and there you have it.
The novel is well-written, and is compelling in a strange way, but disappointing as a "horror" novel. I didn't not like it, but I didn't flip over it either. I think the writing was good enough to give one of Wright's other novels a go.
November 23, 2017
Not necessarily one of his best, but still not bad by any means. Features Wright's trademark surreal supernatural occurrences (which are never quite explained, the reader is allowed to piece things together on the their own), and he paints a truly chilling picture of a sociapathic personality.
May 4, 2017
I really like the meeting of those two women after so many years and the characterisation of Marilyn (the protagonist). There could have been more in this story. The mysterious sexy Andrea for instance was a bit pale and the meeting of Greg (Marilyn's and Brett's son) with a vampire named Little Rat was a bit redundant as it did nothing to that story in my opinion. Interesting story with the cruel nanny and the way she treats the little girl and the doll (absolutely horror if you imagine a nanny doing this)
February 19, 2013
There are books that each page is more delicious than the last, every twist more seductive than the previous one. This is not that book.
Right from jump you know exactly how this story is going to play out, what revelations and twists lay ahead, which characters are going to befall heartache. And the sad thing is...you won't even care, because there is not a single likeable character in the entire cast. They are all just one-dimensional, pathetic, headache-inducing characters. Well, except Sonny, he was good people. The rest, though, sucked. Know what else sucked? The format. One page we're looking at Christine, the next page we're looking at Marylin, halfway down that same page we're pulled back to 1961. Don't be rebel, the system is there for a reason, Mr. Wright.
So, why the 2 stars? I gave him one point for his style of writing and one point for the pace. Even though the entire story was blah, Mr. Wright did make it go by rather quick. And for that, I thank him.
Right from jump you know exactly how this story is going to play out, what revelations and twists lay ahead, which characters are going to befall heartache. And the sad thing is...you won't even care, because there is not a single likeable character in the entire cast. They are all just one-dimensional, pathetic, headache-inducing characters. Well, except Sonny, he was good people. The rest, though, sucked. Know what else sucked? The format. One page we're looking at Christine, the next page we're looking at Marylin, halfway down that same page we're pulled back to 1961. Don't be rebel, the system is there for a reason, Mr. Wright.
So, why the 2 stars? I gave him one point for his style of writing and one point for the pace. Even though the entire story was blah, Mr. Wright did make it go by rather quick. And for that, I thank him.
October 30, 2012
T.M.Wright rights really subtle horror. Sometimes it's more strange than scary. The horrific elements in this book came mainly from the reality based general human cruelty and child abuse and not from supernatural sources, although the book featured both. Essentially, it's a nice revenge story with a pretty creepy ending. Wright's prose shines as per usual, although the characters were a bit of a mixed bag. Quick read and a good way to pass a few hours.
January 11, 2016
Creepy, but disjointed in a way. There is some questions that still have to be answered, but overall, a really good book. I expected a little more since the only other novel I have read from him was Carlisle Street and that book was very creepy and unsettling. If you like quiet and dark horrors, then this book is for you. No gore or "jump out" scares. Just a ghostly tale of revenge.
Want to read
August 28, 2011Stephen King recommended author: "T.M. Wright is a rare and blazing talent!"
May 5, 2023
Good read!
April 7, 2025
The connections feel rather obvious, which makes the confusing back and forth disappointing rather than suspenseful.
January 21, 2026
Written to pull the reader in leaving with a few unanswered mysteries. Meh
June 9, 2016
The premise of the story has potential but it is poorly developed and not well organized. Towards the end things become confusing as explanations are completely omitted and the reader has no clue how some things have come about.
April 4, 2013
A chilling tale that the beginning gives away too much away and kinda figure out what is gonna happen. Not a bad overall book but it wasn't all that
January 13, 2015
Eerie
The protagonist in the book was defined so clearly as being evil .The story kept my interest as to how she would be punished.The end was a little unclear.
The protagonist in the book was defined so clearly as being evil .The story kept my interest as to how she would be punished.The end was a little unclear.
February 14, 2016
Nobody does the quiet build of tension like T M Wright. Another wonderful tale.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews