The Psychopath Next Door

by Mark Edwards

In this mesmerising thriller from the bestselling author of Keep Her Secret, a family’s fresh start is just the beginning of their nightmare…

Ethan Dove’s family has moved to a new home in a safe community, and it’s exactly the fresh start they need. Not only is his marriage to Emma hanging by a thread, but his son, Dylan, and twelve-year-old daughter, Rose, deserve to have a happy childhood.

After Rose is bullied by the boys across the road, Ethan is relieved when the woman who lives next door steps in. Fiona Smith has come into their lives at just the right moment, and when she offers to look after Rose during the school holidays, Ethan and Emma can’t believe their luck.

Which is exactly what Fiona wants. Because, far from being the perfect neighbour, Fiona is the last person you should trust with your child. With a vicious plot for revenge, Fiona is happy to train Rose to be her accomplice, especially when she begins to suspect that Rose might not be as innocent as she appears…

The Psychopath Next Door is a gripping and twisted psychological suspense thriller set in the terrifying world of Mark Edwards’s bestselling The Magpies universe.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense

340 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 28, 2025

About the author

Mark Edwards writes psychological thrillers in which scary things happen to ordinary people.

He loves hearing from readers and always responds. Mark can be contacted in the following ways:
Email: mark@markedwardsauthor.com
Twitter @mredwards
Facebook/Instagram: @markedwardsauthor

You can download a free box set of 'Short Sharp Shockers' by visiting www.markedwardsauthor.com/free

Mark has sold over 5 million books since his first solo novel, The Magpies, was published in 2013 and has topped the bestseller lists numerous times. His other novels include Follow You Home, Here To Stay and The Psychopath Next Door. He has also published six books co-authored with Louise Voss. His next novel, The Wasp Trap, will be published in the UK/Australia in July 2025 and the US/Canada in September 2025.

Mark lives in the West Midlands, England, with his wife, their three children, two cats and a golden retriever.

Reviews

[Sydney Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun I was just hoping for a more twisty ending!

[Kaceey · Rating 4 out of 5]

New beginnings…
Hoping to leave the past behind and get a fresh start, Ethan, his wife and children all relocated to a new neighborhood. Unfortunately, things may just get even worse for his family! Come on Ethan, the grass isn’t always greener.💁🏼

The house across from them have two teenage sons that are full-blown bullies. Not surprisingly, the parents are no better.

But after a young easygoing single gal moves in next door, it may be the little ray of sunshine this neighborhood needs. She even offers to sit for Ethan and his wife’s two kids.

Too good to be true? Survey says…duh!

Mark Edwards always delivers a suspenseful and chilling thriller that will have you second guessing who you let into your life!

As with all neighborhood thrillers I read, it leaves me eyeballing my neighbors just a bit more closely.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas &Mercer

[Vicki Herbert - Vacation until Jan 2 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Bad Seed...

THE PSYCHOPATH NEXT DOOR
by Mark Edwards

4 stars. Some people are predators, and some people are prey...

Others are apex predators...

Super predators at the top of the food chain, without natural predators of their own...

When Fiona was a young girl...

Her mentor, Maisie, taught her who she was. Different. Special. Better...

Upon release from prison...

Fiona moved into the house next door to the Dove family: Mom, Dad, 12 year old daughter, and teenage son...

Fiona befriended the family and occasionally babysat their daughter Rose...

However, Fiona wasn't what she seemed...

She looked like a human being. She would smile, talk, and laugh like one, but she wasn't human...

She was like an alien in a human suit. A devil...

She was a bad seed...

Well, as I alluded to in my review, reading this novel reminded me of watching that old black and white cult classic THE BAD SEED, 1956, starring Patty McCormack as the seed.

You really can't go wrong choosing a novel by Mark Edwards for mystery and thriller entertainment. This story was his usual fare. After the first 25% laying the groundwork, the flow was easy, and the story ended with his usual twist.

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was good and creepy!

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Edwards, always a must read author for me. The Magpies is one of my favourite thriller books and I loved having The Psychopath Next Door set in the same universe. If you are not familiar with these books, first of all what are you doing?? Second of all, never fear, this can be read as a stand-alone easily. Did love hearing the names and events from previous books come back into this one.

The Dove family have a new neighbour. Fiona seems lovely, charming and always willing to help. She takes an instant shine to daughter Rose and the feelings are mutual. But things have changed since Fiona moved in, bad things have happened on their quiet little street. Is it a coincidence or has Fiona got a hidden agenda? Read it and find out.

This was a super fast paced read and I did not want to put it down. It was fun, it was full of shocking twists and turns. The ending was perfect..I do hope for more Mr Edwards. Such an entertaining read that put a big smile on my face.

An absolute pleasure to be able to read an early copy, thank you Thomas and Mercer. This is out January 28th.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up

Parts were ok but the ending was too stupid for words imo!

[Laura Lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who needs enemies when you have neighbours like these

The Psychopath Next Door is following deranged Fiona who has just been released from prison for a crime unknown to us but what she does make known is that now she’s out, she wants revenge. Moving next door to the Dove’s family she takes a liking to the youngest child Rose Dove and brings her under her wing. Is Rose just a normal girl going through the teenager changes or is she a mini psychopath in the making? What entails next is a whole lot of mess and drama!

I have read quite a few of Mr Edwards books and I love just how quickly he can immerse you into his storytelling. I was immediately hooked from the first chapter and knew I was going to enjoy following unhinged Fiona's mental dialogue and journey.

Being that I am very familiar with the area that this book takes place in, it made me feel like I was closer to the insanity, and I could really picture the scenes perfectly in my head.

Although Fiona is indeed a mess, I was expecting more from this ‘psychopath’ and wanted a bit more oomph and va-va voom with her antics and revenge. They were decent enough but not exhilarating.

Rose Dove frankly needed a cheeky little slap. I found her character so unlikeable and annoying. She definitely exudes the typical preteen behaviour and whenever she spoke I frankly kept rolling my eyes!

Being a book on revenge I was expecting it to be fast paced and suspenseful, but there was a lot of ‘filler’ chapters that could have been edited out and with there being so many I found myself drifting off from the story at times.

The chapters go back and forth between Fiona and Ethan Dove and I preferred Fiona’s chapters more. Ethan’s chapters were filled with wining over his dilapidating relationship with his wife Emma, finding Fiona attractive and sometimes worrying over Rose’s behaviour.

The story is told in three parts and Part 3 is my most favourite. All the suspense and thrill I was looking for came head on in the final chapters which I liked but it also felt very rushed and semi climatic.

With that being said it was a quick read, and I do enjoy Edwards style of writing. I am excited to see what he comes up with next.





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⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Eeeek!! This is one of my 2025 anticipated reads!!
An Unhinged Psychopathic Woman... YES PLEASE!
I hope this psychological suspense thriller delivers!
💛🤍💙

[Vivian Diaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 ⭐️ My first book by this author and it did not disappoint! This book gripped me from the very first chapter and I couldn’t stop reading. Fiona’s POV was crazyyy but so intriguing. Can’t wait to read more books by this author!

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always excited when I have a Mark Edwards novel to read, I devoured this psychological thriller. Edwards creates a scintillating story that pulls the reader into the middle of the action and leaves them wondering what awaits. A woman befriends a teenage girl and helps her with some social issues. However, what begins as a helpful neighbour soon turns dark and the entire family is pulled into a web of lies and deception, with murder fuelling a complex set of circumstances. Edwards delivers a thriller that few authors can replicate effectively.

Ethan Dove and his family have wanted an escape from their crazy lives. They move into a new community with hopes of trying to hit the reset button. Ethan’s marriage to Emma is on the rocks and about to fall apart, which leaves him hoping that the new surroundings will aid with making changes. Also, his children, Dylan and Rose, deserve a fresh start that comes with this move.

After a particularly troubling time at school, where Rose is being bullied, the neighbour, Fiona Smith, steps in to assist. Not only does Fiona help handle these boys, she also offers to spend significant time with Rose. This not only helps alleviate the issue of childminding, but provides their youngest with a role model with whom she can relate.

Fiona is highly intrigued by this, as she has a plan all her own. Little do Ethan and Emma know, but Fiona has a long history of sinister behaviour. The unlikely neighbour has a plan to groom Rose, turning her into an accomplice for many dastardly crimes. Rose complies and shows that she might not be as innocent as others presume, making the Rose-Fiona connection all the more troubling for anyone around them. A stirring story that takes the idea of plot twists to the max and exemplifies ark Edwards as a master storyteller.

I know that when I sit down to enjoy a Mark Edwards thriller, there will be moments of highly disturbing reading. The story is always multi-layered and I am privy to wonderful narrative build, all of which helps develop a dark and troubling foundation for what is to come. Edwards uses great characters and is able to subtly connect his standalone thrillers with a theme that only the attentive reader will notice. There are moment of psychological chills that the reader who enjoys this genre will devour, while others will find themselves trapped in a piece that refuses to let go until all the horrors are synthesised. I cannot wait to find another Mark Edwards novel to enjoy just as much.

Kudos, Mr. Edwards, for keeping me on my toes throughout this read.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Dani Boise · Rating 4 out of 5]

EXCUSE ME MARK, ARE YOU OKAY????
Phew, this one is creepy AF.

Out now! I read the audio via KU and that female narrator is PERFECTION. Her voices change based on how Fiona is feeling and it was superbly creepy to hear her go from (fake) cheerful to chilling in a breath.
(the male narrator was good too just had a less dark role than Fiona's narrator)

As always this author makes me FURIOUS at the characters and their situation. The typical "I know something bad is going to happen but I can't look away" feelings I get from his other novels is present here. The reader knows Fiona is up to no good but it's hard to know EXACTLY where this is headed and how it will resolve. I will use the word "CHILLING" as I've seen in several reviews because it fits this novel so perfectly. It makes you question who you let into your own life, that's for sure!

[JJtheBookNerd · Rating 2 out of 5]

We start off with Fiona being released from prison. Inside, she was a friend of Lucy - anyone who's read The Magpies series will know who Lucy is. This is set in the same universe, and there are a few other familiar names that pop up throughout the book too.

I actually read that series going into this because I knew it was connected, but to be honest, this could easily be read as a standalone, though some of the backstory was useful to know.

In this one, we meet the Dove family, Ethan & Emma and their children, 15 year old Dylan & 12 year old Rose. Fiona moves into the house next door and befriends the family, most notably the daughter Rose.

Turns out Fiona is a psychopath just like Lucy, hence why they were friends in prison. She wants to get revenge for her friend Maisie and has a hit list. At first, it's not clear who is on this hit list or the reasons why.

Fiona begins to slowly manipulate Rose, getting her involved in her schemes, and it turns out to be much easier than even she expected.

The whole thing was just a little bit far-fetched. I mean, who would let their 12 year old daughter spend so much time with a practical stranger. On top of that, not be aware of the change in her behaviour. When Ethan eventually starts to realise something isn't right, he brings up his concerns to Emma, who just... dismisses it. Throughout the book, they seem to take turns in being equally annoying and exasperating characters.

This wasn't great, I just couldn't get past some of the idiocy of certain people and situations. Rose's 180 of a character was also nonsensical, apart from one incident when she was 4, nobody noticed anything wrong? Come on now, that's a stretch of disbelief too far given how she ended up.

The only redeeming quality as a horror fan was the scenes of them in the old dilapidated lunatic asylum, which were pretty good - nice horror vibe. Oh, and Dylan, the fact he was the only one with any common sense was telling - given he was only 15!

The epilogue was meh - I'm pretty sure we'll see Rose pop up in another of the Author's books in the future.

[Jayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ouch!!!!!

This was not the first time narrator Imogen Church ruined an audiobook listening experience for me. 😭😢😭

I am a devoted Mark Edwards fan and when I selected this title, I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed that Imogen Church's narration would be short.

Unfortunately, it wasn't.

Fortunately, narrator Nicholas Boulton gave an outstanding performance.

Although the book was well-written and engaging, this 11-hour audiobook could have easily been a 9-hour audiobook.

The ending was eye-rolling.

Not Mark Edwards' best book.

3.5 stars

[Josephine Jarman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fiona moves next door to Ethan and his family. She has been released from prison and has her own list of people she wants to sort out. She managed to become a big part of his family life. Trouble is you never want to see whats in front of your eyes and of course she is trustworthy isnt she. This was a dark binge read full of twists and turns , well written characters and the plot a real page turner. The interactions between Rose and Fiona were interesting . I was gripped from page 1 and hope this might be the beginning of a series as i would like a sequel. This kept me up long into the night as I wanted to find out the ending. thank you so much for this dark disturbing thriller, netgallery publisher and author I cant recommend this enough a thrill rider 5 star all the way.Might make you think twice about who you trust.

[Kurryreads (Kerry) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forgot to rate here 4.5 stars - available on kindle unlimited

Review: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2SEBjos/

Featured in:
Thrillers not surrounding a murder or missing persons case (part 3): https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT2vtyTq8/

[Matt Ferenczy · Rating 4 out of 5]

"She looks like a human being. She smiles and talks and laughs like one. But she isn’t. She’s like an alien in a human suit. A devil."

When I started this novel I realized, with a hunch in my gut, that it would be one of the best readings of 2025. Before this, the book and cover title caught my attention immediately, and I remember thinking “This is a treasure or garbage, but what a perfect marketing”, and then, according to the plot itself, it was the second.

“After Rose is bullied by the boys across the road, Ethan is relieved when the woman who lives next door steps in. Fiona Smith has come into their lives at just the right moment, and when she offers to look after Rose during the school holidays, Ethan and Emma can't believe their luck.”

As the name of the book expresses itself, there is no spoil to have a brief talk about the MADDENING characters of this story. I have to say this from the beginning: this isn’t a soft Freida McFadden novel, with a euphemistic narrative or without extremely gruesome scenes. Neither is a fountain of blood, but the gore is here, and it´s perfectly balanced with the narrative.

The teen characters, with all the bullying and contradictory feelings of that period of age, get the plot in a soft fake chronicle, but the truth is: all those hormones wreaking havoc in a singular person might end like a hurricane. The charismatic, single, beautiful (and suspicious, of course) concept of a sexy female neighbor adds a thick atmosphere that hangs inside the story like a fog.

Watch out! Here is not a BIG plot twist, because you can find out some of the final narrative explosion, but if you later rewind a bit you can understand there is no need to get an unusual and unexpected end. This is a page-turner book, of course, and the evilness of the MC makes this novel a great story to enjoy with a cold beer and some snacks. And a stress ball on the other hand

[Brittney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very very good thriller. Fast paced, reads quickly and great creepy characters. Highly recommend.

[Zizi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this super interesting and yet so crazy, it kept my attention the whole book.The ending was absolutely crazy and I would love a 2nd book!!

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an ending!

Whew! Fiona held on to her grudge forever! Meanwhile no accountability for the reason Fiona found herself in certain predicaments, classic narcissist behavior. Ethan & Emma infuriated me numerous times for the way they handled the relationship between Rose & Fiona. I mean red flag central until it was too late. If I could highlight one thing about this story, it would be the shocking ending!

Overall enjoyed this read & looking forward to more from Mark Edwards. Recommend for domestic & psychological thriller fans.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I gave 4 stars to this super creepy domestic psychological thriller.

SUMMARY
This might be one of those books where it’s better to go into it not knowing too much about so I’m going to keep this vague.

Ethan and Emma Dove and family have moved to a new house outside of London ready to make a fresh start. His kids are new to school and still trying to make friends. A pair of neighborhood bullies decide to target them, and, they are rescued by their fun, beautiful, new neighbor Fiona. Disturbingly quickly, Fiona becomes a part of their lives. But, what they don’t know about Fiona could ruin their entire family.

WHAT I LOVED 🥰
This book kept me guessing. Fiona was one of those characters who you love to hate. Always, with this book there was a lot going on behind the scenes that Ethan and his wife Emma kept missing because they were dealing with their own drama. It was Britt-Lit and I always love my Brit-Lit. There were a lot of surprises and unexpected twists.


WHAT I DIDN’T LOVE🫤
It was a little disturbing in places. And, it was maybe a little hard to believe that somebody was just truly that evil. But I guess it happens. I did find it a little hard to believe that it would’ve been that easy for Fiona to get herself that entrenched in their lives so quickly.

OVERALL
A very creepy well thought out domestic thriller. Maybe a little trigger warning on some disturbing things that happened with children. Not really sexual, but still disturbing because it involves children. Keeping that in mind, I would recommend it to my GR friends who enjoy psychological thrillers.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always happy to pick up a book by Edwards, and I was especially pleased to see it set in an area I know.
I really enjoy a book where you know who the bad guy is, but they're not OTT mad/bad/evil.
Like here.
Perfectly plausible new neighbour helping you out a bit.
To be honest, you need the help with your currently problematic almost teen.
Fun, fast paced, full of good moments of tension, and an ending that left me going "ahhhhh" or possibly "oooooh"
Whichever, it was good.

[Knygu_burtai · Rating 5 out of 5]

● "Some people are predators, Rosie, and some people are prey."

Mark Edwards - autorius, iš kurio tikiuosi daug: didelės įtampos, įdomios siužeto linijos, netikėtų posūkių ir labai įdomių veikėjų. O ši knyga buvo... Tobula! Kaip man trūko tokio kūrinio, nuo kurio būtų sunku atsiplėšti, visą laiką mintyse suktųsi siužetas ir spėliojimai, kaip čia viskas baigsis! Tai tikrai labai tamsus, psichologiškai gerai "susuktas" trileris, kuris nepagailėjo netikėtų siužeto posūkių, o pabaiga iš vis buvo tikra 💣!
Pati trilerio tema labai įdomi - psichopatė kaimynė, kuri įsikuria šalia ir bando susidraugauti su kaimynais. Štai čia puiki vieta susimąstyti visiems, kaip negalime žinoti, kas yra kas ir pasikliauti bet kuo😅🙈
Man labai patiko, kaip autorius gerai padirbėjo su visais knygos personažais - visi puikiai išpildyti palaipsniui pasakojant istoriją ir atskleidžiant kiekvieno jų paslaptis ir nutikimus. Suprantu, kad gal kai kuriems skaitytojams gali kliūti dukros Rose amžius dėl tam tikrų dalykų, bet man nekliuvo - viskas taip įdomiai pateikta ir logiškai, kad buvau traukte įtraukta į istorjją nuo pradžios iki pabaigos.
Šią knygą jau matau, kad galėtų virsti ekranizacija ir jei taip kada nutiktų, būtų labai įdomu pažiūrėti.😍🔥
Iki šiol mano mėgstamiausia Mark Edwards knyga buvo "Viešnagė", bet dabar drąsiai galiu teigti, kad "The psychopath next door" įdomesnė, tamsesnė ir labai labai rekomenduoju ją perskaityti visiems!😍🔥

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself extremely interested in this book, slamming the 2nd half without getting up from my chair..
Stay away from tell all reviews because this one will keep you guessing right to the end.

[TheConnieFox · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love reading suspense and thriller books, I highly recommend this one!! It is SO good!!!!

I was immediately hooked on this book at the very beginning. It was well written and had twist and turns you don’t see coming!

This was the first book that I read by author Mark Edwards and I will definitely be reading more of his books. I understand why he is a bestselling author!!

I give this chilling and suspenseful book a high 4 star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[AJ Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must-read!

This book was sinister on so many levels, and it was difficult having to put down the couple of times that I had to. Emma and Ethan are so focused on their own problems that they aren't quite paying attention to their own children. Allowing a brand new neighbor; Fiona, much like themselves, to watch their youngest, Rose, during the week to save money was wild. Their oldest, Dylan, who is fairly responsible, is the first to notice something's not right about Fiona. The entire family, since earlier in childhood, noticed something wasn't right about Rose but chose to ignore their instincts. Now, spending most of her summer days with a psychopathic neighbor, Rose's true nature starts to show itself more and more, as she aids Fiona in exacting her revenge on those behind sending her to jail. Two psychopaths in one neighborhood. What could possibly go wrong?

[Karen Chong · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.0 / 5.0

Honestly 260 pages into the book I really enjoyed the plot, the build up of the big finale and the unpredictability of the ending. The found the storyline interesting and dark (abit too dark) but the ending is what massively drops it for me. It literally goes 0 to 100 real quick and then drops flat completely. The twists at the end didn’t feel like twists they felt like the plot gave up and wanted to throw another curveball to shake things up. I found it bizarre how much effort was put in to build up the characters, build up the family relations to then be dropped and destroyed so quickly in a matter of pages seem very bizarre. I did have some hope that this was going to be a banger but not sadly…..

The plot is centred around Ethan Doves family who move into a new home and neighbourhood for a fresh start. His marriage to Emma is hanging by a threads and with his son Dylan and his 12 year old daughter Rose. Both his son and daughter is bullied by the boys on the opposite street a neighbour steps in and intervenes who happens to be their next door neighbour Fiona. It’s the summer Holidays and Fiona offers to babysit for free, it’s a dream for both Emma and Ethan. But the thing is, Fiona wants all of this, because she’s the last person you should trust with your child. Fiona is out for revenge but the real question is who? She’s also happy to train rose as her next accomplice but starts to suspect that actually Rose is not as innocent as she appears.

It’s a mid book, but definitely fails at the end. Probably wouldn’t recommend if I’m honest.

[Sherri Thacker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mark Edwards is known for his “disturbing” reads and this might take on a new level of disturbing! I was shocked when he has teens doing the disturbing things so that’s all I want to say without giving too much away. A very different book than I’ve read before by him! He did a great job building up the plot twists and I kept thinking”what next”.

[Marci Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I was not particularly fond of the narrator but, I did enjoy the story. Although this book was rather predictable, it still was entertaining.

The story follows a family living next door to a single woman. The family is unaware of this woman’s checkered past and her prison stay. This woman has a plan when she is released from prison to seek revenge on those who have wronged her and contributed to the reason for her going to prison in the first place. The family next door has a daughter. This daughter is different and her behavior is odd to say the least. The woman next door takes a liking to this girl because she sees qualities in her that remind her of herself. That’s where the story really gets interesting. I hope you enjoy this book!!

[Farah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy dooly - this book was the bomb! I couldn't get enough of reading Fiona the psychopath's antics and how far she was willing to go to infiltrate herself into normal life again after her prison stint. It really goes to show that you don't know who you have living on your street, especially when they seem trustworthy on the outside!!

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The suspense was fantastic and had me in knots as I kept reading and hoping things would work out. 

This was my first Mark Edwards book but it won't be my last. After reading other reviews, it seems I need to read the Magpies trilogy now.

[Gales Tales70 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mark Edwards, you are seriously twisted and psychotic 🤣🤣 but really, your books just get better. I loved everything about this.

A fast paced thriller that really had you thinking. I was half expecting Ethan to be an Apex Predator at the end to overcome all, but the ending was fab just as it was

If you love a great psychological thriller get this and any other of Marks books. Run, don’t walk !!!

[Jess ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i listened to this on audio while at work. it kept my attention and was a fun easy listen. solid four star thriller