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The Perfect Neighbour
Everyone has something to hide…
Rachel thought moving to a different town would finally set her free. A new flat, a new job, and no one who knows what she’s running from. Then she meets the woman in the downstairs flat, Stella, the perfect neighbour. Warm, generous, and always there when Rachel needs her.
For the first time in years, she feels safe.
Emerging from her self-imposed shell and reconnecting with a world that she’s distanced herself from for too long, Rachel begins to imagine a future she never thought possible.
But then just when it seems life couldn’t get any better, she receives a shocking reminder that the truth she’s fought so hard to bury might not stay hidden forever. And as cracks begin to show in Stella’s perfect façade, Rachel starts to wonder.
How well does she really know the woman downstairs?
Because what if the real danger isn’t behind her?
What if it’s living right underneath her feet?
Rachel thought moving to a different town would finally set her free. A new flat, a new job, and no one who knows what she’s running from. Then she meets the woman in the downstairs flat, Stella, the perfect neighbour. Warm, generous, and always there when Rachel needs her.
For the first time in years, she feels safe.
Emerging from her self-imposed shell and reconnecting with a world that she’s distanced herself from for too long, Rachel begins to imagine a future she never thought possible.
But then just when it seems life couldn’t get any better, she receives a shocking reminder that the truth she’s fought so hard to bury might not stay hidden forever. And as cracks begin to show in Stella’s perfect façade, Rachel starts to wonder.
How well does she really know the woman downstairs?
Because what if the real danger isn’t behind her?
What if it’s living right underneath her feet?
230 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 3, 2026
About the author
Joanne Ryan
20 books163 followersJoanne Ryan lives in the south of England and has always loved writing. Her novels concentrate on the darker, secret side of life of seemingly ordinary people.
She also writes under the pen name of Marina Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
She also writes under the pen name of Marina Johnson https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
April 7, 2026
⭐ 3.25/5
This is a psychological thriller with a strong premise and an engaging sense of tension, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential.
The core idea is compelling, and the early part of the book builds unease effectively. The author does a good job creating atmosphere and keeping the reader curious about what’s really going on beneath the surface. It’s also a quick, easy read, which makes it quite accessible.
However, as the story progresses, some weaknesses become more noticeable. The characters, especially one of the central figures, feel underdeveloped. Their behaviour is intriguing but not fully explored, which makes parts of the story feel less grounded than they could be. A bit more depth or background would have added a lot.
The pacing is steady, but the structure feels closer to a stretched short story than a fully developed novel. There are moments where ideas repeat, and the writing itself is quite simple, which works for readability but limits emotional impact.
The ending, in particular, feels rushed and not entirely earned. Instead of a resolution driven by the characters’ arcs, it leans on external events, which makes it less satisfying than it could have been.
Overall, this is an interesting and entertaining read with a solid concept, but it lacks the depth and payoff needed to make it truly stand out. It feels like an author who excels in shorter formats and is still growing into longer ones.
This is a psychological thriller with a strong premise and an engaging sense of tension, but it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential.
The core idea is compelling, and the early part of the book builds unease effectively. The author does a good job creating atmosphere and keeping the reader curious about what’s really going on beneath the surface. It’s also a quick, easy read, which makes it quite accessible.
However, as the story progresses, some weaknesses become more noticeable. The characters, especially one of the central figures, feel underdeveloped. Their behaviour is intriguing but not fully explored, which makes parts of the story feel less grounded than they could be. A bit more depth or background would have added a lot.
The pacing is steady, but the structure feels closer to a stretched short story than a fully developed novel. There are moments where ideas repeat, and the writing itself is quite simple, which works for readability but limits emotional impact.
The ending, in particular, feels rushed and not entirely earned. Instead of a resolution driven by the characters’ arcs, it leans on external events, which makes it less satisfying than it could have been.
Overall, this is an interesting and entertaining read with a solid concept, but it lacks the depth and payoff needed to make it truly stand out. It feels like an author who excels in shorter formats and is still growing into longer ones.
April 9, 2026
I loved this book! I read it quickly as I couldn’t put it down, Stella was such an intriguing character and some parts were so twisty and clever. Ive loved all of this authors books so far and highly recommend.
January 4, 2026
Brilliant!!
I’ve had a run of bad books recently so I was happy to finally read a book that was definitely worth reading. I read this in one night as I couldn’t put it down. There’s nothing better than a book you can’t put down. The only negative was whoever proofread this, didn’t do a good job as there was lots of typos and missing text but that’s not the authors fault.
Can’t wait to read more by this author
I’ve had a run of bad books recently so I was happy to finally read a book that was definitely worth reading. I read this in one night as I couldn’t put it down. There’s nothing better than a book you can’t put down. The only negative was whoever proofread this, didn’t do a good job as there was lots of typos and missing text but that’s not the authors fault.
Can’t wait to read more by this author
February 21, 2026
I loved Joanne's early books because the main character was disturbed and unpredictable, but more recent books have been too similar to the main stream psychological thriller type books and was disappointing. However, this book has returned to what Joanne does best with a main character with distorted thinking and I loved it.
January 4, 2026
Excellent!!
Fantastic book ... I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down! Well done Miss Ryan!! Well done!
Fantastic book ... I read it in one sitting. I could not put it down! Well done Miss Ryan!! Well done!
January 14, 2026
yet another good read
Wasn’t too sure about this book at first especially chapter 2 but kept reading as hate giving up on a book .
This book has two main characters Rachel and Stella who both live in the same building .
Rachel has just moved in on the top floor after leaving her past behind . She gets rid of basically everything she packs up ready for a fresh start . She works in a nice job with nice people and her life starts to change for the good when she meets Ollie but not so much Stella .
Stella lives in the flat on the ground level and comes across as a bit of a nosy neighbour to me . She has a dog called pancho and a job but the difference with her job is the people aren’t nice .
I grew to dislike Stella the more I read and do feel she got what was coming to her .
Yet another good book by Joanne Ryan and once you get into it it’s an easy read .
Wasn’t too sure about this book at first especially chapter 2 but kept reading as hate giving up on a book .
This book has two main characters Rachel and Stella who both live in the same building .
Rachel has just moved in on the top floor after leaving her past behind . She gets rid of basically everything she packs up ready for a fresh start . She works in a nice job with nice people and her life starts to change for the good when she meets Ollie but not so much Stella .
Stella lives in the flat on the ground level and comes across as a bit of a nosy neighbour to me . She has a dog called pancho and a job but the difference with her job is the people aren’t nice .
I grew to dislike Stella the more I read and do feel she got what was coming to her .
Yet another good book by Joanne Ryan and once you get into it it’s an easy read .
January 24, 2026
First book from this author I have read and I really enjoyed her style of writing and storytelling and jumping between characters however I think I had higher hopes for a twist or a bigger ending than what happened. I really wanted to give it a 5 but I think because of that I’ve lowered it to a 4.
January 11, 2026
This was an enjoyable read, I always enjoy Joanne’s style of writing. It was a little predictable but I didn’t see the ending coming
March 8, 2026
Entertaining
Enjoyed reading this for a second time. Keeps you interested from beginning to end. Highly recommend it to one and all
Enjoyed reading this for a second time. Keeps you interested from beginning to end. Highly recommend it to one and all
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews