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Quiet Neighbors
It’s the oldest bookshop in a town full of bookshops; rambling and disordered, full of treasures if you look hard. Jude found one of the treasures when she visited last summer, the high point of a miserable vacation. Now, in the depths of winter, when she has to run away, Lowell’s chaotic bookshop in that backwater of a town is the safe place she runs to.
Jude needs a bolt-hole; Lowell needs an assistant and, when an affordable rental is thrown in too, life begins to look up. The gravedigger’s cottage isn’t perfect for a woman alone but at least she has quiet neighbors.
Quiet, but not silent. The long dead and the books they left behind both have tales to tell and the dusty rooms of the bookshop are not the haven they seem to be. Lowell’s past and Jude’s present are a dangerous cocktail of secrets and lies and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything.
Jude needs a bolt-hole; Lowell needs an assistant and, when an affordable rental is thrown in too, life begins to look up. The gravedigger’s cottage isn’t perfect for a woman alone but at least she has quiet neighbors.
Quiet, but not silent. The long dead and the books they left behind both have tales to tell and the dusty rooms of the bookshop are not the haven they seem to be. Lowell’s past and Jude’s present are a dangerous cocktail of secrets and lies and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2016
455 people are currently reading
2780 people want to read
About the author
Catriona McPherson
52 books526 followersCatriona McPherson (she/her) was born in Scotland and immigrated to the US in 2010. She writes: preposterous 1930s private-detective stories about a toff; realistic 1940s amateur-sleuth stories about an oik; and contemporary psychothriller standalones. These are all set in Scotland with a lot of Scottish weather. She also writes modern comedies about a Scot-out-of-water in a “fictional” college town in Northern California.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
She has won multiple Anthonys, Agathas, Leftys and Macavitys for her work and been shortlisted for an Edgar, three Mary Higgins Clark awards and a UK dagger
Catriona is a proud lifetime member and former national president of Sisters in Crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
February 28, 2016
3.5 The dark atmosphere usually present in McPherson's stand alones is missing from this one. Yet, Quiet Neighbors has its own attractions. A musty old bookstore called Lowland Glen, some awesome characters, a now dead old man who wrote secrets in the books he read for a bookclub, and secrets, plenty of secrets. All the characters have one but only one has a secret that was deadly.
Enjoyed this one, it was fun. All the books, seeing how it all plays out, sometimes funny, like a comedy of errors. One secret is unraveled which leads to another being presented. Such a good writer, seem to like whatever she writes, but the characters and the setting definitely made this one special. So not dark, nor really insidiously evil, though there was evil done in the past, just a different type of mystery. Guess the dead do talk.
ARC from Netgalley.
Enjoyed this one, it was fun. All the books, seeing how it all plays out, sometimes funny, like a comedy of errors. One secret is unraveled which leads to another being presented. Such a good writer, seem to like whatever she writes, but the characters and the setting definitely made this one special. So not dark, nor really insidiously evil, though there was evil done in the past, just a different type of mystery. Guess the dead do talk.
ARC from Netgalley.
December 15, 2015
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
DNF'ed at 20%
I just can't get into this book. I guess a few sentences are plain weird to say the least. Things seem to happen out of nowhere and I have no clue where the hell this book is headed.
I've previously read The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson and absolutely loved it. So, I was expecting a lot from this one as well, but sadly, after a few pages, only everything went south.
I like the author's writing style but for this book what didn't work for me was the characterization and the desperate need to bring out the characters' love for books. It felt quite forced to me.
Hopefully, the other books will be better than this one, cause I really liked TCG, and want to read more books like it.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud .
DNF'ed at 20%
I just can't get into this book. I guess a few sentences are plain weird to say the least. Things seem to happen out of nowhere and I have no clue where the hell this book is headed.
I've previously read The Child Garden by Catriona McPherson and absolutely loved it. So, I was expecting a lot from this one as well, but sadly, after a few pages, only everything went south.
I like the author's writing style but for this book what didn't work for me was the characterization and the desperate need to bring out the characters' love for books. It felt quite forced to me.
Hopefully, the other books will be better than this one, cause I really liked TCG, and want to read more books like it.
You can also read this review at The Reading Bud .
December 28, 2022
This review can also be found at https://carolesrandomlife.com/
This was good. I have had this book on my tbr for years but for one reason or another, I just never got around to it until now. It took me a minute to really get into the book but once I did, I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened. This book was jam-packed with mysteries and every one of them captured my attention completely.
In this book, you start out not knowing a whole lot about what is going on with any of the characters. With each piece of information presented, I quickly realized just how much I had to learn. Jude needs to get away from everything and ends up in a quaint little bookshop run by Lowell that needs some work and Jude is just the person for the job. I liked all of the characters in this book and couldn’t wait to learn their story. In this small little town, everyone seems to know everybody but everyone also seems to be keeping a lot of secrets. The book took a lot of twists and turns, some I guessed, while others came as a complete shock.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that it was a well-done mystery with a quirky and likable cast of characters. I would not hesitate to read more of Catriona McPherson’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Midnight Ink.
This was good. I have had this book on my tbr for years but for one reason or another, I just never got around to it until now. It took me a minute to really get into the book but once I did, I couldn’t wait to find out what really happened. This book was jam-packed with mysteries and every one of them captured my attention completely.
In this book, you start out not knowing a whole lot about what is going on with any of the characters. With each piece of information presented, I quickly realized just how much I had to learn. Jude needs to get away from everything and ends up in a quaint little bookshop run by Lowell that needs some work and Jude is just the person for the job. I liked all of the characters in this book and couldn’t wait to learn their story. In this small little town, everyone seems to know everybody but everyone also seems to be keeping a lot of secrets. The book took a lot of twists and turns, some I guessed, while others came as a complete shock.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. I thought that it was a well-done mystery with a quirky and likable cast of characters. I would not hesitate to read more of Catriona McPherson’s work in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Midnight Ink.
November 12, 2020
If ever there was a mystery penned for bibliophiles, this one has to be it! With myriad book references, and the atmospheric settings of a) a house built next to a graveyard, and, b) an unorganized used bookshop - it is a book-loving mystery lover's idea of a wonderful read.
We meet Jude when she is travelling from London to Wigtown, Galloway. She is running away from her life. When she arrives (with only the clothes on her back), she goes to Lowland Glen, the bookshop she remembers from an earlier holiday visit with her husband, Max. The shop's owner is Lowell Glen, an unkempt man in his early sixties. He is a 'bibliophile' through and through. He says that his favorite sound is the 'gasp' a book lover makes when they sight a treasure. He describes book collecting as a 'gentle delight' and 'years of small adventures'. Jude too is afflicted with bibliophilia. She thought travelling bookless was a kind of purgatory. In her former life she was a librarian cataloger. Her love of order is appalled at the disarray of the bookshop, but part of her is enamored by its vellichor.
When Lowell enlists her aid to enter his eighty thousand or so books into a computer database, she accepts with alacrity. He is a refuge. He invites her to stay at his house, where once again she is appalled by its muck, murk, and disorder.
The reader is uncertain just what it is that Jude is running away from ; but it is something bad enough that she doesn't reveal her surname to anyone in Wigtown and she destroys her cellphone when she arrives so as not to be traceable... We learn she was married, has no children, and that her parents have just died.
When Lowell is tracked down by a daughter he didn't know about, another woman moves in to Lowell's life and his house. Heavily pregnant and only a teenager, Eddy seems to be hiding something. Jude is suspicious of her motives and fears that Lowell is being taken for a mug. Jude moves out of the house when Lowell offers her Kirk Cottage (which he had inherited but never used). Jude thinks of this cottage next to the graveyard as a sanctuary from the world. She was not frightened to be there alone as the dead won't hurt you, only the living have the capacity to do that...
Jude is delighted by the cottage and is interested to learn that many of the former owner's books are now at Lowland Glen. She discovers handwritten notes within his books that suggest a mystery - which she pursues to her peril.
Although the cover is splendid and goes along with the story - a cottage bordering a graveyard - I don't think it conveys the correct mood. It seems to suggest a book of horror or the supernatural and that is simply not the case.
This is a novel of past crimes, family secrets, the love of books, love, loss, and the appeal of 'starting over'.
Part of the reason I enjoyed this novel was no doubt due to the fact that I have only very recently retired from my job as a library cataloger. That being said, it is an entertaining and atmospheric mystery story that is fun to read.
Sincere thanks to Midnight Ink via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel.
This review was first published on my blog https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2...
We meet Jude when she is travelling from London to Wigtown, Galloway. She is running away from her life. When she arrives (with only the clothes on her back), she goes to Lowland Glen, the bookshop she remembers from an earlier holiday visit with her husband, Max. The shop's owner is Lowell Glen, an unkempt man in his early sixties. He is a 'bibliophile' through and through. He says that his favorite sound is the 'gasp' a book lover makes when they sight a treasure. He describes book collecting as a 'gentle delight' and 'years of small adventures'. Jude too is afflicted with bibliophilia. She thought travelling bookless was a kind of purgatory. In her former life she was a librarian cataloger. Her love of order is appalled at the disarray of the bookshop, but part of her is enamored by its vellichor.
When Lowell enlists her aid to enter his eighty thousand or so books into a computer database, she accepts with alacrity. He is a refuge. He invites her to stay at his house, where once again she is appalled by its muck, murk, and disorder.
The reader is uncertain just what it is that Jude is running away from ; but it is something bad enough that she doesn't reveal her surname to anyone in Wigtown and she destroys her cellphone when she arrives so as not to be traceable... We learn she was married, has no children, and that her parents have just died.
When Lowell is tracked down by a daughter he didn't know about, another woman moves in to Lowell's life and his house. Heavily pregnant and only a teenager, Eddy seems to be hiding something. Jude is suspicious of her motives and fears that Lowell is being taken for a mug. Jude moves out of the house when Lowell offers her Kirk Cottage (which he had inherited but never used). Jude thinks of this cottage next to the graveyard as a sanctuary from the world. She was not frightened to be there alone as the dead won't hurt you, only the living have the capacity to do that...
Jude is delighted by the cottage and is interested to learn that many of the former owner's books are now at Lowland Glen. She discovers handwritten notes within his books that suggest a mystery - which she pursues to her peril.
Although the cover is splendid and goes along with the story - a cottage bordering a graveyard - I don't think it conveys the correct mood. It seems to suggest a book of horror or the supernatural and that is simply not the case.
This is a novel of past crimes, family secrets, the love of books, love, loss, and the appeal of 'starting over'.
Part of the reason I enjoyed this novel was no doubt due to the fact that I have only very recently retired from my job as a library cataloger. That being said, it is an entertaining and atmospheric mystery story that is fun to read.
Sincere thanks to Midnight Ink via NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this novel.
This review was first published on my blog https://fictionophile.wordpress.com/2...
April 10, 2016
When I first stumbled upon Catriona McPherson’s new novel „Quiet Neighbors“ there were three things that immediately drew my interest and made me want to read it almost right away: 1) The setting of a story is an old bookstore full of hidden treasures and only thinking about high shelves crowded with books and imagining the smell of old pages already made me want to dive into the book and get lost in the shop, 2) it’s categorized as „suspense“ and the author is known for writing psychological thrillers, so I was intrigued by the prospect of getting to solve a mystery that is somehow connected to the bookstore, and 3) the book cover looked pretty dark with an old cottage standing next to a graveyard under angry clouds and made me hope for a twisted story with a dark and maybe even creepy atmosphere. So for those reasons I had quite high hopes for „Quiet neighbors“, but unfortunately Catriona McPherson’s novel was never able to live up to my expectations.
Imagine a bookstore full of books that don’t interest you…
Let’s start with the setting because this part was still the best about the book in my opinion, since Lowland Glen Books turned out to be almost exactly as I had imagined it with chaotic piles of books that reached floor-to-ceiling and narrow bookshelves that make you feel as if you’re in a booklover’s paradise but also have you a little bit afraid that the stacks might fall down every moment and bury you under tons of old books – though that’s definitely not the worst death I can imagine… Unfortunately I never really got to feel the full charm of this old and chaotic bookstore because almost all the books and authors that have been mentioned in the novel have been completely unknown to me which I guess is mostly to blame on my sketchy knowledge of classical or sophisticated English fiction but on the other hand I’m also not completely uneducated when it comes to English literature and still maybe recognized only one or two names among the many mentioned titles in the story, so a big part of the bookshop’s magic was just lost on me. There were so many situations where Jude and Lowell, the two main characters in this story, were super excited when they found a special treasure among the piles of old books or happily shared their passion for some authors or classics and I was never able to tell if those were fictional and made up by Catriona McPherson or novels that actually exist. So imagine you’re in a house full of books and you don’t know a single title or author but everybody else but you is completely freaking out about them – wouldn’t you feel a bit lost, too?
An almost non-existent plot with flat characters
An even bigger disappointment was the mystery because for at least two thirds of this story I couldn’t even find one, at least none that could awaken my interest. For most of the time the biggest secret seemed to be why Jude so hastily left London and what she’s hiding from in this small Scottish village but the author barely even mentioned her past for the longest time so that she didn’t manage to build up any suspense for me. Therefore I found at least the first half of the book extremely dragging because nothing really happened and I also couldn’t really relate to the characters so that I almost completely lost interest in Jude’s story. I had hoped that Lowell as the weird and chaotic bookseller might be more interesting but he turned out to be even more boring since all he did was shouting „dear me“ over and over again and no matter what happened he was always okay with it so that it seemed as if he didn’t even have an opinion on his own. The only character that wasn’t completely flat was Lowell’s daughter Eddy who at least managed to make me laugh once or twice with her blunt behavior towards the nosy townsfolk.
When the biggest mystery is how to make sense of the sentences…
But what I struggled the most with was Catriona McPherson’s writing style which I can only describe as weird. I admit that I’m not a native English speaker so maybe part of the blame might be on me but I’ve already read hundreds of English books in my life but never struggled so much with the language as with this one. I often felt as if I was reading not only an Advanced Reader Copy but rather a completely uncorrected first draft because a lot of sentences didn’t even make sense to me and I often had the impression that the second part of a sentence didn’t know what the first half was about. There were so many leaps that seemed to come out of nowhere – sometimes even mid-sentence – that I was having quite a hard time understanding the story and often had to read sentences several times to make sense of them which was absolutely exhausting. I’ve never had an experience like this with a book before and it felt really weird and definitely didn’t help me enjoying this novel.
A weird story that almost completely lacked any suspense
I have the habit of not DNFing books that I’ve started reading but I was often very close to laying this book aside and give up and if „Quiet Neighbors“ hadn’t been an ARC I probably would have done so. Nonetheless I have to admit that the last 20% of the story then surprisingly turned out to be better than expected because there finally was a mystery – which seemed pretty far-fetched and in some parts even a bit ridiculous but at least something actually happened. However these last chapters couldn’t change my opinion about this book anymore and I’m almost a bit sad that I didn’t like „Quiet Neighbors“ because the premise had sounded quite promising.
Imagine a bookstore full of books that don’t interest you…
Let’s start with the setting because this part was still the best about the book in my opinion, since Lowland Glen Books turned out to be almost exactly as I had imagined it with chaotic piles of books that reached floor-to-ceiling and narrow bookshelves that make you feel as if you’re in a booklover’s paradise but also have you a little bit afraid that the stacks might fall down every moment and bury you under tons of old books – though that’s definitely not the worst death I can imagine… Unfortunately I never really got to feel the full charm of this old and chaotic bookstore because almost all the books and authors that have been mentioned in the novel have been completely unknown to me which I guess is mostly to blame on my sketchy knowledge of classical or sophisticated English fiction but on the other hand I’m also not completely uneducated when it comes to English literature and still maybe recognized only one or two names among the many mentioned titles in the story, so a big part of the bookshop’s magic was just lost on me. There were so many situations where Jude and Lowell, the two main characters in this story, were super excited when they found a special treasure among the piles of old books or happily shared their passion for some authors or classics and I was never able to tell if those were fictional and made up by Catriona McPherson or novels that actually exist. So imagine you’re in a house full of books and you don’t know a single title or author but everybody else but you is completely freaking out about them – wouldn’t you feel a bit lost, too?
An almost non-existent plot with flat characters
An even bigger disappointment was the mystery because for at least two thirds of this story I couldn’t even find one, at least none that could awaken my interest. For most of the time the biggest secret seemed to be why Jude so hastily left London and what she’s hiding from in this small Scottish village but the author barely even mentioned her past for the longest time so that she didn’t manage to build up any suspense for me. Therefore I found at least the first half of the book extremely dragging because nothing really happened and I also couldn’t really relate to the characters so that I almost completely lost interest in Jude’s story. I had hoped that Lowell as the weird and chaotic bookseller might be more interesting but he turned out to be even more boring since all he did was shouting „dear me“ over and over again and no matter what happened he was always okay with it so that it seemed as if he didn’t even have an opinion on his own. The only character that wasn’t completely flat was Lowell’s daughter Eddy who at least managed to make me laugh once or twice with her blunt behavior towards the nosy townsfolk.
When the biggest mystery is how to make sense of the sentences…
But what I struggled the most with was Catriona McPherson’s writing style which I can only describe as weird. I admit that I’m not a native English speaker so maybe part of the blame might be on me but I’ve already read hundreds of English books in my life but never struggled so much with the language as with this one. I often felt as if I was reading not only an Advanced Reader Copy but rather a completely uncorrected first draft because a lot of sentences didn’t even make sense to me and I often had the impression that the second part of a sentence didn’t know what the first half was about. There were so many leaps that seemed to come out of nowhere – sometimes even mid-sentence – that I was having quite a hard time understanding the story and often had to read sentences several times to make sense of them which was absolutely exhausting. I’ve never had an experience like this with a book before and it felt really weird and definitely didn’t help me enjoying this novel.
A weird story that almost completely lacked any suspense
I have the habit of not DNFing books that I’ve started reading but I was often very close to laying this book aside and give up and if „Quiet Neighbors“ hadn’t been an ARC I probably would have done so. Nonetheless I have to admit that the last 20% of the story then surprisingly turned out to be better than expected because there finally was a mystery – which seemed pretty far-fetched and in some parts even a bit ridiculous but at least something actually happened. However these last chapters couldn’t change my opinion about this book anymore and I’m almost a bit sad that I didn’t like „Quiet Neighbors“ because the premise had sounded quite promising.
May 4, 2016
First Sentence: It was the last thing on her mind when she fled across London.
Escaping from her life, Jude returns to a small village she’d visited before. As a cataloguer, she is drawn to the bookshop there and the kind owner who takes her under his wing, giving her refuge and a job. Their partnership grows, as does the household, and Jude moves to the gravedigger’s cottage where the neighbors are quiet and the books have their own stories to tell. But even the residents of the graves are beyond writing threatening notes.
Ah, the description of a booklover’s dream—“Books. Wavering, tottering piles of books. Brick-stacked towers of books. Woven dykes and leaning sires and threatening landslides of books.” And, as we’re talking about books, one has to love an author who entices the reader to look up unfamiliar words. Plus, who amongst us hasn’t thought of running away from it all at times—“Suddenly she was living in a Anne Tyler novel. A world where you can set down one life, walk away, and pick up another.” McPherson paints a picture whereby that seems a perfectly logical action for Jude.
The story has an absolutely delightfully enigmatic plot. One really has no idea where the path is going, but neither is one remotely likely to step off it. There are wonderful small literary and film references sprinkled throughout—“Do whistle if you come across anything called ‘Love's Labour’s Won,’ won’t you?”
There is such an interesting group of characters—unreliable voices, all—but each delightful and appealing in their own way. There are three generations of characters; Lowell, the older bookshop owner; Jude, and young Eddy in her 20s. Not only does that add interest and layers to the plot, but to the dialogue—“We shall leave you in peace to continue your…” Lowell stopped talking and stared at her.” What did you say when I arrived? “he asked. “Communing with the spirits of the dead?” “Interleaved ephemera,” Jude began. The were words to make ninety-nine out of a hundred listeners glaze over—Eddy snorted like a hog with hay fever—but Lowell was the hundredth, and his eyes lit up.” One can’t but help to come to love Eddy. Some of her expressions can make one laugh in the midst of a tense moment.
There is a lovely build up of something mysterious, and a well done revelation. However, a couple of completely unnecessary and annoying portents completely drop one out of the story and also dropped down my rating. Does the author really not trust that since we’ve read this far, we’ll continue to the end?
In the end, “Quiet Neighbors” leaves us with all the questions answered, all the mysteries solved, and at peace with this lovely group and small Scottish village. For what more could one wish?
QUIET NEIGHBORS (Myst-Jude-Scotland-Contemp) – VG
McPherson, Catriona – Standalone
Midnight Ink, 2016
Escaping from her life, Jude returns to a small village she’d visited before. As a cataloguer, she is drawn to the bookshop there and the kind owner who takes her under his wing, giving her refuge and a job. Their partnership grows, as does the household, and Jude moves to the gravedigger’s cottage where the neighbors are quiet and the books have their own stories to tell. But even the residents of the graves are beyond writing threatening notes.
Ah, the description of a booklover’s dream—“Books. Wavering, tottering piles of books. Brick-stacked towers of books. Woven dykes and leaning sires and threatening landslides of books.” And, as we’re talking about books, one has to love an author who entices the reader to look up unfamiliar words. Plus, who amongst us hasn’t thought of running away from it all at times—“Suddenly she was living in a Anne Tyler novel. A world where you can set down one life, walk away, and pick up another.” McPherson paints a picture whereby that seems a perfectly logical action for Jude.
The story has an absolutely delightfully enigmatic plot. One really has no idea where the path is going, but neither is one remotely likely to step off it. There are wonderful small literary and film references sprinkled throughout—“Do whistle if you come across anything called ‘Love's Labour’s Won,’ won’t you?”
There is such an interesting group of characters—unreliable voices, all—but each delightful and appealing in their own way. There are three generations of characters; Lowell, the older bookshop owner; Jude, and young Eddy in her 20s. Not only does that add interest and layers to the plot, but to the dialogue—“We shall leave you in peace to continue your…” Lowell stopped talking and stared at her.” What did you say when I arrived? “he asked. “Communing with the spirits of the dead?” “Interleaved ephemera,” Jude began. The were words to make ninety-nine out of a hundred listeners glaze over—Eddy snorted like a hog with hay fever—but Lowell was the hundredth, and his eyes lit up.” One can’t but help to come to love Eddy. Some of her expressions can make one laugh in the midst of a tense moment.
There is a lovely build up of something mysterious, and a well done revelation. However, a couple of completely unnecessary and annoying portents completely drop one out of the story and also dropped down my rating. Does the author really not trust that since we’ve read this far, we’ll continue to the end?
In the end, “Quiet Neighbors” leaves us with all the questions answered, all the mysteries solved, and at peace with this lovely group and small Scottish village. For what more could one wish?
QUIET NEIGHBORS (Myst-Jude-Scotland-Contemp) – VG
McPherson, Catriona – Standalone
Midnight Ink, 2016
January 19, 2019
This enjoyable novel and intricate mystery has many quaint and charming touches. The idyllic seaside setting in Scotland and the abandonment of cellphones hearken back to a simpler era. The antiquated bookshop, the charming cottages by the sea offer a perfect escape for ex-librarian Jude, who has a few secrets she is hiding from back in the U.S.
The story involves a growing, entertaining array of amusing characters of all ages. A mystery presents itself in the form of a warning to tourist Jude who is becoming too fond of the cozy village. It comes to light that an unknown villager has deadly secrets from the past to be guarded, all the while Jude keeps her present day secrets hidden.
A charming, enjoyable read!
The story involves a growing, entertaining array of amusing characters of all ages. A mystery presents itself in the form of a warning to tourist Jude who is becoming too fond of the cozy village. It comes to light that an unknown villager has deadly secrets from the past to be guarded, all the while Jude keeps her present day secrets hidden.
A charming, enjoyable read!
August 14, 2016
This cozy had some well defined characters, but it also, IMHO, had pacing that was off. The first half was such that you really had no idea where this was supposed to head. So much physical and book information and the mixture of that for the context with plot or core motives was nearly invisible.
It's ultimately a decent tale and has a solid location sense. Which made me up round it up. Because the disjointing directions for focus of the first half, plus the repetitive phrases in writing style equaled a true 2.5 star, for me.
I truly loved her "Child Garden" and expected that level. This one didn't reach. But I'll try others of hers.
It's ultimately a decent tale and has a solid location sense. Which made me up round it up. Because the disjointing directions for focus of the first half, plus the repetitive phrases in writing style equaled a true 2.5 star, for me.
I truly loved her "Child Garden" and expected that level. This one didn't reach. But I'll try others of hers.
August 2, 2016
It was ok...confusing at times, but I liked the characters. My biggest complaint was how misleading the title, cover and blurb were. I expected it to be a bit darker with a touch of horror/supernatural, which is why I picked it up. Turned out to be a simple, weak mystery.
April 25, 2016
With Catriona McPherson's stand-alone books, I have come to expect certain staples. Uniquely odd characters, plots beyond my imagination, intriguing titles, covers that demand I open the book, and an edge of darkness that threatens to consume a character. I'm delighted to announce that Quiet Neighbors ticks all these boxes, and as if to reward her loyal readers, McPherson has given us the gift of an old bookstore as a setting. Each stand-alone that I've read of Catriona's, I wonder at how she comes up with these ideas and characters for stories, as they seem beyond the reach of normal scenarios and personalities. And, I am always thankful that this author's mind is so expansive and keeps producing these unusual tales that take the reader into the darkness one unexpected step at a time.
Quiet Neighbors features Jude, a librarian in her 40s, who upon fleeing a crumbling life in London, arrives in the small Scottish village of Wigtown and on the doorstep of a formerly visited secondhand bookshop called Lowland Glen. She is in the middle of her life, the middle of nowhere, and the middle of a crisis, but hiding out is her life's goal at this point, and Wigtown seems a good place to achieve that. Lowell, the kindly older owner of the bookshop, who has his own share of secrets, takes Jude on as an assistant and even gives her a place to stay at his aging mansion and eventually the use of a former graveyard caretaker's cottage.
The tasks of organizing the bookshop's inventory and chaos and making the shop more user friendly allow Jude to escape from her troubled world into a new one. But no world is without its own troubles, and even a small village has people with whom interaction is necessary and hiding from the world can be problematic. Then, along comes another wandering soul in the form of the very pregnant young girl named Eddy with ties to Lowell, family ties that will produce more mystery and further complication to Jude's life of desired solitude. Eddy, Lowell, and Jude form a curious trio, each in denial about their past and each needing answers to have a future with any semblance of happiness. Jude discovers that some of these answers, perhaps the key to unlock a lifetime of mystery in the village is a dead man's scribblings in a set of old book club books donated to the bookshop. That dead man happens to be the very person in whose cottage Jude is residing, and not everyone wants the dead man's revelations about secrets revealed. Jude finds herself in danger, for her life or for discovery of who she really is, in her newfound haven. It seems that a day or reckoning is coming for all. The question remains is what confrontations with the past will cost. Will the results be lives destroyed or lives saved?
Quiet Neighbors features Jude, a librarian in her 40s, who upon fleeing a crumbling life in London, arrives in the small Scottish village of Wigtown and on the doorstep of a formerly visited secondhand bookshop called Lowland Glen. She is in the middle of her life, the middle of nowhere, and the middle of a crisis, but hiding out is her life's goal at this point, and Wigtown seems a good place to achieve that. Lowell, the kindly older owner of the bookshop, who has his own share of secrets, takes Jude on as an assistant and even gives her a place to stay at his aging mansion and eventually the use of a former graveyard caretaker's cottage.
The tasks of organizing the bookshop's inventory and chaos and making the shop more user friendly allow Jude to escape from her troubled world into a new one. But no world is without its own troubles, and even a small village has people with whom interaction is necessary and hiding from the world can be problematic. Then, along comes another wandering soul in the form of the very pregnant young girl named Eddy with ties to Lowell, family ties that will produce more mystery and further complication to Jude's life of desired solitude. Eddy, Lowell, and Jude form a curious trio, each in denial about their past and each needing answers to have a future with any semblance of happiness. Jude discovers that some of these answers, perhaps the key to unlock a lifetime of mystery in the village is a dead man's scribblings in a set of old book club books donated to the bookshop. That dead man happens to be the very person in whose cottage Jude is residing, and not everyone wants the dead man's revelations about secrets revealed. Jude finds herself in danger, for her life or for discovery of who she really is, in her newfound haven. It seems that a day or reckoning is coming for all. The question remains is what confrontations with the past will cost. Will the results be lives destroyed or lives saved?
August 6, 2016
This is the first book I have read by this author and I hope it will not be my last. For all who love bookstores,reading, mysteries and Scotland, this is the book for you. It took a while to build up to the mystery ( really several mysteries) and I did not figure it out until near the end of the book. I could just picture Lowell's used book store that Jude described as The Leaky Cauldron, when asked where she had been on a vacation trip shopping day. So when Jude's life falls apart she jumps on a train to Scotland and finds herself at Lowland Glen bookstore once more. I thought this was a charming book from start to finish and I found a few obscure titles that I hope to run down.(The Setons by O.Douglas. is one.)
April 6, 2020
As much as I love Catriona's Dandy Gilver historical mystery series, I love her standalone contemporary suspense novels even more. Quiet Neighbors is creepy and delicious and funny and charming, all in one.
December 7, 2015
Very cute! I've been to Wigtown several times, so it's nice to see it fictionalised.
April 1, 2016
As a book lover, the idea of starting over somewhere and working in an overcrowded bookstore in a picturesque little town, surrounded by towers of books, appealed to me immediately, though I’d probably be fired on the first day because all I’d want to do is read.
The reader knows Jude is running from something, but the reason isn’t revealed until about halfway through the book. I honestly didn’t care for her at first, as she seemed very self-absorbed and selfish, but warmed up to her after a bit. Lowell is amusing, charming, and a perfect gentleman. The author did a wonderful job at demonstrating the good and bad of eccentric, small towns - neighbors care for each other, but everyone knows everyone else's business.
While I'm glad I stuck around for the unexpected twists and satisfying ending, the pacing of this novel nearly drove me to abandon it. Yes, Jude has a mysterious background, but a large portion of the first half of the book is more focused on her living arrangements and the extremely detailed organization of the bookstore, aspects that didn't really advance the plot in any way, and the slow trickle of information left me frustrated more than anything. I generally prefer a faster pace in my reading, so that may not be an issue for other readers.
If you're a fan of more leisurely paced, cozy mysteries with a surprising turn of events, this is your book.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
The reader knows Jude is running from something, but the reason isn’t revealed until about halfway through the book. I honestly didn’t care for her at first, as she seemed very self-absorbed and selfish, but warmed up to her after a bit. Lowell is amusing, charming, and a perfect gentleman. The author did a wonderful job at demonstrating the good and bad of eccentric, small towns - neighbors care for each other, but everyone knows everyone else's business.
While I'm glad I stuck around for the unexpected twists and satisfying ending, the pacing of this novel nearly drove me to abandon it. Yes, Jude has a mysterious background, but a large portion of the first half of the book is more focused on her living arrangements and the extremely detailed organization of the bookstore, aspects that didn't really advance the plot in any way, and the slow trickle of information left me frustrated more than anything. I generally prefer a faster pace in my reading, so that may not be an issue for other readers.
If you're a fan of more leisurely paced, cozy mysteries with a surprising turn of events, this is your book.
This review is based on a digital ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.
November 27, 2017
I started and stopped this book so many times. Every time a new library hold came in I would set it aside. Not a bad book it just didn't hold my attention. Kept thinking 'ENOUGH ALREADY! Why did you run away from London?' Finally finished just to get it off list.
June 15, 2016
This is my favorite book I've read this year thus far. It's dark and twisty and quaint and clever.
January 21, 2025
3.5 stars for a cute mystery. This was a decent read. It was cute and quirky with a touch of mystery. I enjoyed the characters and the mystery, but I'm just not happy with the ending. I'm glad I read it but I don't think I will be reading it again.
July 17, 2016
3.5 stars out of 4
http://lynns-books.com/2016/04/02/qui...
Quiet Neighbours is one of my March books that I’m only just reviewing. I actually quite enjoyed this although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I would say this was something of a mystery story, it has a sort of twee feel to it – and I don’t mean to be negative by saying that – well, just read the review! I think picking this up I thought it might have had a bit of a supernatural element or been a dark and creepy read – if you’re looking at the cover and thinking the same and don’t fancy dark and creepy then fear not. This could be right up your street. As it was this felt like one of those books that you can pick up and spend a few hours whiling away the time. Entertaining and easy to read.
Jude first visited the village of Wigtown with her husband on vacation and when she found herself in need of a place to run and hide it was the first place she thought of. Far removed from the busy streets of London Wigtown is a tiny village with a few quaint shops, one of which is a dusty old book store run by a disorganised and rather eccentric chap called Lowell. Wigtown is one of those tiny places that you could almost blink and miss. Charming, remote and with more than it’s share of curtain twitchers. It also seems to have something of a history – one that’s about to be uncovered in the most unlikely fashion and more secrets than you can shake a stick hat. Unfortunately there are still those living in Wigtown who want those secrets to remain as such and digging them up could be dangerous to the health of the diggers!
At the start of the story we don’t know what Jude is running from but slowly and surely McPherson begins to drop clues. Then, on top of this another unlikely character enters the scene and before we know it the once lonely book store owner finds himself with a much busier house.
So, to the twee – well, a woman runs away from London, we don’t know why, she could be a raving maniac with a hatchet hidden in her handbag and yet 5 minutes and a bucketload of tears after arriving in Wigtown she has a job, a home and a fistful of money. Then another stray appears on the scene with an unlikely story and is also taken under the fluffy wing of Lowell. Yeah, things work out very easy but then if these pieces hadn’t dropped into place this would be a different story and I sort of decided to just go with it – after all, Lowell is lonely and does need help at his shop. Suspend your nitpicking and just dive in!
What I liked about this. It has that feeling of a book where you can just sink in and happily read along as the story unfolds. You pretty much know that things will all come together and you’ll be granted some semblance of a happy ending even if you can’t quite figure out how as all the strands become more and more tangled. It has this lovely old comedy of errors, farce-like mystery feel. Everyone jumping at clues and coming up with more and more weird suppositions and on top of that set in a bookstore with random quotes and snippets from books that add to the charm. I wanted to step into that shop, I really did! I was itching to find that perfect find.
Criticisms. The way everything just comes together – part of what makes the book enjoyable and easy to read but also sometimes slightly irritating too! There is the development of a romance thread which I really didn’t think was necessary and in fact I couldn’t see it at all. Amongst all the other tomfoolery that element just didn’t work for me. Lowell was written as a bit of a doddery character. The sort of character who searches the house for his reading specs which are perched on top of his head all the while, or walks around in a smelly robe that hasn’t been washed since it saw the light of day. And dear me – if he actually uttered the words ‘dear me’ one more time – I was going to open up a can, dear me, yes I really was! One more dear me, just one – and I would have actually punched Lowell in the face! And I don’t have violent tendencies usually. Dear me no.
But, fairly minor criticisms to be honest. And, to be clear, I didn’t dislike Lowell (dear me, how could I – I jest, I couldn’t help it, this ‘dear me’ing’ is actually quite addictive once you start!) No, I liked the characters, they’re nice people after all!
This is a fun and entertaining mystery, not spooky or dark at all, that can be enjoyed in a couple of days snuggled up in an armchair all cosy like.
If that appeals to you then give it a go. I had fun reading and in fact even had fun writing this review. Not the type of book that I read predominantly so if you’re expecting any fantasy elements then walk away now. There isn’t a ghost in sight! No bumps in the night, no apparitions and a downright unforgivable shortage of dragons and elves.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
http://lynns-books.com/2016/04/02/qui...
Quiet Neighbours is one of my March books that I’m only just reviewing. I actually quite enjoyed this although it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. I would say this was something of a mystery story, it has a sort of twee feel to it – and I don’t mean to be negative by saying that – well, just read the review! I think picking this up I thought it might have had a bit of a supernatural element or been a dark and creepy read – if you’re looking at the cover and thinking the same and don’t fancy dark and creepy then fear not. This could be right up your street. As it was this felt like one of those books that you can pick up and spend a few hours whiling away the time. Entertaining and easy to read.
Jude first visited the village of Wigtown with her husband on vacation and when she found herself in need of a place to run and hide it was the first place she thought of. Far removed from the busy streets of London Wigtown is a tiny village with a few quaint shops, one of which is a dusty old book store run by a disorganised and rather eccentric chap called Lowell. Wigtown is one of those tiny places that you could almost blink and miss. Charming, remote and with more than it’s share of curtain twitchers. It also seems to have something of a history – one that’s about to be uncovered in the most unlikely fashion and more secrets than you can shake a stick hat. Unfortunately there are still those living in Wigtown who want those secrets to remain as such and digging them up could be dangerous to the health of the diggers!
At the start of the story we don’t know what Jude is running from but slowly and surely McPherson begins to drop clues. Then, on top of this another unlikely character enters the scene and before we know it the once lonely book store owner finds himself with a much busier house.
So, to the twee – well, a woman runs away from London, we don’t know why, she could be a raving maniac with a hatchet hidden in her handbag and yet 5 minutes and a bucketload of tears after arriving in Wigtown she has a job, a home and a fistful of money. Then another stray appears on the scene with an unlikely story and is also taken under the fluffy wing of Lowell. Yeah, things work out very easy but then if these pieces hadn’t dropped into place this would be a different story and I sort of decided to just go with it – after all, Lowell is lonely and does need help at his shop. Suspend your nitpicking and just dive in!
What I liked about this. It has that feeling of a book where you can just sink in and happily read along as the story unfolds. You pretty much know that things will all come together and you’ll be granted some semblance of a happy ending even if you can’t quite figure out how as all the strands become more and more tangled. It has this lovely old comedy of errors, farce-like mystery feel. Everyone jumping at clues and coming up with more and more weird suppositions and on top of that set in a bookstore with random quotes and snippets from books that add to the charm. I wanted to step into that shop, I really did! I was itching to find that perfect find.
Criticisms. The way everything just comes together – part of what makes the book enjoyable and easy to read but also sometimes slightly irritating too! There is the development of a romance thread which I really didn’t think was necessary and in fact I couldn’t see it at all. Amongst all the other tomfoolery that element just didn’t work for me. Lowell was written as a bit of a doddery character. The sort of character who searches the house for his reading specs which are perched on top of his head all the while, or walks around in a smelly robe that hasn’t been washed since it saw the light of day. And dear me – if he actually uttered the words ‘dear me’ one more time – I was going to open up a can, dear me, yes I really was! One more dear me, just one – and I would have actually punched Lowell in the face! And I don’t have violent tendencies usually. Dear me no.
But, fairly minor criticisms to be honest. And, to be clear, I didn’t dislike Lowell (dear me, how could I – I jest, I couldn’t help it, this ‘dear me’ing’ is actually quite addictive once you start!) No, I liked the characters, they’re nice people after all!
This is a fun and entertaining mystery, not spooky or dark at all, that can be enjoyed in a couple of days snuggled up in an armchair all cosy like.
If that appeals to you then give it a go. I had fun reading and in fact even had fun writing this review. Not the type of book that I read predominantly so if you’re expecting any fantasy elements then walk away now. There isn’t a ghost in sight! No bumps in the night, no apparitions and a downright unforgivable shortage of dragons and elves.
I received a copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
June 7, 2022
This is a much better book than the first in the series. It kept my attention and was interesting. The story was good and easy to follow.
to-read-own
March 4, 20173/4/17 $1.99 for Kindle.
December 28, 2015
The first few pages got me hooked, and I couldn't put the book down. When June flees from her life and a secret in London, she finds rescue and a friendly face in a small bookshop. Soon, she's in over her head sorting out the mess of books filling up the store, an easy task for a professional librarian. But while doing so, she stumbles about several volumes carrying diary-like notes in them. When she moves to a little cottage which she soon learns belonged to the man who owned those books, she starts investigating what mystery he kept hidden in his cryptic entries. When a young pregnant woman shows up in the shop some day, claiming to be Lowell's (the store owner) daughter, things become even more complicated.
I loved the beginning - the description of the messy bookshop, June's and Lowell's shared passion for books - it was the perfect setting for a great story to unfold. When Eddy showed up, the story took a turn and suddenly, there were three mysteries to solve - what happened to June in London, what is Eddy's story and what happened in the past to make the town people so nervous?
While I doubted Eddy's true motives for a long while (just as June did) and found her character less intriguing than June or Lowell, at the end everything made sense, and the solution was not one I would have guessed too easily. This unexpected, wonderfully twisted and almost, but not too cozy mystery taking place in and around a bookshop made a perfect read.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
I loved the beginning - the description of the messy bookshop, June's and Lowell's shared passion for books - it was the perfect setting for a great story to unfold. When Eddy showed up, the story took a turn and suddenly, there were three mysteries to solve - what happened to June in London, what is Eddy's story and what happened in the past to make the town people so nervous?
While I doubted Eddy's true motives for a long while (just as June did) and found her character less intriguing than June or Lowell, at the end everything made sense, and the solution was not one I would have guessed too easily. This unexpected, wonderfully twisted and almost, but not too cozy mystery taking place in and around a bookshop made a perfect read.
(I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review)
June 10, 2022
This book is about a woman who, for a reason which is not revealed for quite some time, flees after the death of her parents in a freak accident. She ends up in a used bookstore in Wigtown, Scotland, along a host of other quirky characters. She finds herself teaming up with them to try and solve a mystery that had taken place there decades ago.
What I liked: The bookish talk (LOTS of it & it made my heart happy). Some of the characters, especially sweet Lowell!! The feel of Wigtown (it's a place I want to visit in real life someday). All of the Harry Potter references !! In the back of the edition I read, there was a glossary of words used in the U.K. for us U.S. readers, so that was a fun touch!
What I didn't like: I can't quite put my finger on why this just didn't do it for me, there was just something off. The main character was in her 40's and I thought I was reading about a 20-something, she was very immature. I also don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that I don't like when justice isn't served. There was an element of that here that I did not appreciate it! Other instances of this phenomenon occur in books such as Rebecca & Where the Crawdads Sing.
What I liked: The bookish talk (LOTS of it & it made my heart happy). Some of the characters, especially sweet Lowell!! The feel of Wigtown (it's a place I want to visit in real life someday). All of the Harry Potter references !! In the back of the edition I read, there was a glossary of words used in the U.K. for us U.S. readers, so that was a fun touch!
What I didn't like: I can't quite put my finger on why this just didn't do it for me, there was just something off. The main character was in her 40's and I thought I was reading about a 20-something, she was very immature. I also don't want to spoil anything, but let's just say that I don't like when justice isn't served. There was an element of that here that I did not appreciate it! Other instances of this phenomenon occur in books such as Rebecca & Where the Crawdads Sing.
August 8, 2016
Book Review originally published here: http://www.iheartreading.net/mini-rev...
Would be an engaging novel, were it not for how the plot dragged, and the narrative was long and dull. It took forever before anything happened. The plot was extremely slow, the characters were flat, and there was not an ounce of suspense. When all was wrapped up, it was at least somewhat intriguing, so it certainly had potential. Had the sentences not been so weird, drawn out, and the author not gone to such lengths to just keep sounding poetic and lyrical, maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more.
Would be an engaging novel, were it not for how the plot dragged, and the narrative was long and dull. It took forever before anything happened. The plot was extremely slow, the characters were flat, and there was not an ounce of suspense. When all was wrapped up, it was at least somewhat intriguing, so it certainly had potential. Had the sentences not been so weird, drawn out, and the author not gone to such lengths to just keep sounding poetic and lyrical, maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more.
June 20, 2016
A bit disjointed and confusing - it took me awhile to read and I was never quite sure what was going on. I did like the characters, the setting, and especially the way it ended. Not much for cozy mysteries but I gather from other reviews that her stories are usually a little darker than this one. The book cover definitely made it appear more suspenseful than it was. Will try one of her other standalones at some point in the future.
August 15, 2016
A woman finds herself fleeing an unpleasant situation and goes to a place she remembered as comforting and then finds herself embroiled into a mystery through book club reviews. There's also a huge unorganized bookstore and a bunch of people that start to mean something to her. Just my kind of book. It was pretty easy to figure out who the bad guy was but I still really liked the book.
June 23, 2016
When a novel takes place in an old bookshop, I'm usually sold from page one. Catriona McPherson drew me in with the setting and added colorful characters with secrets. The result is a suspenseful, and a bit creepy, story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
November 12, 2020
Book source ~ NetGalley
Jude runs away from London when something bad happens. She was going to fly somewhere far away, but when she gets to the train station on her way out of town, she remembers this old whacky bookshop she visited in this tiny out of the way town and decides to run there instead. What she finds is more than she bargained for and she has to figure out this dinky town’s secrets as well as solve another mystery about her employer, all while staying off the grid and away from the authorities.
There are three mysteries going on in this story and they are all fascinating. Unfortunately, they are the only thing that kept me going. I had to know the answers. If this is the writing style of this author then I will not be reading any more. I hate the style. It’s slapdash and sloppy. There are a million “oh dears” and “my, my my” and other such exclamations. The conversations are really hard to follow with all the local slang and such. Quite tedious and supremely irritating. The writing style does not make it any easier. I only give this a rating of two for the mysteries which are eventually spelled out in a somewhat coherent way. Otherwise, blerg.
Jude runs away from London when something bad happens. She was going to fly somewhere far away, but when she gets to the train station on her way out of town, she remembers this old whacky bookshop she visited in this tiny out of the way town and decides to run there instead. What she finds is more than she bargained for and she has to figure out this dinky town’s secrets as well as solve another mystery about her employer, all while staying off the grid and away from the authorities.
There are three mysteries going on in this story and they are all fascinating. Unfortunately, they are the only thing that kept me going. I had to know the answers. If this is the writing style of this author then I will not be reading any more. I hate the style. It’s slapdash and sloppy. There are a million “oh dears” and “my, my my” and other such exclamations. The conversations are really hard to follow with all the local slang and such. Quite tedious and supremely irritating. The writing style does not make it any easier. I only give this a rating of two for the mysteries which are eventually spelled out in a somewhat coherent way. Otherwise, blerg.
May 17, 2017
An absolutely pleasurable Cozy Mystery to read. Catriona McPherson attended the 2017 Left Coast Crime conference in Honolulu and Quiet Neighbors was a featured book. The novel's story flows like warm honey, always moving forward but in unpredictable directions.
Protagonist Jude's current story is braided into a long-ago mystery with a third strand/subplot so interwoven with past and present as to leave no clear demarcation. But the story is so marvelously well written I never lost sight of a thread or felt any scene contrived or unnecessary.
I do wonder, without passing judgement, about the rational behind a certain acceptance in one story thread. Because there are several delightful controversies addressed, I won't elaborate.
Protagonist Jude's current story is braided into a long-ago mystery with a third strand/subplot so interwoven with past and present as to leave no clear demarcation. But the story is so marvelously well written I never lost sight of a thread or felt any scene contrived or unnecessary.
I do wonder, without passing judgement, about the rational behind a certain acceptance in one story thread. Because there are several delightful controversies addressed, I won't elaborate.
October 24, 2018
It wasn't exactly what I was expecting but it delivered a very positive reaction. When I picked it up I was drawn to the cover. I am so guilty of letting a book cover whisper sweet nothings in my ear:) I was, as always... looking for a mystery, a different kind of story, and what is better than a dark graveyard to catch the eye? I got the mystery with so many twists and turns I lost count. I got a story of an old family with more than one shocking secret and the story of a very modern family with even more...and hey, there was a book store run by a man that loved and collected more books than he sold. Not exactly a ghost story but the dead did have plenty to say in their own way. Those that don't wish to be scared out of their wits will love this one.
January 14, 2024
2.5 stars--the book had a very interesting idea, but it was executed poorly. It's also very obviously written for the UK demographic as some of the language/slang/etc was a bit difficult to grasp. There's nothing wrong with it being written for the UK demographic, but you'll get confused if you don't try to familiarize with certain sayings first. This book is also the epitome of "Don't judge a book by it's cover;" the cover is far more ominous looking than the story is.
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