| Title | : | The Perfect Neighbors |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0008286604 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780008286606 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 334 |
| Publication | : | First published December 15, 2017 |
A dark and twisty psychological thriller from a rising star in the genre, perfect for fans of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR. When Helen moves into an exciting new neighborhood, she finds herself in a web of evil with no escape.
The Perfect Neighbors Reviews
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3.5*
I must admit, I don’t know most of my neighbors. I wave as I drive by, say a quick hello as I retrieve my mail. But that’s it. Kind of sad actually. But after reading this book I think maybe I got off lucky!
After tiring of a long distance relationship, Helen finally manages to join her husband Gary in Germany. Gary gives Helen a quick tour of the neighborhood - then it’s time to meet the neighbors! Immediately Helen is completely put off by them. Something’s just not right! And if it was left up to her, she’d rather have nothing to do with them. Unfortunately, they’re more than just neighbors. They all work with Helen’s husband at the international School. Oh great!
This group of neighbors are all in each other’s business. Walking in and out of each other’s homes, having meetings and parties where attendance is expected. All of them dining at the same restaurant and vacationing together.
This is a fast thriller with a very clever backstory running throughout. I guessed most of the twists along the way but still enjoyed!
I am now closing the blinds and turning off the lights...hopefully my neighbors won’t come knocking on my door!
Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Impulse & Killer Reads and Rachel Sargeant for an ARC to review in exchange for an honest review. -
From the moment that Helen decides to move abroad and join her husband Gary, little did she know the tight knit community of ex-pact teachers that live and work for the local international school in Germany would soon become a claustrophobic nightmare.
There’s a real sense of fish out of water as Helen is adjusting to not only her new neighbours, but a country that speaks a completely different language.
I started to consider that most work colleges are thrown together with the only common denominator being the same career, I don’t really socialise with mine outside of work...
It’s pretty obvious that something isn’t quite right with this community from the outset, with Helen having just joined the group it was interesting to see her take an outsiders view of the current off kilter dynamic.
Even though it didn’t quite grab me as other thrillers, their was a lot to like. -
Synopsis - The perfect neighbours tell the perfect lies…
When Helen moves into an exciting new neighbourhood, she finds herself in a web of evil with no escape
Behind the shutters lies a devastating secret…
When Helen moves abroad with her loving husband Gary, she can’t wait to meet her fellow expat teachers from the local International School. But her new start is about to become her worst nightmare…
As soon as the charming family across the way welcome Helen into their home, she begins to suspect that all is not as it seems. Then Gary starts to behave strangely and a child goes missing, vanished without a trace.
When violence and tragedy strike, cracks appear in the community, and Helen realises her perfect neighbours are capable of almost anything…
The Perfect Neighbours is a psychological thriller with an awesomely twisty and enthralling storyline and manipulative, unlikable characters who are certainly NOT the perfect neighbours. As we get to know these hellish neighbours we learn of the involvement they each have with one another - you definitely don't need enemies when you have friends like these!
Our protagonist, Helen, does her best to fit with everyone. Everyone appears to be hiding some dark secret and as often is the case in reality, there are dark things lurking beneath the perfect facade. Secrets that they will do anything to keep locked away.
The writing was fab for a debut novel, Sargeant is excellent at engaging you in the story and following the lives of these neighbours as their secrets emerge from the depths is compelling. It's a superbly addictive novel that just keeps on giving. The tension ratchets up over time and the book is even rather than fast paced with an air of unpredictability that runs throughout. Finally, the ending ties together all the loose ends successfully.
I would recommend this to those who love a good psychological thriller. I would certainly read more of the authors novels in the future.
I would like to thank Rachel Sargeant, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. -
The Perfect Neighbours By Rachel Sargent was my first read of 2018 and I'm very pleased to say it was an enjoyable one.
When Helen moves abroad to Germany to be with new husband Gary she is thrust into a tightknit expat neighbourhood.
All her neighbours and her husband work at the local international school and from the start, it becomes apparent that things are not quite what they seem and as our story progresses we are taken down a rabbit hole of secrets and lies with events eventually imploding into shocking consequences for all involved.
what I liked most about The perfect Neighbours was I had no bloody clue what was occurring at all, I mean absolutely none at all, I was left scratching my head in confusion throughout until finally all the threads of the story were woven together into a semblance of truth.
Deciphering that truth here was half the fun and the perfect neighbours was intercepted with numerous red herrings to mislead throughout.
I would have scored this higher but I really found the main character, Helen, to be extremely irritating and quite prejudiced in her attitude to her neighbours and this spoiled my enjoyment somewhat.
She was guilty of the same reverse snobbery that she liked to accuse her arch nemesis Louisa of and she never really gave any of them a chance deciding from day one that she was better than them.
I mean yeh there were some real dodgy characters here. but Helen herself snubbed her nose up before she had accumulated this information for herself.
Pre-judged totally.
And then there's the husband, Gary the five minutes we actually saw of him wasn't impressive to me at all.
It was like Hi Gary, By Gary, that was the extent of his input to this story.
He was like this none entity, so little was his involvement throughout this.
But yeh The perfect Neighbours does make you think, who are we living side by side with, what are people hiding behind closed doors
I mean yeh myself, I don't really know many of my own neighbours, well just to say hi to in the street, it's the world we live in today sadly.
Books like this do tell me to batten down the hatches and stay anti-social for LIFE!!!!
Neighbours are scary.
But yeh, that is the main reason I scored this down really Helen.
But besides that, this is a good psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.
Thank You to NetGalley for proving me with an ARC of The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargeant of which I have reviewed voluntary.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com -
Helen moves from her home in England to Germany to be with her husband who teaches at the International School. At first glance their neighborhood appears to be perfect. As Helen gets to know her neighbours she learns that looks can be deceiving. When the worst happens who can she trust? Who can she believe?
This was a fantastic book, the story builds up and all the clues are all there. Thanks to Killer Reads and Netgalley for a copy of this book to read and review -
⭐️ 3.5 stars
The Perfect Neighbours?...No such thing! Especially in this case, where we read about Helen leaving her life in England behind to start a new one as she joins her husband in Germany, where he works as a teacher at the International School. Helen tries to fit in with the other teachers and their families living on her street, but soon finds some of her neighbours to be controlling and over involved, putting on an act of perfectionism although it becomes clear they've got closely guarded secrets they'll do anything to keep hidden. When the consequences of such secrets result in bloodshed, Helen's world is turned upside down as she discovers her 'perfect neighbours' are the perfect liars and can't be trusted.
This story has a lot going on, with plenty of characters to spice things up, although it does take a while to keep track of who is who. With the majority of the characters an unlikeable bunch, it is easy to suspect them of all sorts of wrong doings.
Without going into detail for fear of spoilers, I must congratulate the author for the refreshing and original concept of the perfect con artist. However, although I understand that this is fiction and belief can be suspended, I did feel the conclusion asked too much of me in this regard, going over the edge, the story becoming unbelievable, the motives for the bloodshed of some of the victims not quite understandable.
Just another little something that disrupted my enjoyment of this story was the bits of German peppered throughout the book. As the story took place in Germany, this is completely acceptable and understandable, but it would help if the reader could understand what was being said. Granted, sometimes it was translated, but other times not, and I would find myself on Google Translate having to translate the German text myself.
All in all, a good read that I went through quickly as it captured my attention throughout, with the whodunit and the why catching me totally by surprise.
Many thanks to the author, Netgalley and
HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, Killer Reads for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book. -
The Perfect Neighbours is a brilliantly addictive psychological thriller with really excellent twists and turns, some divisive characters and a proper full on beautifully placed finale that pulls together all the strands of the narrative perfectly.
To be honest, even when the Neighbours were initially introduced I couldn't help but think to myself "actually for me these would be the neighbours from hell" with their involvement in each others lives and the fact that they all are attached to the school and that one know it all in charge of it all person that you really would like to slap. Still, they are welcoming and our main protagonist does her best to fit in - but everyone is hiding something, there is a truly dark and horrific secret lurking beneath all the bonhommie and it is extremely compelling as things unravel.
The setting is well described, I liked the fish out of water feel everyone seemed to have, Rachel Sargeant writes with an immersive style and a wry eye towards the realities of our social structures. Add into that a truly unpredictable sense of what might happen and you have a winner.
Really enjoyed it. I do like the good psychological thrillers. Still life in the old dog yet.
Recommended. -
I received a free electronic copy of The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargent from NetGalley for my honest review.
Helen, leaves her life in England to start a new beginning in Germany with her husband, who is a teacher. Helen tries to make friends and fit in with the other people who live on her street. Her neighbours have lots of secrets and they will do anything to keep those secrets hidden. Helen
soon finds out that her perfect neighbours can't be trusted at all. Good read with lots of twists and turns and lots of characters. -
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has the read my book. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your time is precious so I really appreciate you spending some of it with my characters.
I'd also like to explain a little about how I came up with the story. The Perfect Neighbours actually came out of two separate ideas. The first was to do with the setting. I lived for ten years in an expat community in Germany and always thought it would make a great setting for a book if I could find the right story. When I moved back to Britain I read in a newspaper about an audacious and outrageous crime. I did some research and discovered that this kind of crime was far from unique. Sadly, there have been many victims over the years. My second idea was to wonder whether something similar could happen in a closed community where everyone knows everyone else’s business, or thinks they do…. I put the two ideas together and had my story.
I hope you like it. -
Helen leaves her life in England to live with her husband in Germany where he has gotten a job with a school. Their home is in a community with other teachers as well as the Head teacher whose wife acts more like a drill sergeant. Helen is trying her best to keep her cool amongst these nightmare neighbors but when vandalism/burglary and ultimately murder happens Helen is finally ready to run. Unfortunately, Helen is a suspect. The story itself was good, although it did feel much longer than it needed to be. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
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Sadly this book was not for me,I found the characters unlikeable and the story hard to follow with too many back stories etc,the book did not flow and I found the constant German words used with the English in brackets annoying,,the idea of the book was interesting but sadly imo did not deliver as the cover and write up promised.
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Well,this book had more twists and turns than a roller coaster.With so called friends like this lot,who needs enemies
Personally I think a more apt title for this book would be nightmare neighbours or neighbours from hell.They might believe in their own deluded minds that they are perfect neighbours but in reality they are mostly a bunch of unlikable,manipulative liars.From the know it all one to the little old man to the creepy one and his door mat wife,they are all hiding something,secrets that they will go to any lengths to keep hidden.Our protagonist Helen finds herself unwittingly drawn into their world which on the surface seems picture perfect when she moves into their exclusive ex pat community to live with her husband Gary.As soon as she is introduced to her new neighbours she senses that all is not what it seems.Helen swiftly finds herself caught up in a living nightmare unsure if she can trust anyone including her own husband.Scattered throughout the story are italicized chapters that are voiced by a student called Fiona.Her chapters where full of mystery,menace and intrigue and where my favourite parts of the book.
The Perfect Neighbours is a riveting,twist packed thriller that had me hooked in from the first page.It's not fast paced but there is a underlying sense of menace throughout the book,the tension building up slowly until all the treads come together in the shocking final conclusion.Nothing is what it seems in this well written debut thriller,you realise how clever and ingenious this author has been when the truth is fully revealed and you think back over things that you have read and see them in a completely different light.I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.
Many thanks to Killer Reads for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review -
Thank you NetGalley and Killer Reads for generously providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review
Gary and Helen are a simple British couple, both teachers and newly married. Gary has found a new opportunity as a school teacher in Germany and Helen has had to give up her job and move with Gary, since Gary's salary is twice more than what he could have earned in UK. So, Helen is a little skeptical about the move, but Gary convinces here by saying that their community will be a good change for her.
Helen feels out of place immediately. During their welcome party, she gets to see the awkward and disturbing behaviors from almost all her neighbors. We have Louisa, who has appointed herself as the resident queen bee and expects everyone to follow her lead. Then Damien, Louisa's eye(and other body parts too!) wandering husband. We have the weirdly dressed and overly sensitive Mel and her husband Chris who is just plain creepy. Helen tries her best to fit into this group, but finds herself isolated many times. She joins a swimming club nearby where she meets the young Sasha, who we come to know is seeking justice for something personal from the members of the teacher's community.
Slowly, Helen can sense Gary change. He keeps asking her to adjust with their neighbors. Helen is wary of Louisa and keeps challenging her. She wants to help Mel, because she's the butt of their(Louisa and Chris) bullying. Weird things are happening. One of the kids goes missing, their houses are trashed, Sasha is stalking and threatening them, the men seem to have some secret about a club.. Everyone has a secret and a very dangerous one at that..Each trying to save their own ass.. Lies are spewed, characters are doubted and conspiracies are made. We also get glimpses of a naive girl Fiona who falls for the wrong guy. But who is she? How is she related to this teacher's community ? Whom is Sasha trying to avenge ?
Helen arrives to a house within the community to find her so-called friends murdered and the police suspect it's her. The end was heart-breaking. I felt so bad for Fiona, she just had to break out!! The ridiculous research shown in the CD was creepy. The characters were different shades of grey, with some on the very dark side. So much pretense, so many secrets, so many vices ! Sigh ! It gave me a lot of angst and disturbed my mind. I guess, mission accomplished by the author !! -
There seems to be an influx of psychological thrillers that have the theme of neighbours at its core, and if I’m honest I’ve read a fair few that I have found a mediocre read so I did approach The Perfect Neighbours with some trepidation. From the off this book felt very claustrophobic, it’s bad enough having one difficult neighbour, but imagine have a street full of them! Within hours of moving into her new home, a street that houses fellow expat teachers from the local International School Helen soon realises her neighbours may appear “perfect” but something isn’t quite right.
As the reader is introduced to the assortment of neighbours I couldn’t help but feel disconcerted, in my opinion when people appear “too good to be true” they usually are. When I first began reading this book I immediately thought of The Stepford Wives as the woman of the neighbourhood play the part of the perfect housewife, doting on their far too perfect partners, it felt creepy and contrived. There are an array of characters in this book and it did take me a while to get a grips with them all and their back story’s. I must admit on the whole I found it difficult to relate to any of the characters, in fact they are the sort of neighbours I would definitely avoid at all costs, their arrogant, and controlling but there’s was a small part of me that was deeply intrigued by this bunch of misfits.
From the opening chapter the reader knows something bad has happened to Helen, but as to the why Rachel Sargeant entices the reader by slowly and deftly scratching away at the surface until the neighbours dark and deadly secrets are revealed in all there ugly glory. At times I would say the plot seemed a little far fetched but I’m of the opinion if you pick up a fiction book then it’s possible a books going to push the boundaries, and that’s fine with me as long as there are credible elements within the read. All in all I enjoyed The Perfect Neighbours and I would recommend it to those looking for a psychological thriller that’s very much character driven -
Definitely a must read book, I couldn’t put it down!! I was hooked right from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns of this book and was not disappointed or guessed the ending!!
My only problem is what book to read next as surely anything else will be second best!!
Looking for any other books she’s written. -
With thanks to Netgalley and Killer Reads for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.
Helen was the head of PE in a school in Shropshire. She left her job to move to Germany to be with her husband Gary who is a teacher at the International School.
The school provided a property along with the job in the grounds of the school. Her neighbours in the street were also teachers at the school. The neighbours next door were the vain and sarcastic Chris and his nervous downtrodden wife Mel. Across the road lived philanderer head teacher Damien Holland and his 'perfect housewife' Louisa. Louisa did not work and felt it her duty as the head teachers wife to be on every committee and organise the wives. Helen did not fit in and hated living in the pockets of her neighbours, shestarted going swimming in at an open air swimming pool away from the school.
There she met the attractive but mysterious Sasha and they started training together. One day he asked to see where Louisa lived, when Louisa saw him she threatened to call the police. It turned out that Sasha had an axe to grind with the staff at the school and was often seen hiding in the woods behind their homes. Meanwhile something was troubling Gary, he was having trouble sleeping and spending time on gaming sites.
One night Louisa invited Louisa and Gary to a party at her house. They had a row and Gary went without her. A couple of hours later Louisa decided to relent and go over, she found Louisa leaning over a kitchen work top dead. In the living room she found Gary murdered in his chair and Chris on the floor, his head decapitated. The police arrested Sasha and Louisa is upset she brought him to their homes.
In between the chapters was the story of a young student in the UK called Fiona. She met an older man called Shep at a bar. After her flat is burgled because of Shep he tells Fiona she is in danger and she runs away with him.
I felt Louisa's claustrophobia living in a community where you live in each other pockets. I really enjoyed the sense of the dark secrets hidden in the street. Part 3 of the book was mind blowing, what a unique plot. Once the full story was revealed I could not believe I had missed the clues.
I hope to read more from Rachel Sergeant in the future. -
*thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Sargeant, Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
2 stars.
This book just wasn't for me. I really wanted to enjoy it because the sypnosis sounded amazing. But unfortunately I couldn't connect with the characters and the story just simply didn't interest me. It was not badly written. I struggled from the beginning and hoped it would pick up by sadly it didn't. I kept forgetting who was who. Unfortunately this is a miss from me but I would pass it along for others to try it out. I also would give this author another try. -
I am finding it difficult to put into words why I disliked this book so much, but it just did not work for me. When a book promises to be 'the most addictive debut psychological thriller of the year', you have high hopes for a book. A plot centred around a British ex-pat community in Germany, straight off the characters are mostly unlikeable and grated on me. There wasn't a single character I could relate or warm to, and so from the start the story felt very disconnected from reality. There were far too many names and back-stories to get used to and I found myself having to keep going back over previous pages to refresh my mind as to who was who.
Eventually I got to grips with the character, only to find that the plot became incredibly far-fetched, very convoluted, and full of completely unbelievable plot points. There was nothing 'thrilling' about this as it all seemed so far removed from reality. The last 20% of the book was a real slog to get through as I wasn't enjoying the plot and just wanted to find out what happened, and that chunk of the book is when it gets even worse. It feels almost like several different plot lines strung together to make a very mismatched book. The only saving grace here is that the technical writing ability is great. -
I really enjoyed the The Perfect Neighbours. It was addictive and kept me hooked to the end. Not fast paced but the story and tension build up with plenty of twists thrown in.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. -
Full of unlikable characters (but that's the point I guess) and a frankly ridiculous plot as to who did it.
The flashback storyline was more distractig than anything else.
But I finished it,so it had some merit. -
Received a copy from netgalley in exchange for an honest review. From the very first chapter I was hooked. The author made me hate so many of the characters and feel sorry for others. I could not stop reading this one. The story pulled me in and even though I figured it out about halfway through, it was not a let down when it was all revealed. I had never read anything by this author before but I will definitely be on the lookout for more books by her
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Poignant
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This is a gripping psychological thriller with lots of twists and turns throughout the book.
Helen moves to Germany to be with her husband who teaches at the International School and at first everything seems ok.
But as Helen gets to know her neighbours she learns that there’s something not quite right here...
As the story progresses the truth slowly comes to light and it keeps you hooked throughout.
When I saw the title I thought there’s no such thing as a perfect neighbourhood and this book backs up my opinion!
Thanks to NetGalley and Killer Reads/Harper Collins for sending me a copy to read and review. -
The book is centred around an expat community in Germany.
The storyline builds on the members of the community and their interactions with each other.
The main protagonist, Helen, is thrown into life in an expat community in Germany after marrying a teacher at an international school. Her desire to ‘not conform’ with the stereotypical patch existence leads her to uncover a sinister story which results in tragedy for the whole community.
The transition from friendliness to hostility soon appears and Helen’s desire to keep her own identity leads to heartache as she unravels secrets and finds out all is not what it seems. -
Salve lettori!
Questo è l’anno della sperimentazione per me, perché ho appena finito di leggere il mio secondo thriller e devo dire che anche questa volta sono stata fortunata!
Il thriller di cui vi parlo oggi è “I perfetti vicini di casa” di Rachel Sargeant, uscito per Newton Compton editori il 4 luglio.
“I perfetti vicini di casa” è una storia di segreti e bugie, di verità taciute troppo a lungo, di inganni così ben orchestrati da lasciarti a bocca aperta, di vendetta e del bisogno di rinascere trovando un senso a tutto. Un thriller adatto a tutti, pieno di misteri che non vedi l’ora di risolvere e di inaspettati colpi di scena.
L’atmosfera generale mi ha ricordato un po’ la serie televisiva “Desperate Housewives” (un quartiere residenziale per bene dove tutti conoscono tutti, ma dove c’è sempre uno dei vicini che trama qualcosa di orribile e/o misterioso dietro la porta di casa), solo leggermente più cupa e senza traccia di comicità o leggerezza. In ogni momento del libro hai la sensazione che dietro ogni casa si stia preparando qualcosa di terribile e non sai quando e come colpirà, ma pur aspettandoti il colpo di scena cruciale, quando arriva vieni risucchiato in modo imprevedibile da un vortice di eventi, scoperte e rivelazioni che ti lasciano con il fiato sospeso fino all’ultimo capitolo.
La storia ha inizio con Helen che si ritrova chiusa in prigione tormentata dalle orripilanti immagini di morte a cui ha assistito. Dopo che il suo avvocato le rivolge delle domande specifiche su quanto è accaduto con un certo Sascha Jakobsen, il racconto subisce uno sbalzo temporale e dal 19 dicembre ci ritroviamo catapultati agli inizi di aprile, quando una Helen innamorata e fiduciosa verso il futuro si trasferisce in Germania dall’Inghilterra per seguire il marito, Gary. Lasciare il suo Paese e il suo posto di lavoro come capo del Dipartimento di Educazione fisica della sua scuola è stata una decisione sofferta per lei, ma anche la migliore per iniziare la sua vita con Gary. Lui lavora da diversi anni per la Niers School International, una scuola inglese nel bel mezzo della Germania, e da solo guadagna più di quanto avrebbero fatto in due in Inghilterra.
Inoltre la scuola mette a disposizione per gli insegnanti delle case in affitto situate tutte presso lo stesso vicolo cieco, creando una vera e propria comunità inglese in un Paese straniero.
Tutte le villette a schiera sono uguali, tutte tranne il Numero Dieci, una magnifica, grande villa che si distingue da tutte le altre per l’arredamento ricercato e lussuoso sia all’esterno che all’interno.
Qui vive il preside della scuola, Damian, con la moglie Louisa e i tre figli.
Il Numero Dieci è il luogo dove si svolge ogni cena e ogni festa del quartiere; agli occhi di tutti i vicini è il regno perfetto e immacolato di Louisa Howard, una donna la cui ostentata perfezione e mania del controllo irrita fin da subito Helen, spronando il suo lato competitivo. Nessuno, nemmeno la nuova arrivata Helen, potrebbe mai immaginare che pochi mesi più tardi il Numero Dieci si trasformerà in un teatro degli orrori.
La nuova vita di Helen si rivela fin da subito piatta e frustrante. Non ha più un lavoro, si dedica al giardinaggio nel vano tentativo di eguagliare lo splendore del Numero Dieci, cerca di godersi il suo matrimonio con Gary e la loro nuova vita insieme, ma quella strada così apparentemente perfetta, dove tutti sembrano vivere in un clima di fiducia e completa armonia, la soffoca e non riesce a togliersi di dosso la sensazione di essere continuamente osservata e giudicata. Come se ciò non bastasse, alcuni dei suoi nuovi vicini sembrano avere degli strani comportamenti, tanto che Helen comincia a pensare che ognuno di loro nasconda qualcosa. Forse perfino suo marito.
La sua unica consolazione è la piscina all’aperto dove può dare veramente sfogo alle sue doti e alla sua passione per lo sport. Qui però incontra Sascha Jakobsen, un personaggio affascinante e misterioso per cui non riesce a non provare una certa attrazione, e che scoprirà essere legato ai suoi vicini di casa in maniera inattesa e sconvolgente.
Gli eventi si susseguono in un lento crescendo che, di capitolo in capitolo, si fa sempre più intenso e incalzante, fino a culminare nella drammatica notte in cui è cambiato tutto. Una notte che sconvolge l’equilibrio perfetto e armonioso della loro strada, dissemina il dubbio, la paura e la rabbia di casa in casa, tanto che noi lettori, proprio come Helen, arriviamo a sospettare di chiunque.
La storia è raccontata in terza persona in modo da dare il gusto spazio a ognuno dei personaggi, anche se possiamo riconoscere in Helen la protagonista principale, dato che è soprattutto attraverso i suoi occhi che seguiamo e scopriamo i vari sviluppi dell’intera vicenda.
Il romanzo risulta diviso in tre parti. Nelle prime due, fra i capitoli che portano avanti la narrazione principale, compaiono ogni tanto dei brevissimi capitoli narrati in prima persona da una certa Fiona, un personaggio che rimane nell’ombra per tutto il romanzo, apparendo solo di tanto in tanto durante il dipanarsi della storia principale, e la cui vera identità e il modo in cui è collegata alle vicende di tutti gli altri ci saranno perfettamente, e drammaticamente, chiari soltanto alla fine.
L’ultima parte si concentra sullo svelamento di ogni mistero e di ogni segreto.
Tutti i personaggi sono ben delineati, ci vengono presentati in maniera così vivida che sembra di averli davvero davanti agli occhi. Lo stile è semplice e scorrevole, i capitoli sembrano volare uno dietro l’altro senza mai un filo di noia o pesantezza. Le descrizioni rendono perfettamente l’atmosfera di mistero e inquietudine di cui è intrisa questa storia, facendoci immergere completamente.
Il finale ha sbaragliato alcune ipotesi che io stessa avevo fatto sul colpevole degli omicidi e sulla vera identità di Fiona, lasciandomi sconvolta e meravigliata, inchiodandomi al libro che non ho saputo abbandonare fino a quando non l’ho terminato alle due di notte.
Una volta concluso il romanzo non ho saputo resistere e sono tornata ai capitoli iniziali per rileggerli con occhi diversi e consapevoli, e sono rimasta colpita dalla bravura e dall’ingegno della scrittrice nel saper mettere ogni particolare al posto giusto fin dalle prime pagine di modo che, quando il lettore mette finalmente insieme ogni pezzo del puzzle, il quadro che si trova davanti lo lascia semplicemente a bocca aperta.
Il male può annidarsi ovunque, nei modi e nelle forme che meno ti aspetti. A volte si nasce con una cattiveria e una perversione innate, altre volte ti succedono cose che ti costringono a stravolgere completamente la tua natura. Nessuno è mai come sembra, alcuni sono meglio di come appaiono, altri sono molto, ma molto peggio. Lascio a voi il piacere di scoprire chi dei vicini rientra in queste due categorie.
Buona lettura!
Voto: 4 -
Slowly but surely my mojo for reading is coming back and I am listening more and more to audiobooks. I do find though if the narrator isn’t doing it for me, I have to turn the book off, like everyone. However, Lara Falkner gave the sleepy German village a whole breath of life and in fact, made me quite addicted to the book!
It’s not without some minor flaws but I easily overlooked this with the interwoven story of “Fiona” the unsureity of what is happening to Helen and then the murders! Smaller stories all intertwine. I would love to have more of a conclusion or discussion around Sascha’s storyline, there was a lot of heartbreak and I don’t think we even scratched the surface with them. With the Fiona storyline, I was completely WRONG with that, which I found all the more shocking when I realised the who, I really should have seen it all along especially when I decided on Sheppard!
Despite the length of the book, I don’t feel like we got to know the characters all that well, so when we do have a bit of a disastrous dinner party, I wasn’t saddened by the loss, just completely gobsmacked, that poor cake!
I seem to have found a bit more of a love for reading again, and this book has helped me along. Rachel is an author who has been on my list for ages and I am so pleased I got to listen to this one. Like I said, I found it addictive! I needed to find out the shocking truth behind it all, and well wow! It’s not what I was expecting and it will be something that will make me question EVERYONE I speak to now.
A very twisty addictive thriller! It’s definitely all the buzzwords, but it’s a book you have to just go with the flow with and suspend some disbelief! I can’t wait for the next outing! -
Loved this! The setting was great and I enjoyed the first half as you get to know the different neighbours and their suburban dramas while becoming increasingly aware of a dark backstory and gathering menace. Then wham! Something catastrophic happens. The pace picks up, the mystery deepens, revelations unfold and you fear for Helen’s safety. I hated being parted from the book until I’d finished it because I had to know what would happen.
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Ooh really enjoyed this book. Didn't expect the ending tho xxx 😁💖📚
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Took me a while to get used to who was married to who, as there were so many people in the book but once I worked it out , it was an enjoyable read that really did keep you guessing throughout.
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Do you really know your neighbors? Lots of suspense and a ending I didn't see coming ! Great fast read!
