The Woman Next Door

In my opinion...

So glad I don't live in their neighbourhood! With shades of Zoe Heller’s Notes on a Scandal, two unpleasant neighbours, Melissa (who appears to have it all) and the resentful, bitter widow ,Hester are forced by a series of events into each other’s company.

The story is told from both view points, but Hester’s is in the first person, which gives us additional insights, although many of her comments are very unsettling- is she really a narrator to be trusted? She is given some great lines, which develop her judgemental character, and as events become worse and worse she seems to become stronger .

In spite of the harrowing detail of the story, there are several extremely humorous conversations, which along with Bertie, the dog, give light relief to this dark tale.

Several times during the novel, I did question how credible some of the events were, but, that said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It moves along at a great pace, and couldn't put it down until I had discovered how everything would be resolved.

Want to know more...?

A dark and twisty psychological thriller, perfect for fans of HER by Harriet Lane and IN A DARK DARK WOOD by Ruth Ware. Two suburban women. Two dark secrets. The almost perfect murder. Everybody needs good neighbours… Melissa and Hester have lived next door to each other for years. When Melissa’s daughter was younger, Hester was almost like a grandmother to her. But recently they haven’t been so close. Hester has plans to change all that. It’s obvious to her that despite Melissa’s outwardly glamorous and successful life, she needs Hester’s help. But taking help from Hester might not be such a good idea for a woman with as many secrets as Melissa

I was drinking...

A nice cup of coffee- that's what neighbours do, don't they?

My rating...

A dark twisted 4 glasses, after all, a drink was the original cause of problems in this story!

Thank you NetGalley & HarperFiction for this review copy