Name of Book: A Neighbour’s Guide to Murder
Author: Louise Candlish
Book Style: Kindle Unlimited
Dates Read: 24th July – 1st August
Stars: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)
My Review No Spoilers Promise
Argh… this one was frustrating.
If you’ve followed my reviews for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge Murder, who dunnit fan … but this one from Louise Candlish just didnt grab me. She’s written some brilliant psychological thrillers that have completely hooked me, so I went into this one with really high expectations.
Sadly… it just didn’t quite do it for me.
The story centres around a seemingly ordinary neighbourhood where, as you’d probably expect from a Louise Candlish novel, appearances are incredibly deceptive. As tensions between neighbours begin to grow, long-buried secrets start surfacing and it becomes clear that somebody knows far more than they’re letting on.
On paper, it sounded exactly like the sort of book I’d love.
Unfortunately, I never fully connected with it.
It wasn’t badly written by any means, and there were moments where I was interested to see where things were heading. But I kept waiting for that moment where I’d become completely invested… and it just never arrived.
Even after I’d finished it, I found myself sitting there thinking…
“What actually happened?”
Not because the ending was mind-blowing, but because I didn’t come away with that satisfying feeling I normally get after finishing one of Louise Candlish’s books. It all felt a little flat for me, and I never really connected with the overall story in the way I’d hoped.
That said, books are incredibly personal. What doesn’t work for one reader can easily become another person’s favourite. So whilst I wouldn’t personally recommend this as your first Louise Candlish novel, you may have a completely different experience with it.
And if you’ve already loved her other books, don’t let my opinion stop you giving it a go.
Final verdict
A disappointing read from an author I usually love. The premise had loads of potential, but unfortunately the story never quite grabbed me and left me wanting more by the time I’d finished.
Three stars from me because although it wasn’t a terrible book, it certainly wasn’t one I’ll remember for the right reasons.
Let’s be friends on Goodreads
I still love you, Louise Candlish… let’s just agree to never speak of this one again. 📚😂
The Anxious Book Worm 
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