Those People Next Door: a twisty and page-turning courtroom drama and suspenseful legal thriller to keep you up at night in 2023!

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Perhaps the publisher knew me better than I knew myself and/or was not seeking an early and honest harsh review. Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the right place to make that happen. Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing really. No need to make a fuss. So, Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. But the next morning she wakes to find her window smeared with paint. Needless to say, Perfectly Nice Neighbors keeps me hooked and surprises me with a twisty reveal. Kia Abdullah knows how to wrap it all up to a satisfying ending.

Those People Next Door - Letterboxd

I would highly recommend this book. A fabulous plot, a well written book with poignant messaging, and characters you might not like but you might have seen them!!! Salma Khatun is hopeful about Blenheim, the suburban development into which she, her husband, and their son have just moved. The Bangladeshi family needs a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like just the place. Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen. The book showcased political commentary and the abduction of an elderly family dog and I do not enjoy fiction books with political overtones and/or animal cruelty. (Sorry, Kia Abdullah!)

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so many characters were unlikeable and it this book really makes you think “what would i do if that happened to me?” keeping as spoiler free as i can, but it’s definitely a moral compass type of book 😳 The core of the plot revolves around class conflict and the titled parents of the boyfriend of one of… The ending was predictable and failed to produce the same gasp that emerged from my mouth after finishing "Next of Kin". Took me a good 10% to ‘settle’ into this book, not sure why?, maybe we are so used to the big starts now that any ‘build up’ seems laborious BUT once I had settled what a thriller this turned into One of my ten best reads of the year. Easy five stars.”— Lisa Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of None of This is True

Those People Next Door - Kia Abdullah Those People Next Door - Kia Abdullah

It's quite a change from the "We're all in it together" that filled British movies from the start of the war to the end. This makes full use of snobbery, both of the upper classes towards the working folks, and that of the lower class Charles Victor, full of Bolshie contempt for the uppers, and yet always ready to cadge whatever he fancies, from a beer to Warner's reading glasses. Warner has his own pride, thinking himself as good as any man and twice as good as most, and his women folk the best of all. Tom is confronted by Salma, who, when angry, can be loud and rude. He denies painting the window. Bad feelings increase. Within a short time, Salma believes Tom is responsible for keying her car, stealing their dog, having the restaurant they were selling trashed, and hiring young hooligans to occupy the restaurant as squatters, making it impossible for the Khatun family to sell. But except for that gripe, the rest of the book was amazing. The courtroom scenes were excellent, as you’d expect from this author.The hardest part of the story is that feelings are hurt and they never feel a sense of belonging. The book A Good Neighborhood by Theresa Anne Fowler came to mind while reading this one. "What does it mean to be a good neighbor? How do we live alongside each other when we don't see eye to eye?" I would definitely recommend this book to people who enjoy tense neighborhood dramas that explore current societal issues. I know this won't work for everyone, but for the Readers who do end up enjoying it, I think they'll walk away feeling like they've had a memorable reading experience. A rollercoaster ride of a toxic tale of neighbours from hell. Brilliantly pacey and wonderfully written with a lovely big twist. Highly recommended." - Neil Lancaster

Those People Next Door | Kia Abdullah | 9780008433710 - NetGalley Those People Next Door | Kia Abdullah | 9780008433710 - NetGalley

this was a good blend of a neighborhood suspense, family/moral drama and a procedural thriller. i expected a bit more “thriller” than we got, so i recommend adjusting expectations for a mystery / suspense with lots of drama and that should help! neighborhood thrillers are my fave trope, so i’m also a bit tougher on those books than most since i’ve read so many. As far as Thrillers with a Legal bent go, I don't read a lot of them, only a few a year, but the ones I read, I do tend to enjoy. I feel like Abdullah brings such substance to her stories though, they almost go above and beyond. Salma Khatun has moved to the suburban development of Blenheim, together with her husband Bil and teenage son Zain. This is meant to be a move for the better, a safe environment where her son will no longer be under the influence of boys who were in the process of leading him astray. He’d already been thrown out of college and this was to be a new start. One of the things that ai like most about this authors writing is that she is not afraid to go there. She will push that boundary and talk about the things that others may not be brave enough to. This book is all about racism and class. It always feels authentic in the writing and the characters are believable. You really do have strong feel is one way or another on what is happening and to who it is happening.Since the author's "Next of Kin" was one of my favorite books of 2021, this book was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023. A stunning, thought-provoking and morally challenging read. It had me guessing until the ingenious reveal – a world-class story’ Graham Bartlett, author of Bad For Good

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah | Goodreads Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah | Goodreads

If Jane Austen were alive, she would not be writing about zombies but the sorts of novels that Kia Abdullah does. They perch on society’s fault lines, observing how the codes of class and race determine actions, how good intentions can be weakness, how a word or a gesture can lead inexorably to catastrophe.’ Favourite joke - the butcher is saving us a sheep's head, and he's leaving the eyes in, why?, to see us through the week, lol. Their next door neighbours Joe (Charles Victor) and Emma (Gladys Henson) practically live in the Twiggs’ house, borrowing cups of sugar or using their Anderson shelter. Controversy arises when Sam's pretty daughter Anne (Patricia Cutts) becomes romantically involved with RAF officer Victor Stevens (Peter Forbes-Robertson). There is disapproval from Victor's wealthy parents, Sir Andrew and Lady Stevens (Garry Marsh and Grace Arnold), who object to the match on grounds of class. Lady Stevens even offers money to the Twigg family to call off the relationship, which enrages father Sam. However, when RAF man Victor is reportedly shot down in action, parental attitudes soften.

Terrific and hugely thought-provoking’ Ian Rankin ‘One of my ten best reads of the year. Easy five stars’ Lisa Jewell my favourite part of her books is when the court room drama begins. KA is skilled at creating an intriguing case and filling it with immersive details that make you feel as if you are sitting in the courtroom alongside the characters. this plot was particularly hard hitting with so many relevant points on race and violence. Whenever I see Kia Abdullah’s name attached to a book, I get very excited, and ‘Those People Next Door’ was a perfect example of why this author elicits such feelings. People who see themselves as different feel that way for a reason, and it can be as much about us as it is about the individual.