Those People
By Louise Candlish
ISBN: 9780451489142
Author’s Website: www.louisecandlish.com
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Omar
Summary
From the author of the international bestseller Our House, a new novel of twisty domestic suspense asks, “Could you hate your neighbor enough to plot to kill him?”
Lowland Way is the suburban dream. The houses are beautiful, the neighbors get along, and the kids play together on weekends.
But when Darren and Jodie move into the house on the corner, they donʼt follow the rules. They blast music at all hours, begin an unsightly renovation, and run a used-car business from their yard. It doesn’t take long for an all-out war to start brewing.
Then, early one Saturday, a horrific death shocks the street. As police search for witnesses, accusations start flying–and everyone has something to hide.
Review
Lowland Way, the perfect street with the perfect neighbors, the paradise place to raise children and build your home. Ralph and Naomi Morgan are the power couple among the neighbors of Lowland Way, they live next door to Ralph’s brother Finn and his wife Tess and have combined their back gardens to have more space for their children to play. Next door to Finn and Tess lives Ant and Emily Kendall with their newborn son, and in front of them is divorcee Sissy Watkins with her Bed and Breakfast (B&B).
There are more families in Lowland Way, but these are the ones that the main story revolves around. Lowland Way has been recognized by the city as one of the best places to raise children. Naomi and Tess have teamed up to have every Sunday declared a car free zone for the children to play in the neighborhood without the danger of getting hit or run over.
But the so-called perfect peace at Lowland Way ends when Darren and Jodie Booth move next-door to Emily and Ant, and in front of Sissy’s B&B. They are different from the normal neighbors of the street; childless and have decided to remodel the house on their own. Fights start among the neighbors, music is played all the time, and the police are called many times.
In the end, a person is murdered and every neighbor on the street is a suspect. Lies are uncovered, friendships are ruined, prospects are lost, and some took it too far.
I liked Those People. This is the second book that I have read by Louise Candlish, and I do like the topics and stories she writes. The way the narrative tells the story of every character and the use of police report interviews makes it interesting to follow along. I’m a fan of suspense and thriller mysteries and Those People is a story that really got my attention from start to finish.
Those People touch some current issues that we are seeing in our society, and the primary one is discrimination based on class. Even though all characters denied it, the main inhabitants of Lowland Way distrust Darren and Jodie by their appearance and lack of money. Darren’s personality clashes with Ralph’s leadership, and not wanting to follow the unspoken rules doesn’t sit well with Naomi. At one point, the characters start to use the terms them, they, us to create separation among them.
Every character is hiding something or has some resentment towards another character. Tess has buried feelings against her in-laws, and it was fun reading how she started making her own decisions and stopped following the pact of neighbors. Everyone is trying to be perfect and as the story progresses it is harder for them to keep up the façade.
I liked how the story was set, but I think things could have been resolved better, but nobody was able to come down from their high pedestals of class, and I think the death could have been prevented. At one point I did have some trouble imagining the houses in the neighborhood. After some google searches I got a good idea of how close the houses were.
If you are a fan of Louise Candlish and her work, then I recommend Those People. In this story, you will find out what happens when a new couple arrives at the perfect street and meets the perfect neighbors, but they are not perfect and won’t change their lifestyle to fit the perfect picture of Lowland Way.
