The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

Out now
Published by Little Brown
Purchase from Amazon here


The Blurb:

Everyone who lives at 23 Beulah Grove has a secret. If they didn't, they wouldn't be renting rooms in a dodgy old building for cash--no credit check, no lease. It's the kind of place you end up when you you've run out of other options.

The six residents mostly keep to themselves, but one unbearably hot summer night, a terrible accident pushes them into an uneasy alliance. What they don't know is that one of them is a killer. He's already chosen his next victim, and he'll do anything to protect his secret.


My Review:

I love a good thriller and a bit of a shock so I was really looking forward to reading The Killer Next Door. The book is set in London and revolves around the residents of grubby bedsit. Each room and resident holds its own secrets which as a reader we slowly uncover a the story develops.

Superbly written the mystery unravels slowly as we get to know each of the characters and their deeply held secrets. There is the odious sleazy landlord, the vulnerable young girls, secretive males and the lovely old lady who make up the residents of the run down Victorian house.

Hidden amongst all of this is a gruesome murderer who kills and keeps bodies of women. The scenes involving the murderer have some quite graphic scenes and description. I am a fan of horror and gore so these didn't put me off at all.

This is a tough review to write as I really want to go onto detail and talk about all the twists and turns, but I don't want to spoil it for other readers. So what do I love about this book? Most definitely the best thing is the descriptive writing. Alex Marwood is very skilled at really creating a chilling atmosphere, and building a story to a crescendo. Chapters alternate between the main characters which enables us as a readers to uncover what has bought each of them to live in such squalid conditions.

I liked being kept in the dark and trying to guess who the killer is. The vile acts are interwoven into the book and some of the description is repulsive. But I liked not knowing s it allowed me to try and play detective and guess who it might be.

I had no problem in visualising and putting myself into the story. I live in a street in South London which has lots of Victorian houses which could well have been a similar bedsit. Infact when I am out walking I now wonder what goes on behind some of those closed doors....I let my imagination wander!

Hats off to Alex Marwood for creating a book full of complex characters, set in a dirty decrepit environment. It is gritty, full of twists and turns and will keep you on the edge of your seat, even when some scenes want to make you turn away. Excellently written I can't wait to read more of Alex's work.

Thank you to Little Brown who provided a copy of the book in return for an honest review.