As part of World Book Night, The City Adventurers took part in a book reading. The book chosen was Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah. This book had been “Waterstones Thriller of the Month” in August 2023.
‘A small act of malice between suburban neighbours snowballs, bringing tension and terror. Terrific and hugely thought-provoking’
Ian Rankin
The Plot
You can choose your house. Not your neighbours.
WELCOME TO YOUR DREAM HOME…
Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about 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 this feels like the place to make that happen.
MEET YOUR NEW NEIGHBOURS…
Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, removing the anti-racist banner her son put in their 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 up to find her window smeared with paint.
AND PREPARE FOR THE NIGHTMARE TO BEGIN…
This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher, it’s clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt.
A gripping thriller about nightmare neighbours, Those People Next Door explores the loss of innocence and how far we’re prepared to go to defend ourselves and the people we love.
Review
The book reading event was organised by the local library service. We were not told in advance what book had been chosen. I think the event was replicated across the country with different library services offering different books.
The book selected for our reading was Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah. It is described online as a twisty, page-turning courtroom drama and suspenseful legal thriller to keep you up at night. Instead of the full book, we were each supplied with a “Quick Read” copy of the book. We had the choice of reading it alone or reading it as a group. We chose the group reading. At the end of each chapter the narrator gave us points to discuss based on the story so far.
The book is split into sections. The first part covers Salma Khatun and her family moving to a new house and meeting the neighbours. Assumptions are made on both sides and things quickly deteriorate with the people next door. The end of this section culminates with a shocking incident. Part two is set five months later and covers the ensuing court case. Part three is an epilogue section examining what happens following the trial.
As we only had a limited time to read, we only got through the first six chapters together and had to finish the book on our own.
A number of people on the night felt the story concentrated on racism. Indeed, the public forum discussions were quick to pick up on the racial undertones, although the narrator pointed out the initial comments made by the characters could be class based prejudice rather than race.
As the story continues it becomes clear that assumptions are being made on both sides. As previous experiences and past hurts come into play, the bad relationship between the couples quickly escalates into full-blown acts of revenge and retaliation and racial comments.
Personally I think this story should come with a trigger warning for anyone who has suffered a major dispute with a neighbour. Any major dispute, not necessarily race related. By concentrating on the racist comments, the revenge and retaliation aspects of the book are overlooked and these can cause intense stress and anxiety, regardless of race. The book is powerfully written and certainly is a “thriller to keep you up at night”. It’s ability to trigger can be especially problematic if you are are reading and discussing it with a group of strangers!
A toxic story, that is thought provoking and balanced. The book is well written and it is easy to see why it was made Thriller of the Month by Waterstones.
The full book of Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah is available from Amazon and City Adventurers Solve The Murder Bookshop.
Those People Next Door: A Quick Reads short story 2024 is also available from Amazon and City Adventurers Solve The Murder Bookshop
The City Adventurers love reading about mystery, so we’ve started our own book club. Click here to join!