The beginning of this book and the end are amazing. 
That ending!!! Oh my God!!! I can´t predict that and I finish the book with my mouth open, just thinking what I had just read. This is for sure one of the best endings that I already read.
With that said, I have to point out that the last few chapters before we reached that epic ending, became quite boring and could have been reduced, for that I can't give 5 stars and have to give 4 stars.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for this ARC*

I did not expect this book to be so creepy and unsettling with only 250 pages. I gave this book 3.5 stars and I really enjoyed it, well as enjoyable as being anxious and creeped out might be. The book is extremely fast-paced which is great for a thriller, however, it was predictable in some places except for the end, I did not predict that and it was done very well! There was one aspect of the story that was repeated and the effect that it's supposed to have on the reader was non-existent by the end as we know what to expect now. It kind of desensitises you to the trauma that's happening. Overall, I really enjoyed this so, if you're looking for a fast-paced thriller that actually thrills you, pick this up!

How creepy would it be to get into an accident and stumble to your nearest neighbor's house (whom you've never met) to get help only to find out the next day that the person you met was in fact the person who killed your neighbor? I honestly couldn't imagine the horror felt finding that out. That's exactly what Leah deals with in this new psychological thriller that's meant to make you think about how far you'd be willing to go to save an unfaithful husband and a father who's dementia makes him replace you with your dead sister.

I thought that the beginning of the story went very well. I liked hearing about Leah's failing marriage and hearing her inner thoughts during and after the accident which led her to do some of the things throughout the rest of the book. Seeing her encounter the would be murderer and then actually discovering that he was the killer and watching her go through all of those emotions was a wild ride which only ramped up as she's sent on an adventure by the murderer in order to discover just how much of a scumbag her husband is. The ending was also quite well done in my opinion. I liked the confrontation between her and Martin Tate before he actually takes her to her loved ones, and while his methodology about getting her to find out about her husband is absolutely horrific it was very well written. The last couple pages however has me not quite sure how I feel. I liked the sense of 'justice' but I'm also fond of her and her husband having to deal with his actions and her choices during this ordeal.

While the beginning and the end were by far my favorite the middle definitely left much to be desired. I thought the idea of this crazy search and find was great but I kind of feel like the execution was done poorly. There wasn't enough suspense to hold my attention and because of that it took me far longer to read this than I feel like it should have. I feel like I should have been a little more invested in our main character while she's having this crisis and I just felt like she didn't have much going for her.

I am very thankful to both Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for letting me read and review this book early! I look forward to working with them in the future.

When Leah runs into a deer and crashed her car on a deserted country road on the other side of their village, she makes her way to the nearest house to ask for help. The door is answered by a handsome and charismatic man who introduces himself as Martin Tate. He’s not only helpful but there’s also a certain chemistry that leads to a secret kiss. His friendly and caring attitude stands in shrill contrast to the reaction of her own husband Elliot when he finally comes home. The next morning Leah goes over to Martin’s place with a bottle of wine to thank him. The place is swarmed by the police who tell Leah that the house owner, a woman called Alice Booth, was murdered the previous night. So, Leah did not only came face to face with a killer but she kissed him. That last detail she leaves out of her statement though and she gave him her address as well. But contrary to the expectation, he’s not after her to kill her but has taken a shine to her and wants a relationship with her, and will do anything to get that as well.

I read an earlier book by this author “While You Slept” and expected this to be another psychological thriller. This story contains more elements of a police procedural than those of a psychological thriller, although there is a compact cast of characters and a psychological cat and mouse game. It was suspenseful and sometimes even funny and once I knew what I was dealing with, I enjoyed what I read even when it was different, from what I expected.
I had to suspend my disbelief a bit to accept the premise of this book. Why does the killer open the door at all? He could have remained silent and pretended that the light was left on to ward of burglars as that’s something that happens often enough. The reason he gives her for that later on, are meagre and not realistic.
Apart from his unconventional problem solution, Martin is a very charming and friendly man. If he likes you, that is. Elliot on the other hand is a right prick. It’s a wonder that Leah stuck with him as long as she did, but she’s just too nice for her own good and she has low self-esteem. If the situation was reversed, I don’t think he would think twice about saving his own bacon. So in a way, Elliot gets what he deserves.
I understand completely why Leah omits the kiss from her police declaration. It’s not something that you go telling about. But later on, when she receives the first text messages, she could have told the police. But then again, until you find yourself in the situation, you don’t know how you’ll react.
The best and funniest scene is that of the dinner party, reminiscent of the one that Hannibal Lecter served to Clarice. But I think that Clarice has a lot more class than Leah but she manages to her best ability.
I thank Harper Collins, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the free ARC they provided and this is my honest, unbiased review of it.

Wow what a roller coaster of a read. From the first chapter it had me gripped and I never knew what was coming next. A great twist at the end. I highly recommend this book it had me reading well into the night.

“The Good Neighbour” by RJ Parker is a psychological thriller that will have you keep turning the pages but it won’t blow you away. Whilst it’s an easy and definitely engaging read, the characters were rather shallow and a bit unlikable - there wasn’t any great depth to them, particularly the main character. That being said, this book wasn’t intended as a biography but as a thriller and it delivers plenty of thrill in spades. I’m a sucker for a psychopath, so I’m instantly drawn to books that have that special level of crazy in them and this one didn’t disappoint. A fast paced read that I’d recommend to anyone who likes their psychopaths a little bit extra. My sincere thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

I could not put this book down! When Leah Talbot goes back to thank the kind male stranger who helped her the night before, she's stunned to find a crime scene and the victim has been murdered.  The female victim. Edge of your set, pulse pounding fun! Thank you so much!

This is a fast-paced thriller that takes place entirely within a 24 hour period.Leah Talbot is driving home alone on Valentines night when she hits a deer on the road and wrecks her car. As her phone battery has died, she goes to the nearest house to ask them if she can use their phone to call for a recovery team to collect her car and her husband.  She meets Martin Tate and then the story really gets interesting.  My first book by this author, will look forward to more.  Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for a honest review.

Remember the first time you saw "Saw"? Remember how you were somewhat interested in the movie and then....the thing happened at the end?

That's what happened here. The Good Neighbor starts out innocently enough - well, as innocent as hitting a deer with your car. Leah hits a deer and then goes to the nearest house for help. The handsome Martin Tate answers and helps Leah get back home. The next day, Leah decides to take Martin a bottle of wine as a thank you. What she finds is a ton of police....telling her that the owner was murdered. The female owner.

This book is a RIDDDEEEE. All of this takes place...in two days time. It's fast paced - beyond belief and ends with a BANG. I can not stress that enough.

It's an excellent thriller to read on a rainy day. Just....look out for deer.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The first half of this book was very promising. The overall idea was engaging and interesting, but then I became frustrated with Leah, the main character. The way her thought processes were described made her sound overly anxious, annoying and a little bit neurotic. Some of her actions, such as leaving bodies as she discovered them without reporting, would be explainable and understandable - but Leah made these situations all about her and had no consideration for anyone else, leaning into her narcissism. There was also not much exploration of Tate's character and no understanding was given as to why he had, in effect, become a serial killer. A glimpse into his past would have solved this. He always did not follow a typical behavioural pattern of a serial killer - he was methodical, but this would have carried over into his physical behaviours. Anyone else who is an avid watcher of behavioural crime shows would also think this.

The twist at the end recovered some of the narrative of the second half, but this was not enough really. While generally this was a nice read, delving into the story itself lends much to be desired.

You know what makes this story REALLY creepy.. Somewhere in this twisted world there has probably been a man at some point of time that has actually done this to some poor individuals! And that's what makes this book truly terrifying.

A solid thriller by all accounts. I had some trouble getting into it and had trouble connecting with the character, but that's solely personal. Not a bad book.

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter Publishing, and the author R.J. Parker for this enticing read! 

The good neighbour is about a young woman, Leah, who while driving at night gets into an accident after she hits a deer with her car. With her cellphone dead and her car not starting after the accident she decides to walk to the nearest home and call for help. The man living there let’s her into the home to use the phone and clean up while waiting for help to arrive. After arriving home safely that night, Leah returns the next day to thank the man for his help. When she arrives at the house, it’s surrounded by police, under investigation of murder. Leah finds out that the owner of the house, a woman, was murdered and comes to find that the man who helped her the night before was the murderer. 

I read this book in two days and had a very hard time putting it down, it was a fast paced thriller, with well developed characters, and wasted no time getting to the point. The book was well written and left me needing to know what was going to happen. 

The only thing that bothered me a bit was Leah’s decision making throughout the book, at times I found her frustrating, but I think this was just the nature of her character. Had she have made different decisions I don’t know that there would be much of a story, so I understand the reasoning behind this. 

I will definitely try other books by this author, and suggest this book to anyone who likes a psychological thriller, and a fast paced read.

Whenever I am struggling to read, or even pick up a book, I turn to thrillers to bring me back into the habit and re-engage me. 2021's route back into reading was R.J Parker's - The Good Neighbour (out on 18th March 2021). 

When Leah Talbot crashes her car one night, she spots a light on in a nearby house and approaches, hoping that someone is home. He is.  Charming, handsome, Martin Tate answers the door to the bedraggled and traumatised Leah, inviting her in. Though she’s not there for long, they share a brief kiss, and Leah feels an indescribable pull to the man who has helped in her hour of need. But when she returns the next morning to say thank you, and with the hope of something more,  it isn’t Martin who answers the door this time. It’s the police, and there's the dead body of the home owner Alice Booth upstairs.

The set up to this book is terrific. Man helps woman in trouble, immediate sexual chemistry; only problem is man is a murderer. 

What follows is typical genre game of cat and mouse with 'Martin' leaving a trial of bodies as he 'woos'  his kindred spirit Leah. Meanwhile Leah plays her own game of cat and mouse with the police, in an attempt to save the ones she loves. It is all good murdering fun.  If the book has a problem, it is that the start is just so good that the rest of the book struggles to compete with that initial set up. That said, the book is well paced and I rattled through it in a few sittings. The bodies and the tension build nicely to the eventual show-down between the two protagonists.

Right, where's my next book. 

Thank you to NetGalley and  One More Chapter for this ARC.

Picture the scene. It’s Wednesday, football night. I’m in my chair, headphones on, angle poise lamp on so I can do some notes, and I am really engrossed in this book. I was conscious of my increased pulse rate and the sense of dread was growing every page I turned. I wanted to know what happened next, but , I also didn’t want to turn the page, as the horrors awaiting, were generally worse than the previous atrocities! 
Then I felt a hand on my shoulder, screamed, jumped up and hit my head on the lamp, took off the headphones and saw the bemused face of the hubster! It’s half time, would you like a drink? 
After we had pacified the dog, who was charging around the house, barking madly, and I had a glass of Vodka by my side, I felt confident enough to return to the book. 
Leah Talbot is driving home at night , when she hits a deer and sustains damage to her car. Deer are capable of causing such damage to cars when they land on the car bonnet, and if the antlers are facing towards you, you run the very real risk of being impaled , or worse. She walks to the nearest house for help, and the door is opened by Martin Tate, who is concerned and friendly, calls the Police and the AA recovery, and lets Leah borrow his phone to call her estranged husband, Elliot. She gives Martin her address so he can pass on this information to the Police when they arrive, and she returns home. 
That is just the start of an ever worsening nightmare for Leah and all those she holds dear to her. When she returns to the house the next day to thank Martin, she finds Police cars about , and is informed that the real owner of the house, is Alice Booth and she has been murdered. Leah is in grave danger, Martin begins to show his true colours, and the body count grows.  The dangers of modern technology are revealed, as he has access to her contacts and their addresses, can send threatening text messages and basically use every detail of Leah's life to put his twisted plans into action. 
This is a truly scary and horrific read. I let my imagination run riot, I found it to be nerve jangling, sick and twisted, a real page turner. It asks the question, whom is most important to you, and what would you sacrifice in order to protect the ones you love.
The ending is brilliant, devious and so clever, a real tour de force, revenge from beyond. This has to be made into a film, it would be fantastic.
This is without question one of the best books I have had the pleasure of reviewing. A genuine five star read. I have already recommended it to my daughter and her Zoom book club, after the husband had told her of my ‘ over reaction’, she is looking forward to reading it for herself, and then, no doubt, we will plan who we would like to see in the film version of this book. 
Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Netgalley and R.J. Parker, for the chance to read this marvellous book. This review is my honest opinion. I have rated this as a five star read, I will post reviews to Goodreads and Amazon upon publication.

After previously reading the dinner party by Parker and enjoying the short snappy chapters, I was intrigued by this. 

This book was very hard to review without giving away any spoilers - the whole book is a huge game of cat and mouse. This was certainly very fast paced and I flew through this in a day- it was creepy and atmospheric and the events gave me chills. I’m torn because despite this, I feel like the concept started really well but unfortunately fell flat throughout for me - I have very similar thoughts to when I read Parker’s 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 and found it just a very unrealistic plot. Hear me out - I know it’s fiction, but it just got too unbelievable for me and I was constantly rolling my eyes at Leah’s actions. I have so many questions about her decisions!? 

Overall this was a very fast paced, action filled read which I would still recommend picking up- I toyed between two and three stars but although it wasn’t my favourite book in the world, the fact I definitely could not put it down told me I still enjoyed it! 

Fun fact - (wouldn’t even consider this a spoiler as it happens in the first few pages) I hit a deer in my Ford KA at 65mph several years ago.. just round the corner from a speed camera.. the similarities as I started this book made me feel strange!

I read this book in one day it was that good. Such a different and imaginative thriller that I literally couldn't put down. I loved how this book unfolded it seemed at the end of each chapter I was left hanging with some sort of new twist or motive. I really liked how this book jumped straight into it, there wasn't any unnecessary detail that I didn't need to know it just cracked straight on with the main plot line. Seriously if you like a thriller read this book!

Ugh, so creepy! I loved this book but it did freak me out a bit! Lots of gory details and kept a fast past throughout. I was less than thrilled with the end which is the only reason I gave it 4 stars as I felt like the main character was making such stupid decisions which didn't seem plausible...Guess that is why it is fiction though!

WOW the Good Neighbour was such a great read! The plot was so different than most thrillers and I loved all the twists!

It's a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. When Leah knocks on a door after hitting a deer she gets more than she bargains for. She has stumbled on a crime scene and now she is involved. This book is an intense book with Leah carrying out questionable things. How will it end? It felt like Leah was on a hamster wheel that she couldn't escape. It will have you sitting on the edge of your seat.