Book Review, Harper Collins, One More Chapter, Suspense, Thriller

The Good Neighbour by R.J. Parker

ABOUT THE BOOK

He isn’t who you think he is…
When Leah Talbot hits a deer on a deserted road near her village 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, 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, it isn’t Martin who answers the door this time. It’s the police.

There’s been a brutal murder and the sole female resident is dead.

There’s no sign of Martin…
Until he comes looking for Leah.

MY REVIEW

Holy Creepshow!  I had shivers running up and down my spine on this one.  

Imagine a car incident involving a deer. Your car is out of commission. It’s pouring down rain. Your cell phone is dead. You starting walking home and see your neighbour’s gate open so you knock on the door. After several minutes a man opens the door and kindly invites you in to make a phone call to the police and to the tow company. What follows next is shocking and chilling.

Leah is in the wrong place at the wrong time and the only witness to identify a murderer who had the opportunity to kill her but didn’t.  Why did he do that? Well, that is that the million-dollar question which is slowly revealed in a sinister and diabolical plotline.

Leah’s life is strange at best. Apparently, she works from home and is a recluse due to an incident that happened several years ago. She is basically sharing a home with her estranged and selfish husband, Elliot, who goes in and out of the house at his discretion without telling her where he is. After finding out the killer had entered her home the night of the murder, she and her husband go their separate ways to stay at different locations. Then the text messages appear from the killer who is fixated on her and sends her on a ghastly treasure hunt of dead bodies to prove his commitment to her.

I recommend this highly charged thriller for those who love disturbing characters and jolting suspense as a psychopath manipulates an unsuspecting victim right up to the pivotal ending.

Thank you to Mr. Parker, One More Chapter, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

BUY THE BOOK

The Good Neighbour

Amazon UK Amazon US

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

RJParkerRichard Parker worked as a professional TV writer for twenty-two years and started by submitting material to the BBC.  After contributing to a wide variety of TV shows he became a head writer, script editor then producer.  

He then decided to subject himself to the easy streets of writing and getting a novel published.
  
A ten year cornucopia of disappointment followed.  But STOP ME was picked up for publication in 2009.

It was shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award 2010 and entered the Amazon Top 10 bestseller chart.

SCARE ME, his second stand alone thriller, was acquired by Hollywood producers.  Wentworth Miller has written the screenplay.

His third stand alone, STALK ME, followed and was a huge hit in the UK and US Amazon charts. 

Richard is currently being published by Bookouture. Check out their titles from him – FOLLOW YOU, HIDE AND SEEK, KEEP HER SAFE, NEVER SAY GOODBYE and THE SONGBIRD GIRLS. 

He now lives in Salisbury but can always be lured back to London with the promise of an obscenely long lunch.  

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