Review: The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

Alex Marwood’s debut novel, The Wicked Girls, earned her lavish praise from the likes of Stephen King, Laura Lippman, and Erin Kelly, and was shortlisted for an Edgar Award. Now Marwood’s back with a brilliant, tightly paced thriller that will keep you up at night and make you ask yourself: just how well do you know your neighbors?
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.

Paperback, 400 pages

Expected publication: October 28th 2014 by Penguin Books

Terri's thoughts

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher Penguin Books via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  The expected publication date is October 28th, 2014.

If I could describe this book in one word it would be creepy.  I mean, really really creepy.  Going back and forth from the perspective of the tenants in 23 Beulah Grove and "The Lovers" perspective added an additional element to the story.

We learn about the secrets of each of the resident's throughout the story and what brought them to this stage in their life.  We also learn bit by bit what the killer is up to.  You are left guessing for a while who it may be but it is revealed (I'm not telling) before the conclusion of the story.  I figured it out right away so I will leave it to others to do the same.

The passages involving "The Lover"  were really gross.  This may not be the best reading material for those who have weak stomachs as it is pretty graphic from describing what he does with the bodies down to the smell.  There is a lot of emphasis on the smell which I will admit turned my stomach as well.

I had a couple of small issues with the story which are completely mine and not really associated tot he writing.  The first is that I was not familiar with some of the terms used as the story takes place in England.  A little bit of a different English but mostly associated to the titles of the detectives etc.  Not a show stopper at all.  The second was in some of the descriptions of what the killer was doing to the bodies.  Since it is so far from my reality I wasn't always sure what it was but was able to get the main gist of it.  Perhaps it is a good thing I am so naïve!

Overall this was a good albeit creepy read.  A little out of my usual comfort zone but I enjoyed it.  The ending in my opinion was perfect!

About the Author

Raised by wolves, Alex Marwood passed her formative years in the lands beyond the Arctic circle, developing pack skills, excellent night vision and an ability to survive on raw protein. Ideally equipped for a life on Fleet Street, she then became a journalist.

Her first novel, The Wicked Girls, was published by Sphere, in 2012, and achieved widespread acclaim and word-of-mouth bestsellerdom. In 2013 it was shortlisted for an ITW award, and included in Stephen King's Ten Best Books of the Year list. It was published by Penguin in the US in 2013, and is shortlisted for an Edgar Allen Poe award.

The Killer Next Door, described by The Sun as "nasty, compelling and original", was released as an ebook in 2013, and will come out as a paperback in June 2014.

Alex herself is a figment of the imagination of the novelist and sometime journalist Serena Mackesy. If you're interested in a more truthful biog, an FAQ and other books, visit her website.

Website:  http://www.alexmarwood.com/
Twitter:  AlexMarwood1