Good Neighbours by Mary Grand
Genre: Psychological thriller, Suspense, Mystery
Read: 12th May 2022
Published: 18th May 2022
★★★★ 4 stars
DESCRIPTION:
It was meant to be a safe place to start again...
In need of an escape from her failing marriage, Nia agrees to house-sit her aunt’s cottage on the Isle of Wight. She feels sure the cosy close in a quaint harbour town will be a safe place to hide and figure out what to do next.
But things are not all as they seem in the close, and the neighbours who welcome her with open arms, are keeping secrets. When Nia finds the body of one of her new friends lying on the beach, she feels sickeningly sure that the killer is dangerously near to home.
Who killed her friend and why did she have to die? And if Nia discovers the answers she’s looking for, is she next on their hit list? Good neighbours may become good friends, but they can also make deadly enemies…
Mary Grand's intricate psychological mysteries are perfect for fans of Claire Douglas, Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie.
MY THOUGHTS:
A delightful trip to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight as Mary Grand takes us to the island once again. This time to discover that not all neighbours are good neighbours and can fast become deadly enemies. The "close" in the harbourside community is a place where everyone lives in close proximity so, in true Agatha Christie form, only a handful could therefore be the culprit.
The prologue opens with something of a promising start with a voodoo doll and a curse on a woman named Ruby. Then enter Nia, who steps off the ferry on her way to house-sit for her aunty Gwen who has flown off the San Francisco and the imminent birth of her grandchild. The visit for Nia was the perfect opportunity to reflect on her own life and reassess the train wreck that is her marriage. Her husband Chris is a head teacher at a prominent school in Cardiff, Wales, whilst their grow up daughter Safi is taking a year off to travel and is currently in Spain. Nia is looking forward to these quiet few weeks on the island.
It doesn't take her long to meet the everyone in the close and they soon become friends. Nia can see why her aunt loves this little community as she begins to feel an element of safety here. They invite her for their weekly drinks at the local brasserie and it is here that Nia gets to know Ruby. But Ruby discloses to her that all is not as it seems in the close and she soon discovers that every one of them have their own secrets.
And then one morning, Nia discovers Ruby's body on the beach. Police are inclined to believe it to be a suicide but Nia believes otherwise. Ruby knew things and maybe someone wanted to silence her forever. She is determined to uncover the truth of what really happened on the beach after Nia left her that night...and who it was that wanted Ruby dead.
Who sent her that twisted voodoo doll? Who hated Ruby that much they wanted her dead?
Nia soon becomes embroiled in mystery, intrigue and secrets of the island community but her delving into things she doesn't understand are not welcomed and soon Nia finds herself being threatened and the possible target of a killer. Meanwhile, Nia's is forced to face her own personal issues when her husband turns up on the island with the intention of bringing her home.
Can Nia uncover the truth about what happened to Ruby and unmask a killer whilst laying her own demons to rest?
There is plenty of tension and suspense in this atmospheric thriller that is am engrossing whodunit that will have you turning the pages and trying to piece together the clues yourself. Mary Grand has done a fantastic job of piecing everything together in true Christie style with only a handful of suspects and each of them having a motive or opportunity for wanting Ruby dead. Each piece of evidence in turn implicates almost everyone in the close-knit community! Added to that, are the secrets, the voodoo doll and an unsettling religious cult of which Ruby had been a member.
However, there is a downside...and that is that the story itself is not fast paced. In fact there are times it feels almost stagnant and glacial. In some ways I felt some of it could have been shortened to make for a pacier read and yet most of it was integral to the story as a whole. But still there were parts I felt as if I was going round in circles and Nia was just blowing hot air. I didn't care for her husband, the narcissistic arrogant twat who wasn't responsible for anything he did as it was all in Nia's head. But despite this, GOOD NEIGHBOURS did make for an interesting atmospheric read that did keep me glued to the pages throughout regardless. I was so hoodwinked I wanted to know who had done it!
I thought Nia a little naive at times, particularly when she gave her name when trying to remain undercover. The characters were an interesting bunch and they each brought something to the story that made them a little bit suspect. There were plenty of twists and everyone at some point was suspected and yet I couldn't decide which one of them was the villain. It twisted me into knots just trying to figure it out. And then when Nia had a light bulb moment...I was screaming at her for not sharing it with us too!
This is the second book I've read by Mary Grand with "The Island" being the first, also set on the Isle of Wight which certainly makes for an incredibly atmospheric setting. GOOD NEIGHBOURS is certainly vastly different from "The Island" and is just as skillfully written. Despite its slow pace, Grand still draws us in and has readers turning the pages to uncover the truth and find out "whodunnit".
An atmospheric thriller that is also a whodunnit that would make Christie proud, GOOD NEIGHBOURS is an intense read where the tension is palpable right up to the end.
I would like to thank #MaryGrand, #Netgalley, #BoldwoodBooks and #RachelsRandomResources for an ARC of #GoodNeighbours in exchange for an honest review.
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Thank you so much Stina for your wonderful review and thank you for sharing it so generously on so many platforms. I am so grateful for all your support and encouragement and delighted you enjoyed the story xx
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