The Killer Next Door: A Novel

I enjoy a good crime thriller. I'm not keen on gratuitous description of violent acts. That said, The Killer Next Door is not for those of faint heart; there are some stomach churning moments. Alex Marwood creates a real sense of revulsion and fear as events unfold at a London bedsit. Each room has a story. None are particularly happy and the great strength of the book lies with each of the characters whose lives converge and transgress.

Totally nailed are the misfits and dispossessed, regardless of age and gender. There's a whole slice of Social Service and bedsit land life here. Who really knows what goes on behind closed doors? I was, I turn, reviled and compelled by both events and descriptions. It's a thin line for an author wanting to explore the darker psyches. How to depict stark reality, maintain character and plot credibility and keep the reader engaged? I have a strong stomach for detail and this took me to the edge. A multi layered plot, with a serial killer in the midst, a pervy landlord, others both hunted and haunted by the past.

This book explores some truly dark themes, the underbelly of life in the back streets by those with something to hide. Alluding to real life crime and sensationalist stories that feature daily in the tabloid press, Alex Marwood's skill with words takes the tale into a different dimension. There are elements of farce in some scenes which lighten the mood without taking it into the absurd. Clever and skilful, this story had an almost tangible grip. I raced to the end with a dual sense of relief and disappointment. Superb storytelling that sets the pulse racing.