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You can choose your house. Not your neighbours. Salma Khatun is extremely hopeful about Blenheim, the safe suburban development to which she, her husband and their son have just moved. Their family is in desperate need of a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like the place to make that happen. Not long after they move in, Salma spots her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner she put in her front garden. She chooses not to confront Tom because she wants to fit in. It's a small thing, really. No need to make a fuss. So Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window instead. But the next morning she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. This time she does confront Tom, and the battle lines between the two families are drawn. As things begin to escalate and the stakes become higher and higher, it's clear that a reckoning is coming… And someone is going to get hurt. . A gripping thriller about nightmare neighbours, Those People Next Door explores the loss of innocence and how far we’re prepared to go to defend ourselves and the people we love.
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Those People Next Door follows Salma Khatun and her family in their move to a new town. Shortly after moving in, Salma witnesses her neighbour, Tom Hutton, ripping out a Black Lives Matter banner in her yard. After this, things begin to escalate and drama ensues between the Khatun and Hutton families.
This was an interesting and gripping read. I love the depictions of racism and how the book showcases the impact of both those who suffer from it and those who are wrongly accused of it. It was very thought provoking.
It did start off a little bit slow to me when the plot was being set, but it eventually had me hooked.
I loved the court scenes. It was very immersive, and Abdullah does a great job at depicting the courtroom process. Sometimes these scenes can drag, but Abdullah did a great job at making it short and sweet.
There were some great plot twists sprinkled throughout, and there was a big twist at the end. The full truth was not revealed until the end and it had me shocked. Although, if I’m honest, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the truth.
Overall, this book is very relevant and applicable to today’s society. If you are at all interested in legal thrillers or crime, I would definitely check this one out! As I said, Abdullah does a fantastic job of writing the legal process.
I’ve heard great things of some of Abdullah’s other novels as well, and I can’t wait to check them out.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Canada for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!
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