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The Killer Next Door
- Narrated by: Imogen Church
- Length: 12 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 19-06-2014
- Language: English
- Publisher: Hachette Audio UK
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $28.09
Publisher's Summary
The electrifying new thriller from the author of the word-of-mouth best-selling sensation The Wicked Girls, Alex Marwood.
No. 23 has a secret. In this bedsit-riddled south London wreck, lorded over by a lecherous landlord, something waits to be discovered. Yet all six residents have something to hide. Collette and Cher are on the run; Thomas is a reluctant loner; while a gorgeous Iranian asylum seeker and a 'quiet man' nobody sees try to stay hidden. And watching over them all is Vesta - or so she thinks.
In the dead of night, a terrible accident pushes the neighbours into an uneasy alliance. But one of them is a killer, expertly hiding their pastime, all the while closing in on their next victim.... As a cloying heatwave suffocates the city, events build to an electrifying climax in this dark, original, and irresistibly compelling thriller.
Critic Reviews
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What members say
Average Customer Ratings
Overall
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4 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars11
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4 Stars8
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3 Stars1
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2 Stars2
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1 Stars1
Performance
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars9
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4 Stars10
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3 Stars0
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2 Stars0
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1 Stars0
Story
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4.5 out of 5 stars
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5 Stars11
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4 Stars6
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3 Stars1
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2 Stars1
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1 Stars0
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- Lisa
- Auckland, New Zealand
- 13-05-2016
Too gruesome. Can't recommend it.
Yes it's totally well written, great characters, great plot development, great narration.
But...the gruesomeness was just too much for me.
Before you buy or listen to this, be warned - this is some of what you'll hear:
The main subject matter - young attractive girls (of course, who's interested if they're not young and attractive) being murdered, then either mummified or dismembered and disposed of via a domestic blender and the plumbing system.
Detailed description of what that does to the plumbing system.
Long descriptive scenes involving obese dead bodies and rooms swimming in raw sewerage. Yes, at the same time.
Descriptions of the same dead body days after being dumped.
Description of an elderly woman being beaten until she's unrecognisable; witnessed by her terrified granddaughter.
Those are just the ones that spring to mind.
If you really like reading/hearing about that kind of thing, then I guess you'll like it.
But a little bit worrying if you really do.
I couldn't help but end up feeling what a shame that a book with everything else going for it had to go way too far down the grisly track and end up just making me feel quite sick.
And also a bit depressed that this kind of thing is so popular.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Virginia Waldron
- 05-01-2016
An All Nighter.
What did you love best about The Killer Next Door?
The story is utterly gripping and I cared about the characters. There is literally not a wasted word in this book. I felt that I was living in this orbit. It literally kept me awake until after 6 am as I simply could not stop listening. All the characters have a fascinating background and a compelling reason to be living in this boarding house. Their diversity and unavoidable crossing of paths is intriguing.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Killer Next Door?
There is a gruesome description of a decaying rodent left on a staircase in order to kill an elderly tenant that was horrifyingly enthralling. The tension that builds as the story evolves beneath seeming normality is beyond eerie. I just wanted to discover more and more as I read.
Which scene was your favorite?
For some reason, I really liked what seems to be a bland and almost mundane scene. The escaped Iranian blogger meets a character who has been caught witnessing a gangland murder and fleeing with a huge amount of laundered cash.. This chance meeting is in the street on a warm day. He goes out of his way to walk her home carrying her bag. Under normal circumstances these two would never encounter each other. Both are seeking refuge and have powerful enemies. Their dialogue is simply wonderful and touching. I don't know why I liked this so much when there are other scenes that are infinitely more thrilling but for some reason, this showed what true humanity lies within all people. It was just beautiful but incidental.
Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
This book made me laugh, cry and inwardly shriek with horror and disgust. It is truly one of the most unexpectedly gripping books I have read this year. I absolutely loved the setting, the suspense and the action. All the characters developed and were really interesting and you find out important things about each one rather than superficial descriptions. You are drawn into their world and live there with them. The heat was an overwhelmingly ghastly aspect to this book and added to the yuck factors which play such a role in what makes this book tick.
Any additional comments?
This is my first encounter with this author. I had no idea how much I would absolutely adore the book. It has been great to discover a new writer. It was amazing to find a book which was genuinely touching, authentic and tense underneath a veneer of mundane life. Everyone matters in this story. Loved it to bits. The narrator was brilliant and I was not even conscious that she was acting. She just became each character and I didn't mentally judge her acting because it was as though she wasn't playing each part but actually was each part.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anna
- 27-06-2014
Excellent - more please!
Gripping novel of colliding circumstances & lives.
Fabulously eccentric and believable characters - well written and well narrated.
What more could anyone want?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- garry
- 07-07-2014
Who Do You Trust?!
Would you consider the audio edition of The Killer Next Door to be better than the print version?
I am not sure as I have only listened to the audio book version
What other book might you compare The Killer Next Door to, and why?
I have yet to listen to a book like this one
Which character – as performed by Imogen Church – was your favourite?
Cher as her cheeky Liverpool accent is spot on!
Any additional comments?
One of the best books that I have listened to in a while.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Phyllis Smith
- 06-09-2015
Not my cup of tea
Too gory for me! I had to return the book before I could finish it.
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bookworm
- 06-11-2014
listened all night!
Where does The Killer Next Door rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
It would be number one or two, definitely. It gripped me from start to finish, if it had been a physical book i wouldn't have been able to put it down! The characterisation, plot and narration were all excellent.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Killer Next Door?
When the author speaks through the voice of Vesta (sp?), he manages to get us to completely understand whay it must feel like to be this elderly woman, stuck in a secured tenancy.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
Not going to say because of spoilers!
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
In parts it made me cry, and in parts it made me laugh - very clever.
Any additional comments?
Would highly recommend, and the previous work by this author, Wicked Girls.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. J. M. Benjamin-potts
- 21-09-2015
thoroughly enjoyed it!
brilliantly written, well thought out characters, believable storyline and perfectly narrated by Imogen Church! I would highly recommend this book.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Linda
- 30-06-2014
Bedsit Land Bedlam
If you could sum up The Killer Next Door in three words, what would they be?
Exciting, Stomach Churning & Satisfying
What other book might you compare The Killer Next Door to, and why?
Can't think of another book quite like this
Which scene did you most enjoy?
I really liked the aftermath of the landlords demise, how all the other characters worked together to help each other and especially Vesta.
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Yes, Cher made me laugh and cry as did Colette's response to her mother's death.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed the entire book, felt like I knew the characters well enough to really care what happened to them. I thought the narration was excellent and there were a couple of surprises so it was definitely not predictable.
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mrs
- 07-07-2014
Gripping tale.
What did you like most about The Killer Next Door?
Really enjoyed this story for it's characters, the performance and the turns this story took.
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Killer Next Door?
Without giving too much away, one of the deaths in this book is horribly cringeworthy and revolting. Actually, there are many many memorable moments in this story which is what kept me so engaged!
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The culmination of the lovestory in this book was tender and lovely, I was rooting for them.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I would happily listened to it all in one go. No dull moments.
Any additional comments?
Really enjoyed the autors first book, and this follow up did not disappoint. Lively characters, absurd (somewhat) story lines which somehow managed to not feel absurd at all at the time but made the book all the more interesting and gruesome and a little fun.
Most definitely recommended.
8 of 9 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- The Book Thief
- 29-06-2016
Do you really know your neighbours?
Dark, tense, funny, with great characters and superbly read by Imogen Church. Not sure why this book stayed in my library for so long before reading it but I'm so glad I have now.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Linn
- 23-06-2016
Marwood's best!
I loved everything about this book. The characters were at times a.bit too believable and there are some moments I advice you not to read while you eat. But all in all this is perfection from the story to the narrator.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Patricia
- 25-03-2016
Not for the squeamish!
I've read or listened to the other Alex Marwood stories and enjoyed them very much.
This one is harder to enjoy. Lots of gruesome and graphic details of rotting corpses isn't for the faint hearted. The narrator is excellent but the story is way too long and quite slow moving in parts.
Still worth a listen though, and I look forward to her next book!
7 of 8 people found this review helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ellie
- 27-12-2015
More a character driven novel than crime driven.
Any additional comments?
A bedsit in London with the kind of occupants who wish to remain off the grid, a house of secrets and lies. Everybody has something to hide, some more than others. This was a fantastic and gripping page turner that I consumed in one sitting. Disturbing and creepy, great characters and a twisted killer, this is definitely worth reading if you like crime fiction.
The motley crew of characters who are all so completely unique. The tenants in this apartment building know and watch out for each other with the exception of their slum landlord. Each of them have a secret that if revealed could be their demise.
Imogen Church does an excellent Job with the narration -as always.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful