Wow – Top Notch

Those People Next Door by Kia Abdullah is a totally gripping contemporary crime drama that consumed me from the start.

Kia Abdullah is a marvelous author whose novels are always top notch. She writes gritty fiction that is always heart breaking.

In Those People Next Door we witness, with horror, the lengths that some people will go to in order to destroy others. Instead of offering olive branches, it is bitter barbs. These barbs sink in, destroying characters from the inside out as we see the damage that hurt and bitterness can do. Characters lose their morality incredibly quickly.

Once more Kia Abdullah introduces the reader to an urban neighbourhood. It is supposed to be a safe haven but proves more deadly than the estates the family left behind.

The reader sees the tensions that simmer and boil over, as tolerance is a thing of the past. There appears to be a role reversal as we witness teens acting more grown up than the adults, as they unite over common ground.

Racial tensions are high as characters try to score points off each other. Criminal activity abounds, but who is behind it all?

Kia Abdullah instils fear into the reader as we read with baited breath, a scene between the police and a young BAME teen. The reader is aware of what could potentially happen.

There are some superb courtroom scenes. We read, hoping that justice will prevail.

As the novel rose to its climax, I gasped out loud, almost unable to believe my eyes and ears.

Kia Abdullah writes top notch fiction that is unequalled in her field. She holds the reader’s attention and she breaks our hearts as we realise – no one has learnt from the lessons of the past. History is doomed to repeat itself.

Those People Next Door was an excellent read.

I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

JULIA WILSON