Carla Kovach is one of my go-to authors on my ever-growing list of favorite authors. If I can request an ARC by Carla, you bet your glasses I would. This book by Carla is also a crime slash psychological thriller and will be out on June the 2^nd.

The people next door is a standalone so you can easily pick it up without to read any prior books to follow a story. I have to say that this time, the story felt somewhat hectic and I don’t know yet if I like it, the story itself and how it plays out is golden, as always.

The book starts with a woman finally going home to find her daughter isn’t there, there is a note on her bed but it’s dated two days prior. Her husband is nowhere to be found which means he’s relapsed into alcoholism again. With panic rising she knows with who her daughter hangs out with – going over to their house only to be harassed by the woman that lives there.

The summers at Clover Lane were fun until they weren’t and Gemma stopped coming altogether, but now that her aunt has died and Gemma actually inherited the house and het husband Ethan having depleted their funds – the only option that they have is, living there while renovating the house so they can sell it and go on with their lives. But as soon as the family moves in to the apartment above the house, everything turns into a nightmare.

All neighbors on Clover Lane start getting anonymous somewhat threatening letters – there are no secrets that this person distributing these letters doesn’t know. Living here could be dangerous. Gemma thinks about her 14-year-old daughter Morgan and forbids her to go into the forest telling her it’s a dangerous place where dark things happen. The only other kid living in the lane named Harry is taking her into the forest anyway where a shed stands called ‘The Den’. Soon to be promoted to an investigative center.

The letters get more threatening and everyone on Clover Lane points the finger to Gemma and her family, since it started happening when they moved in but they couldn’t be more wrong. Gemma had a best friend here when she was a child, her name is Quinn and she still lives here. The click they had back then is still there and they make contact effortlessly but the family dynamics are crumbling. Ethan runs on fumes, angry at the people for pointing their fingers to them – angry that someone keeps breaking into their house – angry that he can’t seem to shake the feeling of not knowing the whole story. 14-year-old Morgan is almost always looking after her little sister Cora, which should not be her job, putting to much stress in the girl. It’s like her parents are busy with their own lives instead of the house or their family and Morgan has to pick up the pieces by making sure Cora is save.

 Tension keeps building until they reach a climax point and all comes crumbling down. Someone falling of a balcony, someone being stabbed, Ethan giving Gemma an STD and then, a long lost secret finally finds it’s way to the light. But what does this mean for the family? And the other members of Clover Lane? Will people die?

Still worth a ⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars though!