The People at Number 9 is an engaging novel. It has all of the things that books need to have to be popular at the moment: characters that are complex and are not necessary likeable, some twists and turns and just enough suspense. I raced towards the end of the book, and was frequently irritated by some of the characters actions. The book is relatable: plenty of people get obsessed with neighbours and those who are not like them. Gav and Lou move next door and Sara gets obsessed with her new arty neighbours. They are everything her middle class privilege is not and she yearns to be part of their world. Little does she know this will have huge consequences for her family. This novel is dark and clever. When I got to the end I wanted to read it again. It has a bit of a twist which is written in a smart way. The People at Number 9 is a cautionary tale about getting- and not getting- what you wish for. But mostly, it is about the dangers of envy, betrayal and selfishness. A triumph.

Meet the new neighbours. Whose side are you on?

When Gav and Lou move into the house next door, Sara spends days plucking up courage to say hello. The neighbours are glamorous, chaotic and just a little eccentric. They make the rest of Sara’s street seem dull by comparison.

When the hand of friendship is extended, Sara is delighted and flattered. Incredibly, Gav and Lou seem to see something in Sara and Neil that they admire too. In no time at all, the two couples are soulmates, sharing suppers, bottles of red wine and childcare, laughing and trading stories and secrets late into the night in one another’s houses.

And the more time Sara spends with Gav and Lou, the more she longs to make changes in her own life. But those changes will come at a price. Soon Gav and Lou will be asking things they’ve no right to ask of their neighbours, with shattering consequences for all of them…

Have you met The People at Number 9? A dark and delicious novel about envy, longing and betrayal in the suburbs…

The People at Number 9 is available here.