You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.7 AVERAGE
3.7 AVERAGE
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Minor: Infidelity, Sexual content
When I first requested an advanced readers copy of The Resident, I was very excited! There has been so much hype on book-twitter and a lot of blogger friends loved it. I am very weary of getting involved in hyped books because I really don’t want to be disappointed. I expected a strong psychological thriller but boy…this beast packed a spine shattering punch! Imagine my delight when from chapter one onwards – I knew this was going to be the kind of dark and depraved that I live for in a crime novel.
The title and that mind-blowing cover set my imagination crazy. Imagine a serial killer actually living in your attic…watching your every move, eating your food, going through your possessions and using your shower. Yikes! The Resident was a slow of burn of mystery and intrigue, a dialogue between himself and his inner voice (truth be told, I wasn’t fully convinced that he didn’t have schizophrenia). The back story was indeed heart-breaking and points I did feel bad for our antagonist, but again, lots of people have traumatising childhoods and don’t go around killing people!
Thomas Brogan is on the run. The police are finally on to him after his latest kill. There’s police helicopters trying to hunt him down – he literally has nowhere left to hide. That is until he finds an abandoned house. He goes on to discover that the houses attic leads into the neighbour’s attic spaces. He can’t believe his luck. Access to food and the even more enticing aspect; access to victims. He gets to know Elsie, the sweet old lady that is still grieving for her long-departed son, the couple who never stop bickering and the fairbrights. The fairbrights are the perfect set of victims for Brogan, they aren’t long married, and they appear to be deeply in love, right? The mind games and plotting begin.
For me, The Resident is at its core a story about pain and suffering and what happens when a mind breaks down. Brogan has had a terrible upbringing. We learn more of that as the story progresses. We learn the truth of what snapped him into starting his killing spree, his awkwardness and difficult times as a child, of the things that brought him happiness. You are given that snippet of life, so you get an inkling into just how far he has fallen from the humanity tree.
David Jackson for me has written a story that is naturally flowing. The characterisation isn’t forced, but it just flows organically. A lot of it will resonate with the readers. It’s a dark and terrifying story, it gives a behind the scenes on newspaper stories, It’s like a rotten apple…it soon spreads to the rest.
The Resident has a lot going on. Secrets are revealed, personalities and behaviours change. I was certainly taken on a whirlwind of a read. The author treaded the line between crime thriller and psychological thriller and had me aching for more more more. Man, this was some book!
The title and that mind-blowing cover set my imagination crazy. Imagine a serial killer actually living in your attic…watching your every move, eating your food, going through your possessions and using your shower. Yikes! The Resident was a slow of burn of mystery and intrigue, a dialogue between himself and his inner voice (truth be told, I wasn’t fully convinced that he didn’t have schizophrenia). The back story was indeed heart-breaking and points I did feel bad for our antagonist, but again, lots of people have traumatising childhoods and don’t go around killing people!
Thomas Brogan is on the run. The police are finally on to him after his latest kill. There’s police helicopters trying to hunt him down – he literally has nowhere left to hide. That is until he finds an abandoned house. He goes on to discover that the houses attic leads into the neighbour’s attic spaces. He can’t believe his luck. Access to food and the even more enticing aspect; access to victims. He gets to know Elsie, the sweet old lady that is still grieving for her long-departed son, the couple who never stop bickering and the fairbrights. The fairbrights are the perfect set of victims for Brogan, they aren’t long married, and they appear to be deeply in love, right? The mind games and plotting begin.
For me, The Resident is at its core a story about pain and suffering and what happens when a mind breaks down. Brogan has had a terrible upbringing. We learn more of that as the story progresses. We learn the truth of what snapped him into starting his killing spree, his awkwardness and difficult times as a child, of the things that brought him happiness. You are given that snippet of life, so you get an inkling into just how far he has fallen from the humanity tree.
David Jackson for me has written a story that is naturally flowing. The characterisation isn’t forced, but it just flows organically. A lot of it will resonate with the readers. It’s a dark and terrifying story, it gives a behind the scenes on newspaper stories, It’s like a rotten apple…it soon spreads to the rest.
The Resident has a lot going on. Secrets are revealed, personalities and behaviours change. I was certainly taken on a whirlwind of a read. The author treaded the line between crime thriller and psychological thriller and had me aching for more more more. Man, this was some book!
dark
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found this cleverly written and a very unique kind of story. The ending was a complete surprise and I was impressed with how mental health was portrayed.
Omg I was bored to death with this 1 but did finish it. Nothing really happens in the story to make a good read. I'm just happy I've finished it and can start a new book
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
First of all, I want to say that I saw this book last year commented by reviewers saying how good it was, now that I had the chance to read it, I can totally understand them, this is a read that any crime lover will enjoy, different and hunting it will not let you sleep. Ready?
This is not a story to discover who the killer is or the motive, you know it from the beginning, the mystery here is who will survive during his killing spree, because he is watching 3 families from the attic and his mind games are about to start, who will be the first one to die?
The story is told in first person, by the killer Thomas Brogan, explaining what he sees and his conversations with the dark side on his mind, we will review some memories from the past, to make us understand him the way he is and how he feels, he didn’t have an easy childhood but, what makes someone to cross the line between being angry to the world or being a killer? This is not an answer that this book will have, but it will make you think about it, don’t doubt it.
In this book the reader will feel like a voyeur, watching the families lives, their secret conversations and private moments, but as you can imagine everyone has secrets, could it be the end of their lives as they know it? If Thomas decides it, their fate will be sealed, that’s why he is an experienced killer without any remorse, and only one goal in his life, to kill.
I really enjoyed this read, how the reader portrayed an amazing character making the reader fear for his life even when he was the dangerous one on the story, you fear for his possible victim’s lives, but as you start discovering their secrets, you start feeling the killing spree too…
Ready to discover The Resident?
This is not a story to discover who the killer is or the motive, you know it from the beginning, the mystery here is who will survive during his killing spree, because he is watching 3 families from the attic and his mind games are about to start, who will be the first one to die?
The story is told in first person, by the killer Thomas Brogan, explaining what he sees and his conversations with the dark side on his mind, we will review some memories from the past, to make us understand him the way he is and how he feels, he didn’t have an easy childhood but, what makes someone to cross the line between being angry to the world or being a killer? This is not an answer that this book will have, but it will make you think about it, don’t doubt it.
In this book the reader will feel like a voyeur, watching the families lives, their secret conversations and private moments, but as you can imagine everyone has secrets, could it be the end of their lives as they know it? If Thomas decides it, their fate will be sealed, that’s why he is an experienced killer without any remorse, and only one goal in his life, to kill.
I really enjoyed this read, how the reader portrayed an amazing character making the reader fear for his life even when he was the dangerous one on the story, you fear for his possible victim’s lives, but as you start discovering their secrets, you start feeling the killing spree too…
Ready to discover The Resident?
I did not like it. There wasn’t much explained and nothing was really happening for a long time. The ending was disappointing and there really wasn’t much to it. I personally don’t recommend, although it was an easy read.