Reviews

The Bad Neighbour by Jennie Ensor

kaz_loves_books's review

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

It’s March 2020 and the Covid pandemic hits Brampton, a little British backwater village where Tara Sanderson takes it upon herself to set up a community group to help vulnerable residents throughout the crisis. Also, she sets up a Saturday morning stall to help people in need of food, the food is donated or cooked locally for local people. It’s called the Brampton Food Initiative. 

She lives between Elspeth, who has lived there for years and she considers her a friend and Ashley Khan, who she takes an instant dislike to. She tries to get her husband Zac to use her PR services which have nose-dived since Covid started but he’s not interested. As Elspeth has problems with her tinnitus and ordering food from the shops, Tara offers to do her shopping for her and her medication which Elspeth appreciates but as the weeks wear on and it proves more trying then Tara thought, nerves and tempers are tried with both of them. Words are said in the heat of the moment then regretted. In the meantime, Ashley has been popping over for a daily chat with Elspeth which has been riling Tara up. Elspeth then finds out that Tara is stealing from her, so tells her she no longer wants her to do the shopping but Tara guesses that Ashley is taking over. When questioned Elspeth can’t deny it. This leaves things on a very frosty ending. Then Tara comes down with Covid and a few days later Elspeth catches Covid but she has to be admitted to hospital in a very bad way.

One Saturday, Tara has to run the BFI on her own  and there is plenty to share but there are no takers. People are coming and looking then telling her of the rumours they are hearing, things in the meat pie, something in the victoria sponge. At 3pm, the trestle table was still full so she packed the table up and moved elsewhere but sold the stuff hoping no one know. Unfortunately for Tara she had been seen by someone who had taken photographs and then outed her to the group at the next zoom meeting. She couldn’t deny it and they wanted to know how much she got, they were disgusted with her. The vote was taken that she left the group and they have a new leader. She became a total pariah. Everyone in the village blanked her once they knew. She lost her business and she came off social media. She ended up having to go around in disguise to go out. It made her think of her sisters. It made her want revenge. One person she blamed was Ashley for spreading the rumour.

For a short while she reinvented herself as Avril Appleby and changed her appearance to go with the alias. She decided she would get revenge on Ashley and her family, so started a journal noting down anything that might help. She noted down about Layla on the green late one night and Samir being down the allotments with his mates talking about wanting a mosque in Brampton. She then managed to arrange a meeting with a man from the ‘TAF’ and started spreading rumours that way.  This was soon causing Layla and Samir  grief and there were a lot of arguments at home. This soon drew the attention away from Tara and she could walk around without the disguise.

Elspeth and Ashley are wondering if Tara was planning some revenge for them. Their friendship is blossoming and since Elspeth has come out of hospital, Ashley has shared her fears with her, that Tara set out to hurt her and give her Covid. They tried to map out what they knew of Tara’s past and her family but it didn’t amount to much as it wasn’t something she spoke about. Elspeth took it upon herself to visit Tara and ask her questions about her family as well as asking about the fence in the back garden. Tara was surprised that Elspeth was at the front door but she tried to be pleasant but then Elspeth asked about her sisters and where she lived as a child. The hackles went up but she told her that she lived at Dove Cross in Devon. She went into what to her sisters and then they mentioned the fence but then, Elspeth couldn’t wait to get away and tell Ashley what she learnt. They trawled the Dove Cross local site and found the details which sent chilling feelings down their spines. They needed to tread carefully with Tara, who knew what she was capable of.

Would Tara kill her neighbours? Where did her notebook go?

This is a great psychological read with a little bit of humour injected, I was laughing away at snippets that were comically amusing. Brilliantly written with great attention to detail. I like most of the main characters, the main exception is Tara. I think she must be the worst possible neighbour to have and she doesn’t sound very nice at all.

amothersmusings1's review

4.0

Jennie Ensor’s previous novel ‘Silenced’ was an exceedingly hard hitting but brutally entertaining crime thriller that packed a punch from the very first chapter.  Jennie’s latest book called “The Bad Neighbour” is set in a completely different ambience but is still as dark, compelling and addictive. 

 

This thriller was a such a good concept for a story, using the Covid 19 lockdown to highlight the characters emotions and reactions to the guidelines and the trauma of the illness affecting the vulnerable. The author captured every single thing we all experienced, from the over competitiveness of helping in the community, the sometimes selfish attitudes of those helped, to the often unpredictable zoom meetings, queues in supermarkets and fighting over goods that were no longer as widely available. I was literally transported back to the pandemic and every solitary thing mentioned, I related to in full.  Thankfully we’re now far enough past the lockdown to be able to view it with some humour (obviously not lessening the seriousness of the many who suffered or lost a family member). The way Jennie incorporated such a fantastically thought out mystery for the reader to solve, in a setting everyone could relate to, was truly remarkable and kept me turning the pages with interest. The characters were realistic and believable, with an intriguing plot line that held twists, hostilities, long buried secrets that shock the reader but with some fun moments too. I love this author’s writing and I will definitely be back for more in the future! 

#TheBadNeighbour - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

snazzybooks's review

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

4.0

The Bad Neighbour is a very entertaining and enjoyable read that also manages to skillfully tackle some serious themes. We’re taken back to the year everyone wants to forget – 2020 – as Covid first reared its head in communities. In The Bad Neighbour, we’re in one particular neighbourhood in the quiet parish of Brampton. Within this neighbourhood, brimming with intriguing individuals, we are introduced to three central characters: Elspeth, Tara, and Ashley. Each of them carries their own unique set of problems and secrets.

Jennie Ensor, the author, strikes a perfect balance between humour and drama. Even the seemingly mundane aspects of the characters’ lives are remarkably entertaining to read about, thanks to the skilful characterisation. I found myself completely engrossed in their stories, rooting for the engaging protagonists and delighting in despising the loathsome ones. The squabbles and nuances of their relationships with one another were really entertaining. While the novel occasionally had the cosy charm of a crime story, it also delved into serious and shocking subjects that grounded us in reality. There were new moments that required you to suspend your disbelief a little, but they were great fun!

The Bad Neighbour holds some unexpected twists. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a thrilling yet cosy experience, with gritty elements and unforgettable characters that leave a lasting impression.

Many thanks to the publisher Hobeck Books and Rebecca Collins, for providing a copy of this book on which I chose to write an honest review, and for inviting me onto the blog tour!