Review Round-Up: Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, Follow Me by Kathleen Barber & You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen.

Malcom Kershaw appreciates the riddle of a good mystery more than most. As the co-owner of Old Devils, a bookshop specialising in the crime and mystery genre, Mal has experienced enough red herrings and plot twists to last him a lifetime. These days, Mal can anticipate those so-called unexpected plot twists long before they actually occur on the page. It’s all left him a little jaded, truth be told. Mal is definitely one of those hard-to-please readers who never finds a happy in any ending. 

It’s a good thing then that FBI agent Gwen Mulvey has come along to brighten up Mal’s day with some real life unsolved murders – murders which are seemingly linked to a long-forgotten blog post of Mal’s entitled ‘Eight Perfect Murders.’ Like most bloggers, Mal assumes that people don’t actually take the time to read his blog, much less pay attention to it, but somebody does…and that somebody has murder in mind.

In a sometimes crowded genre, Peter Swanson stands out as a writer who delivers every time - and has fun while doing so. While Swanson is a writer who unashamedly wears his influences on his sleeve, most notably in 2015’s The Kind Worth Killing, his work finds originality in both richly-drawn characters (I’ll never forget Lily Kintner) and in intricately-woven plotlines that make for a truly pleasurable reading experience.

Fans of crime classics such as Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train and Agatha Christie’s A.B.C. Murders will savour some delicious twists as they accompany unassuming Mal (who has a few secrets of his own!) and Agent Gwen Mulvey (who, you guessed it, is harbouring a few secrets too!) as they strive to uncover the face behind a series of seemingly perfect murders.

Four Stars

Published March 3rd 2020 by William Morrow

Purchased

*****

Audrey Miller is living the dream. A successful Instagram influencer, with one million followers and counting, Audrey has just scored her dream job as social media manager at the Smithsonian. Sure, her new job means that Audrey will have to up roots from New York to D.C., but Audrey is up for the challenge, and while D.C. may not be as ‘grammable as NYC, Audrey is sure that the city has its charms. Unfortunately, those charms do not include Audrey’s new apartment, which is basement level, with a broken lock, and a creepy upstairs neighbour to boot. No matter. Audrey’s not the kind of girl to let such trivialities get her down. After all, she’s got more important things to worry about – like keeping her online fans happy. Gotta update the ‘gram.

Follow Me opens with an author’s note that piqued my interest and got me thinking about my own online behaviour: the takeaway being that I really should place a sticker over my webcam. Audrey Miller needs to do the same. Though Audrey is tech savvy, she is not entirely internet safe, often revealing personal information, along with her real-time whereabouts. It’s no surprise that among her one million followers, Audrey has accumulated the usual bots and trolls. Unfortunately for her, Audrey has also acquired a stalker, one who knows where she lives…One who sneaks into her apartment at night and watches her sleep…

Ugh. Creepy! 

An entertaining thriller with an excellent premise, Follow Me kept me guessing right till the end, with multiple suspects to choose from and a whole lot of red herrings too. While, for me, a lot of thrillers fall flat right at the end, I’m pleased to say that this one didn’t. The ending is unconventional and even fun – in a very twisted kind of way.

Read it if you liked YOU by Caroline Kepnes.

3.5 stars

Published February 25th 2020 by Gallery Books

Received for review

*****

Shay Miller’s life is in freefall. Ever since Shay witnessed a suicide on a subway platform, her life has gone from already bad to even worse. For one, since she witnessed the suicide, Shay hasn’t been able to bring herself to take the subway, which has impacted her already not-so-great career prospects. Secondly, Shay can’t get the dead woman, a nurse called Amanda Evinger, out of her head. Shay goes so far as to attend the Amanda’s memorial service, in order to hopefully gain some closure, but it doesn’t work. Worse still, Shay feels entirely alone in the city that never sleeps. She eats alone. Sleeps alone. Shay has no one to turn to. No one to talk to. 

Enter the Moore sisters. Savvy, successful and stylish, Jane and Cassandra Moore are everything that Shay is not – and everything she wishes she could be. When Shay meets the sisters at the memorial service for their friend, Amanda, she is charmed by their warmth and grace. When Jane and Cassandra extend an offer of friendship, Shay is flattered, quickly accepting any and all social invitations that come her way. Jane and Cassandra go above and beyond in their friendship with Shay, treating her to fun makeovers and lavishing her with expensive gifts. But to what end? And why, when she looks in the mirror lately, does Shay see Amanda Evinger staring back at her?

It seems that Shay has started living Amanda Evinger’s life. She’s even living in the dead woman’s apartment. Shay is not quite sure how that happened, and as for the blood-stained clothes on the floor, she has no idea where those came from. But Shay is sure that her new friends, the Moore sisters, will help. Only problem is, Jane and Cassandra Moore are no longer taking Shay’s calls….

While not as deliciously twisty as their debut, The Wife Between Us, Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen nevertheless kept me invested – and certainly kept me guessing - with this expertly-plotted and often surprising tale of sisterhood, obsession and revenge. 

3.5 Stars

Published March 3rd 2020 by St. Martin's Press

Received for review

20 Books I Can't Wait to Read in 2020 - Part I - Mysteries & Thrillers.

I love making a list and checking it twice, don't you? No, wait, Santa's been and gone, I got that all wrong! I do love compiling reading lists, though, mainly so I can look back at them at year's end and lament all the shiny new books I was so excited to read that are now beginning to gather dust on my bookshelf. I have form when it comes to this. My TBR boasts dusty books dating  way back to 2010 (The Distant Hours by Kate Morton - in case you were wondering). But let's not talk about that. I have good intentions. And I intend to read all of the following books. Let's see if that happens. Spoiler alert: it totally won't.

Over the next few days I'll be listing twenty books I can't wait to read in 2020. Part I is mysteries and thrillers (because I read those most), followed by Part II -  Adult Fiction (not including mysteries and thrillers) and Part III  - YA Fiction. 

Below you'll find a bunch of thrilling upcoming releases from some of my favourite authors including Sarah Pinborough and Peter Swanson along with a whole host of 2020 debuts I can't wait to read.

Enjoy - and let me know if any of my 2020 must reads are on your reading list!

*****

For fans of Liane Moriarty, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jewell, a twisty psychological thriller about a savvy second wife who will do almost anything to come out on top from the New York Times bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes.

Being the second wife can be murder . . .

“Once a cheat, always a cheat,” they say. Marcie Maddox has worked hard to get where she is after the illicit affair that started her new life a few years ago. But her world of country clubs, yachts and sumptuous houses in Savannah, Georgia, isn’t easy to maintain, no matter how hard she tries. Nor is keeping her husband, Jason, truly interested.

So, when Jason’s boss brings home a hot new wife from his trip to London, the young Mrs William Radford IV isn’t quite the souvenir everyone expected. Sexy, drop-dead gorgeous and black—Keisha quickly usurps Marcie’s place as the beautiful second wife. But when Marcie sees the extra spark in the room when Keisha and Jason are together and their obvious, magnetic attraction, the gloves come off.

Revenge is best served cold, but in the steamy Savannah heat, blood runs so hot that this summer it might just boil over into murder.

Dead to Her by Sarah Pinborough releases February 11th 2020 from William Morrow.

*****

How well do you know your family?

Estranged for a decade, sisters Leslie and Robin must reunite if they are to claim the fortune their father left them. Leslie desperately needs that money, but when she arrives at her sister's apartment, she finds her body instead. Leslie needs another plan. Without Robin, she won't see a penny.

Mary, an aspiring actress, spends her nights slinging beers at a seedy restaurant. She'd do anything to start her life over. When Leslie offers her a huge sum of money and the chance to be someone else – to be Robin – she takes it.

But Robin's life isn't as straightforward as Mary thought it would be. And Leslie seems to have secrets and a past of her own . . .

Told from three perspectives: Leslie, Mary, Robin.

The question is: who is the better liar?

THE BETTER LIAR is clever, dark and addictive - perfect if you loved GONE GIRL and LITTLE DEATHS.

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones releases February 6th 2020 from Harvill Secker. 

*****

Twenty-five years ago, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and her charismatic teacher disappeared without trace...

In an elite Catholic girls' boarding-school the pupils live under the repressive, watchful gaze of the nuns. Seeking to break from the cloistered atmosphere two of the students - Louisa and Victoria - quickly become infatuated with their young, bohemian art teacher, and act out passionately as a result. That is, until he and Louisa suddenly disappear.

Years later, a journalist uncovers the troubled past of the school and determines to resolve the mystery of the missing pair. The search for the truth will uncover a tragic, mercurial tale of suppressed desire and long-buried secrets. It will shatter lives and lay a lost soul to rest.

The Temple House Vanishing is a stunning, intensely atmospheric novel of unrequited longing, dark obsession and uneasy consequences.

The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue releases February 6th 2020 from Corvus.

*****

A wedding celebration turns dark and deadly in this deliciously wicked and atmospheric thriller reminiscent of Agatha Christie from the author of The Hunting Party.

The bride ‧ The plus one ‧ The best man ‧ The wedding planner ‧ The bridesmaid ‧ The body

On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one. The groom: handsome and charming, a rising television star. The bride: smart and ambitious, a magazine publisher. It’s a wedding for a magazine, or for a celebrity: the designer dress, the remote location, the luxe party favors, the boutique whiskey. The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed.

But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes. The groomsmen begin the drinking game from their school days. The bridesmaid not-so-accidentally ruins her dress. The bride’s oldest (male) friend gives an uncomfortably caring toast.

And then someone turns up dead. Who didn’t wish the happy couple well? And perhaps more important, why?

The Guest List by Lucy Foley releases February 20th 2020 from HarperCollins.

*****

Their children are friends first. They hit it off immediately, as kids do. And so the parents are forced to get to know each other. Three wildly different couples. Three marriages, floundering.

There are barbecues, dinner parties, a holiday in Greece. An affair begins, resentments flare, and despite it all the three women become closer.

Unnoticed their children run wild. The couples are so busy watching each other that they forget to watch their children. Until tragedy strikes.

But the summer wont be over until our story twists, and twists again, while three families search desperately for answers. Because while they have been looking the other way, evil has crept into their safe little world and every parent's biggest nightmare is about to come true...

Little Friends by Jane Shemilt releases February 20th 2020 from Penguin. 

*****

Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack—which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”—chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Death Trap, A. A. Milne's Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox's Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, John D. Macdonald's The Drowner, and Donna Tartt's A Secret History.

But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookshop in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move—a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.

To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects—and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead—and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape. 

Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson releases March 3rd 2020 from William Morrow.

*****

The thrilling new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling authors of An Anonymous Girl and The Wife Between Us.

You probably know someone like Shay Miller.

She wants to find love, but it eludes her.

She wants to be fulfilled, but her job is a dead end.

She wants to belong, but her life is so isolated.

You probably don’t know anyone like the Moore sisters.

They have an unbreakable circle of friends.

They live the most glamorous life.

They always get what they desire.

Shay thinks she wants their life.

But what they really want is hers.

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen releases March 3rd 2020 from St. Martin's Press. 

*****

Sharp Objects meets My Lovely Wife in this tightly drawn debut that peels back the layers of the most complicated of mother-daughter relationships...

For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold.

Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar.

After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes.

Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she's forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score.

Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling...

Darling  Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel releases March 17th 2020 from Berkley.

*****

My Top Five Reads of 2019!

Another year is almost at and end - and you know what that means, right?

That's right - it's time for me to round up my favourite reads of the past twelve months.

2019 was a pretty good year reading-wise and, even though I fell two books short of completing my Goodreads reading challenge, (reading distractions included THIS PODCAST) I did read a bunch of great books this year - including a whole host of twisty thrillers and a bunch of YA contemps.

Here's what made the cut.

Let me know if we share any 2019 favourites!

*****

Meticulously researched and compellingly told, Juno Dawson's Meat Market takes a deep dive into the dark underbelly of the starry supermodel scene, via up-and-coming model Jana Novak, as she navigates a whole new and unusual world of model agents, catwalks and go-sees. As someone who has always been fascinated with the behind-the-scenes of the fashion industry, I loved this so much I couldn't get enough so much so that I devoured it all at once. Meat Market is my book of the year for 2019!

Read my review of CLEAN by Juno Dawson

WONDERLAND by Juno Dawson releases May 2020

*****

When I first started this blog I was YA all the way. Nowadays, while I still read YA, though less of the vampires more of the YA contemporary romance, a good thriller is my main book of choice more often than not. To that effect, I've read the good, the bad, and the downright ugly of mysteries and thrillers. One author who never disappoints or fails to surprise is Peter Swanson. His 2019 offering Before She Knew Him is a real treat with a twist I truly did not see coming!

Read my review of THE KIND WORTH KILLING by Peter Swanson

EIGHT PERFECT MURDERS by Peter Swanson releases March 2020

*****

Despite adding several of Ruth Ware's books to my TBR over the years 'The Turn of the Key' is the first book of Ware's that I've actually read. All I can say is: why did I wait so long? Creepy and atmospheric, The Turn of the Key is a chilling mystery filled with a number of great Gothic tropes: a creepy isolated house, a treacherous poison garden, creepy kids, and things that go bump in the night. There's even a smidge of romance. But this book is not about happy endings. Oh no. I loved this mystery and will definitely be reading more by Ruth Ware in the future.

*****

From Old Hollywood to 1970's Rock Gods Taylor Jenkins Reid can do no wrong. Am I right? This follow up to the unforgettable Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, told in oral history format, takes the reader behind the music with rock superstars Daisy Jones and the Six. While I didn't *love* the oral history format of this book - I feel like this would have been higher on my list if a traditional narrative had been employed - I love the subject matter so much that it had to make my list. And Daisy Jones is pretty special. I can't wait to watch Riley Keough bring her to life when the series based on the book hits Amazon prime. Also exited for the new TJR novel MALIBU BURNING, news of which I stumbled up while researching this piece. And by research, I mean I Googled Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Read my review of THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid

*****

What are your ingredients for a perfect summer? For me it's great weather, good times, lots of beach days and, of course, a new Sarah Dessen novel to read. This sweet lakeside coming-of-age tale is classic feelgood Dessen. Guaranteed to make you feel better about life and leave you with a smile on your face.

Read my review of  THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER by Sarah Dessen

*****

So there you have my top five reads of 2019. Did any of my faves make your list?

Now for the bonus round....

AN HONOURABLE MENTION GOES TO...

I read a bunch of thrillers this year and simply couldn't include them all on my list. With two thrillers already in my Top Five I felt I needed to mix things up a bit. Nevertheless, I want to give Rewind by Catherine Ryan Howard a special mention: a fast-paced, brilliantly-plotted page turner with a clever premise that will make you think twice about staying in a hotel or a cosy cottage retreat ever again. *Shudder* This is creepy stuff!

Read my review of DISTRESS SIGNALS by Catherine Ryan Howard

*****

THE BACKLIST READ THAT GAVE ME ALL THE FEELS...

All the stars. SWOON. I've had this book on my shelf for six years. SIX YEARS. Which goes to show how insanely out of control my TBR pile is.  I can't believe it took me so long to read My Life Next Door (especially since I had heard all good things). I loved this one. Swoony Swoon. The Boy Most Likely To (a companion novel to My Life Next Door) is currently on my bedside table waiting for me to dive in. Hopefully it doesn't take me another six years to get around to reading that one!

*****

THE MUCH-HYPED READ I WANTED TO LOVE BUT DIDN'T...

I guess there's always one. Actually, two much-hyped reads missed the mark for me this year. I also failed to feel the love for Lisa Taddeo's much-lauded THREE WOMEN.  With regards to THE SILENT PATIENT, which I rated two-star 'just OK' read on Goodreads, I'm very much in the minority. Almost everyone I know loved this book (it even won a Goodreads award for Best Mystery & Thriller!). Alas, from the writing, to the characters, to the plot twists, which I figured out very early on (it all went downhill from there), this one just didn't work for me.

*****

Book Reviews: Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager & All the Beautiful Lies by Peter Swanson.

Hot on the heels of a successful exhibition, artist Emma Davis should be on top of the world. Instead, Emma feels like a fraud, her paintings borne out of a tragedy that happened fifteen years earlier. Emma resolves to move on with her life and her work – but she can’t let go. She can’t stop thinking about Vivian, Natalie and Allison – three girls who disappeared without a trace from their shared cabin at summer camp fifteen years ago. These girls dominate every aspect of Emma’s life – her work, her dreams – most of all her nightmares. Even now, all these years later, Emma can’t stop thinking about the missing girls of Camp Nightingale. She also can’t stop thinking about all the lies she told in the aftermath of their disappearance. 

When Emma is presented with an opportunity to return to the newly opened Camp Nightingale as an art tutor, she knows she shouldn’t go – deep down she knows that re-visiting her past is a bad idea. But Emma also wants to move on with her life; she’s determined to resolve the mystery of the missing girls of Camp Nightingale, so that she might finally lay the ghosts of her past to rest. 

Emma might want to let go of her past, but there’s just one problem: Emma’s past is very much not done with her yet. 

Inspired by Picnic at Hanging Rock, Sager’s follow up to the excellent Final Girls is slow moving at times, but its killer denouement and delicious final twist make Last Time I Lied a mystery that is definitely worth checking out. 

3.5 Stars -- Good read. I enjoyed it pretty much. Worth checking out. 

Published July 12th 2018 by Ebury Press. 
Received for review.

*****

Harry Ackerson is just days away from college graduation when he receives news that shocks him to the core: Harry’s father has fallen to his death from the cliffs near his house in Maine. Grief stricken, Harry returns to Maine to lend support to his step-mother during this tragic time. Once home, Harry learns the police believe his father died by suicide. But Harry knows that’s not true. It can’t be. Bill Ackerson had everything to live for, not least a happy home life with his beautiful, much younger, wife, Alice. The news of his father’s possible suicide is something that doesn’t sit right with Harry. It just doesn’t add up. Guess what? Harry’s hunch is correct. Bill Ackerson didn’t fall from those cliffs. He didn’t commit suicide either. No - judging from the marks on Bill Ackerson’s head, Harry’s father was quite clearly, brutally, murdered. But why? 

As Harry begins to conduct his own investigation into his father’s murder, he’s distracted by one thing: Alice. Now, grief does strange things to people, but it’s fair to say that Alice’s behaviour towards her step-son in the aftermath of his father’s death is more than a little odd. Not that Harry’s complaining. After all, beautiful Alice is hard to resist. After all, Alice always gets what she wants. 

If you’re a veteran of Peter Swanson’s novels (The Kind Worth Killing, Her Every Fear) then you’ll know that this author writes thrillers that are wickedly twisted and often feature female protagonists that, though rotten to the core, you’ll find yourself rooting for (Lily Kintner, anyone?!) Alice is no different. She’s a woman with a complicated past, let’s say. And that's just for starters.... 

A compelling thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish, All the Beautiful Lies is yet another winner from master of mystery Peter Swanson. 

Up next from Peter Swanson: Before She Knew Him releases March 2019.

Four Stars -- Very good read. Liked it a lot. Recommended.

Published April 3rd 2018 by William Morrow.

Received for review.

***** 

Book Review: Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson.

Product details:
Publisher: William Morrow.
Hardcover, 352 pages.
Release date: January 10th 2017.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
Ages: Adult
Source: Received from publisher for review.

 Trading apartments with her Boston cousin seemed like a good idea to Kate. She might finally shake off the nightmares that have haunted her. On arrival, she discovers that the woman in the next apartment has been brutally murdered. Kate’s worst fears are about to be realized, as the police come to suspect her cousin as the killer. There are other bodies in his past that she has yet to learn of.

HER EVERY FEAR is a classic nail-biter about a troubled young woman in jeopardy. This novel echoes those of Patricia Highsmith at her best.

  

Haunted by a traumatic past that threatens to define her, Kate Priddy is ready for a change. So, when her distant cousin Corbin Dell gets in touch to propose an apartment swap, Kate gladly accepts. For six months, Corbin will live in Kate’s tiny London apartment, while Kate will relocate to Boston, where she’ll take up residence in Corbin’s luxurious Beacon Hill abode. It sounds like a sweet deal to Kate. But, there’s a catch. Soon after Kate arrives in Boston, things start to take a turn for the dark, when the woman in the apartment next to Corbin’s goes missing, only to turn up dead. Kate is used to this kind of darkness. In fact, you could say it follows her around. A murder right next door? It’s not going to deter Kate from enjoying her time in Boston ---at least not at first. However, as the murder investigation gets underway and police questioning comes into play, it seems that this distant cousin of Kate’s, well, he just might be hiding some very dark secrets indeed.

I was first introduced to Peter Swanson’s work via The Kind Worth Killing, which featured the deliciously evil Lily Kintner, and earned Swanson a well-deserved place on my list of auto-buy authors.  Swanson writes stories that capture the imagination with well-drawn characters, backstories that always delve into darkness and multiple twists, many of which will truly surprise. Her Every Fear is another compelling read, once that grabbed me from the get go and kept me hooked throughout. I will say, though, that I had a some issue with the structure of this book, in so far as that at a certain point in the tale,  each major reveal was followed by a step back in time where the events leading to that reveal are relayed from the perspective of another character. This made for a loss of momentum, at times, as it slowed the action down.  When I’m reading a thriller, I want to know what happens next – I don’t want to know what I already know, told from a different perspective. This was definitely my major gripe with this book.

All that said, Her Every Fear is a solid thriller that piqued my curiosity and kept me invested till the end. Is Kate’s cousin a merciless killer? If so, what kind of game is he playing with Kate? Is she next on his murder hit list? It did occur to me, that if I was in Kate’s shoes, I would have gotten the hell out of Corbin’s apartment as soon as the woman next door turned up dead, the victim of a particularly gruesome murder. But then, that wouldn’t make for much of a story. As for Kate, she’s intrigued by the whole thing, and soon finds herself playing amateur detective, a dangerous tactic that might just make her every fear become a reality.

A compelling mystery that is shrouded in the darkness of mistakes once made that can’t be undone, Her Every Fear, though not as twisted or addictive as The Kind Worth Killing, is nonetheless another hit from Swanson. Her Every Fear will keep you reading late into the night as you put yourself in Kate’s shoes and strive to catch a killer from line-up of a mysterious cousins, stalker neighbours, shady strangers and complete unknowns.