The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood

by:  Alex Marwood
publisher:  Sphere
publish date:  June 19, 2014

Everyone who lives at 23 Beulah Grove has a secret. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be renting rooms in a dodgy old building for cash—no credit check, no lease. It’s the kind of place you end up when you you’ve run out of other options. The six residents mostly keep to themselves, but one unbearably hot summer night, a terrible accident pushes them into an uneasy alliance. What they don’t know is that one of them is a killer. He’s already chosen his next victim, and he’ll do anything to protect his secret. 

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this book.  The beginning was really confusing and I almost gave up on it, but I stuck with it.  The story was worth it!

It tells the story of 6 residents that live in a house with a disgusting landlord.  They all have their reasons for living in this sketchy building with this landlord that does pretty much whatever he wants.  All the residents are hiding from something.  It might be the outside world, it might be their past, it might be their parents or their home country.  What they don't realize is that there is a serial killer among them.  However, the sweltering heat of the summer and a series of crazy incidents will force his hand.

This book ended up being quite enjoyable.  The characters became likable and fun to read about.  The ending was exciting and I was really happy how it tied everything up.  That was the first Alex Marwood book I've read, but I'll definitely be looking for more in the future.