Nosy Neighbors Review & Book Tour

Author: Freya Sampson

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: April 2, 2024

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for an arc and book tour invitation.  All opinions expressed are my own.

4 Hearts

Two neighbors-at-war band together to stop a dangerous criminal in their midst in this enthralling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Lost Ticket.

Review:

NOSY NEIGHBORS by Author Freya Sampson is the poignant, highly emotional story of a community of misfits living in apartments in Shelley House.  It's the story of quirky individuals caught up in the mystery surrounding the historic house and their quest to save it from destruction.  It's the story of enemies becoming allies in a search for a criminal targeting a fellow tenant.  It's the story of family, forgiveness and reconciliation.

On one hand, Author Freya Sampson has rendered a lighthearted mystery with quaint, classic characters - from cranky, ancient, pro-busybody Dorothy who tracks every person daily in her notebook to the newer, mysterious, recent sub-tenant Kat with a hidden history and secret she closely guards.  On the other hand, the story has a darker, more menacing side with broken characters seeking redemption and lives lost to drugs and alcohol addiction and broken families.  Sampson peels back the layers of each individual even as she weaves all their lives together in the spirit of community and a common cause.  Someone attacks one of the residents of the Shelley House about the same time that the owner serves eviction notices with his intent to tear the building down.  Can a group of oddballs embrace their differences to unite and solve the mystery of the attacker while also saving their home from demolition?  

 
Through the alternating points of view of Dorothy and Kat, readers are drawn into this heartfelt, complex story that proves to be much deeper than first indicated.  A steadily increasing pace and unpredictable cast keeps readers on their toes through twists and turns expertly manipulated by Sampson.  It would be easy to dismiss this as another cozy mystery, but as the story unfolds the individual heartbreaking, life stories of each tenant are explored exposing themes of addiction, communication or the lack thereof, loneliness and forgiveness.  The author does a great job of weaving all the individual stories together into a tantalizing, often humorous tale of community joining forces in a common cause.  Highly recommended to fans of cozy mysteries with a lot of depth and heart. 

Synopsis:

Twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett has never felt at home anywhere, and especially not in crumbling Shelley House. According to her neighbors, she’s prickly and unapproachable, but beneath her tough exterior, Kat is plagued by guilt from her past.

Seventy-seven-year-old Dorothy Darling is Shelley House’s longest resident, and if you believe the other tenants, she’s as cantankerous and vindictive as they come. Except there’s a good reason Dorothy spends her days spying on her neighbors—a closely guarded secret that no else knows and the reason Dorothy barely leaves her beloved home.

When their building faces demolition, sworn enemies Kat and Dorothy become unlikely allies in their quest to save their historic home. But when someone starts to play dirty and viciously targets one of the residents, Dorothy and Kat suspect foul play in their community. After the police close the investigation, it's up to this improbable pair to bring a criminal to justice.

Freya Sampson is the USA Today bestselling author of The Last Chance Library and The Lost Ticket. She studied history at Cambridge University and worked in television as an executive producer, making documentaries on everything from the British royal family to neighbors from hell. She lives in London with her husband, children, and cats.