5. What do you make of the bird’s nest custody arrangements? Were they too idealistic for Bram and Fi, even before the interference of Mike and Wendy? Do you know anyone who’s had this kind of coparenting arrangement?
6. Fi and Bram praise each other’s parenting skills and repeatedly claim to make crucial decisions with their sons in mind. Do events bear this out?
7. Did you enjoy the structure of the book? When Fi’s podcast interview ends and the crucial remaining part of the weekend of January 13–14th is at last revealed, were there any shocks or surprises?
8. The death that occurs in the couple’s flat is arguably the novel’s most serious crime. Did you anticipate it and is it likely that the perpetrator(s) will go unpunished? Do you want the perpetrator(s) to be punished?
The compulsive new novel from Louise Candlish, coming 2019
Could you hate your neighbour enough to plot to kill him?
Until Darren Booth moves in at number 1, Lowland Way, the neighbourhood is a suburban paradise cherished by all who live there. Its residents, led by brothers Ralph and Finn Morgan and their wives Naomi and Tess, have even won a prize for their scheme to close the road on Sundays so children can play out the old-fashioned way.
The arrival of Booth changes all that. With his ugly property renovations, the used-car business he runs from his driveway, and his noisy, late-night lifestyle, he is despised on sight. Disputes over issues like loud music and parking rights have historically been resolved on Lowland Way without fuss, but with him they escalate all too quickly to public rows and threats of violence. Soon, the Morgans are coordinating complaints to the council and the police.
Then, early one Saturday, a horrific crime shocks the street. As the police go house-to-house, the residents close ranks and everyone’s story is the same: Booth did it. Some neighbours even have official diary sheets that detail his history of anti-social behaviour – right up to his movements on the morning of the incident.
But there’s a problem. The police don’t agree with them. They think Booth was the intended victim, not the offender. Instead of getting rid of him, his neighbours have created a dangerous enemy.
Before, he was just a nuisance, but now he is out to get them.
One by one.