Mystery Books in Which Neighbours are Found Criminals

Creepy neighbours may have become a cliché trope in the mystery world, but it’s for a reason. They make compelling stories, and who doesn’t love a good bad neighbour? Here is a list of the best mystery books in which neighbours are found criminals.

The Neighbour by Fiona Cummins

This book follows the Lockwood family who moves into 25 The Avenue after getting it for a really good deal. The media is frantic with a murder case around the neighbourhood, but the Lockwoods pay it no heed. They settle into their life, satisfied with the locality and especially its people, but nothing is as it seems. Their neighbours seem to be harbouring deep, dark secrets, which will blow your mind.

The Woman In The Window by A.J. Flynn

This book follows Anna Fox who lives alone in her NYC apartment, living life happily as a recluse. That is until the Russel family moves into the house next door, and she sees something in their window that she shouldn’t. Now her perception of them as a perfect family falls apart, and she knows dangerous stuff.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

This book follows Anne and Marco Conti, a wonderful couple in love who have a beautiful baby called Cora. But at a dinner party, a crime occurs and the suspicion is immediately laid on them. Soon they discover that the other has kept deep dark secrets from them for years, and a domestic crime drama follows, involving their seemingly friendly neighbours

The Good Neighbour by A.J. Banner

This story follows the life of newly married couple Sarah and Johnny McDonald as they begin their life in a cozy natural abode in Washington. But Sarah’s peace is shattered when one day, a terrible conspires when Johnny is away. Now she has a secret which shatters her trust in everything and everyone – including her marriage and her neighbours.

The Orphan Choir by Sophie Hannah

This book follows the dedicated homemaker Louise Beeston, whose talented son wins a scholarship at a prestigious boys’ music school. However, she soon begins to hear music similar to his coming from the neighbours, who deny that anyone from their home plays it. What’s more, she is the only one who seems to be able to hear it. So she goes to a summer resort to get some respite, but it seems that her neighbours and their music has followed them here too.

The Perfect Neighbours by Rachel Sargeant

This book follows the newly married Helen who is super excited to move into her new neighbourhood abroad and meet her peer teachers at the local international school. But soon she discovers that they’re not as good as she imagined, and something is amiss. Just then, a student disappears and the story of her new life spirals into a sinister mystery thriller involving bad neighbours.

The House Swap by Rebecca Fleet

This story follows the couple Caroline and Francis who get a opportunity to swap their small city apartment for a large suburb home. Here, she meets her energetic and interested neighbour Amber. Soon things are revealed which make Carline harbour suspicions against her neighbour.

The New Neighbours by Simon Lelic

This book follows a seemingly perfect couple who move into a seemingly perfect home and discover that nothing is as it seems. Now things devolve into a mystery cum thriller which will make you sit on the edge if your seat throughout the duration of your reading.

Sacrifice by Sharon Bolton

This mystery follows Tora Hamilton who feels alienated in her new neighbourhood of Shetland Highlands. Now, she unearths a woman’s body in her newly acquired property, which isn’t uncommon. But this body is relatively new, and the heart has been cut out and the murder happened days after the woman delivered a child. Tora now becomes obsessed with this and tries to uncover the truth behind this. Surely the neighbours must know something, or are actually involved, Tora thinks. This book is one hell of a ride, and one that you wont regret going on.

Also Read: 15 Mystery Books to Keep You Guessing Until the Last Page