The Resident by David Jackson #bookreview #FearTheResident

I finally got round to reading The Resident by David Jackson this weekend. I’m sharing my thoughts on my blog today.

BLURB

THERE’S A SERIAL KILLER ON THE RUN
AND HE’S HIDING IN YOUR HOUSE

Thomas Brogan is a serial killer. With a trail of bodies in his wake and the police hot on his heels, it seems like Thomas has nowhere left to hide. That is until he breaks into an abandoned house at the end of a terrace on a quiet street. And when he climbs up into the loft, he realises that he can drop down into all the other houses through the shared attic space.

That’s when the real fun begins. Because the one thing that Thomas enjoys even more than killing is playing games with his victims – the lonely old woman, the bickering couple, the tempting young newlyweds. And his new neighbours have more than enough dark secrets to make this game his best one yet…

Do you fear The Resident? Soon you’ll be dying to meet him.

MY THOUGHTS

The Resident by David Jackson is a seriously creepy read, and it’s one of the most gripping thrillers I’ve read. As I was reading this book, I kept looking up every time I heard the house creak. And just a warning, you may never want to go into the attic again once you’ve read it.

We meet serial killer Thomas Brogan who is on the run from the police. He seeks refuge in an abandoned house and quickly discovers something alarming. Through the attic of this abandoned house, he can easily access the lofts of the other homes along the street. And Thomas Brogan can’t resist going and having a look to see who the residents are and what they are up to. And soon his new neighbours begin to realise that something is not quite right. With a manhunt underway for Brogan, how long can he keep this up?

The moment I read the premise for this book, I wanted to read it. It’s so clever, and it hooks you in straight away. I can imagine that many people, once they have read this book, will be looking over their shoulder and listening to the sounds in their house a little more closely.

Brogan is a really intriguing character. Although you can see that he has sadistic thoughts about killing people, there is also a vulnerability to him, and I liked how David Jackson explored this side to him. This is particularly the case as he gets to know one of the more elderly residents of the street, but I don’t want to reveal much more detail here. You can see how he is battling with his demons, and it makes for very gripping reading.

The novel darkens as Brogan begins to learn more about the residents of the street. He becomes particularly fixated on one couple. I found myself wanting to shout at them that someone was listening to everything they were saying and watching what they were doing. I wanted to know if they, and the other residents, would find out that Brogan was there and who he really was. I really couldn’t predict what Brogan’s next actions were going to be. You can see how much he is enjoying being a fly on the wall.

The characters David Jackson has created here will make you feel something about all of them. David Jackson keeps the tension turning up a notch, and I had to know how things were going to pan out for Brogan and his new neighbours. I did not want to put this book down. The short, pacy chapters keep you reading on.

The Resident is an utterly chilling and a gripping read. I can’t wait to read what David Jackson writes next.

Publisher: Viper

Publication date: 16th July 2020 (kindle & hardcover) 4th February 2021 (paperback)

Print length: 368 pages

The Resident is available to buy:

Amazon UK Waterstones