Who are the bad guys? That is the question this reader asked herself continuously throughout Louise Candlish's Those People. Set in an upper-class South London neighborhood, this work of fiction chronicles the unravelling of the small community.
When Darren Booth and his girlfriend Jodie move into the quiet enclave, not only do they reject assimilation, but they also shake things to the core. Undertaking loud renovations; putting up unsightly scaffolding; operating a used car business from the premises; playing ear-splitting heavy metal music at all hours; ignoring children's safety on their street; and just being plain rude are only some of the ways Darren and Jodie make quick enemies of the residents in Lowland Estates.
When appeals to the good nature of Darren and Jodie fail, the families of Lowland Estates make complaints to the council and call the police. Soon the dispute becomes an all-out war when plots for the newcomers' removal become more sinister.
Louise Candlish rotates points of view throughout, giving readers insight into the residents of Lowland Estates. Candlish subtly exposes some of the neighbors' elitist views towards Darren and Jodie from the very start, letting readers in on systemic attitudes that exist and possibly pointing a finger at the origins of why Darren and Jodie behave so outlandishly in the first place.
However, one can't help but sympathize with the neighbors of this impossibly inconsiderate couple. Readers witness the characters' reactions escalating quickly and those reactions eventually lead to two deaths in this formerly quiet London suburb. As one character says about the newcomers to her husband, "they're damaging our mental health". All the motive needed for mayhem to follow, apparently.
One can't help but ask oneself, "What would I do?" Those People is a gripping domestic drama with impressive character development and a handful of good twists. I give Louise Candlish's 2018 novel four stars out of five. https://youtube.com/shorts/u7UYlHppzNw?si=US6OxLGHbINX094B
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