by Mark Edwards
Part of The Magpies
First published 2013
Jamie and Kirsty settle into their first shared home with dreams of marriage and children ahead. Their apartment building welcomes them warmly. A horror writer and herbalist occupy the upper floor. The Newtons, a married couple, greet the newcomers with enthusiasm. Early interactions flow smoothly between the two couples. Then the harassment begins. Dead rats appear at their door. Disturbing sounds pierce the night hours. Something far worse follows. Jamie's closest friend suffers a terrible accident. The couple realizes they have become targets in a deliberate campaign of intimidation. The attacks push Jamie and Kirsty toward breaking points. Jamie decides to resist their tormentors, but he cannot grasp the true nature of his opponents. The real monsters in this story are not supernatural creatures but ordinary people who live in the same building.
Genres: domestic-fiction, horror, contemporary, adult, adult-fiction, thriller
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, menacing, suspenseful, tension-filled, unsettling
Tropes: escalating-danger, gaslighting, trapped-situation, unreliable-antagonists
Setting: apartment building
Period: 21st-century
400 pages · Paperback · Createspace
Content warnings: emotional-abuse, violence