Chez Maximka: The Watchful Neighbour by Debbie Viggiano

Monday, 7 December 2020

The Watchful Neighbour by Debbie Viggiano

"She caught a glimpse of Greg Good. He was standing behind the curtains of his downstairs bay window, watching Jade leave. Bloody man. He was always watching. And she didn't like it one little bit"

The Watchful Neighbour by Debbie Viggiano is a dark psychological thriller, creepy and tense.

Jade Ferguson is recovering from a broken heart. She takes a six-month rental on the dwelling whilst deciding what to do next with her life.

"She'd recently spent three months in a psychiatric unit... She'd spent her time at Clarendon House piecing back together the fragments of her shattered emotions. All because of one man. Tom Harrison."

Sleazeball Tom had been twenty years older than her. "The age difference hadn't mattered. This was a guy in his prime who'd oozed charisma".

Jade thinks of herself as "An ordinary girl who'd regrettably fallen in love with a man claiming to be unhappily married to an unattractive, lazy, neurotic woman and - for the sake of his family's mental well-being - had been toughing it out". Even ten years later, Jade doesn't want to take responsibility for her actions. She insists in her conversation with her Mum that she is not a marriage wrecker. "Jade had hoped for some sympathy. A hug. A few kind words. Instead, her own mother was pointing the finger, and she didn't like it".

She needs a fresh start, hence a new job and a place to live, which also means new neighbours, The residents of Gresham Terrace seem civilised enough, except for one...

Next door neighbour introduces himself when Jade moves into her new house. Greg Good is a carer for his elderly mother with dementia, who spends a lot of time at home, sitting by the window and watching all that's happening in the neighbourhood. "Jade gave him the once over. Somewhere in his fifties. Balding. Fat. Scruffy. She took an instant dislike to the guy".

As he explains, "Caring for Mother can be very isolating... So, to give me something else to focus on, I look out for everyone at Gresham Terrace... I think of myself as" - he chuckled deprecatingly - "a protector. The street's very own watchman".

Greg is the main key-holder for the landlord, and has access to all the properties, and oh boy, how Jade resents the fact. She is positively bristling. It doesn't help that Greg seems to be enjoying his task a bit too much.

"Whilst caring for his helpless parent was a necessity, looking after the residents of Gresham Terrace was Greg's pleasure. This was the road that he'd grown up in. Indeed, he'd been born at Number 2..."

Greg is not exactly a likeable character, yet you have to admire him for being a devoted son and carer: "Mother had been a wonderful parent. And now Greg was repaying her by being a wonderful son."

Jade is suspicious and even paranoid, things seem to be moved in the house in her absence. She is convinced it must be her neighbour. Without informing her landlord, she changes the locks: "No way was Greg Good having access to this house. No way was anyone having the chance to invade her space. It had happened once before, and she would never permit it to happen again."

But this doesn't help. Someone is messing with her belongings. More importantly, they mess with her mind. Jade accuses Greg of being an interfering busybody who needs to keep his nose out of her business.

"Now Jade was here, at Gresham Terrace, with all her emotional baggage which included paranoia and rudeness. She'd disturbed the harmony of the street for almost everyone".

And Jade is rude to everyone around, from Di, an older woman, who moves next door, to the twinkly eyed Brad Grimshaw.

Brad seems like a nice guy, but his past is far from being nice. Making big mistakes in his youth, now he's "determined to help kids stay out of trouble. Despite his criminal record, he'd been lucky enough to work alongside the authorities by offering advice, counselling, and support for youngsters. Music therapy was part of the scene".

In Jade he recognises someone hurting, someone vulnerable - "the young woman was one the edge. He'd sussed her out from the moment they'd first met. She was a fragile soul. After all, it took one to know one".

Does he believe Jade that someone is playing cruel games with her, or is it all in her mind?

There's lots of creepy twists, as the story becomes more and more claustrophobic.

It's hard to sympathise with Jade who knows she is shagging a married guy, and who justifies her actions that his wife Deanna kind of deserves it because she doesn't look good. Tom is a disgusting character who promises Jade that he will leave his wife, and he comes up with one excuse after another, some of which are so outlandish that only a deluded idiot would believe any of his words. Such a cliche. In a way, they totally deserve each other. Jade never considers Deanna's feelings. She enjoys a decade-long relationship behind the wife's back. What a waste of her life, to spend waiting for her lover to abandon his old frumpy wife.

The Watchful Neighbour is a riveting psychological thriller. The plotline throbs with suspicions, tension and deep jealousies.

Purchase Links

US – https://www.amazon.com/Watchful-Neighbour-absolutely-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B08MDL32X4

UK - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Watchful-Neighbour-absolutely-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B08MDL32X4

Author Bio –

Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy... apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!