On Poet’s Road in Chalcot, England, stands Shelley House, a historic home established in 1891 and the residence of Dorothy Darling for thirty-three years. Dorothy keeps a close eye on her neighbors, and when twenty-five-year-old Kat Bennett moves into Flat 1, Dorothy is unsure what to make of the pink-haired, tattooed young woman. Yet when a devious developer sends the residents of Shelley House eviction notices, Dorothy must join forces with Kat and stop the demolition of their home and the harassment of their neighbors in NOSY NEIGHBORS.
Dorothy is a cantankerous old woman who prefers solitude and conducting her daily building inspections when her neighbors are gone. She is the eyes and ears of Shelley House. Her neighbors think she is nosy, but Dorothy has her own reasons for spying and cleaning up the building. When Kat moves into the flat across the hall, Dorothy is weary of the young woman, but when Kat’s flatmate, Joseph, is attacked in their home, Dorothy must admit the young woman has stepped up to help Joseph in his time of need. Dorothy keeps a diary of the happenings at Shelley House and believes she knows who attacked Joseph, but Kat thinks the attack may have ties to the redevelopment of Shelley House. As the two women join forces with their neighbors, they set out to protest the demolition of Shelley House and reveal an unscrupulous developer. Along the way, they share their secrets, struggles, and hopes for the future. Will they find Joseph’s attacker? And will Dorothy ever leave Shelley House, or will she go down with the building?
NOSY NEIGHBORS is light on mystery but full of interesting characters and themes of reconnecting and working towards a common cause. All the flatmates at Shelley House have unique stories, and Dorothy knows them all. Under her grumpy, busybody exterior, she holds a deep, dark secret that has tied her to the building for years. Kat struggles to move on from a bad childhood and a negligent mother. She is adrift in the storm of life, looking for a port. She finds it at Shelley House and with the neighbors who make up this community. There’s the mystery of Joseph’s attack; however, the central storyline revolves around saving Shelley House and the developing relationships of those who reside there. The novel is rich in characterization, life experiences, forgiveness, reconnection, and living the life you have now. Filled with crooked landlords, a sketchy tenant in Flat 4, a mysterious green car, a hilarious car chase, a little romance, and a cute Jack Russell terrier, NOSY NEIGHBORS is a truly entertaining and delightful novel about how to fight for what you love, connect with those around you, and move on when necessary. This is a unique gem of a story that would make a great movie.