Criminal Delights: Obsession: Devil Next Door – Alex Jane

All Remy Harker wants is a fresh start. 

Well, maybe that’s what he tells himself as he rolls up to his nice new house, in the nice little neighborhood, in a town where nobody knows his name. 
He’s surrounded by friendly neighbors and a white picket fence. The ugly pink carpet might drive him to insanity, and he can’t stop wondering where the old lady who lived there before him died—but it’s nice. 
And if he puts his mind to it, he can be anything—or anyone—he wants to be. He can be nice too. 
At least, he thinks he can until he lays eyes on his next-door neighbor. 

Luke Boucher is nice. 
And quiet. 
And perfect. 

It doesn’t take long for Remy to insinuate himself into Luke’s life. A camera here, a break-in there. 
– It’s not really stalking if you love someone, is it? –

But when Remy’s plan to make a good impression goes to hell, he ends up over his head in more ways than one. Then things aren’t quite so nice anymore. 
– It’s not really murder if you love someone, is it? –

Loving your neighbor isn’t so easy when you’re the devil next door.

*****

This book is part of CRIMINAL DELIGHTS. Each novel can be read as a standalone and contains a dark M/M romance.

Warning: These books are for adult readers who enjoy stories where lines between right and wrong get blurry. High heat, twisted and tantalizing, these are not for the fainthearted.

This has the makings of a truly dark romance. Twisted, bloody and psychopathic.

But it lacked a certain oomph.

The oomph being Remy and Luke making it to my favorites list.

Remy and Luke, being what they are, could have easily made it but they didn’t quite have the intensity of fan favorites, Lecter and Graham. They were good though, I give them that.

The book started normal enough, mundane even as Remy goes about his business setting up his house, installing surveillance equipment, taking notes, and following Luke around. Remy was meticulous and careful but was completely caught off guard when Luke broke his pattern. The mystery of why Remy thought Luke was ‘the one’ had me on the edge of my seat. At the same time, since the story was all about pushing boundaries, I already have an inkling of what Luke really was (because what else would he be short of a homo Humbert Humbert) but, still, it didn’t detract from the pleasure of the big reveal.

From then on, the story plunged even deeper into macabre territories. It wisely veered away from the gratuitous, providing only enough blood and gore to get that taboo aspect going but not too much to be considered full-on horror. But maybe, YMMV. Remy’s talent for research and surveillance worked in perfect tandem with Luke’s proclivities and their partnership and romance are major goals if it weren’t for the fact they get off at things that disturb most of us. Despite the gruesomeness of the events, you cannot help but root for these two men who were simply made for each other.

All in all, Devil Next Door is a total yandere. Creepily kind, unnaturally patient and unfailingly polite until they flip the switch and suddenly you’re staring into the eyes of a ‘ferocious angel draped in bloody violence‘. It is completely unhinged and I loved it.

Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

Soundtrack: Neighbor Boy
Artist: Andrea Marie
Album: Here Begin