The Cult Next Door: Britain’s Quietest Nightmare is a chilling blend of true crime realism and psychological thriller, set in the deceptively peaceful suburbs of Berkshire. When seven residents vanish without a trace from Lavender Close, an ordinary cul-de-sac in Reading, the nation is stunned. But behind the disappearance lies a sinister truth: a cult has been operating in plain sight, its rituals masked as community meetings, its leader cloaked in charm and manipulation.

Told through the eyes of survivors, obsessives, and those who got too close, this story unravels the terrifying rise of Father Eli, a messianic figure who promised transcendence, and delivered silence. Among the missing is Sharon Bishop, a mother of two who walked away from her life into the shadowy fold of the cult, leaving behind only cryptic clues and a growing sense of dread.

As the investigation stalls, one rogue journalist risks everything to uncover the truth, exposing a network of symbols, disappearances, and whispers that extend far beyond Lavender Close. But the deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes the cult never ended. It evolved.

This is UK True Crime at is best, based on a true story of this shocking documented case of coercive control, The Cult Next Door is a slow-burn descent into psychological terror, exposing how ordinary lives can be quietly undone, and how evil doesn’t need to hide in the woods when it can live next door.

This is the latest in Stu Armstrong's 'True Crime +' series