A Man Downstairs was a very difficult book to rate and review. I can see why the ratings are all over the place. I'll start by saying the character development was excellent. I felt immersed in the story. Molly and her son go back to her home town to take care of Molly's dad who had a massive stroke. He is unable to speak, so we don't learn any of the past from him. Molly has spent her whole life believing what her dad told her happened the night her mother was murdered.

This was a super slow burn. Very slow. Personally, I don't do well with books like this. This was not dark or sinister in any way but was twisted at the end. There were parts I was confused about, only because there were a lot of teen characters from Molly's past and her mother's past. The book switches from present to past for both Molly's father and Mollie herself. The epilogue was long... I suppose to tie up all the loose ends. I was still a bit confused at the end. All in all it was a good book, but I do think it could have been shorter.

Thank you to Penguin Random House books and Netgalley for the ARC. I greatly appreciate it and I do recommend this book if you don't mind the slow burn.

Book Review
A Man Downstairs by Nicole
Lundrigan

Tropes and Triggers⚠️
Childhood drama
Suicide
Drug abuse
Mental health issues
Diabetes
Murder
Secrets in a small town
Multiple POV ( past and present)

Characters
Russ- strong silent type, often on his own, kind
Glenn- friendly, outgoing
Bradley- lives with his mom, the kid who never grew old
Edie- bipolar? Its kinda suggested? She’s Carefree, tried to be a wife and mother but at what cost?
Molly- recently single parent, worries about her past and the lasting consequences of her actions as a child, worried about her father and what happens next
Others: Lyle, Terry, Seth

But who is HIM

Thoughts
A slow start…. Was feeling like more of a family drama towards the beginning. Lots of flawed characters and developing background about our MC’s and their shared past but the pace picked up in the last quarter.
I especially liked the chapters from HIM- they were creepy and dark , he just felt “off” - As a reader I knew I was watching the making of a psychopath unfold but WHO is HIM
Then Clues started coming together, secrets were revealed…. I thought I knew the ending..
I did not know HIM

Overall a great thriller mystery that will leave you wondering about A Man Downstairs

Thank you@netgalley and @penguinrandomca for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

★ 4 Stars ★
"A Man Downstairs" is a mysterious tale set in a small town that left me questioning what I had just read. Although there are some odd and suspicious characters, there is no single person that I can identify as the sole antagonist. It is told in dual timelines from multiple perspectives. One of the POVs is a creepy and eerie unknown character that kept me gripped.

The majority of the townsfolk made poor decisions that set off a chain of events leading to the tragic death of Edie. Despite being the victim, Edie is not entirely innocent. I'm not blaming her for what happened. She was a young woman who enjoyed life, and I don't believe she had any ill intentions when making her choices. However, her decisions were motivated by the wrong reasons, and the consequences were not hers alone.

The story isn't heartbreaking, but it is somber and depressing. It was a slow burn that kept me engaged, but it left me feeling gloomy.

Thanks to Penguin Random House Canada for providing copies of this book through NetGalley and Libro.fm. As always, all opinions are my own and left voluntarily.

#AManDownstairs #NicoleLundrigan #NetGalley #ARC #PRHCanada #LibroFM # #honestreview #thriller #bookreviewer #thrillerbookloverspromotions #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerobsessedbookishclub #ReadersOfTheLateArc #TalkWordyToMeTeam #lovetoread #bookworm #lovebooks #booknerd #readaholic #bookstagrammer

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Canada for the eARC.

This book really was tough for me. While I enjoyed the dual timelines and multiple POV, I really struggled with the book as a whole. I did enjoy the wrench thrown in at the end, but overall, I did not love this book. I really struggled with the mother/son dynamic and how disrespectful he was about her own experiences. Idk. 2.5 stars.

A Man Downstairs had a great premise, and usually I love novels told in multiple POVs. I don't feel like I had time to get to know Molly enough before a switch in POVs. At first, I wondered why we even needed the flashbacks to Gil and Edie's relationship. I wanted to know Molly and understand who she was and the trauma that happened to her, along with what was coming for her later in the novel. It was just too much of a slow burn to start and I did nearly DNF. The ending saved it, though. Having no idea who "him" was until the very end was well done and I loved the reveal.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. While I feel like the premise had potential, it was too slow of a burn and did not keep my attention. At another time it might have held my attention, and maybe one day I will try again.

2 stars because I do think it has potential.

Nicole Lundrigan just got categorized amongst my favourite authors with her latest crime thriller, A Man Downstairs.

One of my goals for 2024 was to read more from authors I love, and after being blown away by Lundrigan's An Unthinkable Thing last year, I jumped at the opportunity to read and review her new release. This book truly solidified what I already expected from her writing: a suspenseful and mysterious plot that held me in its tight grasp, narrators that have me questioning their reliability and deceptively sneaky writing making my mind spin. As an added bonus: unrivaled epilogue usage.

This one is told in three perspectives: Molly, Gil, and "Him" from both now and then timelines, with deliberate similarities among each. For some inexplicable reason, I was drawn to the intrigue of Gil's story line the most, although none of the three were at all lacking in depth. As the story continued to progress, my curiosity continued to be peaked, and I raced through, needing to understand how everything was linked together, all while trying to predict potential outcomes. Multiple times, I found my hand flying to my mouth to cover a gasp, and the next second, I was back to devouring the book.

I consumed this book with a ferocious appetite, thought about it non-stop as I tried to locate the missing puzzle pieces, and every time I thought I had everything figured out, (or at least parts of it), it slipped through my grasp once again; what was constantly niggling in the back of my mind continued to be just out of reach to firmly hold onto.

After the outcome was revealed, and I looked at each of the characters in a new light I wondered if the cost of protecting those we love really helps long-term; who's really the villain in this small town's web of deceit and mistruths?

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and Viking for the complimentary copies to read and review.

The book is gripping and suspenseful, It has dual timelines and multiple perspectives. Molly is a trained therapist and she returns to her childhood home along with Alex, her son to take care of her father after the revelation of his stroke. After the divorce and moving in her childhood home, she is trying to recall the memories of the fateful night and her memories evoke a feeling of nostalgia. In young age, her mother was murdered and the lake still has secrets. Not only the lake but the childhood home itself is not what it appears to be. While when unthinkable things starts happening and she realises that she is the target, the book becomes complex and suspense grows. The secrets begin to unravel. This is a twisted psychological thriller.

Many Thanks to the Author, Publisher and Netgalley

A Man Downstairs is a gripping, compulsive read populated with unlikeable characters that I loved getting to know through their actions and inner thoughts. Told in multiple POVs, the past and the present intermingle and unwind, culminating in a satisfying ending. While we watch the mystery unfold, Lundrigan also reveals the complexities involved in familial relations -- mother/son, father/daughter, husband/wife.

I enjoy a good thriller and this was no exception. The dual timelines and multiple POV has you wondering what's going on. I do prefer my thrillers to be a little more fast paced and the beginning, for me, dragged a little but once it picked up, I was super invested.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend to my friends who like reading this type of book.

Molly Wynters moves back to her hometown to take care of her father who has had a stroke and cannot communicate. Molly has conflicting memories of her childhood home: both loving and caring experiences with her dad, and the trauma of witnessing her mother's violent murder. Molly's testimony at just three years old, saying there was a man downstairs, sent a local teen to prison. Now, Molly is a therapist, and volunteers for a local helpline while in town. Threats start to roll in, and Molly realizes someone is targeting her, and everyone is a suspect.

This is a slow burn thriller that builds suspense as it goes. Told in multiple POVs and timelines, we get pieces of the truth as we turn the pages. The chapters from the stalker’s POV are creepy and gross! He is truly delusional. After I read books like this with a stalker perspective I always triple check all my curtains, blinds, doors, and windows are fully closed and locked! I mean I do that anyway because hello, anxiety, but then I do it again.

I enjoyed learning about Molly's mother's life leading up to the day she died. It's a reminder that things are not always as they seem and you never truly know what's going on inside someone's home.

I did think this was a tad too long, but still enjoyed it. Read if you like slower paced thrillers that delve into the psyches of the characters as the story unfolds.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

I’m realllyyy torn on how to rate this book.

I can see how people rated this really high, and really low. It is a very, very slow burn. It’s not as dark and sinister as I thought it was going to be, however, the ending was twisted, but I wanted a little more darkness and a bit of a faster pace. There were parts that I was a little bit confused on. I was waiting for the scary man in the basement.

It was good. I do suggest reading this for yourself as you may love it. I just wanted more.

What if the childhood you remember isn’t what happened at all? Molly Wynters was very young when she witnessed her mother’s murder. When she testifies she stated “there was a man downstairs” which sent a teenager to prison. Years later, Molly is back at her childhood home after her dad suffered a significant stroke. She soon is being targeted with threats about the day of her mother’s murder, and someone intends to hold Molly accountable.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for a DRC. A Man Downstairs is available now!

A Man Downstairs by Nicole Lundrigan is a clever, slow burn psychological thriller.

Molly Wynters moves back home following her father's stroke to the small town where she witnessed her mother's murder as a child.

Told in dual timelines and multiple POVs, this novel will have you guess until the eerie twist at the end.

Nicole Lundrigan's A Man Downstairs was full of suspense. The first half of the book dragged on a bit too long for me, but the second half was really good!

I gave it a 3.5 stars but rounded up for NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley, Nicole Lundrigan and Penguin Random House Canada for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of A Man Downstairs by Nicole Lundrigan, published by Penguin Random House Canada

I loved this novel, it was so well written, it was so easy to get into the story, the characters were phenomenal, I loved the plot, it was told in the past and present, and narrated by a few of the characters. The story was easy to follow. The characters were well described and likeable (or not) The whole story was so believable, it deals with mental illness that often goes undetected.
I enjoyed how the story unfolded and we fot to know the characters both present day but also in the past. We become aware of why they did what they did. I wanted to know the ending but didn't want the book to end!
This was such a great read and I'll be following this other and reading more of her books.

This mystery unfolds gradually, featuring characters whose reliability is questionable. While I managed to guess the culprit early on, the journey it took to reach the resolution was certainly unexpected.

My rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

3.5 stars

A Man Downstairs by Nicole Lundrigan is a psychological thriller about a woman who returns to her home town and finds that the death of her mother many years ago, is still at the forefront of the community.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Penguin Random House Canada and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
 

My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Molly Wynters returns to her hometown of Aymes to look after her father, who recently had a stroke.  He has in-home care, but Molly knows that he will not improve, so there are a number of other things that will need her attention.  Deciding it would be better if she and her son stay elsewhere, she rents some rooms not far away from her father, and signs her son Alex up for high school.  She is a trained therapist, and will continue seeing some of her young patients on-line.  She is also persuaded to volunteer for the town's help line.

As they settle in, Molly's memories of her childhood start to return.  The death of her mother by "the man downstairs" haunts her.  Molly's testimony sent a teenager to prison. She starts to wonder if her memories are fact or fiction.

It is a small town, and gossip has always been powerful, and Molly's return has brought a lot of things to the surface.  Someone has decided to hold her accountable for the past, and soon her own life may be in jeopardy.


My Opinions:
I struggled with this one.  I didn't really like any of the characters.  Alex as a rebellious teenager was well written, but just annoyed me.  I didn't trust Russell, Glenn, or Bradley, which I am sure was the author's intent.  Unfortunately, when I read a psychological thriller, I have to have someone to root for, and for some reason, I didn't particularly like Molly.  She was always so angry.

I did like how the story was told in different time frames and points of view.  The "Then" dealt with the relationship between Molly's parents, as well as an unknown "HIM".  The "Now" was about Molly.  I actually liked the "Then" part better, as suspense continued to build, as I struggled to figure out who really killed Molly's mom.

I think the premise of the story was really good, and there were enough red herrings to keep me off-balance.  I do, however, continue to wonder why anyone would believe the testimony of a 3 year old.  

Overall, the book was good, but it moved way to slowly for me.

An intense story of love, hate, mixed memories and a teenager with an impossible crush.
Molly Wynters arrives in the town she grew up in with her teenager son to look after her father who has had a stroke and is totally incapacitated.
The town remembers Molly as her mother died there when she was 3 and Molly witnessed the murder, but was indoctrinated by the neighbor into believing it didn’t happen the way she saw it. After testifying as a 3 year old a teenager went to prison.
But was Molly’s memory correct? It was brought into question by an anonymous caller when she volunteered as a trained therapist for the help line.
The story is full of intricate relationships and of course there is the man downstairs!
A very well written thriller which you won’t want to put down!

OMG! This book was so good. I could not put it down. Nicole Lundrigan is a new to me author and I look forward to reading more from her.
Molly went through some stuff and it all makes since in the end. I will be re reading this book.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #PenguinRandomHouseCanada for the book #AManDownstairs by #NicoleLundrigan. A mother, who tends to be a little out there, is murdered. Her three year old daughter saw it happen. Does she remember it right. Did the right person get punished for this? Great book all the way up to the incredible plot twist.