I love Lisa Jewell’s books and I loved this book so much!

I couldn’t put this one down! I just wanted to know all about Nick Radcliffe. I hated him but was intrigued with his story and the women in his life. I loved the multiple POV’s and the multiple timelines. The pacing was fast, the plot was entertaining and the ending was perfect!

Truth, lies, deception. Playing the long game. Successful con artist.

This book starts following the lives of Nina Swann and daughter Ash as they lose their husband/father and are grieving this loss. Nina receives flowers with a mysterious card from her late husband’s old friend from his early restaurant days. Nick continues to contact them after the death of the husband/father until he has a good line of communication…

Martha is a business woman who is married to Alistair. Alistair travels often for work in the hospitality industry. Martha is often alone and Alistair contacts her sporadically which, frankly, begins to anger her.

These two men have giant red flags that Ash and Martha and out to investigate. Nina helps investigate some but isn’t suspicious of Nick initially. This story follows multiple viewpoints and different timelines. This story uncovers these men’s lies and deception, and works to sort out the real truth.



Many reviews have said that they found this book hard to follow. And it does have a lot of characters. The main characters include Ash, Martha, Nina (who is somewhat a main and side character), and Nick. Aside from these four, I would say you don’t need to follow each woman outside of these very closely. Take a listen/read and follow the lies and deception, but all in all I don’t think you need to get the specifics down of most of the women outside of these main three. With that in mind, I enjoyed this story.

At times, I felt the male viewpoint was a bit long and he talked about so many women (hence me only keeping track of a few) but in his discussions you really see how the deception is forming and why he has been believed this long. But overall I enjoyed the ride and the lengths Nick went through to keep his long game in play.

Amateur Sleuths
Lies, cons, and deception
Grief
Murder

Thank you to Lisa Jewell, NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for this Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This felt very phoned in. I would not at all be surprised it if turned out this was written by AI. I didn't feel like I was reading a Lisa Jewell book. Typically her books are twisty and engaging, but I felt like I read this story before. There was nothing original about it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Lisa Jewell knows how to write her books. From the very beginning the details hooked me. Nina receives flowers with a belonging of her Paddy Swann, her deceased husband and addressed by a friend of Paddy's, Nick Radcliffe. Nick is a charming handsome man and soon him and Nina Swann develop a connection. Ash, Nina and Paddy's daughter feels something is off and begins to do some digging into Nick. What she finds is far beyond what she imagined.

The details and dual timelines really helped add to the suspense. At the same time Martha is starting to pick up on the fact that her husband Al is staying away longer and longer and she begins to question him. She puts a tracking device on his belongings without him knowing. What Martha discovers is too much to handle.

There were moments where the pace slowed but that was minor. The back and forth and slow burn kept the suspense and urge to find out how it was all going to come together. Lisa Jewell did well at holding the interest.

Listen to this on audio. Do not read it with your eyes. The audio experience is fantastic.

Lisa Jewell knows how to write a wild story. Are they sometimes too out there? Yes. But they always entertain me. I was hesitant to read this after seeing some low reviews, and now I'm a little sad this one is over. Can't say much about this story without spoiling it. I loved how everything played out and the ending. Jewell's writing was so good it made me anxious and nervous for the characters. The changing POVs were a bit confusing to follow in the beginning, but they really added to the story with the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you VERY much for the opportunity to review this book.
Although Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors her latest novel was not for me. The protagonist is a "Dirty John" type, and the story took quite a long time to build. The story does not take a really pick up until close to 60% and unfortunately this was not really a thriller. The reader is able to predict a lot of the twists however the reader is really focused on seeing what the key players in the story will uncover. Lisa Jewell is an auto buy author for me and that will not change. However, this one was just not very exciting until the very end.

When Nina Swann’s husband tragically passes away, she’s introduced to one of his old friends, Nick Radcliffe. Nick is charming and handsome, and shares her heartbreak over her husband. But Nina’s daughter Ash isn’t so charmed. She knows something is off about Nick – and as she begins looking into his past, she realizes that this man is not who he says he is. He’s something to be feared, and they never should have let him in.

Twisty beyond belief and a book I truly could not put down. You’re watching a collision course of a man’s lies being exposed, and even if the ending is somewhat predictable from the start, you just need to know what is going to happen.

The way that so many seemingly small plot points are woven together scratched an itch in my brain in a huge way. I don’t want to say much else at risk of spoiling something, but this book 100% needs to be on your list, and if you do read it, be sure to question everything.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced copy of this read in exchange for my honest review!

2.5 rounded up. I never thought I’d rate a Lisa Jewell book this low… but here we are. This one felt like another version of Dirty John, and while I don’t mind familiar themes, the similarities were too hard to ignore. The story centers around Nina Swann, her daughter Ash, and Martha—three women entangled with a man who has seamlessly manipulated his way into their lives.

Ash is the only one who senses something’s off from the start, and rightfully so. We learn this man has multiple aliases and a deeply twisted web of deception. While the premise had potential and there were definitely some suspenseful moments, much of the plot felt predictable. That said, I appreciated the dual POVs and found Martha’s storyline especially compelling.

Here’s to hoping Lisa Jewell’s next release brings back the originality and thrill she’s so well known for!

Read if you like:
- Multiple POVs
- Domestic suspense
- Dirty John podcast/series

Thank you @netgalley and @atriabooks for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you, Net Galley and Atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I have been in a thriller slump and this one took me right out of it! I loved the twists and turns and couldn't put it down. The ending also was not what I was expecting, which I loved.

Don’t Let Him in was the twistiest thriller!!

This is one of those thrillers where you want to scream at the characters, “Don’t do it!!!” We, as readers, can see things way more clearly than the characters can. It’s like watching a train wreck but you can’t look away. Until…

Well, I won’t give it away but I was completely engrossed in this story. I alternated between the physical copy and the audiobook and let me tell you that @richardcarmitage was PHENOMENAL. He could read his grocery list and I would listen.

I love Jewell’s books so I knew I would like this one. It’s available now so grab a copy!

I agree with prior reviews that talk about how there are just A LOT of characters. I feel like the point would have been the same with a scam or two less. I also felt like the ending was a little confusing.

A man with a past who has had numerous relationships under numerous names. His life finally catches up to him when Ash, the daughter of Nina whom he is dating, has a funny feeling about him and discovers what is happening.

There is pure evil in this world, and there is whatever Nick Radcliffe is - somehow worse than evil. This was a twisty, turny thriller - but somehow missed the depth of character building or detail to make the twists hit. Good but not great, but then again - I'm less of a thriller girly so would be curious for the my thriller loving friends to weigh in!

As the saying goes, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. And Nick Ratcliffe seems to good to be true - at least to Ash Swann who is watching him woo his Mother and step into the role vacated by her recently deceased father. Same goes for Martha's husband Alistar. Once a doting husband he has started to leave Martha in the lurch with mysterious trips and unanswered texts. Who is the man they've let into their lives? And - what will happen when the seemingly perfect man gets desperate.

There were a lot of characters and a lot of moving timelines here. The sheer volume of victims does add to level of evil this man stoops to, but listening to the book took me some time to start really placing which woman was who - because this man had a type. There were a few twists that felt so undeveloped that they were shocking, but also - felt out of left field. For example, I gasped at the second to last reveal. But, the more I think about it - the more I wonder if that twist works if it was that much of a surprise for me?

Don't Let Him In!!!!!! This was really good. I enjoyed reading this book by Lisa Jewell. I did not predict what was coming, so I did not want to put it down. It kept my attention until the end. It went back and forth from the past to the present, which was throwing my brain for a loop. If you like a suspenseful and twisty story with characters you can not quite tell what they are all about, this novel is for you. It kept me guessing.

If you are a fan of Freida McFadden, you will enjoy this book! I will always read Lisa Jewell!

Overall I rated this book four stars. There were parts that seemed to take too long to unfold, but as they did, the book kept my attention. I would recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgally for giving me an arc of Don't Let Him In. I tried for awhile to get into this book but I just can't get myself to finish it. I don't know who's who or what timeline we're in anymore and it's frustrating plus I've read many books with similar plots as this one.

This was an interesting mystery to follow. I enjoyed reading the story from the different characters. It brought the details and color to the story. Without spoiling anything, I will say that I thought the way the ending came together was very satisfying.

Don’t Let Him In pulled me in from the first scene. Flowers arriving at Nina Swann’s door, her husband Paddy’s sudden death still raw, and the arrival of Nick Radcliffe, a charming man claiming to have known Paddy well. From that moment, I felt the creeping tension in the Swann household.

Lisa Jewell crafts atmosphere expertly. We meet Nina, torn between grief and the relief Nick seems to bring. Her daughter Ash, wary and still struggling with mental health, smells trouble, especially when Nick’s story doesn’t add up. Ash becomes a dogged investigator whose unease keeps the plot buzzing.

Meanwhile Martha’s storyline takes a turn I didn’t expect. Her husband Alistair is never around, and small inconsistencies build to something darker—tracking devices, emotional gaslighting, and a reveal that he’s actually a con man with multiple identities . The way Jewell contrasts Nina’s shock with Martha’s slow-burning realization adds depth, and their stories eventually collide in a satisfyingly tense climax.

What stood out most was the villain’s voice—Nick or Alistair feels too smooth, too practiced. Reading his internal monologue made me gasp more than once. He’s perfectly polite on the surface but entirely sinister underneath, and Jewell never lets you forget how dangerous manipulation can be.

There were moments when the pacing lagged, some middle sections felt a bit heavy on exposition. And I could have used a little more payoff resolving the tangled subplot threads. But overall the structure kept me hooked, switching between POVs just when I needed the tension dialed back or flipped again .

If you love domestic psychological thrillers built on flawed characters, hidden dangers, and slow-building dread, Don’t Let Him In delivers. Reading it feels like hearing a friend recount a scary true story—and then realizing maybe they’re still wrapped up in the nightmare themselves.

I was very excited to read a new book by Jewell. I am giving this one 3.5 stars. I was not a fan of the ending, or the multiple POV's. I really enjoyed our villain POV the most. It was chilling and excited to hear from him. But once we were on any of the "victims" chapters, I found those kind of boring. But I digress. I still really enjoyed and will be recommending this.

Ugh this one was so hard to get into. You know who the villain is from the very beginning so nothing he does is all together shocking or thrilling it’s just disappointing because he’s a trash human. All the women in the story are annoying because they can’t see what’s clearly in front of them with this guy. And it jumps around the time so much that it was really hard to keep track of who was win and when things were happening.