I just finished Lisa Jewell's latest thriller, "Don't Let Him In." I was captivated by the charming Nick Radcliffe from the get go. But when one of the recently widowed women that he is dating daughter grows suspicious of who Nick really is and starts her own investigation. The story is told in multiple time lines, (I always love a back story) The constant twist and turns will keep you captured to turn each pages as fast as you can. Thank you #Netgalley and #Atriabooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had such high hopes going in and halfway through, I was really enjoying it and anticipating that a big twist was coming. But in the end it never really hit the mark. Instead, it unraveled into a familiar story: a manipulative man and the women caught in his web. The setup had so much potential, but the payoff felt a bit flat. I generally love her books and this wasn't a bad read, just not a memorable one for me.

Thank you to Atria Books via netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, Storygraph) on June 28, 2025. An additional post was posted on Instagram on the publication day (links below)

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for an honest review.

“Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell is a twisty psychological thriller that takes readers on a disorienting, suspenseful journey through the many lives—and lies—of a manipulative and dangerous man known by far too many names.

The book follows Simon—or Al, or whoever he’s pretending to be next—a man who leaves a trail of devastation in the lives of women and children. At times, the narrative becomes difficult to track, not because of poor writing, but because of how deeply and frequently Simon slips into different identities. It’s a deliberate, chaotic effect that mirrors the confusion and trauma he causes his victims—and it really drives home just how slippery and terrifying this man is.

Over the course of the story, we learn about the many women he’s hurt:
• A first wife he abandoned after faking his own death, leaving her with children and financial ruin.
• A woman he married, murdered, and dismembered—her daughter’s quiet intuition one of the first alarms.
• Jessie, a woman he manipulated and strangled, only backing off when money came into play.
• And finally, Martha—perhaps his greatest obsession—who sees through him more than he realizes… but whose daughter sees even more.

While the number of characters and timelines occasionally made it hard to keep track, it also built a feeling of paranoia and danger that felt true to the genre. The formation of the victims’ Facebook group, “Don’t Let Him In”, was a powerful and cathartic moment, bringing a sense of justice and unity.

The final scenes on the beach, where the women and children confront Simon, deliver an emotional climax. Yet the story ends with just enough ambiguity—Simon disappears into the ocean, and we’re left wondering… did they really stop him? Or is he out there, waiting?

Overall, “Don’t Let Him In” is chilling, smartly plotted, and deeply unsettling. It could benefit from a bit more clarity around the cast of characters, but it delivers a solid psychological punch—especially for readers who enjoy dark thrillers about predators hiding in plain sight.

The latest twisty thriller from Lisa Jewell requires you to pay attention, but you won't have any trouble doing so. Upon being widowed, a woman meets who is seemingly the perfect man.. until she finds the skeletons in his closet that set her on a collision course with 2 other women. What happens next, you'll never guess!

Happy Pub week for this book! Sadly this was not a favorite of mine by her. The different points of view were hard for me to grasp at first but I eventually got them down. Once I got the different POV down I kind of figured out how it would end. Still great writing and can’t wait for another book of hers to come out!

Thank you Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and NetGalley for the ARC!

“I know how it feels to not belong to yourself.”

Wtf did I just read? There are chapters upon chapters and hundreds of pages of too many weak and pathetic women just letting this piece of shit ruin their lives. Ash, the 26 year old kid, is the only one with some sense.

This book took me forever to get through and it was a chore to even finish. I almost dnf’d it multiple times. You could have removed probably 150 pages out of the middle and still not missed much of the plot. By the end I was flipping pages but I’m not sure if that was just to say I finished or because I actually cared what happened. I think it was a little bit of both.

Anywho I will still read whatever this author writes but man do I feel let down by this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, Atria Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts, as always.

Not sure how to summarize this one without giving it away.

This one was crazy. I don’t know how a man can treat so many women like that and not realize he’s being a terrible person.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite authors so I'm disappointed to say that this one just didn't do it for me. It was fine but I felt it was too predictable and I was just waiting for something more to happen. I enjoyed the characters of Ash and Jane but many of the others felt interchangeable. I did however enjoy the epilogue and felt it did a great job of tying it all together.

This novel was so repetitive I could not get into it. Nick/Al scams a women and leaves her destitute rinse and repeat with so many women. There were so many characters and I was so confused at times. It’s a bit disappointing how naïve these women were written. At 50% literally nothing had happened; if you are going into this thinking it’s a fast paced thriller you might be disappointed. I saw an interview with the author who said she was inspired by Dirty John the scammer and this felt almost too on the nose. I honestly probably should have dnf because life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying but I know Lisa Jewell loves a twist so I stuck it out.
Not my fav 2.5-3 stars ️ Many thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for an e-arc exchange for my honest review.

This one felt very slow and honestly couldn’t connect to the women much because I couldn’t tell them apart. They were stupid beyond believability and the ending seemed rushed and lackluster

@lisajewelluk does it again! This twisty thriller had me hooked from page one. The characters are messy, manipulative, and so vivid. And she gives us a villain that had my blood boiling throughout!

Paddy Swann is killed in a shocking way, and his widow Nina is moving on with a new man… but her daughter isn’t convinced. Meanwhile, Martha’s drowning in motherhood and a checked-out husband. How do their stories connect? Jewell pieces it together like a master puzzle. Suspenseful, addictive, and full of jaw-dropping twists.

I don’t want to give away too much but I love how she spun this web perfectly connecting all the characters. It’s so twisty, almost like a true crime documentary where you are trying to connect all the dots and solve this. I will say it’s not a popcorn thriller, so if you are looking for big twists, this is different.

I am so thankful that @atriabooks gave me an advanced copy.

Paddy Swann, a restauranteur, was killed unexpectedly when he was pushed in front of a train. His wife Nina is trying to move on and meets Nick Radcliff. He seems almost too perfect. Nina's daughter Ash doesn't like Nick at all and begins to dig into his past. Meanwhile, Martha is the mother of 3, with a florist business. Her husband Al disappears for days at a time and is unreachable. She begins to have doubts. What do these two women have in common? You will have to read to find out. I can't say more without giving things away.

This Lisa Jewel book, Don't Let Him In, will keep you turning pages from the beginning. It is a quick read with many twists. It may make you feel angry at times because the women seem to have no common sense.

While I did figure out some of the twists, there were others I did not. I will say that at times it was a little hard to keep things straight in my mind between the past and present chapters. There were also many characters to keep up with. All in all, it was a good solid story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC copy for me to read and give my honest review of.

Nick Radcliffe is the suave, charismatic silver fox who quickly enters into the lives of recently widowed Nina Swann and her family. Starting with a gift and condolence card as an “old friend” of the late Paddy Swann, Nick is eager to impress..but Nina’s adult daughter Ash has an unsettling feeling and determined to uncover the truth of his past. Meanwhile, Martha is a florist, juggling work life with a newborn and teenagers, all while her husband Alistair continuously takes off for work, disappearing for work while unable to be reached. All of these stories will intertwine as things get darker than they could ever imagine.
For a while, I was super confused with the constant jumping of timelines and perspectives with no labels, but when it all clicked? Wow! Another great suspense/mystery from Lisa Jewell that is hard to put down.
Thank you to Atria Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Con stories are my least favorite in the thriller bunch, but I will read anything that Lisa Jewell comes out with, so this was no exception. As predicted, I was filled with rage while reading this story. I read this during our honeymoon and a few times, Ben had to ask me if something was wrong. I don’t have a good poker face, so I can only imagine the expressions on my face reading the despicable things that this man did to women.

It was one victim after the other, earning their trust and then draining their money, rinse and repeat. All the while, there are family members of the victims who band together to reveal his true character. They were easy to root for. I haven’t wanted someone’s demise that badly in a long time.

Despite the utter hatred that I had toward this con man, I appreciated how well it was written to bring up those emotions. This is a fast-paced, infuriating, but enjoyable and dare I say, satisfying read. I would recommend it for someone looking to get out of a reading slump!

Don't Let Him In, Lisa Jewell's latest, is a twisty psychological thriller that I could not put down.

Ash is mourning the death of her father, restaurateur Paddy, with her mother Nina.

They receive condolences from an old friend of Paddy and slowly and insidiously this man works himself into their lives. There's a very "Dirty John" vibe to this story - the bad guy is so bad, it's hard to fathom how much worse he can get, then he exceeds even that.

I can't type more without giving too much away. What I can say is that this was an engaging read that came together in a very unexpected way. With a cherry on top.

My thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the Advance Reader Copy. (pub date 6/24/2025)

A twisty psychological thriller that gets more dramatic and threatening as the story evolves. At the heart of the story is Nick Radcliffe, a fifty-something year old “silver fox” of a charming man who reaches out to a newly windowed Nina to express his condolences at the loss of her husband. And then begins the gaslighting and catfishing that “Nick” has been doing for years. Jewell tells the story through the stories of multiple victims (who don’t realize they are victims at the time) as we see the extent of lies being told, and the tangled webs being woven in order for “Nick” to carry out his grand designs. Just how far has this man gone to accomplish his needs for money, adoration, and control?? The story will pull you in to the lives of women/families he has targeted, and while some things you may see coming, there are surprises that await!! Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read and review this advance reader copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #Don’tLetHimIn

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this e-ARC!

This book had all of the twists and turns I would expect from Lisa Jewell. It starts out with a family tragedy, Paddy Swann, a restaurant owner, dies suddenly and unexpectedly. His wife Nina receives a letter from Nick Radcliffe, who says he’s a former friend and coworker of her deceased husband. The story weaves through several different POVs, all somehow connected to Nick Radcliffe. Nina’s daughter, Ash, is suspicious of Nick and his intentions, and spends the book investigating.

I did have a bit of a challenge keeping up with all of the timelines/characters, but at the end they did come together well! This is a story where you will fully HATE Nick and often question the thought process of the women he’s encountered through his lifetime. You have an intelligent, manipulative, conman that destroyed the lives of so many people, with no real care or regard about doing so.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who’s a fan of Lisa Jewell and the thriller genre, I can always count on Lisa to give me a story that I don’t want to stop reading. While I did predict some of the twists, I still enjoyed the ride

Thank you, NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC . I am a big fan of Lisa Jewels books and this one did not disappoint me. I loved the characters in this book. I was invested in their stories right from the beginning. I loved learning about Nick and all the faces that he portrays and the lies and drama that he has caused throughout his life . You definitely should not let him in. He is definitely a menace and I couldn’t stop reading to go out if karma catches up to him! I definitely recommend this book and this author for amazing thriller books you cannot put down and can read in one sitting!

In classic Lisa Jewell form, Don't Let Him bounces around various characters and timeframes which adds to the mystery and suspense. The book centers around Nick Radcliff (but is that his name?) and those around him. I didn't enjoy this one as much as Jewell's other books -- I found a lot of the twists to be a bit predictable. But, I still stayed up until midnight finishing it!

Leave it to Lisa Jewell to make me question everything about my own marriage (I’m kidding…kind of).

“He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.” And this has to be the perfect tagline for such a book.

Alistair. Nick. Damien. They couldn’t all be the same man…could they?

He comes into your life and makes you think he’s a dream come true. But is it by chance? Or does he know the intimate details of your life before you ever reveal them yourself? In fact…it would be worth wondering just how much he might know to begin with…and why.

This is the epitome of domestic suspense. It’s not one that’s going to throw unexpected twists at you around every turn, but rather casually reveal truths to you that you may or may not have seen coming. The truly masterful quality comes from how it all weaves together—and how it all unravels.

Someone described this to me as a “kaleidoscopic thriller” and that’s honestly the perfect description for it. You get to follow each character, see the entire situation from their POV, zooming in on their lives and experiences before zooming back out to see the bigger picture. The impact it might be having on a larger set of people.

I was definitely able to predict a large portion of the reveals, but that didn’t take away from the experience for me. I enjoyed watching everything play out—I enjoyed seeing how Lisa was able to weave everything together just so we could watch it fall apart. And I loved the amateur sleuthing that strung each individual story together in a way only a brave, scorned woman—or daughter—could do.

But, seriously. Be careful who you trust. And who you choose to let in.