This book was addicting! The male lead is a vile psychopath conman who preys upon smart women with his special brand of manipulative charm, and playing the long con. It’s a tad confusing weaving in all the wives/marks/lives/names this man had, as the story layers them. It definitely kept my interest, and I couldn’t put it down. I will not give spoilers but will say I figured out two of the “twists” well ahead of their reveal in the book, but that didn’t ruin anything for me.

Thanks NetGalley!

In Don’t Let Him In, Lisa Jewell crafts a dark, intricately layered psychological thriller centered around a web of deception, manipulation, and the strength of women who begin to uncover the unsettling truth. The story revolves around three women unknowingly entangled with the same enigmatic man—each slowly coming to the chilling realization that he isn’t who he claims to be.

Jewell masterfully unravels the narrative, peeling back the layers of each character’s perspective while building a suspenseful momentum that keeps the reader gripped from start to finish. The tension is palpable as secrets are revealed, alliances are formed, and the women come together in a gripping search for answers.

With its complex characters and expertly paced storytelling, Don’t Let Him In is a compelling exploration of trust, identity, and the dangers that lurk behind a charming facade. A smart, sinister thriller that will keep readers guessing until the final page.

What a page turner! Lisa Jewell knows how to write a domestic thriller. Once I grasped the characters and their history, I was fully immersed in the storyline. Don't Let Him In is full of manipulation and lies from the main male character. His behavior keeps you on edge questioning everything. Just when something horrible happens, he outdoes himself a few chapters later. When I thought the plot couldn't go any further- it did.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Spider web of lies, deceit, betrayal, with possibility of revenge 🤔 No spoilers.
Common storyline of a guy who cons a bunch of women. A LOT of main characters, including their relatives, children's, and friends, that makes it hard to keep track of everyone. Plus, the timeline jumps around, so get your notepad ready.

This was a unique storyline that kept me hooked! I didn’t know exactly how it was all going to connect, and it was hard to keep track of the names and characters at first. Once I got to the last half of the book, I was intrigued and couldn’t put it down. I wouldn’t say that the twists were crazy or unpredictable, but the book keeps the mystery throughout. I liked how it showed into the mind of the “villain” and was enlightening to consider his perspective while knowing what he was doing all along.

This book was an interesting read. I wouldn't say it was my favorite book but I enjoyed it. I did feel that the way it was written was a little bit confusing. It jumped from many different perspectives and time frames without making it super clear. The characters were a little dramatic and over the top as well. What I did like was the little things that tied it all together at the end. The ending was my favorite part of the book, I don't want to give away anything about it but I thought it was really good and had me screaming in happiness.

Don’t Let Him In is the newest thriller by Lisa Jewell. The book starts with the tragic death of Paddy Swann, local restauranteur. As time goes by, Paddy’s widow Nina meets a former colleague of Paddy’s. The two begin dating. Paddy’s daughter Ash, however, has some misgivings about the former colleague Nick and starts to do some investigating of her own.

In true Lisa Jewell fashion, there were quite a few twists and surprises throughout this book! It does take some time to get the hang of the timeline and variety of characters. But, I very much enjoyed the story and think it would make a great summer beach read!

I love several of Lisa Jewell’s thrillers and this book was highly anticipated for me. I did find it to be suspenseful, dark, and tense like many of her novels. However, this story wasn’t my favorite. The main character was soo unlikeable and it was hard to read at times. I was underwhelmed with the ending and felt that the story was a bit predictable.

Thank you Netgalley and Lisa Jewell for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Another fantastic thriller by Lisa Jewell! When Ash’s Mom starts dating again after her Dad’s death she gets a bad feeling about Nick and his Intentions and the way he has an answer for everything. Some things are too good to be true but after the whole stalking thing with a guy last year no one really takes her seriously. She goes on a mission to see who he really is and what is the truth vs lies to protect her Mom. I loved every minute of this one!

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the ARC! #dontlethimin

This book started off a bit confusing with the timelines switching from current time to the past with multiple stories/characters. It took many chapters for me to organize all the scenarios and feel confident I understood what was going on. It was a slower read and was not like a typical Lisa Jewell book in my opinion.

Very short chapters, many characters and one devious man makes up this twisted tale. It was annoying to have so many smart women so dumb about their relationships. No mystery about what Nick was about. This was a miss for me from this author.

3.75 stars.

I generally enjoyed this one with its twists and turns and the way the author brought the various seemingly disparate story elements together at the end. The epilogue was also satisfying. The characters were very interesting and the author did a great job in making one of them really despicable.

I did think that the story could have been shorter. It was somewhat repetitive and that slowed the pacing in the first half of the book. However, the second half, with its short chapters, picked up quite a bit with reveals and twists. I had figured out a few of them before they happened but it was satisfying to see the pieces come together.

While not my favourite of hers, I will always read this author’s books.

Thanks to the publisher for this complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I love Lisa Jewell’s books and I was so happy to receive her latest thriller! This was the best read I’ve had all year, I couldn’t put i5 down and read it in less than a day. Can’t wait for her next!
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!
4.5/5 rounded up

This book really had so much potential and I think a lot of people will enjoy it, but unfortunately I found it disappointing.

I’ll begin with what I did like.
“I can see the pieces aligning. I can see the power that this group of disparate people hold.”
I did like the end when I finally got there. I’m glad that all these people that this man hurt and swindled got some kind of closure. The entire story was watching people be manipulated and I’m glad they’re finally got to take some power back. I do appreciate the author making the point several times that it is a slow manipulation that makes it hard to see beneath the mask. I understand that and I know it can happen in real life, but this leads me to what I disliked.

I wish we had not been in his head at all. It took away all the thrill and suspense and it made the author put too many cards on the table. It was all quite predictable and hard to get through. I wish there had been more of an air of mystery to him and what was happening to all of these women.
I felt it most when we got about 60% in. He says “A body has been found in woodland in Essex. A woman’s body. No head. No hands. No legs. Just a torso. Roughly fifty years old. No physical identifiers. Could be anyone. But I know who it is. Of course I do.”
That would’ve made SUCH a great opening to the book. I also think if we got less of his inner monologue and more snippets like that quote, it would’ve been more suspenseful and less predictable.
In all, it took me several weeks to get through this book. After loving everything I’ve read by Lisa Jewell so far, I’ve come to expect these crazy twists and suspense that makes my palms sweat. This book just seemed to lack all the characteristics that makes her books as great as they usually are.

Lisa Jewell delivers another twisty, emotional thriller. After Nina’s husband dies, a charming “old friend” named Nick shows up. But Nina’s daughter Ash is suspicious—and for good reason. Meanwhile, another woman, Martha, is married to a man who’s… not who he says he is.

The story weaves through different POVs (including the creepy con man himself), building tension as lives slowly collide. It’s emotional, suspenseful, and hard to put down.

Rating: 4/5 – A gripping read with great characters and plenty of twists. Perfect if you like thrillers with heart and high stakes.

There are few authors whose novels I don't even bother to read the sample--I just smack that "purchase" button. Lisa Jewell is one of them! I'll continue to keep buying her novels sight unseen, especially after this latest installment to her oeuvre. Multiple POVs, a furiously paced plot, and deep characterization make this novel yet another treat from a master of the genre.

I enjoyed the overall story, but I found this one a bit hard to follow. There were just too many characters, which made it confusing at times. The concept was intriguing, but I think it could have been executed more clearly. Still, there were moments that kept me hooked!

This is a mystery/thriller that doesn’t really have a mystery or many thrills and yet I was hooked! This was definitely inspired by the Tindler Swindler (which is referenced in the book, just not explicitly by name). And if it wasn’t for the fact that I’ve seen that documentary, I would’ve maybe found this story unbelievable. Even though truth is stranger than fiction, I still found this story compelling. And bonus - I enjoyed the ending!

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley but this did not influence my rating or review. This book is set to be published June 24, 2025.

Although the story kept my attention I had two major issues with this book- the main character was so unlikable that it was hard to keep reading. The second issue is I had such a hard time keeping all the women/storylines straight. My advice to anyone reading would be to keep notes so you don’t get lost!

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy.

This was a fast faced fun read! Thank you net galley for this. Was such a treat!

Nick is the worst