If this book is not on your TBR... RUN! Fantastic book! The book is a little bit confusing during the initial few chapters as we get the the alternating POV’s of several characters, (indicated by a change in font) but once I had everyone straight in my mind, the story quickly became COMPULSIVE reading and hard to put down! From start to finish I was completely intrigued, with no less than dozens of questions at any given moment. I was fully immersed in the lives of these characters, both in the past and in the present. While there were some elements I was able to predict, I did try to go along for the ride without getting too far ahead, and I think this helped me to enjoy it more. By the time I turned the last page, I came away fully satisfied with this story and its ultimate conclusion.
Five incredible starts for this novel. This book was another jaw-dropping, page turner that delivered on every aspect for me. This is Lisa Jewell we are talking about here so I might be a little bias but if this woman chose to re write the English dictionary you best believe I will be first in line to pick it up.

I just wanted to strangle the male character and really, most of the women also. They let him get away with so much. I mean, hey why shouldn’t he continue to do what he was doing when he was getting away with it. I did not want to put the book down. A classic page turner. I normally do not like when there are multiple characters in a book, but I like how she laid the characters out in this one. The book is definitely like a puzzle of all these pieces (characters) and once you finally start to get them where they belong, you see the big picture and it starts to make sense. I recommend reading this book.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for the advanced digital copy.

What a page turner!

After restauranteur, Paddy Swann tragically dies leaving behind his beloved wife, Nina and daughter, Ash—a charming Nick Radcliffe waltzes into their life.

Meanwhile, Martha feels like she has the perfect life with her husband, Alistair, their daughter, 2 sons from a previous relationship and doting flower business. Unfortunately, as of late her husband has been absent and Martha is determined to find out why.

The three women’s worlds eventually collide and they learn the a disturbing history that they are now a part of.

The POVs took a minute to understand but once I did I was absolutely hooked. Just disturbing twist after twist. This was such a good dark domestic thriller. I loved it!

4.5 ⭐️

One of the most intricate psychological thrillers I've read in a while. One of those stories that may make you look at the people around you a bit differently and with more suspcicion. Well written with intriguing characters and a plot that keeps you hooked from the start. Great pacing, I tore through this book in two days!

Oh how I hate this man! I finished this book in three days and couldn't stop thinking about it when I wasn't reading it. It was a bit repetitive and there were a lot of characters and story lines to keep straight, but it was still definitely worth it!

Thank you to NetGalley and atria for the opportunity to read this e-ARC.

Three women, one conman. Lisa Jewell’s latest follows Nina, her daughter Ash, and Martha, as they navigate their lives with…well, a psychopath. This psychological domestic drama is told in multiple POVs with alternating timelines, which at times made it difficult to follow along as I couldn’t remember whether certain events had happened in the past or present timeline. Another reviewer said it felt “choppy” and I would agree. Also, while it was fascinating getting to be in the head of our bad guy, it was at times very uncomfortable to the point that I needed to set the book down and step away. There are definitely some twists and turns in the back half, most of which I saw coming, and the ending felt a little abrupt. To avoid suffering from unmet expectations, you need to go in understanding this is not a pulse-pounding thriller and is more akin to watching a true crime documentary. Overall, I still liked it and recommend for readers of the genre.

Pub Date: 6/24/25
Review Published: 6/3/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars. This was an easy read that had many layers to the web of lies the main character spun. I wouldn't classify this as much of a thriller, but did have touches of crime weaved in( I don't want to give anything away). Overall it was definitely an enjoyable read, making you frustrated for some characters and angry at others.Thank you to Atria Books and Net Galley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been in something of a reading slump the last few months, so I was overjoyed when I was given the opportunity to review an ARC of Lisa Jewell’s latest thriller, “Don’t Let Him In.” Based on her previous novels, I strongly suspected that this would be the book to jumpstart my reading again and I was not disappointed.

The story basically focuses on a charming con man who preys on women in their 40’s and 50’s who are financially independent, changing his identity and personality to match their idea of the perfect man. Once he has made them fall in love with him, he drains their fortunes before moving on to his next mark.

The book moves from the present time with flashbacks narrated from the con man’s perspective, starting 4 years in the past and moving forward. The narration from the past begins with his marriage to Tara, right after he is starting to move on to his next victim, Martha. Four years after he leaves Tara to marry Martha, he begins to pursue Nina, a wealthy widow whose husband, the owner of several restaurants, was pushed in front of an oncoming train.

The only people who don’t fall under his spell are the adult daughters of two of the victims: Emma, Tara’s daughter, and Ash, Nina’s daughter. Unfortunately, Ash’s opinion is not credible because she had something of a mental breakdown having to do with an incident that occurred when she was working in London after graduating from university. Since the breakdown, she has been living at home working at a menial job while she tries to get her life together.

The novel draws the reader in as it details the artful way the con man brings various women under his spell, while his ongoing campaign to win over Nina appears to be working despite Ash’s attempts to convince her mother that he can’t be trusted. The reader won’t be able to put the book down, wondering whether or not he will ever be caught, while at the same time being horrified by the various revelations about him that begin to unfold throughout the book.

Well-drawn characters, a scintillating storyline and excellent prose make this book as irresistible as the con man at the center of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

✨✨SPOILERS✨✨

This was an incredibly exciting story. I could not put this book down all day. The way the timelines all wove together to form one insane story of deceit and madness was incredible. Solid five star thriller. So many twists and every chapter had me hooked with something new to wrap my mind around.

Moments I loved -

When Nina finally listened to Ash and believed her about Nick. She apologizes and holds her. I think their talk was so heartfelt and beautiful. it was long overdue and I’m so glad they finally had that

So proud of Jessie for coming forward

I love Jane! Her spunky personality

Ash was determined to get to the bottom of Nicks lies and her loyalty to her family was remarkable. I’m so proud of her. Such an amazing character.

I don’t think I’ve hated any character as much as Nick maybe ever. Excellent writing 😙🤌

That ending!! My heart was pounding! I thought he was going to get away 😂 Phew! (Would have loved to see him ripped into a million tiny pieces, but I am satisfied with the result all the same)

Dislike-

I will forever wonder if my hair smells “scalpy” for the rest of my life thanks to nick’s inner monologue 😩

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC! Lisa Jewell is an automatic read for me as I love her twisty thrillers! Don’t Let Him In was a little different as the reader knows more about what is happening and watches as the characters slowly figure it out . . . Or do they? A prominent chef dies, and as his family is grieving, his widow begins a relationship with a suave gentleman. Another couple works together at a flower shop, while the husband also frequently travels for his consulting business. The story jumps around in time and introduces yet another couple and describes the issues they have in their marriage. Eventually, the stories come together and all is revealed. While it wasn’t my favorite book from the author (None of This Is True and The Night She Disappeared hold those honors!), it was still a good read and would be perfect to bring with while traveling.

Thanks NetGalley & Atria for the ARC! I love Lisa Jewell and think she's one of the best thriller authors out there so I was SO excited to receive this ARC. The book kept me interested through the end and I raced through it but it ended up being kind of a let down. There wasn't really a twist or shocker and it ended exactly how I was guessing, though I was hoping she would add a surprise at the end like she's often known for. The book follows many characters whose lives intersect over several decades and their overlapping stories and deception kept me flying through the book to get to a big ending and hopefully some justice for the many characters that were betrayed, but the end just felt lackluster. I still enjoyed the read but I don't think it'll be memorable and definitely falls at the back of the pack in Jewell's catalogue. 3 stars!

Thank you to Atria Books for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is an unconventional thriller, focusing more on dread and sinking-feelings in the pit of the stomach than twists and turns. Centered mainly on three women who are connected by a shadowy man, their lives become more complicated as the tangled knot of lies he’s woven becomes untied.

Something that I really appreciated about this book is the theme of trust and believing people; particularly believing women. The book covers who we are inclined to trust and why, and whether that sometimes does us a disservice. Certain characters, like Ash in particular, are disbelieved, despite telling the truth, due to external factors. The overarching theme of not believing women is woven throughout the story.

While this book is written with the same quality that we’ve seen in Lisa Jewell books in the past. This book, however, took me longer to read due to some of the mental exhaustion. The antagonist is so difficult to tolerate, so slimy and disgusting that reading his chapters is so difficult at times. At times he can be a little cartoon-y in his misogyny and psychopathy, but his character is written with a lot of detail. His chapters were a chore to read, not because the author did a bad job, but rather because he’s one of the most horrible characters I’ve read.

I think that this is going to be a really great summer read. It’s interesting and complicated enough to hold the reader’s attention. If you’ve enjoyed Lisa Jewell titles in the past, you’ll certainly enjoy this one as well.

4/5 stars!

Wow! Lisa Jewell never disappoints! She has always been an autobuy author and this was just another success! The twists and turns kept me on my toes for the entire ride. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I have read several Lisa Jewell novels and have loved them all. At this point, she is one of my automatic purchases (I’ll buy it without even looking to see what it’s about).

To say I am disappointed in Don’t Let Him In is an understatement. I don’t know what I expected, but this definitely wasn’t it.

The entire book is about the same thing… over and over again… in different time frames. Just a bunch of gullible and trusting women getting conned by an extremely creepy, but good-looking man. In fact, there were so many women it was confusing for a large part of the book. After a while, I just stopped caring because my god, how do you just let him get away with all of this?!?

There is no mystery, no suspense, no whodunit. It’s all laid out for the reader to see.

Even what I assume was supposed to be a twist at the end wasn’t shocking at all. Everything seemed very transparent the entire time. I think maybe it’s because we get his POV? I’m not sure.

So, yeah… I didn’t think it was great, especially from one of my favorite authors, BUT I did read it all, and I did want to know how it ended. It was interesting enough, but just not up to par IMO.

Lisa Jewell once again proves she’s a master of domestic suspense with Don't Let Him In, a gripping, unsettling thriller that sinks its claws in from the first chapter and never lets go. Jewell delivers a pitch-perfect blend of mystery, emotional depth, and psychological tension, weaving a story that is as compulsively readable as it is deeply human.

At its heart, Don't Let Him In is a chilling exploration of trust, trauma, and the lengths people go to protect those they love. The novel revolves around complex characters with murky pasts, and as secrets unravel, Jewell expertly teases out questions that linger long after the final page: How well do we really know the people we let into our lives? And what if the danger is already inside?

The pacing is tight and the structure cleverly layered, unfolding with twists that feel both surprising and satisfyingly earned. Jewell’s prose is sharp and observant, her character work emotionally astute, and the mood she conjures—one of creeping dread and mounting unease—is executed with finesse.

This is psychological suspense at its finest. Fans of The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone will find themselves right at home, though Don't Let Him In stands confidently on its own. Highly recommended for readers who like their thrillers dark, intelligent, and impossible to put down.

Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband's unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling. Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn't right. Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

Thoughts

Ok this is actually a pretty good plot, it keeps you reading just so you can watch everything come together - or rather, unravel. The issue I had, and why I couldn’t rate it higher, is that there was so much content building up all the betrayal and lies when we could have gotten the story at a fraction of the details. I was actually disgusted by the ways the MMC manipulated and treated all these women. I almost stopped reading it at 30% because it was just too much. I pushed through and the second half of the book was faster and was good, but it wasn’t enough to redeem itself for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an Advanced Reader Copy of Don't Let Him In.
This book kept me wanting to read it since the story was interesting, but it was not really a thriller, more a suspense. It was a little bit of a slow build story to me, but overall, it was a good story. I loved the epilogue. It was the perfect ending to the book. It is my least favorite Lisa Jewell book so far, although I haven't read them all yet.

4.5 ⭐️ - I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and was thrilled to receive this ARC!!

Paddy Swann dies tragically in a train accident and his grieving family receives a gift from Nick Radcliffe, an unknown old friend of his, who quickly works his way into their lives and a relationship with Nina, Paddy’s widow. Ash, Paddy’s daughter, feels something is off about him from the beginning and worries things are too good to be true for this new man in her mother’s life. Martha, mom of 3 and floral shop owner is trying to work through her issues with her husband Alistair’s mysterious work trips, going off the grid for days at a time with poor excuses and things are not adding up.

Nick is a loathsome psychopath and con artist who just keeps getting worse by the minute and leaves countless women in his path of destruction. This story had so many twists and turns, didn’t feel like there were any huge surprises but has a steady build throughout. The ending felt a little too neatly tied up but felt things were brought to justice and liked that this had a solid resolution given the nature of his history of disappearing.

Overall would recommend for an exciting new thriller out in a few weeks!!

Don’t Let Him In is a slow-burning, suspenseful domestic thriller that expertly weaves together the lives of three women—each on the edge of uncovering a chilling truth. Nina, newly widowed, finds herself drawn to the charming Nick Radcliffe, whose sudden reappearance after her husband’s death feels both comforting and oddly timed. Her daughter, Ash, trusts her instincts more than Nick’s perfectly polished persona and sets off a chain reaction with her investigation. Meanwhile, Martha, a new mother in a nearby town, battles growing unease about her husband’s absences and the cracks forming in their seemingly solid marriage.

The narrative unfolds through alternating perspectives, building tension as secrets come to light and the characters’ stories begin to intersect in unexpected—and deeply unsettling—ways. The atmosphere is thick with unease, and the book excels at maintaining suspense without relying on cheap thrills.

The only reason this isn’t a five-star read is that the pacing drags slightly in the middle, and some twists feel a bit telegraphed. Still, the strength of the female characters and the creeping sense of dread make this an engrossing read. Fans of Lisa Jewell or Shari Lapena will find much to love here.

Final verdict: A gripping tale of trust, deception, and how well we ever really know the ones closest to us. Just remember—don’t let him in.

Honestly I have conflicting feelings about this book, for sure my favorite part of it was that it was impossible to put it down, like actually. I read it all in a day, in two seatings, couldn't even stop reading while brushing my teeth. All of this to say, this is so entertaining and quick to read, the short chapters really work here.
Now my issues, i'm not sure Lisa Jewell's writing is for me, I've only read "None of this is true" by her and my thoughts are kind of the same. She writes beautifully but I don't feel like her stories are thrilling whatsoever, I feel like there's not enough mystery, if anything at points it feels like a character study of middle aged women, but it also fails to be deep enough in that aspect. So for me, they always land in the middle, not fulfilling my expectations for any of the aspects of the story.
Still, If you like her previous work I would highly recommend this one because it has that distinct vibe of hers. If you wanna get out of a reading slump or simply read something fast paced and entertaining I also would recommend.
Oh I'm watching "you" right now and the main character of this gave MAJOR Joe vibes, so if you like the show try reading this book!!

*Thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and the author for the ARC*