MYSTERY

A Noise Downstairs

HarperCollins. Jul. 2018. 368p. ISBN 9780062678256. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062678270. THRILLER
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Two murders, one witness, a brutal assault, and a possessed vintage typewriter. Barclay (No Time for Goodbye) expertly weaves these details into a tantalizing psychological thriller. College professor Paul Davis is trying to help a friend when he stumbles onto the scene of a double murder. Eight months later, still recovering from the injuries inflicted on that fearful night, he wonders if he's gone insane. After all, he doesn't even remember conversations with his wife, Charlotte, who's been much more loving since the accident. When Paul decides to confront his fears by researching the man who brutally attacked him, Charlotte buys him a vintage typewriter to write about his feelings. His therapist Anna White isn't sure Paul's plan is a good idea but supports him anyway. As days pass, Paul's anxiety goes into overdrive. He now hears noises in the night and is convinced the murdered women are trying to contact him. Charlotte is as certain that he's either delusional or blacking out, while Anna doesn't know what to believe. At what point does a person know for sure they've lost their mind?
VERDICT Prepared to be blindsided by an ending you didn't see coming. Barclay's nerve-wracking tale will have readers scared to close their eyes at night. [See Prepub Alert, 1/22/18.]
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