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    A Noise Downstairs: A Novel
    A Noise Downstairs: A Novel
    A Noise Downstairs: A Novel
    Audiobook9 hours

    A Noise Downstairs: A Novel

    Written by Linwood Barclay

    Narrated by George Newbern

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    About this audiobook

    The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.

    College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s ""normal"" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.

    However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.

    Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.

    But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 24, 2018
    ISBN9780062849465
    Author

    Linwood Barclay

    Linwood Barclay is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous previous novels and two thrillers for children. His books have been translated into more than two dozen languages. He wrote the screenplay adaptation for his novel Never Saw it Coming and his book The Accident has been made into a TV series in France. His novel No Time for Goodbye was a global bestseller. A native of Connecticut, he now lives in Toronto with his wife, Neetha.

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    Reviews for A Noise Downstairs

    4/5

    267 ratings46 reviews

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    • 5/5
      WOW! I listened almost non-stop! Great suspense! You think you have it figured out? Guess again.
    • 5/5
      "A Noise Downstairs," by Linwood Barclay, is a domestic thriller in which Paul Davis, a college professor and all-around nice guy, finds himself in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is driving around at night with no particular destination in mind when he spots his colleague and former mentor, Kenneth Hoffman, on the road, steering his Volvo erratically. Davis is concerned, and follows Hoffman to see what is going on and, if necessary, offer his assistance. The subsequent encounter ends disastrously for both men. Paul incurs a serious head injury, and subsequently suffers from PTSD, headaches, memory loss, and occasional disorientation. Adding to his woes is his suspicion that his wife Charlotte, a real estate agent, may be fed up with him. To help him cope while he tries to regain his footing, Paul regularly visits a psychologist, Dr. Anna White.

      Barclay delivers the goods in this clever and intriguing page-turner. First, he creates interesting characters, some of whom make choices that could conceivably come back to haunt them. Paul, for example, decides to exorcise his inner demons by confronting them head-on, but in doing so, he may be making a bad situation even worse. In addition, Barclay's devilish and brilliantly constructed plot has red herrings that keep us off-balance and shocking twists and turns. Only extremely savvy readers will figure out, at least partially, where the author is headed. Finally, the dialogue, descriptive writing, and prose style are crisp, fast-paced, and absorbing. We identify with Paul's angst, especially when he starts to believe that he may be losing his ability to think and behave rationally.

      This ironic, creepy, and sometimes darkly humorous story focuses on such traits as self-centeredness, a compulsive need to control others, lust, and deceit that lead people to commit terrible deeds. Barclay deftly manipulates us, and at least one development is absolutely stunning and completely unexpected. When matters come to a head in a bloody climax, "A Noise Downstairs" resembles a Shakespearean play with a particularly high body count. Linwood Barclay has created an original, mesmerizing, and intense work of fiction that should attract a large and appreciative audience.
    • 4/5
      Paul Davis sees his friend Kenneth Hoffman driving around so decides to follow him. What follows changes Paul's life. Paul now forgets things and gets confused so when he suddenly begins to hear a noise downstairs things start to happen.I never have to worry about not enjoying a book by Linwood Barclay. Like all authors he has books out there where some are more enjoyable than others, but either way I always enjoy them.This story started with a strong start. Immediately I am drawn into the story and characters. I wanted to know what was happening and what was coming next. The middle section seemed to drag slightly and I was getting not bored, but perhaps wanting the story to get back on track. Then a twist that I would have never seen coming appeared and that is when the story was back in business.It's always a pleasure to read books by Linwood Barclay. The stories are always page turning and in most cases keeps me guessing. My only niggle is that the final twist was a little predictable but it didn't spoil the book.
    • 4/5
      JUL 24 - Barclay is back with another book that I couldn't put down. A lot is going on here as our main character recuperates from the murder attempt from his close friend and colleague, a two-time killer. He can't get the man out of his head as he has nightmares, hears noises and soon finds he has a typewriter used by the friend in his murders. The typewriter haunts him and he wonders if it is actually haunted itself. An intricate plot of two cases which eventually come together and a man who is quickly losing his mind. I pretty much figured out what was going on quite early in the book though there were a couple of things I didn't see coming. The main character is a very likable person which makes us care what happens I was kept on my toes though as the twists kept coming and I had to keep re-evaluating my theories. One of my favourite authors.
    • 3/5
      This was my second attempt with this author and I haven't enjoyed either of them. The first try was the final book of a trilogy and, since I hadn't read the other two books, I figured it was my fault. However, this book is a standalone, so my conclusion is that the author and I are not compatible. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
    • 5/5
      Is it possible to receive messages from the dead? College Professor Paul Davis in Linwood Barclay's novel, A Noise Downstairs, is trying to find the answer to this question. Paul has been under therapy with Dr. Anna White for eight months after getting hit on the head by a colleague, Kenneth Hoffman. Paul was following Kenneth because he wanted to tell him that his tail light was out. Paul notices two dead women in the back of Kenneth's car. Kenneth panics and tries to kill Paul but the police happen by and arrest Kenneth. Paul wants to write down his experience as a way to deal with it. His wife, Charlotte, finds an old Underwood typewriter for him to use. In the middle of the night Paul wakes and hears someone typing downstairs. He starts to find messages in the typewriter that he did not type and is convinced that they are from the women that Kenneth has killed. I have read ten novels by Linwood Barclay and he is fast becoming one of my favorite thriller writers. I find his writing to be a mixture of Stephen King and Harlan Coben. His characters are always very unique and intriguing. A Noise Downstairs is told by the viewpoint of three characters; Paul Davis, Charlotte Davis and Dr. Anna White. I thought I knew what was happening midway through but after many twists, I was quickly proven wrong. This would be an excellent beach read and I would highly recommend it to those who love psychological thrillers. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher, William Morrow for an advanced copy for an honest review. "There's a noise downstairs...and it's not what you think." #ANoiseDownstairs
    • 5/5
      Paul Davis entend une machine à écrire pendant la nuit. Il meurt noyé et on croit à un suicide. C’est sa femme et son amant qui lui l’ont presque devenu fou avec la machine à écrire. Finalement c’est un meurtre
    • 4/5
      An enjoyable thriller about a college professor badly injured with a head injury who tries to move forward from the assault but finds himself spinning a bit out of control down a dark hole. The ending is a bit far-fetched, but also satisfying in tying up loose ends.
    • 5/5
      Another 5 star book!! The story moves along quickly, and though not original, there are definitely many “Wait. What?? No way did I just read that!!” Moments. Many parts have a very Stephen King vibe to them. This was my first book by Linwood Barclay, and I can’t wait to read more!
    • 4/5
      A real page-turner with more than one twist that kept me very interested. Good character development. Not usually my kind of thing, but I'd really be tempted to read more by this author.
    • 5/5
      Darn good read.
    • 4/5
      It was a good novel, but not the best I’ve ever read/listened to. In fact it got a little convoluted there for a while. Red herrings here and there are ok, but this one was a little overdone for me.
      Still it was all in all an interesting novel, and kept me listening to the end. Idk if I’d give it all the stars everyone else has, but at least I enjoyed it.
      4 stars, and I guess it’s recommended to those with patience lol.
    • 4/5
      When Paul came across Kenneth, a co-worker, on a deserted road, it appeared Kenneth was trying to dump a couple of bodies! Paul suffered a head injury while Kenneth was arrested and sent to jail on two counts of murder and one of attempted murder (Paul). Months later, Paul has been working with a therapist for both the head injury and just getting past what he went through. He decides he’d like to revisit the event and try to figure out what happened to make Kenneth do such a thing. When Paul’s wife, Charlotte, brings home an old typewriter – similar to one Kenneth used when he killed his victims – things start happening...As with all Barclay’s books, this was really good. I loved the idea of the old typewriter and I could hear the sounds it made in my head. It was also quite creepy, at times. It was hard to know what was happening with Paul, and the twists were a surprise to me.
    • 4/5
      4.5 stars.

      A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay is a riveting mystery that is quite eerie.

      Several months after catching fellow colleague and friend Kenneth Hoffman disposing of the bodies of two murdered women, college professor Paul Davis is still dealing with anxiety and PTSD. Barely surviving the ordeal, he is suffering from nightmares and the residual issues of a traumatic brain injury.  Trying to put the incident behind him once and for all, Paul decides to write about what happened to him and talk to Kenneth to understand what drove him to murder. To inspire him, his wife Charlotte gives him a vintage typewriter and soon after, a series of troubling events make Paul doubt his sanity. With the help of his therapist, Dr. Anna White, he tries to make sense of what is happening to him. Is the typewriter haunted by Kenneth's victims? Is Paul experiencing a mental break of some kind?  Or could their a far more ominous reason for these harrowing occurrences?

      Before Kenneth's attack, Paul is well-liked professor who enjoys his career. But the months since the fateful night with a murderer, he has struggled with short-term memory loss, frustrating hallucinations and horrible nightmares. With his return to teaching on the horizon, Paul wants to put the incident behind him for good. To achieve his goal, he tracks down newspaper articles which detail Kenneth's murders. However, understanding what turned Kenneth into a killer remains elusive.

      Charlotte is extremely supportive of her husband's efforts to recover from the life-changing event. However, her gift of the typewriter sets off an unforeseen chain of incidents that greatly worry her.  Growing increasingly concerned, Charlotte reaches out to everyone in Paul's life in an effort to help him. But will she be able to save him from whatever is haunting him?

      A Noise Downstairs is a very clever mystery with an imaginative plot and an atmospheric setting. Paul is a very well-defined character whose behavior is somewhat irrational but understandable under the circumstances. Anna is a compassionate and caring therapist who is struggling with issues of her that she tries to keep from interfering with her professional life. With very clever red herrings and misdirects,  Linwood Barclay obscures the truth about what is happening to Paul and why until the novel's twist-filled, jaw-dropping conclusion.  A suspenseful read that will delight fans of the genre.
    • 5/5
      Before "the incident" Paul had thought his marriage had gone a bit flat, and that his wife might even be thinking of leaving him. But since he was attacked Charlotte has been very supportive. It is now 8 months on and he he seeing a therapist, battling PTSD, and depression, and is yet to return to work.He has become anxious to understand what led his colleague to commit murder, which was what led him to attack Paul with a shovel. Central to the whole thing is a typewriter which Paul thinks is the one which his colleague owned. The typewriter is sitting in Paul's study and at night it appears to deliver messages from his colleague's victims.A truly creepy and very readable novel.
    • 4/5
      Recovering from a physical assault, Paul begins hearing a typewriter during the night downstairs. The messages are from two women who were murdered. Who done it??? Very good, suspenseful. An easy read.
    • 4/5
      The story here is Paul Davis who was nearly murdered by an old Professor friend called Kenneth who Paul stumbled on one night disposing of 2 ladies bodies, is slowly recovering and wants to figure out his future. Charlotte his wife wants to help him but she finds it difficult, she buys him an old type writer, in the night Paul keeps hearing the keys tapping he is very reluctant to admit that maybe the type writer is somehow haunted. He is convinced maybe its the same type writer the ladies used to write notes before they were brutally murdered. As part of the recovery process Paul goes to see his therapist Anna .This book keeps you guessing the majority of the way through. Spoiler alert It turns out Charlotte was having an affair with his friend Bill and they thought of the cunning plan to drive Paul crazy and eventually kill himself so they could be together. Paul dies but he was actually murdered by Leonard, Kenneth's son on Gabriella's orders who was sick of Kenneth cheating on her and snapped she actually killed the 2 ladies and got Kenneth to hide the bodies. Good story far fetched but flows well and easy to read.
    • 5/5
      I have read everything to date that Linwood Barclay has written...and while I can say that some were better than others....however I have to say that I have never read a bad, or even mediocre book that he has written. This story features a cast of characters that each had a motive, an opportunity, and a good reason to be suspected of the crime. The burning question throughout was had a crime even been committed? The reader will change their mind a dozen times before the conclusion. Just a word of warning...be prepare to be blindsided by an ending you will never see coming.
    • 3/5
      Linwood Barclay has the reputation of being a poor man's Harlen Coben. I don't know if that's a fair reputation because at times he's better than Coben. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those times. Barclay specializes in taking situations and setting them up as being supernatural in nature, only to pull back the curtain and reveal the trick. Here the supernatural elements involve a typewriter sending messages from beyond the grave to a nearly murdered college professor. Barclay works hard to send the reader down wrong turns and at times the deception works, but mostly it gets in the way of the narrative. Character development suffers as well, as adequate empathy is never built up with the characters. Barclay has done well in this area in the past so I'm not sure why this book suffers from the malaise. All in all, this book represents a fine way to spend a weekend. Just don't set your expectations too high and enjoy it for what it is; an adequate thriller with some fairly interesting characters and a few plot twists.
    • 3/5
      A professor at a small Connecticut college, living with his second wife on the shore of Long Island Sound, Paul Davis has had a rather unremarkable life until late one October night when he recognizes the broken taillight of his colleague Kenneth’s car and follows it. Kenneth is driving erratically, and Paul worries the older man might be tipsy. When Kenneth stops his car on a lonely road and pops the trunk, Paul stops too and is shocked to see the bodies of two women inside. Wielding a shovel, Kenneth bangs him on the head and would have murdered him, except for the timely appearance of the police, investigating that car with a broken taillight they noticed a few moments before.Eight months later, Kenneth has pleaded guilty to the murders and is in prison, but Paul hasn’t fully recovered. The blow to the head has mostly resolved, but he suffers from post-traumatic stress, panic attacks. His wife Charlotte and his psychologist Anna encourage him, but he has headaches, he forgets things, he’s haunted by the murders. Paul knew the dead women slightly and it seems Kenneth was carrying on with both at once. Only his wife was unaware of his reputation for womanizing.Much of the story takes place within the four walls of Paul’s house, making it another one of those claustrophobic, unreliable narrator domestic thrillers which there are a lot of lately. Unfortunately, for me at least, that took the freshness out of Barclay’s story, though he has a nice red herring woven in.Paul is determined to regain a grip on his life and decides the best way to try to answer his many lingering questions about the murders would be to review everything about the case and the reasons people commit murder. Charlotte and Anna are initially dubious, but persuaded by his determination. Charlotte even buys him an old-fashioned Underwood typewriter. It’s a talisman of the case, because in one of its more ghoulish aspects, Kenneth made his victims type a note on such a typewriter, apologizing for their “immoral, licentious, whore-like behavior.” When Paul repeatedly hears the typewriter in the middle of the night, he slips downstairs to see who is using it, but the house is empty. He half-believes the dead women are trying to communicate with him.On a visit to Anna, he loses his keys and Charlotte has to pick him up. Now here, the author lost me, because if he drove to the office and after their session he doesn’t have his keys, why wasn’t a thorough search made before calling for a ride? Then when Paul believes there’s been an intruder at his home, why does it take many pages for the characters to recall the missing keys? Ultimately, they are “found” in one of the two chairs in Anna’s office, but that unlikely discovery is taken at face value, and no one wonders whether they were there all along. Odd events continue, and to put the ghostly typewriter issue to rest, his friend Bill suggests that he put a piece of paper in it and see what the women want to say. It’s an absurd idea, except that messages begin to appear. Even if you are skeptical of the paranormal, it’s not easy to see how these tricks are being accomplished, and Paul, not fully of sound mind, is increasingly anxious. Author Barclay keeps the tension and the possibilities going at a brisk clip, and though you may figure out the direction of the plot early on, he has surprises in store.
    • 4/5
      Wow! I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller. The Author, whom I've just discovered, weave this tale like an old Twilight Zone episode. But just when you think you know what's really happening, he throws in a few twists. Looks like I have another Harlan Coben to add to my must read Authors.
    • 3/5
      Late one night, college professor Paul Davis finds his colleague, Kenneth Hoffman, in the act of disposing of the bodies of two women. Proving that he isn’t the man Paul thought he was, his “friend” brutally assaults him. Now Paul finds himself battling PTSD and depression and having sessions with a therapist. His wife, Charlotte, brings home a vintage typewriter, hoping to cheer him up by encouraging him to start working on his long-dreamed-of-writing novel.But Paul believes the typewriter is possessed; he hears it typing by itself when he’s in bed at night. Charlotte, however, hears nothing and believes he’s losing touch with reality. Paul believes the typewriter once belonged to the murderer; he’s tormented by the possibility and determined to discover the truth. But his nightmare may be just beginning.Believable characters populate this creepy tale of slowly-building tension and unexpected plot twists that push gaslighting to new heights. Astute readers may identify the culprits before the unexpected conclusion, but unforeseen twists keep the surprises coming. Unfortunately, the excessive use of offensive . . . and unnecessary . . . language mars the storytelling.
    • 5/5
      Linwood Barclay's latest book A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS will send chills down your spine. Undoubtedly one of the best psychological thrillers this year!Late one night college professor Paul Davis saw his colleague and friend Kenneth Hoffman driving erratically. Concerned that something might be wrong with Kenneth, Paul follows him. Wondering what Kenneth is doing Paul first observes him stopping to throw something heavy into a dumpster. Paul then follows him until Kenneth finally pulls off to the side of the road. At that point Paul is horrified to discover that Kenneth has the bodies of two women in the back of the car. Then everything goes black…Now eight months later Paul is in therapy with Dr. Anna White while recovering from the head injury inflicted when Kenneth tried to kill him, while Kenneth himself is in prison having pled guilty to two murders and an attempted murder. Paul decides that perhaps writing about the incident with Kenneth will be cathartic for him. Showing her support, his wife Charlotte purchases an old Underwood typewriter at a garage sale. But it just so happens that it was an old Underwood typewriter that Kenneth was disposing of that fateful night.A few night later Paul begins hearing a noise downstairs. The noise is coming from the old typewriter. He begins finding messages on the typewriter. This is especially chilling as the women in Kenneth’s car that night had been tied to chairs and made to type out confessions before they were killed. Is this the typewriter they typed those confessions on?Since Charlotte does not hear the noises, she is clearly concerned that her husband is now hearing things. She especially becomes alarmed when Paul speculates that these messages may be coming from the dead women. She suggest that perhaps Paul is actually unknowingly typing the messages. A definite page-turner…suspenseful…intriguing. It kept me guessing to the end. When I got a bit too close to figuring it out Barclay led me into another direction. There have been many thrillers written lately with twists at the end that did not work…that came out of the blue. But Barclay skillfully nudges the reader along, picking up clues here and there, developing a theory and then discarding it as new clues are revealed. Totally masterful writing! This book was given to me as ARC by the publisher. All opinions are my own.
    • 2/5
      The book begins when Paul Davis sees a car driving erratically. He follows it because it resembles the car of a co-worker. This decision ends badly as it leads to a life changing head injury for Paul. The book reads quickly, but the premise and mystery are laughable. Paul never suspects the obvious. There are some surprises, but the book is highly predictable.
    • 5/5
      I've been eagerly awaiting Linwood Barclay's latest book - A Noise Downstairs. It's just released and it's one you're going to want to pick up!Eight months ago Paul Davis almost died at the hands of the 'Apology Killer' - a murderer who made his victims type out an apology to him before they died. Still recovering, Paul begins hearing the clicking of his Underwood's keys in the night.....and his wife Charlotte can't hear it.What a delicious premise! Is Paul still feeling the effects of his head injury? He's still losing time and memories. Is he also losing his mind? Or is something or someone trying to contact him via the typewriter? "Just think of all the things that may have been written on this....A machine like this, it has a soul, you know." Lots of possibilities and directions the story could take!I love the idea of everyday, inanimate objects taking on a malevolent presence. There's something especially frightening about noises in the night. Noises waking you from a dead sleep. Unexplained noises downstairs. Undertones of Stephen King.The group of supporting characters are all just as questionable - especially Paul's psychiatrist and one of her patients named Gavin. He's particularly creepy. I trusted none of them - including Charlotte.I began to have my suspicions as the book progressed and thought things would play out a certain way. They did and they didn't - Barclay surprised me with an abrupt turn and a twist at the end. Didn't see that coming! It's so nice to be caught unawares.Barclay's storytelling is so addictive - I had a hard time putting A Noise Downstairs down. Get settled into your favourite reading chair - you won't be getting up anytime soon!
    • 4/5
      Paul Davis is living a normal, slightly boring life as a college professor. Late one night as he’s driving down a nearly deserted road, he comes upon a murderer disposing of two bodies. From that point, Paul’s life will never be the same. Barely escaping with his life, Paul spends the next several months recuperating, battling PTSD, memory loss and depression. To cheer him up, his wife Charlotte buys him a vintage typewriter as sort of an inspiration to work out his issues by writing about them. Instead, Paul becomes convinced that the typewriter is typing by itself during the night.The murder victims Paul happened upon had been forced to type apologies on an old typewriter. That typewriter was never found. Could it be sitting in Paul’s study? Receiving messages from the dead? Paul is determined to confront his own nightmares and begins questioning everyone involved in the case. But will he find answers and peace? Or is his nightmare only beginning?Linwood Barclay is as good as it gets at creating suspense and tension. He is a master at creating an atmosphere that makes you uneasy even if you are not sure why. Paul is a sympathetic character confronted with a mystery that defies explanation. His problems both physically and mentally since his encounter with a murderer having him questioning his own sanity. Paul is doing all the right things. Working on his problems, talking with his therapist, Anna, trying to get better. But are his efforts leading him towards solving the mystery or towards something worse?This novel is filled with interesting characters and a page-turning pace that will grip you from beginning to end. An ending that is as thrilling as it is unexpected. The only thing missing is a single light bulb swinging wildly back and forth as a chair spins around revealing a mummified corpse. Barclay has delivered a suspenseful mystery that keeps you on the edge of your seat all the way through and makes you jump at every little noise that goes bump in the night. You’ll want to read this with the lights on, and leave at least one light on when you go to sleep -- if that’s even possible. Highly recommended.There’s a noise downstairs...and it’s not what you think.I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.
    • 5/5
      What a fun, entertaining, page-turning suspense thriller that Barclay has written for our enjoyment! I've long been a fan, reading almost everything he's ever written, and this one does not disappoint! If you're looking for a compelling and enjoyable read this summer, pick this one.Paul Davis is sort of a mess. He suffered serious head trauma when hit by a shovel after finding a colleague of his with two dead women in the back cargo area of a station wagon. Paul has a bit of PTSD along with some mental health issues, but he's seeing a therapist and starting to recover. Paul gets the notion that he will write about the events, visit the killer in prison, and get his life back. Someone has other ideas...NO SPOILERS.Although I had some idea of where this one was going, it was still a well-written standalone novel with interesting characters and some great red herrings. For awhile, I wasn't sure I was right! This is definitely a book you can read in one sitting, it will be hard to put down, and had a very satisfying conclusion. Thank you to LibraryThing and HarperCollins Publishers for the e-book ARC to read and review.
    • 4/5
      I finally read my first Linwood Barclay book! He is one of those authors I kept meaning to try and never got around too. I like that he writes stand alone books as well as series. This one had plenty of twists that kept me guessing and then totally went a different way than I expected! I definitely want to try something else from him now. A great choice as a beach read.
    • 4/5
      A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay is a must-read psychological thriller with so many twists and turns you’ll lose count.Is it somebody? Is it something? Does that typewriter have a mind of its own or are those voices from beyond? The cover says, “There’s a noise downstairs . . . and it’s not what you think,” and that’s about all you can say. And that you will change what you think over and over and over. To say more would give it all away. Paul suffered physically and emotionally from an attack by Kenneth, and he can’t get past it. His wife Charlotte had been growing distant but the attack seems to have brought them closer together. His son Josh is entering “The Terrible Tens” and is difficult, but the attack on his father seriously affected him. Paul’s therapist Anna helps as much as she can, but she has problems of her own, including caring for her father Frank who suffers from dementia. One of her other patients, Gavin, is more than creepy; he’s scary and possibly dangerous. Paul is not as close to his old friend (and Charlotte’s current colleague) Bill as he once was, but Bill is there for Paul. Pay close attention to these and all the other characters you will meet, because they will all play important roles, and each and every one of them will keep you guessing until the very end.A Noise Downstairs grabs you from the start. The suspense starts building right away and never really lets up. You don’t know what to expect but you have the feeling something bad is about to happen. And this is a feeling you will experience several times throughout the book. When Paul confronts Kenneth you are as astonished and scared as he is. You shiver whenever Gavin shows up. And as you learn more about Paul you begin to wonder if he had other issues before the attack and may somehow be responsible for some of what is happening to him now.I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend A Noise Downstairs. I read the last half in one sitting because I couldn’t put it down. Thanks to author Linwood Barclay and LibraryThing for an advance copy of A Noise Downstairs in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      This is a book that made me want to keep reading to see what happened...and that, in itself, is an accomplishment. The characters were believable and all their foibles were exposed. There was a lot of foreshadowing but the clever part was that sometimes the foreshadowing was pushing you in the wrong direction as you tried to decipher this who or what donnit.Really a great summer read. Thank you for the advance copy. I definitely would read another by this author.