Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially unsure on this book, the way Suzie listens to her neighbour and complains about her every move while following her around the flat was a little strange. Also her compulsion to find out what happened when she went missing was a little odd and I couldn't initially understand why she was so invested but it does become clearer as you read. I quickly found myself drawn into the story and willing Suzie to find out the truth. An easy read so I would recommend.

2 STARS.

To be honest, this book was not what I thought it was going to be, I feel somewhat misled by the initial blurb of this book.

Pretty much the entire story is told from Suzie's POV, which I found really difficult to enjoy. I felt that Suzie just wasn't the right character to be leading the story, she was very 2D, had few redeeming qualities and the way she basically interjected herself into the investigation later in the book was just downright irritating.

There were a few chapters told from Emily's POV, and while I did enjoy these more there still felt like there was something missing.

I did feel that the writing was better, and I did enjoy the way the author had written throughout the story, I found it very easy to read. Plus, despite my lack of enjoyment from the characters I did enjoy the actual idea of the book.

That being said, I felt that the reveal at the end just came out of nowhere and didn't make a lot of sense. It was more as though the author was trying to make this big reveal that would be AMAZING, but in fact it was just a bit naff.

Overall, I did enjoy this book, or at least individual aspects of it. But all together it just didn't work and when the focus is on the characters for the majority of the story, it would have taken much better characters to get me to rate this book any higher.

Suzie lives in a flat in London with only one other flat upstairs, which is occupied by Emily. There is a lot of unwanted noise from upstairs and Suzie is getting very fed up of it all, and the way Emily treats the communal hall. So when upstairs suddenly goes quiet you'd think Suzie would be pleased, and to begin with she is. Until she gets the feeling that is all is not as it should be, and maybe Emily is missing.

Suzie takes it upon herself to begin her own investigation of where Emily might have gone. Emily has form for disappearing and so no one is that worried about her except Suzie. This seemed a little strange to me at first, but slowly we begin to get a sense of why Suzie wants to find Emily. I felt that this part of the book was a little protracted, it built suspense, but a little too slowly for me.

We begin to find out more of Emily and Suzie's back stories and the suspense has definitely built by now. I didn't warm to the character of Suzie, she felt too lost and wrapped up in herself that I began to wonder if any of what was happening was real. Emily wasn't too likeable either, until we are shown her earlier life. Things fell into place about her and in a few paragraphs I had a whole other view of her.

Eventually the book gets rather creepy. I began to suspect everyone Suzie came into contact with of knowing what had happened to Emily. I began to race towards the end of the book not wanting to put it down and was rewarded with a really good twist.

This book has an intriguing premise. The main character, Suzie, can hear everything her upstairs neighbour Emily does - and Emily doesn't much care. Suzie is alone and not in the best headspace, mentally. So she finds the noise upstairs unbearable. Until it suddenly stops. Emily is gone. Her flat is empty. And nobody cares.

Who's going to find Emily first? The police, or Suzie?

It falters a bit because it's a bit of a slow burn. Suzie is not in a great place, as mentioned, and this brings the reader down a bit too. Although she wants to investigate what's happened to Emily, this really takes her outside her comfort zone. It doesn't always play out as you'd expect, but neither do the pages turn as quickly as you may expect.

In the end, this is a slow-burn psychological drama much more than a suspense thriller - which is totally fine, except I expected more of the latter from the cover, which may well say more about me than the book.

It was an interesting read, but it may not be for everyone.

I had real trouble putting this book down and in the end I read it in two sittings.

Told from the differing points of view of Suzie and, as the story unfolds, Emily, this is one that will have you guessing all the way through.

I changed my times constantly on who could and could not be trusted in this story.

Suzie Arlington was a complex character - a little misunderstood by the reader to start with perhaps.

In among a creepy little psychological thriller rests a glimpse into grief, family relationships and even a little love story. It's the perfect read for this time of year - settle yourself with a huge mug of coffee, a comfy chair and ignore the world outside for a few hours as you get to know The Girl Upstairs.

Suzie lives downstairs and Emily upstairs. Both girls are of a similar age. Life in the big city should be fun but both girls have their problems. This story will keep you intrigued and curious right to the last paragraph.

Thanks to #netgalley for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. An interesting premise for a thriller, a recently widowed lady living in a flat where she can hear everything that goes on in your neighbours flat. Then one day you hear what sounds like an argument and she then goes missing. You are determined to help the police to find what has happened to her. Whilst it was a good read in that it held my interest, it wasn't exactly a page turner/ edge of my seat kind of read. From the synopsis I felt it could have been so much more suspenseful than it was.⭐⭐ #georginalees #thegirlupstairs #tea_sipping_bookworm #goodreads #litsy #thestorygraph #netgalley #amazonkindle #bookqueen #bookstagram

This was a slow burner but actually gripping and surprising - I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the two storylines running together and building to the conclusion. I pictured Suzie as an old woman as I read it but obviously she wasn’t and she was just worn down by grief - very interesting and recommended.

Wow, what a book! This is the first book I’ve read by this author and it certainly won’t be my last. I found the plot a little bit slow to get going but then it suddenly picked up and I could not put this book down. It kept me guessing and on the edge of my seat till the very end. I highly recommend everyone to read this!

This book started very slowly. The girl upstairs was noisy and inconsiderate of her neighbour, playing loud music , generally disturbing the peace. Then she goes quiet, too quiet. She had gone. No one can find her, to be honest no one is even looking that hard. Except for her erstwhile neighbour who was very concerned and refuses to stop looking. The book gathers pace until you can't put it down. An excellent whodunit.

This is a psychological thriller that much is true
And this is my very honest review
Of a complementary copy of the book
Which I've read and taken a look.....

Told from the first person point of view
I wondered just what 'I' was going through.
'I' keep complaining about Emily who
Makes lots of noise and 'I' complain to.

There are hints and clues but nothing clear
Except no one seems to find Emily dear
When she seems to disappear
No one else seems worried, that is clear.

'I' turns out to be Suzie Arlington and she
Seems grief stricken, isolated and sad as can be.
However, she's also concerned about Emily so
Decides to alert others to not knowing where she'd go.

Get ready for surprises after a steady start
There's lots of moaning and groaning in that part
It picks up and gets much better
After Suzie tries delivering a parcel or letter.

This isn't a favourite read for me
But could be for you if you decide to see
It is strange, but eventually sorts out
And then you discover what its all about.

By the title was I very interested in this one. I found it to be a quick read, but it was a bit slow at certain points. However, it still kept me hooked and turning the pages to see what would happen next. I did enjoy a few twists tossed in there.

I really enjoyed this book and was gripped from the beginning. It did not turn out how I expected at all! I felt really sorry for Suzie who is obviously traumatised after the loss of her husband and becomes obsessed with finding out what has happened to Emily her upstairs neighbour who has disappeared without trace. A heart breaking read at times and a glimpse into how easily some one can go missing and yet not be missed.

Whilst it was a slow burn, it was a book that I had to keep reading. It was desperately sad at times but I also felt uplifted by Suzie's determination. Perhaps the ending could have explained a bit more but I won't put a spoiler in here.
Thanks to NetGalley, HarperCollins and One More Chapter for this ARC in return for an honest review.

Suzie can hear every little thing that goes on up in Emily's apartment, everything. Then one day all goes quiet. What happened to Emily? Wow! this book started off a bit slow and even a bit cliched, but once it got going it just really took off! Lots of twists, turns and a bunch of fun!

We meet our protagonist, Suzie, a young woman who is living in a downstairs flat in a busy part of London. She has lost her husband when he died a couple of years before now and she has never fully healed. She has withdrawn from most aspects of life and seems anxious about interacting with outsiders, or even leaving her flat. She does hold down a job and has maintained her limited lifestyle in the flat the the couple purchased. She is stuck between needing to go home to Hove and her reluctance to leave the home that she and her deceased husband had together.
Then, a new neighbor, Emily, moves into the upstairs flat. Suzie does not interact with her directly but due to the construction, she is aware of all of the comings and goings of her upstairs neighbor. One night, on Emily's birthday, Emily has her work friends over to the flat for a party and Suzie gets drunk listening to the girls. Shortly following this event, Emily goes missing and Suzie, despite being an unreliable witness who barely knew Emily, is the only one who seems concerned for her whereabouts.
I found this story to be an interesting and twisting book with characters that were flawed but intriguing. The story is page-turning and keeps you paying attention right until the last page.
I found the back and forth between Emily and Suzie to be an interesting style choice. The only issue I had was that I found the ending somewhat difficult to follow. This may have been deliberate, or it may have been due to this being an eARC and therefore there were some issues with the text attributable to that. I look forward to seeing it in print to better judge this.
Overall, a great read for thriller lovers.
#TheGirlUpstairs #NetGalley #HarperCollinsUK #OneMoreChapter

A very intriguing debut from Georgina Lees.
The characters are well written and I found the plot believable, which added to my enjoyment of the book. It is a slow paced, steady read but once you get into it, you just have to find out what had happened to Emily and why was Suzie so withdrawn?

It’s not an ‘edge of your seat’ psychological thriller but it’s still a book I enjoyed reading right to the end, with enough twists, turns and questions to keep me interested.

I look forward to reading more from Georgina. .

Thank you to NetGalley from the ARC in return for an honest review.

Suzie lives in the downstairs flat. She spends most of her time off work sick drowning in grief.
Emily lives in the flat above. Everything she does seems to annoy Suzie. Suzie knows exactly what she's doing by the sounds coming through the floorboards or by looking through the spyhole, of her door.
Then suddenly the noises stop. Emily is missing. Suzie raises the alarm but no one seems too concerned.

Has Suzie just disappeared. Or has some thing happened to make her go. Is she safe. Emily is determined to find out what has happened to her. Even if it means taking risks and getting into trouble with the police..
Thoroughly enjoyable book.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an arc.

Neighbours. If you live in a block of flats there’s no avoiding them. They can, unknowingly, invade your privacy until you almost feel part of their lives, almost an unseen lodger. The loud phone calls. The incessant music. As the narrator, Suzie, says in the opening pages, ‘I knew Emily before I saw her. The harsh smack of heels against cheap wooden floorboards.’ I know that only too well.
Suzie Arlington now lives alone in her once cherished small flat in Islington. The flat above is rental and the tenants come and go. And then comes Emily; noisy, young and sociable. It’s the noisy part that arouses Suzie. And she complains first to Emily’s landlord and then the council after one particularly noisy birthday party. There’s a skirmish brewing….
Suzie’s family are concerned about her but she pushes them away. As the story unfolds, we learn the tragic reason for Suzie’s withdrawal from life. But when she goes upstairs to deliver a package she discovers that Emily had gone. The flat door is on the latch, a chest of drawers is empty and the bathroom has been cleared. It arouses Suzie from her cocoon as she decides to find Emily. The police are involved and one of them already knows of Suzie’s story. But Suzie takes matters into het own hands and is soon on the trail.
London is a character in itself in this novel in the way that it attracts people and draws them in. People who want to make a name for themselves. The pavements can be paved with gold for some but It drove Suzie and her husband apart and led to the tragedy. It can also be an anonymous place of jostling crowds and litter strewn streets.
Emily is a younger woman who’s escaped from her family and moved to London for a fresh start. She loves it, finds a job and is soon embroiled in an affair. She is also becoming annoyed with Suzie and her complaining. This is an effective way of the reader seeing events from her point of view so that you see Suzie from another’s eyes.
However the majority of the story is told from Suzie’s perspective. But Emily’s chapters are quite touching as she talks about her plans for a fresh start in London which seems to initially be a success.
But the book isn’t only a study of London life but also of grief, depression and being unable to move on with life. It wasn’t a fast paced thriller but an easy read and I didn’t see the twist. I felt it was convincing.
The Girl Upstairs is a good, solid, effective debut novel which had an interesting question at its heart. How well do you know your neighbours despite perhaps living on top of them?

I didn't enjoy this book at all, the blurb sounded interesting so I requested a copy, unfortunately I feel it peaked there and that's where I should have stopped.
It had promise, but the characters came across as thoroughly unlikeable.
Emily was childish and inconsiderate and Suzie just an annoying nosy neighbour who definitely needed some psychiatric help (despite her "tragic" backstory) they wouldn't have ever been friends just because they were neighbours.
Emily's parents were ridiculous and their story was pointless and unnecessary.
The story just went on and on, far longer than it needed to and the police were portrayed as entirely useless at every turn (why did they have to keep looking at the floor?) It was so unrealistic that the nosy neighbour is a better detective than the CID officers and that they would keep running round to her house and telling her things about the case and that their reaction to her interference and withholding information is just "oh well don't do it again"!! Seriously?
As I said, it started off as promising but didn't deliver and was about 300 pages longer than it needed to be, perhaps would have worked better as a short story, I definitely wouldn't class it a psychological thriller.
My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for my eARC in return for my honest review.