I am still thinking about this book a week after finishing it. The characters are so plausible, and I think that is what makes it so spine chilling. This book really makes you think about your surroundings and people you know in passing. Brilliant plot and conclusion. Would recommend.

This is a page-turner. Verging on the creepy side I read this book in two days. The characters are all so believable, their backgrounds , their lives, their friends and families made this book totally compelling. You never know who is moving in and The Girl Upstairs proves that point.

EXCERPT: I heard Emily before I met her. The harsh smack of heels against cheap wooden floorboards. The gentle buzz of a phone followed by a surge of high-pitched notes, sometimes angry, sometimes excited, rarely sad. The sadness came through the slim pipes in the bathroom, the soft gurgles that slipped down the plumbing and escaped through my extractor fan. The incessant music thrumming through the ceiling, invading my space. Emily has terrible taste, mostly new tracks, screeching pop singers holding long, high notes, the same beat in every song.

I knew Emily before I met her. Italian food on Mondays, meatballs rich and smothered in tomato sauce. Tuesdays, something eggy. Wednesdays, something meaty. Thursdays and Fridays, mostly wine. A takeaway on Saturdays, usually Chinese, the sticky leftover noodles escaping through the shared food waste bin like silky worms breaking through soil. Sometimes I could smell the food and other times I knew from a discarded receipt in our communal hallway.

On Sundays the shake of bottles being emptied into the recycling bin outside from her weekly wine shop. A crate of six, always. They sound lovely from the tasting notes I found clinging to the letter box. A malbec, blackberry and vanilla notes with a finish of chocolate and nutmeg, soft and warm.

I've been in London over ten years now and I haven't found a quiet place. I live in Angel, Islington. The nice part, with the grand white townhouses, the ones advertised as being on tree-lined streets. I can't see any trees, just blunt shavings in the ground, weeds rising and arching over the stubs like gravestones. I'm on the ground floor of a two-storey house and Emily is above me. She moved in over six months ago and I thought she might leave, as people do here. People Emily's age, early twenties, they come and go like the seasons, and it's spring now. Time for Emily to leave.

ABOUT 'THE GIRL UPSTAIRS': How well do you know your neighbour?
Would you trust them with your life?

I heard Emily before I saw her. The harsh smack of heels against cheap wooden floorboards. The loud phone calls. The incessant music.

I knew Emily before I met her. Discarded receipts in our communal hallway. Sticky leftovers in the shared food waste bin. Wine shop vouchers in the letterbox.

Now she’s gone missing, and I’m the only one who can find her. The only one who can save her.

Because I know her best, and I heard everything.

The Girl Upstairs is a spine-tingling psychological thriller of grief and obsession that explores how lonely London can be and how sometimes it’s our neighbours who see us most, who know us best…

MY THOUGHTS: While I didn't find this to be an absolutely gripping psychological thriller, it is an interesting and compelling debut novel that I would put firmly into the domestic thriller camp.

It's funny the things that you miss when they're gone. Suzy has a noisy, inconsiderate neighbour upstairs, but when she hasn't heard any noise for a few days, she becomes concerned and raises the alarm because, strange as it may seem, no one else is remotely worried about where Emily might be. This lack of concern worries Suzy, and it becomes her purpose in life to find the missing woman.

I enjoyed this debut novel. It's realistic, sympathetic and utterly believable. It doesn't set out to shock, or apall; the author just goes quietly about her business of telling an intriguing story with just a soupçon of lingering menace to entice the reader onwards.

Both Emily and Suzy are interesting characters. Emily is an aspiring writer, shunted off to London by her parents while they endeavour to repair their fractured relationship. Suzy lost her husband suddenly and tragically and is struggling to cope. Both women are emotionally fragile and vulnerable, and have far more in common than either realise.

I really enjoyed the subtlety of the writing, and I will definitely be lining up for this author's next offering.

I read/listened to The Girl Upstairs and enjoyed the narration as delivered by Meg Travers.

⭐⭐⭐.6

#TheGirlUpstairs #NetGalley

I: #georginaleesauthor @onemorechapterhc

T: @GLees_author @OneMoreChapter_

#contemporaryfiction #domesticdram #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Georgina studied creative writing and film at university and has since pursued a career in video-games journalism, covering some of the most popular games in the world. Her psychological thrillers are inspired by her surroundings, from the congested London streets to the raw English countryside. She can be found playing games, writing stories, and reading anything from fantasy to crime fiction.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter, via Netgalley for providing both a digital and audio ARC of The Girl Upstairs by Georgina Lees for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Suzie lives in a flat in Islington, and it’s clear that there’s been some kind of major trauma in her life. The flat above hers is rented by Emily, a party girl who makes lots of noise, so Suzie is in contact with Emily’s landlord.

Then Emily disappears, and Suzie thinks that she’s the only person who really knows her and can find her.

A gripping suspense story with lots of twists and turns, and an unexpected ending!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and One More Chapter for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Kept me guessing throughout the entire book. I would recommend this to anyone into whodunnit/thrillers. The characters are that perfect mix of flawed but endearing that I love so much and the book kept me engaged and keen for the entire thing - I read it in two sittings.

This novel was tense, not just in relation to the mystery of the missing neighbour, but also in its portrayal of the two women and what is going on in their lives, unseen. There was powerful sense of loneliness yet also a feeling of claustrophobia in the way that home is not always a sanctuary and life catches up with us whether we hide away from it or not.
I enjoyed the book and would read more by this author but I did feel that the plot could be a little tighter so that we are carried along by it and can look back and see the track of key plot points when we reach the conclusion.

I enjoyed this book. It was intriguing the way that the plot developed. You felt that her search was a total lost cause, but things turned out to be rather unexpected.
A good book.

This review will be posted with Waterstones

Oh I liked this one! Very well written, has you curious from the start. I liked the main character and had empathy for her struggles, then read more about her neighbour and really felt for her too. They could have been such good friends, exactly what they needed. That “oh” moment when you realise what must have happened and need to find out how it all played out. Definitely recommend this one. Thank you #netgalley

A must read for fans of the woman in the window and girl on a train. The girl upstairs was hard to put down. A fast paced thriller with a great ending

A well-crafted psychological thriller about two girls whose only initial connection is that they live in the same building in London. Suzy, who has the bottom flat, can hear everything that goes on in Emily's above her. And then everything goes silent. It's a great premise that in the wrong hands could've gone south quickly, and haven't we all read those so-called psychological thrillers that are more like fill-in-the-blanks and have no thrill? Thankfully, Georgina Lees knows what she's doing and the character of each girl becomes more nuanced as the story evolves. I like the backstory for each and the character growth that Suzy has when she finally steps out of her own needs and decides to find out what's up with Emily.
#netgalley

Overall I enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy suspense to read. There were points when I'd find myself thinking 'well that would never hapoen' but I do that in a lot of books and interestingly it bothers me more in some than in others but in this book I didn't mind!

Thank you to #NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. #TheGirlUpstairs

Suzie and Emily are neighbours with Suzie owning the ground floor flat and Emily renting upstairs, they don't really know each other but Suzie hears everything that Emily does, she's not a very quiet person to have living above you, then Emily goes missing and Suzie uses everything she heard to try and find her neighbour, as she knows she hasn't just left...

The Girl Upstairs is a complex read, the story tells us of two women leading very different lives, each having their own issues but dealing with them in different ways, and we learn, as we read their stories, what lead them to this. It's an intriguing read and one that I was captivated by, but not blown away. I felt sorry for both main characters in different ways and hoped they would find happiness in the end. If you like a slow burner then this is for you.

I'd like to thank HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter and Netgalley for the approval, I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

Wasn't too sure at the start of the book, but it got to the point I had to know what happens.
Neighbours who don't know each other very well then one goes missing....
Enjoyed the storyline and the fact that Suzie didn't give up looking.
Thank you NetGalley

Very readable psychological thriller,

The situation makes it stand out with the living arrangements. We’ve all had nuisance neighbours so the base story is relatable. I would’ve liked a bit more detail but other than that I’d read more by this author.

When Emily moves into the flat upstairs, Suzie finds she is everything she doesn’t want in a neighbour. Emily is young and noisy and more importantly has the sort of life Suzie used to have - carefree and fun. But then Emily disappears and Suzie seems to be the only person taking it seriously.

This book slowly draws you in until you can’t put it down, wanting to know where Emily has disappeared to and why Suzie is so invested in a stranger’s life. As the story of each woman’s life unfolds you begin to understand where each ones unhappiness stems from and why they live their lives the way they do. A great book.

Suzie is a mystery when the story opens, it quickly becomes obvious that her life has been marked by a trauma which is slowly revealed during the course of the story. She is the narrator in the account of what happened to Emily, the girl from the upstairs flat who has disappeared. The ending was spoilt for me a little as an encounter between Emily and the perpetrator of her end gave the game away some time before the end but this was still a good thriller/mystery and well worth a read. The way in which Suzie changes and comes to terms with her own sad past gave the story a depth and different emotions. With thanks to #netgalley #harpercollins for the opportunity to read in exchange for a review.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and One More Chapter for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book kept me wondering "who done it" until the very end. I really liked it as a mystery but I felt like it could have had more intensity to it. Reason for my 4 star rating.

This book is about two women who live in an apartment building. Suzie who is a widow and has lived on the ground floor for the last 5 years and Emily who is the young single lady who lives on the top floor. Suzie and Emily have a few confrontations over the "noise" that comes from Emily's apartment that really bothers Suzie who wants to live in the quiet. Suzie notices that the apartment above her has gone quiet and goes up with a package to see why. Noticing that Emily's door is ajar she goes into the apartment where she finds it in disarray and no Emily. Upon Emily's family and police finding out she is missing, no one seems to care or look into the case as to where she is. This doesn't sit well with Suzie who takes it upon herself to search for her. Suzie is getting close to who took Emily and starts to get threats herself.

I felt that there weren't too many twists or turns to the book. I had a few suspects and was correct about one of them. I liked that it was a quick read and it kept me interested enough to want to find out what happened to Emily. There was a lot of lead up to the end which felt a little cut short.

Happy Release Day!!

The Girl Upstairs by Georgina Lees

How well do you know your neighbors? Would’ve you trust them with your life?

This novel was a very compelling story. It kept you in suspense. The end oft her book was fantastic. I enjoyed this book.

3.5 stars

The Girl Upstairs by Georgina Lees is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins UK (One More Chapter), and in particular Sara Roberts for sending me a widget,  and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.



My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Suzie Arlington owns the first floor flat of a busy London neighbourhood.  She loves her peace and quiet.  She is trying, not too successfully, to get over a loss.

Unfortunately, her upstairs neighbour, Emily, is loud.  If it isn't her heels on the wood floor it is the loud phone calls, the loud music, the parties and the guests.  Then there is the garbage in the hallway, and the wine bottles in the bin.

Suzie has complained to the owner of the flat, and to the council, but....

When Suzie finds she hasn't heard Emily's constant noise for a few days, she realizes that the girl is missing, and is sure that she is the only one that can find out what happened.  After all, she probably knows Emily better than anyone.


My Opinions:   
First, for a debut novel, this was quite good.  It grabbed me from the first chapter, and although it moved slowly, it ended up being a fast read.

Early on we realize that we have a narrator who may be a bit unreliable and emotionally troubled, but we are cheering for her anyway.  

The book is about families and love, depression and grief.  It is also about obsession.  Overall, it was quite sad, as both Suzie and Emily are rather tragic characters.

Although I had doubted the actions of the perpetrator, I also doubted my opinion, so was rather surprised when I was right.  That was fun.

Anyway, I will be watching this author!

Emily is a new tenant above Suzie in a two-tenant flat. Suzie works in marketing and lives alone in London. She is immediately offended by Emily as she is quite noisy and messy. Suzie is a very unhappy person and her family worries about her. Her flat is dirty and filled with stacks of books on the floor.

When Suzie accepts a package for Emily and she goes to deliver it to her, she finds her door open and the girl gone. Suzie notifies the landlord and then an investigation soon involves the police. Suzie won't let the authorities handle the investigation but feels she must get involved too. This is bad in that she puts herself at risk, but good because it begins to get her back into the world concentrating on someone other than herself.

The story has the reader questioning Suzie’s mental stability without knowing fully what caused it. I think that should have been added into the plot much sooner than it was. That way, I may have had more empathy for her. The storyline is OK but lacks that mystery spark because it concentrates too heavily on her pain.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.