This was a slow burn that only really picks up at 3/4. I enjoyed how it was told from past and present and different POVs but I will admit I was confused at the beginning from just reading a bit at a time- I had to sit and read a good chunk to know what was going on. The book was well written and the character development was good. I thought I had it figured out but I was wrong.

This was a slow burn mystery more than a thriller. Very psychological though, keeps you wondering what's true and what's not until the end. It did take a lot for me to keep powering through the story because of the slow pacing. Things didn't really pick up until around 75%, but once I hit that point I sped through the rest.
This book has a very diverse & complex set of characters. They are all dysfunctional in their own way which adds to the mystery of the story. I enjoyed the past & present POVs. It really made you wonder who was good and who was actually a "bad guy".
I wasn't expecting the twists & reveals. I really thought 1 had the killer figured out. The reveal of how Edie died and how Molly found out was shocking but not too exciting. I was hoping the slow burn would've been worth it.
Overall it wasn't a bad read, just wish the pacing had been faster and there would've been a little more to the big reveals.

What if the childhood you remember isn’t really what happened at all?

When Molly Wynters, a therapist and mom to teenage son Alex, returns home to care for her ailing father in the hometown where she grew up, memories from her past begin to surface. These include the violent death of her mother when she was three years old and the ensuing court case where Molly testified and helped put a man in jail. Soon doubts about what really happened the night her mother died creep into Molly's mind when an unknown caller on the mental health hotline where she's volunteering reveals that Molly's account of things may not be what really happened.

This was a slow-burn small-town mystery with a cast of complex and flawed characters that centres around family, secrets, and the impact of lies. The story is told by multiple POVs in the past and present with readers not knowing the identity of the unknown and creepy 'Him' who lurks around the Wynters family.

The story takes a bit to get going, but I enjoyed trying to figure out the identity of the sinister 'Him'. Lundrigan gives readers a few culprits and I suspected each of them at some point. And while I guessed the big reveal, I enjoyed seeing the story unfold, understanding the reasoning behind the characters' actions and seeing the pieces fall into place. The ending was very satisfying after the slow burn build-up and Lundrigan gives her readers one final twist, a dollop of eeriness and a jaw-dropping final reveal.

Don't miss this engaging slow-burn mystery with a delightfully sinister vibe. I enjoyed Lundrigan's exploration of family dysfunction, mental health, the reliability of memory and love's darker side - obsession.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Viking Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: March 5, 2024
When Molly Wynters was three years old, she saw a local teenager murder her mother. Now, as an adult, she has returned to her hometown with her teenaged son in order to care for her ailing father, who suffered a debilitating stroke. But Molly doesn’t exactly get the welcome she expects; cryptic messages and phone calls plague Molly since her arrival, telling her to admit the truth to what happened the night of her mother’s death. Molly’s memories from that night are vague and foggy at best, but she was convinced that a local teenager had committed the crime and even though the teen was eventually acquitted, his suicide was a direct result of the allegations against him. Now, Molly’s family is in danger and Molly is forced to battle with the memories from that night, regardless of the consequences.
“A Man Downstairs” by Nicole Lundrigan is tense, taut and absolutely engaging. The novel is narrated by Molly in the present time, by Molly’s father in the past and by an unknown entity labeled “him”, in both the past and the present, whose identity is kept secret until the final pages. Through all of these perspectives, the reader understands what happened to Molly’s mother just as Molly begins to understand it herself, and Lundrigan pulls the reader through a series of suspenseful twists and turns until finally delivering a powerful ending that leaves a mark. As Molly rekindles friendships with those from her pasts, more suspects are drawn into the plot, and, although I had some ideas, the final reveal caught me off guard in the best way.
Molly is a social worker and single parent who is left caring for her father after a stroke. She is utterly likable and it was easy to root for her and form a quick rapport. Her son, Alex, has diabetes and Molly’s mother suffered from bipolar disorder before her untimely death. “Downstairs” is just as emotional as it is suspenseful, and Lundrigan writes her characters in a completely human and relatable way.
Lundrigan is a new author to me, although I know she has other books under her belt. I was intrigued by the cover of this book and by the premise, and I’m really pleased to say that “Downstairs” met my expectations. I have found a new author to follow, and I will be checking out Lundrigan’s other novels, both past and future!

This book had everything in it to make it a great suspense thriller!

There are a few POV's in the book which took a bit to figure out (as do most multiple POV books) but it didn't take long to identify and ease into their roles.

Molly - Daughter, mother, divorcee. Her dad is ailing and she heads back to her hometown with her teenage son Alex. They rent a house nearby. Unsure how long they will be in town, Alex starts at the new high school and Molly volunteers helping out with a peer support line.

Gil - Gil is Molly's dad. His storyline takes place in early years. He was married to Molly's mom, Edie. Edie was tragically murdered when Molly was three. A young boy was convicted of her murder and Molly was a key witness.

Him - Ah yes, him. Madly in love with Edie. He was a student, she was the lunch lady, Him was drawn into fantasies about a life with Edie. But who is HIM?!

I flew through this book. I had so many theories what was going on. One chapter I would think one thing, then the next would debunk my theory and I would come up with another one. This happened so many times in the book!

This had all the makings of a 5 star book for me:
attention holding - could not put the book down
excellent character development
an ending I did not see coming

Highly recommend! It's five stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the digital advanced reader copy to review.

Started out slow for me, feel like it took me forever to get through this one. It was good near the end not sure who was making the calls, and found myself quiet surprised. Overall did end up being a good read with a variety of characters. And interesting backstop to follow

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book.

Many thanks to @thrillerbookloverspromotions for having me on this tour!

I absolutely LOVED Lundigran’s An Unthinkable Thing! Naturally a follow up to a 5-star read can be hit or miss and luckily, this was another hit!

Definitely a thought provoking, unpredictable psychological thriller you’ll want to binge straight through to the end.

Read if you love:
📚dual timelines & multiple POVs
📚trying and failing to guess who the killer is
📚well-woven, intricate plot lines
📚Solid character development

This one’s out March 5th! Additional thanks to @netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada, Viking for the digital ARC!

I really wasn't sure who to trust and as someone who doesn't usually read thrillers I was happily surprised by the book. Nothing too violent, just kept me on the edge of my seat and I am still thinking about how all the stories go together after more was revealed at the end. Feels like a good sign if I'm still thinking on it more than a day after finishing.

Thank you @thrillerbookloverspromotions @nicolejlundrigan @vikingbooks #partner for the free ebook!

What it’s about:
Molly Wynters moves back to her hometown and into her childhood home to take care of her aging father. Her father isn’t able to communicate due to a recent stroke but she will always be there for him as he was for her. Molly didn’t have the the best childhood as when she was just a toddler she witness her mother being murdered. Even though she was so young it was her testimony that put a teenaged boy away in prison for life. Now that she’s an adult, a therapist volunteering for a helpline, she starts receiving threats about her past and realizes that what she remembers and said all those years ago may not be exactly how it went down. Someone wants the truth to come out and wants to make sure Molly is held accountable.

Thoughts: Wow this book has quite the cast of complex and interesting characters. For me this book was more of a slow burn mystery versus thriller as it delved quite a bit into the dysfunctional aspects of all of their relationships. I’d say somewhat of a character study at times. It was told in past and present timelines and from multiple points of view which made it easy to be drawn into the entire way through I definitely was intrigued to see where this one lead and although I suspected who did it I didn’t know all of the why or how! The author does an awesome job creating the back story that haunted this small town! This was my first by this author and looking forward to seeing what Nicole writes next!

This story will take your feelings on a lot of twists and turns. A psychological thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Returning to her hometown the protagonist must confront her memories and those who knew her as a child.

This was a really enjoyable read. Nicole Lundrigan did a great job of offering up numerous potential 'bad guys' so my ideas about who might be a threat shifted throughout the story and I was very satisfied by the way it all played out.

I will be recommending this book to anyone who enjoys murder mysteries/thrillers, especially those that involve witnesses with potentially faulty memories. And I'll look forward to the author's next offering!

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for the chance to read a digital ARC in advance of publication.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review! The books I love to read are ones that are character driven and this one delivers, 4.5 stars

When news of her father's stroke reaches her, Molly and her teenage son, Alex, head back to their small town to reunite as a family. Molly, a therapist, is not keen to return to hometown where she witnessed the death of her mother at three years old and provided testimony to sentence a young man to jail. Upon reopening the case, the young man went free, but tragically ended his own life soon after. Molly is haunted by her past and the memories that she thought were true. With volunteering with an anonymous help line for mental health, an unknown caller plants seeds of doubt about what really transpired that night. As Molly reconnects with people from her past, this story delves into what is truth, trauma, and the impact of it on memory.

Told from three different perspectives: Molly, her dad, Gil, and a him, A Man Downstairs is a twisty character study of love, obsession, and mental health. It ventures into the dark, underbelly of love: hurt, the need to control, and exploitation. Why we do what we do and how we are products of our environments: family, culture, values, and time. We get into the psyche of the main characters as they stuggle to find their own way.

Molly's mom, Eedie was fascinating in this time period as a woman who was not scared to show her independence and the conflict between exerting control over her own body against the traditional values of just being a housewife and having a 'nervous' disposition. The medical contexts of therapy and pharmaceuticals was intriguing when juxtaposed with gender and socio-economic status.

If you're a fan of thrillers with a character driven plot, this one is for you!

Molly Wynters has recently moved back to her hometown to care for her father. He has had a stroke. She takes her son with her after her divorce. Going back to her hometown was not something she really wanted to do as there are bad memories for her.

She was a witness to her mother murder, which send away a young teen. Molly is a therapist and start working for a helpline, but begins receiving threats about her past life. It’s possible what Molly remembers Is false? Or is she in danger for sending the wrong person to prison?

This is a gripping novel which had me immersed it to finish to the explosive conclusion. Thank you, Thriller Book Lovers Promotions, for this advanced copy which is available March 5, 2024

I really enjoyed this book. When I found out it was a Canadian author I think I enjoyed it a little bit more.
I liked how it jumped from past to present and gave you different POV’s. It was very well written and you could go thru it without being confused on who was talking and it wasn’t choppy between them.
I thought I had it figured out right away but boy was I wrong. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the end tied it all up nicely. I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

This was. A fast paced thriller with disturbing plot twists. I really enjoyed it. The setting was set up well and set the tone for a riveting story where the ending was unpredictable. In a thriller world, it is hard to make twists and engaging content like this.

4.00 stars
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Molly and her teenaged son Alex move back to her hometown to take care of her father after he suffers from a stroke. Everyone knows Molly - she's the little girl who's mom was murdered when she was 3, and Molly was the one to be able to identify the killer: a local teenaged boy. As Molly's work allows her to work remotely, she volunteers her time at a local helpline. Soon she begins to threats over the phoneline and she can't know who to trust. This book is told via multiple POV's and jumps from the past to the present. The author does a great job at widing all the different POV's together, and there's a viewpoint that is only revealed at the end and is shocking.

I loved this book, everyone immediately becomes a suspect and you're unsure of who to trust. Although the characters aren't the most lovable but overly flawed, I enjoyed getting to them going from the "past" to the present POV's to see how much they had changed. With so many characters you really have to try and narrow who's behind the threats and the mystery. Although I had guessed who was behind the calls with Molly, I didn't see the ending coming. This whole time we assume that Edie was killed by a teenaged boy years ago, but my jaw dropped when we actually figure out what happened.

There were a few moments of the book that dragged on a little, at one point Alex decides to look at the case in depth a little more for his law class but I felt nothing really came out of it. I felt like it was done as a plot point to annoy his mother Molly. This makes for the perfect thriller that you won't want to put down!
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I would like to thank NetGalley, Viking Publishing and Nicole Lundrigan for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This book was published on March 5th 2024.

<b>Cold Case Homecoming</b>
<i>Review of the upcoming Penguin Random House Canada paperback/eBook/audiobook (March 5, 2024) read via a NetGalley Kindle ARC (downloaded February 1, 2024).</i>

Single mother Molly and her troubled teen son return to her home town in order to be close to her aged father Gil who has suffered a debilitating stroke. Molly’s job of counselling does allow her to work remotely online. She also volunteers for a local telephone help line. Molly’s mother Edie was murdered when Molly herself was only 3 years-old and a local teen had been convicted of the crime, but after a period of imprisonment had been released. Although the suspect was apparently guilty there is still doubt about the circumstances and Molly’s own childhood memory is uncertain.

Although Molly’s father brought her up believing in an idyllic childhood with a loving mother, we begin to learn in flashback scenes that Gil and Edie’s marriage was not so ideal after all. We also learn that Edie had a mysterious stalker whose relationship with her could have been part fantasy or part reality. In the present day, Molly begins to have her own online stalker through an anonymous caller to the help line. Could this be the actual murderer of her mother who has been triggered by Molly’s return? There are suspects aplenty in the town and although many are friendly and forthcoming on the surface there is a rising tension and doubt that not all are as they seem.

This was well crafted psychological thriller that had me guessing right to the end. Even when the actual culprit became clear, there were still some surprising twists to come.

My thanks to author Nicole Lundrigan, publisher Penguin Random House Canada / Viking and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this preview ARC, in exchange for which I provide this honest review.

<b>Trivia and Link</b>
Read an excerpt from <i>A Man Downstairs</i> at author Nicole Lundrigan’s own website <a href=" https://www.nicolelundrigan.com/a-man-downstairs">here</a>.

This isn't so much a thriller as a family drama. When her father has a stroke, Molly goes home to care for him. But going home isn't so easy when her mother was murdered when Molly was a toddler.

Now that Molly is a adult, she is questioning her own memories. And so is everyone else.

The two story lines works well to balance the narrative between what Molly remembers (and therefore thinks she knows), and what unfolded betwwen Gil and Edie (and the unnamed Him).

I figured out before the end who Him had to be (it wasn't hard as there aren't many options and like filling it a logic puzzle some were easy to eliminate, narrowing down who Him could be. It did make the ending quite creepy on several levels, even without the epilogue.

My biggest complaint was that the "voice" of the writer also became the voice of the characters, making Molly, Him, and Alex sound quite similar in their dialogue. It would have been nice if at least one of them didn't speak in trucated sentances and leave off prepositions all the time.

Overall, an enjoyable read, though

I loved this book! The quick pace and numerous twists made me want to keep reading until it was finished!

The main character, Molly, and her son, Alex, return to her hometown to deal with her father's serious medical issues. It isn't easy to go back to the place where her mother was killed, especially as a three-year-old Molly helped convict the murderer.

I immediately connected with Molly, and I think any parent who has experienced a sullen teenager will as well. I was suspicious of every man in the book, wondering if it was "him."

I would like to thank NetGalley and Viking for giving me the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for my honest review. Well done Nicole Lundrigan!!

#NetGalley #AManDownstairs

Thank you Thriller Book Lovers, Viking, and Nicole Lundrigan for the advanced copy of A Man Downstairs in exchange for my honest review.

Oh what tangled webs we weave! There were so many secretive stories intertwined in this story and I loved it. I never found anyone's particular storyline hard to follow, and I liked the alternating back and forth between timelines. There were what I would consider three big mysteries to solve and I can confidently say I did not predict any of them correctly.

Fans of the thriller genre will no doubt enjoy this one. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!