I had no idea this was book 9 of a series until I went to mark it on goodreads, but honestly it was easily read as a standalone, just probably with some references that went over my head! I'll definitely be adding book 1 to my TBR and going through the whole series.

Short chapters with a mix of perspectives made it so easy to fly through, especially when the content is so fast paced. Tension, twists, cliffhanger chapters, what more could you want from a crime thriller. And I must say I was genuinely surprised at several points which is rare for me with this genre these days!

The characters were all great, and I love a quirky little side character that holds everything together (in this case a legend in fluffy slippers).

The Girls Upstairs by Charlie Gallagher is the ninth book in the excellent Detective Maddie Ives series, and what another excellent book this was. This series has had me hooked from the beginning till the very end but this one was an emotional read which will have you shocked when you have finished it!
The girls upstairs was full of twists and turns throughout that will just take your breath away!

Totally brilliant just like all the other books within this series.

I highly recommend this book and series.

Big Thank you to Netgalley and Joffe Books for my ARC.

The Girls Upstairs is a riveting police detective thriller! Part of the Detective Maddie's Ives series, with an incredible twist at the end that I did NOT see coming.
Someone is coming after police officers in the most horrific way, and it's up to Maddie and Harry to figure out who, before it's them that they are after.
I have to say that I sped through this book because there was never a dull moment. Charlie Gallagher keeps the reader engaged with every turn of the page. Just when you think you know who's committing the crimes, something else pops up that leaves you thinking, "WTH??". This book was thrilling, nerve-racking, sad, and heart stopping.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for this arc in return for my honest review.

Pub Date: 11 April 2024

Another 4 star read by Gallagher.

I love Maddie and Harry. But now I’m not sure what to expect.
I won’t ruin it for others but I was not expecting what came of this book.

Can’t wait to see what will happen next in this series.

DNF at chapter 5. I couldn’t get into this book. In all fairness, I didn’t realize this was the 9th book in a series when I requested it on NetGalley. Those who have read the other books in the series may enjoy this. I think if I had, I may have enjoyed this. Unfortunately, because of this, it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review this.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC publication for an honest review.

When I put in for this ARC, I did not realize it was book 9 of a series! While this was fine as a stand-alone book, I am determined to go back to the beginning...even with only reading this last book, I was fully invested.

There was a lot to this book! I enjoyed the different layers...part mystery, part disturbing thriller that leaves you on the edge of your seat. The character building and the teamwork of the different characters absolutely captures you. This is where I wish I had the full back story of the main characters just because I could tell there was great development to get to where everyone was at in this point of time. Oh, and this was an English/UK book so there was a lot of tea consumption which made me wish we had more of that in the USA. :)

I will definitely add this author to my watch list! I didn't catch whether there would be more to this series. but it could be interesting to see what direction the books could take. The ending did take me by surprise...

4.5 stars

I am sure Charlie Gallagher is unable to write bad book! Nine books into the Detective Maddie Ives series, and he still brings fresh, unique stories. The Girls Upstairs is the latest book, and I just couldn't put it down.

The great thing about this series is that every book is able to be read without the others. This is because this author makes sure that he incorperates enough information about the characters for the reader to understand everything as they read.

Always thrilling and fast-paced, this series never lets me down. Maddie and Harry find themselves on a case that involves hunting down a cop killer. That alone makes this an emotional case for them. As the story flies by, so do the twists and turns Charlie Gallagher revels in.

The tension I felt while reading really ramped up, and I was dying to find out everything. I have to say the quality of this authors storytelling is superb. He places everything perfectly to gain the most shock factor, like the conclusion. All I can say is be prepared!

Loved everything about this book. I can't recommend this highly enough. It's such a fabulous read!
Thanks to Books N All Promotions, Joffe Books and NetGalley for the widget to write my review.

There was nonstop drama in this one! I was able to read and follow along just fine, so I would say this can be read as a standalone. This is my first book, by this author, but I definitely want to go back and read the others in this series. The story starts with a bang, and there is a big twist. There are other twists and turns leading up to the big one. I found myself engrossed in this one and flying through the pages. The plot was well thought-out and the plot was clever. The characters were developed, and I found myself invested in their stories.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a fan of Charlie and his work for a while now. By no means have I caught up with everything that he has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I must admit that I have a particular fondness for the series featuring Detective Maddie Ives. 'The Girls Upstairs' is the ninth book in the series and it was released on 11th April 2024. It's another cracking addition to a cracking series. I really enjoyed reading 'The Girls Upstairs' but more about that in a bit.

I initially picked the book up only intending to read a chapter or two but I should have known better. I should have remembered that Charlie's books are nigh on impossible to put down for any length of time. 'The Girls Upstairs' was no exception. It seemed as though the book cast a hold over me and it was a hold that I wasn't willing to break. I developed my own theories as to how the story was going to pan out and so I had to keep reading to see if I was on the right lines or if I had gone off in the opposite direction. My Kindle wasn't glued to my hand but it might as well have been because it travelled everywhere with me. I couldn't bear to miss a single second of the story. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I was so wrapped up in the story that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'The Girls Upstairs' and had to say goodbye to Maddie and her team. I found 'The Girls Upstairs' to be a gripping, tense and dramatic read, which certainly kept me guessing and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout.

'The Girls Upstairs' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Charlie Gallagher. Charlie certainly knows how to grab the reader's attention and draw them into what proves to be one hell of a story. The fact that Charlie is a former police officer himself, makes the story seem that bit more authentic. Charlie clearly cares about his characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which he describes them. He describes his characters so well that they seem just as real as you and I. In fact Maddie ended up feeling more like a friend than a character in the book. I love the way in which the author makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action. That's how I felt anyway. Reading 'The Girls Upstairs' felt like being on an at times rather scary and unpredictable rollercoaster ride with several twists and turns along the way.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'The Girls Upstairs' and I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. I hope to read much more of Charlie's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for this eCopy to review

The Girls Upstairs is the next instalment in the Maddie Ives series and just as gripping and full of suspense as the others. I loved the chapters from multiple points of view as it helps give more depth to the story. Emmy and Dani are fast sleep upstairs whilst their parents face a menacing intruder downstairs. Maddy and Harry must work quick to solve this series of home invasions. Full of twists and turns this is a fast paced thriller that had me gripped from start to finish

PC Philip Jones attends a call out to a report of kids throwing stones at Frant Village Hall but waiting for him are two individuals. One is content with damaging the police car but the other wants to go much further and the officer is killed. Unintentional but finding it so enjoyable, one wants to do it again and has already spotted the next victim, PS Alan Day. Acting DI Maddie Ives and DI Harry Blaker from Major Crime are put on the investigation, working out of Cranbrook Police Station, along with the formidable and incredibly likeable slipper-clad Intelligence Analyst Eileen Holmans. The story is interspersed with chapters from the killer’s point of view, someone spiralling in and out of depression and placing the blame firmly on the police. In their eyes the solution is simple – kill the thing that has caused all their problems. Of course, the detectives have no clue as to the killer’s motive but soon realise there is a vendetta against officers when the second victim and his wife are found bizarrely murdered, with Alan’s two young daughters upstairs. When they discover a third body, a known felon with a grudge against the system that locked him away, it’s case closed. Or is it?
The series might be called “Maddie Ives” but for me, my absolute favourite character throughout has been Harry, a total legend with his dry sense of humour and growled replies. Underneath that gruff exterior lies a man who knows what it is to suffer and who has complete empathy with victims of crime. While Harry carries with him the ghosts of his past, Maddie also has problems of her own. Her partner PC Vince Arnold vowed to look after his nephew when his sister learned she had terminal cancer and with Vince on suspension from the job, Maddie now discovers she is pregnant. Maddie and Harry have been through a lot together which is why I would recommend reading this series in order to learn all about their history and past cases. Eileen too is a total star. As always in this series, the plot is clever, twisted and exciting with an explosive yet devastating conclusion. It’s certainly another excellent and gripping read from a very knowledgeable author and I do hope there will be more to come. Highly recommended.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Girls Upstairs by Charlie Gallagher in return for my honest review.
When I started The Girls Upstairs I didn’t realise that it was book nine in the Maddie Ives series, however the author gives you just enough backstory on the characters easily making this a standalone. This is a fast paced police thriller with twist and turns and some quite nasty crimes being committed, I will defiantly be checking out the other books in this series

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my copy of The Girls Upstairs by Charlie Gallagher.
Another great story in the Maddie Ives series.
Maddie and Harry are tasked with finding the person targeting police officers,
Can they do it before anyone else is killed.
A really good read that keeps you invested the whole way through.

In "The Girls Upstairs" by Charlie Gallagher, the atmosphere crackles with tension as Emmy and Dani sleep unaware upstairs while their parents confront a menacing intruder downstairs. With suspense that grips from the first page and twists that keep you guessing, this standalone thriller is a white-knuckle ride from start to finish.

DI Maddie Ives finds herself embroiled in one of her most challenging cases yet after a police officer tragically dies in a botched call, triggering a series of personal attacks. As Maddie and her team race against the clock to unravel the mystery behind the targeted home invasions, Gallagher expertly crafts a narrative that leaves readers hooked.

Gallagher's writing style is gripping, with concise chapters that leave you craving more. Through multiple perspectives, including that of the elusive killer, the story unfolds with a relentless pace, adding layers to the cat-and-mouse game of this crime fiction thriller.

Even for those new to Gallagher's series, "The Girls Upstairs" offers a compelling standalone experience, complete with well-developed characters and just the right amount of backstory to keep you fully invested. It's a testament to Gallagher's storytelling prowess that even at book 9, readers can jump in and be thoroughly entertained.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this captivating novel in exchange for an honest review.

This was a good police thriller. It was a little slower than I normally read. It was a good story. I did enjoy the book.
Thanks to Net Galley and Joffe for allowing me to receive this ARC.

DNF at page 76. The plot was slow going and I didn't connect with any of the characters. In all fairness, those who have read the previous books in the series will enjoy it but it just wasn't for me.

**Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.**

I’d like to thank Joffe Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Girls Upstairs’, book 9 in the Detective Maddie Ives series written by Charlie Gallagher, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

The vicious murder of PC Philip Jones at Frant Village Hall sets in motion DI Maddie Hunt and DI Harry Blaker’s hunt for an out-of-control killer that can only end with more bloodshed and tears. Together with the team at Cranbrook Police Station they’re determined to catch the killer of a much-respected member of their police family and get justice for his family.

‘The Girls Upstairs’ is a brilliant action-packed crime thriller with Maddie Ives and Harry Blaker who form a strong working partnership. I’ve been fortunate at having been able to read this series from book one and have enjoyed them all although some have been better than others, but I can honestly say that ‘The Girls Upstairs’ is the best and most exciting one of them all. Despite the odd chapter where the plot seems to slow down, the excitement has gradually increased to a crescendo where I’ve simply been unable to stop reading. With the numerous twists and turns, I guessed there was going to be a surprise towards the end but little did I expect such a shocking tear-jerking result that took me by surprise and had me reaching for a tissue. I can wholeheartedly recommend this novel for anyone who wants to read an outstandingly tense and heart-stopping thriller.

A fast paced and thrilling read!

I’m quite late to this series, having only read the last three of the nine published so far. But I am a fan already! And Charlie Gallagher’s work as a firm favour on my bookshelf.

His narrative is fast paced and quick to the point. Chapters are short, but always left with a cliffhanger, meaning that you could never put the book down after. Just reading a couple of chapters, because you end up staying all night, reading the whole thing!

Told from multiple perspectives including the killer (although we aren’t told the gender or who that person actually is) It’s a real cat and mouse crime fiction, thrille! All of the the characters in it are so well developed that even at book 9. I think you can come in as a new reader and read it as a standalone novel. Within this book you’re given just enough backstory to get you quickly, up-to-date with characters and their history together, whilst also being completely entertained by the story.

Thanks to NetGalley for my arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t particularly enjoy this book. I found the writing to be boring and hard to follow for me. It may be a personal preference but it just wasn’t something I was overly excited about. I will say the story was good and exciting, I just struggled with the writing. I did not write a review on Goodreads or TikTok because I just didn’t love it.

This is a complete edge of your seat thriller from Charlie Gallagher and can easily be read as a stand alone. I read this in one sitting and really thought I would have a panic attack halfway through! I love the characterisation, especially Eileen and her amazing slippers, if you know you know! Police officers are being targeted and killed and Maddie and Harry are struggling to find the person responsible. Everything, and more, you could want from a thriller is all wrapped up in this excellent read from Charlie Gallagher. Murder, suspense, twists, tension and action all combined in this rollercoaster of a read. Thanks to Joffe Books and Net Galley for my ARC.