This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone. I have not read any of the other books and I did not feel like I was missing anything. Some great twists kept me interested the whole time!

Another great book from Charlie Gallagher, rejoining one of my favourite lead characters Maddie Ives who continues to be Acting Inspector with her dedicated support team of Harry and Eileen.
There are plenty of twists and turns in this book and I spent a lot of time trying to guess what way it was going to go.
There was also a massive emotional shock in this book which I cannot say much about without a big spoiler, but oh wow, that one really got me tearing up!

Thank you to Joffe Books, Charlie Gallagher and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Good police thriller, suspenseful, action packed story I enjoyed reading, had a gripping plot,
good characters, will keep you turning pages. Recommend book.
Given arc by Net Galley and Joffe

Charlie Gallagher knows how to ramp up the tension and emotions in this edge of your seat thriller that keeps you guessing. I like the interaction between Maddie, Harry and the team. In my opinion the best book yet. Thanks to Joffe books and Netgalley for a review copy.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Joffe Books for an advance copy of The Girls Upstairs, the ninth novel to feature Acting DI Maddie Ives of Kent Police.

A husband and wife are brutally murdered while their children sleep upstairs. Maddie and Harry Blaker, her teammate, know the victim and are determined to bring the perpetrator to justice.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Girls Upstairs, which is a fast, action packed read with some good twists and a lot of sadness. The novel takes a while to get to the girls, in fact I first thought that I was reading the wrong novel, but it’s simply part of the setup. I would note, however, that it’s not a slow setup as it involves violent crime, just a bit confusing to a simple soul like me.

The first half of the novel alternates between Maddie and Harry in the first person and the unnamed killer in the first person, while the second half concentrates more on Maddie and Harry, who have things going on in their lives as well as hunting a psychopathic killer. I think it works quite well if you can tolerate the glee the killer takes in their work. I suppose everyone needs a hobby.

The plot is fast moving and holds the reader’s interest throughout. There are more murders and quite a few red herrings, not least the perpetrator’s identity. I guessed some of it in advance, but there are some real shocks in amongst the twists. It even brought me to tears at one point. I think that this is probably the most emotional and least humorous novel in the series so far. This adds to the strength of the plot to make it a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

I hadn't realised that this was the 9th book in the series, but I do know that if they are all as good as this one I'll be reading them as well.
I enjoyed how all the characters really get on with each other and that I was able to relate to a few.
It took a while to get into, but once I did, it was a really good read with plenty of twists and turns
A new author for me but one Ill be catching up with again.
Thanks to Netgalley and Joffe Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for this copy in return for my honest review.

This is a fast paced, gripping crime thriller which has you on the edge of your seat!

A murder mystery which is full of twists and turns. I enjoyed following the detectives as they try and solve the murders.

This is part of a series but can be read as a standalone.

This book kept me guessing! If you like crime investigations this book is perfect. The Girls Upstairs is part of a series. I read it as a stand alone and it was easy to follow. There is enough context to not get lost or confused being the 9th book in the series. I really enjoyed the partnership between Maddie and Harry. You can tell they cared and admired one another. It was a little difficult for me to get into and there were parts that were dull. The second half picked up. Overall it was entertaining. It kept me wanting to solve the case

This is the ninth book in the series featuring D I Maddie Ives but the first I have read. Obviously there is some character background that is relevant but this can be read as a standalone book. The story follows the investigation into the killing of police officers.
I found the story slow to start with but the pace did pick up as the investigation progressed. The character of Maddie Ives in this book was rather flat. Presumably she is better defined in the earlier books but in this book she is more of a background character. The killings are quite gruesome and disturbing. This is definitely not a cozy mystery.
I liked the character of Eileen, with her quirky slippers and Maddie's police partner Harry came across well.
The ending, for me, was rather rushed and a bit confusing. I'm still not sure of the details of why and how exactly.
I think I would have appreciated this book more if I had read the previous ones in the series, nevertheless it was an entertaining read.

I have read all of this series so far so was looking forward to reading this. It’s a great addition to the series but very intense and terrifying in parts so be prepared! The relationship between Maddie & Harry is so good you can see why they work so well together. In fact the whole team work well together, not sure how many’s teams would gel as well as this in real life!! Although it can be read as a standalone it is better to read the series from the start as some of the things in the book might not mean much if you don’t have the background story. I also didn’t guess the ending at all. It’s quite an emotional story in places that had me welling up a bit. I recommend this book and author.

I have read all of the Maddie Ives novels so far, and this is the most terrifying I have read. I had to pause it at times as I found it too intensive... Clever but also very manic... Be prepared and take a serious good breath before you open this one! Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy. #THEGIRLSUPSTAIRS #NetGalley

This is one of my favourite book series, so I was delighted to hear another book was being written.

This story was centred on the brutal murders of police officers and the investigation into who was carrying out these murders and why.

The story was very well written, and I believe the author was a serving officer himself, so the police procedure is always extremely interesting to read. My favourite part of this series is the partnership and friendship of Harry and Maddie, which went up a notch in the last book with the arrival of Eileen, who has quickly risen to my favourite character. Who doesn't want to go to work in their slippers!!

This story had me laughing, angry and also crying which is incredibly rare for me. Yes you can read as a stand alone, however to fully appreciate the story its best to read in order, which, trust me, is not a chore as its one of the best series I have read.

The girls upstairs is the 9th book in the Maddie Ives detective series. Police officers are being targeted and DI Maddie Ives & her partner must race against time to catch the culprits before they strike someone in the police community again.

I have not read this series as I didn’t know it was one when requesting this one, it can be read as a standalone but there’s definitely some back story in the book that didn’t make sense to me.

Honestly the first half of the book was hard for me to get through but once the action started I couldn’t put the book down. I did not guess the twist/killer at all.

Thank you @netgalley and Joffe Books for this advanced copy.

WOW! Charlie Gallagher has done it again, I could not put this down, I was back to my school days reading under the covers so as not to disturb anyone, I love the chemistry betwen Maddie & Harry & how they know each other so well. which is why they make a great team when they are tasked to find the person who killed a fellow officer, seemingly for no reason.
This book made me laugh, cry & gasp but it was great & I can't wait to see what will happen next.

So, who are the girls upstairs and what horrors did they witness.
Someone is out to do physical harm to police officers, but who and why?
The answers will be revealed in this 9th book in the Maddie Ives series.
Charlie Gallagher again succeeds in creating a rip roaring thriller that will have you absorbed. He weaves intrigue, suspense and emotion, not to mention horrific violence into a climactic and unexpected outcome.
Yet again Charlie's ability to intertwine the personal traits and lives of Harry, Maddie, Eileen and Vince into a fast paced thriller has to be admired.
My best read of 2024.

4.5⭐️

DCI Maddie Ives

Someone is k*lling police officers.
Maddie is teamed with Harry to catch the k*ller.

The reader gets the POV of Maddie and Harry as well as the antagonist, it’s a format that works well for me as the reader gets to understand more about what is in the head of the antagonist.

Harry is such a fab character he has his own problems that he is trying to deal with, but he brings so much empathy and caring to those going through the same as him. It introduces emotional depth to the book.
Eileen’s carpet slippers makes me smile, I just love her to bits, what an amazing character. You have to love her.

You get a good glimpse into the workings of the team and procedure but it manages to weed out the mundane procedural elements to keep the interest levels up.

Oh my gosh it had me in tears!
It’s emotional, it builds up the tension well to an action packed drama filled finale. I have to say it’s one of my favourites in the series. It reads well as a standalone.

I read this as a standalone and found it really easy to pick up who was who and get sucked in pretty quickly. It didn't grab me from the very start but after a few chapters I started to get into it. A well written police procedural with some well done twists thrown in. Def perfect for fans of police procedural

This book delivered on everything you would want a murder mystery to have! There were numerous twist and turns, suspense and the shock of discovering who the murderer was. I did not except the murderer to be who they were! I enjoyed how this book was written from multiple POVs. I liked getting to experience the book from the killer, detectives and victims perspectives.

As much as I enjoyed reading the book from different POVs, there were times when I was confused with who’s perspective I was reading from.

If you are looking for a classic murder mystery with twists and turns, this book is for you!

Charlie Gallagher has gone above and beyond with this book. The Girls Upstairs was intensely thrilling and suspenseful. It had all the elements a thriller should have. It grabbed me from the very beginning, and I had no choice but to finish it on one day. Maddie and her crew had their hands full especially of the overall threat being against law enforcement officers and not knowing the outcome. It's difficult to review this because there are just so many moments to share but I would be giving the finale away. Just when I thought Charlie Gallagher couldn't throw it out of the park (as in a homerun) he went and did it. Storyline made me hold my breath and made me cry. That's what's called great writing.

Thanks to #Joffe Books and #NetGalley for the advanced copy. And thank you Charlie Gallagher. You reign as one of the best!

Yolie McLaughlin

One of my favorite genres to read are crime/thrillers, so I was excited to recieve this book! I wasn't aware of the author beforehand, or that this book was part of a series, but I plan on reading the series in the near future because I really enjoyed this one!

✨️ murder mystery/thriller
✨️ lots of plot twists
✨️ short chapters
✨️ release date: April 11, 2024

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-arc copy of this book.