Yeah, OK, this creeped me out. The calls—I mean the videos—are coming from inside the house. (If your kid says there’s someone in the attic, maybe listen to him.)

Ya know .... I didn't love this. The premise is good - there's someone in your Attic that you can't catch... but there's videos of inside your house being uploaded on tiktok. Mmkay, I'd cry.

But this book was so repetitive. And maybe it's just my adhd, but damn if there weren't too many names to remember.

Also, who just up and moves to another country when something goes wrong?

Whatever, this wasn't what it could be. But it wasn't the worst.

This book immediately drew me in and I binged it in one sitting because I had to know what was going on! Thankfully, I listened to it during the day because this one would have definitely had me checking locks multiple times throughout the night. Books focused on events that could actually happen tend to freak me out more than anything and this is one of them! The narrator did a superb job with setting the tone and kept me invested in who could be behind the creepy occurrences!

There are so many twists and I had my eyes on a few people as the culprit but, of course, I was wrong the whole time! There are quite a few characters to keep track of but the author did a great job making it easy to understand their relationships to one another.

While in the bathtub, Anya hears a noise in the ceiling. Moments later, a masked figure drops from her attic door and Anya winds up dead. Across town, Anya’s friend Julia comes across a video online of a masked man dropping from an attic hatch. She soon realizes this video was made in her own house. Who is the masked figure and what do they want with Julia?

I absolutely devoured this book! From the first chapter, I was hooked—the story starts with a BANG, and my jaw was on the floor within minutes. It was creepy, disconcerting, and full of suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. The premise is unique and downright chilling. The idea of a masked figure sneaking into someone’s home through the attic while filming it for the world to see is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine. But the twist? The footage that Julia stumbles upon is from her own house.

This was a gripping and thrilling read that kept me guessing the whole way through. The opening scene was absolutely wild and completely unexpected, setting the perfect tone for what was to come. It’s a calculated revenge story that leaves you constantly questioning who the “someone” could be right up until the very end. The plot feels unsettlingly real, making you believe this type of online trend could actually happen.

The characters are complex, and many will have you second-guessing their true motives, adding to the tension and mystery. I especially loved Julia, whose fear and confusion are palpable as she unravels the mystery. However, the chapters from Julia’s son’s perspective felt like filler and slowed down the pacing a bit. My only real gripe is the ending—it was pretty anticlimactic. After all the tension and build-up, the final resolution felt a little anticlimactic. I was hoping for something with a bit more impact, especially given how intense the rest of the story was.

This is a fantastic read for anyone who loves suspense and psychological thrillers. The focus is more on characters and the slow unraveling of secrets rather than gore, which I appreciated.

For the first 30% of the book I was bored, not gonna lie. The story gets right into the action from the jump, but hits the brakes just as quickly. Seriously, super interesting idea but there were way too many side stories that were obvious red herrings, but not really in a good way. I was more annoyed with them all than intrigued. I’ll give it to the author, though for bamboozling me on the whodunit. Thought I had it, but she got me!

Thank you to Viking and PRH Audio for the review copies! I’ve always enjoyed a good creepy house theme, and Mara's Someone in the Attic is a solid addition to that trope. The audiobook, with its excellent production and strong voice acting, made this story especially engaging—I found myself truly immersed in the audio experience.

The book opens with a genuinely unsettling scene that sets the tone for a suspenseful story filled with well-timed reveals. Mara’s clever use of TikTok videos adds a modern twist, amplifying the "unsettled" vibe that runs throughout the narrative. The main character’s sense of distrust and suspicion enhances the atmosphere, building a suspenseful tension that lingers long after you finish reading.

While I did feel the ending was a bit rushed—a common feeling I have with suspense novels—the quick succession of reveals worked well in keeping both the reader and the character on their toes. Overall, Someone in the Attic is a haunting, atmospheric read that fans of the genre will appreciate.

This one was okay, I did a combo of print/audio. I was pretty engrossed in this, but ultimately I felt the "whodunit"/culprit of it all was weak. Maybe I'm twisted but I wanted it to be more sinister. I definitely was kept in the dark the whole time, and didn't figure out the ending. A solid 3.5 overall.

The beginning of this book freaked me out. The idea of someone hiding in your attic is absolutely horrifying. I really enjoyed the creep factor of this book. I will say the fact she wasn’t believing her son the entire time was extremely frustrating to read. I also knew who the intruder was pretty early on. I still really enjoyed the characters and the pace of this one. If you love a binge able thriller I would highly recommend Someone in the Attic.
3/5 Stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was chilling. Very similar in style to other thrillers but felt set apart based on the fear factor involved. The author did a nice job of keeping the reader hooked every chapter, the premise alone was enough to get me to read the book and it was hard to put down.

Very creepy premise for a story! Quick and very bingeable, you will find yourself listening and looking if you are home alone!

Well, that was creepy!

Of course, with that title I expected it to be and Andrea Mara definitely understood the assignment! From the creaking overhead, to the black-clothed stranger lowering themselves to the hallway, this brought back all the childhood flashbacks you ever had (and maybe some adult ones too! I have way more fear of things in the attic than is healthy!)

"But it's a gated community", you say, "no one can get in." Wrong! Too many people have the gate code and keys to Julia and Gabe's house. Plus their daughter posts videos showcasing their house on social media. So when the videos that look like they're made from inside the house start to appear online, Julia thinks they're photoshopped from her daughter's videos...until she starts investigating the death of her friend Anya and finds too many coincidences.

Mara maintains the suspense throughout, introducing additional suspects, clues, and red herrings. This was a quick and interesting read and I need to read more books by Andrea Mara!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for an advance reader's copy.

About 15 years ago, I watched an episode of the I Survived TV series in which a woman was assaulted by a ninja suit-wearing man who was hiding in her attic. That story has stayed with me as a cautionary tale all of these years, so when I was prompted in a reading challenge to read a book that contained a personal phobia, I knew Andrea Mara’s new novel Someone in the Attic had to be it.

This book is about, naturally, someone in the attic. When a family moves from San Diego to Ireland, they discover that their home has been featured in a viral TIkTok challenge. But when more and more videos show up on TikTok, obviously taken from inside the house, it becomes apparent that they are not alone. There must be someone hiding in their attic, but why can’t they find any evidence of him or her beyond the videos eerily showing the inside of their home?

Someone in the Attic has a stellar premise and starts off so creepily and strong. Attics are unsettling enough, but when you consider a person actually hiding out up there, it’s enough to push anyone over the paranoia edge. I quite enjoyed how this book revealed new plot lines at every twist and turn because I never knew which way to look. However, I did not enjoy the multitude of characters and had a lot of difficulty keeping them and their relationships all straight. Furthermore, the book loses steam in the middle, meandering through less than compelling plot points to reach its not so surprising ending.

Recommend to readers who like creepy suspense set in the UK.

This chilling book will leave you terrified of attic doors. How creepy when TikTok is viral with masked figures dropping from attics. For Anya, it doesn't end well. While she is taking a bath, she sees someone dropping from the ceiling. Thirty seconds later...she is dead.

Anya's best friend Julia, while watching a TikTok video sees her own home and a masked figure dropping out of her attic door. If you think that's not scary enough, keep reading... This is what nightmares are made of. The twists keep coming and the suspect list grows.

"You thought you were home alone."
"You're not afraid of being alone in the dark. You're afraid you're not alone."
I can't wait to see what else this author will write. Fabulous writing that pulls you into the darkness.
Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Viking for this fabulous ARC in exchange for my review.

"There's someone in the attic.
Her breath is stuck inside her throat and her body is immobile under water as a dark shape emerges through the opening and drops to the landing floor. A figure all in black. A face behind a mask. There is someone in the attic. And they're—

Thirty seconds later, it's over. Anya is dead."
Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara

Once I started the first chapter, I was completely captivated by this book! The story revolves around four childhood friends - Donna, Anya, Julia, and Eleanor. After Donna's tragic accident decades ago, only three of them are left, and when Anya dies, it's down to Julia and Eleanor. But things turn chilling when Julia's daughter discovers a TikTok video of their apartment, revealing someone climbing out of the attic. After too many incidents, Julia admits that someone is targeting them.

"Someone in the Attic" keeps you on edge, glancing at your ceiling, imagining noises, and visualizing what's lurking above. The author weaves in plenty of red herrings and subplots, so pay close attention to catch everything. While some moments are shocking, a few felt a bit over the top. I'm not a fan of vague endings, but this ending is too tidy. The epilogue ties up all loose ends. However, it felt like the author was hurrying through a checklist.

Thank you to the author, PenguinGroupViking/Pamela DormanBooks, and Novel Suspects for providing this gifted ARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is my first dive into Andrea Mara's writing, and I've added several other books to my TBR list!

#SomeoneintheAttic #AndreaMara #NetGalley #PenguinGroupViking #PamelaDormanBooks #NovelSuspectsInsiders #novelsuspects #HachetteUS

You may think that you are alone; the doors are locked, the windows are closed, and no one is there…at least, you think no one else is there. Anya thought she was alone when she slipped into a relaxing bath, but then someone drops from inside the attic, and its lights out for Anya. Imagine now that there are videos online of your house, a house inside of a gated community, recorded by an unknown person, some of which have been made while someone is home. This is the very scenario that Julia, who happens to be a friend of Anya’s, is facing, and Julia is fearful that she may be the killer’s next target.

This was a novel that went back and forth for me. One thing I really liked was the ending. While it was rather predictable as to the “who” I still found it to fit with the story as a whole and was surprised by the motivations of that character. I did find Julia to be a rather annoying character. To me her reactions were not appropriate for the events and I would not have acted in the same way. She seemed not to care about things that I would have issues with, and overreacted to others. It also seemed to slow down in the middle as it bounced around a little which took me out of the story some; I became an observer as opposed to a participant in the story. There were some good twists and turns and the concept as a whole was spooky–who wouldn’t be freaked out about someone potentially lurking in their attic waiting to strike–but it just fell a little flat for me.

Very engaging thriller. I was certain, at least twice, I knew who the culprit was. I was wrong. Kind of. MC Julia is rather annoying. She's very suspicious and thinks everyone is interested in her. Which is ironic considering her opinion of Anya. And what the heck is the appeal of Gabe?! I don't get it. The drama surrounding their daughter could have been less dramatic with some simple communication for all parties. The ending is super good. I loved how ALL my questions were answered. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

This story was creepy. The author did a really great job of cultivating the atmosphere in the story. This was twisty and turny, and a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this, and I definitely can't wait for more from this author. They had an interesting idea, characters and plot, and they executed it wonderfully!

There is only one way to say this - this book is creepy as hell!! Creepy as in I only read it during the daylight hours and “accidentally” left the hall light on when I went to bed. To be fair, I am easily creeped out but I think this is the kind of story that will have you checking out any odd sounds you hear!

This story hooked me from the start - it’s very fast paced! We have Anya who hears something in the attic and three minutes later is unalived. We have Julia who sees a video on TikTok and then realizing it’s filmed in her house…this is the type of suspense that really weirds me out. Who is filming and posting the videos?

No spoilers here but there are a lot of suspects/red herrings. You’ll find yourself with so many different theories throughout the book. There are some good twists and turns. The story is told in present time and flashbacks.

I liked the Ireland setting and while not all the characters are likeable, I was completely invested in what was going to happen!

4.5 rounded up–I thought this book was a lot of fun! Reading at night was a little creepy and I had the urge to send my hubby up into the attic to check for someone. There was no big gotcha moment, but several times I thought I figured something out and I was wrong every time. That’s the best in my opinion. I loved how everything was wrapped up at the end of the book. I hate books that seem to end with no closure. I can’t wait to read more by this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

Thank you to Andrea Mara and Pamela Dorman Books via NetGalley for the eARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Halfway through this book I thought I had it all figured out and was dreading having to slog through the next half while knowing the end. I was wrong. I found this book twisty and the ending unexpected (obviously) while still making very clear sense. I liked the main character as well as all of the supporting characters.

However, there is one plot line that I didn’t enjoy. To avoid spoilers I’ll just say it’s the one that runs through the whole book and revolves around Isla. I didn’t like how this plot line resolved. I think this book struggles with having too many liars and villains and trying hard to not have any of the main characters do anything bad ever. I wish that instead it was shown that good people can make mistakes and do bad things! Instead throughout the book the only people to do bad things are objectively bad people to a caricaturish level.

I think people looking for a decent thriller would enjoy this book. I’ll read more from the author in the future!