Budding writer Sebastian Walker rents a room in a gorgeous Hampstead house. It's ridiculously affordable, especially for someone only working part-time, and the conditions the fragile, beautiful, widowed landlady Adriana Wentworth imposes on him don't seem that onerous or impossible to comply with.

The two feel an immediate connection to the other as they both sense a vulnerability in the other, though each has secrets that they're unwilling to share with the other. Seb has something horrible that drove him and his now dead mother away from their home town in Devon, and Adriana is still reeling from both her husband's and lodger's unexpected deaths.

But almost as soon as he moves in, he breaks one of her rules by talking to a neighbour, who implies the previous lodger's death was a bit suspicious. Seb also gets shocking evidence that someone is watching him.

Adriana also receives evidence that Seb is concealing things from her, which leaves her stressed. Author A.A. Chaudhuri also relates, in an earlier time period, the traumatic childhood of a girl named Scarlett.

Chaudhuri creates suspense almost from the opening, which is only ratched up when Seb understands that he's under some sort of surveillance. Even before this, one gets the sense right away that something is off about the lodging situation and Adriana's life, and though it takes a while for the author to bring various story threads together into what should have been a shocking reveal, I found myself unsurprised by the many coincidences that underpin this story.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Hera for this ARC in exchange for my review.

The plot of this story is captivating, unique, and clever, and I really enjoyed the twists and how it all ended. However, I had a hard time with the storytelling. Things moved slowly, mostly because of how repetitive things became and how many times "my past/secrets" were mentioned. I didn't really sense any character development, and the suspense just wasn't there. There were times I skipped a couple of pages and started reading again, and I still knew what was going on. Overall, the book has a ton of potential, but just needs adjustment for a quicker pace and a buildup of suspense.

I tried several times to get into this book, but just found it wasn't for me. Maybe one day when my TBR is lower, I'll give it another shot because the premise sounded amazing

This was a very good read, I couldn’t put it down.. what a page turner! There are plenty of twists and turns along with a really good ending throughout. The characters are great and the style of writing is perfect.
I have read other books by this author, I wasn’t disappointed, looking forward to the next one that comes out. I would recommend this book and its author to anyone who likes to read a good psychological thriller.
Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is my fourth book by the author & as usual the author knows how to keep you on your toes!
There were definitely moments I was reading & gasped out loud!
Things I enjoyed:
- The main characters & their personal motivations
- The short(ish) chapters
- The reveals - god it was a cob web that finally reveals itself in the rain!
- The mystery pov

Things I struggled with:
- The pace was a little slow. I was in a reading slump when I read this & had to persevere with it more than I anticipated considering everything this author writes is 5* in my opinion but I’m glad I carried on & stuck with it. My patience paid off!!

In Under Her Roof, A. A. Chaudhuri delivers another gripping psychological thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish. When struggling writer Sebastian stumbles upon a ridiculously cheap room to rent in a luxurious Hampstead home, he can't believe his luck—especially when he feels an instant connection with his beautiful, widowed landlady, Adriana. But the house’s fortress-like security and Adriana’s fragile demeanor hint at something darker.

As Sebastian digs deeper, he discovers the tragic fate of the previous lodger and begins to realize that both he and Adriana are keeping dangerous secrets. Meanwhile, an unknown watcher tracks their every move, escalating the tension to a fever pitch. The story unfolds through multiple narrators and timelines, each character shrouded in mystery and suspicion, making it impossible to know whom to trust.

Chaudhuri masterfully intertwines the plot's many threads, delivering shocking twists that you won’t see coming. Dark, devious, and impossible to put down, Under Her Roof is a must-read for fans of high-octane thrillers. Chaudhuri proves once again that she’s one of the best in the genre. Highly recommended.

Sebastian, a struggling writer is shocked when he finds the perfect, almost too perfect room to rent in wealthy Adriana's house. She seems great too if a little security conscious.

When he finds out what happened to the last lodger it unnerves him and he feels someone is watching is every move. Seriously twisty and dark. I really recommend it.

Seb is an aspiring writer looking for an affordable place to stay. He finds a room rental that almost seems too good to be true. As he has a past that he would like to stay hidden and the landlady has not pryed too much, he takes it.

Little does he know she has her own secrets she would like to keep. It is not long before he feels as though he is being watched and then starts receiving threatening emails.

All the secrets start to come out but will it be in time to save them?

This is a very well written psycological thriller with an amazing twist at the end.

This is my first book by A.A.Chaudhari and unfortunately this wasn’t quite the thrilling suspense read for me. Like a few other reviewers mentioned, it lacked pace and momentum.

I found Seb’s character really dull and his storyline - a 25-year old young man, who with his savings (that he inherited although this t really clarified: how has he inherited enough money to rent in London) plus his earnings from working in a bar is able to rent a room in Hampstead where he plans on not working and focusing on his “writing” rather naive and cliched. there’s constant references to his “secret” in his past that he is “hiding” (which we’re reminded of constantly and is one of my least favourite tropes). He felt very self-indulgent and self-absorbed. There was zero stakes in his character and nothing really motivating him except for anonymous emails that would be sent to him at convenient times for plot purposes.

Then we have Adrianna, a 39-year old widower, who’s inherited this lush house in Hampstead and looking for a lodger, not for money by to keep her company. It’s not really explained why she’s never worked or how she met her affluent husband. Also her rationale for wanting a male lodger specifically rather than a female was meh. She wants a man, so she feels more “safe” and “protected” especially at nighttime. And then her terms and conditions that include not bringing in any dates or “guests” without permission. She just seemed like a pickme. Because nothing screams security and safety than letting your room to a strange man in London who is broke than he can only afford to rent a room and not a flat and then on top of that he’s not allowed to be bring home dates. Yeah he won’t be sexual frustrated at all 🤦🏻‍♀️ And unsurprisingly she pursues a sexual relationship with Seb. (Didn’t see this coming (!)) She just felt rather trouble in her decision-making.

Then the prose is so repetitive and it takes ages for the plot to get going. I was tempted to dnf. But then I found the backstory of Scarlet interesting and then the second half was more engaging with questions that I wanted to learn answers to. The reveals were there - a bit far fetched but plausible enough. I just wished the characterisation and the first half was edited to be more pacy.

The paragraphs were way too long and there was far too much exposition with protagonists conveniently remembering stuff from the past but then they can’t say to much cause they’ve got to protect their “dark secret”.

This book personally wasn’t for me and I DNF’d it halfway through. I don’t feel like I can leave an honest review as it may have got better in the last 50% of the book but it didn’t grip me enough to find out.

I‘ve been reading lots of crime, from authors speaking at the Crime Festival that I‘m going to in a couple of weeks‘ time. That‘s the only reason I hesitate to give this one an 'average' rating, because I‘m going to see them and I don‘t want them to hate me! 🤣

I mean, this was fine - just very slow (the lodger didn‘t even move in until around 25% through).

There were two twists at the end, neither of which I saw coming but one I appreciated and one I didn‘t.

A complex plot told in many points of view and timelines but non the less a gripping read

Read a few by this author however did not rate this as high as others

Thank you Netgalley, A. A. Chaudhuri and Hera for the eArc of Under her Roof.

This is the first book Ive read of AA Chaudhuri's and I really enjoyed their writing style. The premise of this book sounded interesting and is written from 3 POV. Seb is a struggling writer who is looking for somewhere to live. Adriana who is looking for a lodger to keep her company after she's been recently widowed and an unknown POV who seems to be looking out for Adriana. All POV are in 1st person which works well within this narrative. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that Seb and Adriana become interlinked but are hiding deep seated secrets.

The pacing of this narrative is medium with some good character building. I was very intrigued to where the plot went and I wasn't disappointed. As Sebs and Adriana's stories unfold ( past and present ) there is some great foreshadowing to lead you to who the 3rd POV is. I found the twists and turns kept me engaged so flew through the book. The final pay off was great.

4.25 stars for Storygraph. 4 stars for Amazon, Goodreads and Netgalley

This was a well written thriller which had me gripped throughout. I felt there was an edge of suspense all the way through. I really enjoyed the fast pace and the writing style. It was definitely one of those thrillers once you start you cant put it down. The middle section of the book lagged a bit, but glad I stuck through as I did not predict this ending! Thank you for the opportunity to read this book!

Aspiring writer Seb finds a room to rent in an upmarket house in Hampstead, his landlady Adriana is a glamorous young widow with a fixation on security but the house is amazing. Adriana has some secrets that she isn't prepared to share with Seb, such as the fact that her last lodger apparently committed suicide. However when Seb starts to receive threatening emails he begins to wonder and, of course, he is hiding a few secrets himself.
I'm not a huge fan of the psychological thriller genre and I think this book illustrates perfectly why I'm not a fan and why these books are so popular. I cannot fault the pace of the book, nor the sheer number of twists and turns in the plot - it is hugely gripping and entertaining - it just feels very improbable. After saying all that, I did enjoy it immensely!

I'm kind of torn about this book. I found it a quick read, it held my attention and it was engaging, but I guessed the twist about three-quarters of the way through and I thought certain events and coincidences were just too far-fetched. I will let you draw your own conclusions without spoilers. I also felt that the action or pacing was choppy. The beginning was a little slow for me, but the secrets both Seb and Adriana had were intriguing and kept me engaged. I wanted to know what they were both hiding. I did like the ending, and I did think the complex storyline was interesting.

For me, overall, it was a 3.5. If adult language and sexual content are not your thing, this is not the book for you.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review a copy of this book. All opinions expressed are mine and freely given.

I enjoyed this book and the twist st the end was its crowning glory. It had been a long time since I read a book that addressed this particular topic. This one did it really well.
The ominous atmosphere throughout. The woman with a traumatic past shut up inside her house. The lodger with a secret of his own.
The author did a great job unfurling the twists one after the other. Seb's connection to Adriana was one I didn't see coming, and yet there were breadcrumbs throughout.
The characters were very well developed to the point where the final twist came, you go - of course!

In this book, we follow the story of Sebastian, a struggling writer who has rented a room from a wealthy, beautiful widow and Adriana, the widow. It is quickly revealed that her last lodger died a tragic death. After being taunted with mysterious emails, Sebastian becomes obsessed with the death of the previous lodger. Adriana and Sebastian both have secrets from their past that they are desperate to keep hidden. However, there is someone watching them that seems to know everything and is tormenting them.

This flow of this book was up and down. It was slow to start and slightly repetitive but by the time I got to the middle I was hooked and could not put it down. Loved the twists! One of which I figured out a little ahead time and one that completely blindsided me!

Overall, a good, clever and twisty read!

This review was also posted on Amazon and Goodreads

It started off really good and then I lost interest. It took me a while to finish this book. The characters were okay but didn’t really care about them. Sorry I did not enjoy this novel

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a twisted and mind blowing story. The book is a jaw dropping story until the end.