This was a very surprising and enthralling read! I couldn't put it down, inhaled it in one sitting. My relationship with mystery/thrillers has been rocky in recent years so I've been very hesitant to pick them up, but ones like this remind me of why I enjoy the genre so much! I was hanging on to every word, and for the most part thought everything was believable (which is often a struggle for me in this genre). The numerous story lines and "mysteries" layered in this novel were all compelling as the drama was unfolding, although in the end I did feel a little bit unconvinced. Despite this, I wasn't unhappy with it. It felt a bit rushed in the explanations of each story line, but due to the writing and character work I was still able to appreciate this novel for what it was.

Have you ever heard a noise in your house - one you brushed away? And then it returns and...is that?...

That's the premise for Andrea Mara's new novel - Someone in the Attic! Are you hooked like I was? That premise opens so many ways for the book to evolve.

Julia, her children and ex husband have moved back to Ireland from the US. They're looking for a fresh start for their daughter - the why isn't revealed for quite a while. Some of the the new neighbours a bit odd.

Being back in Ireland gives Julia the opportunity to catch up with old friends. It's great to see them, but it also brings up some uncomfortable history.

I wondered how Mara was going to tie the myriad of threads all together. Lots of ah ha as you get closer to the final pages.

An inventive and addicting read!

A superbly plotted whodunnit novel that will have you questioning what you think you know right until the end. If you enjoy following the clues and seeing if you can unravel the mystery before the protagonist does, then you’ll want to try this novel. I enjoyed the mix of neighborhood drama and secrets from the past and thought the author did a great job of showing a family that was working to create a functional family environment post-divorce. Andrea Mara is a must-read author for me, highly recommend.

A creepy domestic thriller from a new to me author that explores everyone's worst nightmare - having someone lurking in your house unknown.

Set in Ireland, this story follows Julia, a divorced mom who has moved her family back to her home after living in California. When they see their house featured on a viral clip of someone hiding in people's attics they start to get really creeped out. Doubly so when one of Julia's friends ends up murdered and the suspect is a man who was hiding in her attic.

Full of secrets and shocking twists, this was great on audio and I'm excited to read more from this up and coming UK author! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. This is perfect for fans of books like Night watching by Tracy Sierra.

I enjoyed the premise of the creepy man and the noises coming from the attic, but I think the story could have been even creepier with a few more details in a few scenes. This story was told in multiple POVs in dual timelines, but mostly from the perspective of Julia, a divorced mother of two whose ex-husband is very present and acting fishy. There was also an elaborate cast of secondary characters in the form of neighbors and friends that made the mystery surrounding Anya's death a bit harder to unravel. Overall, I found myself entertained and I think fans of neighborhood or domestic thrillers would enjoy this book.

Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara is a deliciously tense and chilling thriller which unnerved me enough to pay particular attention to noises in my own attic while immersed in the story.

A group of four school girlfriends called themselves JADE. Donna mysteriously died when young. Years later, Anya relaxed in a tub to soak off the layers of stress. A masked man suddenly appeared from her attic and Anya was later found dead. Who was he and how did he get into her attic? Was there a connection with the latest TikTok sensation of masked people hiding in attics?

Julia and her husband Gabe divorced and had unique living arrangements in Dublin. Their two kids had preferred living in America, especially as disturbing happenings in their new house in a gated community frightened them. Goosebumpy videos on their phones were alarming. Julia approached her friend Eleanor for help who was equally perplexed. Things grew worse and worse until everyone looked behind their backs.

I really like slow burns like this. The characters didn't resonate with me but I don't need that in books. The premise put me on edge and while a few parts of the story were implausible, my attention was gripped. This was the novel I needed amidst heavier reading.

If you like anxiety-inducing thrillers which aren't over the top scary or gory, this may just be what you're looking for.

My sincere thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing novel.

I really thought this was going to be a hit for me, but unfortunately it did not work for me at all. I just couldn't get into and the main character was seriously annoying. I had to DNF.

I was so excited for this book, but unfortunately, this is a DNF for me, at 30%. I just can’t with this main character. She’s been presented with so much evidence that there is someone hiding in her attic, and routinely coming out and creeping around and making Tik Toks of it all, and yet she’s still there? Still keeping her kids there? All this when she has an apartment across town she could move them all too? Make it make sense. Her son has literally told her he’s seen someone in the attic? Like what. I can’t deal with it anymore, I will not be finishing this book.

For those who associated a creepy unknown with attacks and basements.

The opening chapter shows Anya relaxing in the bathtub with a glass of wine. The next second she sees the attic hatch drop open, and out climbs a strange masked man. Within seconds she’s dead.

Moving forward Jules and her family move from USA to their new home in a gated community in Dublin.

The children aren’t thrilled to be leaving their home and friends, and even less thrilled when they find TikTok videos of a strange man walking through their home.

Jules is convinced it is someone editing videos to look like they are originating from the house, but when other weird unexplainable things begin to happen, she starts to wonder if somebody really is breaking in after all. Her son is convinced there is a man living in their attic who comes out to watch him sleep in the middle of the night.

I enjoyed the creepy premise of this plot, I feel the author could have leaned into the scary aspects more if she wanted to but segued more into the mystery / thriller components than horror. This still worked well because we got a lot of back story about Jules and her friends, as well as getting to know her new neighbours and the secrets they were harbouring.

This is my first book by this author and I will be looking forward to more of her work :)

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrea Mara and Penguin Random House Canada for the EARC.

Publish date: August 20th 2024

Unfortunately I had to skim through the last half. I started to get bored, the twist felt obvious but the character was driving me crazy’, it felt very repetitive. I do however love the setting, love reading books set in Dublin! It started off strong but in the end fell flat. Thank you so much for an arc

The pacing here was splendid. This type of writing in the thriller genre can get someone out of a reading slump. I didn’t guess the twist so I was pleasantly surprised!! I already convinced people they need to get this when it’s released.
I felt on edge and invested. The character development was great with Julie. I enjoyed that the past linked well to the current plot and did not drag on. 5 stars!

This book was super fastpaced but an easy read!
I loved being able to binge it in a few hours, it wont be my last book from Mara either!

It would be your worst nightmare! A super creepy book with some twists and turns! A family has moved into a house and they start to notice things are not quite right.

writing: noticeable improvement | plot: intriguing | ending: more wrapped up than a christmas present

my opinion

READ CAREFULLY: the entire book could've been 45 pgs if a home security camera was installed. A camera was never suggested nor considered during this book. Based on that huge gap in logic, it should be a one star but I'm just a dumbass and can rate however I please, so my rating does not factor in the missing camera.

Andrea Mara is the queen of getting right down to it. She does not bury the lede or dilly dally around. I've read three of her books now and she literally gets things popping from page one. Love that. If you like Freida McFadden but you don't like plagiarism, I implore you to try out Mara. Her books are always fast-paced, intriguing, and twisty. And like McFadden, they sometimes lack logic but hey at least they're not thinly veiled knock-offs of other best sellers. ANYWAYS.

I love that her writing gets stronger with every book. Out of the three, this is definitely her best prose. Her and Amanda Cassidy are good friends and I can definitely see their styles rubbing off on each other.

I have to hand it to her, she got my ass. I was rolling my eyes for a bit there thinking I was Spencer Reid (but with the inexplicable sexiness of Aaron Hotch. No further questions please) but turns out I was a concussed possum. There were several "oh you THOUGHT" moments throughout to keep you on your toes.

The characters weren't very developed. Julie needed a strong shake or an intervention. Perhaps both. All I learned from her experience was to never financially support men. Her husband, Gabe, reminded me of Gabe from [book:The Soulmate|127280964]—IYKYK, that's NOT a compliment.

Okay but the ending???? A nightmare for me. Seemed like Mara was determined to tie up every loose string into the most coquette bow possible. Not everything needs to be conveniently worked out for the protagonists' benefit. I would've appreciated the book to end the way it began: abruptly.

Fast-paced, easy to read, enough intrigue to keep you interested—the hallmarks of every Honda Civic Reliable read. Highly recommend to new readers of the genre or for those that just want to give their brain a break while being entertained.

pros & cons

pros: doesn't waste time getting right down to it, got my ass lol, couple of lite twists throughout, fast-paced, writing is noticeably stronger

cons: ending was way too neatly tied up felt like I was reading an email from my granny detailing everything her friends did over the last week, huge gap in logic with the exclusion of home security cameras (cmon not even the detective suggested it????? fired)

tysm penguin random house canada for the arc

WoWWW I loved this book! A jaw dropping and creepy page turner.

Anya is at home alone, enjoying a relaxing bath. Through the open bathroom door, she suddenly sees the attic hatch swing open. A masked figure comes out and into the bathroom. Moments later, Anya is dead.

Anya's old school friend, Julia, is shown a TikTok video of a masked figure climbing out of an attic. Julia is shocked to see that the video footage is from inside her house. With the help of her friend Eleanor, Julia is left figuring out why she is being targeted, and more importantly, by whom.

This is a great whodunit that will keep you guessing until the end. There are many different suspects - I considered them all at times - but not so many that you cannot keep track of the characters. Andrea Mara keeps the twists coming throughout the novel. The creep factor from the first few pages is present until the very end.

This was my first read by Andrea Mara. I have already shelved all her other novels on my "want to read" shelf. A very talented author!

For any thriller fan, this is a must read. Warning, you will NOT be able to put it down.

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada | Doubleday Canada and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.