AMAZING. Lisa Jewell does it once again. A story set from multiple view points, with unreliable narrators, and many twist and turns.
Even after finishing this book....I'm still not sure what exactly happened 🤯

Another amazing 5 ⭐️ read by the queen herself!

This book took you on multiple timelines through a very troubled man’s life and several other women impacted by him. The amount of hate I had towards this man while reading was strong. There were times I wanted to throw my kindle or punch this antagonist character because I just couldn’t believe what I was reading. Lisa Jewell captured this type of man; a gaslighter, abusive, con-man, sleazy, a cheater, woman hater and overall awful man so well through the pages of this book. And the sad part is that there are actual men out there like this. And I unfortunately was married to one. But I digress.

I loved the short chapters, and how the timelines all made sense in the end. At times it was hard to follow. A lot of characters. But in the end it all made sense. And it was a triumph end for sure. Don’ Let Him in was a thrilling mystery, a domestic page turner thriller and binge worthy for sure.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC approval. This was a great book to end 2024!

Queen Lisa does it again. Thank you thank you thank you @atriabooks and @netgalley for my e-arc I devoured this in days in an impromptu buddy read. Thanks for letting me join @marishareadsalot

Don’t Let Him In by @lisajewelluk is a suspenseful and gripping domestic thriller that delves into the darker side of family secrets, obsession, bigamy, and trust. Known for her ability to craft layered, complex characters and interweaving narratives, Jewell once again delivers a chilling story that keeps readers guessing until the very last page.

Jewell masterfully blurs the lines between trust and suspicion, creating a tense atmosphere that kept me on edge.

With her signature blend of atmospheric tension and vivid character development, Jewell delivers an engrossing read that will appeal to fans of domestic thrillers and family dramas. It’s a chilling reminder of how little we sometimes know about the people we let into our lives. The mc reminded me of my ex husband 🙃.

Sorry peasants- this isn’t out until 6/24/25 but you should pre-order it and add to your Tbr.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Lisa Jewell has done it again! I could not put this thriller down. The book follows one conman and many women throughout, with twists and turns at every chapter. There was a lot of characters, so you may need to write stuff down to keep track but it was a very good read!

This is my favorite Lisa Jewell so far. A twisty read, weaving together people and places with a sinister connection. I found this such a fun and quick read, and was unsure of what was going to happen until the very end. Definitely a worthy read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the digital ARC of this novel.

Amazing book! I was in a bad reading slump after reading 299 books this year. This was number 300 and I’m out of my slump and ready for the new year. This was jam packed with greatness. I loved Ash. This book captivated me from beginning to end. So happy to have been chosen to read this early! When it comes out I will also listen on audio I loved it that much!

Loved this bool and Lisa Jewell however I expected a bit more of a twist from Lisa Jewell. I had guessed Nick was all these people and that he sent the letters to Ash and that Amanda impersonated Tara. Amazing pacing though and Nicks psycho perspective was great

9/10 (rounded up)

I really enjoyed the characters. She absolutely did a great job of creating a detestable character in Alistair/Nick/Simon/etc.. you live for his demise. I loved how she wrote so many women, at different points and positions in their lives, are all able to be manipulated by Nick. She writes him as such a true psychopath, but rewrites the script on what a “typical tv psychopath” looks like.. she writes the minutia, the small behaviors, the personality traits, and she writes them well. it made my skin crawl, and it actually made me wonder if any of the people around me, any people i know, are like this.

Ash, Martha, Tara, Amanda, Nina (and many others) all have something unknown in common.. They’ve all let him in. Much to his dismay, Nick has sent these women careening towards eachother on a path paved with lies, money, and manipulation.

tiny summary:

When Nick comes into Ash and Nina’s lives, Ash can see the writing on the wall, but Nina can’t. In order to protect her mother from this opportunistic conman swooping in to win over her mother after her father’s untimely murder, she must expose Nick for what he is. However, in doing so, she exposes murders, extortion, coercion, and the sheer psychopathy of the man worming his way into her life and her deceased father’s place.

my one and only complaint about this one, is that it was slightly long winded, and could be confusing. there were a lot of women with very similar storylines, and it could be hard at times to separate the present from the past, and who was who. Ash was really the only one with a different enough story to differentiate.

thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my review 🤍

Lisa Jewell has a knack for crafting compelling page-turners, and Don’t Let Him In is no exception. The story pulls you into the chilling world of Nick Radcliff—also known as Al, Jonathan, or whatever name he’s using with whichever woman he’s ensnared. The book is a quick read, but it leaves a lingering unease as the full scope of Nick’s secrets is revealed.

While the plot is dark and twisty, piecing together the fragments of Al’s life, the lack of a significant twist at the end was a bit disappointing. It felt like the story was building to a bigger payoff that didn’t quite materialize. Despite this, it’s a gripping, unsettling read that will make you think twice about letting anyone like Nick into your life.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Thank you to Atria Pub and Netgalley for a free copy.

I feel like this rating will be deceptive. I love Lisa Jewell and her books. I look forward to them.

This one just fell a tad flat for me. I didn’t hate the storyline or the way it played out.

I struggle w gaslighting. I don’t love it in books. But I can get past that because it’s a clear part of the plot. You can tell by just reading the synopsis. See below the part that really lost it for me.

The book was fine. The writing was great, as always. I just feel that marketing this as a thriller is giving an expectation this book cannot meet. This is a domestic drama.


Spoiler below. It’s not a crazy plot spoiler but it genuinely lends itself to why this book was frustrating.

<spoiler> I genuinely cannot get past consistent lying by men that’s so far fetched that women believe it. I just cannot. Nor the money aspect. A guy who you’re married to turns off his phone for days at a time. Then he comes back and is like oh o need £500 for my sick mother. He told you his mother was dead. And you just fork over the money? You should be bankrupt. </spoiler>

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OBSESSED!
This might be my new favorite book by Lisa Jewell ✨

You know that feeling when you start a book and just know you’re going to love it and devour every single page?

The writing is absolutely flawless, and I’m still in awe of how someone can weave together so many intricate pieces of a puzzle without a single misstep.

P.S. A big shoutout to the main male character for reminding me how grateful I am to be single right now 🫠

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

WOW....let me gather my thoughts...Nick/Damien/Alistar/Jonathan/Andre....ETC. How can a man go this long and trick this many women and trap them? I adore the character of Ash, who has been through so much, but still strives to get to the bottom of the story with Nick, her mother's new boyfriend, who is getting a little too cozy fitting into her late father's life. All roads lead back to this CORRUPT human being. WOW. I could not put this book down. Although it was a little slow in the middle, it is important to the overall plot to get to know this man. So grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Literally could not put this down because I could NOT wait for the reckoning of the Smallest Man Who Ever Lived. Sure to be one of the BEST mystery/thriller of 2025.

This book has a hell of a villain. A sociopathic, women-hating, gaslighting, love bombing overall horrific human being. He is the kind of guy you could do a 10 episode podcast about. Known by various names, he loves to manipulate and have relationships with women in a long con.

Multiple POV chapters that skip time and between multiple characters. Although this is a little confusing at first it comes together pretty quickly. Ash lost her father Paddy about a year ago, as a schizophrenic unhoused man pushed him onto the train tracks. He was a successful restauranteur and cookbook author. Now Ash's mother has gotten romantically involved with a man that she has some questions about.

The best thing about this book is that the victims are not stupid. Not by a long shot. They are smart, funny, good mothers. In one way or another, they have insecurities, but this guy is an absolute professional at getting women to fall in love with him and in believing his lies. It is so easy to hear a story like this and assume that the victim of a con man is stupid. Our culture teaches us to blame the victim- but I would caution the reader to thinking you are better than falling for a long con. The overall theme is showing the pattern of behavior... and the solution is always community.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be released June 24, 2025.

Lisa Jewell’s latest novel, Don’t Let Him In, is a psychological thriller that weaves together themes of loss, betrayal, and the complexities of human relationships. The story centers around Paddy Swann, a once charismatic restaurateur whose tragic death sets off a chain of events that unearths secrets and tests the bonds between his family and friends. The narrative kicks off dramatically with Paddy's shocking demise, which leaves his wife Nina and daughter Ash grappling with their grief. The author captures their emotionality, portraying how the sudden loss reshapes their lives and relationships. The introduction of Nick Radcliffe, a figure from Paddy's past who sends a seemingly innocent lighter, serves as a catalyst for tension, drawing Nina into a web of connection that Ash instinctively distrusts.

However, while the character development is compelling, the pacing of the plot can feel uneven at times. Certain twists may seem predictable to some thriller readers. The book also seemed long and some scenes drawn out.

The novel ultimately serves as a reminder of the complexities of opening oneself up to others, capturing the warning embedded in its title—sometimes, it’s best to listen to your instincts.

#NetGalley @AtriaBooks

I enjoyed this book. The multiple POV and different timelines kept me intrigued & wanting to read. The antagonist was truly diabolical & I couldn’t wait to watch everything get pieced together. Lisa Jewell is a must read!

Lisa Jewell never fails to disappoint with the twists and turns! I could not put this down!
I was a little disappointed in some of the characters, and thought they could have been a little more fleshed out, but it was a fun read altogether.

This was, by far, Lisa Jewell’s best work. I was hooked from the start and couldn’t turn the pages quickly enough! What a great story!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!
Hm mixed feelings on this one. While the story itself was captivating, albeit frustrating watching from a bird's eye view, I kept thinking how are all these women possibly falling for this guy? I kept waiting for the catch.
Then, apparently, there wasn't one.
While fast paced and easy to read, I caught myself waiting for twists that would take it in an entirely new direction only to be correct all along.
Entertaining, absolutely. Mind blowing twists? Not this one. Go in with clear expectations on Lisa's latest.

Shortly after the book begins, we are either dealing with one despicable man or possibly three of them. There’s the first person POV of a husband who's been married for four years to a woman with estranged adult children and it’s obvious he now despises her, but she hasn’t gotten the message yet. There’s newly widowed Nina (her restaurateur spouse was pushed off a rail platform into an oncoming train) and her sudden paramour, Nick, supposedly a friend of her late husband, who has gotten too friendly too quickly according to her adult daughter Ash. Then there’s florist Martha, married three years to Al, a former divorcee with a barely teen and a ten year old, who found herself pregnant in her mid-40s during her second marriage and now has baby Nala, while husband Al regularly disappears on sudden business trips and “forgets” to message her.

It’s very easy to quickly assume (within the first 40 pages) that the detestable narrator is also both Al and Nick and probably a few other names and this is going to be a miserable story of multiple naive middle-aged victimized women. If this depresses you immensely, stop here. If you have hope that someone will eventually wise up and deliver the appropriate justice to this jerk, keep reading with guarded hope, although you’ll swear none of these 21st century women know how to Google someone.

The plot seems to be influenced by the decade old real life “Dirty John” con man story (and Netflix series). Jewell lets us peer inside the mind of her narcissistic sociopathic character (the real Dirty John never truly revealed his motivations). All the more to despise him. The story proceeds with more twists (and women). It’s emotional and anger-inducing — Jewell has created the nastiest villain in a suspense thriller. But the book is also totally enthralling and you won’t be able to look away. 5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Sort of. The initially unnamed target of the cheating male narrator has unreal turquoise eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): YES/NO
There’s a Tesla (that nobody knows how to drive): YES Funny how Jonathan must pick up the key to Tesla on his way out, when there are literally no Tesla keys (it’s all controlled via a phone app). Oh, Martha, if you had access to the Tesla, you would always know where the car was without a separate tracker.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

Can you say psychopath? Alistair goes by many names. Charming, he is able to "borrow" money from the many loves of his life. Unfortunately, he is never able to hold on to any money for long. This always necessitates finding a new woman, which he doesn't seem to have any problem doing. After playing this game for his whole life, it all starts to unravel when one of the daughters of his conquests becomes suspicious. What a great book. I could not put it down. This may be Lisa Jewell's best book yet. Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the complimentary digital ARC. This opinion is my own and has not been coerced.