The Downstairs Neighbor
Ratings1
Average rating4
An addicting and twisty debut about an apartment building devastated by the disappearance of a teenage girl--and by the secrets that won't be kept behind each closed door--that will thrill fans of Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena. One House. Three Families. Countless Secrets. From her downstairs apartment in suburban London, Emma has often overheard the everyday life of the seemingly perfect family upstairs--Steph, Paul and teenage daughter Freya--but has never got to know them. Until one day, she hears something that seizes her attention: Freya has vanished and the police are questioning Steph and Paul about their life. Do either of you have any enemies? Anyone who might want to harm or threaten you? The effects of Freya's disappearance ripple outward, affecting not just her parents, but everyone who lives in the building, including Emma and local driving instructor Chris, who was the last person to see the teenager before she went missing. Each character's life is thrown into sharp focus as devastating mistakes and long-held secrets are picked apart and other crimes come to light--including a child gone missing twenty-five years earlier, and a shocking murder--that make clear that the past never stays where we leave it, and that homes can be built on foundations of lies.
Tags
Genre
Moods
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
I enjoyed it. As it wrapped up though, there was a bit too much going on. Too many red herrings or dark secrets. Even though that's kind of what these books are about, it was just a little too much. Still fun though.
Plot Details:
Emma is a downstairs neighbor to Paul, Steph, and Freya. She can't help but eavesdrop on their lives sometimes. Until one day, she realizes that Freya, Paul and Steph's teenage daughter has gone missing. What happened to her? Are things with this family not as great as they seem? Are Paul and Steph hiding something that led to Freya's disappearance? Emma has her own problems to deal with, but it seems that her neighbors' problems are affecting her as well.
My Thoughts:
Wow, was there a lot going on in this book! So many secrets being hidden. I loved this book for all that it had going on. I love finding out secrets and what characters are hiding. And of course, there's a twist. What really happened to Freya? I'm usually horrible at guessing these things, and this book was no exception. I loved the ending and the things that tied together. The characters were very likable, even if you had to suspend disbelief a bit on some things. I gave this book 4/5 stars, only docking one star because I thought that having so many characters to learn about seemed to make it so that you never got to know and relate to any of the characters as well as I'd like to.
