DON'T LET HIM IN BY LISA JEWELL

Blurb: Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right. Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.

(This post contains some spoilers, but can read this post before buying the book as the story has MANY surprises that I haven't spoiled yet.)

The best part about reading thrillers is experiencing the sense of dread over impending danger. The stakes are what keep us at the edge of our seats. But it is not easy for every writer to evoke that feeling in readers in the mundane and romantic scenes. But Lisa Jewell is one of the authors who excels at it. Even though the story does not include explicit thriller elements for 250 pages in the book, the format of the novel including alternate POV's of main characters including Nick/Alister's waning patience. The characters and their POV's are well written and easy to understand. The trasition between two chapters does not feel jarring as most chapters are weaved together through a common theme. For example, the earlier chapters lay the groundwork for deception as 'Nick' lives his life by orchestrating the perfect web of lies. Readers might find different and disjointed because Nick wants the readers to think they are reading three perfect love stories with a charming middle-aged man at their center. And it works well because Nick's life with his partners is meant to be compartmentalized. Then the following chapters start highlighting the cracks in perfect plan as people around him start noticing things. A sense of fear and uncertainty creeps in as the unexpected circumstances start testing his temperament. Understanding how 'Nick' composes himself in difficult situations becomes important to the narrative as it becomes both a weapon and weakness for him in later chapters.

The silver-haired mysterious antagonist has been written with great complexity and detail, especially in the early chapters. He takes pride in the fact that he is a good-looking, charming man who can make women feel good about themselves. As a result, he feels entitled to run his modified version of Ponzi scam as he steals money from one partner by taking over their finances and uses the funds to lure other women and buy expensive gifts for them. Though I was intrigued by his character arc, I found his stalking to be an underwhelming twist. His wife, Tara, becomes one of the few characters to see through his lies when he gets accused of following a girl. He may have become a stalker to satisfy his sexual urges, but it seemed a bit uncharacteristic for him, as the story established that his strength lies in his ability to satisfy women using his perfectly crafted persona. It was hard to believe that he would take a risk to torment women on the street. If you are a fan of the Netflix series 'YOU' (based on a book series of the same name), then you might appreciate it a lot more holistically than I did.

Nick's storylines had its ups and downs, but the heroic detectives of the story Ash and Jane, are the highlight of the novel. Their friendship is quite endearing, yet unique, as Jane once dated Ash's father, Paddy. Their mission to expose Nick by bringing all of his victims together leads to one of the most cathartic climaxes I've ever read in a novel. The climax is particularly satisfying as it reveals Nick's entire backstory, including his name and life with parents. Up until that point, Nick's backstory remains shrouded in mystery as the story hints that he had a dark and abusive past. And even though I thought I was being manipulated as a reader, I still expected a tragic past with abusive parents, because his POV narration is that good! But the climax doesn't let him become a victim of circumstances, as he is revealed to be a greedy narcissist. The twist is straightforward yet impactful, as it does not leave room for redemption or manipulation.

Overall, while the narrative is riddled with some underwhelming choices, it lands as an unsettling tale of deception. And scammers like Nick are unfortunately everywhere around us, so this story is a reminder to be more cautious around people, especially the shady charmers. If you're a fan of crime documentaries, female camaraderie or in the mood for a slow-burn thriller, then Don't Let Him In is for you. Creepy, mysterious and satisfying, I would like to give it a rating of 4 out of 5.