Don't Let Him In

"Don't Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell is a twisty 5-star thriller! Nina Swann is trying to pull her life back together after the sudden and tragic death of her husband. She meets Nick Radcliffe, a man who immediately puts her at ease. But Nina’s daughter, Ash, is instantly suspicious of Nick, he seems too perfect and always knows just the right thing to say. Meanwhile, Martha and Alistair appear to be living a happy life, even with Alistair always traveling for work, it seems he has the family's best interests in mind.

This is a well-written story told through multiple POVs and timelines, all expertly woven together to build toward one fantastic conclusion. Twist after twist keeps you wondering just how far out of control things can show more spiral and the answer is: extremely far! At times, you'll be shocked at how much one character is able to get away with and frustrated by how they’re allowed to keep going. While this may be fiction, it’s disturbing to realize that situations like this do happen in real life.

It’s been a few years since I last read anything by Lisa Jewell, and this book reminded me of just how talented she is. I won’t be waiting years to read another one of her books!

Thanks to Atria Books, Lisa Jewell, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this ARC and share my honest review. show less

Paddy Swann is the life of the party — a charismatic restaurateur with a devoted wife Nina, a twenty-something daughter Ash still living at home after a mental breakdown, and a younger son Arlo. He is pushed in front of a train one day, and the family is devastated. Weeks after the funeral, Nina and Ash receive a package in the post: a condolence note from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of Paddy's, and a lighter that once belonged to him. Nick reaches out to reconnect, and soon he and Nina are growing close. He is charming, attentive, tasteful, exactly what a grieving widow might need — a man who seems to understand what people want and delivers it effortlessly. Ash doesn't buy it for a single second. Nick is too smooth, too show more perfectly calibrated. She begins investigating him without telling her mother, and what she finds is deeply unsettling.
Meanwhile, Martha is a small-town florist married to a man she knows as Alistair — devoted, lovely, but mysteriously always traveling for work and constantly a little short on money. She's essentially a single parent to her baby and her two sons from her first marriage, and something is starting to feel very wrong. The novel moves across multiple timelines and perspectives, including sections narrated by Nick himself in a first-person voice that begins seemingly rational and progressively reveals the full architecture of his narcissism and self-justification. Nick goes by seven different names across the novel. He is, in the author's words at the end, not a literary invention — men like him exist, and she lists the sources that helped her construct him.

[May contain spoilers]
Nick and Alistair are the same person — one man running multiple simultaneous identities across multiple women, extracting money, emotional investment, and whatever else he needs from each. The web extends further than just Nina and Martha — there are other women, other aliases, other lies. Ash's investigation eventually brings the women's worlds into collision. Paddy's death, which opened the novel, turns out to be directly connected to Nick's operation — he didn't push Paddy by accident. The ending involves law enforcement and a final twist or two that reveal the full extent of Nick's sociopathy and the lengths he was prepared to go to protect his lifestyle.
What I think: This is Lisa Jewell doing what she does best — propulsive, multi-perspective domestic thriller where the reader knows more than the characters and the dread is exquisitely constructed. Nick narrating his own predation in a voice of cheerful self-justification is genuinely chilling. The Dirty John comparison is apt. show less

This book arrived and I sat down to read the first chapter to decide where in my extremely large TBR pile it would go and I read it straight through!!! What a wild ride! Nick Radcliffe has a smile that can melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He's just what Nina Swann needs after her husband's unexpected death. However, Nina's daughter, Ash, thinks Nick's too good to be true and starts digging into his past. What she finds is more than unsettling.

Satisfying domestic and psychological thriller.

Nina Swann is wooed by an old friend of her recently deceased husband. She's a bit vulnerable to his charms but her daughter, Ash, is immediately suspicious because Nick Radcliffe gives her the creeps. Some of the things he says don't add up, so she starts looking into to his background.

In a nearby town, Martha, a florist with her own successful shop, becomes increasingly distressed when her husband, Alistair, keeps disappearing on sudden, extended, business trips.

If he's too good to be true, you can bet he's a manipulative and dangerous man. A very plausible tale about several women who find that their lives are intertwined through the same man who is exposed as a fraud, a sociopath and a show more murderer.

This was so good that I could not put it down until I'd finished. The author is a master storyteller with the ability to construct fully fleshed out characters and a plot ripped from television serials and tabloid headlines. It rang true because this exact thing does happen to many women in all walks of life. And probably with increasing frequency because of the ability of the con artist to find and target those who are lonely or who want relationships. It's not just women, but is more often than not, that they are the ones deceived. Even though the reader knows the mind of this swindler, there is tension and concern as things start to fall apart for him. I loved how it all came together with a gratifying resolution and a fitting ending.

I was able to listen to the audio book while also following along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher. Oh wow, what a fantastic full cast on this recording. The narrators, Richard Armitage, Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, and Patience Tomlinson did an amazing job of bringing the characters to life and giving them unique voices and personalitiees. The production created a fully immersive experience and I highly recommend you give it a listen. Definitely enhanced my enjoyment of the book. show less

This was brilliantly plotted. Every angle was covered. Every detail nuanced. This was the most disturbing book I have read in a long time. This man of many names learns how to push and push until a woman’s defenses are breached and then he is in to wreak havoc upon her life and everything in it. And he does, and he does, living a Ponzi scheme of loving women who he breaks and destroys. He is a weasel, he is a despicable, manipulating piece of garbage and yet they all love him.

I found this so troubling that I almost put it aside thinking better to leave it than to be further disturbed. But, I found that I could not stop thinking about the plotting, not by the man who often operates by the seat of his pants and his impulses, but by the show more author. Lisa Jewell has looked at this from all angles and covered all the bases and it left me speechless.

Thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for a copy show less

Nick Radcliffe (just one alias) is a despicable character who uses his charm and good looks to prey upon vulnerable, lonely women for their money. He marries frequently and has children with utter disregard for the victims of his depraved, narcissistic manipulations. The effects of his egregious behavior affect these women emotionally and financially. He is a psychopath who doesn't stop at murder if it furthers his interest. It is interesting to see the truth dawning on these women and their resolution. Unfortunately, this kind of predator is not limited to fiction when we read about real-life victims of these heinous acts of greed.

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell is a very highly recommended domestic psychological suspense novel following one one con man, or perhaps three, and the women he targets. Once you start reading this one it's impossible to put it down.

Recent widow Nina Swann receives a condolence card and soon after that a lighter from Nick Radcliffe, who claims to be an old friend of her late husband, Paddy. She meets Nick and starts a relationship with him, much to the dismay of her daughter Ash, who has bad feeling about him. Ash begins to look into Nick. In a nearby town, Alistair, husband of Martha, a florist, seems to be traveling for work more and more and she is suspicious something else is afoot. Then there is also a jump back in time following show more man who hates his wife and is scheming to get her money.

The writing is absolutely excellent. The tension ramps up with each revelation and shocking twist leading up to a very satisfying conclusion. Obviously, it will be clear that Don't Let Him In is following the nefarious deeds of a man who is a smooth operator and a narcissistic sociopath. His actions and thoughts are increasingly treacherous and cunning.

Give the narrative time to set up the different scenarios as it follows alternating points of views, indicated by a change in fonts. When it moves back in time, it is noted before the passage. This man's slick but devious actions will infuriate you, but keep reading. While it may seem disjointed at the beginning, things will quickly become clear and the plot becomes intense, ominous, and un-put-downable.

The characters are all portrayed as fully realized individuals with strengths and weaknesses. Following the thoughts and deeds of Nick/Alisair will anger you. At the same time you will be cheering for Ash's efforts to find out more about the man who calls himself Nick Radcliffe.

Don't Let Him In is an exceptional novel of psychological suspense. Thanks to Atria for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

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