The Apartment Across The Hall

by Jack Dane

They say you can’t pick your neighbors… but can you survive them?

When Salem Ripley moves into her apartment in New York City, she’s disheartened to find it isn’t exactly like the pictures. Still, with her past, she’s lucky to find a place at all.

Her neighbor across the hall is tall, dark and handsome. After seeing his beautiful girlfriend, Salem can’t help but obsess over the couple and their perfect life.

Then Salem sees her neighbor with another girl. And another. And another. The strangest part? She never sees the women leave.

Salem should ignore it.. After all, it’s really none of her business. But she can’t shake the strange feeling that something is wrong–and that lives are at stake. She has no choice–she has to find out what’s going on in the apartment across the hall…

Fans of Freida McFadden and Daniel Hurst will love this page-turning psychological thriller, filled with twists, turns and an ending so shocking it’ll make you want to read the whole book over again.

Genres: Thriller, Audiobook, Mystery, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2025

Reviews

[desiree(finally back) · Rating 2 out of 5]

The prologue definitely got my attention and kept me hooked, but honestly? The first half felt like I was reading the same chapter over and over. For a book just over 200 pages, there was a surprising amount of repetition, which made it feel longer than it really was.

The story gives us two POVs: the fmc obsessively watching her neighbor through a peephole, and a neighbor who constantly shows up with a new girl, always mysteriously covered in blood, brushing it off as a 'nosebleed.'

The premise was intriguing, but the characters… every single one of them annoyed me in some way, and there wasn’t really anyone to root for. But by the last chapter, I did end up liking at least two of them.

I also wished for more depth in Salem’s backstory. While her complicated relationship with her mom and her connection to Derek are mentioned, they feel underdeveloped—more like side stories. These elements seemed important for understanding her motivations but didn’t get the attention they deserved.

The second half was a letdown, especially with the reveal. The buildup was fine, but the twist fell flat and didn’t surprise me. I see what the author was going for, but it could’ve been executed better.

It’s a quick read that you could finish in one sitting. The slow burn at first keeps you intrigued, even if not much happens. While it wasn’t my favorite, I’d still be open to reading more from this author in the future.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Setting ~ NYC
Publication date ~ January 3, 2025
Est Page Count ~ 230 (p+ 44 chapters)
Audio length ~ 5 hours 45 minutes
Narrators ~ Cady Zuckerman, Rusty Mewha
POV ~ dual 1st, present tense
Featuring ~ apartment building weirdness

Salem has just moved into a new apartment building with the help of her friend, Derrick. Right off the bat the place and residents give off creepy vibes. The neighbors don't seem too friendly and the one next door is especially making her mad with the tv turned up so loud you can't hear anything else.

Our 2nd narrator is Victor and even though he is a looker he gives off alarming vibes. Why does Salem keep seeing him with blood all over his shirt?

I was like ho hum for most of the book, but then there was a nice twist so I'll round up rating. It was pretty fast paced and suspenseful at times. I'd probably give this author a go again.

Narration notes:
They both did perfectly fine.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ X

[Daniela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This girl and her dang crocs.

[Yamuna (Taylor’s Version) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honestly, the story felt completely unrealistic and didn’t work for me!!

[Bobby's Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

DARK and TERRIFYING in this new psychological thriller that comes January 2025! Thank you to Jack Dane for sending me a physical ARC to read and give an honest review. With vibes of Frieda McFadden and Riley Sager, THE APARTMENT ACROSS THE HALL is a mystery to read in 2025! The story follows Salem Ripley moves to a new apartment in New York City, and is skeptical about the place. Her neighbor across the hall is tall, dark, and handsome. He’s hiding a dark secret as Salem see women not leaving his apartment. She tries to ignore it, but can’t. She has no choice to discover the truth of what’s really happening at the apartment across the hall! A fast-paced thriller to read in one-sitting! A must read!

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book in under 24 hours, I was hooked! The vibes were eerie and the suspense was felt from the very beginning. I’d recommend this to anyone who wants a fast paced psychological thriller. I really liked that the twists weren’t something you typically read about. Salem was slightly more intelligent than the typical thriller female main character. I’m not going to say more because I enjoy going into books blind and don’t want to ruin anything for the next person to read The Apartment Across The Hall by Jack Dane. Thank you NetGalley.

[Jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I really enjoyed the first half of the book and was thinking this would be a 4 star. A woman moves into a creepy apartment and signs point to the guy across the hall being a serial killer? Right up my alley. But sadly I did not care for the second half of the book at all or the direction this went. It really went off the rails for me and seemed very unbelievable and the dialogue got so cheesy and cliche.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick and fast-paced read, centered on Salem, who moves into a new apartment in New York City, only to find out that it’s not what she expected. The neighbors seem really weird and Salem cannot help herself from digging in a little more.

The story was definitely creepy and the author did a great job at painting a picture of what Salem was experiencing. While I figured out a couple of the twists there were more that I certainly did not see coming. Salem drove me insane for the first half of the book, as I felt like she made risky decisions that no real person would actually make. By the second half of the book, I grew to appreciate her gumption more. While the story veered into not being all that realistic, I still appreciated the way it all came together. I liked the ending and felt that it worked well with the rest of the story.

Overall, this was a fun and fast-paced read- it took me just a few hours to finish. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like the first 85% of this was really boring and then the last 15% was bananas (but not in a good way lol)

[Sandy Goguen-Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This was a true psychological thriller. From the start, I could not put the book down and finished it the same day. There are so many twists and surprises near the end.

I'm so glad I received this through Book Sirens for a voluntary review.

[Lindsay Douglass · Rating 2 out of 5]

Airport read that I kind of couldn’t wait to end… a bad ripoff of the classic Housemaid plot but at least it was fast. Also, kinda didn’t care if the protagonist was murdered or not, and I think that’s a bad sign.

[Stef · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely horrible. I never write reviews but this was so bad I had to say something. There’s one sick twist in the end. Its just overall baddddddddd

[Susan Belman · Rating 5 out of 5]

When you hear the phrase “Nothing is as it seems” this book should come to mind. What a different concept for a story, it was unique and kept me turning pages late into the night. Loved the short chapters, and the multiple POV. The twist had me gasping, I didn’t see it coming. I had all the feelings while I was reading. Fantastic

[Stacey Reads It All · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fine 3 star book for me. It kept my interest through most of it, although I found the character development to be too flat to elevate the book into 4 star territory. It was a quick, easy read.

[Kathy Brackin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t expect this book to be so good !!! So many unexpected turn 😮 amazing!

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a weird, crazy, twisty terrific book!!! No idea where this was going but yes it surprised me.. loved it.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an early release of this book

[Ashily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rounded down from 3.5☆

Thank you to the author for the advanced copy in return for my honest review.

This book was a quick read with some twists and turns. If you like thrillers with unlikable characters, nosey neighbors, and mysterious happenings, you may like this book!

It is especially nerve wracking if you (like me) live in an apartment building 😬

I would have liked more background on our FMC's past. I think the relationship with her mother would have been helpful to learn more about. But, overall, it was a good thriller to dive into!

[Joy Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of those books that grabs you from the very beginning and keeps you reading until the end. This was my first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more of his work.

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Salem Ripley moves into a new apartment. It’s not a fantastic place, but it’s a place to live. She meets her neighbor across the hall, Victor, in the laundry room. Only… his clothes look like they have blood on them. She sees him with his girlfriend and she can’t help but kind of obsess over them. She’s lonely. Then she sees Victor with another girl and another girl, both at his apartment. She sees them go in, but never sees them come out. Salem can’t rid herself of her curiosity and the feeling that something is terribly wrong. She must find out what’s going on at Victor’s apartment.

This book starts out with the suspense right from the get-go and it doesn’t let up once throughout the entire book. I was reading with baited breath the entire time. I didn’t know what was going on, what was going to happen, or how things were going to end up. There were two major twists in the book that I didn’t see coming at all.

Salem seemed so down and out at the beginning. Very docile, very much like she just let anything happen to her and never took responsibility for the way that her life was turning out. By the end of the book, that Salem was never to be seen again. She was brave and strong. She was taking charge of her life and the direction it was going in.

I don’t want to say TOO much more about this book other than this book is MADE for thriller readers. It’s a quick read, it’s fast paced, you begin reading and it goes straight into the story. You don’t get all the flouncy background that other books give you. It’s straight and to the point. It’s simply a fantastic read.

[Erica G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I needed a quick read that was spooky and this delivered. I would have rated it higher but something just didn’t land with me here. I don’t know if it was the writing or the ample references to paint (flakes, chips, layers etc). But it served its purpose as I just wanted a little break from Fourth Wing.

[Lyndsay McClure · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a quick read with short chapters this is your book. It’s the definition of a psychological thriller 😳 The FMC Salem had me on edge during this whole book with some of her decision making! I was able to guess a couple of the twists and was totally shocked by others. I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more from the author.

[isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been my 7th thriller,I kind of got the jist and I knew where it was going,even though I didn't properly guess up until the chapter before the plot twist,hence the 4 stars. However,I didn't manage to guess Derek's involvement in the story,which surprised me a bit.Overall a very good read.It's just slow-paced in the beginning,but I doubt you won't enjoy it if you get over that aspect. :)

[Carrey 🍓 · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Apartment Across the Hall by Jack Dane was an unexpected delight. I don’t usually have high hopes for thrillers, but this one genuinely surprised me.

The story follows Salem Ripley, a young woman with a troubled past who struggles to find an apartment in New York City. She settles for a less than ideal unit, found by her friend Derek; only to discover her neighbors are anything but friendly. With little to no options, she has no other choice but to stay.

One evening in the building’s laundry room, Salem meets Victor, the man who lives across the hall and catches him washing a blood stained shirt. He insists it’s just from a nosebleed, but Salem becomes convinced he’s a killer and can’t let the suspicion go. Especially with some odd comings and going’s from Victor’s apartment.

I won’t spoil the details, but the mystery is what kept me turning the pages. The characters themselves weren’t especially likable. Salem can be grating (and yes, she mentions her Crocs a lot, a lot!), Derek is kind of a creep, and Victor feels flat; but the suspense more than makes up for it.

The ending twist completely blindsided me, which is exactly what I want from a thriller. It isn’t perfect, but it’s an engaging, twisty read that exceeded my expectations.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️❌/5.

[Nikki McKee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has you on the edge of your seat and soon as you think you have it figured out wayyyy wrong!

[Veronica Adamita · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a one day read - so good and so quick I couldn’t put it down. Wow wow.

[Chidera · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the book. However, as someone who reads a lot of thrillers and mysteries, I felt the storyline was very predictable—it was painfully obvious how things were going to unfold.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as an audiobook it’s very good and the twist is maybe alittle predictable but still other aspects of the book will surprise you. (Prob a 3.5)

[Courtney Gay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Respectfully, this one sucked.

[Natalia Farnham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ummmm what did I just read hehehehhehe. This one is was beyond wild and I’m here for it. Quick read for sure and you will just fly through the pages! Would totally read more from this author.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hade så höga förväntningar på denna...inga införlivades tyvärr. Det tog lång tid innan något verkligen hände, och alla twists var för orealistiska. Rekommenderar ej!