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The Downstairs Neighbour
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 25 years before, 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.
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 25 years before, 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.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
433 people are currently reading
8497 people want to read
About the author
Helen Cooper
3 books310 followersHelen Cooper is from Derby, England, and now lives in Leicester. She has a MA in Creative Writing and a background in teaching English and Academic Writing. Her creative writing has been published in Mslexia and Writers’ Forum; she was shortlisted in the Bath Short Story Prize in 2014, and came third in the Leicester Writes Short Story Prize in 2018. The Downstairs Neighbour is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 788 reviews
June 13, 2021
The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper
Despite being a very busy story, with frequent time and point of view changes, this was a book that had me looking for the next clue on every page. But, finally I just sat back and took in the story because so much is thrown at us that I realized it'd be very hard to figure anything out. There are too many moving parts, too many people, too many timelines (when memories of past events are thrown in). I didn't want my "sleuthing" to interfere with my understanding of the characters, their motivations, and their fears.
Seventeen year old Freya lives in a nice apartment with her perfect (from the outside looking in) parents, Steph and Paul. Living below them is Emma, a small business owner who has had to close up shop and who lives alone...oops, not alone because she lives with her hamster who sleeps during the day and runs on his hamster treadmill at night, keeping Emma awake. Below Emma is driving instructor, Chris, and his nurse wife, Vicky. All these people have secrets, long held secrets that they never plan to reveal. But then Freya goes missing and everyone's life is thrown into chaos and put under a microscope.
There is also the timeline of Kate, twenty five years ago. Kate is living with her mom and extremely worried about her mom's dodgy boyfriend. It's not until far into the book that we learn how all the secrets and Kate's timeline fit together. This story is like years of a soap opera thrown into the span of a week. It's very interesting, twisty, convoluted and maddening. I had great fun reading this story although I wish it could have been a bit more straightforward and not so messy with so many people and their secrets...but then that's what this story is about...secrets, lack of honesty, and how not revealing something can be the same as lying.
Publication: February 16th 2021
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
Despite being a very busy story, with frequent time and point of view changes, this was a book that had me looking for the next clue on every page. But, finally I just sat back and took in the story because so much is thrown at us that I realized it'd be very hard to figure anything out. There are too many moving parts, too many people, too many timelines (when memories of past events are thrown in). I didn't want my "sleuthing" to interfere with my understanding of the characters, their motivations, and their fears.
Seventeen year old Freya lives in a nice apartment with her perfect (from the outside looking in) parents, Steph and Paul. Living below them is Emma, a small business owner who has had to close up shop and who lives alone...oops, not alone because she lives with her hamster who sleeps during the day and runs on his hamster treadmill at night, keeping Emma awake. Below Emma is driving instructor, Chris, and his nurse wife, Vicky. All these people have secrets, long held secrets that they never plan to reveal. But then Freya goes missing and everyone's life is thrown into chaos and put under a microscope.
There is also the timeline of Kate, twenty five years ago. Kate is living with her mom and extremely worried about her mom's dodgy boyfriend. It's not until far into the book that we learn how all the secrets and Kate's timeline fit together. This story is like years of a soap opera thrown into the span of a week. It's very interesting, twisty, convoluted and maddening. I had great fun reading this story although I wish it could have been a bit more straightforward and not so messy with so many people and their secrets...but then that's what this story is about...secrets, lack of honesty, and how not revealing something can be the same as lying.
Publication: February 16th 2021
Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
December 6, 2020
The book synopsis describes this as an apartment building devastated by the disappearance of a teenage girl, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena.
But, I don’t think this book will find it's correct audience with those expectations. Their writing styles are both lighter and more engaging.
The only similarities between this book and those it is being compared to, is that all are stories of suspense, centered around neighborhoods (or apartments in the same building in London).
Your residents in this complex are:
Chris, a driving instructor and his wife Vicky, in the basement flat.
Blue haired Emma, Zeb and a hamster called Gilbert, in the ground floor unit.
And the the seemingly perfect family of Paul, Steph and their daughter Freya- the girl who has gone missing-occupying the top floor.
You will also meet KATE, but her story takes place 25 years earlier, the flashbacks interspersed between the alternating perspectives of Steph, Paul, Emma and Chris in the present day.
Is Freya’s disappearance tied to one of the neighbors?
Or is it tied to the PAST?
And, WHO, is Kate?
The pace of the book is uneven.
The first half had a lot of back story, which slowed things down, and the first reveal that GOT my attention wasn’t till a third of the way through. There are more surprises in the second half, but I would have preferred them more evenly spread out.
Another problem for me is that I NEVER felt the DEVASTATION of Freya being missing despite the fact that I would NOT know her fate until almost the end of the book.
But, the Author DID manage to KEEP ME GUESSING, so kudos to her for that!
This is a debut from an author who shows promise!
3.5 ⭐️ Rounded down
Available Feb. 16, 2021
Thank you to the Publisher for my gifted copy. It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
But, I don’t think this book will find it's correct audience with those expectations. Their writing styles are both lighter and more engaging.
The only similarities between this book and those it is being compared to, is that all are stories of suspense, centered around neighborhoods (or apartments in the same building in London).
Your residents in this complex are:
Chris, a driving instructor and his wife Vicky, in the basement flat.
Blue haired Emma, Zeb and a hamster called Gilbert, in the ground floor unit.
And the the seemingly perfect family of Paul, Steph and their daughter Freya- the girl who has gone missing-occupying the top floor.
You will also meet KATE, but her story takes place 25 years earlier, the flashbacks interspersed between the alternating perspectives of Steph, Paul, Emma and Chris in the present day.
Is Freya’s disappearance tied to one of the neighbors?
Or is it tied to the PAST?
And, WHO, is Kate?
The pace of the book is uneven.
The first half had a lot of back story, which slowed things down, and the first reveal that GOT my attention wasn’t till a third of the way through. There are more surprises in the second half, but I would have preferred them more evenly spread out.
Another problem for me is that I NEVER felt the DEVASTATION of Freya being missing despite the fact that I would NOT know her fate until almost the end of the book.
But, the Author DID manage to KEEP ME GUESSING, so kudos to her for that!
This is a debut from an author who shows promise!
3.5 ⭐️ Rounded down
Available Feb. 16, 2021
Thank you to the Publisher for my gifted copy. It was my pleasure to provide a candid review!
February 4, 2021
Chris Watson, a driving instructor lives with partner Vicky in the basement flat and Emma Brighton on the ground floor and they are the downstairs neighbours of Steph and Paul Harlow who own the house and live on the top two floor with seventeen year old daughter Freya. Freya goes missing and her disappearance appears to be linked to the past ..... The story is told in two timelines, twenty five years ago and in the present day and from several perspectives.
What a cracking debut which clearly indicates a writer with a very bright future. This is a really good mystery thriller which keeps your attention throughout as you try to solve the intriguing puzzle. The different points of view are very interesting and illuminating throwing up so many secrets, lies and cover ups and each of the protagonists have good backstories. It becomes apparent that several characters are wearing masks and carrying burdens that weigh them down which come to the surface with Freya’s disappearance being the catalyst. The characters emotions are well depicted with everything from being bereft and fearful and terrified by what could happen to Freya to unraveling guilt. The plot is very good as is the pace, it’s full of tension and suspense as the mystery deepens. There are plenty of deceptively clever twists and revelations as the consequences of all the secrecy emerge and you have no idea how it’s all going to end.
Overall, a compelling and intriguing read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc for an honest review.
What a cracking debut which clearly indicates a writer with a very bright future. This is a really good mystery thriller which keeps your attention throughout as you try to solve the intriguing puzzle. The different points of view are very interesting and illuminating throwing up so many secrets, lies and cover ups and each of the protagonists have good backstories. It becomes apparent that several characters are wearing masks and carrying burdens that weigh them down which come to the surface with Freya’s disappearance being the catalyst. The characters emotions are well depicted with everything from being bereft and fearful and terrified by what could happen to Freya to unraveling guilt. The plot is very good as is the pace, it’s full of tension and suspense as the mystery deepens. There are plenty of deceptively clever twists and revelations as the consequences of all the secrecy emerge and you have no idea how it’s all going to end.
Overall, a compelling and intriguing read which I thoroughly enjoyed.
With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the arc for an honest review.
July 23, 2022
This book gets 5 stars from me for the many moments in the narrative that point back to the title. I have a linear brain and love to make connections. It made my brain and my heart happy to breeze through this debut thriller and see how appropriate the title is. 'The Night Swim' was like that, too. At the center of this book is a missing seventeen-year-old girl, but for the people around her in her family and building it becomes so much more. This would make a fantastic book group read as there are so many issues that are touched upon throughout. Bullying, marriage, economic hardship, intergenerational relationships, abuse, new beginnings, and parenting are all addressed.
Be sure to check out Helen Cooper's second book, The Other Guest, coming out on July 26, 2022.
Be sure to check out Helen Cooper's second book, The Other Guest, coming out on July 26, 2022.
September 30, 2020
This debut thriller was brimming with surprises that kept me craving the next secret.
It begins with the disappearance of Freya, a high-spirited and feisty teenager. Once in awhile, we get glimpses of the past...mysterious and my favorite part of the book. The long list of flawed characters are so different, yet with similar predicaments. Each carrying long-held secrets that can shatter their lives.
I’ll admit I wasn’t captivated until almost halfway in. Then it became hard to put down. The mother-daughter relationship and unanswered questions at the end of each chapter drove me to read just one more!
When I read that this book was a “debut that will thrill fans of Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena”, I knew I had to read it! It’s exciting to read new authors, for one, and Jewell and Lapena are excellent authors that I adore.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Helen Cooper and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: February 16th 2021 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 304
Recommend: Yes
#HelenCooper @PutnamBooks @weiss_squad
#psychologicalthriller #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #BookReview #Edelweiss
#SecretsKill
After publication, my reviews can be found:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amz...
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/takemeaway21
BN.com, BookBub
”Two missing girls, then and now.
All these years they’d been carrying similar burdens. Guarding their secrets, burying their pasts. It had almost lost them everything.”
It begins with the disappearance of Freya, a high-spirited and feisty teenager. Once in awhile, we get glimpses of the past...mysterious and my favorite part of the book. The long list of flawed characters are so different, yet with similar predicaments. Each carrying long-held secrets that can shatter their lives.
I’ll admit I wasn’t captivated until almost halfway in. Then it became hard to put down. The mother-daughter relationship and unanswered questions at the end of each chapter drove me to read just one more!
When I read that this book was a “debut that will thrill fans of Lisa Jewell and Shari Lapena”, I knew I had to read it! It’s exciting to read new authors, for one, and Jewell and Lapena are excellent authors that I adore.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Helen Cooper and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this free digital ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion!
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: February 16th 2021 by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Pages: 304
Recommend: Yes
#HelenCooper @PutnamBooks @weiss_squad
#psychologicalthriller #NoRulesJustThrills #InExchangeForReview #JustFinished #BookReview #Edelweiss
#SecretsKill
After publication, my reviews can be found:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/amz...
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/takemeaway21
BN.com, BookBub
February 1, 2021
The Downstairs Neighbor is a riveting British mystery, where the real twists and turns come from those involved to thought-provoking effect. It centers around a big house divided into three apartments in London, and let me tell you, not a single person of the seven living there are whom they seem to be!
There's Chris and Vic, who live in the bottom flat. He's a driving instructor, she's a nurse, and it seems like Chris is having massive doubts about their relationship. She seems not to notice or care.
Next is Em and Seb. She's into fashion, and has just had to close her shop. Seb has just left her. Neither of these things seem like mystery fodder but they are. They so are!
Then there's Freya, Paul, and Steph. Paul has a dull but well paying job, Stephanie is beautiful and a high flying* customer rep who works out of Heathrow (*couldn’t help it!) and Freya is their gorgeous teen daughter who, as the novel opens, has disappeared with Chris being the last to see her.
Freya's disappearance is definitely part of the book but a small part, because as The Downstairs Neighbor races along, it turns out that every person in the house has at least one secret, and some of them are quite dark and deep.
There are so many twists here and what I liked is that they all worked! Every reveal felt genuine, not forced, and the layers to them kept coming to the very last scene. And it was fascinating (and so well done) to see how all the revelations conected, how The Downstairs Neighbor is really, at its core, a psychological thriller about hiding parts of yourself. We all do it, but the seven characters here take it to very extreme (and deadly) places.
I also thought The Downstairs Neighbor had a lot to say about the justice system. Though the book is set in England, its criticisms of the legal system are definitely, absolutely applicable to the United States as well, from how poorly and prejudicial police can conduct investigations to arrests and trials and how justice isn't always served well or fairly, right down to a look at how and why "the law" can try to hide wrong they've done.
I thought The Downstairs Neighbor would be a good British thriller and it definitely is but it's also a collection of fascinating character studies and an intense and searing look at the injustices of the justice system and those things end up what makes The Downstairs Neighbor so fresh and surprising. This is definitely smarter and more thought-provoking than your average thriller and is absolutely worth checking out.
There's Chris and Vic, who live in the bottom flat. He's a driving instructor, she's a nurse, and it seems like Chris is having massive doubts about their relationship. She seems not to notice or care.
Next is Em and Seb. She's into fashion, and has just had to close her shop. Seb has just left her. Neither of these things seem like mystery fodder but they are. They so are!
Then there's Freya, Paul, and Steph. Paul has a dull but well paying job, Stephanie is beautiful and a high flying* customer rep who works out of Heathrow (*couldn’t help it!) and Freya is their gorgeous teen daughter who, as the novel opens, has disappeared with Chris being the last to see her.
Freya's disappearance is definitely part of the book but a small part, because as The Downstairs Neighbor races along, it turns out that every person in the house has at least one secret, and some of them are quite dark and deep.
There are so many twists here and what I liked is that they all worked! Every reveal felt genuine, not forced, and the layers to them kept coming to the very last scene. And it was fascinating (and so well done) to see how all the revelations conected, how The Downstairs Neighbor is really, at its core, a psychological thriller about hiding parts of yourself. We all do it, but the seven characters here take it to very extreme (and deadly) places.
I also thought The Downstairs Neighbor had a lot to say about the justice system. Though the book is set in England, its criticisms of the legal system are definitely, absolutely applicable to the United States as well, from how poorly and prejudicial police can conduct investigations to arrests and trials and how justice isn't always served well or fairly, right down to a look at how and why "the law" can try to hide wrong they've done.
I thought The Downstairs Neighbor would be a good British thriller and it definitely is but it's also a collection of fascinating character studies and an intense and searing look at the injustices of the justice system and those things end up what makes The Downstairs Neighbor so fresh and surprising. This is definitely smarter and more thought-provoking than your average thriller and is absolutely worth checking out.
December 12, 2020
“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood...won’t you be my Neighbor?” Fred M.Rogers
This is definitely NOT Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Here we have three couples, three flats, and a multitude of ugly secrets living in the same divided house.
Steph and Paul appear to be that successful couple everyone wants to emulate. Until their teenage daughter goes missing. The other two downstairs neighbors are sucked into the drama with Emma doing some investigation of her own.
With eleven main characters and two timelines, there was a lot to track but still manageable to keep everything straight. The people in this story have varying degrees of sliminess and it’s good that we don’t have to spend a lot of time with any one person.
I loved this book! It wasn’t what I expected. It’s also very taut and there’s no let up - I never felt that the author took her foot off the gas.
It would be simple to say that the story revolves around the disappearance of a teenager. However, it’s dense with observations about relationships with people close to us, what we tell them, and in the end what we tell ourselves.
Thank you to the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss for my advance reader’s copy.
This is definitely NOT Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.
Here we have three couples, three flats, and a multitude of ugly secrets living in the same divided house.
Steph and Paul appear to be that successful couple everyone wants to emulate. Until their teenage daughter goes missing. The other two downstairs neighbors are sucked into the drama with Emma doing some investigation of her own.
With eleven main characters and two timelines, there was a lot to track but still manageable to keep everything straight. The people in this story have varying degrees of sliminess and it’s good that we don’t have to spend a lot of time with any one person.
I loved this book! It wasn’t what I expected. It’s also very taut and there’s no let up - I never felt that the author took her foot off the gas.
It would be simple to say that the story revolves around the disappearance of a teenager. However, it’s dense with observations about relationships with people close to us, what we tell them, and in the end what we tell ourselves.
Thank you to the publisher, the author, and Edelweiss for my advance reader’s copy.
January 29, 2021
In a converted Georgian townhouse in South West London, three families live under one roof. The large flat that takes over the top two floors is home to the Harlow family: Paul, Steph and their teenage daughter Freya. The first floor flat is rented by Emma, she spends most of her time alone. The basement flat belongs to Chris, a local driving instructor, and his partner Vicky. Their lives are all upendedwhen Freya disappears.
Paul and Steph own the townhouse an rent out the basement and first floor flats. Their seventeen year old daughter Freya goes missing.This story is told from multiple points of view and told across two timelines: the present day and twenty five years ago. The neighbours all have their own secrets. The plotline is complex with a fast pace. This is an intriguing thriller which kept my attention throughout. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I'm looking forward to reading more fron the author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HodderStoughton and the author #HelenCooper for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Paul and Steph own the townhouse an rent out the basement and first floor flats. Their seventeen year old daughter Freya goes missing.This story is told from multiple points of view and told across two timelines: the present day and twenty five years ago. The neighbours all have their own secrets. The plotline is complex with a fast pace. This is an intriguing thriller which kept my attention throughout. It's hard to believe that this is a debut novel. I'm looking forward to reading more fron the author in future.
I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HodderStoughton and the author #HelenCooper for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2022
This was trying to juggle too many things at the same time. It was confusing and annoying.
February 22, 2021
3.5 stars
Another twisty, exciting psychological suspense book. I was very invested in finding out what happened to Freya--how did she disappear into thin air, and what secrets are everyone in her life hiding? The book is told from multiple points-of-view, many of them residents of a house that has been divided into three flats, one is a girl from twenty-five years in the past.
I loved the story for the most part, but it took a little bit too long for the author to tie the events of the past to the present. Even with that, it honestly would have been a four star book, but the ending for me was just too unbelievable, it made me roll my eyes a little. Overall though, it's a fun read with some pretty awful characters and some that you might think are awful but turn out to be decent.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Another twisty, exciting psychological suspense book. I was very invested in finding out what happened to Freya--how did she disappear into thin air, and what secrets are everyone in her life hiding? The book is told from multiple points-of-view, many of them residents of a house that has been divided into three flats, one is a girl from twenty-five years in the past.
I loved the story for the most part, but it took a little bit too long for the author to tie the events of the past to the present. Even with that, it honestly would have been a four star book, but the ending for me was just too unbelievable, it made me roll my eyes a little. Overall though, it's a fun read with some pretty awful characters and some that you might think are awful but turn out to be decent.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
November 2, 2021
"But just when I've gathered every scrap of courage from every corner of myself, I'll discover something that changes my whole perspective. I'll discover I'm pregnant. My life will become about that baby instead."
Add a multi-layered mystery with twists and turns you won't see coming, many shady characters who lie and are terrible at communication, and you have The Downstairs Neighbor. This was a decent read. However, I thought the ending a little too neat and happy considering years and years of lies and secrets.
Add a multi-layered mystery with twists and turns you won't see coming, many shady characters who lie and are terrible at communication, and you have The Downstairs Neighbor. This was a decent read. However, I thought the ending a little too neat and happy considering years and years of lies and secrets.
February 26, 2021
Extremely slow and boring. The end reveal was not worth trudging through the pages.
January 31, 2021
Wow! If this is Helen Cooper's debut novel, I'm eager to see what she comes up with next. This is definitely a debut that does not read like one. Polished, well-plotted, and with believable characters, it presents as the work of a much more seasoned novelist.
Teeming with secrets, the inhabitants of this house in Kingston-Upon-Thames, have made many mistakes. Not malicious, but mistakes born from misunderstandings, guilt, and misguided, life-altering decisions.
With themes of deception, family secrets, sacrifice, and making disastrous choices, this novel is ingeniously plotted and alarmingly realistic.
Highly, highly, recommended to those readers who enjoy intelligently plotted domestic thrillers.
Teeming with secrets, the inhabitants of this house in Kingston-Upon-Thames, have made many mistakes. Not malicious, but mistakes born from misunderstandings, guilt, and misguided, life-altering decisions.
With themes of deception, family secrets, sacrifice, and making disastrous choices, this novel is ingeniously plotted and alarmingly realistic.
Highly, highly, recommended to those readers who enjoy intelligently plotted domestic thrillers.
April 1, 2021
3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.
Took me a bit to get through this, but it ended up being better than I thought. Everyone in this story has some very interesting secrets, and it turned out to be pretty good!
Took me a bit to get through this, but it ended up being better than I thought. Everyone in this story has some very interesting secrets, and it turned out to be pretty good!
March 11, 2021
Everything about this story was terrible.
The author gave us 4 different POVs: Chris, Paul, Emma and Steph and then we get a 5th POV from the past. Within these POVs, we are inundated with many miscellaneous details. Confused? I had to work extra hard to finish this disaster.
Freya is missing and to solve her whereabouts, the author slowly introduces "secrets" from each character.
•Paul was once a secret police agent. Ok, sure. We get introduced to shady ex coworkers, a past love interest and an old man fighting scene. All completely useless storyline.
•Emma aka “I’m all about my hamster” was bullied in high school and she assumes she is still being bullied as an adult? Another useless storyline.
•Chris was worried about his reputation as a student driver instructor? Eh? He was a secret klepto, who allowed a teenage girl to blackmail him? This is an adult man right? How could this possibly make sense?
•Steph, the worse character. I didn’t get a sense she had any empathy for her ruining her cousins life. I feel like Steph should have known exactly where Freya was located. Did we really need 300+ pages to convey this pointless storyline?
To end a book by simply unlocking a door is absurd. But perhaps the most frustrating point is.......... you know who is at fault, it’s not a spoiler, its literally the title of the book. There is nothing good I can say about this story. Nothing. Hard pass.
The author gave us 4 different POVs: Chris, Paul, Emma and Steph and then we get a 5th POV from the past. Within these POVs, we are inundated with many miscellaneous details. Confused? I had to work extra hard to finish this disaster.
Freya is missing and to solve her whereabouts, the author slowly introduces "secrets" from each character.
•Paul was once a secret police agent. Ok, sure. We get introduced to shady ex coworkers, a past love interest and an old man fighting scene. All completely useless storyline.
•Emma aka “I’m all about my hamster” was bullied in high school and she assumes she is still being bullied as an adult? Another useless storyline.
•Chris was worried about his reputation as a student driver instructor? Eh? He was a secret klepto, who allowed a teenage girl to blackmail him? This is an adult man right? How could this possibly make sense?
•Steph, the worse character. I didn’t get a sense she had any empathy for her ruining her cousins life. I feel like Steph should have known exactly where Freya was located. Did we really need 300+ pages to convey this pointless storyline?
To end a book by simply unlocking a door is absurd. But perhaps the most frustrating point is.......... you know who is at fault, it’s not a spoiler, its literally the title of the book. There is nothing good I can say about this story. Nothing. Hard pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2021
What a brilliant psychological suspense debut! The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper was full of drama and mystery, and it also ended up being quite twisty. There are a lot of moving parts to this story as well as many characters and a few different timelines, but I loved the way Cooper weaved them all together. I had absolutely no idea how it would end, and I was very surprised with how it did. I didn't try to sleuth during the reading of this one, and I think it would be hard to do with how complex the plot is. I don't know how Cooper did it, but she did, and it turned out great! I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by Jasmine Blackborow and I really enjoyed it. I think it would have been nice to have more than one narrator because of all the POV changes, but she still did an excellent job all by her lonesome. This is a bit of a slow burn so doing the audiobook was a great way to go and I highly recommend it.
The Downstairs Neighbor is full of people with secrets, and I really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them. The characters all have many layers and I thought they were really well developed and realistic. The twists weren't overdone either, and I really liked that about this one even though I am also a fan of the crazy and unrealistic. I loved the fact that the house the families live in was a character in and of itself, and I'm such a huge fan of when author's do this. There is suspense in this novel, but it is also a bit of a character study and seemed very character-driven to me. This is another reason I was happy I did the audiobook, but either way you do it will be good! A very nice debut from Cooper and I can't wait to see what she writes next!
The Downstairs Neighbor is full of people with secrets, and I really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of them. The characters all have many layers and I thought they were really well developed and realistic. The twists weren't overdone either, and I really liked that about this one even though I am also a fan of the crazy and unrealistic. I loved the fact that the house the families live in was a character in and of itself, and I'm such a huge fan of when author's do this. There is suspense in this novel, but it is also a bit of a character study and seemed very character-driven to me. This is another reason I was happy I did the audiobook, but either way you do it will be good! A very nice debut from Cooper and I can't wait to see what she writes next!
June 3, 2021
Man oh, man! If I ever move into a house divided into apartments, I want it to be this one! I never thought that one building could hold so many secrets, but clearly, Ms. Cooper did!
I have to say that I didn't see the ending coming until it got there! Well written, twisty, uniquely considered, mesmerizing, and spellbinding! I can't think of any more adjectives to praise this with. Trust me to say, that should your neighbor's child show up missing, you should probably get thee to a police station and come clean with all of your secrets OR leave town! Especially if Ms. Cooper is your author!
It was a 5 star read for me, mainly because it read like balls to the wall... dead run and never a lag in the action. My complaint was that there were too many characters and timelines... not surprisingly, everyone was a fairly crapy person, none were really likable and all had something to hide. About the time I was settled on one or 4, more showed up in the mix. What I liked was that you had to pay close attention to hold on to your sanity. (11 characters, and 2 timelines)
This one is blowing and going start to finish!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
I have to say that I didn't see the ending coming until it got there! Well written, twisty, uniquely considered, mesmerizing, and spellbinding! I can't think of any more adjectives to praise this with. Trust me to say, that should your neighbor's child show up missing, you should probably get thee to a police station and come clean with all of your secrets OR leave town! Especially if Ms. Cooper is your author!
It was a 5 star read for me, mainly because it read like balls to the wall... dead run and never a lag in the action. My complaint was that there were too many characters and timelines... not surprisingly, everyone was a fairly crapy person, none were really likable and all had something to hide. About the time I was settled on one or 4, more showed up in the mix. What I liked was that you had to pay close attention to hold on to your sanity. (11 characters, and 2 timelines)
This one is blowing and going start to finish!
5 stars
Happy Reading!
May 28, 2021
This was one that started out slow and mid way it picked up and was fast paced until the end. I did enjoy it.
March 17, 2021
(3.5 stars). I really enjoyed this book, at first...
I started off not wanting to put this book down, it seemed to be everything that I was looking for in a suspense novel. There were several characters to get to know, and each character had quite a past. Then came the conclusion of the book, and I am left totally underwhelmed. I did not care for the ending, and I came to seriously dislike one of the characters, named Steph.
To sum it up: good read, disappointing ending.
I started off not wanting to put this book down, it seemed to be everything that I was looking for in a suspense novel. There were several characters to get to know, and each character had quite a past. Then came the conclusion of the book, and I am left totally underwhelmed. I did not care for the ending, and I came to seriously dislike one of the characters, named Steph.
To sum it up: good read, disappointing ending.
October 27, 2020
I am a sucker for an eavesdropping premise, and Helen Cooper’s The Downstairs Neighbor doesn’t disappoint. Cooper starts with a bang, with a missing girl and a big house filled with suspects, then holds the suspense high with characters that will keep the reader guessing—and guessing wrong. A gradual unearthing of long-held secrets wrapped in a smoothly plotted page-turner.
May 16, 2021
A Georgian townhouse in London is the setting for this engaging thriller. Steph and Paul Harlow and their daughter Freya live on the top two floors. The first floor is home to Emma. Chris and Vicky live in the basement. When 17 year old Freya goes missing, everyone who lives in the house is questioned. Each one has secrets that are slowly revealed. The story shifts to 25 years ago and the life of Kate and her single mother. When she becomes terrified that her mother’s boyfriend might be dangerous, she enlists the aid of her cousin.
There is a lot to keep track of and it takes a while for all the pieces to fall into place. The multiple points of view shift by chapter and tell each person’s story including the bad choices made in their lives. Everyone turns out to be much more complex than how they originally appear. And what does the story of Kate have to do with the present-day search for Freya? I found The Downstairs Neighbor, which does have some elements that strain credulity, worth the ride. It’s an impressive debut by author Helen Cooper that will keep you guessing.
Rated 3.75 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
There is a lot to keep track of and it takes a while for all the pieces to fall into place. The multiple points of view shift by chapter and tell each person’s story including the bad choices made in their lives. Everyone turns out to be much more complex than how they originally appear. And what does the story of Kate have to do with the present-day search for Freya? I found The Downstairs Neighbor, which does have some elements that strain credulity, worth the ride. It’s an impressive debut by author Helen Cooper that will keep you guessing.
Rated 3.75 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
February 7, 2021
Thank you so much to Putnam and Helen Cooper for the fantastic ARC of The Downstairs Neighbor. This book was so full of secrets and twists that I couldn’t keep up! It was about an apartment building and three of the families who lived there. The upstairs family, Steph, Paul, and Freya, who are hiding something and each have their own secrets. The ground floor family, Emma and Zeb who are going through lots of personal struggles. The basement family, Vicky and Chris who are not all that they seem. When Freya goes missing, it seems like everyone has a reason to worry and wonder if it was because of them?
Thoughts: I loved all the twisted storylines in this book! There were so many changes in point of view and timeline that you had to pay attention if you wanted to guess what was going on. Each person was complex and interesting, and each chapter was just as informative as the last. I didn’t necessarily connect with the story, but it was a lighter read that was enjoyable.
I liked that the twists made sense and weren’t reaching too much. It was fun to see how everyone was connected and even though it was predictable, it was a fun read. There were some slower parts, but it speeds up after the halfway point and keeps the pace until the end. At points I wanted to yell at them to just talk to each other, but they never did! It was a fun, lighter thriller- 3.5 stars.
Thoughts: I loved all the twisted storylines in this book! There were so many changes in point of view and timeline that you had to pay attention if you wanted to guess what was going on. Each person was complex and interesting, and each chapter was just as informative as the last. I didn’t necessarily connect with the story, but it was a lighter read that was enjoyable.
I liked that the twists made sense and weren’t reaching too much. It was fun to see how everyone was connected and even though it was predictable, it was a fun read. There were some slower parts, but it speeds up after the halfway point and keeps the pace until the end. At points I wanted to yell at them to just talk to each other, but they never did! It was a fun, lighter thriller- 3.5 stars.
December 10, 2021
DNF - I couldn’t get in to it and stay connected.
November 10, 2020
The unrelenting tension of this well-crafted debut kept me whizzing through the book, eager to discover exactly what had happened to Freya and whether the intriguing neighbours had anything to do with it. Loved the tension, the secrets and the satisfying, unexpected conclusion. Recommended!
June 28, 2021
Plot inconsistencies or unbelievable story lines don't bother me if the characters are really interesting, the writing is really good, or the mystery is compelling. This was pretty meh on all of those. Probably would have given it 1 star but I totally love British domestic thrillers. I hate when people point things out like this in reviews, but there were just too many in this one, I'm just listing things that stuck out that may or may not have read right. Paul told his DAD (mom?) he was an undercover cop but not his wife? Emma sold her shop because... She yelled at her kid one day outside? Paul got paid for 3 YEARS to fuck around with some people who lost a little girl but the police couldn't be bothered to track down Steph's murderer cousin who left parole? Why the heck didn't they check Chris's car FOR BLOOD? Then there was a confusing gaslighty firing from his job that he apparently wasn't very good at anyway? I couldn't really understand how all that played out and why that plot was even in the story. The reader didn't know enough to care why these people from Paul's past are maybe taking his daughter plus they clearly aren't part of the Kate story line. The cousin was so angry but she couldn't forgive and feel good about taking one for her family OR just tattle? And the twist about extra pills... I knew that was coming but was really hoping the cousins would have gotten off the hook somehow. Like the mom really was being abused and had the same idea. Just a bummer of a story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 2, 2021
MINI REVIEW:
Helen Cooper's The Downstairs Neighbor is a light mystery/family drama that takes place in both present and past point of views, along three different family tenants in a residential building. When a daughter of the top floor tenants disappears, the pasts of all the residents starts to slowly unfold. Who is hiding the biggest secrets and does it involve the disappearance of a teenage girl?
I really enjoyed the straightforward approach that the author provided in this story (there's not really any irrelevant twists and turns), but ultimately I found that the story was predictable and slow at times. That being said, I would definitely read more by the author. Definitely not a bad read by any means.
Helen Cooper's The Downstairs Neighbor is a light mystery/family drama that takes place in both present and past point of views, along three different family tenants in a residential building. When a daughter of the top floor tenants disappears, the pasts of all the residents starts to slowly unfold. Who is hiding the biggest secrets and does it involve the disappearance of a teenage girl?
I really enjoyed the straightforward approach that the author provided in this story (there's not really any irrelevant twists and turns), but ultimately I found that the story was predictable and slow at times. That being said, I would definitely read more by the author. Definitely not a bad read by any means.
December 14, 2023
I am rethinking this rating (originally 2.5 stars) after contemplating the story overnight. Amazing that so many characters with so many secrets could all be so closely entangled. A circuitous, messy plot, somehow straightened out by the end, but more than hard to believe. However, the resolution leaves us with three people, a husband who destroyed the lives of two other people, a wife who has acted unconscionably, destroying another person's life by her failure to admit to her crime, and a daughter, ostensibly a "nice" teenager, who is already blackmailing and coercing others. This "happy ending" reunites them (amazingly, see above) and proclaims that their new honesty will allow them to be a happy family. Disturbing on so many levels.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2021
This book has more twists and turns than Lombard Street. There is so much clever misdirection and interesting, complex characters that makes you question and second guess what's going on every step of the way.
I very much enjoyed this book and recommend for fans of thrillers.
I very much enjoyed this book and recommend for fans of thrillers.
September 10, 2021
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.
My Thoughts: From the opening narrative, The Downstairs Neighbor revealed the residents of an old house turned into apartments, and there is a spooky presence there from the beginning.
Emma’s voice is first heard, as she describes eavesdropping on the upstairs neighbors. We gradually learn more about her with each of her alternating narratives.
There is Chris, who teaches driving to high schoolers; then there are Steph and Paul, whose daughter Freya goes missing.
Finally, we are swept back in time twenty-five years to Kate and her mother, their secrets slowly brought to light. What, if anything, connects the past with the present?
Who has taken Freya? Or has she simply run away? As the search continues, we learn more about them all. By the end, we clearly see what has happened…and we realize the truth. But will it be too late? A five star read.
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.
My Thoughts: From the opening narrative, The Downstairs Neighbor revealed the residents of an old house turned into apartments, and there is a spooky presence there from the beginning.
Emma’s voice is first heard, as she describes eavesdropping on the upstairs neighbors. We gradually learn more about her with each of her alternating narratives.
There is Chris, who teaches driving to high schoolers; then there are Steph and Paul, whose daughter Freya goes missing.
Finally, we are swept back in time twenty-five years to Kate and her mother, their secrets slowly brought to light. What, if anything, connects the past with the present?
Who has taken Freya? Or has she simply run away? As the search continues, we learn more about them all. By the end, we clearly see what has happened…and we realize the truth. But will it be too late? A five star read.
February 16, 2021
How well can anyone ever know their neighbours?
“The Downstairs Neighbour” is the debut novel from Helen Cooper and what a fantastic first outing it is. The story is narrated from the perspective of four main characters. Each one tells an intriguing and interesting story and how they all fit into each other’s lives in the three story building they reside in.
- Steph and Paul Harlow live on the top floor. Their seventeen year old daughter Freya hasn’t come home after school. Steph worries something in her past is the reason for her going missing and Paul delves back into his previous career, believing he too is the cause for his daughter’s disappearance.
- Chris Watson lives with his wife Vicky in the basement flat. He’s a driving instructor who is currently teaching Freya to drive. Could he be hiding things from Vicky and why is he suspected of being involved?
- Emma lives on the ground floor and after Zeb has moved out, is feeling lonely and in despair. She often hears the Harlow’s talking from upstairs and realises things are amiss but is it possible she too, could hold the key to Freya’s disappearance?
- We also have intermittent chapters from twenty five years ago, told by a young girl called Kate, who has concerns about her mother’s boyfriend.
Emma was my favourite character, although I enjoyed reading about them all, especially Kate’s story, which was a particularly intriguing domestic plot line. I really did love this book and for a debut author to capture the attention of a reader with a tight plot and engaging narrative is no mean feat. Helen has surpassed all the goals for a successful novel and in my opinion writes with the confidence and flare of a mainstream big name author. Exceedingly clever in how the story seamlessly ties together and with a tense denouement accompanying twists and turns, this story really does grab your curiosity.
How well can we really trust those closest to us? “The Downstairs Neighbour” is a story of families guarding secrets and burying their pasts, believing their lives to be untouchable. This book is a real winner and I’d happily recommend this author and her entertaining book and I’ll certainly be following her again in the future.
5 stars
“The Downstairs Neighbour” is the debut novel from Helen Cooper and what a fantastic first outing it is. The story is narrated from the perspective of four main characters. Each one tells an intriguing and interesting story and how they all fit into each other’s lives in the three story building they reside in.
- Steph and Paul Harlow live on the top floor. Their seventeen year old daughter Freya hasn’t come home after school. Steph worries something in her past is the reason for her going missing and Paul delves back into his previous career, believing he too is the cause for his daughter’s disappearance.
- Chris Watson lives with his wife Vicky in the basement flat. He’s a driving instructor who is currently teaching Freya to drive. Could he be hiding things from Vicky and why is he suspected of being involved?
- Emma lives on the ground floor and after Zeb has moved out, is feeling lonely and in despair. She often hears the Harlow’s talking from upstairs and realises things are amiss but is it possible she too, could hold the key to Freya’s disappearance?
- We also have intermittent chapters from twenty five years ago, told by a young girl called Kate, who has concerns about her mother’s boyfriend.
Emma was my favourite character, although I enjoyed reading about them all, especially Kate’s story, which was a particularly intriguing domestic plot line. I really did love this book and for a debut author to capture the attention of a reader with a tight plot and engaging narrative is no mean feat. Helen has surpassed all the goals for a successful novel and in my opinion writes with the confidence and flare of a mainstream big name author. Exceedingly clever in how the story seamlessly ties together and with a tense denouement accompanying twists and turns, this story really does grab your curiosity.
How well can we really trust those closest to us? “The Downstairs Neighbour” is a story of families guarding secrets and burying their pasts, believing their lives to be untouchable. This book is a real winner and I’d happily recommend this author and her entertaining book and I’ll certainly be following her again in the future.
5 stars
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