A Noise Downstairs
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4.2 • 96 Ratings
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
The internationally bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye
returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and chills of Stephen King and Edgar Allan Poe with the driving suspense of Dennis Lehane and Harlan Coben, in which a man hears sounds that quite possibly emanate from the dead.
Paul Davis is hearing some very strange noises in the night. He hears the clickety-click of a manual typewriter--as if someone is vigorously tapping the keys. The eerie sounds began soon after his wife, Charlotte, bought him a classic antique Underwood. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn't hear anything unusual.
Is Paul losing his mind? Maybe. Or is something really there? Eight months ago, he stumbled upon Connecticut's infamous "Apology Killer"--a psychopath who forced his victims to typewrite personal apologies to him before he cut their throats--disposing of two mutilated bodies on Milford's Post Road. Most shocking of all, the killer was his colleague, someone he thought he knew. Paul's been seeing a therapist for months to recover from the nearly fatal encounter, but his nerves and short-term memory have suffered since the traumatic event.
There's only one way to learn if the noises are real or a figment of his hyper-imagination. One night, Paul rolls a sheet of paper into the machine. The next morning, when he checks the page, there is a chilling message:
"We typed our apologies like he asked but he killed us anyway."
As he desperately searches to find a rational explanation for the note and the noises, Paul slowly begins to consider the unthinkable: The message is authentic, and the women butchered by his colleague are reaching out to him from beyond the grave.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Ontario-based author Linwood Barclay is a master of suspense. A Noise Downstairs starts with a shivery premise: University professor Paul Davis suffers from PTSD after witnessing a murderer dumping his victims' bodies. After his wife, Charlotte, buys him a vintage typewriter to help process his feelings, Paul—and Paul alone—hears it clattering away at night. Mixing Stephen King–like psychological horror with a twisty mystery worthy of Gillian Flynn, Barclay weaves together disparate plotlines and sets up a startling climax. We wanted to re-read this surprising novel as soon as we put it down.
Customer Reviews
It’s great!
I thoroughly enjoyed it- it moved along at a good pace and wasn’t too predictable
Innocent entertainment
Easy to read, easy to follow, decent twist.
A Noise Downstairs
Great read. Love all the twists and turns of the plot. Thanks Linwood for entertaining me.