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A Noise Downstairs
The New York Times bestselling author of No Time for Goodbye returns with a haunting psychological thriller that blends the twists and turns of Gillian Flynn with the driving suspense of Harlan Coben, in which a man is troubled by odd sounds for which there is no rational explanation.
College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.
However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.
Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.
But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . . .
College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys—to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write.
However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it’s possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn’t hear a thing. And she worries he’s going off the rails.
Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer—could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself.
But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . . .
357 pages, Hardcover
First published July 12, 2018
About the author
Linwood Barclay
87 books6,654 followersLinwood Barclay is the #1 internationally bestselling author of seventeen novels for adults, including No Time for Goodbye, Trust Your Eyes and, most recently, A Noise Downstairs. He has also written two novels for children and screenplays.
Three of those seventeen novels comprise the epic Promise Falls trilogy: Broken Promise, Far From True, and The Twenty-Three. His two novels for children – Chase and Escape – star a computer-enhanced dog named Chipper who’s on the run from the evil organization that turned him into a super-pup.
Barclay’s 2011 thriller, The Accident, has been turned into the six-part television series L’Accident in France, and he adapted his novel Never Saw it Coming for the movie, directed by Gail Harvey and starring Eric Roberts and Emily Hampshire. Several of his other books either have been, or still are, in development for TV and film.
After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
In 2004, he launched his mystery series about an anxiety-ridden, know-it-all, pain-in-the-butt father by the name of Zack Walker. Bad Move, the first book, was followed by three more Zack Walker thrillers: Bad Guys, Lone Wolf, and Stone Rain. (The last two were published in the UK under the titles Bad Luck and Bad News.)
His first standalone thriller, No Time for Goodbye, was published in 2007 to critical acclaim and great international success. The following year, it was a Richard and Judy Summer Read selection in the UK, and did seven straight weeks at #1 on the UK bestseller list, and finished 2008 as the top selling novel of the year there. The book has since been sold around the world and been translated into nearly thirty languages.
Barclay was born in the United States but moved to Canada just before turning four years old when his father, a commercial artist whose illustrations of cars appeared in Life, Look and Saturday Evening Post (before photography took over), accepted a position with an advertising agency north of the border. Barclay, who graduated with an English literature degree from Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, was fortunate to have some very fine mentors; in particular, the celebrated Canadian author Margaret Laurence, whom Linwood first met when she served as writer-in-residence at Trent, and Kenneth Millar, who, under the name Ross Macdonald, wrote the acclaimed series of mystery novels featuring detective Lew Archer. It was at Trent that he met Neetha, the woman who would become his wife. They have two grown children, Spencer and Paige.
Three of those seventeen novels comprise the epic Promise Falls trilogy: Broken Promise, Far From True, and The Twenty-Three. His two novels for children – Chase and Escape – star a computer-enhanced dog named Chipper who’s on the run from the evil organization that turned him into a super-pup.
Barclay’s 2011 thriller, The Accident, has been turned into the six-part television series L’Accident in France, and he adapted his novel Never Saw it Coming for the movie, directed by Gail Harvey and starring Eric Roberts and Emily Hampshire. Several of his other books either have been, or still are, in development for TV and film.
After spending his formative years helping run a cottage resort and trailer park after his father died when he was 16, Barclay got his first newspaper job at the Peterborough Examiner, a small Ontario daily. In 1981, he joined the Toronto Star, Canada’s largest circulation newspaper.
He held such positions as assistant city editor, chief copy editor, news editor, and Life section editor, before becoming the paper’s humour columnist in 1993. He was one of the paper’s most popular columnists before retiring from the position in 2008 to work exclusively on books.
In 2004, he launched his mystery series about an anxiety-ridden, know-it-all, pain-in-the-butt father by the name of Zack Walker. Bad Move, the first book, was followed by three more Zack Walker thrillers: Bad Guys, Lone Wolf, and Stone Rain. (The last two were published in the UK under the titles Bad Luck and Bad News.)
His first standalone thriller, No Time for Goodbye, was published in 2007 to critical acclaim and great international success. The following year, it was a Richard and Judy Summer Read selection in the UK, and did seven straight weeks at #1 on the UK bestseller list, and finished 2008 as the top selling novel of the year there. The book has since been sold around the world and been translated into nearly thirty languages.
Barclay was born in the United States but moved to Canada just before turning four years old when his father, a commercial artist whose illustrations of cars appeared in Life, Look and Saturday Evening Post (before photography took over), accepted a position with an advertising agency north of the border. Barclay, who graduated with an English literature degree from Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, was fortunate to have some very fine mentors; in particular, the celebrated Canadian author Margaret Laurence, whom Linwood first met when she served as writer-in-residence at Trent, and Kenneth Millar, who, under the name Ross Macdonald, wrote the acclaimed series of mystery novels featuring detective Lew Archer. It was at Trent that he met Neetha, the woman who would become his wife. They have two grown children, Spencer and Paige.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,274 reviews
September 26, 2022
4.5 STARS
Here it is guys... drum roll please... I present your summer 2018 popcorn thriller-A Noise Downstairs! Seriously folks, this one is a must for your TBR if you are looking for a fast-paced story that is easily read in any setting and impossible to put down. I've been a fan of Linwood Barclay's writing for almost a decade now and find I have a Barclay shaped hole that only his books can fill each year. If you're new to his work, then know his writing style is very similar to Harlan Coben's, meaning there are usually many plot lines that start out removed from each other but are slowly brought together toward the end for the big reveal. This is a standalone, and is set away from the area most of his other books take place in, so it felt set apart in more ways than just not taking place in a series. I feel it was the perfect timing for the author to do so, as he's gone through a bit of a rebranding in the past year and clearly means to do so with a clean slate.
While it was wholly compulsive and difficult to put down, A Noise Downstairs doesn't become an action driven plot for the first 30-40% of the novel; we take our time in a slow burning suspense while becoming acquainted with the characters, which is a style of writing I'm quite partial to. Ok, except for that first section, which perfectly hooked my attention. You get a lot of the set up from the synopsis, but initially we find our main narrator Paul caught in an unexpected exchange with co-worker Kenneth. Unfortunately, Paul has decided to follow Ken to inform him that he has a tail light out, things escalate, and Ken attempts to murder Paul. We are then thrust forward 8 months after the incident, where Ken is in prison, Paul is spending time recovering with the help of his therapist Anna and his second wife Charlotte, and things are tense. Paul thinks it will be cathartic to write about his experiences in hopes of working through his PTSD, so Charlotte surprises him with an old Underwood typewriter she found at a yard sale. The thing is, Paul starts hearing the typewriter in the middle of the night, and what unfolds is a tale of "Is he delusional or is someone out to get him?" in the most suspenseful format.
Ok, about the story itself. The plot is told mostly through three points of view: Paul's, Anna's (the psychiatrist), and Charlotte's (Paul's current wife). Also sprinkled throughout the story we learn about Paul's ex-wife, her new husband, Paul's son, Anna's father, and Kenneth and his family. Everything pretty much branches off from these particular head points, and there are side plots galore. Maybe a few people will find it unnecessarily confusing, but I thought it was tastefully done and added to the intrigue. Which side plots would turn out to be connected to the main? Which were red herrings? Which were unrelated but still vital to the story's characterization? This was all present and kept me, a seasoned mystery fanatic, busy, preoccupied, and flustered in the best way possible.
Here's what I loved most about this book- I thought I had it all figured out, and I was both right and wrong. I LOVE IT WHEN THIS HAPPENS! Let me explain (minus the spoilers). If you are an expert detective while reading novels of suspense, or if you've even simply read a few, you'll probably think you know where this is going. And you'd be right, EXCEPT... Here's the thing, I had the who, the why, and some of the how figured out. There are only so many options to what's going on with the dang typewriter, so naturally many readers will come to that conclusion on their own. What I loved was that the author gives us all this, and it's a red herring in and of itself. I won't tell you exactly when this happens, because I don't want you to be expecting it, but it's not at the very end. And then come the waves of reveals my friends... WAVES! How exciting is it to keep receiving twists, both big and small, time after time until the last page is turned? The first twist that I hadn't personally figured out knocked me completely off balance when it happened. It's been awhile since I've read a book where the author chose to use this particular plot element and it was beautifully done. If you want to know more than that sloppy paragraph above, you'll just have to pick up the book for yourself.
I hope I've done a halfway decent job of convincing you to pick up A Noise Downstairs this summer; most of you know it's rare for me to read/review a book so far ahead of publication date, but I did this on a whim and I'm so glad that I did. If you like to compile your seasonal TBRs ahead of time like I do, you'll certainly want to add this to your list. Also, it has a fancy new cover that is not featured in my Instagram photo, so there's that too. Highly recommended for a lightning fast read. I can't wait to hear everyone else's thoughts because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK Y'ALL!
*Review copy furnished by the publisher.
Here it is guys... drum roll please... I present your summer 2018 popcorn thriller-A Noise Downstairs! Seriously folks, this one is a must for your TBR if you are looking for a fast-paced story that is easily read in any setting and impossible to put down. I've been a fan of Linwood Barclay's writing for almost a decade now and find I have a Barclay shaped hole that only his books can fill each year. If you're new to his work, then know his writing style is very similar to Harlan Coben's, meaning there are usually many plot lines that start out removed from each other but are slowly brought together toward the end for the big reveal. This is a standalone, and is set away from the area most of his other books take place in, so it felt set apart in more ways than just not taking place in a series. I feel it was the perfect timing for the author to do so, as he's gone through a bit of a rebranding in the past year and clearly means to do so with a clean slate.
While it was wholly compulsive and difficult to put down, A Noise Downstairs doesn't become an action driven plot for the first 30-40% of the novel; we take our time in a slow burning suspense while becoming acquainted with the characters, which is a style of writing I'm quite partial to. Ok, except for that first section, which perfectly hooked my attention. You get a lot of the set up from the synopsis, but initially we find our main narrator Paul caught in an unexpected exchange with co-worker Kenneth. Unfortunately, Paul has decided to follow Ken to inform him that he has a tail light out, things escalate, and Ken attempts to murder Paul. We are then thrust forward 8 months after the incident, where Ken is in prison, Paul is spending time recovering with the help of his therapist Anna and his second wife Charlotte, and things are tense. Paul thinks it will be cathartic to write about his experiences in hopes of working through his PTSD, so Charlotte surprises him with an old Underwood typewriter she found at a yard sale. The thing is, Paul starts hearing the typewriter in the middle of the night, and what unfolds is a tale of "Is he delusional or is someone out to get him?" in the most suspenseful format.
Ok, about the story itself. The plot is told mostly through three points of view: Paul's, Anna's (the psychiatrist), and Charlotte's (Paul's current wife). Also sprinkled throughout the story we learn about Paul's ex-wife, her new husband, Paul's son, Anna's father, and Kenneth and his family. Everything pretty much branches off from these particular head points, and there are side plots galore. Maybe a few people will find it unnecessarily confusing, but I thought it was tastefully done and added to the intrigue. Which side plots would turn out to be connected to the main? Which were red herrings? Which were unrelated but still vital to the story's characterization? This was all present and kept me, a seasoned mystery fanatic, busy, preoccupied, and flustered in the best way possible.
Here's what I loved most about this book- I thought I had it all figured out, and I was both right and wrong. I LOVE IT WHEN THIS HAPPENS! Let me explain (minus the spoilers). If you are an expert detective while reading novels of suspense, or if you've even simply read a few, you'll probably think you know where this is going. And you'd be right, EXCEPT... Here's the thing, I had the who, the why, and some of the how figured out. There are only so many options to what's going on with the dang typewriter, so naturally many readers will come to that conclusion on their own. What I loved was that the author gives us all this, and it's a red herring in and of itself. I won't tell you exactly when this happens, because I don't want you to be expecting it, but it's not at the very end. And then come the waves of reveals my friends... WAVES! How exciting is it to keep receiving twists, both big and small, time after time until the last page is turned? The first twist that I hadn't personally figured out knocked me completely off balance when it happened. It's been awhile since I've read a book where the author chose to use this particular plot element and it was beautifully done. If you want to know more than that sloppy paragraph above, you'll just have to pick up the book for yourself.
I hope I've done a halfway decent job of convincing you to pick up A Noise Downstairs this summer; most of you know it's rare for me to read/review a book so far ahead of publication date, but I did this on a whim and I'm so glad that I did. If you like to compile your seasonal TBRs ahead of time like I do, you'll certainly want to add this to your list. Also, it has a fancy new cover that is not featured in my Instagram photo, so there's that too. Highly recommended for a lightning fast read. I can't wait to hear everyone else's thoughts because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BOOK Y'ALL!
*Review copy furnished by the publisher.
June 19, 2018
3.5 stars
“Jesus, Paul, it’s not the clown from It. It’s not going to break out and attack us.”
This quote above is in reference to an old typewriter which the protagonist from A Noise Downstairs believes is possessed by the spirits of murder victims. It might sound a little crazy, but the premise makes for an entertaining psychological thriller with some surprising twists!
Paul Davis was nearly murdered. While he has recovered physically, he is suffering from PTSD. He is in counseling and determines the best way to face his fears is to research Kenneth Hoffman, the man who tried to kill him. When his wife, Charlotte, gifts him with an old typewriter, Paul begins to hear tying in the middle of the night. He starts to wonder if he is going crazy. Then when typed messages begin to appear, Paul believes he is being contacted by Hoffman’s murder victims. Soon. Paul’s life begins to spin out of control, leading him into serious danger.
A Noise Downstairs gets off to a slow start, but Paul’s story kept me interested. I also was intrigued by Gavin, a creepy patient of Paul’s therapist. The more and more I read, the more I got sucked into what was happening. Chapters are split between Paul and Anna (Paul's therapist). I liked Anna’s character, but I wasn’t really sure of her purpose until much later on in the book.
This is supposed to be a creepy read, but I felt that it could have been creepier. I had a theory early on about what was happening, and I was right, which might have detracted from the creepiness. However, this is one of those cases where I thought that I was a smart reader and had everything figured out, but there were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming.
A Noise Downstairs is an easy, quick read. The chapters are short, the plot has some layers, and there’s some dark humor woven in, which makes for fun reading!
Thank you to William Morrow publishers for sending me an ARC of this book!
“Jesus, Paul, it’s not the clown from It. It’s not going to break out and attack us.”
This quote above is in reference to an old typewriter which the protagonist from A Noise Downstairs believes is possessed by the spirits of murder victims. It might sound a little crazy, but the premise makes for an entertaining psychological thriller with some surprising twists!
Paul Davis was nearly murdered. While he has recovered physically, he is suffering from PTSD. He is in counseling and determines the best way to face his fears is to research Kenneth Hoffman, the man who tried to kill him. When his wife, Charlotte, gifts him with an old typewriter, Paul begins to hear tying in the middle of the night. He starts to wonder if he is going crazy. Then when typed messages begin to appear, Paul believes he is being contacted by Hoffman’s murder victims. Soon. Paul’s life begins to spin out of control, leading him into serious danger.
A Noise Downstairs gets off to a slow start, but Paul’s story kept me interested. I also was intrigued by Gavin, a creepy patient of Paul’s therapist. The more and more I read, the more I got sucked into what was happening. Chapters are split between Paul and Anna (Paul's therapist). I liked Anna’s character, but I wasn’t really sure of her purpose until much later on in the book.
This is supposed to be a creepy read, but I felt that it could have been creepier. I had a theory early on about what was happening, and I was right, which might have detracted from the creepiness. However, this is one of those cases where I thought that I was a smart reader and had everything figured out, but there were a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming.
A Noise Downstairs is an easy, quick read. The chapters are short, the plot has some layers, and there’s some dark humor woven in, which makes for fun reading!
Thank you to William Morrow publishers for sending me an ARC of this book!
September 18, 2018
A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay is a 2018 William Morrow Publication.
Paul Davis nearly loses his life when he inadvertently discovers a colleague looking for a place to dump the bodies of the two women he just murdered.
Although Paul survived physically, mentally he is still struggling. He decides the best therapy might be to face his demons head on, and maybe even write a book about his ordeal. His therapist even gives him the green light to pursue this avenue. Desperately trying to focus, Paul is frustrated by his continual memory loss, something his wife, Charlotte, is very concerned about.
In order to cheer him, Charlotte buys Paul an Underwood typewriter- the old fashioned kind- with ribbons and a carriage return. But, right away, the typewriter begins to disrupt Paul's life even further. He hears someone typing on it in the dead of night- although Charlotte hears nothing.
As Paul becomes increasingly hysterical, convinced this typewriter is haunted in some way, his wife becomes more and more worried for his well-being. But, Paul is determined to investigate the murders, hoping to find answers that will help him find closure.
However, Paul's digging around in the past, visiting with the victim's families, and coming face to face with the man who nearly killed him, might not be as healthy as Paul anticipated.
I hate to make this confession- but, I have not read a novel by Linwood Barclay in ages. In fact, the last time I connected with this author was way back in that weird 'before Goodreads' limbo. I do recall that I enjoyed his novels, though, and have been meaning to touch base with him again for a long time. As it turns out, this most recent release turned out to be the perfect book in which to become reacquainted with LB.
I loved this title, which sets the tone for the book by conjuring up that hair raising feeling you get when you think you hear a strange noise in your house in the middle of the night. Then Barclay builds on that uneasy mindset without preamble.
This entire book is packed with eerie, spine tingling elements, with a feeling of continuous foreboding, on top of the sinister, creepy atmosphere.
The suspects are many, as are the motives, and the only way to truly know if Paul is descending further into madness is to keep turning those pages, which I did at the speed of light and sound.
Naturally, there was a point where I was just positive I had the puzzle solved, which was a huge let down. I was very disappointed- I mean really upset that yet another veteran author 'phoned in.' But, as it turns out, I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was. Maybe I was the one being lazy- Or the very least, guilty of not giving the author a little more credit than that.
This is a fun psychological thriller, very entertaining, with perfectly timed twists, and expert pacing. There are some weak spots, a few highly implausible scenarios and dialogue, but for the most part this story is tightly woven, effective, and very suspenseful.
Overall, this veteran author shows us how psychological thrillers should be done, showing up ninety percent of what passes for a premium PT.
4 stars
Paul Davis nearly loses his life when he inadvertently discovers a colleague looking for a place to dump the bodies of the two women he just murdered.
Although Paul survived physically, mentally he is still struggling. He decides the best therapy might be to face his demons head on, and maybe even write a book about his ordeal. His therapist even gives him the green light to pursue this avenue. Desperately trying to focus, Paul is frustrated by his continual memory loss, something his wife, Charlotte, is very concerned about.
In order to cheer him, Charlotte buys Paul an Underwood typewriter- the old fashioned kind- with ribbons and a carriage return. But, right away, the typewriter begins to disrupt Paul's life even further. He hears someone typing on it in the dead of night- although Charlotte hears nothing.
As Paul becomes increasingly hysterical, convinced this typewriter is haunted in some way, his wife becomes more and more worried for his well-being. But, Paul is determined to investigate the murders, hoping to find answers that will help him find closure.
However, Paul's digging around in the past, visiting with the victim's families, and coming face to face with the man who nearly killed him, might not be as healthy as Paul anticipated.
I hate to make this confession- but, I have not read a novel by Linwood Barclay in ages. In fact, the last time I connected with this author was way back in that weird 'before Goodreads' limbo. I do recall that I enjoyed his novels, though, and have been meaning to touch base with him again for a long time. As it turns out, this most recent release turned out to be the perfect book in which to become reacquainted with LB.
I loved this title, which sets the tone for the book by conjuring up that hair raising feeling you get when you think you hear a strange noise in your house in the middle of the night. Then Barclay builds on that uneasy mindset without preamble.
This entire book is packed with eerie, spine tingling elements, with a feeling of continuous foreboding, on top of the sinister, creepy atmosphere.
The suspects are many, as are the motives, and the only way to truly know if Paul is descending further into madness is to keep turning those pages, which I did at the speed of light and sound.
Naturally, there was a point where I was just positive I had the puzzle solved, which was a huge let down. I was very disappointed- I mean really upset that yet another veteran author 'phoned in.' But, as it turns out, I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was. Maybe I was the one being lazy- Or the very least, guilty of not giving the author a little more credit than that.
This is a fun psychological thriller, very entertaining, with perfectly timed twists, and expert pacing. There are some weak spots, a few highly implausible scenarios and dialogue, but for the most part this story is tightly woven, effective, and very suspenseful.
Overall, this veteran author shows us how psychological thrillers should be done, showing up ninety percent of what passes for a premium PT.
4 stars
June 25, 2022
One evening, John sees a work colleague driving erratically and follows him to see if he can help. Unfortunately, his colleague was trying to cover up a crime, and Paul becomes collateral damage.
A year later, Paul is suffering from PTSD. His wife Charlotte brings home an old Underwood typewriter, encouraging him to write his story, as a way to heal.
CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT
Paul hears the sounds of his typewriter downstairs. But, he and Charlotte are both upstairs, in bed, sleeping.
When he investigates, he finds a note in the machine. His colleague’s victims had been forced to type out “apologies” before they were murdered...on a vintage Underwood typewriter..
The typewriter involved in the crime was never found. Could this possibly be the same machine? Are the victims typing messages to Paul?
Or is Paul losing his mind?
Perhaps, confronting the past is NOT such a wise idea...
CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT
I thought I was always a step ahead of the characters. I was wrong.
SURPRISING. SUSPENSEFUL. SHOCKING .
I was engaged from the first page to the last, and now that I have discovered this author, I am looking forward to catching up on some of his past work! 📚
A year later, Paul is suffering from PTSD. His wife Charlotte brings home an old Underwood typewriter, encouraging him to write his story, as a way to heal.
CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT
Paul hears the sounds of his typewriter downstairs. But, he and Charlotte are both upstairs, in bed, sleeping.
When he investigates, he finds a note in the machine. His colleague’s victims had been forced to type out “apologies” before they were murdered...on a vintage Underwood typewriter..
The typewriter involved in the crime was never found. Could this possibly be the same machine? Are the victims typing messages to Paul?
Or is Paul losing his mind?
Perhaps, confronting the past is NOT such a wise idea...
CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT CHIT
I thought I was always a step ahead of the characters. I was wrong.
SURPRISING. SUSPENSEFUL. SHOCKING .
I was engaged from the first page to the last, and now that I have discovered this author, I am looking forward to catching up on some of his past work! 📚
July 12, 2018
3.5 stars
College Professor Paul Davis is driving home one night when he observes a colleague driving strangely. He decides to follow, not quite sure if the man is drunk or looking for something. When his co-worker pulls over so does Paul and that is when Paul makes the shocking discovery that he has just walked into a a murderer disposing of two female bodies. Paul tries to intervene and is almost killed himself.
After the incident, Paul has been having nightmares and experiencing PTSD. He begins to see Anna, a psychologist to work through his issues. His wife, Charlotte, also tries to help and buys him a vintage type writer so that he can write that novel he has always dreamed about. Paul is open to the idea, that is until he begins to hear noises in the night. Noises which sound as if the typewriter is being used. But everyone is asleep, who could possibly be typing on the typewriter? Why is Paul the only one who can hear the noise?
As Paul continues to work on his issues in therapy, the reader is also introduced to his therapist, her father and one of her other clients - a young man who enjoys playing sick and vicious pranks on others. Could he be to blame? Is he even involved? If not him, then who? Is the type writer possessed? Is the type writer typing messages all by itself? Are the messages related to the deaths of the two women? Paul continues to be tormented and struggles with what is really happening and what he believes is happening.
This book is told through Paul's, Charlotte's and Anna's points of view. This was interesting especially is the last twenty percent of the book. I will be honest, during the beginning of the book, I thought...oh geez, I normally like Linwood Barclay, but I am not sure about this book. All I can say is STICK WITH IT. I say this often in reviews, but it is true, I love when a book fools me. I love when I think I have it all figured out. I have my super sleuth hat on the entire way. I am quite sure I know how the book is going to end and then BOOM, Barclay spun some magic. I did have one theory and that proved to be correct, but I still didn't have the key bit of plot figured out. He pulled it off and beautifully.
The title of the book makes it sound as if this book is going to be both creepy or scary. I didn't find it to be scary at all. A little creepy, perhaps. The one young man who played pranks was the creepiest part of the book for me. Yes, a typewriter that types of messages is creepy but for me only to a small degree. So, if you pick this up thinking it is going to be scary or on the horror spectrum, be warned, it's not.
After a slow start that left me guessing as to whether I was going to enjoy the book, things really did pick up - about half way through for me. But once thing did pick up, the plot kicked into high gear. I found this book to be well-written with a great ending. I do wish it would have been a little faster going in the beginning, but I also know he needed to build his plot and introduce the reader to all the players.
Thank you to William Morrow Publishers and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read my reviews at www.openboookpost.com
College Professor Paul Davis is driving home one night when he observes a colleague driving strangely. He decides to follow, not quite sure if the man is drunk or looking for something. When his co-worker pulls over so does Paul and that is when Paul makes the shocking discovery that he has just walked into a a murderer disposing of two female bodies. Paul tries to intervene and is almost killed himself.
After the incident, Paul has been having nightmares and experiencing PTSD. He begins to see Anna, a psychologist to work through his issues. His wife, Charlotte, also tries to help and buys him a vintage type writer so that he can write that novel he has always dreamed about. Paul is open to the idea, that is until he begins to hear noises in the night. Noises which sound as if the typewriter is being used. But everyone is asleep, who could possibly be typing on the typewriter? Why is Paul the only one who can hear the noise?
As Paul continues to work on his issues in therapy, the reader is also introduced to his therapist, her father and one of her other clients - a young man who enjoys playing sick and vicious pranks on others. Could he be to blame? Is he even involved? If not him, then who? Is the type writer possessed? Is the type writer typing messages all by itself? Are the messages related to the deaths of the two women? Paul continues to be tormented and struggles with what is really happening and what he believes is happening.
This book is told through Paul's, Charlotte's and Anna's points of view. This was interesting especially is the last twenty percent of the book. I will be honest, during the beginning of the book, I thought...oh geez, I normally like Linwood Barclay, but I am not sure about this book. All I can say is STICK WITH IT. I say this often in reviews, but it is true, I love when a book fools me. I love when I think I have it all figured out. I have my super sleuth hat on the entire way. I am quite sure I know how the book is going to end and then BOOM, Barclay spun some magic. I did have one theory and that proved to be correct, but I still didn't have the key bit of plot figured out. He pulled it off and beautifully.
The title of the book makes it sound as if this book is going to be both creepy or scary. I didn't find it to be scary at all. A little creepy, perhaps. The one young man who played pranks was the creepiest part of the book for me. Yes, a typewriter that types of messages is creepy but for me only to a small degree. So, if you pick this up thinking it is going to be scary or on the horror spectrum, be warned, it's not.
After a slow start that left me guessing as to whether I was going to enjoy the book, things really did pick up - about half way through for me. But once thing did pick up, the plot kicked into high gear. I found this book to be well-written with a great ending. I do wish it would have been a little faster going in the beginning, but I also know he needed to build his plot and introduce the reader to all the players.
Thank you to William Morrow Publishers and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Read my reviews at www.openboookpost.com
July 18, 2022
Another Addictive Audio Listen
My summer binge continues with my 4th from the author and it was another solid and enjoyable thriller!
Creepy A$$, black, metal, antique Underwood typewriter is front and center in this thriller and I referred to it as "Cujo". No it didn't growl, but it did enter the Twilight Zone. I even scanned my surroundings making sure we didn't have any typewriters lying around the house. S-P-O-O-K-Y like it had eyes that could stare back. One of the characters even mentioned that it wasn't "the clown from IT", but I wasn't so sure!
George Newbern is a fantastic narrator and made the story come to life. Loved the mixed humor and it isn't scary, just a hint of the feeling of some dark ominous clouds hanging around.
Read it to see if you'll see the writing on the wall, or the messages on the typewriter! I was wrong!
Late to the party as this came out in 2018.
My summer binge continues with my 4th from the author and it was another solid and enjoyable thriller!
Creepy A$$, black, metal, antique Underwood typewriter is front and center in this thriller and I referred to it as "Cujo". No it didn't growl, but it did enter the Twilight Zone. I even scanned my surroundings making sure we didn't have any typewriters lying around the house. S-P-O-O-K-Y like it had eyes that could stare back. One of the characters even mentioned that it wasn't "the clown from IT", but I wasn't so sure!
George Newbern is a fantastic narrator and made the story come to life. Loved the mixed humor and it isn't scary, just a hint of the feeling of some dark ominous clouds hanging around.
Read it to see if you'll see the writing on the wall, or the messages on the typewriter! I was wrong!
Late to the party as this came out in 2018.
July 8, 2022
Writing: 3.5/5 | Plot: 3/5 | Ending: plz bro/5
THE PLOT
Paul was not minding his business and caught his colleague tryna dump two bodies so he got his head bashed in. 8 months later, he's trying to recover and decides to confront the monster. But when he starts hearing a noise downstairs (see what I did there) he wonders if he's going cray cray.
MY OPINION
PSA: IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY THIS BOOK, YOU NEED TO PRETEND THAT SECURITY CAMERAS DO NOT EXIST. If you can get past the fact that the mystery would be solved if stupid ass Paul copped a $30 interior camera from Walmart, then you will enjoy this much more LOL.
TBH if any authors are reading this, I don't wanna see anymore "someone is sneaking in my house leaving weird ass msgs" and not address why there's no security cameras. OR put the sec cameras in, and address it with some hacking skills or obstruction of cameras or SOMETHING. We cannot pretend that security cameras don't exist just to keep the suspense suspensing.
Ok anyways, let me get back on track. This was... odd? But I will still read another Linwood Barclay book. I like the short chapters, the fragmented writing, the sparse prose. The "narrator" would switch randomly throughout a chapter, making it difficult to connect on an emotional level with the character's and their stories. Because of the distance between the reader and the story, the twists weren't as impactful.
I LOVED Gavin's POV. His was by far the strongest and the creepiest. His behaviour, as Linwood loved to say, "sent a chill down the length of my spine." A true villain.
SPOILERS SO SCROLL AGGRESSIVELY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ
This was my second Barclay book (I read Take Your Breath Away s/o to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC) but I noticed a lot of similarities between the books. Like one of the characters in TYBW, Charlotte had an acting background—and since I knew this was important to the plot in TYBW, I sussed out the surprise pretty quickly. Also, there were a lot of similarities with the family dynamics between this book and TYBW. I'm interested to know if these are common markers of his stories, or just a coincidence.
The ending was whacktacular, but I've come to accept that most endings are. It's rare I read one that makes sense. There was a lot of spoon feeding as well... especially with the flashbacks between Charlotte & Bill and the transcript at the end between detective man and Kenneth. Readers are not that stupid and it's a waste of pages to give us a play-by-play that we already sussed out.
Anyways. I still give this three stars because it did have spooky elements (mostly Gavin), and I like how he writes. For a male author, this had minimum male gaze writing, which I appreciated. AND no whack ass secret service/mafia/drug cartel storyline thrown in just for funsies.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Gavin wins creep of the year, interesting premise, short chapters, well-paced, Anne's character was well-developed but that's about it, limited male gaze, no rando john wick storyline
Cons: security cameras would've solved the entire mystery, flip-flopping narrators in one scene was a bit confusing and created emotional distance between the reader and the story, ending was OTT, too much spoon feeding
THE PLOT
Paul was not minding his business and caught his colleague tryna dump two bodies so he got his head bashed in. 8 months later, he's trying to recover and decides to confront the monster. But when he starts hearing a noise downstairs (see what I did there) he wonders if he's going cray cray.
MY OPINION
PSA: IF YOU WANT TO ENJOY THIS BOOK, YOU NEED TO PRETEND THAT SECURITY CAMERAS DO NOT EXIST. If you can get past the fact that the mystery would be solved if stupid ass Paul copped a $30 interior camera from Walmart, then you will enjoy this much more LOL.
TBH if any authors are reading this, I don't wanna see anymore "someone is sneaking in my house leaving weird ass msgs" and not address why there's no security cameras. OR put the sec cameras in, and address it with some hacking skills or obstruction of cameras or SOMETHING. We cannot pretend that security cameras don't exist just to keep the suspense suspensing.
Ok anyways, let me get back on track. This was... odd? But I will still read another Linwood Barclay book. I like the short chapters, the fragmented writing, the sparse prose. The "narrator" would switch randomly throughout a chapter, making it difficult to connect on an emotional level with the character's and their stories. Because of the distance between the reader and the story, the twists weren't as impactful.
I LOVED Gavin's POV. His was by far the strongest and the creepiest. His behaviour, as Linwood loved to say, "sent a chill down the length of my spine." A true villain.
SPOILERS SO SCROLL AGGRESSIVELY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ
This was my second Barclay book (I read Take Your Breath Away s/o to Harper Collins Canada for the ARC) but I noticed a lot of similarities between the books. Like one of the characters in TYBW, Charlotte had an acting background—and since I knew this was important to the plot in TYBW, I sussed out the surprise pretty quickly. Also, there were a lot of similarities with the family dynamics between this book and TYBW. I'm interested to know if these are common markers of his stories, or just a coincidence.
The ending was whacktacular, but I've come to accept that most endings are. It's rare I read one that makes sense. There was a lot of spoon feeding as well... especially with the flashbacks between Charlotte & Bill and the transcript at the end between detective man and Kenneth. Readers are not that stupid and it's a waste of pages to give us a play-by-play that we already sussed out.
Anyways. I still give this three stars because it did have spooky elements (mostly Gavin), and I like how he writes. For a male author, this had minimum male gaze writing, which I appreciated. AND no whack ass secret service/mafia/drug cartel storyline thrown in just for funsies.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Gavin wins creep of the year, interesting premise, short chapters, well-paced, Anne's character was well-developed but that's about it, limited male gaze, no rando john wick storyline
Cons: security cameras would've solved the entire mystery, flip-flopping narrators in one scene was a bit confusing and created emotional distance between the reader and the story, ending was OTT, too much spoon feeding
October 5, 2018
OK, normally I avoid anything the least bit scary...anything with a paranormal vibe to it. But this is Linwood Barclay! I can’t just pass up one of his books! So, turning on all the lights, with my hubby (and brave puppy) by my side to protect me...I dove in!🙈
Paul is your typical, unassuming college professor. On his way home one night he spots a colleague driving erratically. Good Samaritan Paul decides to pull in behind and follow him! Big mistake Paul!
Next thing he recalls is waking up with a head injury that has robbed him of some of his short-term memories. But maybe there’s more damage than just missing memories.
When his wife gives him a gift of an old fashioned typewriter, Paul is left questioning his sanity! Is the typewriter haunted? Is he the only one who hears it typing in the dead of the night?
I do have to confess...I have a beautiful, old-fashioned Royal typewriter sitting on my bookshelf! I kept staring at in between chapters, slowly convincing myself it was not going to start acting up!
While I always enjoy a Linwood Barclay book, I felt my believability radar was going off just a little. I had some of it figured out fairly early but there were still some great surprises all the way to the end!
Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow Publishers and Linwood Barclay for an ARC to read and review.
Paul is your typical, unassuming college professor. On his way home one night he spots a colleague driving erratically. Good Samaritan Paul decides to pull in behind and follow him! Big mistake Paul!
Next thing he recalls is waking up with a head injury that has robbed him of some of his short-term memories. But maybe there’s more damage than just missing memories.
When his wife gives him a gift of an old fashioned typewriter, Paul is left questioning his sanity! Is the typewriter haunted? Is he the only one who hears it typing in the dead of the night?
I do have to confess...I have a beautiful, old-fashioned Royal typewriter sitting on my bookshelf! I kept staring at in between chapters, slowly convincing myself it was not going to start acting up!
While I always enjoy a Linwood Barclay book, I felt my believability radar was going off just a little. I had some of it figured out fairly early but there were still some great surprises all the way to the end!
Thank you to Edelweiss, William Morrow Publishers and Linwood Barclay for an ARC to read and review.
January 13, 2020
Linwood Barclay is one of my favourite authors and his books, and I have some history together. I loved listening to his books and his story kept me entertained on some long runs. Lately, I have been missing out on some of his newer books and I am happy to say I am glad I didn't miss out on this one.
A Noise Downstairs is a great one if you are not sure what you are in the mood for. It's a fun, entertaining, twisty and easy read with a unique creepy tormenter here with the underwood typewriter that sets quite the eerie atmosphere to the story.
I was hooked right from the start, and I was a little afraid of the noise downstairs, and I might not be just talking about the book. I pulled the covers over my head and turned the pages as fast as I could as the tension started to rise with every reveal. Things began to feel a little predictable but weren't. I thought I had a few things figured out, but those red herring are layered well here in this story.
This one is all about the entertainment value here and not entirely that plausible. It's a great one to get lost in the eerie atmosphere here by a noise downstairs.
I received a copy on EW.
A Noise Downstairs is a great one if you are not sure what you are in the mood for. It's a fun, entertaining, twisty and easy read with a unique creepy tormenter here with the underwood typewriter that sets quite the eerie atmosphere to the story.
I was hooked right from the start, and I was a little afraid of the noise downstairs, and I might not be just talking about the book. I pulled the covers over my head and turned the pages as fast as I could as the tension started to rise with every reveal. Things began to feel a little predictable but weren't. I thought I had a few things figured out, but those red herring are layered well here in this story.
This one is all about the entertainment value here and not entirely that plausible. It's a great one to get lost in the eerie atmosphere here by a noise downstairs.
I received a copy on EW.
November 20, 2022
1.5 "commiserating with Robin" stars !!
Like my earlier read of King's" The Outsider" this book blindsided me by starting off rather interesting (if middling writing) and then deteriorating to a ridiculous conclusion. This book was even more disappointing as it happened around 70 percent into the novel rather than King's halfway point.
I almost thought it was a cruel April Fool's joke !!
The beginning was a fairly compelling exploration of a man's PTSD and search for understanding of a friend that tried to murder him (as well as completed murders of two female colleagues). There are some interesting conversations with his spouse and his most unprofessional psychologist as well as a potential supernatural element that made me want to read on and on.
This storyline is completely dropped by 75 percent in (I won't share the spoiler). We are then smacked in the face with a slapstick ending with ridiculous plot development, inconsistent and implausible psychological profiles and more bodies dropping than mosquitoes to a citronella candle. Really inexcusable !
I think that this might be my first and last Barclay novel !!
2.5 stars for the first two thirds of the novel !!
and
0.5 stars for the final third !!
Hey Robin we deserve a few drinks after this one :)
Like my earlier read of King's" The Outsider" this book blindsided me by starting off rather interesting (if middling writing) and then deteriorating to a ridiculous conclusion. This book was even more disappointing as it happened around 70 percent into the novel rather than King's halfway point.
I almost thought it was a cruel April Fool's joke !!
The beginning was a fairly compelling exploration of a man's PTSD and search for understanding of a friend that tried to murder him (as well as completed murders of two female colleagues). There are some interesting conversations with his spouse and his most unprofessional psychologist as well as a potential supernatural element that made me want to read on and on.
This storyline is completely dropped by 75 percent in (I won't share the spoiler). We are then smacked in the face with a slapstick ending with ridiculous plot development, inconsistent and implausible psychological profiles and more bodies dropping than mosquitoes to a citronella candle. Really inexcusable !
I think that this might be my first and last Barclay novel !!
2.5 stars for the first two thirds of the novel !!
and
0.5 stars for the final third !!
Hey Robin we deserve a few drinks after this one :)
August 25, 2018
Linwood Barclay can always be relied upon to put forth exciting novels that creep up the spine, leaving the reader questioning what they’ve just read. His ability to develop a psychological thriller puts him in league with some of the top in the genre, thereby strengthening his fan base. Paul Davis is a college professor who was out on a late evening drive. After coming upon the vehicle of his colleague, Paul stops to help, only to be attacked and almost killed. Eight months later, Paul is trying to come to terms with the head injury he suffered that night, while his wife, Charlotte, must try to acclimate to her husband’s constant forgetfulness. She purchases an old typewriter for him, in hopes that it will help him process some of the feelings and thoughts that came from the attack. Paul has also engaged the services of a therapist, Dr. Anna White, who is helping him come to terms with the entire ordeal. When Paul wakes in the night, hearing a clacking sound that could be no other than the typewriter, he rushes to see, but there is nothing there. Worried, Charlotte tries to help her husband come to terms with what must be his subconscious brain playing tricks on him. Dr. White goes so far as to concur, hoping that her patient will find solace rather than constant distress with this new form of therapeutic release. Meanwhile, Dr. White has another patient whose past is indicative of severe and inexplicable revenge tendencies, seeking to topple the apple carts of many others for his own peace of mind. The more she tries to help, the less it appears to work. With Paul’s ongoing traumatic situation, now morphed into messages spewing from paper left in the typewriter at night, one can only surmise that there may be something supernatural happening, which is only further supported when it would appear that it was the same typewriter as the man who attacked Paul; someone who had forced previous victims to write letters of apology before he killed them. With all this coming to a head, Paul forges on to make sense of it all, while Charlotte becomes increasingly worried. Has her husband lost all touch with reality? Could his memory loss be responsible for him writing these messages at night, but not remembering? And how can one completely explain that noise of the typewriter clanking in the night? Barclay leaves these and many other questions with the reader, who will likely want to dive in to better understand what is going on. Another brilliant piece by a psychological thriller expert. Recommended for those who enjoy Linwood Barclay’s work or the reader who finds solace in a novel that poses multiple mind games.
I can usually be assured of a top-notch novel when Barclay publishes something and this piece was nothing short of stellar. The mix of well-developed characters, a plausible plot, and just a touch of King-esque paranormal activity (so much so that the characters actually refer to what is going on as having come from a King novel), leaves the reader wanting to push onwards as things get even more complicated. Paul Davis is a wonderfully relatable character who has been through a great ordeal and is only now able to pick up the pieces. He straddles the line between recovery and deeper psychological issues, though there is little doubt that current events with his new gift have pushed him further away from sanity. He struggles to understand it all, though has been able to turn to Anna White to help him. While this does not always work, the reader can see glimpses of sanity in his sporadic activities and memory-debilitating daily life. Anna White proves to be another key character, juggling her own personal issues alongside those of a handful of clients, all of whom pose different risks to themselves and others. The reader will likely find the White character to be very grounded, though also a bit standoffish, as is usually the case when processed through the eyes of a patient. Paul and Anna find themselves in an odd dance to better understand the former’s mental state and while outward signs point to issues, there is surely something else at play. A handful of other characters prop things up and thicken an already strong plot, adding questions and intrigue while riding the narrative’s easy flow. The story is one that might not be entirely unique—an inanimate object takes over and causes a protagonist angst—but the way it is presented in Barclay style leaves the reader to wonder how it all comes together. Things flow well and the story does not get too out of hand, though the reader need keep an open mind until the final chapters to understand what is going on. Barclay has mastered his craft again and it is up to the reader to decide if they are prepared to accept what is on offer.
Kudos, Mr. Barclay, for another wonderful novel. I can only hope your ideas continue to flow, as I have eagerly anticipated many of the pieces you’ve presented in the last numbers of years.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
I can usually be assured of a top-notch novel when Barclay publishes something and this piece was nothing short of stellar. The mix of well-developed characters, a plausible plot, and just a touch of King-esque paranormal activity (so much so that the characters actually refer to what is going on as having come from a King novel), leaves the reader wanting to push onwards as things get even more complicated. Paul Davis is a wonderfully relatable character who has been through a great ordeal and is only now able to pick up the pieces. He straddles the line between recovery and deeper psychological issues, though there is little doubt that current events with his new gift have pushed him further away from sanity. He struggles to understand it all, though has been able to turn to Anna White to help him. While this does not always work, the reader can see glimpses of sanity in his sporadic activities and memory-debilitating daily life. Anna White proves to be another key character, juggling her own personal issues alongside those of a handful of clients, all of whom pose different risks to themselves and others. The reader will likely find the White character to be very grounded, though also a bit standoffish, as is usually the case when processed through the eyes of a patient. Paul and Anna find themselves in an odd dance to better understand the former’s mental state and while outward signs point to issues, there is surely something else at play. A handful of other characters prop things up and thicken an already strong plot, adding questions and intrigue while riding the narrative’s easy flow. The story is one that might not be entirely unique—an inanimate object takes over and causes a protagonist angst—but the way it is presented in Barclay style leaves the reader to wonder how it all comes together. Things flow well and the story does not get too out of hand, though the reader need keep an open mind until the final chapters to understand what is going on. Barclay has mastered his craft again and it is up to the reader to decide if they are prepared to accept what is on offer.
Kudos, Mr. Barclay, for another wonderful novel. I can only hope your ideas continue to flow, as I have eagerly anticipated many of the pieces you’ve presented in the last numbers of years.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
A Book for All Seasons, a different sort of Book Challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
December 5, 2018
Quick Update: I especially want to thank Nicola....She introduced me to Linwood Barclay with her review in a way--where I said...."ok, I think I'll give this author a go". Glad I did! Thanks Nicola!!!!
The ‘New Haven Star’ ran with a headline that said:
“A Scandal in Academia: ‘Apology Killer’ gets life in double murder”.
West Haven College professor Kenneth Hoffman, 53, (married to wife Gabriella, 49, father to Leonard, 21), was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Jill Foster and Catherine Lamb, and attempted murder of a colleague and friend Paul Davis.
Kenneth taught math and physics. The close-knit academia community suspected he was ‘playing around’.
Gabriella was aware of some of her husband’s infidelity- but she never knew he was juggling both Jill and Catherine simultaneously.
There was something freaky-creepy-and peculiar about the cold blooded murder of Jill and Catherine who were forced to write an apology letter before they were killed.
I was totally sucked into this psychological thriller from the start. ( glad it ‘wasn��t’ graphic). I was also enjoying the University town setting.
When asked, how he could have slit the throats of the two women, Hoffman shrugged and said,
“Who knows why anyone does anything?”
Such an odd- aloof- cuckoo-response, I thought!
The scandal was ‘bizarre’...completely out of character in New England history.
... (intrigued me too)...
Paul Davis was suffering with bouts of memory loss - headaches - and nightmares from almost getting killed (being in the wrong place at the wrong time....but a semi-hero for being in the right place at the right time - finding Kenneth with bloody hands - two dead women- and a shovel in his car....putting himself in dangers way ( getting knocked out with that shovel).
The police drove up at ‘the right time’ to pick up the rest of the pieces. Paul was lucky he wasn’t a dead man buried with two other
dead women.
Eight months after his accident - after first being treated for the physical traumas - and head injury - Paul entered therapy with psychologist Anna White.
Contending with PTSD,
Paul was on edge- agitated constantly.
He was obsessively plagued with anxiety, fear, nervousness, depression, and dread every moment of his life awake or asleep since that haunting night.
A gift from his wife, Charlotte - a Underwood typewriter,
only added to his problems. Either it was possessed, or Paul completely lost his mind, or ‘somebody’ wanted Paul to believe he was losing his mind.
The typewriter part of the story felt like a puzzle solver for me. I thought I saw through the plot-device to the ending of the novel once that underwood typewriter was introduced...
but I’m not here spilling-beans...
just my thought process...
We were given information about other clients Anna White was working with besides Paul Davis:
..... A retired x-ray technician who was having a hard time getting over the death of her dog....
....and a client named Gavin Hitchens, court assigned, who looked like a possible psychopath. ( I figured he was the trickster character to try to throw us off the path from bigger fishies to fry) ... but - again - my lips are sealed!
Every character mentioned was to ‘examine’... with a readers suspicious curiosity.
There wasn’t particularly any redeeming qualities about any of the characters, other than Paul - (he was the most likable and we ‘felt’ for him. Everyone else wore a pocker-face. I’m guessing this was done on purpose -
worked well I thought...
( I still figured out ‘most’ of the ending) ...
yet it didn’t take away from my enjoyment).
I was in the mood for this type of book.
This being my first
Linwood Barclay novel, I’m left with a pretty decent taste in my mouth.
The ‘New Haven Star’ ran with a headline that said:
“A Scandal in Academia: ‘Apology Killer’ gets life in double murder”.
West Haven College professor Kenneth Hoffman, 53, (married to wife Gabriella, 49, father to Leonard, 21), was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of Jill Foster and Catherine Lamb, and attempted murder of a colleague and friend Paul Davis.
Kenneth taught math and physics. The close-knit academia community suspected he was ‘playing around’.
Gabriella was aware of some of her husband’s infidelity- but she never knew he was juggling both Jill and Catherine simultaneously.
There was something freaky-creepy-and peculiar about the cold blooded murder of Jill and Catherine who were forced to write an apology letter before they were killed.
I was totally sucked into this psychological thriller from the start. ( glad it ‘wasn��t’ graphic). I was also enjoying the University town setting.
When asked, how he could have slit the throats of the two women, Hoffman shrugged and said,
“Who knows why anyone does anything?”
Such an odd- aloof- cuckoo-response, I thought!
The scandal was ‘bizarre’...completely out of character in New England history.
... (intrigued me too)...
Paul Davis was suffering with bouts of memory loss - headaches - and nightmares from almost getting killed (being in the wrong place at the wrong time....but a semi-hero for being in the right place at the right time - finding Kenneth with bloody hands - two dead women- and a shovel in his car....putting himself in dangers way ( getting knocked out with that shovel).
The police drove up at ‘the right time’ to pick up the rest of the pieces. Paul was lucky he wasn’t a dead man buried with two other
dead women.
Eight months after his accident - after first being treated for the physical traumas - and head injury - Paul entered therapy with psychologist Anna White.
Contending with PTSD,
Paul was on edge- agitated constantly.
He was obsessively plagued with anxiety, fear, nervousness, depression, and dread every moment of his life awake or asleep since that haunting night.
A gift from his wife, Charlotte - a Underwood typewriter,
only added to his problems. Either it was possessed, or Paul completely lost his mind, or ‘somebody’ wanted Paul to believe he was losing his mind.
The typewriter part of the story felt like a puzzle solver for me. I thought I saw through the plot-device to the ending of the novel once that underwood typewriter was introduced...
but I’m not here spilling-beans...
just my thought process...
We were given information about other clients Anna White was working with besides Paul Davis:
..... A retired x-ray technician who was having a hard time getting over the death of her dog....
....and a client named Gavin Hitchens, court assigned, who looked like a possible psychopath. ( I figured he was the trickster character to try to throw us off the path from bigger fishies to fry) ... but - again - my lips are sealed!
Every character mentioned was to ‘examine’... with a readers suspicious curiosity.
There wasn’t particularly any redeeming qualities about any of the characters, other than Paul - (he was the most likable and we ‘felt’ for him. Everyone else wore a pocker-face. I’m guessing this was done on purpose -
worked well I thought...
( I still figured out ‘most’ of the ending) ...
yet it didn’t take away from my enjoyment).
I was in the mood for this type of book.
This being my first
Linwood Barclay novel, I’m left with a pretty decent taste in my mouth.
August 5, 2018
College Professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer trying to dispose of a couple of bodies. That's when Paul's "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly loosing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling with PTSD, depression and severe problems at work.
Wow. Where do I start? We learn all about the murderer, who he is and why Paul followed him that night at the beginning of this eerie, creepy book. How the event has left him traumatised, with issues and nightmares, and how he is seeing a therapist to help,him get through this tough time. Trying to cheer him up and help his with his recovery, his wife Charlotte buys him a vintage typewriter. But then Paul thinks he hears the typewriter typing messages by itself. This story is told through Paul, Charlotte and Anna's (his therapist) points of view. Don't think, like me, that you will know who the culprit is from early on as you will be wrong, so wrong. Another fantastic read from the also fantastic writer, Linwood Barclay.
Wow. Where do I start? We learn all about the murderer, who he is and why Paul followed him that night at the beginning of this eerie, creepy book. How the event has left him traumatised, with issues and nightmares, and how he is seeing a therapist to help,him get through this tough time. Trying to cheer him up and help his with his recovery, his wife Charlotte buys him a vintage typewriter. But then Paul thinks he hears the typewriter typing messages by itself. This story is told through Paul, Charlotte and Anna's (his therapist) points of view. Don't think, like me, that you will know who the culprit is from early on as you will be wrong, so wrong. Another fantastic read from the also fantastic writer, Linwood Barclay.
October 5, 2018
Bah, I'm going to be the Negative Nelly in a sea of happy readers here.
Yes, it's true that this was a sharp right turn for me, in the book world. I mean, the last book I reviewed was John Updike's Couples, for goodness' sakes. Don't worry, I wasn't expecting Updike here. One doesn't bite into an orange and expect it to taste like pomegranate. That's just silly.
I was in the mood for orange, and it had all the promise in the world. I loved the premise: a guy hears his antique typewriter, typing by itself, at night. Chit. Chit. Chit. Sometimes, it even leaves him creepy notes. This has Hitchcock all over it. Even something of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. I liked it. Mmmm, psychological thriller. Gimme some.
Good lord, though, was this ever written in blunt pencil. Simplistic, repetitive. Bland characters. Characters who blink a lot. "Charlotte blinked three times." It's my new pet peeve. I don't need to read about characters' eyelid action, okay? Everyone blinks. It goes without saying, or should, at least.
There was very little tension to speak of. And, as a moderately intelligent person, I figured out this 'mystery' pretty early on, which made it extra painful to get through. I didn't care for the fate of the protagonist, I found the motivations of the characters quite ridiculous. In the climactic scene, I was rolling my eyes like a tween.
So, I didn't expect the orange to taste like pomegranate. But I DID expect it to taste like a really good orange. Is that too much to ask?
Yes, it's true that this was a sharp right turn for me, in the book world. I mean, the last book I reviewed was John Updike's Couples, for goodness' sakes. Don't worry, I wasn't expecting Updike here. One doesn't bite into an orange and expect it to taste like pomegranate. That's just silly.
I was in the mood for orange, and it had all the promise in the world. I loved the premise: a guy hears his antique typewriter, typing by itself, at night. Chit. Chit. Chit. Sometimes, it even leaves him creepy notes. This has Hitchcock all over it. Even something of Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. I liked it. Mmmm, psychological thriller. Gimme some.
Good lord, though, was this ever written in blunt pencil. Simplistic, repetitive. Bland characters. Characters who blink a lot. "Charlotte blinked three times." It's my new pet peeve. I don't need to read about characters' eyelid action, okay? Everyone blinks. It goes without saying, or should, at least.
There was very little tension to speak of. And, as a moderately intelligent person, I figured out this 'mystery' pretty early on, which made it extra painful to get through. I didn't care for the fate of the protagonist, I found the motivations of the characters quite ridiculous. In the climactic scene, I was rolling my eyes like a tween.
So, I didn't expect the orange to taste like pomegranate. But I DID expect it to taste like a really good orange. Is that too much to ask?
March 31, 2024
My Goodreads friend, Corey keeps recommending I read this author. And then, my Goodreads friend, Jayme recommended I read this one of his specifically. Here is her review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
How could I turn away from her 5-star review? Or Corey’s insistence in his love of this author?
Well, I waited patiently for this book to arrive from the library, and started to read. But it scared me. So, I put it down for a bit. And read other books. And then I would begin to read it again. And put it down again.
Okay, okay, okay. Finally I said to myself, “Self, it is time to finish this book.”
Poor Paul. He thinks he is being a good Samaritan by letting his neighbor Kenneth know that something is wrong with his taillight, and he would hate to see him pulled over by a cop.
Well, whatever Paul experienced in that good Samaritan moment wasn’t exactly what Kenneth wanted, after all, he was being caught in the act of a crime. Now 8 months later, Paul is attempting to recover from a case of PTSD and depression.
His wife rewards him with a vintage typewriter – a classic Underwood so he can write that novel he always wanted to write. What better subject – than Kenneth!
But apparently this typewriter has a mind of its own. Is it writing its own story? Or is Paul losing his mind?
How will Paul overcome this? Does he need to investigate Kenneth’s crimes? By getting to this truth will that help him get over his own nightmares?
Chit. Chit. Chit. Chit. Ding! (That’s typewriter talk.)
And if you think everything is as it seems, don’t be so sure. This is a twisty tale that keeps on twisting. Just keep on turning pages, because more will be revealed, and when you think you are satisfied you have all the pieces to wrap it all up…
The author throws a few more red herrings for readers to snack on. Barclay is truly a genius when it comes to scary typewriter character stories! Is there such a thing?
Thank you, Jayme and Corey. But, please no more Linwood Barclay recommendations. I have been scared enough for a while! 😉
How could I turn away from her 5-star review? Or Corey’s insistence in his love of this author?
Well, I waited patiently for this book to arrive from the library, and started to read. But it scared me. So, I put it down for a bit. And read other books. And then I would begin to read it again. And put it down again.
Okay, okay, okay. Finally I said to myself, “Self, it is time to finish this book.”
Poor Paul. He thinks he is being a good Samaritan by letting his neighbor Kenneth know that something is wrong with his taillight, and he would hate to see him pulled over by a cop.
Well, whatever Paul experienced in that good Samaritan moment wasn’t exactly what Kenneth wanted, after all, he was being caught in the act of a crime. Now 8 months later, Paul is attempting to recover from a case of PTSD and depression.
His wife rewards him with a vintage typewriter – a classic Underwood so he can write that novel he always wanted to write. What better subject – than Kenneth!
But apparently this typewriter has a mind of its own. Is it writing its own story? Or is Paul losing his mind?
How will Paul overcome this? Does he need to investigate Kenneth’s crimes? By getting to this truth will that help him get over his own nightmares?
Chit. Chit. Chit. Chit. Ding! (That’s typewriter talk.)
And if you think everything is as it seems, don’t be so sure. This is a twisty tale that keeps on twisting. Just keep on turning pages, because more will be revealed, and when you think you are satisfied you have all the pieces to wrap it all up…
The author throws a few more red herrings for readers to snack on. Barclay is truly a genius when it comes to scary typewriter character stories! Is there such a thing?
Thank you, Jayme and Corey. But, please no more Linwood Barclay recommendations. I have been scared enough for a while! 😉
August 28, 2018
Shhhh . . . can you hear that noise coming from downstairs? 'Chit chit. Chit chit chit. Chit.' Chit! Recovering from a devastating head injury, Paul seems to be the only one who can hear it. Is he teetering on the edge of madness? Or is there something hideously awry with that old manual-style typewriter? You might want to stifle your "Aha!" for as long as possible, or risk having to repeat yourself.
January 2, 2019
Her cheeks went red, as though she were too embarassed to complete the sentence. "What I'm trying to say is, you've never seen anyone get a message from the beyond."
The beyond......now that's a story unto itself.
They say that cats have nine lives. They're always on the heels of disaster roaming the neighborhoods. But they seem to know when it's time to retreat in the other direction. Maybe Professor Paul Davis should have listened to the felines that night.
It's late. Paul aims his car toward home after a long day at the college. He finds himself following behind a colleague who seems to be drifting a bit off the white line on the road. Is he ill? Wasn't enough time to tie one on after classes. So Paul is determined to find out what's going on with Kenneth. Kenneth pulls into an apartment complex and dumps something into the trash. Fascinated now, Paul sticks to it and follows. Kenneth pulls over and Paul gets out. Curious, Paul leans in and stares at something ghastly in Kenneth's back seat. A whoosh of metal and Paul takes a shovel to the side of the head. He's never gonna be the same......
Linwood Barclay has you sitting up straight in your chair about now. The first chapter alone is a knuckle cracker. We find Paul on a leave of absence from the college. He and his wife, Charlotte, are trying to stabilize their lives after that horrendous experience. Barclay kicks his storyline into high gear when Charlotte brings home a curious object that may have a connection to what was in the back seat of Kenneth's car. This object has somewhat grown tentacles and it's weaving its way into Paul's already shifting mindset.
Barclay simmers this one to a soon rapid boil. Just when you think you've figured it out, he shifts the pieces on the gameboard in a different direction. A Noise Downstairs is exactly what I needed after the rush of the holidays. Settling down with a bit of a thriller will certainly sharpen you for this mad dash into 2019.
The beyond......now that's a story unto itself.
They say that cats have nine lives. They're always on the heels of disaster roaming the neighborhoods. But they seem to know when it's time to retreat in the other direction. Maybe Professor Paul Davis should have listened to the felines that night.
It's late. Paul aims his car toward home after a long day at the college. He finds himself following behind a colleague who seems to be drifting a bit off the white line on the road. Is he ill? Wasn't enough time to tie one on after classes. So Paul is determined to find out what's going on with Kenneth. Kenneth pulls into an apartment complex and dumps something into the trash. Fascinated now, Paul sticks to it and follows. Kenneth pulls over and Paul gets out. Curious, Paul leans in and stares at something ghastly in Kenneth's back seat. A whoosh of metal and Paul takes a shovel to the side of the head. He's never gonna be the same......
Linwood Barclay has you sitting up straight in your chair about now. The first chapter alone is a knuckle cracker. We find Paul on a leave of absence from the college. He and his wife, Charlotte, are trying to stabilize their lives after that horrendous experience. Barclay kicks his storyline into high gear when Charlotte brings home a curious object that may have a connection to what was in the back seat of Kenneth's car. This object has somewhat grown tentacles and it's weaving its way into Paul's already shifting mindset.
Barclay simmers this one to a soon rapid boil. Just when you think you've figured it out, he shifts the pieces on the gameboard in a different direction. A Noise Downstairs is exactly what I needed after the rush of the holidays. Settling down with a bit of a thriller will certainly sharpen you for this mad dash into 2019.
January 23, 2019
Paul Davis happens upon a colleague on a deserted road, unwittingly catching him in the process of disposing of the bodies of two young women. He barely escapes with his life and nine months later, he’s still struggling with the after effects of the physical and emotional trauma. Paul’s memory lapses and fugues are unsettling him and he’s seeing a therapist. When his wife gifts him with a vintage Underwood typewriter, he’s pleased but soon begins hearing typing sounds in the middle of the night. In his mentally fragile state, Paul begins to wonder if the dead women are trying to send him a message from beyond through that typewriter!
The action begins right away and I felt like I was experiencing Paul’s journey to the truth right alongside him. The typewriter messages may sound kooky but it all seemed plausible given the circumstances, which I’ll leave for you to discover. There are other characters and distractions that become quite meaningful, even creepily so, making this an intriguing story.
I’m a fan of George Newbern and he delivered his usual fine performance, mastering each character and telling the story in a way that kept me engaged. It’s Paul’s point of view for most of the story and Newbern became him so easily, at least in my ear.
I’m such a fan of this author, particularly how he takes ordinary people, puts them in trying situations and has them respond atypically. While I deduced what was going on pretty early, it still was a challenge finding clues to support my theories. And, I was treated to a few surprises in the end. I really enjoyed the story, particularly in the audio format as Newbern made this feel like a movie.
(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
The action begins right away and I felt like I was experiencing Paul’s journey to the truth right alongside him. The typewriter messages may sound kooky but it all seemed plausible given the circumstances, which I’ll leave for you to discover. There are other characters and distractions that become quite meaningful, even creepily so, making this an intriguing story.
I’m a fan of George Newbern and he delivered his usual fine performance, mastering each character and telling the story in a way that kept me engaged. It’s Paul’s point of view for most of the story and Newbern became him so easily, at least in my ear.
I’m such a fan of this author, particularly how he takes ordinary people, puts them in trying situations and has them respond atypically. While I deduced what was going on pretty early, it still was a challenge finding clues to support my theories. And, I was treated to a few surprises in the end. I really enjoyed the story, particularly in the audio format as Newbern made this feel like a movie.
(I received a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review)
January 14, 2024
Typewriter sounds are almost non-existent today, but they kept recurring in Paul’s home and seemed to be coming from the typewriter that his wife had bought him.
After Paul followed his friend because he was driving erratically, he found something horrific and unbelievable.
Paul saw dead bodies in his colleague’s trunk and when Kenneth struck him to silence him, he thought it was all over.
Thankfully Paul didn’t die, and Kenneth was imprisoned.
Another thing happened as Paul was following Kenneth. He saw Kenneth dispose of a typewriter in a dumpster. Could that be the same typewriter that Kenneth forced his victims to use to type an apology before he killed them and the typewriter that Paul's wife bought for him at a yard sale?
When we do "meet" this, typewriter, bizarre things begin to happen.
THE NOISE DOWNSTAIRS has us following Paul as he is recovering from his physical injury caused by the strike with the shovel as well as the emotional trauma. Mr. Barclay keeps the tension high and the story line is intriguing. The ending twists were well hidden from the reader.
The introduction of the typewriter was very clever, and the typewriter seemed to be included as another character. This was my first book by Mr. Barclay, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have enjoyed Mr. Barclay's books, you won't want to miss his newest. 5/5
This book was given to me as ARC by the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thankfully Paul didn’t die, and Kenneth was imprisoned.
Another thing happened as Paul was following Kenneth. He saw Kenneth dispose of a typewriter in a dumpster. Could that be the same typewriter that Kenneth forced his victims to use to type an apology before he killed them and the typewriter that Paul's wife bought for him at a yard sale?
When we do "meet" this, typewriter, bizarre things begin to happen.
THE NOISE DOWNSTAIRS has us following Paul as he is recovering from his physical injury caused by the strike with the shovel as well as the emotional trauma. Mr. Barclay keeps the tension high and the story line is intriguing. The ending twists were well hidden from the reader.
The introduction of the typewriter was very clever, and the typewriter seemed to be included as another character. This was my first book by Mr. Barclay, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have enjoyed Mr. Barclay's books, you won't want to miss his newest. 5/5
This book was given to me as ARC by the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
June 13, 2022
A pretty solid 4 star mystery/thriller for me!
I read this with one of my book clubs so there was a lot of introspection and opinion sharing along the way. I enjoy the additional thinking my book clubs make me do! And, honestly, the discussion makes this review feel more like a defense of my 4 star rating than just a straight up 4 star review.
Through my discussions with my club and in looking at some other reviews, there is a pretty diverse opinion on the story, plot points, and the twists in this book. And, while I agree at times it can seem a bit cheesy, convenient, and predictable, I was fully entertained throughout and did not want to stop reading. When a book pulls me in that much, I can easily forgive some things that might bug me in other situations.
With that being said, if you like twisty thrillers, I think this one is worth checking out. It will definitely keep you guessing . . . then make you think you have figured it out . . . and then it will throw you for another loop. And, while you might truly figure out the mystery on your own, the ride to find out that you were right is worth it!
In conclusion, if you end up thinking it is too cheesy and predictable . . . you were warned! 😊 But, I hope for you, your experience is like mine and that doesn’t take away from your enjoyment of this twisty thriller.
I read this with one of my book clubs so there was a lot of introspection and opinion sharing along the way. I enjoy the additional thinking my book clubs make me do! And, honestly, the discussion makes this review feel more like a defense of my 4 star rating than just a straight up 4 star review.
Through my discussions with my club and in looking at some other reviews, there is a pretty diverse opinion on the story, plot points, and the twists in this book. And, while I agree at times it can seem a bit cheesy, convenient, and predictable, I was fully entertained throughout and did not want to stop reading. When a book pulls me in that much, I can easily forgive some things that might bug me in other situations.
With that being said, if you like twisty thrillers, I think this one is worth checking out. It will definitely keep you guessing . . . then make you think you have figured it out . . . and then it will throw you for another loop. And, while you might truly figure out the mystery on your own, the ride to find out that you were right is worth it!
In conclusion, if you end up thinking it is too cheesy and predictable . . . you were warned! 😊 But, I hope for you, your experience is like mine and that doesn’t take away from your enjoyment of this twisty thriller.
July 29, 2018
I’m going to be intentionally vague here because I don’t want to spoil this book for anyone. Linwood Barclay had me hooked in the first chapter, and it wasn’t long before I was feeling the menace surrounding the main character, Paul Davis. While the major players are introduced and history explained, I felt a strong sympathy for Paul. The pace picked up in the second half of the book, and the 90° turns the author took had me pausing to get my bearings. Even though one of the scenarios that occurred to me turned out to be true, there was much more to come that I didn’t expect at all. This was a well written, clever story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
October 12, 2018
4.5 Stars → A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is a creepy, twisty, and addictive thriller. One night professor Paul Davis stumbles across a colleague attempting to dispose of two bodies along a desolate road; eight months later, Paul is still suffering with the trauma. To lift his spirits, his wife buys him an old-fashioned typewriter in hopes that he'll start writing again. But, poor Paul, late at night he's the only one who can hear the typewriter's keys tapping away on their own, and he's convinced it had something to do with the double murder eight months ago.
I flew through this book it was so good! The mystery of the noise downstairs had me freaking out. I would be terrified to think my typewriter was possessed. This was a suspenseful, multi-layered mystery, and all the parts came together skillfully. One particular twist toward the end had me floored. Wha??? I had to reread it a couple of times to make sure it really happened. Weeks after reading this book, I'm still stunned! Wow. This is the first book by Linwood Barclay I've read, and I'm already a fan. Borrowed from the library.
I flew through this book it was so good! The mystery of the noise downstairs had me freaking out. I would be terrified to think my typewriter was possessed. This was a suspenseful, multi-layered mystery, and all the parts came together skillfully. One particular twist toward the end had me floored. Wha??? I had to reread it a couple of times to make sure it really happened. Weeks after reading this book, I'm still stunned! Wow. This is the first book by Linwood Barclay I've read, and I'm already a fan. Borrowed from the library.
August 2, 2018
Paul Davis and the Case of the Haunted Typewriter!
It’s been eight months since Paul was attacked, and left for dead, after inadvertently stumbling across a fellow professor attempting to dispose of two bodies. Plagued by recurring nightmares, and lapses in memory, as well as struggling to process how a person who’d been both mentor and friend to him could murder two women, Paul decides to write down everything relating to the murders, both to try and come to terms with it all, and facilitate his own recovery.
He uses an old manual typewriter (if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry Paul will explain it to you, along with his son), that his wife found at a yard sale, and almost immediately spooky things start to happen. First, Paul thinks he hears the typewriter keys tapping away at night on their own, and pretty soon he’s finding typed messages that appear to be written by the two dead women. Is he going crazy? Is someone trying to make him look like he’s crazy? Or, is he actually receiving communication from beyond the grave?
An enjoyable, entertaining read, that had me zipping through the pages, even though it bothered me that the person behind everything seemed really obvious, suspicious, and unlikeable from page one. I prayed I had it wrong – kept thinking that there must be more to it, and I am happy to report that – yes, yes, yes – there is. So, if you find yourself in the same camp as me, and you think you’ve guessed correctly, don’t panic, that’s only the beginning. In fact, I don’t think the author ever intended that bit to be a twist. Of course, if you don’t guess who, consider it a bonus! The last third of the book, sees surprise after surprise after surprise thrown at you. I mark it at 4.5, as it did drag in places, but that last 30% was mind-blowing, so I implore you to stick with it.
I got a kick out of the descriptions of the typewriter, how it worked, etc, because even though I’m old enough to not only remember one, but also first learned to type on one, I had almost forgotten how it all worked, so that was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me.
Linwood Barclay, you continue to impress!
It’s been eight months since Paul was attacked, and left for dead, after inadvertently stumbling across a fellow professor attempting to dispose of two bodies. Plagued by recurring nightmares, and lapses in memory, as well as struggling to process how a person who’d been both mentor and friend to him could murder two women, Paul decides to write down everything relating to the murders, both to try and come to terms with it all, and facilitate his own recovery.
He uses an old manual typewriter (if you don’t know what that is, don’t worry Paul will explain it to you, along with his son), that his wife found at a yard sale, and almost immediately spooky things start to happen. First, Paul thinks he hears the typewriter keys tapping away at night on their own, and pretty soon he’s finding typed messages that appear to be written by the two dead women. Is he going crazy? Is someone trying to make him look like he’s crazy? Or, is he actually receiving communication from beyond the grave?
An enjoyable, entertaining read, that had me zipping through the pages, even though it bothered me that the person behind everything seemed really obvious, suspicious, and unlikeable from page one. I prayed I had it wrong – kept thinking that there must be more to it, and I am happy to report that – yes, yes, yes – there is. So, if you find yourself in the same camp as me, and you think you’ve guessed correctly, don’t panic, that’s only the beginning. In fact, I don’t think the author ever intended that bit to be a twist. Of course, if you don’t guess who, consider it a bonus! The last third of the book, sees surprise after surprise after surprise thrown at you. I mark it at 4.5, as it did drag in places, but that last 30% was mind-blowing, so I implore you to stick with it.
I got a kick out of the descriptions of the typewriter, how it worked, etc, because even though I’m old enough to not only remember one, but also first learned to type on one, I had almost forgotten how it all worked, so that was a nostalgic trip down memory lane for me.
Linwood Barclay, you continue to impress!
August 7, 2018
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is a book that just didn't work completely for me. I usually love reading Linwood Barcley's books and I'm not saying that this isn't well written. It's just the story didn't convince me. If it had been an author like Stephen King might I have bought the haunted typewriter, but in this case, I just waited for the truth to come out. The logical explanation. And, that kind of made the reading experience just not as enjoyable as with his previous books.
On the plus side did I enjoy Barclay's writing, I always do. He has such a grew flow, even as with this case the story isn't rocking my boat. I just breezed through the pages. Alas, I missed the suspense from his previous books.
Then comes the last part, here Barclay both surprise me and at the same time disappoint me. Yeah, I'm a bit on the fence about the ending. In one way it's WAY TOO typical on the other hand there is a twist that I did not see coming that made me go WOW. That's the way to go, Barclay, chock the reader. So, I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to the ending, I loved part of it, but not the whole deal.
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is a book that has an interesting premise. The writing is top-notch. But, ultimately I just couldn't find myself loving the story. However, I did like it and I would recommend the book.
I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
On the plus side did I enjoy Barclay's writing, I always do. He has such a grew flow, even as with this case the story isn't rocking my boat. I just breezed through the pages. Alas, I missed the suspense from his previous books.
Then comes the last part, here Barclay both surprise me and at the same time disappoint me. Yeah, I'm a bit on the fence about the ending. In one way it's WAY TOO typical on the other hand there is a twist that I did not see coming that made me go WOW. That's the way to go, Barclay, chock the reader. So, I'm a bit on the fence when it comes to the ending, I loved part of it, but not the whole deal.
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is a book that has an interesting premise. The writing is top-notch. But, ultimately I just couldn't find myself loving the story. However, I did like it and I would recommend the book.
I want to thank William Morrow for providing me with a free copy through Edelweiss for an honest review!
September 9, 2018
Of course, I had plans and chores that needed doing, then again, I also had a few minutes, so I picked this up.
Big Mistake. Sure, I took care of the basics, I mean a gal’s gotta eat and such, but……...
Linwood Barclay, handily, stole the rest of my day.
What if you heard a noise, clearly; from downstairs or elsewhere in your home, while your family slept?
Gulp, gobble gobble, gone.
Hmmmm.
Big Mistake. Sure, I took care of the basics, I mean a gal’s gotta eat and such, but……...
Linwood Barclay, handily, stole the rest of my day.
What if you heard a noise, clearly; from downstairs or elsewhere in your home, while your family slept?
Gulp, gobble gobble, gone.
Hmmmm.
July 17, 2018
Several months ago, Paul Davis was attacked by a killer with a shovel. Somehow he survived the massive head wound he received. The killer was a friend ... a colleague ... and it was just happenstance that he saw two women's bodies in his friend's trunk before they were hidden and buried.
Now Paul suffers severe panic attacks, short term memory loss. But the most terrifying are the noises he hears that no one else does. Most recently, his wife bought him an old typewriter. At night, he swears he can hear it typing .. by itself. It is suggested that he insert a sheet of paper and see what happens. And what he finds sends him into a massive spin.
The women that his friend killed were made to type out an apology to the killer. Those apologies are now being typed on his typewriter with no one around. Is this the actual typewriter that the killer owned?
Are the messages from beyond the grave? Is Paul hallucinating? Is he paranoid?
Either he's losing his mind - or someone wants him to think he is.
His therapist is firm in her belief that he is not going crazy ... on the other hand, she doesn't believe that dead women are contacting him through type written messages. But who would want to torture this man .. and to what end?
This one goes to the top of my favorite books this year! It's a well-written psychological thriller that is riveting in its edginess and features standout characters. Expect fast paced action with this one. The twist at the end is one that will knock you off your feet.
Many thanks to the author / William Morrow Books / Edelweiss for the advanced digital copy of this psychological thriller. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
July 9, 2018
The brutal attack on Paul Davis was meant to end his life – instead the injuries and PTSD, along with depression were dragging him down. The person who attacked him was in prison for murder while Paul struggled to move forward with his life. His psychologist, Dr Anna White was a positive influence, but the night time was his enemy. Paul’s nightmares were frightening his wife Charlotte, and during the day his memory was sporadic; he wondered if he was going crazy.
But when Charlotte brought a vintage typewriter home for Paul – so he could record all the events in a cathartic way, perhaps turning it into a book – his problems became much worse. The noises from downstairs were coming from his think room, where the typewriter had been put – but there was no one there. Charlotte didn’t hear a thing. As Paul formed ideas, then discarded them, then formed more, he decided he would talk to people involved, to see if he could make any sense of what was happening to him. There had to be a rational explanation – didn’t there?
Wow! Linwood Barclay always astounds me with the depth of his stories. I was pretty sure I knew the “who” very early in the piece but had no idea on the “why”. But the twist at the end blew that all away! A Noise Downstairs is a chilling psychological thriller that was absolutely unputdownable. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read and review.
But when Charlotte brought a vintage typewriter home for Paul – so he could record all the events in a cathartic way, perhaps turning it into a book – his problems became much worse. The noises from downstairs were coming from his think room, where the typewriter had been put – but there was no one there. Charlotte didn’t hear a thing. As Paul formed ideas, then discarded them, then formed more, he decided he would talk to people involved, to see if he could make any sense of what was happening to him. There had to be a rational explanation – didn’t there?
Wow! Linwood Barclay always astounds me with the depth of his stories. I was pretty sure I knew the “who” very early in the piece but had no idea on the “why”. But the twist at the end blew that all away! A Noise Downstairs is a chilling psychological thriller that was absolutely unputdownable. Highly recommended.
With thanks to Hachette AU for my ARC to read and review.
April 24, 2020
I had fun, it was a quick and entertaining read!
I thought it felt different from other Barclay's novel (not in a good or bad way... just different). The ending was, although not stunning, satisfying. I had a great time, and that's what I'm looking for when I read!
I thought it felt different from other Barclay's novel (not in a good or bad way... just different). The ending was, although not stunning, satisfying. I had a great time, and that's what I'm looking for when I read!
September 6, 2019
Thank you Linwood Barclay, this book was exactly what i needed! I recently went through a week-long reading slump, having completed/dnf'd two disappointing books (The Last Guest House & Temper) and was considering taking a break from reading for a while, but something made me decide to give this one a shot. I'm so glad I read this! Linwood Barclay is a dependable thriller author, so when I read the synopsis I knew this book would be interesting. It was entertaining to say the least, as well as creepy, thrilling, humorous, and so much more!
The prologue of this book begins with an intense scene in which our protagonist, college professor Paul Davis, witnesses a murderer (a colleague and friend) disposing of his victims' bodies and is attacked and almost killed himself in the process. Things just pick up from there and don't let up until the very last page! Davis suffers from a head injury and after rehabbing sometime later decides to write a book to process this horrendous experience, only to be awoken several times in the middle of the night by the tap tap clicking sound of his typewriter. Not only is he haunted by the clicking noise, but he soon starts receiving eerie type-written messages, which he believes to be written by the victims themselves! Is the type-writer haunted? Is he imagining this? Is he writing these messages himself whilst half-asleep? Is he crazy? Or is something else entirely different going on here? There was a supernatural element to this, which was incredibly creepy and kept me glued to the pages, as well as a twisty mystery with such a fast pace it was hard not to read this book until the wee hours of the morning. There were some huge shockers in this book that had me speechless, which is so incredibly hard to do at this point! I would say this is my favorite book from Barclay (i've only read three of his books sadly), and would recommend this to pretty much anyone looking for entertainment. I'm incredibly thankful for Mr. Barclay and his talent, as it brought me out of my mini-slump and now I can't wait for his newest release, Elevator Pitch to release!
The prologue of this book begins with an intense scene in which our protagonist, college professor Paul Davis, witnesses a murderer (a colleague and friend) disposing of his victims' bodies and is attacked and almost killed himself in the process. Things just pick up from there and don't let up until the very last page! Davis suffers from a head injury and after rehabbing sometime later decides to write a book to process this horrendous experience, only to be awoken several times in the middle of the night by the tap tap clicking sound of his typewriter. Not only is he haunted by the clicking noise, but he soon starts receiving eerie type-written messages, which he believes to be written by the victims themselves! Is the type-writer haunted? Is he imagining this? Is he writing these messages himself whilst half-asleep? Is he crazy? Or is something else entirely different going on here? There was a supernatural element to this, which was incredibly creepy and kept me glued to the pages, as well as a twisty mystery with such a fast pace it was hard not to read this book until the wee hours of the morning. There were some huge shockers in this book that had me speechless, which is so incredibly hard to do at this point! I would say this is my favorite book from Barclay (i've only read three of his books sadly), and would recommend this to pretty much anyone looking for entertainment. I'm incredibly thankful for Mr. Barclay and his talent, as it brought me out of my mini-slump and now I can't wait for his newest release, Elevator Pitch to release!
April 22, 2019
Still effected by the traumatic events eight months ago, Paul Davis is desperate to get he’s life back on track.
Having stumbled upon he’s co-worker and friend Kenneth with two dead women in he’s car, Paul was attacked and left for dead during the whole experience.
Still recovering from the night, Paul is suffering from memory loss and nightmares, in an effect to gain closure he decides to write down everything he can recall from that evening.
He’s worried wife Charlotte even helps by finding him a vintage typewriter to encourage him to tell he’s story, when Paul starts to hear the clacking of the keys during the middle of the night - he soon wonders if the two dead women are trying to send a message from beyond the grave...
I absolutely loved this story, it took a little while to get drawn into the story but once the sound of keys typing during the middle of the night I was completely hooked.
There’s nothing scarier than a simple every day sound being hear when there’s no reasonable explanation on what’s causing it!
I liked the ambiguity of a supernatural element being involved or was Paul slowly starting to unravel.
The trauma he suffered could well be having a detrimental effect to what he believes he can hear.
The pace really picks up during the second of the novel, with plenty of surprises along the way.
This novel really grew on me and was hard to put down, the conclusion was perfect and I liked how all the plot strands tied up nicely in the end!
Having stumbled upon he’s co-worker and friend Kenneth with two dead women in he’s car, Paul was attacked and left for dead during the whole experience.
Still recovering from the night, Paul is suffering from memory loss and nightmares, in an effect to gain closure he decides to write down everything he can recall from that evening.
He’s worried wife Charlotte even helps by finding him a vintage typewriter to encourage him to tell he’s story, when Paul starts to hear the clacking of the keys during the middle of the night - he soon wonders if the two dead women are trying to send a message from beyond the grave...
I absolutely loved this story, it took a little while to get drawn into the story but once the sound of keys typing during the middle of the night I was completely hooked.
There’s nothing scarier than a simple every day sound being hear when there’s no reasonable explanation on what’s causing it!
I liked the ambiguity of a supernatural element being involved or was Paul slowly starting to unravel.
The trauma he suffered could well be having a detrimental effect to what he believes he can hear.
The pace really picks up during the second of the novel, with plenty of surprises along the way.
This novel really grew on me and was hard to put down, the conclusion was perfect and I liked how all the plot strands tied up nicely in the end!
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