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 … 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. . . .
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Linwood Barclay’s novels – as intelligent as Michael Connelly’s, as compelling as Harlan Coben’s – never fail to astonish. A Noise Downstairs, his best work yet, is a cobra of a story: smooth, slippery, unnerving . . . and likely to strike when you least expect it. I devoured this book.
Vintage Barclay – A Noise Downstairs is an utterly compelling read with a twist you won’t see coming. I loved it!
Unexpected….
Although this one had a slow start for me and isn’t exactly what I thought it was going to be… It was pretty bold and twisted! I can’t say what I found bold about it without killing one of the big/main twists but…this novel is just that… Twisted! Very messed up and…damn… Again… twisted! In the best ways! After a certain point the short chapters and fast pace of the story kick in and the story is devoured within meer hours! Although I had guessed a couple things, it did not take away from my interest in the novel or the plot, as there were a couple other major twists I never saw coming! This one has multiple narrators and ended up being devilishly dark and entertaining!
“A Noise Downstairs” by Linwood Barclay begins with an attack. Paul sees his friend Kenneth’s car and fears there is something wrong. Something is wrong, very wrong; Paul spots two bodies, both wrapped in plastic. Then everything goes black. Kenneth was his friend, and Kenneth tried to murder him.
Eight Months later, Paul is seeing therapist Dr. Anna White. He is recovering from the significant head trauma and is haunted by what Kenneth did. He is having nightmares, flashbacks, episodes of disassociation, and panic attacks. He wants to write about the trauma, hoping that the process will help him to understand, to cope, and to move ahead with his life. His wife buys him a used Underwood, and he commences to use the vintage typewriter to put words on the page. Then, in the middle of the night, he is startled awake. There is a noise downstairs, — clack, clack, clack. What has he done?
The action alternates between the interconnected stories of Paul and his therapist, Anna. Readers are pulled into the suspicion and trauma with a little clue here and a little incident there. Unknown the fears take shape, driven by strange happenings, sounds in the night, and mysterious calls to the police.
“It’s like a Twilight Zone episode. This can’t be happening. This has to be a nightmare.”
This is Barclay at his best. Readers ponder Paul’s nightmares, memory loss, obsession, determination, and optimism. “Sometimes things just have a way of working out.” However, when the end seems clear, is it really the end? In true Barclay fashion, there is a twist, an additional surprise, and an unexpected revelation.
Barclay takes readers on a perilous trip as characters slip into delusion, paranoia, and mental instability., and I could not put it down.
Can’t get enough of Linwood Barclay!!
Kept me turning pages to see what would happen next.
Loved it! This is the first of Lynwood Barclay’s books I’ve read in years, and now I wonder why I’ve waited so long! Highly entertaining and I strongly recommend this to everyone.
This was a good book with an ending that wasn’t easy to figure out. I enjoyed it very much.
I did not figure it out.
This was a great unpredictable, page-turner!!
Ending was weak
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Interesting characters and storyline. A page turner and for me, a surprise ending.
This started out a little bit slow for me but then it picked up and then the twists and turns started happening. Is it a happy ending? Not exactly. Actually not at all what you would expect
Excellent work…better than a Harlan Coban…true its categorisation – Crime Fiction Thriller and Psych thriller…
Paul Davis is a decent average person who happens upon his best friend attempting to dispose of the bodies of two of his lovers. For this intrusion, he receives a major head injury leading to later confusion, depression and memory loss. In an attempt to figure out why his friend Kenneth did this and confessed so quickly he starts to research his friend. His once distant and now very supportive wife, Charlotte helps him in this effort. But soon, the typewriter she has given him for this project starts to write by itself at night. The mystery grows. Surprise builds opon surprise. This book is one wild ride!!!
Ermigahhhhhhwd, I loved this book.
I know a few said it was predictable and I know that I’m no whiz-bang but I was hugely surprised twice and was reminded several times that Linwood Barclay can still write a damn good book.
Somewhat predictable. Interesting but not engrossing.
I have read all the books written by Linwood Barclay. I love the twisted plots that always keep my guessing.
As all of the author’s books are a bit quirky, and you never quite never know where it’s heading, but you have to keep going to see if you have it right. I was a bit sad at the ending but I loved the book.
Very good! Did not see a few of the twists and turns coming…and the book has quite a few!