Don't Let Him In

 

Oof. I’m gonna need a minute for my blood pressure to come back down. I haven’t wanted to scream at characters and shake some sense into them so much in ages!

Ash Swann is twenty-five when her beloved dad Paddy is senselessly killed. Now twenty-six, she’s still living at home when a beautifully wrapped gift arrives for her mom Nina from a man named Nick who says he used to work with Paddy. Nina thinks he’s handsome and charming and ever so kind to her, though his job calls him away a lot. Ash isn’t as thrilled.

Martha is a florist with two sons from her previous marriage and a baby girl with husband Alistair. He’s so attentive to her and always giving her gifts and promising to take her away for special weekends. It’s too bad his job always needs him at the last minute.

Apart from the frequent work absences and some persistent money troubles, these ladies can surely each agree they’ve found their perfect man. They just need to be patient.

I mean … look at Nick’s tears and listen to all of Alistair’s profuse apologies. Your guy is so, so sorry, ladies!

Believe me when I say that this little snippet I’ve offered doesn’t even begin to scratch the surface of this story or the number of characters involved in unfolding it. It’s psychological suspense with some mystery, but mostly it’s a cautionary tale which falls into place one puzzle piece at a time, and the picture it forms isn’t pretty. 

The book unfolds through the third person narration of Ash’s search for answers about Nick, and Martha and Nina’s stories interspersed with first person chapters that reveal past events. I enjoyed the short chapters and switches between Martha, Nina and Ash’s stories, though I do think the page count made the scenarios feel just a little repetitive after awhile. Though I wanted justice served with some extra STANK on it, I can be happy with where things ended!

Though a work of fiction, it’s clear that Jewell did her homework about the scenarios presented in this book, and it’s alarming to think that even the smartest people can be vulnerable in the right circumstances or mental states. I had a lot of fun reading this but it also made me mad!

I won’t be cynical and jump on the “Don’t Let Him In” advice of the title, but maybe just take a long, long, loooong look through that metaphorical peephole first before you open the door! (But please DO open this book. 😉)

★★★★ ½ 

Thanks to Atria Books, NetGalley and author Lisa Jewell for this DRC to honestly review! It’s out on June 24, 2025.