A gripping psychological thriller that explores betrayal, lies, and deadly secrets. The story is masterfully paced, keeping you hooked with every twist.

This was a fun edge of your seat thriller.I enjoyed my time reading this.I was surprised with the ending and highly recommend!

Mandalay Close seems like such a great place for Lena to start a new after leaving her cheating boyfriend, only looks can be deceiving as on the day she moves into the close the other residents start to receive letter threatening to expose their deepest, darkest secrets. Now once I finished I realised that the title didn't really fit the story and also the blurb of threatening letters didn't play a major part in the story.

However that aside, I did enjoy reading the POV pf the eight characters in the Close, and the intricate secrets they are all keeping behind each of their closed doors.

4 stars

In Joanne Ryan’s newest domestic thriller, Don’t Let Her In, we meet our key protagonist, Lena. She seems to have a bit of a shadowy past, she doesn’t seem to have any problems lying, she had a bad breakup and although justified, she metes out her own flavor of revenge. In short, she is definitely an anti-heroine, but as the novel unfolds, the question is: is she also a murderer?

Just as we get used to Lena’s POV, Ryan switches things up. We also glean more information as her older neighbor gets several turns at her story, as well as her violent next-door neighbor’s psychologically abused son. Finally, we hear from another neighbor, who is a pathological gambler. These alternating narratives between these four characters, slowly reveal intimate truths about the desperate lives of seemingly ordinary people who live in a well-respected neighborhood.

As the narrative unfolds, Lena looks increasingly guilty, or, is she being set up? Ryan does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing and humanizing her neighbors, which is also an underlying theme: how much do we know our neighbors? They seem nice enough, creepy, or even violent, but will we ever know their true stories? Will our lives intersect with theirs and create chaos? Or, will we find a new best friend? This is the trajectory of Lena’s journey, and in the end, will she, and her neighbors, survive?

This is a quick read, perfect for a long weekend, or a quiet evening in, depending on your reading speed.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Thank you to NetGalley,  Joanne Ryan, and Boldwood Books for an ARC copy of "Don't Let Her In".

I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down! The story pulls you in from the very first page as Lena moves into Mandalay Close, hoping for a fresh start after her heartbreak. But just as she’s settling in, mysterious letters start arriving, threatening to expose the deepest secrets of all her neighbours—except Lena. The tension builds beautifully as Lena finds herself entangled in a web of suspicion and deceit, with her new life unravelling before her eyes.

What I loved most about this book is how it delves into the idea that everyone has secrets, and how those secrets can come back to haunt you in the most unexpected ways. It’s a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat read that kept me guessing until the very end.

This was an enjoyable read, told through the multiple POVs of different residents of Mandalay Close. Although it started off quite slow it soon picked up pace and became an intriguing mix of drama and mystery as the secrets of these residents start to come out.

Lots of twists along the way, some of them more surprising than others but all good at moving the story along. Some of the characters are supremely unlikeable, I definitely had high hopes that one of them would meet an untimely end 😁 The only teeny gripe I had were the chapters from the child’s POV - I feel like they weren’t really very child-like in their wording. But it’s a fairly small nitpick. I also didn’t really get the significance of the letters. From reading the blurb I thought they were going to play a much more integral part in the story, but they didn’t really do anything to the plot, they were never properly explained, and honestly…if you took them out I don’t feel like it would affect the story in the slightest 🤷🏼‍♀️ but perhaps I misunderstood that aspect!

Overall, a good story, plenty to keep you guessing and entertained. Thank you so much @rachelsrandomresources and @theboldbookclub for my copy of Don’t Let Her In 🙏🏻

This was an enjoyable easy read. The story is about Lena who having recently just broken up with her cheating boyfriend ends up moving into Mandalay Close. The seemingly upmarket quiet close has many secrets which are all in some way or another connected. I found this book a little predictable but otherwise an good read.

Book Review: Don’t Let Her In by Joanne Ryan

Joanne Ryan’s "Don’t Let Her In" is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. As Lena seeks a fresh start in Mandalay Close, her hopes are dashed when mysterious letters begin to infiltrate her new community—letters that threaten to expose the hidden secrets of her seemingly perfect neighbors, while leaving Lena in the crosshairs of suspicion.

Ryan expertly builds tension as Lena’s world unravels, expertly weaving a web of intrigue and mistrust that makes each character suspect. The narrative is rich with suspense, and just when you think you’ve pieced it all together, Ryan throws in unexpected twists that keep you guessing.

With its engaging plot and well-drawn characters, "Don’t Let Her In" is a thrilling exploration of trust, betrayal, and the lengths one will go to protect their secrets. This novel is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers looking for a story that explores the dark undercurrents of human relationships.

"The letters drop onto every doormat... Trust Nobody..."

...

Lena and Gareth have been an item for eleven years, however when she discovers that he is cheating on her and is preparing to move his new eighteen-year-old girlfriend into their shared home, Lena moves out. Financially she is stable as she runs her own successful cleaning business, although going forward she will need Gareth to either sell their shared home or buy her out, so that she will have capital with which to buy a new home for herself and make a clean start. Meanwhile she is renting a small coach house property which has been squeezed on to an infill site, on the suburban Mandalay Road. Residents here are mostly upwardly mobile professionals and most would have no idea who their neighbours are, let alone be prepared to pass the time of day with them.

Lena isn't that aloof and within a matter of days has introduced herself to both her immediate neighbours. Prue on the one side, is a middle-aged single lady who cares for her elderly mother who is in the late stages of dementia. Oliver, Rachel and their young son Jolyon live on the other side and they are a completely different kettle of fish altogether. Rachel and Jolyon are clearly under the thumb of an obtuse, arrogant and downright nasty Oliver, who has taken an instant dislike to Lena.

Now the poison pen letters begin to arrive at almost every house except Lena's and although reluctant to share that they have been the victims of such vile abuse, many of the residents suspect Lena of sending them, by default of her being the newcomer to the road. Lena's best friend Kate comes to visit and the two of them spend their time swapping the complicated horror stories which have become their respective love lives and although it is Kate who has become embroiled with a married man, who now wants to end things with her, Lena is, very unusually, only prepared to share the bare bones of her own recent escapades and the long-term ramifications of her actions.

Oliver suddenly disappears and when, after a suitable period of time has elapsed and his whereabouts is none the clearer, the police are called in, Lena's life is turned completely upside down as accusations are made against her. Following consultation with the duty lawyer, who is going to become more involved in the case than she would ever have either thought or wanted to be, Lena spends a short spell in custody, before a good Samaritan fulfils their community duty and comes forward with new information, which will help Lena, but not necessarily themselves.

With Gareth having come through with his side of the bargain to give Lena fifty percent of their shared property value, she is now determined that the time is right for a new start, although her choice of location for her new home is something of a surprise.

...

“Oh! What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive”

'Don't Let Her In' might be the first book I have read by this new to me author, however it definitely won't be the last. Although a fast-paced, action-packed thriller is always going to find a place on my reading list, a good, solid, slow burning storyline such as this, is also more than welcome, especially when it comes with so many twists and turns, many of which I never saw coming, keeping me on the edge of me seat until the very last page. So many secrets, so many lies, so many ruined lives!

Narrated fluently from multiple viewpoints, this multi-layered, slowly evolving, intensely textured storyline, is presented in short and well-signposted chapters, making it easy to follow, or dip in and out of - that's if you can stand the suspense of waiting to discover what happens next! Some of the many social mores the story encompasses along its journey, are emotionally complex and disturbing. From the lies which go hand in hand with the denial of addiction, to the gaslighting and coercion associated with both mental and physical violence within a family. From the desire for revenge and retribution culminating and exacted in the most heinous of crimes, to the trauma and denial of the ultimate crime of compassion. All are confronted and dealt with consummately, by an author who has an intuitive sense of perception, in a non-sensationalist or judgemental way.

There is quite a cast of well defined and described characters and by the very nature of the plot and the sneaky way the author has the storyline unfold little by little, keeping up with who did what to whom, where, why and when, often required good levels of concentration. They all however, had one thing in common from my perspective, in that I quite quickly came to the conclusion that I disliked most, if not all of them, to one degree or another. Despite their many individual complex challenges, which were obviously quite distressing and difficult, I found it all too easy to disconnect from them, as they showed little synergy or engagement with one another and never appeared authentic or genuine.


This story is all about the people, with the location having little relevance to the outcome. Mandalay Road is set in suburbia which might be found in any small corner of the UK and the action takes place in one insular section of this road, where the residents are like passing ships in the night, with many not even knowing the names of their closest neighbours. So, even though with my 'armchair traveller' hat on I might not have been completely satisfied, I did find myself pondering the possibility that some of my neighbours in the small cul-de-sac I call home, might have more secrets to hide than meets the eye!

You never know what goes on behind closed doors!

I didn't love this one as much as I was hoping. The story really dragged. There were also too many POVs. The twists were interesting, but not enough to make me love the book.

I loved the book it was so great. The plot was out of this old awesome. I did not expect the twist that played out in the end. Everything that played out was jaw dropping. The characters was jaw dropping and amazing. Oliver was crazy good. Prue should get an award for her awesome performance. The twist popped up in ever chapter was bloody brilliant, which made the book even better. I enjoyed the book immensely. I give this book two snaps an a twist.

This book moved at a very fast pace. I couldnt put it down. Told by multiple POV's. Lots of secrets in this one. The ending was unpredictable and thats the way I like my books to be.

Interesting read. Enjoyed it but felt it could of been expanded on in places but over all really good.

Joanne Ryan has become a favourite psychological thriller after reading this and I am sure you will feel the same too. This book is a perfect mix of suspense and intrigue that had me on the edge of my seat from the start and I just needed to reach its conclusion. The plot twists are written perfectly to allow doubt to keep into the readers mind about who to trust and what their motives are. I highly recommend this goes to the top of your TBR.

I am not really sure the title matches the book- it gives heavy stalker, baby reindeer kind of vibes and that just wasn’t the vibe I got from the book.
I felt like not a lot happened till about the last 5% of the book when everything seemed to happen all at once.
Other than a couple of altercations the book just seemed to focus on Lena and her annoyance at the fact her ex cheated on her with a teenager and she wanted half the house. She had a self absorbed friend who no one in the right mind would be friends with as she was just not very nice, an energy drain and incredibly annoying.
The 8 years old perspective didn’t come off as an 8 year old even a particularly intelligent 8 year old. I have an 8 year old and she certainly wouldn’t have given her point of view in the same way.


I just don’t really know how I feel about this book- I didn’t dislike it enough to not finish it but I didn’t love it either.

Well this book was not for me. Who exactly are you not supposed to let in? You won’t know either even after you read the book. It was a very slow mover more than half the book. There were parts of the book that seemed intriguing but went absolutely nowhere. The book did finally pick up and things came together but it was unrealistic in my opinion. This just wasn’t for me.

I was very drawn to the synopsis and cover of this book, but it was very slow and dull for the majority of the book. At about 85%, it picked up a little to reveal a few twists. The character development was lacking, and most of the characters were unlikable. Simon was the most interesting character and, in my opinion, would have been a better main character. I don't understand the significance of the book title and wish more attention had been given to the delivered letters. Sadly, it's not a book I enjoyed or can recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Masterpiece of Suspense and Intrigue!

"Don't Let Her In" is a jaw-dropping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. Lena’s fresh start in Mandalay Close quickly turns into a nightmare as letters threatening to reveal everyone's darkest secrets begin to arrive—everyone's but hers. The tension is palpable, and the sense of paranoia and suspicion is expertly crafted.

The author brilliantly weaves a complex web of intrigue and suspense, making it impossible to put the book down. Every character is meticulously developed, and the seemingly perfect neighborhood is revealed to be anything but. The plot twists are perfectly timed, leaving me constantly guessing who could be behind the letters and what their true motives are.

Lena is a relatable protagonist, and her journey from hope to despair is both gripping and heart-wrenching. Her hidden secrets add layers of complexity to her character, making her struggle all the more compelling. The author skillfully explores themes of trust, betrayal, and the facades people maintain to hide their true selves.

"Don't Let Her In" is perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Lisa Jewell, and Sue Watson. It’s a psychological thriller that delves deep into the human psyche, uncovering the dark secrets we all try to keep hidden. This book is a must-read for anyone who loves a story that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Five stars for this stunning and unforgettable thriller! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Totally gripping read, hard to put down. Loved the twists and turns. Enjoyed how the story unfolded and would definitely recommend this book

This one wasn't for me. Just a little too strange and out there for my taste. If you like fantasy this might be more your style.