I didn’t realise this was part of a series when I request it, I haven’t read any of the others but this was a great read.
I will now be searching out the ones before !

From the very first scene of The Girls Upstairs, I was absolutely gripped. The tension, the fear, the looming danger—it was all so visceral that I couldn’t put the book down. The chilling image of an intruder holding a knife to a mother’s throat while her husband stands eerily still, balancing plates on his back, made me shiver. The stakes were high, and I could feel the weight of every moment.

What really sucked me into this story was how Charlie Gallagher kept ratcheting up the suspense with each twist. Just when I thought I had a handle on the situation, a new revelation would drop, and I was left reeling. Detective Maddie Ives, with her tough exterior and personal connection to the case, was a perfect guide through this dark, twisted web of secrets. Her determination to uncover the truth, despite the emotional toll, made me root for her even more.

By the time the story reached its climax, I was breathless. The final twists were completely unexpected and had me rethinking everything I’d assumed. The atmosphere, the pacing, and the chilling mystery made The Girls Upstairs a thriller I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

If you love edge-of-your-seat suspense, dark secrets, and jaw-dropping reveals, The Girls Upstairs is an absolute must-read. Just be prepared for a ride you won’t be able to get off until the very last page.

The Girls Upstairs by Charlie Gallagher is an explosive, edge-of-your-seat crime thriller that will keep readers hooked from start to finish. The story opens with a chilling scene: Emmy and her younger sister Dani are sleeping peacefully upstairs, unaware that downstairs, their parents are being held at knifepoint by an intruder. The tension rises as the intruder threatens to make noise that could wake the children, leading to a terrifying realization—there can be no witnesses.

Detective Maddie Ives, who arrives at the crime scene, is horrified by what she discovers in the kitchen. The brutality of the crime is enough to shake even the most seasoned investigator. As Maddie delves deeper into the case, she uncovers a web of secrets, and a shocking twist reveals connections she never could have anticipated.

Gallagher masterfully builds suspense with every page, crafting a story filled with unexpected turns and moments of sheer terror. The Girls Upstairs is perfect for fans of gritty, psychological thrillers with compelling characters and heart-stopping twists. With its tightly wound narrative and dark secrets, this novel is an unputdownable read that will keep you guessing until the very last page.

The mystery in The Girls Upstairs was a solid thriller, the title seems a little off. The book is centered around a series of murders, this murder with the girls upstairs is just one in a line of offenses perpetrated by this sadistic killer. The story is interesting and the detective work in finding this killer is solid and makes this book a good read.

What a ride! There were so many twists.

The beginning started off a little confusing to me, mostly because this is part of a series (oops?) but I think you can still read this without reading the prior books, just be prepared for a little confusion.

When you think you know what is going on, guess again.

Very entertaining, truly a wild ride.

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for my DRC.

what a fun thriller! i loved all the twists and turns throughout the book and enjoyed reading it. i will admit i was quite a bit confused at the beginning of this story as i was unaware that this was part of a series, which made it a bit difficult to get into at first. besides that, this was an entertaining read.

thank you netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book is the latest release in the excellent Maddie Ives detective series but can be read as a standalone. Although I would recommend reading the complete series from the beginning and feel the characters and emotions grow on you. Don't read detective series and dismiss theses books Charlie Gallagher takes them to another level.
This book has continued with the usual high drama, raw original stories and with the ever twisting plot, making it a true page turner
Highly recommended

Absolutely loved this book, a very quick page turner, will be putting this on the list to be a read of the month for the book club I run!

I really struggled with this book, parts I couldn’t turn the page fast enough other parts I felt it was long and drawn out. One thing I didn’t expect was the ending!!! That was a real shock and turn of events. I will give another book by the author ago as not sure if it’s the general style of writing that wasn’t for me or just this book.

Thankyou i really enjoyed this book and i will be recommending it to everyone in my book group as i think they will enjoy it too

9th book in the Maddie Ives series. This was a fast paced book which I couldnt put down. Even though this book is part of a series I was easily able to read it as a standalone. Loved the characters.

My thanks to Joffe books, Charlie Gallagher and Netgalley.
Well, this is me again forgetting to review. Its gotten ridiculous!
I read this a few months ago, and yes I loved it. Charlie Gallagher can write.
What I enjoyed about this book is the different p.o.v.s. I'm a happy camper when there is a range of voices instead of one.

If I’m not reading romance, I’m normally reading, psychological thrillers and being a mood reader I typically bounce between those two genres. This thriller was amazing. I can’t even explain to you how amazing it was without giving away spoilers and knowing me I am not a spoiler girl, but if you’re really into thrillers, like I am, I would definitely get this book a try it’s so good.

This book was good!! I didn't find anything particularly exciting about it but it was an enjoyable read.

The Girls Upstairs by Charlie Gallagher

The Girls Upstairs is a fast paced phycological police thriller. When a psychopath is on the hunt to kill officers in the quest for vengeance for circumstances they believe are wrong, that believe they were unjustly punished because of the police., the games played quickly become deadly. The killer or killers quickly escalate their killings, making them more brutal and bloody.
The killer wants the murders to make an impact, even going so far as to murder a police officer and his wife in a brutal manner, while their children slept upstairs.
Parts of the book drug but overall I generally enjoyed the mystery. The book kept you on edge the entire time, hoping that the officers will be ok, and that the killers will finally get caught. Is the killer devolving, or just extremely devious and dark?

I liked the way this story is told. The different POVs were very interesting and kept me engaged. I don't typically read thrillers set in other countries, but I enjoyed the writing and how the story affected the various characters. I will definitely look for more books to read by this author.

I really enjoyed this! The twist is well done and I wasn't sure how it was going to end and I will definitely be checking out more from this series! I would recommend this if you enjoy thrillers! Special Thank You to Charlie Gallagher, Joffe Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

This is an exciting police procedural that follows DI Maddie Ives as she investigates the murders of several police colleagues. Since she knows the victims, this case is very personal for Maddie. She and her partner, Harry, investigate the crime scenes and attempt to understand the motives and why the police are the targets in these brutal killings. Just as the reader thinks they understand what is happening, there are more twists.

Although this is the 9th episode in the Maddie Ives series, it is the first that I have read and it can easily be enjoyed as a standalone. I look forward to others in this series.

At times I wasn’t sure where the story was going, which normally would put this in a DNF but I kept going and was hooked. The twists were unpredictable and I was entertained throughout. Chilling read.

Emmy and her little sister Dani are sleeping in their bedroom upstairs. Their parents are in the kitchen. A knife is jammed to their mother’s throat. Their father has a stack of kitchen plates balanced on his back. The intruder rasps, ‘Don’t be breathing too hard now. I reckon smashing plates is the sort of noise that’ll wake a child. Have them coming down to see what’s going on. There can’t be witnesses . . .’What Detective Maddie Ives will find in that nice family kitchen will horrify even this most hardened cop. And she knows the victim . . .

This book had me gripped and kept me gripped right to the end. Full of twists and turns, its a great read for holidays when you want to be fully absorbed into a good book!