I've reached the point where I read everything new that Lisa Jewell publishes. She is always pitch perfect in her story telling, and has a very light touch in telling dark stories that not many people have (I would compare her to Liz Nugent, another favourite of mine).
This book is a delicious dark pleasure, a Bluebeard for the modern world, a gaslighting romance and such enormous fun to read.
Roll on the next one!

Man, this is everything I want from a Lisa Jewell novel. Opening with an unknown narrator and moving seamlessly into a solemn scene where we discover Nina Swann and her family mourning a death. An unexpected death caused in one moment of madness. And as we're introduced to the departed family member through firstly a photo album and then a letter from an old friend, we know there's going to be more to this than first meets the eye. And sure enough, we are in an earlier timeline with what could be the same unknown – and this time, unreliable – narrator. Something is not right. Something is definitely off. I'm not sure I like them.

Tense from the start, that tension builds over the course of its narrative from various POVs. I continued to absolutely detest the unreliable narrator (good job, Lisa) and really feel for young Ash (daughter in the aforementioned torn-apart family).

The genius of Jewell is her ability to weave multiple timelines/POVs and seamlessly stitch them all back together for one killer climax. And this psychological thriller/chiller is no different.

You want twists? They're here. You want turns? Ditto.

Waiting for everything to converge was an absolute joy but even up til that point, there's jaw-dropping moments hitting you continually. Bam. Bam. Bam. Ouch.

I'm deliberately not going into plot here. I just simply want you to know how I feel about this book – and it's another gem from Jewell. A terrific, and at times terrifying, read.

If you've not picked up any Lisa Jewell book yet, then guys, now is the time to let her in. You're in safe hands.

Clear your calendar - your July 2025 is fully booked!

It will come as no surprise, but believe me when I say that Lisa Jewell is back with another absolute belter of a psychological thriller! This time she delves into the world of cat-fishing, relationship scamming, and bigamy. As you can expect from an LJ novel, this book is absolutely fraught with tension and teeth-grinding suspense. The story is told over two timelines, allowing us to experience different relationships the antagonist, Nick, has been in. This helps paint a picture of a truly f’d up bloke who sees nothing wrong with his behaviour. He’s the epitome of toxic male privilege, believing that by treating women nicely he is the perfect man and the depravity of all the schemes he runs to relieve them of their money is eradicated by this. He’s a man who believes he loves too hard and that his intentions are never nefarious at the outset. However, his delusions become clearer as the novel progresses and things continue to take darker and more unsettling turns. This book is a masterpiece of mounting tension, building to a very satisfying conclusion.

If you have enjoyed any of Lisa Jewell’s psychological thrillers you will undoubtedly love this one. It has all of her trademark qualities that make her books completely unputdownable. Something that I find irresistible in her books is her ability to write such authentic characters. DON’T LET HIM IN has a number of integral characters and each of them are brought to life in such a realistic way. This helps to bring the themes of the book alive too. Ash is arguably our lead character and the book is very much a journey for her. She has lost her father, Paddy, who she adored. Shortly before he was killed, Ash had a mental health episode and had to return home. Her mother, Nina, is grieving the loss of Paddy whilst also trying to support Ash. When Nick engineers his way into Nina’s life, Ash develops suspicions around his intentions. Her ensuing investigation into him becomes a way for Ash to process the loss of her father, discover some unvarnished truths about his and her mother’s relationship, and address her own past actions and mental health issues. I was absolutely hooked on Ash’s investigation and her personal journey throughout this narrative. One of Lisa Jewell’s superpowers as a writer is really getting the reader to care about her characters and Ash absolutely had my heart. She is awesome! This book is actually filled with brilliantly strong female characters, but without giving away all of the intricacies of the relationships so integral to the plot, all I’ll say is that there is a fantastic feminist angle to this novel that sees a refusal to accept male dominance and abuse that feels incredibly topical. There’s two things that are guaranteed with a Lisa Jewell book: one, that I will be absolutely hooked from the first word to the last, and 2, that there will be so many incredible layers to the plot that will keep me thinking for long after the final page. This book has done exactly that and I cannot express how brilliant a read it was!

Full of suspense and drama and totally addictive, I read this in 2 days. Ash lost her father in a tragic accident almost a year ago and her mother is already moving on with this handsome, charming, silver fox. Ash doesn't trust him, its not adding up, but her own dramas have undermined her confidence and credibility, As she starts to research him, the path gets stranger. He is not who he says he is. He seems to be multiple people. And her mom is the latest women in his sites.

This author continues to deliver with characters that influence your emotions. I felt enraged, and frustrated, and curious and loved, depending on the chapter. The plot had lots of twists and turns, largely unpredictable unless it was supposed to be leading.

Book Review: Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

I’ve been a fan of Lisa Jewell’s writing for years, so I was excited to read Don’t Let Him In. It’s a gripping psychological thriller that certainly kept me hooked from start to finish. The premise is compelling: a woman opens her home and heart to a man who seems perfect, only to realize that things aren’t as they seem. As the story unfolds, the suspense builds and the sense of dread creeps in. There were some really great twists and I found myself questioning everything and everyone along the way.

However, while I enjoyed the book overall, I didn’t feel it was quite on par with some of Lisa’s other work. Her writing is always sharp and atmospheric, but in this case, the pacing felt a little slower than I was hoping for, and I didn’t feel the same emotional intensity that I’ve experienced in her other books. The characters were intriguing, but some of the plot points seemed a bit predictable.

That said, Don’t Let Him In is still an enjoyable and well-crafted thriller. It’s definitely one of those books you’ll read quickly because it keeps you guessing. But for me, it wasn’t as memorable or impactful as her previous novels like Then She Was Gone or The Family Upstairs.

Rating: 3.5/5
A solid thriller with some great moments, but it didn’t quite stand out in the way I expected from Lisa Jewell.

Disappointing. Very run of the mill type thriller (with very little thrill). I expected more from the Lisa Jewell I have read and loved.

Taking pride of place in my favourite author list, I would quite happily read Lisa Jewell’s shopping list! And so you can imagine my excitement when I see her new book on my NetGalley shelf. After absolutely devouring None Of This is True and recommending it to anyone and everyone I encounter, I was ready for another twisty, jaw-dropping tale. Unfortunately this felt very run of the mill for me. I have loved so many of Lisa Jewell’s previous works and am concerned that she may have now peaked due to the disappointment in this. Don’t Let Him In feels very “done before”, an almost copy and paste mystery thriller mold. That being said, it did keep me reading however I felt like I was waiting for a twist that never quite materialised.

Unfortunately this feels like a story we've read before...your typical Dirty John antagonist with zero redeemable qualities. The woman were all like the same person as well.... If you're looking for a character study on a man who has no regard for any other human in this world, a narcissist, a criminal, etc. then from that perspective, it's the reason I pushed through with this book.

This was a book....it wasn't a terrible book by any means, just predictable and the multiple POV's and timeline jumps....I just hoped nobody was going to quiz me at the end of the book, because it was a bit much and my brain could not sort through all the similar characters...and there are a lot of them....and a lot of names.