A Noise Downstairs

A Novel

By: Linwood Barclay

Narrated by: George Newbern

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times best-selling 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 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....

©2018 NJSB Entertainment Inc. (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Linwood Barclay's spine-tingling thriller is masterfully narrated by George Newbern.... Newbern portrays an array of characters with impressive range. In particular, his affable style is perfect for Paul, the decent guy at the story's core. It also lulls the listener into a false sense of security, making it all the more jarring when Newbern delivers taut suspense, depraved motivations, and gobsmacking twists." (AudioFile)

Wow

Wow what a great story. First few chapters are a bit slow but it really helped that all the characters all catch your attention right away!

Great gaslight book

Really liked this one! Keep you guessing til the very end. Worth the credit-the narration was great

Fantastic

I highly recommend this thriller. You will enjoy the mystery and the ride. Thank you

Storyline

Kept me really invested in the storyline. Had a surprising ending. It certainly kept me wondering who the villain really was, and if they were real or just a figment of the imagination.

Always Pay Attention to the Noises Downstairs!

At first, I thought this seemed like a very ordinary book, but it didn't take long to become entranced with Paul's mental state. Is he dreaming? Is he confused? Is he as crazy as he believed his professor friend was 6 months ago? The cast of characters is wonderful each well written, and quite understandable in their parts. The reader could spend a lot of time following along and enjoying the book, or he/she could spend that time trying to figure out the "who done it" aspect. I chose to follow along, meeting everyone at the right time and under the right circumstances and not worrying about who did it. Because of that, I was surprised by the ending and I loved it! Barclay has done a splendid job with this latest book.

This book deserves 10 stars

If you want Suspense and Mystery read this Awesome story. Alfred Hitchcock "who dunnit" It will keep you wondering what the Heck is going on ... Creepy and Sad. You will not be able to stop listening. The story captures your attention right from the start!
The violence starts out with the main character Paul and the suspense continues throughout the story. It drives you mad trying to solve the mystery....
The characters are Great, some of these characters will come to Surprise you. The entire book is a whirlwind of Suspense, Sadness and figuring out the Mystery....
You will never guess the ending.

Linwood Barclay is a Great Author. Will read more from this Author

Disappointed

Good premise, unfortunately I figured it out way too early. Glad there were still a surprise at the end.

Linwood Barclay + George Newbern = 5 Stars!

Once again Linwood Barclay has given us a truly great mystery/thriller with relatable characters, and a storyline that keeps you guessing to the very end. Add phenomenal narration by George Newbern, no surprise A Noise Downstairs is 5 Stars!

Excellent!

This book kept me glued to it. Great story that keeps you guessing all the way to the end. I think it would make a great screen play. Narration was clear and well done too.

Twisty like Lombard Street in San Francisco

I thought the review gave away a little too much of the story. But hey, it's Linwood Barclay so I knew that there would be a whole lot more thrown at me. While I had kind of figured out right from the start that Charlotte was somehow involved in things that were going on with Paul, I also knew that she couldn't be doing this alone. There are a lot of "hey, wait a minute" moments in this story. I love the way the author brings his characters to life so much that you begin to think of them as real people. You empathize with some, you question the motives of others and some you just downright dislike from the get-go. George Newbern brought it all together with his narration. I'm not one of those people that is good at writing reviews. I will say this though....I truly recommend this book.