The Lady Upstairs

By: Halley Sutton

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

"A racy and hard-to-put-down piece of neo-noir." (Washington Post)

A modern-day noir featuring a twisty cat-and-mouse chase, this dark debut thriller tells the story of a woman who makes a living taking down terrible men...then finds herself in over her head and with blood on her hands. The only way out? Pull off one final con.

Jo's job is blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles - handsy Hollywood producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money she's making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but it's also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs.

When one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting - bringing down a rising political star. It's her biggest con yet - and she will do it behind the Lady's back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.

A delicious debut thriller crackling with wit and an unforgettable feminist voice, The Lady Upstairs is a chilling and endlessly surprising take on female revenge.

©2020 Halley Sutton (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

"[A] sizzling debut...Sutton’s assured and moody prose often channels the best classic LA noir, but this deliciously tawdry and twisty tale is entirely her own. Readers who savor crime stories featuring complex, unapologetic women will be hooked. A scorching, knockout noir from an author to watch." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)

"Sultry, captivating, and electric with tension, The Lady Upstairs delivers a plot that must be devoured, in language that must be savored. With sharp, magnetic prose, Halley Sutton dives into the darkness of women’s lives, illuminating how venom and vulnerability are often two sides of the same coin. Empowering and terrifying, this timely noir will keep you in its grip from its arresting first lines to its exquisite final chapter." (Megan Collins, author of The Winter Sister)

"I couldn't put The Lady Upstairs down. Halley Sutton's debut crackles with the unmistakable voice of its heroine, a cynical, wisecracking femme fatale straight out of a Raymond Chandler novel, who becomes enmeshed in a twisty tale of greed, betrayal, and vengeance. As dark as Megan Abbott and as voice-y as Lisa Lutz, this astoundingly self-assured debut ranks its author alongside the best in her genre. The Lady Upstairs is L.A. noir at its finest." (Amy Gentry, author of Good as Gone and Last Woman Standing)

I really liked it!!

I had just gotten through listening to a really long, very emotionally draining book and decided to get this, hoping for something light. Well, it was exactly what i needed. Very entertaining. And of course, Bahni Turpin made it even better!
Highly recommended! A great debut!

Up & coming best selling author

This book was incredible! Half way through I couldn’t put it down. I wanted to know who the Lady was and where Jo’s story was going to lead. Can’t wait for this author’s next book.

The Worst

You know a book is bad when you’re thinking about the poor review your going to give it as your listening. A college freshman in a creative writing class can do better than this. Their is no character development, nor is there a single redeeming quality about a single character. Just a predictable book about mean people.