A Man Downstairs by Nicole Lundrigan

A special thank you to Viking for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if the childhood you remember isn’t really what happened at all?

Molly Wynters has moved back to her small hometown to care for her father, recently felled by a stroke and no longer able to communicate. She is ready to make a fresh start with her son after her divorce, but is haunted by both old events and new realities in her childhood home.

What Molly recalls of her young life with her father is full of love and care, even though a violent trauma defined her when she was a young girl, she witnessed her mother’s murder, and her testimony—“There was a man downstairs”—sent a teenager to prison. This tragic episode is still very much alive in the culture of the town, and the more Molly remembers, the more she fears that what she said on the stand all those years ago might not have been the whole truth.

After Molly, a trained therapist, volunteers for a local helpline, the threats begin. At first they seem random, but soon Molly realizes that she is a target, and even those closest to her seem suspicious, especially as unsuspected links between them emerge. More than one life was destroyed on that horrific long-ago day, and now someone intends to hold Molly accountable.

Lundigran's latest is a psychological thriller about a woman who is tormented by her memories. The thread that has kept Molly sewn together begins to unravel when she returns home to the small town that is both the keeper of secrets and the scene of her mother's murder.

On the simplest level, this is a page-turner. With short, punchy chapters, Lundrigan deftly shifts between a dual timeline and multiple points of view—Molly's, Gil's, and "His." The beautiful writing is juxtaposed with the grittiness of the novel. It is sublimely atmospheric and wickedly suspenseful.

A Man Downstairs is a compelling examination into the human psyche and the unreliability of memory.

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NICOLE LUNDRIGAN is the author of several critically acclaimed novels, including Hideaway, which was shortlisted for the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Crime Novel, The Substitute, Glass Boys, and An Unthinkable Thing. Her work has appeared on “best of” selections from The Globe and Mail, Amazon.ca, Chatelaine, Now magazine, and others. 

Lundrigan grew up in Newfoundland, and now lives in Toronto.

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Q & A with Nicole Lundrigan* 

GWR: How did you start writing/become a writer?    

NL: When I was young, I never considered becoming a fiction writer. I had my daughter shortly after finishing an MSc, and while I was home with her, I wrote various articles. At some point I opted to continue down that creative path and attempted a book. And then a second book…

GWR: This is your ninth novel—do you approach each the same way? Can you share a little about your writing process?

NL: With my first novel, I had no idea what I was doing. At one point I remember googling ‘rules of writing fiction,’ and quickly closed my laptop. In hindsight, I believe being completely naïve gave me the confidence to try. I have learned a great deal by going through the process, but with each new project there is fresh insecurity. Part of my approach is not focusing on writing a book, but instead a little cluster of words each day. 

GWR: What is your favourite part of the publishing process?  

 NL: I find writing the first draft to be daunting, but once I have something down, the process becomes more enjoyable. When I receive feedback (sometimes in the form of really good questions), and the direction is suddenly illuminated, that’s an amazing feeling.

GWR: Character development or plot—what do you have more fun with?

NL: Definitely character. While I’ve gotten better at developing plotlines, exploring the psychology of the characters is what draws me in. When I’m thinking about writing a book, it usually starts with an emotion.

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must?

NL: Sense of tension. That something *might* happen, even if the character is just walking to the fridge to get milk for coffee.

GWR: What was the genesis of A Man Downstairs?

NL: I happened upon a news article about a three-year-old boy testifying in court against his mother’s boyfriend. At the end the judge gave him a bag of chips. That was the spark, and various threads rolled out from there.

GWR: Tell me about the research you did for the novel?

NL: I tend to research in dribs and drabs, usually when I have a question during writing. Occasionally I get lost for a few hours, slipping down various rabbit holes. It’s neat when certain tidbits of information seem to find me, instead of the other way around.

GWR: Did the story end the way you’d initially thought?

NL: With this book, I had a clear(ish) sense of what would happen from the start but didn’t quite know why. During the writing process, I discovered a great deal about my character’s experiences and intentions and by the end, I understood their behaviour much better.

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be? 

NL: Tricky question! Ideally a drink that is intense, involves a combination of distinct flavours, was popular in the seventies, and has come around again. Let’s go with a Sloe Gin Fizz.

GWR: Can you share what you are working on now and if you have any events/appearances coming up?

NL: I’ve been working on my tenth novel, which is currently unnamed. This will be the first time writing an entire book about women who are around my age. Though I’m not sure why, I’ve always resisted that. We will see what happens.

For events, I’m really looking forward to attending Montreal Mystère in May, which is downtown Montreal’s inaugural mystery book festival. I think it’s going to be a fantastic time.

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada. 

A Friend in the Dark by Samantha M. Bailey

A special thank you to the author, Samantha M. Bailey, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Eden Miller’s world is crumbling. Her husband blindsided her with divorce, and her daughter barely speaks to her. In an impulsive decision to escape her present and revisit the past, she sends a friend request to her college crush, Justin Ward. 

One night twenty-three years ago changed the course of her life. It closed the door on Justin and opened the door to her husband, Dave. But what if Eden could have a do-over? 

Eden begins an online relationship with Justin that awakens her in ways she never thought possible, and his voice and words make her take bold risks. But something’s off. He knows too much about her and her family…he’s been following her. 

Eden is forced to awaken from her fantasy and look for answers—who really is the man on the other line? The truth about Justin—and about what happened that fateful night two decades ago—puts her and her family in a fight for their lives. 

Told from first-person Eden and third-person Olivia, this dark, domestic thriller examines the perils of social media. With her well-developed characters, Bailey masterfully manipulates her reader. Eden and Olivia are as compelling as they are complex. 

With its short punchy chapters and jaw-dropping ending, A Friend in the Dark is expertly plotted and perfectly paced. It is sexy, smart, and slick. Congratulations, Sam!

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SAMANTHA M. BAILEY is the USA TODAY and #1 nationally bestselling author of Woman on the Edge and the instant #1 national bestseller, Watch Out for Her, one of the top ten bestselling Canadian Fiction books of 2022 and one of the Globe & Mail's top 100 books of 2022. Her novels have sold in eleven countries to date. 

Bailey lives in Toronto with her family.

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Q & A with Samantha M. Bailey*

GWR: Congratulations on publishing your third book! We’ve previously discussed your writing process, but how did you start writing/become a writer?    

SMB: Thank you! I grew up surrounded by books and read all the time. Even when I was walking down the street, my head would be in a book, and I’d bang into poles. Writers were and are my rock stars. I wrote my first story when I was ten, and it was my first rejection from a publisher. But it wasn’t until I was twenty-nine that I wrote a full-length novel. And I wasn’t published until I was forty-five. But the moment I sat down to write that first book, an indescribable joy came over me and a compulsion to type any time I could. That was when I knew I was a writer to the depths of my soul.

GWR: How long did it take you to write A Friend in the Dark, and how many drafts were there before publication? Do you have a favourite part of the publishing process? 

SMB: An author’s debut is usually the longest process, because it’s before contracts and deadlines, so there’s time to draft and rewrite over and over. With my third book, I wrote the first draft in four months, then my extraordinary editors and I did three big rounds and a few smaller ones, for copy edits and proofreads. All told, it was about nine months from start to finish. 

I love being edited and revising. For me, that first draft is to create the groundwork, a skeleton. The most intoxicating and exciting part is when I get to tear that skeleton limb from limb, rebuild it, and transform it from bones to a fully fleshed out world.

GWR: What was the genesis of the novel?

SMB: I think the pandemic sparked a lot of artistic inspiration and many deep online bonds that formed quickly because we were all so desperate for connection. That was the initial kernel of an idea for me. I message with a lot of author friends, and we develop very close relationships very rapidly because we understand each other. But often, we haven’t even met in person or seen each other face to face. That was the first lightbulb moment. From that idea, Eden came to me, a woman who’s done everything right only for it all to go so horribly wrong. Everything is out of her control. She loses her husband and daughter in the same day, and as someone who’s lived her life by the rules, the supposed tos, she’s lost, hurt, lonely, and yearning for someone to want her. She reaches out to the one person who made her want to be reckless, lose her inhibition, feel everything, do everything she’s scared of. That risk and fear is exhilarating and addictive. It’s that exhilaration, when you follow your desire instead of instinct, do whatever you want regardless of the consequences, was also something I wanted to explore. And how middle age is such a turning point for women. All the physical and emotional changes, our needs and wants, and how we can finally focus on ourselves after decades of taking care of everyone else.

GWR: Give us your best Hollywood pitch.

SMB: What happens when a good girl decides to be bad? 

GWR: Did any minor characters become major characters over the course of the novel?

SMB: This is such a good question! No, the major players are who they were when I initially started planning the novel. All the minor characters have a purpose, which is to drive the main characters’ motivations and actions.

GWR: I love the exploration of the pitfalls of social media—why was this topic compelling enough for you to write about?

SMB: For so many reasons. As an author, I’m on social media all the time. I’m careful what I post and share publicly, because I’m very protective of my private life. Information is so accessible, and sometimes to the wrong people. And because it feels like an insular world, where we connect with like-minded people who have the same interests, dreams, and goals, we often miss how much we’re putting out there about ourselves. I have two teenagers. When I was a teen in the 80s and 90s, I didn’t worry about strangers seeing photos, reading my innermost thoughts, having access to my personal life. Now everything is out there in posts, videos, reels, stories. As much as it connects us, provides comfort and communication, it’s also very frightening. We have to be so cognizant of who we trust and who we truly don’t know much about at all, but it’s also so easy to lose ourselves in that heady feeling of connection.

GWR: What’s the one element of a thriller that is a must?

SMB: Genre is tricky because it places a work of art in a box. And that box doesn’t always fit. I describe my books as domestic thrillers and domestic suspense because they’re about relationships as much as they’re about murder and mayhem. When I read thrillers, I want an escape, to feel frightened, surprised, yet also emotionally invested. I don’t have to like the characters or want to be like them. I actually prefer complicated, flawed characters who possess and portray all the different sides of humanity. I aim to do this when I write, as well. But I do think an element of danger is a must.

GWR: Did the story end the way you’d initially thought?

SMB: In some ways, yes. In other ways, no. I make very detailed outlines before I write so I know the lay of the land. But I definitely veer from that map, organically following my characters, who they are and what they want, even when they make terrible mistakes. 

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be?

SMB: I’m going to go with a Canadian favourite, which I didn’t realize was Canadian until I tried to order it at a bar in New York City. A Bloody Caesar, which is celery salt to rim the glass, vodka, Clamato juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and garnished with a celery stalk. It’s bold, savory, spicy, and smooth. At first, it tastes comforting then hits you with a kick.

GWR: Can you share what you are working on now? 

SMB: I’d love to! My fourth domestic suspense will be published by Thomas & Mercer in March 2025. For my entire life, I’ve wanted to write a story about Hollywood and celebrity. Finally, I’ve gotten that chance, and it’s so exciting for me. I even recently spent five days in LA for research, which was a dream. I’m drafting the book now, so I can’t share too much, but the working title is Hello, Juliet, and it’s up on Goodreads if you’d like to add it to your TBR!

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.