A Noise Downstairs

A Novel

By: Linwood Barclay

Narrated by: George Newbern

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)

'Gaslight' meets 'Spy vs. Spy'

I've read all of Barclay's previous books so I thought he must be 'slipping' when he wrote this...I was so sure that i had the case solved early on that I almost gave up listening. The plot was way too obvious. I should have known better.

Not gonna give away any spoilers. Just keep listening. It ain't over til it's over.

Excellent in every way!

I binge listened in one day. Very captivating story - I actually gasped aloud at one point, and I’m a tough critic. I sometimes think my idea for where a story should go is better than that of the author, but not in this case. Excellent narration. Overall a great production.

I loved this book. Although predictable.

I couldn't put it down. I figured out the plot from pretty early but it didn't make it any less interesting

Almost a home run

This book was awesome...almost. Up till the last few chapters it was realistic and completely absorbing. I just couldn’t guess what was coming or who to believe was guilty of what. Then it’s like the author just said “What the hell. Let’s wrap this up.” I won’t give anything away, but I felt it was sort of an unrealistic cop out. Oh well.

Very predictable

Good narration. Decent story but so predictable. No real twist unless you aren't trying to guess it.

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.

The Gaslighter gets lit...

Linwood Barclay has written a novel worthy of Alfred Hitchcock !!
The publisher's summary gives far too much information that takes the listener right up to about two hours from the end of the book.
Barclay really fleshed out the characters and delved deep especially into the main character's psyche. The twisted ending took me totally by surprise. I really thought I had the Who figured out and I kind of did , but then I didn't because then everything changed.
If you've never read anything by Linwood Barclay this is a good place to start. Now most of his books are stand alone. All are very good. The only author I could think to compare him to would be maybe Harlan Coben.
George Newbern does an excellent job narrating.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
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