The Downstairs Neighbor

by Helen Cooper

Published February 4, 2021
by Hodder & Stoughton

Rating: 5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre: General Fiction/Thriller

In a converted Georgian townhouse in south west London, three families live under one roof.

The large flat that takes up the top two floors is home to the Harlow family: happily married Paul and Steph, and their bubbly teenage daughter Freya. The smaller first floor flat is rented by Emma, who spends most of her time alone, listening to people coming in and out of the building. And the basement flat belongs to Chris, a local driving instructor, who prefers to keep his personal life private from the neighbours.

But their lives are all upended when Freya vanishes. As the police become involved and a frantic Paul and Steph desperately search for answers, they begin to realise that the truth behind their daughter’s disappearance may lie closer to home than they were expecting.

When everyone has something to hide, can you ever really know those closest to you? Or will some secrets be taken to the grave?

My Thoughts

The Downstairs Neighbor was my final read in January and wow!! Books like this are why I read! Tension, suspense, interesting characters — all the good stuff is in here! Helen Cooper is a published short story author, but this is her first foray into novel writing. With this story, she has set the bar so high, I hope there is more to come, but so far this is my favorite read of 2021!

The Downstairs Neighbour follows the stories of 3 families living in a townhouse in London, almost completely oblivious to each other’s lives until 17-year-old Freya goes missing. What would you do if you were hiding a secret and the police came knocking on your door? Would you confess or would you pursue justice on your own?

As expected, Freya had ties to each of the families and there is another narrator who tells a story from 25 years ago when something bad happened. But guess what? Each of the characters is keeping a secret about “something bad”. And each feels the guilt of their secrets. The dialogue is realistic and the author captures the nuances of teenage angst. Cooper does an amazing job of developing each of the characters and separating the narratives in a way that doesn’t confuse the reader but takes you along on a journey that speeds towards an ending that is at once cohesive and satisfying.

I am so thrilled to have been selected for an advanced reader’s copy from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton and honored to submit this review.