Review of A MAN DOWNSTAIRS by Nicole Lundrigan (New Release)

 4 Stars

Those who enjoy the psychological suspense genre should definitely pick up this book.  This is the first book I’ve read by this Canadian author, but it will not be my last. 

Molly Wynters and her teenaged son Alex move back to her hometown to help care for her father Gil who suffered a debilitating stroke and is unable to communicate.  Forty years earlier, when Molly was three, she witnessed the murder of her mother Edie.  Molly’s testimony resulted in a teenager being sent to prison.  After her return, Molly starts to receive messages accusing her of not telling the entire truth and threatening to hold her accountable.  Molly begins to question the accuracy of her memory.  Did she accuse the wrong person?  And who is her tormentor? 

The novel is narrated from three perspectives, one in the present and two in the past.  In the present, we have Molly’s third-person point of view; events following her return to Aymes are detailed, as are her reactions.  From Gil, in third-person narration, we learn about past events, focusing on his first meeting Edie and their marriage before and after Molly’s birth.  Also from the past, the reader is given the first-person perspective of a character identified only as Him.  He becomes romantically obsessed with the lunch lady at his school, Edie Wynters. 

One of the things that appealed to me is that there is a large cast of possible suspects both for murdering Edie and for harassing Molly.  I found myself developing various theories since more than one character behaves in a peculiar way.  I did correctly guess the identity of the killer, but certainly not exactly what happened.  I loved how at the end, all is explained so that everyone’s behaviour makes perfect sense. 

I also liked that the characters are realistic.  Villains are not so evil that they are unbelievable; instead, we have flawed characters who are clearly motivated to act as they do.  Certainly, I didn’t always agree with people’s choices, but I was able to understand the reasons for them.  Perhaps the most relevant comments are from a conversation between Molly and her son:  “’just because a person has a shitty life, it doesn’t mean they’re a liar’” and “’just because someone lives a decent life, doesn’t mean they’re always honest.’” 

Besides presenting some mysteries and exploring topics like marriage, memory, and secrets and lies, the book also examines parent-child relationships.  There are examples of both fairly healthy and rather dysfunctional relationships.  What is emphasized is what people will do because of their love for a child or parent. 

This is an enjoyable read that kept my interest throughout.  I would caution, however, that the ending will definitely leave readers feeling uneasy.

Note:  I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley.