A Noise Downstairs by Linwood Barclay (Review by Lara Ferguson)

Take a trip through the mind of a man who is going crazy. That is exactly what happens in A Noise Downstairs. Paul is going crazy…or is he? From the beginning scene, Linwood Barclay grabs the reader’s attention, moving from a horrific crime scene, to the aftermath and one victim’s attempt to move past the trauma to a more normal life, seemingly with the support of his friends and family. Circumstances quickly get more complicated as Paul, our protagonist, begins to hear things and forget things….or does he? With the help of his therapist, wife and best friend, Paul sets out to dig to the bottom of the problem, whether it’s mental or supernatural. Barclay keeps the twists and turns coming, as we follow Paul through this process all the while trying to figure out for ourselves what is going on. Is he crazy? It’s hard to decide until the very end. The suspense is very well done indeed. This book is a great read until the very end when it feels a little like Barclay just got tired of writing and decided to tie up all the loose ends. Once we arrive at the last few chapters, it becomes very predictable and not as much fun, but the story itself is well worth the read. You may think you have figured it out, but then the story twists upon itself again and you have to dispose of your theory. Check it out on Amazon