Don't Let Him In: A Novel by Lisa JewellPublication Date: June 24, 2025
Pages: 368
Add on: Goodreads
Rating: ★★★★½
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Suspense
Publisher: Atria Books / Simon & Schuster
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A MOST ANTICIPATED SUMMER READ from People, USA TODAY, theSkimm, E! News, Forbes, New York Post, CrimeReads, and many more!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell, three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.
He’s the perfect man. It’s a perfect lie.
Nina Swann is intrigued when she received a condolence card from Nick Radcliffe, an old friend of her late husband, who is looking to connect after her husband’s unexpected death. Nick is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. But to Nina’s adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick’s past. What she finds is more than unsettling…
Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband, Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can’t share the feeling that something isn’t right.
Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don’t let him in. But the past won’t stay buried forever.
REVIEW
Ever wonder if that charming new person in your life is too good to be true? Lisa Jewell’s Don’t Let Him In plays on this fear so well, you might start side-eyeing your neighbours.
The story kicks off with a bang, literally. Someone pushes restaurateur Paddy Swann in front of a train. His widow, Nina, is left picking up the pieces, and soon her path crosses with Martha, a florist barely keeping her shop afloat while her husband’s “business trips” get longer and more frequent. Enter Nick Radcliffe, who seems to have walked straight out of a romance novel. But we all know what they say about things that seem too perfect.
Jewell’s real talent isn’t in shocking twists (though there are plenty). It’s how she makes you care about these people before she starts dismantling their lives. She builds tension like a master chef reduces a sauce – slowly, carefully, until it’s rich enough to cut with a knife. The way she switches between perspectives is like watching a car crash in slow motion; you see all the pieces moving toward disaster, but you’re powerless to stop it.
What makes this book stick with you isn’t the plot, though it’s clever enough. It’s the uncomfortable truth at its heart: we never really know anyone completely. Not our partners, not our friends, and maybe not even ourselves. Jewell doesn’t just write about liars; she shows us how easy it is to lie to ourselves.
Sure, the middle section takes its time, like a cat playing with its prey. And yes, if you’re looking for constant shocking twists, you might get antsy. But trust me, when this slow burn finally ignites, you’ll be glad you stuck around.
Bottom line? Don’t Let Him In is Jewell at her best. It’s the kind of book that makes you check your doors are locked, not because of monsters or killers, but because of the much scarier possibility that evil might walk in wearing a perfect smile and bearing a bottle of your favourite wine.
If you like your thrillers smart, subtle, and psychologically sharp, this one’s for you. Just maybe don’t read it while your partner’s away on a business trip.
