The Woman Outside My Door

November 16, 2020
Dublin housewife Georgina, the heroine of Ryan’s confident debut, is mourning her mother’s recent death and is going through a rough patch in her marriage when her seven-year-old son, Cody, says he’s made a new friend at the park, whom he calls New Granny. When Georgina expresses her concerns to her husband, Bren, he dismisses New Granny as an imaginary friend Cody has created to deal with the grief of losing his real grandmother, and suggests Georgina’s own suffering is making her exaggerate the issue. As Cody and New Granny get closer, Georgina becomes certain someone is spying on her and her family. Then the vandalism and strange phone calls start. All the while, Bren continues to tell Georgina she’s overreacting and needs to talk to a therapist. Ryan does a good job keeping the reader off balance, wondering whether Georgina is indeed going mad. The tension builds as long-held secrets are revealed, and Georgina proves that she’ll stop at nothing to protect her child. Fans of psychological suspense will be satisfied. Agent: Marianne Gunn O’Connor, Marianne Gunn O’Connor Literary (Ireland).

December 15, 2020
Georgina tells herself that the fact that her seven-year-old son, Cody, has an imaginary friend is no big deal. Having just lost his grandmother, Georgina's mother, it's understandable that he would search for comfort in different ways. It's only when Cody's imaginary friend, New Granny, starts leaving signs behind--candy wrappers, mysterious phone calls--does Georgina suspect that there could be something more sinister going on. Trying desperately to convince her husband, Georgina searches for tangible proof beyond her maternal instinct. What if New Granny isn't imaginary at all? Or worse, what if Georgina is losing her mind (she has had mental problems before)? Heralded by Georgina's delve into Cody's imaginary world, first-time-author Ryan draws the reader into not only Georgina's terrifying journey to save her son, but also her marriage and her sanity. Georgina is a fierce, loyal narrator, and the reader won't be able to resist rooting for her success. Seasoned mystery lovers will recognize similarities to B. A. Paris' The Breakdown (2017), Mary Kubica's The Other Mrs. (2020), and A. J. Finn's The Woman in the Window (2018).

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