A Noise Downstairs

April 30, 2018
College professor Paul Davis, the protagonist of this fast-paced psychological thriller from bestseller Barclay (Parting Shot), has suffered from PTSD since the night his respected colleague and mentor, Kenneth Hoffman, attacked him outside their small town of Milford, Conn. Kenneth, who confessed to the murders of the two women whose bodies were in his car at the time, is now in prison. In order to encourage Paul, whose short-term memory has been spotty since the incident, to start work on a novel he wants to write, his wife brings home an old typewriter. Soon Paul begins hearing noises in the night coming from the typewriter, which happens to be much like the one Kenneth made his victims write their final notes on. Paul’s theory that the typewriter might be haunted has his wife and his therapist concerned that he might actually be losing his mind. But is there a more sinister answer? Barclay carefully conceals hidden motives and secret lives until the startling conclusion. Harlan Coben fans will find much to like. Five-city author tour. Agent: Helen Heller, Helen Heller Agency (Canada).

Linwood Barclay's spine-tingling thriller is masterfully narrated by George Newbern. Paul Davis is driving on a remote road when he stumbles upon a killer disposing of two bodies. Paul is brutally attacked but survives, and the killer is arrested. Months later, Paul, still in recovery, is taunted by increasingly bizarre sounds and messages in his house, which are connected to his attack and seem to be coming from a recently acquired antique typewriter. Newbern portrays an array of characters with impressive range. In particular, his affable style is perfect for Paul, the decent guy at the story's core. It also lulls the listener into a false sense of security, making it all the more jarring when Newbern delivers taught suspense, depraved motivations, and gobsmacking twists. A.T.N. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine