There is creeping sense of tension and unease from the very beginning which continues throughout and which had me gripped desperate to know what was going to happen but I definitely didn't see that ending coming ... and what a great ending it is!

The Apartment Upstairs — Lesley Kara

Lesley Kara books are always so addictive! I read this in an afternoon, with each chapter leaving me needing more. I loved the way the two stories intertwined and kept me guessing right until the end. Once again I was thinking I knew it all but I was wrong in so many ways 😅 I love it when this happens. The characters are all brilliantly portrayed and engaging in different ways and the mystery, including a missing girl, a murder suicide and hidden secrets, is really well plotted and extremely addictive. DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, Bantam Press via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of The Apartment Upstairs by Lesley Kara for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions. What bothered me the most was something near the end of the book (don't read any further if you don't want to know the solution to the murder):My suspicions veered wildly from person to person, my mind becoming every bit as overwrought as Scarlett's. But never did I even come close to guessing what had really happened, and what Scarlett's actions would uncover. I have loved everything I have read by this author, but The Apartment Upstairs is the best yet. The Apartment Upstairs is what I would regard as a ‘quiet mystery/thriller’ but with a sinister undertone running through. The story also includes a strand featuring that of a missing woman, a best friend of the two women who run the funeral business, Fond Farewells, engaged by Scarlett to deal with her aunt’s funeral. Scarlett's aunt lived - and was brutally murdered - in the apartment upstairs. But Scarlett is determined that life should return to some kind of normal, even if that means living with just a ceiling between her and the scene of such a devastating crime. After all, this is her home. She's safe here. Isn't she? Scarlett discovers correspondence linking Rebecca and Gina and soon she is left not knowing what to believe when her father ad her brother acts strangely. Is she seeing things that aren’t there, or is her family keeping her in the dark for a reason? The Apartment Upstairs is the sort of read that will have you listening out for creaks in the floorboards from other rooms. Lesley Kara is incomparable .'

The Apartment Upstairs - Penguin Books UK The Apartment Upstairs - Penguin Books UK

Unfortunately, as the narrative progressed, so the style and content deteriorated. By the final third of the story, what had, until then, been a reasonably entertaining mystery with hints of cosiness, descended rapidly into something that was just plain silly. The plot and the characterisation became simplistic to the point of being puerile and developments were unrealistically convenient. It was almost as if the author suddenly realised that she had a deadline looming and just needed to get it finished. She even decided to introduce some totally pointless references to the global Covid pandemic in the final stages of the book, which added no value at all and were totally unnecessary and avoidable. Disappointing. Lesley Kara tells a detailed story, allowing you to get to know the characters and rev Scarlett’s beloved Aunt Rebecca has been brutally murdered on the apartment upstairs. It’s incredibly traumatic for Scarlett, but she’s determined to try and move on, she has no choice - this is her home too. The characters were great, various personalities but likeable. Definitely characters that are full of determination.Mystery and thriller fans will find themselves losing touch with their surrounding as they open this book. You can expect a relaxed easy read during the first half of this book but be prepared for an edge-of-your-seat experience once you pass the halfway mark. The Apartment Upstairs is a fantastic read that I would highly recommend. If you haven’t yet, add this one to your TBR.