The Apartment Upstairs

The addictive and twisty new thriller from the bestselling author of The Rumour

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR 
 
'Startlingly original . . . It's hard to think of a recent novel that can match it for an almost unbearable level of suspense' Sunday Times 
 
'I loved this absorbing, twisty mystery - Lesley Kara has done it again!' Shari Lapena, No.1 bestselling author of The Couple Next Door 
 
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? 
 
Dee is busy balancing her job as a funeral director with organizing an event to mark the disappearance of her best friend, ten years ago. So she's got enough on her plate without worrying about the threatening messages that are appearing on her company's Facebook page. 
 
When Scarlett approaches Dee about planning her aunt's funeral, an unexpected link between them emerges. Together, the two women could uncover secrets that have long been buried. Even while someone wants to stop them digging . . . 
 
_____ 
 
'A powerful, compelling tale about dark secrets that won't stay buried' 
T. M. Logan, bestselling author of The Holiday and The Curfew 
 
'Twisty and tense, another great read from Lesley Kara' 
B.A. Paris, bestselling author of The Therapist and The Dilemma 
 
'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.' 
Jack Jordan, author of Do No Harm 
 
'A shocking crime, an intriguing cast of suspects and a compelling mystery make this thriller a thoroughly gripping and twisty read.' 
B.P. Walter, author of The Dinner Guest 
 
_____ 
 
Readers are raving about The Apartment Upstairs! 
 
'Lots of twists and turns and red herrings to keep you guessing' ***** 
'A brilliant read, I devoured this in the space of a few hours as I could not put it down at all!!' ***** 
'This story is so good and very addictive' ***** 
'A tense and twisting tale with a menacing undercurrent' *****

Startlingly original . . . It's hard to think of a recent novel than can match Kara's for an almost unbearable level of suspense.

A satisfying thriller that oozes with menace.

A powerful, compelling tale about dark secrets that won't stay buried, with a palpable sense of dread that builds on every page

T. M. Logan, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE HOLIDAY, THE CATCH and TRUST ME

I loved this absorbing, twisty mystery - Lesley Kara has done it again!

Shari Lapena, Sunday Times bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

Twisty and tense, another great read from Lesley Kara.

B.A. Paris, bestselling author of THE THERAPIST

Lesley returns with her best thriller yet - The Apartment Upstairs is the sort of read that will have you listening out for creaks in the floorboards from other rooms. A perfect blend of complex, human characters and unrelenting suspense. Lesley Kara is incomparable.

THE APARTMENT UPSTAIRS is taut, tense, dark and claustrophobic with a creeping sense of menace and a cast of compelling characters. I gulped it down in two sittings.

Gilly Macmillan, bestselling author of THE NANNY and THE LONG WEEKEND

A twisted plot to get my teeth into, believable well written characters and loads of nail-biting suspense. Loved it!

Clever and twisty with some brilliant examination of loyalties between friends and within families.

Lesley Kara always delivers. The Apartment Upstairs is a brilliantly written, immersive thriller that draws readers into a twisty world of secrets and murder, and doesn't let go until the very last page. Highly recommended.

Adam Hamdy, bestselling author of PENDULUM

Lesley Kara is still the queen of thrillers with this twisty and dark story!

This brilliant novel takes every twist and turn possible. A personal and moving look at familial bonds, women's safety and dating. Kara has woven a thick and nuanced plot.

A shocking crime, an intriguing cast of suspects and a compelling mystery make this thriller a thoroughly gripping and twisty read. I read it in a single day and will be thinking about the characters for a long time to come.

Lesley Kara is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour, Who Did You Tell?, The Dare and The Apartment Upstairs. The Rumour was the highest selling crime fiction debut of 2019 in the UK, and a Kindle No.1 bestseller. Lesley is an alumna of the Faber Academy 'Writing a Novel' course. She lives in Kent. 
 
You can follow Lesley on Twitter @LesleyKara or visit her website at www.lesleykara.com

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR 
 
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? 
 
Dee is busy balancing her job as a funeral director with organizing an event to mark the disappearance of her best friend, ten years ago. So she's got enough on her plate without worrying about the threatening messages that are appearing on her company's Facebook page. 
 
When Scarlett approaches Dee about planning her aunt's funeral, an unexpected link emerges between them. Together, the two women could uncover secrets that have long been buried. Even while someone wants to stop them digging . . .

From the bestselling author of The Rumour

The Dare

The twisty and unputdownable thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR 
 
Come on. You'll be fine. It's only a game.

THE MOST GRIPPING, TWIST-FILLED THRILLER YOU'LL READ THIS SUMMER. FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE RUMOUR 
 
'A real page turner. An engrossing and suspenseful tale with absorbing characters and plenty of shocking twists.' Susan Lewis, bestselling author of My Lies, Your Lies 
 
'I read The Dare in two big gulps - it's pacey, has great characters and there's a flip worthy of Simone Biles.' Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow 
 
Come on. You'll be fine. It's only a game. 
 
Lizzie has no memory of the accident in which her best friend Alice died as a teenager. And it was an accident. Wasn't it? 
 
Alice's friends and relatives suspect Lizzie was to blame, but Lizzie knows that can't be true. She would never have hurt Alice. 
 
Twelve years on, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is finally beginning to feel like she can move on with her life. 
 
But someone has other ideas . . . 
 
_______ 
 
'A plot packed with surprises, and it has an ending that won't disappoint.' Daily Mail 
 
'This psychological thriller gets under your skin, meaning some late nights till you finish it.' Heat 
 
'This twisty psychological thriller will grip you within minutes.' NOW! 
 
 
Readers can't stop talking about The Dare: 
 
***** 'I just couldn't put it down and read it all in one go!' 
***** 'This is a great twisty psychological thriller that is told from the past and the present, which in my opinion adds to the suspense'

A plot packed with surprises, and it has an ending that won't disappoint.

Kara uses the old box of tricks so effectively, misdirecting your attention with expert cunning and then biffing you on the back of the head with her twists.

This psychological thriller gets under your skin, meaning some late nights till you finish it.

A real page turner. An engrossing and suspenseful tale with absorbing characters and plenty of shocking twists.

Susan Lewis, Sunday Times bestselling author of My Lies, Your Lies

I read The Dare in two big gulps - it's pacey, has great characters and there's a flip worthy of Simone Biles.

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of The Widow

Intelligent, packed with intrigue, and charged with an unstoppable tension, The Dare is a gripping tale which shows yet again that Lesley Kara is the queen of psychological thrillers.

Lauren North, author of The Perfect Betrayal

Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page

Lesley Kara has done it again. The Dare is a gripping tale of secrets, betrayal and love's power to corrupt and redeem. Brilliantly plotted, The Dare keeps you guessing to the very end, and like Lizzie, the reader never knows who to trust. Destined for the bestseller charts and deservedly so.

The deeply submerged memories of Kara's heroine Lizzie (whose best friend was killed in an accident) resurface to threatening effect. Kara's cogent prose and grasp of mounting tension pay dividends.

This twisty psychological thriller will grip you within minutes

An easy-to-read thriller about the dark pull of the past.

This time it's different. She's gone too far now. 
She really has. 
Even though she was with her best friend when she died, Lizzie has no memory of the accident itself. And it was an accident. Wasn't it? 
Alice's friends and relatives seem to suspect Lizzie had a part to play in Alice's death, but Lizzie knows that can't be true. She would never have hurt Alice. 
Twelve years later, unpacking boxes in the new home she shares with her fiancé, Lizzie is finally beginning to feel like she can move on with her life. 
But someone has other ideas. 
Twelve years is a long time to wait, when you're planning the perfect revenge . . .

Who Did You Tell?

Someone knows Astrid's darkest secret. And they're going to have fun with it . . . 
Prepare to feel paranoid with this addictive new stand alone psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour.

Prepare to feel paranoid with this deliciously addictive, Sunday Times bestselling psychological thriller. 
 
Someone knows Astrid's darkest secret. And they're going to have fun with it . . . 
 
It's been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around. 
 
Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery. She's going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she's wronged. 
 
But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be corrected. 
 
Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . . 
 
__________________ 
 
'Certain to leave you reeling' Daily Express 
 
'Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then ... the truth. Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she's doing.' Lee Child 
 
 
Readers can't stop talking about Who Did You Tell? 
 
***** 'Like The Rumour it had me gripped from the start.' 
***** ' This is by far one of the best suspense books I've ever read.' 
***** 'A wonderful page turner that had me gripped long into the night - a story that deals with the issues of addiction, blame &amp; forgiveness - loved it.' 
***** 'A great mix of grit, psychological thriller, suspense and drama, wrapped up in a story that really had me on my toes.' 
 
__________________ 
 
IF YOU'VE ALREADY RACED THROUGH WHO DID YOU TELL? THEN LOOK OUT FOR THE DARE, THE CAPTIVATING NEW THRILLER FROM LESLEY KARA. **OUT NOW!**

Instantly immersive, then intriguing, then insanely suspenseful, then ... the truth. 
Believe me, Lesley Kara knows what she's doing

An inventive and compelling psychological thriller. Kara skilfully builds tension through a series of twists before delivering a finale certain to leave you reeling.

The twisty new novel we’ve been waiting for.

Lesley Kara does an excellent job of making readers’ heads spin as we are forced constantly to change our minds about who is ally and who enemy.

A fast, pacey and gripping read – a brilliant sucker-punch ending.

Full of suspense and insight, this is an engrossing novel.

A thrilling, surprisingly emotional read.

I couldn’t put it down . . . I just didn’t see the twist coming.

Sympathetically tackling the subject of addiction, this immersive thriller is gripping from the get go.

A claustrophobic thriller with some clever twists.

I couldn't put it down! If you loved The Rumour, you’ll love this one too.

Paranoia is the plot engine here, and Kara manages to instil pleasurable apprehension in the reader as the net tightens around her heroine.

Someone knows Astrid's darkest secret. And they're going to have fun with it . . . 
 
Prepare to feel paranoid with this addictive new stand alone psychological thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rumour. 
 
It's been 192 days, seven hours and fifteen minutes since her last drink. Now Astrid is trying to turn her life around. 
 
Having reluctantly moved back in with her mother, in a quiet seaside town away from the temptations and painful memories of her life before, Astrid is focusing on her recovery. She's going to meetings. Confessing her misdeeds. Making amends to those she's wronged. 
 
But someone knows exactly what Astrid is running from. And they won't stop until she learns that some mistakes can't be corrected. 
 
Some mistakes, you have to pay for . . .

The Sunday Times bestseller with a killer twist

The Rumour

The bestselling must-read thriller with a killer twist

This fresh, exciting, twisty debut psychological thriller explores with terrifying credibility how rumours can wreck lives . . .

***SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SERIES ON CHANNEL 5!*** 
 
'In this chilling tale of paranoia, suspicion and accusation, Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page' - Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Blue Hour 
 
When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there's no going back . . . 
 
Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea. 
 
Sally McGowan was just ten years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago - no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman. 
 
So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among them? How dangerous can one rumour become? And how far will Joanna go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she's unleashed? 
__________ 
 
'Everyone is going to be talking about The Rumour. An intriguing premise, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist you won't see coming!' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door. 
 
'Captivating . . . a subtle examination of the damage that gossip can do' ? Daily Mail 
 
Readers can't stop talking about The Rumour: 
 
***** 'So good ... The twist is amazing and really caught me out.' 
***** 'Downloaded it last night before bed and have stayed up all night reading it! Could not put it down. 
***** 'I couldn't devour this book quickly enough ... The surprises didn't stop til the very last page.'

In this chilling tale of paranoia, suspicion and accusation, Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page.

Paula Hawkins, No.1 bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and INTO THE WATER

A great debut with a slyly clever premise and a rollercoaster ride to the very last sentence.

Fiona Barton, bestselling author of THE WIDOW and THE CHILD

An intriguing premise, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist you won't see coming! Everyone is going to be talking about The Rumour.

Shari Lapena, bestselling author of THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR

A brilliant premise with a killer twist. The Rumour depicts the prejudices and secrets that simmer in a small seaside town to devastating effect.

Colette McBeth, author of AN ACT OF SILENCE

Pssst, have you heard... #TheRumour is a cracking thriller about the damage that idle gossip can wreak in a small town. I thought I had the twist worked out. Boy was I wrong!

A brilliantly addictive debut...with a reveal that caught me completely by surprise.

Suspicion and lies, paranoia and anguish follow in this twisty psychological thriller.

Gripping...the evocation is beautifully done.

Whip-smart . . . every well-crafted page simmers with tension and menace.

Tense and very twisty . . . will have you hooked.

Captivating . . . a subtle examination of the damage that gossip can do.

This is one of those novels that sweeps you away and doesn't let go until the final killer blow.

__________ 
 
When single mum Joanna hears a rumour at the school gates, she never intends to pass it on. But one casual comment leads to another and now there's no going back . . . 
 
Rumour has it that a notorious child killer is living under a new identity, in their sleepy little town of Flinstead-on-Sea. 
 
Sally McGowan was just ten years old when she stabbed little Robbie Harris to death forty-eight years ago - no photos of her exist since her release as a young woman. 
 
So who is the supposedly reformed killer who now lives among them? How dangerous can one rumour become? And how far will Joanna go to protect her loved ones from harm, when she realizes what it is she's unleashed? 
__________ 
 
'Everyone is going to be talking about The Rumour. An intriguing premise, a creeping sense of dread, and a twist you won't see coming!' Shari Lapena, bestselling author of The Couple Next Door. 
 
Readers can't stop talking about The Rumour: 
 
***** 'So good ... The twist is amazing and really caught me out.' 
***** 'Downloaded it last night before bed and have stayed up all night reading it! Could not put it down. 
***** 'I couldn't devour this book quickly enough ... The surprises didn't stop til the very last page.' 
 
IF YOU'VE ALREADY DEVOURED THE RUMOUR THEN LOOK OUT FOR THE DARE, THE CAPTIVATING NEW THRILLER FROM LESLEY KARA. **OUT NOW!**

Troublemaker

The gripping and claustrophobic new thriller from the bestselling author of THE RUMOUR 
 
Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with. But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously. 
 
But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?Praise for Lesley Kara 
'Dark, atmospheric and so compulsive, I raced through this cleverly plotted thriller. The ending gave me chills. I loved it' 
Claire Douglas, bestselling author of THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED 
 
‘A twisty tale full of menace, with a great setting where everyone is a suspect – The Other Tenant is guaranteed to keep you guessing to the last page’ 
T. M. Logan, bestselling author of THE DREAM HOME and THE HOLIDAY 
 
'Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page' 
Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN and THE BLUE HOUR 
 
** Have you read Lesley Kara's debut novel, THE RUMOUR? Soon to be a major TV series on Channel 5! **

Lesley Kara keeps you guessing until the final page.

A slyly clever premise and a rollercoaster ride to the very last sentence.

A perfect blend of complex, human characters and unrelenting suspense. Lesley Kara is incomparable.

Storm used to be just like her name. Wild and strong. A force to be reckoned with. But ever since her younger brother was killed in a violent mugging, she has led a very different life: quiet and cautious, seeing danger everywhere. Storm’s tendency to panic has resulted in several false alarms, so when she witnesses a murder with uncanny similarities to the way her brother was killed, and yet no body is found and no one is reported missing, the police don’t take her seriously. 
 
But Storm knows what she saw. And the murder is only the start – the killer will stop at nothing to keep Storm quiet. But how can she solve the murder and stay out of danger when no one believes her?

Lesley Kara

The Other Tenant will take up residence in your mind from the very first page. A cleverly plotted thriller. I raced through it!

Holly Seddon, internationally bestselling author of THE WOMAN ON THE BRIDGE

Some books keep you completely glued to the pages and this is one of them. I've loved all of Lesley's books but this is her best one yet. Addictive, dark and clever – it's a must-read and I was transfixed!

Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, author of THE CREAK ON THE STAIRS

Terrifyingly tense! Intriguing characters and an unforgettable and chilling setting. This is one thriller you won’t forget!

A really original premise, thoroughly gripping, and more twists and turns than a rollercoaster!

Totally gripping from start to finish. I simply HAD to find out the truth

S.E. Lynes, bestselling author of THE HOUSEWARMING

Lesley Kara is the queen of foreboding! She maintains a lingering sense of impending disaster from the first page until the last.

I loved this tense thriller - the set-up is so intriguing and the characters leap off the page, with plenty of twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night

Laura Marshall, bestselling author of FRIEND REQUEST

A highly original setting and a creepy, atmospheric story - I was gripped!

Jackie Kabler, bestselling author of THE PERFECT COUPLE

The Other Tenant has such an original premise and I was hooked from the very first line. Dark, atmospheric and so compulsive, I raced through this cleverly plotted thriller. The ending gave me chills. I loved it

Claire Douglas, bestselling author of THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED

A compulsive, suspenseful and riveting thriller with a great cast of characters that was impossible to put down

Nadine Matheson, author of THE JIGSAW MAN

A twisty tale full of menace, with a great setting where everyone is a suspect – The Other Tenant is guaranteed to keep you guessing to the last page.

TM Logan, author of THE DREAM HOME and THE HOLIDAY

An atmospheric tale that builds skilfully to a satisfyingly complex denouement.

Lesley Kara knows how to keep things moving as she piles up the revelations. Fans of the genre will race through it.

THE TWISTY NEW THRILLER FROM THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR 
 
‘DON’T GET TOO COMFORTABLE’ 
 
Marlow has always lived in unusual places. But when she accepts a position as a live-in property guardian, she finds herself moving somewhere she swore she’d never return to. 
 
Right from the start, she knows it’s a terrible mistake. The elegant Victorian school is due to be turned into luxury apartments, but its eerie, empty corridors are full of Marlow’s worst memories. 
 
And now something sinister is happening on the site. One of the other tenants has disappeared without warning, and Marlow suspects that the nine other guardians know far more than they’re letting on. She’s determined to find out what happened to the missing woman – but which of these strangers can she trust? 
 
And can she uncover the truth before her own past catches up with her?

Lesley Kara

Praise for The Other Tenant

The Other Tenant will take up residence in your mind from the very first page. A cleverly plotted thriller. I raced through it!

Some books keep you completely glued to the pages and this is one of them. I've loved all of Lesley's books but this is her best one yet. Addictive, dark and clever – it's a must-read and I was transfixed!

Terrifyingly tense! Intriguing characters and an unforgettable and chilling setting. This is one thriller you won’t forget!

The Other Tenant will take up residence in your mind from the very first page. A cleverly plotted thriller. I raced through it!

Some books keep you completely glued to the pages and this is one of them. I've loved all of Lesley's books but this is her best one yet. Addictive, dark and clever – it's a must-read and I was transfixed!

Terrifyingly tense! Intriguing characters and an unforgettable and chilling setting. This is one thriller you won’t forget!

The Other Tenant will take up residence in your mind from the very first page. A cleverly plotted thriller. I raced through it!

Some books keep you completely glued to the pages and this is one of them. I've loved all of Lesley's books but this is her best one yet. Addictive, dark and clever – it's a must-read and I was transfixed!

Terrifyingly tense! Intriguing characters and an unforgettable and chilling setting. This is one thriller you won’t forget!

Books by Lesley Kara

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