The Girl Upstairs by Georgina Lees

I liked the opening very much: 

'I heard Emily before I saw her. The harsh smack of heels against cheap wooden floorboards. The loud phone calls. The incessant music.
I knew Emily before I met her. Discarded receipts in our communal hallway. Sticky leftovers in the shared food waste bin. Wine shop vouchers in the letterbox.'

Already there is repetition and metre that draws the reader in. The neighbour is unseen to a large extent but is brilliantly enigmatic. An idea forms as to what kind of person she is based on the observations of the neighbour who lives in the downstairs flat. When the noise stops it becomes obvious that the girl upstairs is no longer there, and nobody seems to care whether she is missing or not. Except for the neighbour.

This is an intense psychological story about loneliness, grief and obsession. Set in London, the book shows how how being in a crowded city can leave people feeling alone and invisible. Told in the first person perspective, the book is introspective, details the mundane and yet is never dull. Well paced, easy to read, tense and engrossing. Recommended for those who enjoy psychological thrillers.

---

Published by Harpercollins Uk, One More Chapter on 9 December 2021.
​Advance review copy supplied by the publisher.

​

​Capital Chronicles: London Through Time