The Woman Outside My Door
The Woman Outside My Door by Rachel Ryan is a thriller that plays on every mother’s fear. In The Woman Outside My Door, Georgina’s son Cody has a new friend- and no one is sure if they’re imaginary or not until it’s too late.
Georgina’s mother has recently passed away, which has placed her in a strange state of trauma and grief. On top of that, her husband had admitted to cheating- one week before her mother’s death. All of these things, as well as Georgina attempting to return to school, have made her overwhelmed. Her seven-year-old son seems to be dealing with the grief in his way by making up “New Granny.”
“She said she was my granny.”
Georgina is alarmed by this, and all the hints make it seem as though “New Granny” is not an imaginary friend but a real woman. Her husband, Bran, dismisses these ideas and insists that Georgina is just overworked and tired. But- is she?
“Chocolate is the prize for boys who win the game.”
From the jump, this book pulled me in. I finished it in one sitting in my desperation to know what was going on. I had my worries that this book would be yet another crazy wife trope. Honestly, I’m sick of those. Instead of falling back on a prominent plot point, the twist in this genuinely took me by surprise, and the build-up made all the more sense.
Reviewing thrillers without spoiling them is always challenging. Several red herrings in this book did lead me down various paths, and I was surprised at how well they were done. The book makes you distrust everyone- but you don’t want to because you like the characters. There’s a small growth level for the characters as well, something you don’t often see in these kinds of books.
This was a fast read. However, when thrillers oversaturate the market, I was pleasantly surprised by how different this one was compared to so many others.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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