“Don’t Let Him In” by Lisa Jewell

I went into Don’t Let Him In expecting one thing and got… kind of another.

Admittedly, I think part of that may have been because I listened to the audiobook version.

Now, let me be clear. I love audiobooks. I consume an alarming number of them. But every once in a while, there’s a story structure that just doesn’t translate quite as cleanly through audio for me, especially if there are multiple perspectives, timelines, or subtle connections that you’re expected to piece together gradually.

This was one of those books.

It took me an embarrassing amount of time to fully lock into what the central premise actually was. Once it finally clicked that the story revolves around a manipulative scam artist of a man weaving himself through different lives and relationships, things started making more sense.

But by that point, I already felt a little disconnected from the story.

And unfortunately, even once I understood exactly what the book was doing, it still never fully grabbed me the way I hoped it would.

Which was disappointing, because Lisa Jewell has built a reputation for writing incredibly readable, fast-paced thrillers. Her books are usually the kind that pull you in quickly and keep escalating until you suddenly realize it’s two in the morning and you’ve accidentally finished half the novel in one sitting.

This one just didn’t have that momentum for me.

Now, I do want to give the book credit for something I actually thought was really effective. We’re not just watching the damage from the outside through the perspectives of the people being manipulated. We also get insight into his mind. His reasoning, his justifications, his thought processes.

And that part was interesting.

It adds a layer of psychological complexity that many domestic thrillers don’t explore deeply. Instead of simply presenting him as “bad guy does bad things,” the story lets us sit in the unsettling reality of how someone like this rationalizes their behavior.

That perspective ended up being the strongest part of the book for me.

Unfortunately, I never felt equally attached to the other characters. And I think that’s ultimately what kept this from landing emotionally or dramatically the way it needed to. There weren’t really any standout personalities or moments that stayed with me afterward. No scene where I had to pause and think, “okay, that was good.”

And because of that, the ending payoff just didn’t hit very hard for me either.

I kept waiting for the story to build toward something more explosive or emotionally satisfying, especially given the tension the premise naturally creates. Instead, when I finally got to the ending, my reaction was less “wow” and more “oh… okay.”

Not terrible. Just underwhelming.

This really sums up my overall feelings on the book pretty well.

Because here’s the thing. I didn’t hate it.

I actually enjoyed listening to it well enough while driving, cleaning, and doing random life things. It was a perfectly fine company. But there’s a difference between a book being pleasantly consumable and a book being compelling, and for me, this never crossed over into compelling.

I ended up giving it around two stars, which felt a little harsh even as I rated it. Mostly because I know a lot of people loved this one, and I can absolutely see why the premise works for readers who enjoy slower-burning psychological suspense.

But for me, there just wasn’t enough tension, emotional investment, or payoff to elevate it higher.

And maybe part of that comes down to expectations.

When an author becomes known for a certain kind of pacing and intensity, you naturally go into new releases expecting that same experience. So when a book feels slower, murkier, or less gripping than anticipated, it stands out even more.

That’s what happened here.

So while Don’t Let Him In wasn’t a complete miss for me, it also wasn’t a standout. It’s one of those books I’ll probably forget pieces of fairly quickly, even though I didn’t actively dislike the time I spent reading it.