The Girl Upstairs

By Jessica R. Patch

A chilling domestic thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jessica R. Patch, where a house in small-town Maine hides deep, dark secrets...

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel's life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it's more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don't lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic's carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined...

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that's both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." -New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

Don't miss these other thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Jessica R. Patch:
Her Darkest Secret A Cry in the Dark The Garden Girls The Other Sister

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1335001360
• ISBN13: 9781335001368
• Release Date: April 2026
• Publisher: Love Inspired Trade
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

queen of suspense strikes again

"Even when things go sideways, I believe God can fix you when no one and nothing else can." It's another read-through-the-night and get-scared-with-every-noise Jessica R. Patch book. It's totally engrossing, extremely clever, and completely satisfying mystery suspense novel. Gwen's first person voice was raw, honest even in her dishonesty and lack of insight, heart-breaking, and tenacious. She made a lot of mistakes, fueled by confusion, loss, grief, and pain. I have read the author's previous books so I knew to suspect everyone and anyone who is in the story as the villain. Even with this cautious approach I couldn't help but love Cady and Steven. Cady provided the friendship Gwen needed and became a sounding board for Gwen's murder-solving, crime-fighting self even if Gwen no longer carried a badge. Stephen was the long-suffering husband who gave up so much to salvage his marriage to Gwen. Neither Stephen nor Gwen was perfect; they both had issues of insecurity but we discover much later in the book why Gwen had trust issues. Gwen had good gut instincts but not every one of them led to the truth. These broken characters made the story real and tangible. Plenty of plot twists kept the story moving at a fast clip. Once you start the book, you will not be able to put it down. Jessica R Patch has become one of my favorite suspense authors. Her books are a bit more suspenseful than I normally read in this genre but you will never be disappointed by her books. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Harlequin and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.