The Lodger

By Marie Belloc Lowndes and Belloc Belloc Lowndes

Book Overview

"One of the best suspense novels ever written." -- The New York Times
"This is a beautifully wrought novel of psychological suspense that should have a place on any mystery buff's shelf of classics." -- Chicago Sun-Times
"The Ripper murders still arouse excitement, and The Lodger has lost none of its hushed, chilling terror over the years." -- The Drood Review of Mystery
Inspired by the notorious Whitechapel murders, this 1913 thriller first appeared when Jack the Ripper's brutal crimes were well within living memory. Time has done nothing to diminish the popular fascination with the serial killings. This gripping tale of an elderly English couple's growing suspicions of their sinister boarder has served as the basis for several movies, including one of Alfred Hitchcock's first films.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0486788091
• ISBN13: 9780486788098
• Release Date: December 2014
• Publisher: Dover Publications
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 4.9" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

Very suspenseful and spooky!

This is one worth reading again, but only with the lights on! A must read.

Master Psychological Thriller

Marie Belloc Lowndes' THE LODGER was first published in 1913 and is as fresh as the newest psychological thriller. The grandmother of them all had what it takes to keep you turning the page with its tight plot, crisp dialogue, terror and suspense. Bunting and his wife, Ellen are down to their last penny when an eccentric gentlemen answers their sign for "Rooms to Let" and engages three by paying a month in advance with gold sovereigns. Their meager lives are again comfortable as "the lodger" requires small meals and light cleaning, but Ellen is torn by her suspicion that the quiet man may be the serial killer who is stalking London's foggy streets. Mrs. Lowndes taught later writers how to build tension, suspense, and fear in the mind of the reader as the story unfolds. THE LODGER is a must read for fans of thriller fiction and mystery readers alike. This classic of the genre set the standard, which was made into a film by Alfred Hitchcock and into an opera by Phyllis Tate. HaintsWriting as a Small Business

Scariest book I ever read!

This is a literate, well-written thriller in the Poe tradition. What happens to the landlords when a strange lodger insists on paying handsomely for simple lodging? And what about the terrible murders that just begin as he moves in? Could they be related? But he is so nice. And he pays so well! The plot is simple. The setting and characters are tightly drawn. But readers are in for a frightening ride!

A Great Book & Story that You'll Never Put Down!

I absolutely loved this book. It had elements of mystery within the story. The question of the identity of Jack the Ripper is always in the back of your mind. I finished the book in two days! That's how good it was-- I couldn't put it down! And the ending-- it's shocking!!! Sort of like the book version of The Usual Suspects. I definately recommend it to everyone!