THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR by Rachel Ryan (Out 1/5/2021)

I received a complimentary eARC copy of THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR by Rachel Ryan. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read and review.

Publication Date: 1/5/2021

Rating: 4 / 5

THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY door follows Georgina, a woman who has a lot going on in her life. She lost her mother recently and her marriage is on the rocks. When Georgina’s son Cody begins talking about an imaginary friend, everyone is inclined to believe it is just a stage. Learning that this new friend is an older woman he calls “New Granny”, it seems logical to relate it to the loss of his grandmother. Still, Georgina isn’t sure.

As Georgina begins to see more and more signs that her son’s “imaginary friend” isn’t as imaginary as everyone thinks, she begins to look into it more. She doesn’t think she’s just being paranoid even if that is exactly what her husband claims. When other things begin to happen from noises outside to destruction of property, Georgina is determined to protect her son above everything else.

I was in the mood for a gripping thriller and this one was exactly what I needed. I stayed up reading this way too late, eager to find out what exactly was going on. Anytime a story centers on potential danger to a child it ups the ante and I could absolutely feel that here. I also really liked the premise of this “new granny” being a potential danger, sort of a new twist on the witch in the story of Hansel & Gretel, luring a child in with candy.

There was a lot going on in this one between Georgina’s mental health concerns, her marital difficulties and worries about what is going on with her husband and her pain over the loss of her mother and the potential loss of her son. The author did a good job of gradually bringing in secrets and questions to keep the reader and the protagonist guessing.

This was a fantastic debut by Rachel Ryan and I will look forward to seeing what she brings us in the future!