Title: The Lady Upstairs
Author: Halley Sutton
Published: November 2020, G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Format: Paperback, 320 pages
Source: Author
Summary:
A modern-day noir
featuring a twisty cat-and-mouse chase, this dark debut thriller tells
the story of a a woman who makes a living taking down terrible
men…then finds herself in over her head and with blood on her hands.
The only way out? Pull off one final con.
Jo’s job is
blackmailing the most lecherous men in Los Angeles–handsy Hollywood
producers, adulterous actors, corrupt cops. Sure, she likes the money
she’s making, which comes in handy for the debt she is paying off, but
it’s also a chance to take back power for the women of the city. Eager
to prove herself to her coworker Lou and their enigmatic boss, known
only as the Lady Upstairs, Jo takes on bigger and riskier jobs.
When
one of her targets is murdered, both the Lady Upstairs and the LAPD
have Jo in their sights. Desperate to escape the consequences of her
failed job, she decides to take on just one more sting–bringing down a
rising political star. It’s her biggest con yet–and she will do it
behind the Lady’s back, freeing both herself and Lou. But Jo soon learns
that Lou and the Lady have secrets of their own, and that no woman is
safe when there is a life-changing payout on the line.
A delicious debut thriller crackling with wit and an unforgettable feminist voice, The Lady Upstairs is a chilling and endlessly surprising take on female revenge.
My thoughts: I love a good revenge story and while this is definitely a dark read, it’s also really fun! And kudos to whoever designed this cover…I’m obsessed with the colors!
This is a fast-paced, quick read that kept my attention throughout. I loved the strong, female characters and how they were on a mission to take down some of the most powerful yet corrupt men in Hollywood. Jo in particular is such a flawed, relatable character and I loved getting her backstory, learning how she ended up working for the ‘Lady Upstairs’ to begin with.
There are some major twists in this book and while I did end up figuring out a few of them, I still found myself glued to pages, frantically flipping them to see how it would all turn out. I needed to see how all the pieces came together and boy where there still some surprises to come!
This dark, suspenseful little read is filled with quick wit and is Halley Sutton’s debut novel. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be quite eager to see what comes next from her.
