Don’t Let Him In: A Novel

One charismatic man is the source of joy and turmoil for several women in Lisa Jewell’s latest novel Don’t Let Him In. Unfortunately, that reality is clear so early on that the suspense Jewell is known for is lacking for most of the book.

The women have all suffered when this man–who goes by a variety of names–enters their lives. Nina is recently widowed, Martha is a frazzled business owner with two young kids, Tara is a flashback-revealed other wife, and Amanda is–maybe?–the first? The premise of one opportunistic man seeking and swindling multiple women, starting several families only to abandon them, isn’t a new one, and it isn’t particularly compelling here, but Jewell is an established writer with a few tricks up her sleeve. The man is cunning; he is slippery; he is, in fact, the most interesting character in the novel, which is a problem if we’re supposed to root for the women.

Ash, Nina’s daughter, catches the feeling that something is amiss when this stranger enters their lives, and her tenacity saves the book. But it could have been half as long and hit the mark far more soundly.