Halley Sutton’s debut novel The Lady Upstairs is a modern day noir with a cat and mouse trope that is bound to leave readers on the edge of their seat until the very end.
Jo’s job is to blackmail salacious men in Los Angeles for her boss who is known only as The Lady Upstairs and Jo’s coworker Lou is the only person aware of The Lady Upstairs’ true identity. Jo is incredibly curious as to find out who this mysterious woman is and she is willing to go behind her back to find out more about her. When one of Jo’s latest targets ends up murdered, the LAPD and The Lady Upstairs believe that Jo is the reason for the murder and that she needs to be taken down. As Jo takes on a new job behind the Lady’s back, secrets begin to unfold around The Lady Upstairs and her team.
Sutton has created a powerful female presence when it comes to the characters in The Lady Upstairs. Each of the women in this story take what they want and are unapologetic in the way they behave. The only critique for this would be that the women are all quite similar and thus the story does lack a diversity in its characters. Jo in particular is the type of woman that women want to be and men want to be with. She is unafraid to be herself, she does what she wants without having to explain herself, and she has a sharp tongue that can do some serious damage. Sutton has written Jo as such an empowering character and she is so unlike other characters out there so the reader will likely remember her even when the story is finished.
The Lady Upstairs is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
