Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell Book Review

Title: Don’t Let Him In
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Genre: Psychological Thriller / Domestic Suspense
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: June 24, 2025
Pages: 368
ISBN-13: 978-1668033876
Audiobook Narrators: Richard Armitage, Joanne Froggatt, Tamaryn Payne, Gemma Whelan, Louise Brealey, Patience Tomlinson

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

After a man named Paddy Swann is pushed onto a train track by a stranger, his wife, Nina and daughter, Ash are left grief-stricken.

One day, a man named Nick Radcliffe sends Nina a letter expressing his condolences and claims he used to be a very good friend of Paddy’s before Paddy met Nina. He also mentions that he ran into Paddy shortly before he died. After a few weeks, Nick reaches out again, and sends a lighter to Nina. He claims the lighter belonged to Paddy, and that he figured his family would like to have it. Soon after, Nick and Nina begin exchanging messages and a relationship is formed. But Ash is suspicious because of some inconsistencies in Nick’s stories and believes there’s more to Nick than meets the eye.

Simultaneously, the book follows the story of a woman named Martha. Martha is dealing with her husband Alistair’s frequent disappearances. Alistair claims to have work obligations, and disappears for days at a time. Martha starts to believe there’s deception in his absences.

As the lives of Nina, Ash, and Martha intersect, they begin to suspect that Nick might be leading a double or triple life. This is a story about manipulation, deception, trust and how some people can exploit grief.

Main Plot & Characters

Nick Radcliffe / Simon Smith / “Alistair Grey” / Damian / Justin Warshaw etc. – He is the central antagonist. He is charming, manipulative, with multiple aliases and lives. This character preys on vulnerable women emotionally and financially and comes into their lives under false pretenses.
Nina Swann – She is a widow who is desperate for healing. She was married to Paddy before his death. Nina is Ash’s mother and is drawn to Nick, partly because of his connection to her husband.
Ash Swann – She is Nina and Paddy’s daughter. Ash works at a fashion exchange boutique an is recovering from her own trauma (a mental health crisis). She used to live in London and was hoping her current job would be temporary. She is more skeptical of Nick and becomes the one who digs deeper when things don’t add up.
Martha – She is Alistair’s wife. She had two children before she met Alistair but they also have a child together. Martha is a florist who loves her husband but is worn down by his absences and apologies. She senses he’s hiding something, and starts investigating. Her story runs parallel to Nina/Ash’s and eventually intersects.
Paddy Swan – He was Nina’s husband and Ash’s father. Paddy was pushed onto a train track. He was 54 years old at the time of his death. The man who pushed him onto the track was a stranger named Joe. Paddy and Nina were married for twenty-eight years.
Tara – She is the ex-wife of Simon Smith. She was his wife right before he met Martha. He started dating Martha secretly while married to Tara.
Emma Greenlaw – She is Tara’s daughter who does not like Simon.
Jane Trevally (Mad Jane) – She was Paddy’s girlfriend before he married Nina Swan. She helps Ash with her investigation.
Amanda – The first woman who used to be married to Simon Smith but when he went under the name Damian. They had two children together. Damian was supposed to have died in an accident in the Philippines.
Sam and Joel – They are Amanda and Damian’s children.
Laura Drummond – Another woman who was in a relationship with Nick when he went under the name Justin Warshaw. Justin was offering life-coaching services at the time.
Lola and Evie – They are Laura and Nick’s children.
Arlo – He is Nina’s younger brother.
Marceline (Marcy) – She runs the shop Ash works in.
Jason Trevor – He is Marceline’s ex-boyfriend.
Nala – She is Alistair and Martha’s daughter.
Grace – She is Martha’s friend and neighbor.
Kadija – A girl who works at a Cafe as a waitress in Tooting.
Troy and Jonah – They are Martha’s children from a previous marriage.
Joe Kritner – He is the man who pushed Paddy onto the train tracks.
Jessica Bland (Jessie) – An elderly lady (almost seventy) who paid Andre as a male escort.
Luke Berner – He was trying to partner with Nick Radcliff to open a wine Bar.
Ritchie Lloyd – He was Ash’s former boss. Ritchie is a publishing director. Ash had a crush on Ritchie.
Baxter – He is Martha’s dog.

Writing Style

The story is told using a narration style and from multiple perspectives and timelines: The story alternates between Nina, Ash, Martha, and Nick (Alistair), and moves back and forth in time.

“Four years earlier”

Lisa Jewell gives us a story about emotional manipulation. It’s not a story that seeks to jump scare you rather it is one that highlights red flags, gaslighting, love bombing, and everyday moments that feel off. It also points to the fact that this can happen to almost anyone because the women are all different and some of them are also intelligent and rather successful women.

Listening to Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

With that said, there are portions of the book that felt unrealistic and, at times, predictable. For instance, just how many times can someone truly assume a new identity without raising suspicion? It also seemed implausible that all those women would marry a man with no friends, colleagues, or family ties and never truly question it. Ash teaming up with Jane Trevally, her father’s former girlfriend, and calling Marceline’s ex-boyfriend, Jason, to ask about the box felt very weird and absolutely not something that one would typically do. Similarly, Andre’s role as an escort was hard to believe, remember he is supposed to be this really good looking and irresistible guy, yet surprisingly no one seemed to accidently run into him while playing one of his many roles. These details made parts of the story feel like a stretch.

The book began with great momentum and was engaging for most of the way, especially the twists relating to the letters Ritchie sent Ash. The final chapters however felt somewhat anticlimactic.

Memorable Quotes

“I want to tell her to put less butter on her toast, but I can’t because that would be unpleasant, and I am a very pleasant man and a very good husband.”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“I sound so sincere I almost believe it myself.”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“I need to turn this back, quickly, so I manufacture glassy eyes (it’s a neat trick an actor friend once taught me. I trigger myself with a memory of a childhood dog) and I take her hands and I say….”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“I’m a compartmentalized man— I have to be. In order to give women what they want. I need to juggle things , and juggling things necessitates secrets and occasionally, lies.”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“…but it’s not of Ruth, because she is not real; there never was a Ruth. I just need her to reassure women that there’s a reason I’ve never been married before, a reason why I’m single, there’s not something horribly wrong with me.”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“She’s put on a few pounds, she keeps going on about “perimenopause” when she’s ten years younger than Jennifer Aniston, who doesn’t appear to have any problem keeping herself in shape.”— Alistair Grey’s reflections
“..for a moment Martha finds herself watching him clinically, objectively, like he’s an exhibition or a piece of performance art, not a real man expressing real feelings. And into her head, a word lands, like a brick. Bullshit..”— Martha’s reflections

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell Book Back

Final Thoughts on Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

Don’t Let Him In is an enjoyable read and a great audiobook to listen to. It’s not one of those books where you are trying to figure out who the ‘bad guy’ is. You already know who he is, instead, it’s about how deception can affect many lives and relationships, create grief, and completely destroy trust. Jewell does an excellent job by giving voices to the women who suffer from this kind of relational betrayal.

With that said, there are parts of the book that were a little difficult to believe. Simon’s endless ability to reinvent himself, the women’s willingness to overlook his lack of personal history, and a few odd character choices felt unrealistic.

Despite a few implausible moments, Don’t Let Him In kept us hooked from start to finish. It’s a reminder of how charm can mask manipulation and how grief can very easily cloud judgment. Overall, we really enjoyed this book and jokingly now refer to people who act manipulative as “Nick Radcliffe.”

Book Rating

Characters ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Plot ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Book Cover ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)

**Have you read Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell? What did you think of Nick’s character and how the story ended?**

Authors

Ufuoma Akpotaire
Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.
Nathaniel Adebayo
Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.