Jack Dane’s The Apartment Across the Hall is the kind of thriller that plays on one of the most unsettling ideas imaginable: what if the person living next door isn’t who they seem? Set against the gritty backdrop of New York City, this short psychological thriller pulls readers into a tense game of curiosity, paranoia, and obsession.
The story follows Salem Ripley, a woman trying to rebuild her life after a difficult past. When she moves into a new apartment, she’s immediately disappointed the place is smaller, darker, and more run-down than the online photos promised. But what truly grabs her attention is her mysterious neighbor across the hall, Victor, a handsome man who seems to lead a picture-perfect life with his beautiful girlfriend.
Soon, Salem notices something strange: Victor keeps showing up with different women, all of whom vanish without a trace. And when she spots blood on his shirt brushed off as a “nosebleed” her curiosity turns into fear. Against her better judgment, Salem starts watching Victor obsessively, peering through her peephole and collecting fragments of clues. What she uncovers will shatter her sense of safety and force her to confront both her past and the horrors lurking next door.
Readers are split on how well the suspense holds up. Desiree, a reviewer on Goodreads, praises the gripping prologue but notes that “the first half felt like reading the same chapter over and over,” pointing to some repetition and a few missed opportunities to develop Salem’s backstory. Despite that, she admits that the book remains “a quick read that keeps you intrigued,” especially as the mystery deepens toward the end.
Heather Adores Books gives the novel a 3.5-star rating, highlighting the “apartment building weirdness” and “nice twist” near the finale. She found the pacing brisk and the alternating points of view effective, with Victor’s chapters adding a chilling layer of tension. Meanwhile, Jen calls it “a fun and fast-paced read,” praising Jack Dane’s ability to make readers feel Salem’s unease even as she makes frustrating, irrational choices that real people might not risk.
At just over 200 pages, The Apartment Across the Hall is designed to be devoured in one sitting. It has all the hallmarks of a modern domestic thriller: unreliable narrators, claustrophobic settings, and an ending that demands you rethink everything you just read. While it may not break new ground in the genre, it delivers plenty of pulse-pounding moments and a solid dose of suspense for fans of Freida McFadden and Daniel Hurst.
If you enjoy thrillers that make you second-guess your own neighbors, The Apartment Across the Hall is worth unlocking. Just be prepared to check your peephole twice before you go to bed.
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