Halley Sutton’s resident knowledge of SoCal shines through in her debut novel ... Sutton knows the city and captures its glitz and grime with a knowing wink ... Among references to the Santa Ana winds, gridlock traffic, and heat, Sutton captures a devilish side to the City of Angels. Reading The Lady Upstairs is like entering a new world where legality is thrown to the wind, where anyone is a target or a victim or both, and everyone has a dark side. Sutton turns up the heat until the very end, making for a sweltering, sexy read ... The Lady Upstairs...[will] entice fans with the classic surprising plot, quick pace, and a California flair, while also offering engaging female protagonists who are in charge and who aren’t afraid to go after what they want ... delicious ... you’ll want to burn through.
Gritty and devious, this debut thriller burrows into the idea of the revenge fantasy, and plot twists come so quickly that readers will be left breathless. A vicious, noir-soaked look at one way women choose to seize power in this world.
Though the plot stalls midway through and splutters to a predictable conclusion, Sutton’s stylish, edgy prose and strong female characters will delight fans of American noir. Hopefully, Jo will be back soon.
Sutton’s assured and moody prose often channels the best classic LA noir, but this deliciously tawdry and twisty tale is entirely her own. Readers who savor crime stories featuring complex, unapologetic women will be hooked ... A scorching, knockout noir from an author to watch.
