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Rachel Ryan
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Woman Outside Paperback – January 1, 2020

by Rachel Ryan (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars 602 ratings
An unforgettable new voice in suspense fiction, Rachel Ryan weaves a thrilling page-turner about a young mother who can’t shake the feeling that her son’s “imaginary” friend is putting him in danger and who will stop at nothing to keep him safe—perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Mary Kubica.

How far would you go to protect your family?

All children have imaginary friends, Georgina tells herself. It’s perfectly normal, and they all grow out of it in the end. But when seven-year-old Cody tells his mother about “New Granny,” the new friend he’s met in the park, Georgina is instantly suspicious. Something—call it maternal instinct—tells her he isn’t making it up.

But maybe Georgina is losing her mind. It wouldn’t be the first time, after all. And with her own mother’s recent death leaving her bereft and trying to cope with life as a busy working mom, it’s no wonder she’s feeling paranoid that Cody has invented a “New Granny” to replace his beloved grandmother.

Her husband, Bren, becomes the voice of reason, assuring Georgina that it’s just a game, the product of their son’s overactive imagination. But what if Cody’s imaginary friend is not so imaginary after all?
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  1. Language
    English
  2. Publisher
    Gallery Books
  3. Publication date
    January 1, 2020
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1982155973
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1982155971
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“When your husband, your seven-year-old son, and your father are all harbouring secrets, who can you trust? A rollercoaster of a read, it never flags, [and] the pace is relentless, resulting in a denouement that will take your breath away. Bravo, Rachel Ryan!”
— LIZ NUGENT, bestselling author of Little Cruelties

“A fast-paced, gripping thriller. . . . As the heart-pounding tension unfolds page after page, Rachel Ryan expertly unravels the mystery, leaving readers guessing until the satisfying, surprising ending. Emotional, captivating, and suspenseful, this is a fantastic debut by an author to watch.”
— SAMANTHA M. BAILEY, #1 bestselling author of Woman on the Edge

“Packed with jaw-dropping moments, The Woman Outside My Door is a twisty thriller with hidden depths. I gobbled it up.”
— ROBYN HARDING, #1 bestselling author of The Swap

“[A] confident debut . . . The tension builds as long-held secrets are revealed . . . Fans of psychological suspense will be satisfied.”
— Publishers Weekly

“Georgina is a fierce, loyal narrator, and the reader won’t be able to resist rooting for her success.”
— Booklist

“Stylish, spare, well-structured . . . Ryan skilfully ramps up the suspense until the atmosphere is tight as a drum . . . A gripping, propulsive debut.”
— Irish Times

“You never know when the secrets of your past will rise up and find you again. Rachel Ryan shines in this creepy and chilling debut. Questions abound—imaginary friend or dangerous stalker? You will fly through the pages of this tense and fast-paced story, and the giant twist at the end will leave your heart pounding.”
— JULIE CLARK, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight

“A gripping tale that wraps its tentacles around you and draws you in.”
— SIOBHAN MacDONALD, author of Guilty and Twisted River

“An incredible debut; pacy, clever, and tense.”
— JO SPAIN, bestselling author of The Confession

“A stunning debut. Gripping and unpredictable, my heart is still pounding!”
— SAM BLAKE, bestselling author of Keep Your Eyes on Me

About the Author

Rachel Ryan was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. She can usually be found writing in coffee shops, hanging around libraries, or walking the streets of Dublin, making up stories. She is the author of Someone You Trust and The Woman Outside My Door.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Gallery Books
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1982155973
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1982155971
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 out of 5 stars 602 ratings

About the author

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Rachel Ryan

Rachel Ryan

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"A bright new voice in psychological thrillers" - Erin Kelly

Hi there! I'm Rachel Ryan, author of HIDDEN LIES, also published under the title THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR.

It’s been called:

“A roller-coaster of a read” - Liz Nugent

“A twisty thriller with hidden depths” - Robyn Harding

“A creepy and chilling debut” - Julie Clark

Before I wrote thrillers for a living, I worked various day jobs and wrote at night. While writing the first draft of HIDDEN LIES, I was working as a nanny. After shifts spent changing nappies and singing songs to children, I would go home, open up my laptop, and write, often until the early hours of the morning. All those hours spent tapping away at my keyboard paid off when my debut novel was published. HIDDEN LIES has been called "a gripping thriller...a fantastic debut" (Samantha Bailey) and "an incredible debut - pacey, clever and tense" (Jo Spain.)

HIDDEN LIES is set in Dublin, Ireland, which is where I live. I now write full-time, and feel very lucky.

Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
602 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read, with one mentioning they finished it in one sitting. Moreover, they describe it as suspenseful with many twists, and one customer notes it's a psychological drama that keeps you guessing.

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ReadabilitySuspenseful
12 customers mention "Readability"12 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read, with several mentioning they finished it in one sitting, and one describing it as a thrilling page-turner.

"...It's an easy read and I finished it in 2 short sittings, it was honestly very hard to put down...." Read more

"It wasn't predictable, I liked the author's writing style, and I even learned something new! I definitely recommend!..." Read more

"...Or is Georgina crazy? It was a fast, easy read that didn't have a ton of twists and turns but the ending was good...." Read more

"Great read and fast page turner but I hated the end." Read more

8 customers mention "Suspenseful"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book suspenseful with many twists, and one customer describes it as a psychological drama that keeps you guessing.

"...friend and strange goings on ensue. There's a great mix of scariness, domestic drama, twists and turns and a cool backdrop as the book is set in..." Read more

"...a sentence to get to the next one and find out what happens 😂 .. so suspenseful yet an easy ready. Finished most of the book on a three hour flight...." Read more

"This novel was good. It was surprising and sad and a good mystery and thriller...." Read more

"I couldn't put it down!!! It was creepy and suspencful but also realistic is ways about there relationship. Great ending 👏..." Read more

Twisted thriller. Fast read
5 out of 5 stars
Twisted thriller. Fast read
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Woman Outside My Door Rachel Ryan Publisher: Gallery / Simon & Schuster pub Date: January 5, 2020 I am giving this 5 stars!!!!! How far would you go to protect your family? What if your suspicions were invalid? What if this was all just in your head? How would you know what’s real or what maybe past trauma from recent stressors breaking through again? You’ll have to read to find out which it is. This psychological thriller/ suspense was AMAZING! There was lots of drama and twists that left me speechless. I read this in almost one day! If you liked The Wives and Verity, it’s comparable to them, in my opinion. This is Rachel’s debut novel, and she knocked it out of the park! It was such a quick read, and I got into it right away. I felt all the emotions of Georgina. I cried at the end! I was entirely invested in these characters and this story. There were constant suspenseful moments that left me speechless and unable to put down this book down! Truly gut-wrenching and hypnotically suspenseful!
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Lauren
    5.0 out of 5 stars Spooky page turner! Easy read.
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    The Woman Outside My Door was a great breath of fresh air for this thriller/crime book lover!
    The premise is very unique and unlike any other book I read in the genre - Georgina is a worried mother whose young son has a new imaginary (or are they?) friend and strange goings on ensue. There's a great mix of scariness, domestic drama, twists and turns and a cool backdrop as the book is set in Dublin, Ireland which I found very appealing.
    It's an easy read and I finished it in 2 short sittings, it was honestly very hard to put down.
    i couldn't believe this was the author's first novel either, it's an amazing debut. She has a real talent for getting you invested in the characters and building suspense and eeriness throughout.
    I really enjoyed the mix of the spooky story with the related goings on Georgina and Bren's marriage. It gave the book a lot of dimension beyond the usual thriller.
    Highly recommend!!
    11 people found this helpful
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  • Ashley
    4.0 out of 5 stars Great quick thriller
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    It wasn't predictable, I liked the author's writing style, and I even learned something new! I definitely recommend!
    This was great for when you want a shorter book that you can get through in one sitting or a weekend. Each chapter had me desperate to know more. I was disappointed in the ending enough to knock off one star.
    One person found this helpful
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  • AFrench
    3.0 out of 5 stars "All children have imaginary friends."
    Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2024
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    3.5/5⭐️'s... This book had me questioning whether the main character was delusional or not... Is new granny real? Or is Georgina crazy? It was a fast, easy read that didn't have a ton of twists and turns but the ending was good. The writing tended to be a little repetitive but was easy to read through.
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  • Leyu
    5.0 out of 5 stars So nervous the whole time
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2022
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    this is the first book that i’ve read and finished in a while and after taking my sisters recommendation to read it, i ended up finishing on the bus and then the next morning because i was thinking about it… you truly never know what happens next or what’ll happen to any of the characters. very well-written book and emotional. i loved it up until the very end :)
    One person found this helpful
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  • Amy Morneau
    4.0 out of 5 stars Page turner
    Reviewed in the United States on April 10, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Great read and fast page turner but I hated the end.
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  • Ciara Monet
    5.0 out of 5 stars Read it all in one sitting! Major page turner
    Reviewed in the United States on February 23, 2021
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    LOVED this read. One of those books you almost want to skip a sentence to get to the next one and find out what happens 😂 .. so suspenseful yet an easy ready. Finished most of the book on a three hour flight. Can’t wait to read more from Rachel Ryan.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Lori A Call
    3.0 out of 5 stars Ireland Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A good mystery. 3.5. Cody has a new granny, one that he claims is real until he realizes the stress it causes his mother. Now only his mom is concerned about the danger she feels lurking outside their door.
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  • lynguy1
    4.0 out of 5 stars Suspenseful and Chilling
    Reviewed in the United States on January 5, 2021
    Format: Kindle
    THE WOMAN OUTSIDE MY DOOR is a psychological thriller and the debut novel of Rachel Ryan. From the first page to the dramatic ending, I couldn’t stop reading.

    Georgina is the protagonist in this unforgettable story. She and Bren have a seven year old son, Cody. When she finds that Cody has some chocolate, he tells her that New Granny gave it to him. Then she finds him talking on the phone. Is it New Granny or a school mate? Bren thinks it’s just a game where Cody is dealing with the grief of recently losing his grandmother, but Georgina isn’t sure. What is real and what is her imagination? Is New Granny an imaginary friend or is something else happening? Is Cody in danger? Bren starts to question Georgina’s behavior and thinks she is being irrational. Is Georgina being paranoid? Is she having an emotional breakdown?

    Georgina was a flawed protagonist, lacking confidence and having trouble communicating with her family. Despite getting aggravated at her several times, I continued to root for her. Her goals were clear and her motivations seemed believable. Her character felt realistic in the sense that she is struggling with work-life balance and wants to protect her child. Many of the secondary characters enhanced the story, but they were not always likeable nor did they have the depth that I would have liked. However, the characters acted or reacted to events in a plausible and believable way.

    The internal and external conflicts arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling contrived or forced. The stakes were extremely high and so was the tension, making this a page-turner. There were a couple of plot twists that were believable, but unexpected. Most of the subplots tied together well, but there was one that was not resolved to my satisfaction. The prose flowed well and the emotions of the characters came through vividly. One downside is that the premise did not totally avoid clichés as it related to the relationship between Georgina and Bren. Also, the revelations in the last part of the book would have benefited from a little more development. Themes include child safety, family dynamics, infidelity, secrets, lack of communication, mental health, stress, grief and much more.

    Overall, this was a suspenseful, chilling, unsettling and definitely somewhat creepy thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. It had a good pace from scene to scene and had a dramatic ending that caught me by surprise. What an amazing debut novel! I’m looking forward to Ryan’s next novel. If you enjoy psychological thrillers, then I recommend you check out this one.

    Thanks to Gallery Books and Rachel Ryan for a digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. This is my honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way. Publication date is currently set for January 05, 2021. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Tori
    5.0 out of 5 stars It will keep you excited and guessing!
    Reviewed in Canada on February 16, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This book constantly kept me guessing! I read it for a book club and my weekly video chats were exploding with excitement as we kept trying to figure out what was going to happen next!
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  • Patsy Jolene Sleeman
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent !!!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 29, 2021
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    This author is amazing!! The story held me from the beginning and I could not put the book down!!
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  • Annette
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
    Reviewed in Canada on July 9, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Grabbed my attention early, couldn’t put it down!
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