Don’t Go Downstairs by Jack Dane.

Don’t Go Downstairs – Jack Dane

Enjoy your stay! There’s only one rule…

After three decades of marriage, Deb and Larry are in a rut. So when the chance to spend a whole week at a Long Island seaside cottage comes up, they take it. A week on the beach could be just what they need. The best part? It’s completely free.

There’s just one Don’t go downstairs into the basement.

But soon after arriving at the beautiful home that belongs to a separated couple, a hurricane brings rain and road-flooding that traps them inside for longer than they’d like.

The longer Deb and Larry are forced to stay, the more they learn about the owners of the house. The loud arguments, the sudden separation. The fact no one has seen the wife since. As their questions grow, so does the temptation to break that one rule.

Because the only way to get answers is to go downstairs.

But if they do, the whole horrifying truth will be revealed.

Review

I read The Apartment Across the Hall when it first came out, and I can confidently say three things about Jack Dane:

1. He has genuinely unique ideas that stand out in a crowded thriller market.

2. His summaries always hook you in.

3. His writing is getting steadily better.

He managed to write a very creepy atmosphere, and the marital conflict felt real, those moments of miscommunication and resentment had a sting of realism that made the characters feel alive.

Now, I didn’t really like the cartoonish way the final showdown played out.

As for the exact ending, I would have preferred the “obvious” direction that this book looked like it was going into and I would have loved more interpersonal connection between the characters in the book, it would have felt more satisfying and consistent with the rest of the book’s momentum.

Overall, though, this was an intriguing, eerie entry from Dane, and while not all of the choices worked for me, I can see his writing continuing to grow and I’m definitely curious to pick up his other releases!