The Girl Upstairs

Jessica R. Patch

Apr 2026 · Sold by Harlequin

About this ebook

A chilling domestic thriller by New York Times bestselling author Jessica R. Patch, where a house in small-town Maine hides deep, dark secrets...

She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

"Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful." –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan

Don't miss these other thrillers by New York Times bestselling author Jessica R. Patch:

• Her Darkest Secret
• A Cry in the Dark
• The Garden Girls
• The Other Sister

Ratings and reviews

Oh my goodness! If you’re looking for an intense psychological thriller with so many twists & turns, this is it! I love Jessica Patch’s ability to keep me guessing & totally invested in unraveling the mystery. In The Girl Upstairs, she expertly weaves an unputdownable, easily bingeable story with an unreliable narrator, set in a creepy old house in the small town of Cold Harbor, Maine. I was honestly on pins & needles the whole time wondering what was real & what was imagined. Highly recommend!

THE GIRL UPSTAIRS - I'm not sure what I like, or if, about Gwen. Her surviving baby is two months old, yet she leaves her alone in other rooms, while she goes into the woods, leaves her in a vehicle, etc., and still thinks she's a good mother. Yeah, right. As a detective, I think she could have been more professional, less mentally ill in her interviews concerning the previous owners. Those thoughts aside, this book turned out to be an awesome story with some interesting twists. I knew nothing

Loved reading the inspirational, exciting, and engaging story. When Gwen and her husband, Steven, with their baby, Tara, move into their house, Gwen hears and sees unbelievable things, the house has a tragic past, hidden room, and when a femur bone is found on their property, Gwen wants to solve the mystery not believing it to be an animal bone. Read the highly recommended, wonderfully written, and a must read riveting story full of suspense, mystery, and intrigue.

About the author

Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakeable power of hope. Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places. She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story, usually over tacos and queso. Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.