A Noise Downstairs: A Novel

Be afraid . . .

College professor Paul Davis’ life is turned upside down when he spots his colleague Kenneth driving in a suspicious manner along a deserted road. Curious, Paul follows Kenneth and catches him trying to dispose of two bodies.

That was eight months ago.

After nearly losing his own life that night, Paul is battling PTSD and depression. To cheer him up, his wife, Charlotte, gives him a present: a vintage typewriter—complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys. Inspired, Paul writes about the terrifying experience that damaged his life.

However, the typewriter soon becomes a source of anxiety. Paul swears he can hear the keys clacking in the early hours of the morning. Charlotte and his son deny hearing any strange sounds. Only Paul hears the noise coming from downstairs. Are his claims real—or is he going off the rails as Charlotte fears? Paul believes that the typewriter is connected to the dark events that night on the Post Road, as implausible as that seems. After all, Kenneth is in prison and he worked alone. Increasingly tormented yet determined to discover the truth, Paul reinvestigates the deaths himself.

But maybe Paul should just get rid of the typewriter. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. Because if he doesn’t, his darkest nightmares just might come true.