Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: The Girl Upstairs
Author: Jessica R. Patch
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired Trade
Release Date: April 28, 2026
Genre: Psychological Thriller
“Jessica R. Patch weaves a dark, twisty tapestry that’s both unsettling and unexpectedly hopeful. Masterful.” –New York Times bestselling author Allison Brennan
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…
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Harlequin.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | BookBub
My Review of The Girl Upstairs
Jessica Patch’s books are a must-read for me, so reading The Girl Upstairs was a given! Like most of her books, there are twists and turns you’ll never see coming. Gwen, a former detective, and her husband Steven, a doctor, move to a beautiful small town in Maine to try to fix what’s wrong in their marriage; however, we’re not clued into what exactly is wrong for quite a while. Gwen thinks that starting over is best. From the get go, things happen that don’t add up. Gwen is sure the house is haunted. She’s sure of a lot of things, but as the reader, we’re never quite sure what is happening.
As usual, Patch gives us deeply layered characters. It’s almost impossible to know which ones are reliable and which are hiding something. So many tragedies took place in that house that you begin to wonder if it is cursed or is someone sinister behind things. Before even considering buying the house, Gwen was drawn to it. She had to have it, and we begin to wonder why. Is it because she was a detective, or is it just a creepy coincidence? Or was it a purely innocent decision based on her fond memories of visiting the area with her parents when she was a child?
I know I should never start a thriller before bed, but I don’t listen to myself… I started this one night, fell asleep, woke up, and read all day. This book is so good. There’s so much mystery, so much going on with the characters, stuff going on at the house. I really only figured one thing out before it was revealed though near the end. The other things totally shocked me! This was definitely a 5 star read for me, and I highly recommend it!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.
Also Available
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 unshakable 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.
You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.
Tour Giveaway
(2) winners will each receive a signed copy of The Other Sister and a $10 Amazon gift card!
Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 27, 2026 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on May 4, 2026. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for the print copy. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!