''The Girl on the Stairs'' is the 5th psychological crime thriller by Scottish author

Louise Welsh Louise Welsh (born 1 February 1965 in London) is an English-born author of short stories and psychological thrillers, resident in Glasgow, Scotland. She has also written three plays, an opera, edited volumes of prose and poetry, and contributed ...

. The book was first published in 2012 by publisher John Murray. Welsh's first novel, ''

The Cutting Room The Cutting Room is a music venue in New York City that was open at 19 West 24th Street from late 1999 through January 2009 for music of all varieties and reopened at the beginning of 2013 in a new location at 44 East 32nd Street. It was co-owned ...

'', won several literary prizes.

Plot summary

This

psychological thriller Psychological thriller is a genre combining the thriller and psychological fiction genres. It is commonly used to describe literature or films that deal with psychological narratives in a thriller or thrilling setting. In terms of context and co ...

is set in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. It revolves around the central character, Jane, who has recently moved from

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

to the city with her lover Petra. As Jane adjusts to her new life and pregnancy she becomes curious about the neighbour’s daughter Anna, the arguments she hears through the wall and Anna’s strange appearance on the stairs.Tripney, Natash
"The Girl on the Stairs by Louise Welsh - Review"
''The Guardian The Observer'', 4 August 2012. Retrieved on 9 August 2012.

Critical reception

As the plot unravels, this latest psychological thriller from

leaves the reader constantly guessing between what is real and what could be Jane’s imagination. According to one reviewer, Welsh skilfully moulded the plot into some fresh and horrible terrain." Donaldson, Bria
"Louise Welsh - The Girl on the Stairs"
''The List'', Issue 699, 18 July 2012. Retrieved on 1 August 2012. The Guardian and Observer reviewer described this novel as a "psychologically potent cross between

The Yellow Wallpaper "The Yellow Wallpaper" (original title: "The Yellow Wall-paper. A Story") is a short story by American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman, first published in January 1892 in '' The New England Magazine''. It is regarded as an important early work ...

and

Rear Window ''Rear Window'' is a 1954 American mystery thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and written by John Michael Hayes based on Cornell Woolrich's 1942 short story "It Had to Be Murder". Originally released by Paramount Pictures, the film st ...

.".

Other Works by Louise Welsh

*''

'' (2002) *''

Tamburlaine Must Die ''Tamburlaine Must Die'' is a novella written by Louise Welsh, which imagines the last days of Christopher Marlowe's life in 1593. The novella was published in 2004 by Canongate Books. Plot This novella is set in a plague-ridden London in 1593. ...

'' (2004) *''The Bullet Trick'' (2006) *''Naming The Bones'' (2010)

References

External links

Louise Welsh's Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Girl on the Stairs Novels by Louise Welsh 2012 British novels Novels set in Berlin 2010s LGBT novels Psychological thriller novels John Murray (publishing house) books 2012 LGBT-related literary works