Don’t Go Downstairs
After thirty years of marriage, Deb and Larry are looking to spark some life back into their relationship with a free, week-long getaway at a Long Island seaside cottage. The house is beautiful, the price is right, and there is only one catch: Don’t go into the basement.
As they uncover disturbing details about the owners—a couple whose "separation" seems more like a disappearance—the temptation to break the house's only rule becomes unbearable. Is the truth worth the risk of what’s waiting below?
- Larry - Debra’s husband
- Debra - Larry’s wife, teacher
- Kevin P - Owner of the Long Island home
- Cheryl - Kevin’s wife
- Billy - Police officer, former student of Debra’s
- Sarah - Kevin’s mistress, Billy’s girlfriend
- Sprinkle - Tiny cat
- Debra and Kevin match on a house swapping website.
- Kevin messages with Debra saying he wants to get away because he just separated from his wife.
- Kevin tells Debra there’s just one rule, don’t go in the basement.
- Cheryl introduces herself as Kevin’s neighbor and tells Debra that Kevin and his wife used to fight a lot and she hasn’t seen either of them since they separated.
- Debra runs into Billy when she goes into town.
- Sarah comes to the door looking for Kevin but Debra tells her Kevin isn’t there.
- Debra finds a kitten and names him Sprinkle.
- Debra finds a degree showing Kevin went to Pathmore College, the same college Larry attended.
- Debra sees an e-mail to Larry saying, ‘Miss you, Firebird,’ which makes her think Larry is cheating.
- Larry insists he has no idea what it’s about, but Debra doesn’t believe him.
- The power goes out due to a rainstorm.
- Debra and Larry go in the basement but only find a folding table with a garden fork, trowel and pair of shears on it.
- Debra thinks she sees someone lurking around outside the house.
- The person enters the house through the back door and Debra smashes them with a beer bottle - it’s Sarah.
- Larry and Debra tie Sarah up in the basement while she’s unconscious.
- Sarah says Kevin texted her and invited her to come over because they are dating, instructing her to enter through the back door.
- In the middle of the night Larry and Debra find Sarah’s chair tipped over and lots of blood.
- When they approach to see if Sarah is dead, they find it is Kevin now tied to the chair and he is dead.
- Debra finds Kevin’s phone; the background image is of him and Sarah, and he is wearing a Pathmore College sweatshirt with a phoenix on it.
- Debra thinks Larry and Sarah are in on it together and that she is their next target.
- Debra runs to Cheryl’s house, asks for a phone and tries to call Billy, but Cheryl hits her.
- Debra wakes up in Kevin’s basement tied to a chair back to back with Larry.
- Cheryl says she is Kevin’s wife and that he was cheating on her with Sarah.
- Cheryl’s plan was for Debra or Larry to touch the gardening tools to get their DNA on them so she could murder Kevin and frame one of them.
- Cheryl sent the e-mail to Larry to make it look like Larry had a motive for killing Kevin, as if he loved Sarah and killed Kevin because he found out Kevin was dating her.
- Larry and Debra get the gardening fork out of Kevin’s body and use it to free themselves.
- Cheryl comes downstairs with a shotgun but Sprinkle distracts her and Larry gets ahold of the gun.
- Billy shows up and arrests Cheryl.
- Epilogue: Debra is teaching a new batch of students and Larry shows up to bring her flowers.
Don’t Go Downstairs is a solid, medium-paced thriller that serves as a good "palate cleanser" between heavier reads. Jack Dane’s writing style is always a win for me—it’s clean, engaging, and remarkably easy to sink into.
The short chapters kept the momentum steady, making this a quick read. While I wouldn't call the plot revolutionary or "mind-blowing," I didn't predict the twist, which is always a pleasant surprise in a genre that can sometimes feel predictable. It’s a well-crafted story that relies on an eerie atmosphere and the growing curiosity of the characters rather than over-the-top shock value. If you enjoy a mystery that builds its tension through a simple, effective "one rule" premise, this is definitely worth picking up.
- Kevin - Dead - Stabbed with a gardening fork by Cheryl
- Larry - Alive - Making more of an effort in his marriage
- Debra - Alive - Happy that her marriage is improving
- Cheryl - Alive - Arrested for murdering Kevin
- A kitten gets kicked once but he’s fine
- Murder
- Infidelity
Publisher: Independently Published
ISBN: 9798298757812
Publication Date: August 27, 2025
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
