The Landlady
After fleeing a women's refuge, Molly and her five-year-old daughter, Lily, move into Rose Cottage, a quiet country home located on the Peartree Farm property. Their seemingly motherly landlady, Mrs. Skinner—who also lives on the farm—enforces one very strict rule: no male visitors. Soon after moving in, unsettling things start happening. Mrs. Skinner's son watches Molly a bit too closely, personal items like lipstick go missing, and Lily wakes up screaming that there is a stranger in her bedroom. When I question what happened to the last tenant who vanished without her furniture, Mrs. Skinner just smiles and claims she only wants to protect us. But what happens the moment I break her one rule?
- Molly - Protagonist
- Lily - Molly’s daughter, 5
- Mrs. Pearl Skinner - The Landlady, 71
- Stan Skinner - Pearl’s husband, 84
- Viktor - Pearl and Stan’s son, 40
- Zak - Lily’s father
- Liam - Molly’s boyfriend
- Cheryl - Liam’s mother
- Mr. Grey - Farmhand at Peartree Farm
- Heather - Previous tenant of Rose Cottage
- Pearl is a devout Christian and member of the Circle of Brethren.
- Years ago Zak beat a man named Martin while Molly stood by. She thought he died, but he survived.
- Pearl used to be a prostitute and was six weeks pregnant with Viktor when she was brought to Peartree Farm. She married Stan to escape her old life and told him the child was his.
- Liam goes missing.
- Pearl beat Heather to death and buried her in the hay meadow because she didn’t like how fixated Viktor was on her.
- Viktor walks into Molly’s house while she’s in the bath and gets arrested.
- Molly finds Liam dead inside his van, which is hidden in Pearl’s barn.
- Pearl kills Stan by poisoning him with rat poison.
- Mr. Grey is Zak - he took a job at the farm because Pearl promised she would help him get Molly back.
- Molly finds out Martin did not die.
- Zak gets trampled by a cow and is seriously injured.
- Viktor moves Liam’s van before the police arrive to investigate.
- Pearl sets her house on fire to hide the evidence of her killing Stan.
- When she tells Viktor she will blame all the killings on him, he locks her in the burning house.
- Three months later: Viktor goes to see Zak in the hospital disguised as Santa Claus.
- He tricks Zak into getting his fingerprints on the hammer that killed Liam, then strangles him so he can have Molly to himself.
- Molly remains friends with Viktor, unaware of his dangerous obsession with her.
- Molly starts coming to terms with the fact that she is the one who beat Martin almost to death because she was drunk and high and Zak let her blame him to shield her from what she had done.
Jane E. James delivers a highly engaging, fast-paced thriller with The Landlady. I absolutely love her writing style—it effortlessly pulls you in and keeps the momentum going from the very first page. The short chapters make it incredibly easy to fly through, and the narrative is packed with enough layered mysteries to keep you thoroughly engaged. None of the characters are particularly likable, but that didn't take away from my ability to enjoy the story at all. While the main twist wasn't shocking, the actual ending still managed to pull off a satisfying surprise.
- Heather - Dead - Beat to death by Pearl
- Liam - Dead - Bludgeoned with a hammer by Pearl
- Stan - Dead - Poisoned by Pearl
- Pearl - Dead - Burned to death by Viktor
- Zak/Mr. Grey - Dead - Strangled by Viktor
- Murder
- Voyeurism
- Stalking
- Home invasion
Publisher: Joffe Books
ISBN: 9781805735366
Publication Date: May 7, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
