Flat 401, Kingsley Pearson
Flat 401, Kingsley Pearson
List: $31.99 | Sale: $22.40
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Flat 401
The most gripping and moving debut thriller you’ll read this year

Author: Kingsley Pearson

Narrator: Antonio Aakeel

Unabridged: 9 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orion

Published: 07/03/2025

Synopsis

'A gripping and atmospheric read that balances suspense with heart... Fans of Gillian Flynn, Tana French, or Paula Hawkins will find a lot to love here.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The only person who'd tell you what really happened in Flat 401 is dead...

All Jay wants is to start again, to set himself up in a small, quiet town where no one knows him. But when a threatening note makes its way into the hostel he's forced to call home - Everyone is going to know what you really did - his hope for a fresh start begins to crumble.

Jay fears that the secret he went to prison to protect might finally come out. How far is he willing to go to keep his freedom alive? And with a shadowy figure from his past tracking Jay's every move, perhaps it's not just his freedom Jay should be worried about being taken from him, but his life...

Flat 401 is a tense, character-driven thriller perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Paula Hawkins and Mark Billingham.

What everyone is saying about Flat 401:
'A taut, emotionally charged thriller that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go... this novel weaves suspense and humanity into a compelling narrative.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A compelling and convincing debut about the murky space between the truth and lies, innocence and guilt... The creeping dread of what will or won't happen - and what did - kept me hooked to the end. Five stars!' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'A gorgeously written debut... Stunningly captured... The author rendered each character with such authenticity and honesty... The kind of layered depth that invites you to lean in, trust the author and enjoy the ride... Perfect for fans of Abigail Dean.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An accomplished character-driven debut, which drew me in from the first chapter... Dark and twisting - this novel sensitively tackles big themes. Flat 401's characters and thrilling conclusion will stay with me for a long time to come.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Kingsley Pearson is definitely one to watch. As well as a pacy thriller with great concept, this is also an interesting social study. Thoroughly enjoyed reading and would highly recommend.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'An intense thriller... I really enjoyed it. The drama and the secrets unfolded beautifully and the writing is really good. I was hooked from the start.' Reader Review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

About Kingsley Pearson

Kingsley Pearson works as a Clinical Psychologist in digital mental health. He wants to tell compelling stories that engage, reward re-reading, are well-written, and speak to people on deeper personal or social-issue levels. He is a mixed-race British gay man, all of which influences his approach to writing: the perspective he takes on it, the issues he wants to address, and the stories he wants to tell.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jacob on July 22, 2025

Flat 401 by Kingsley Pearson has been on my radar for a while and I was so excited to finally read it. Psychological thrillers, that always stand out to me, are those that feel fresh and new and this was definitely the case with Kingsley’s debut. Jay is a character who I really felt I got to know as......more

Goodreads review by Shannon on June 10, 2025

ARC Review – Flat 401 by Kingsley Pearson ⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5 stars) A moody, slow-burn thriller about a man trying to outrun his past. I liked the suspense and atmosphere, but the shifting perspectives and layout made it hard to follow at times. Still, a solid read for fans of layered, psychological thriller......more

Goodreads review by Cynth on July 12, 2025

What a brilliant debut novel!! This one had such beautifully written complex characters, I loved the ending! It kept me hooked and I was so tense throughout about finding out the truth. I would absolutely recommend this book if you’re looking for a page turner thriller with characters that have real......more

Goodreads review by Joanne on July 05, 2025

In Flat 401, Kingsley Pearson delivers a taut, emotionally charged thriller that grips you from the first page and refuses to let go. With a blend of small-town unease, unresolved trauma, and a protagonist desperate to escape his past, this novel weaves suspense and humanity into a compelling narrat......more

Goodreads review by Cathy on August 13, 2025

Flat 401 by Kingsley Pearson This book will have people who love it, hate it, or that it doesn’t work for at all. I believe that I am in the last category. The prologue grabbed me, and made me want to find out why someone died and who the killer was but by page fifty I realized that I would have to d......more

Quotes

This is a propulsive thriller that's rich with deliciously dark undertones. Pearson's writing is insightful on the themes of race, sexuality, guilt, grief and internalised homophobia. The fact that Pearson is a psychologist comes through in the layered depiction of the characters in this cleverly written multi narrator novel.

Flat 401 by Kingsley Pearson asks a simple question: what happens when you are sent to prison for something you didn't (quite) do - and then return to the free world? An intense exploration of the shadows that lie between guilt and innocence. Vaseem Khan

I loved it! What a great read... Written with real insight into the human condition. Pearson's skills as a clinical psychologist are put to good use in this accomplished debut, where nothing is as it seems... This cerebral thriller is a welcome addition to a genre that rarely steps out of its comfort zone. Iqbal Hussain

Flat 401 is a brutally raw story of how corrosive shame and longing can spiral into terrible tragedy, and is a nuanced exploration of the legacy of guilt and the desperate fight to free ourselves from the mistakes of the past. Philippa East

Flat 401 is a compelling and psychologically astute thriller about the difficult choices we take in life, and the ongoing impact of trauma and guilt. A great new voice in crime fiction. Anna Sharpe

Flat 401 is a deliciously dark thriller about an ex-offender's attempt to rebuild his life under the long shadow of a heinous crime. Richly layered and brimming with authentic detail, it explores trauma, guilt and redemption, and asks who deserves a second chance? Kia Abdullah

A contemporary, authentic, compelling mystery suffused with intrigue, Flat 401 will hook you in from the start and keep you turning the pages until its final, shocking twists. But this is much more than a thriller - it's a social novel for the 2020s: an exploration of identity, relationships, and redemption. Pearson is a gifted storyteller who brings a vivid, multisensory, ungentrified London to life, using his experience as a frontline Clinical Psychologist to take us deep into his characters' inner worlds. An outstanding debut. Chris Merritt

A character-driven and thought-provoking thriller that deals with themes of guilt and revenge, identity and loneliness, shame and desire. Uncompromising and honest, Flat 401 is a tense and compelling read.

I raced through this in a couple of days, I was hooked!! A great cast of diverse, intriguing characters; a gripping plot; secrets upon secrets; and plenty of twists and turns... I loved it!

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