Introduction: Welcome to the Windermere
There’s something about old New York apartment buildings that sends a delicious shiver down the spine. Those grand prewar facades hide a multitude of secrets behind their gleaming brass doors and marble lobbies. What really goes on behind those heavy oak apartment doors, in the shadowy basement laundry rooms, on the creaky service elevators that have been running since the Roaring Twenties?
In her latest psychological thriller The New Couple in 5B, master of suspense Lisa Unger pulls back the curtain on one such building to reveal a nest of darkness festering at the heart of Manhattan elegance. When struggling young couple Rosie and Chad Lowan unexpectedly inherit a luxury apartment in the historic Windermere on Park Avenue, it seems like all their dreams are coming true. But some dreams quickly curdle into nightmares, and Rosie soon finds herself trapped in a sinister web of secrets, lies and murder stretching back decades.
As she did in her blockbuster hit Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, Unger demonstrates her virtuoso ability to turn an idyllic setting into a claustrophobic hell. Trading remote woodland for urban sophistication, she proves that true horror lurks not in isolation, but in the rotten foundations beneath our feet in the very heart of civilization. The New Couple in 5B will make you think twice about that charming prewar building on your block. Those elegant cornices may be hiding more than pigeons’ nests.
Plot Summary: Be Careful What You Wish For
Rosie and Chad Lowan are your typical struggling New York millennials—she’s an aspiring writer, he’s a wannabe actor, they can barely afford their cramped East Village walkup. When Chad’s elderly uncle Ivan dies and unexpectedly leaves them his luxury apartment in the historic Windermere building on Park Avenue, it seems like a dream come true. Suddenly they’re rubbing elbows with the city’s elite, gazing out over stunning skyline views from their marble-clad aerie.
But Rosie quickly senses that all is not right in the Windermere. The elderly couple next door, Charles and Ella Aldridge, seem a bit too welcoming. The suave doorman Abi knows a suspicious amount about the residents’ comings and goings. And why does it feel like someone is always watching? As Rosie digs into the building’s dark history for her latest book project, she uncovers a twisted legacy of murder, madness and the occult. When residents start turning up dead in gruesome “accidents,” Rosie realizes she may be next—unless she can unravel the Windermere’s secrets before they consume her.
Writing Style: Urban Gothic Meets Modern Thriller
Unger’s prose crackles with energy, effortlessly evoking both the glittering surfaces and seedy underbelly of New York City. Her writing has a noirish flair, with hard-boiled dialogue and vividly sketched characters that wouldn’t be out of place in a Raymond Chandler novel. At the same time, she employs all the tricks of the modern psychological thriller—unreliable narrators, shifting timelines, and gaslighting galore.
The result is a gripping mash-up of classic urban gothic and cutting-edge suspense that keeps you guessing until the very last page. Unger excels at creating an atmosphere of creeping dread, where even mundane details like the whirr of an old elevator take on an air of menace. Her New York is a city of shadows, where danger lurks around every corner and nothing is quite as it seems.
Pacing and Structure: A Rollercoaster Ride Through Time
Unger employs a complex, non-linear narrative structure that jumps between multiple timelines and perspectives. We follow Rosie in the present day as she unravels the Windermere’s mysteries, but also flash back to the 1960s to witness the tragic events that set everything in motion. There are also snippets from Rosie’s troubled childhood in a rural religious cult, adding another layer of psychological depth.
This fragmented approach mirrors Rosie’s increasingly fractured mental state as she struggles to separate truth from lies. It can be disorienting at times, but Unger handles the transitions deftly. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on what’s happening, she pulls the rug out from under you with another shocking revelation. The pacing is relentless, with cliffhangers galore that make it nearly impossible to put the book down.
Character Development: Flawed and Fascinating
Rosie makes for a compelling protagonist—smart and determined, but also deeply damaged by her traumatic past. Her struggles with anxiety and impostor syndrome feel painfully real. We root for her even as we question whether we can trust her perceptions. The supporting cast is equally well-drawn, from Chad’s easygoing charm to the Aldridges’ genteel menace.
But the real star of the show is the Windermere itself. Unger brings the building to vivid life, imbuing it with a palpable sense of malevolence. By the end, the Windermere feels less like a setting and more like a character in its own right—one with dark desires and a hunger for human souls.
Themes: The Horrors of Gentrification
On the surface, The New Couple in 5B is a gripping haunted house tale. But Unger uses the conventions of the genre to explore deeper themes of class, privilege, and the often brutal process of urban renewal. The Windermere becomes a microcosm of New York City itself—a place where old money and new collide, where the ghosts of the past refuse to stay buried.
Rosie and Chad’s inheritance of the apartment mirrors the real-life gentrification of many New York neighborhoods. They are interlopers in a rarefied world, desperately trying to belong even as sinister forces work to expel them. The building’s dark history serves as a metaphor for the violence and displacement that often accompany urban “progress.”
The Power of Place
Unger also delves into the psychological power that buildings can hold over us. The Windermere exerts an almost narcotic pull on its residents, promising status and security even as it slowly destroys them. It’s a potent exploration of how our homes can come to define us—for better or worse. The New Couple in 5B asks: at what point does the dream of the perfect New York apartment become a nightmare?
Comparisons: Echoes of Rosemary’s Baby
The New Couple in 5B owes an obvious debt to Ira Levin’s classic Rosemary’s Baby, another tale of newlyweds caught in the web of an evil Manhattan apartment building. Unger acknowledges this influence with several knowing nods to Levin’s work. But where Levin’s novel was steeped in 1960s paranoia, Unger updates the formula for our modern era of surveillance and digital isolation.
Fans of Gillian Flynn and Tana French will also find much to love here. Unger shares their knack for unreliable narrators and twisty plots that keep you guessing. There are also echoes of Stephen King’s The Shining in the way the Windermere slowly works its evil influence on its inhabitants.
Strengths: Atmosphere and Suspense
Unger’s greatest strength lies in her ability to create an overwhelming sense of dread and unease. From the very first page, you can feel the shadows closing in around Rosie. Every creaky floorboard and flickering light takes on ominous significance. The author excels at the slow burn, gradually ratcheting up the tension until you’re on the edge of your seat.
The novel’s complex structure also keeps you on your toes, forcing you to piece together the mystery along with Rosie. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, Unger throws another curveball that upends everything you thought you knew. It’s the kind of book that demands to be re-read as soon as you finish, to catch all the clues you missed the first time around.
Weaknesses: Some Loose Ends
With so many plot threads and timelines to juggle, it’s perhaps inevitable that a few loose ends are left dangling. Some secondary characters feel underdeveloped, and certain subplots are resolved a bit too neatly. The final twist, while shocking, stretches credibility somewhat.
These are minor quibbles, however, in what is overall a tightly plotted and satisfying thriller. Unger keeps the pages turning even when the plot threatens to become convoluted.
Conclusion: A Must-Read Urban Chiller
The New Couple in 5B cements Lisa Unger’s status as one of the most exciting voices in contemporary suspense. It’s a deliciously twisted tale that will make you look at your neighbors—and your own four walls—in a whole new light. Next time you pass one of those grand old New York buildings, you might find yourself wondering what secrets are hiding behind those elegant facades.
Just don’t blame me if you have trouble sleeping afterwards. Some things are better left undisturbed behind those heavy oak doors. Welcome to the Windermere – hope you survive the experience.