Jules has lost her job and split up with her boyfriend. Now sleeping on her friend's couch she applies for a job house sitting in an apartment in a very famous building.
There is a list of strict rules to follow but she will be living in a luxurious apartment and get a lot of money as payment, she is happy to accept the job.
Once she moves in she feels uncomfortable in the building and then one of the other apartment sitters disappears. After some investigation Jules is sure that something sinister is going on.
I really enjoyed this book. A roller coaster of a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
This is this first book by this author I have read and I will be looking out for more of his work.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK, Ebury Publishing for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a page turner ! That book was definitely worth all the expectations. This was my first Riley Sager book but it won't be the last one. I loved his imaginations. This book was dark and scary.

Lock Every Door is the latest book from author Riley Sager, I’m a huge fan of this author’s writing and really enjoyed his previous books Final Girls and Last Time I Lied, but I believe Lock Every Door is my favourite book yet. The author has moved away from his slasher, horror, YA vibe, and this book reads more like a gothic, thriller, chiller novel. This book is the perfect summer read (as in best read in daylight hours). Every page of Lock Every Door reinforces the readers' feelings of trepidation and paranoia. **Beware the Bartholomew is a building full of dark secrets, ghostly happenings, and mysterious disappearances enter at your own risk**

You’ve been offered a luxury apartment, rent free, not only that you get paid to be a ‘house sitter’ sounds great, eh? But as the old and wise adage goes ‘If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is’. Jules Larson ignores any misgivings and moves into one of Manhattan’s most high-profile private buildings the Bartholomew, home to the rich and famous. Within days of Jules moving in, the perfect job looses its shine, first there are the strict rules, and then strange and disconcerting events begin to occur. The first half of Lock Every Door threw up so many tantalising questions, that I raced through this book desperate to uncover the answers.


The Bartholomew itself is a character, an iconic landmark on the outside but step inside and it’s a building shrouded in rumours, ghost stories and urban myths, its history is one that whispers of a curse, ghostly happenings and tragic events. The atmosphere inside the building is one you could slice with a knife (no pun attended!), it’s creepy and intense I couldn’t shake off a niggling feeling that ‘the worse was yet to come’, and I wasn’t wrong! The Bartholomew is home to an eclectic bunch of residents, and although I felt I only got to know them on a superficial level this no way spoilt my enjoyment of this read. Each of the residents featured adds layer upon layer of doubt to the story, so you are never sure who to trust. As the tension rose so did my heart rate, and I’m sure it didn’t drop until I reached the hugely satisfying conclusion.

There is nothing more thrilling than being duped by the author, I really thought I had everything worked out, but then the author threw the mother of all curve balls that rendered me speechless! Some readers may find certain aspects of this book far fetched, I thought the direction the plot took was clever, devious and very satisfying. Riley Sager has a way of writing that makes his books come alive, it’s like you are watching a film rather than reading a book, the setting, the atmosphere, the plot make Lock Every Door an exhilarating read. Highly recommended to those who love a thriller, chiller with misdirection at every turn.

This review maybe altered slightly and edited prior to publication on my blog

Thrilling from start to finish. When Jules is given the job of sitting an apartment she can't believe her luck. She is down on her luck and needs the riduculous amount of money that she will get paid for just staying there for a few weeks. The apartment comes with a set of rules that she must obey or risk being asked to leave. How hard is that, nothing can go wrong can it! The place has a history but then what place doesn't especially one as old and as well known as this building.
Jules will soon wish that she had never set eyes on the apartment when bad things start to happen and she has defend herself.
The ending was a nice surprise and different from anything that I have ever read. I will look forward to reading more from this author.

There were times early on during this read that I had the sense that the story was a little too fabricated, maybe a little too cliché, but thankfully I allowed myself to get absorbed in the plot and simply taken on a journey of gothic eeriness. From gargoyles (who doesn’t love gargoyles) and disturbing optical illusion wallpaper, to Ouroboroses and folklore, this book had all the paraphernalia to create the perfect atmosphere.

So, do yourself a favour and allow this engaging thriller to take you on a journey.
Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Random House for a Review Copy.

Really enjoyed this. Different to what I was l expecting but in a good way. Well written & is highly recommend this to anyone.

Lock every door should be made into a film! This book gripped me from the start, even when I guessed SPOILER ALERT: Jules was still in the building and hadn’t yet escaped! I wanted to still know what would happen and who was behind it all and why.

The book thankfully didn’t go down the usual route of cultism, instead it’s about the old fashion sin: Greed and obtaining whatever they can at any cost including murder. I demolished this book in a day, get reading it!!!

Jules is down on her luck, no job or family and sleeping at a friend's house. When she gets the chance to be an apartment sitter in an exclusive building housing the rich and famous, she jumps at the chance. Well you would, wouldn't you? Or maybe not after reading this book! I found it a little slow going to start with but from half way through the pace really quickened and I raced through it. As for what was really happening at the Bartholomew, I would never have guessed in a million years.

To begin, I’d like to thank Ebury Publishing for sending me an ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for facilitating. And a huge thank you to Riley Sager for yet another gripping page turner!

No spoilers as usual in this review.

This is the third Riley Sager book that I have read and like the others, this was exciting and gripping and very mysterious! I had absolutely no idea what was going on at The Bartholomew no matter how many times I tried to piece it together! And I like books like that. I read a lot of mystery/thriller books so after a while it becomes quite easy to figure out what is going on quite early on. But this one definitely stumped me. Which obviously kept me turning the pages!

The characters were all very easy to get to know and that’s something I really do like about Sager books, the characters all have depth and a back story but they aren’t so complex that you spend half the book getting to know them. The characters are always easy to know.

I loved the way the story started, immediately pulling you into the mystery and it just progressed from there with plenty of mystery, lots of twists and turns all the way through until eventually the drama climaxes and settles with a satisfying ending!

As I believe I’ve said about Riley Sager’s previous books, this is definitely one that would work well on the big screen. That seems to be a talent that Sager possesses. Writing books that would work brilliantly as a film without rewrites! I am sure I read somewhere that Final Girls is now being turned into a movie (and rightly so!), perhaps that won’t be the last film adaptation we see from this author.

In summary: Brilliant, page-turning, blockbuster of a book! If you haven’t already, I would recommend giving this one a read... and then go and read Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied because you’re definitely missing out if you haven’t read every book this author has put out there!

“I’m Jules Larsen, the product of a Pennsylvania coal town with less than five hundred dollars in my checking account.
I do not belong here. But the ad didn’t mention an address. It simply announced the need for an apartment sitter and provided a phone number to call if interested. I was. I did.”

Things people do for money, money stopping sitters fleeing and abandoning the one of the most storied residential apartment blocks in Manhattan, The Bartholomew, with gargoyles overlooking the street. Jules Larsen juxtaposition amongst rich and wealthy finds herself crossing paths and on a road of investigations on other apartment sitters as a search ensues for one who disappears.

Zeroing down to a particular fate with missing sister, missing apartment sitter.
A puzzle assembling with something afoot in this dwelling, maybe a possible pattern in the details, Is there a summoning of old or work of new?

Nicely crafted introduction of the main character Jules Larsen, there will be visceral telling, along with the grande character the Bartholomew, this one gothic mystery awaiting, haunting bad histories, and with that mention of Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin as inspiration in creating this, the author successfully crafting a tale with all the fear, creepiness, and trepidation in motion.

Check out the rest of my interview with the author: https://more2read.com/review/interview-with-riley-sager/

Questions on this novel:

Lou Pendergrast

What was the inspiration and seed behind Lock Every Door?

Riley Sager

My main inspiration was ROSEMARY'S BABY by the late, great Ira Levin. I've loved the book and its film version for decades, and always thought it might be fun to do my own take on the storyline. Innocent young woman. Fabulous apartment building. Friendly neighbors that are more sinister than they first appear. Levin was a master at creating this creeping sense of dread before revealing the full horror of the situation. My goal was to do the same thing. Because he was such a big influence on me, I wanted to make him proud.

Lou Pendergrast

What were you trying to communicate to the reader with this tale?

Riley Sager

First and foremost, I wanted to scare them.
And while they were being scared, I wanted to include a little message about wealth, privilege and economic disparity.

Sadly I was unable to complete reading this novel because of really bad formatting issues. However it had the possibility of being a really enjoyable novel. So I would still recommend it.

LOCK EVERY DOOR – Riley Sager

I am new to the phenomenon that is Riley Sager and his super freaky books. There was a lot of hype on the gram with regards to his latest book ‘Lock Every Door’, so I was extremely pleased when I was approved a Netgalley uncorrected copy.

Here’s the thing. I have read quite a few thrillers in my line of work and almost always they are repetitive and lack that ‘chill’ factor needed to turn a book from ‘meh’ to great.

This book was good, it had the right amount of chills and suspense and a classic ‘locked door’ recurrent theme that I really dig. The synopsis draws you in and I will admit the first chapter really gets your blood pumping and you sit back ready to be taken on a rollercoaster of thrills. Well, I wanted to get off this rollercoaster at about 55% in.

Not because the actual premise wasn’t good, quite the opposite actually, it was because the characters grated on me. Their thought process was just so ridiculous, making stupid moves and doing that classic ‘you have a psycho after you, so you will run into the woods screaming’ attitude.

I guessed the culprit between the half way mark, but I didn’t see that ending coming though. The book shifts from a slasher cult narrative to one that concentrates on the rich, their use of power and status. For this, I appreciated how the author injected the issue of social standings between the rich and poor and took this story to a deeper level.

I liked Sager’s style of writing. The writing was superb and cleverly constructed to help conceal major plots. It flowed with consistency chapter to chapter offering small snippets of information to put together this crazy puzzle. You will NOT see that ending coming. That I can promise you. I feel conflicted because had the characters had more depth (by depth I mean common sense) and the climax introduced a lot earlier, this would have been a solid 4.5 stars. I have been told his previous book ‘The Last Time I Lied’ is definitely worth checking out, so I will definitely be adding that to the tbr.

Mixed reviews on this one but like I always say taste is subjective. Read it for yourself to form your own opinion.

What a curious plot line which immediately draws you in with the added glitz and glamour of the upper classes of Manhattan... who are hiding something? This storyline leapt out at me for the mystery and intrigue and because it’s SUCH a good, appealing job offer! Who doesn’t want to apartment sit in the most famous building in NYC! It’s to DIE for right?! Right! I was immediately sucked into this book and this world and was rooting for the main character with her tragic life. I read the book in two sittings in two days-couldn’t get enough of it! The characters are so well written, each with an intrigue and mystique all of their own, leaving you not quite sure who you can trust or rule out! I especially liked how all the apartment sitters were woven into the story, adding another layer then another then another. The beginning of the book had me wrong footed from the off and this theme of red herrings and twists continues to the end, keeping you guessing and on your toes... and the edge of your seat! Creepy, full of suspense which is at total odds with the setting of the most famous building in New York, this book was an absolute treat!

Haunted by tragedies in her past, losing her boyfriend and job and sleeping penniless on her friend's couch, Jules gets the chance to be paid handsomely to live in a luxury apartment in the Bartholemew build that features heavily in her favourite novel. There are some quite strict rules but the chance to relax, earn some money and get her life back on track make this too good an offer to refuse.

The book starts with brief present moments and day-long flashbacks to provide the back story to her present predicament.

The story is a wonderful chiller that keeps the reader guessing throughout. You know something is wrong but what exactly is it? Expect to be hooked as you follow Jules story as she unravels the mystery behind the secretive Bartholemew.

Lock every Door is a wonderful fast paced thriller ,I loved Final Girls but this book is even better .Jules takes a job apartment sitting,in a very old prestigious building home of the rich and famous in New York .She only has to stay 3 months and will get paid 12,000 dollars but she has to obey the strict rules .She has lost her home ,her job and is broke so she jumps at the chance to live somewhere wonderful plus earn some money ! Too late she realises all is not as it seems and when one of her neighbours disappears she sets out to find out what has happened to her ,actually putting herself in more danger .This is definitely one of those books which is so hard to put down ,it twists and turns until you think you know where the story is leading but I was so wrong !A fabulous book with a brilliant ending definitely a 10 star book !
Many thanks to The Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my review copy in return for an honest review .

What a great story! A very unusual idea, and a compelling plot. I felt the characters were a bit contrived though, and it was difficult to believe in many of them. All in all, a great holiday read, although, like another reviewer, my enjoyment was spoiled by the constant repetition of chunks of text.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
Thanks @netgalley @riley.sager and @penguinrhuk for my ARC
Publication date 25th July 2019 •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Definitely one of my favourite authors ever, I was so excited to get this ARC. Wow! What a book, definitely my new favourite of his three books. This book has everything. Old school horror, suspense and a good old fashioned mystery. The writing was incredibly clever and all tales were intricately woven together to come to an amazing climax. Loved this! My new favourite book of the year! Highly recommended xx

Stop looking at reviews and order Lock Every Door, its incredible and you NEED to read it!

It’s been a long time since I’ve been so into a book, don’t get me wrong I love reading but it’s rare to find a true masterpiece of writing these days. Lock Every Door is a masterpiece. It’s dark, twisted and spine chilling. I found myself unable to get away and read in one sitting. I’ve now ordered Riley’s other books.

Someone get this sent over to Netflix since it would make an amazing series!

Oh my goodness what a brilliant read and would highly recommend to other people. A real page turner so thank you Netgalley and the Publisher.

What goes on behind closed doors in a posh apartment block? Those rich ones that surround Central Park look very nice indeed. John Lennon lived in a famous one called The Dakota. The one in this book is just as flash and famous and just as memorable for the wrong reasons.

Jules gets the chance to be an apartment sitter at the exclusive and gothic Bartholomew. She's to look after it for a while and live there, but there are very strict rules. no visitors, no sharing any pictures of it on social media and no staying away for even one night.. It's hardly a friendly place either as the neighbours are a bit strange. Very private and they dont' like being disturbed. There's another sitter in the building and she seems spooked. What IS going on?

This is one very creepy and unforgiving place. GOTHIC, WEIRD and VERY VERY DARK! It might put me off going inside a grand old building for a while to be honest. You know the phrase sometimes are just too good to be true. Well this job offer for looking after this apartment is! The place is CREEPY with a capital C. IT was great to visit but at least I could leave!

IT does get a bit far fetched towards the end but it was so much thrilling fun by that point that I didn't care. It was a reading experience and then some and I was SO in that apartment with Jules. It was a thrilling and scary read and a fast-paced read I really enjoyed.

Riley Sager manages to take the everyday, normal situation and then turn it into something really dark. Really enjoyed this but will look twice at those buildings in NYC next time I go....