I'm unsure how I feel about this book. As mentioned in other reviews, it really does feel like a mash-up of several books, mostly The Woman in the Window and a few others that I don't want to name (spoilers). It was entertaining if a little slow and not my least favorite Riley Sager but it wasn't my favorite either. It was so strange also but didn't leave me intrigued enough to keep going; I really just kept going because I was reviewing for NetGalley. The ending almost made it worth it but by then, I was only half invested in it.

I've read all of Riley Sager's books, and this is definitely the oddest and worst.

SUMMARY
Casey is a washed up alcoholic actress recuperating from the death of her husband and emotional breakdown at her family's cabin on an isolated lake in Vermont, which happens to be the same lake her husband died in. After saving her across the lake neighbor Katherine (who happens to be a famous former supermodel married to a tech mogul) from drowning, Casey becomes obsessed with watching her and her husband in their house across the lake through binoculars. One night, drunk Casey suspects that something sinister happens to Katherine by the hands of Katherine's husband and decides to do some investigating along with the help of her neighbor, a widower and recovering alcoholic. Unbelievable, weakly written, poorly plotted hi-jinks ensue.

OPINIONS
Riley Sager needs to stop writing through a female/feminine perspective. This has always been a weak quality of all of his writing, and it's omnipresent in this book.

I get the feeling the author only had a glimmer of an idea about the plot of this book when he started writing it and was writing this book to complete a specified book deal.

The supernatural elements were horrible. I think this author was trying to channel Grady Hendrix and fell flat.

Yes, the plot is a common one of an unreliable drunk female lead obsessively watching the goings-on around her, but I had high hopes this author would put a unique twist on it, and although they technically did, I almost wish they had done a more run-of-the-mill who-dun-it story.

This will be the last Riley Sager I read unless any future ones are HIGHLY recommended to me by trusted sources.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publishers from an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars...

Well, this one left me a little dissatisfied. I was REALLY into the first 60-70% (very propulsive and intriguing; reeled me right in), and then it took a strange turn of events…. a twist (?) a substandard, strange, supernatural (ish) twist. I felt like it went downhill from there.

I know everyone complained about the drunk girl protagonist being “overdone”; I didn’t mind that at all… it sounded like it could get good, and it was…UNTIL….. (if you read you know, if you didn’t, I don’t want to give away spoilers.) In my opinion, this was a VERY REAL scenario (widow, at a lake house, spying on neighbors), and then the author took a turn that didn’t even allow me to suspend enough belief, it seemed too farfetched and implausible for a storyline that appeared so real-life like.

Consequently, that was my main hiccup that I couldn’t get past. This would’ve been 4 stars, but I can’t get over the unnecessary whiplash, that didn’t quite feel like the twist this book deserved.

A brilliant well paced thriller - I'm annoyed that I didn't guess the twist but that's a testament to Riley Sager's writing!
4 stars.

Riley Sager has become my go-to thriller/mystery author. I love the elements of Old Hollywood movies like Rear Window that come into play here, it was a little predictable but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

I would give this a solid 4.5 stars! I’ve read almost all of Riley Sagers titles and I think this one is my favorite yet!!! I would describe it a little bit like “Woman in the Window meets My Best Friends Exorcism.”

I think this is the end for me and Riley Sager....this was overall meh.....Maybe if this was my first time reading one of his books and I was not familiar with others in the genre I would have enjoyed this more. I think the synopsis alone should have alerted me to the fact I was not going to enjoy this but alas....I did like our setting for this story but honestly not much else. Our main character is your typical alcoholic voyeur who makes that most asinine decisions. I could definitely tell this was written by a man by some of the comments and actions the female lead makes....This book was also trying to be too many things at once and ultimately it just became a hot mess. The first half of the book was literally the Woman in the Window but boring and repetitive. I can only read so many pages about our main character's drinking habits before my brain goes numb. Then all of the twists were easy to spot and one just did not work for me i.e the supernatural element. Overall, I think this will be the last book from Sager I read....I just feel like his writing and storylines have become lazy and unoriginal.

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

WTF did I just read?!

Seriously.

The twist towards the end of the book completely ruined it for me, but to be honest, I wasn't loving the first half of the book either other than it was a quick read.

They can't all be winners I guess.

I love suspense novels and plot twists. I love him like you can't imagine. And I loved this wild, psychological, charming, and unnerving ride more than I anticipated.

Although the book’s first half suggests a traditional approach to detective stories, mixed with the modernity of Hollywood, technological millionaires, and supermodels, the second half is disruptive to the reader. It is a blow that no one can recover from until it ends.

I really struggled with my rating for this book. Riley Sager is hit or miss for me, and The House Across the Lake was somewhere in the middle. I ended up with 3.5/5 stars for this one.

The beginning of the book is a slow burn. There wasn’t much action going on besides Casey saving Katherine from drowning. This incident causes Casey to grab some binoculars and spy on Katherine and her husband, Tom’s house across the lake. The biggest problem with the beginning for me was that I’m over the alcoholic woman spying on neighbors thinks she sees something bad happen, but because she was drinking doesn’t know if it’s real trope! It’s just overdone.

Once the book picks up pace, there were so many great curves thrown in, and honestly I didn’t see any of them coming! With only a handful of characters that could be suspects I think I blamed everyone at least once and hoped it wasn’t certain characters more than others. Sager did a great job with shocking me throughout the last third of the book!

I listened along to the audiobook while reading this one, and I do think that affected my rating. The choice of narrator for this book was wrong. Her voice sounded too old for Casey and the audiobook just didn’t work for me. I really think my rating would be higher if I had just read the eARC alone.

Thank you NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton, and PRH Audio got advanced copies in exchange for my honest review.

I was into this book for the first half, but then it took some turns (which, to be fair, I did not see coming) that were just way too over the top for me.

The House Across the Lake hooked me from page one and kept me hooked until the very end! I could not put this one down!

Sager is a favourite on Bookstagram so I was really excited to be given access to the arc of his latest novel, The House Across The Lake (my first Sager). But prior to starting, I accidently began to see that die-hard fans were not impressed with this one. And I had those thoughts in my head the whole time. But the further into the novel I got, I was sold. I didn’t see what the issue was. I was so into it. Then I got to the part that I think is what annoyed the fanbase so I’ll assume this is not a usual theme of Sager’s. Perhaps he was experimenting and putting his creative hat on, ey?

While I didn’t love that part; it felt a little too out there resulting in a meh feeling from me, I did love the rest of the book. The characters were well written, the plot hooked me in from the start, I loved the double timeline and the way they eventually married and the setting was utilised well. All in all, a good first Sager experience. I’m happy and will one hundred percent give his other books a go.

The House Across the Lake was my first Riley Sager novel, and I am HOOKED!

I will say that I was not expecting it to take such a supernatural turn. I actually had to put the book down and digest that part before picking it up the following night.

The House Across the Lake kept me engaged and I just had to figure out the ending. While some of the characters were a little less than believable, that's the whole point of reading, right? To escape a bit?

Review: Ugh, I really wanted to enjoy this one. Like really really wanted too, and I did but to a point. A point in which this book took a really weird turn and just kind of lost me. This is my first Riley Sager book, so I am unaware if all of his books kind of follow the same vibes (trying not to spoil anything). I am willing to give another one of his books a try. So if anyone has any recommendations on one of his I should try, please let me know! Overall, this was a miss for me, but I am thinking I just don’t enjoy *SPOILER*..........................paranormal aspects in thrillers.
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Recommend: Going to have to pass on recommending this one, friends.

This was quite the twisty tale. Creepy. Lots of bizaare plot twists. Kept me guessing. I really liked the main character despite her dysfunctional ways. Loved the setting. Wasn't a fan of the paranormal aspect of the story. I've read all this authors books and he never fails to creep me out.

This was a great book that started fast and was unstoppable. It took a turn towards the end that was a little too predictable for me, but I still enjoyed the story. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers, then this is your book.

A thank you to Netgalley for sharing the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Hmm...I guess I would call this a serviceably entertaining if uninspired read, at least up to a point before things took a turn for the weird, then weirder...I have to admit that I was sorely disappointed by Sager's latest and expected a much more unexpected thriller.

Riley Sager wrote my favorite thriller book of all time, The Last Time I Lied, so I was really excited to get an advance copy of his newest book. Sadly though, it didn't live up to my expectations.
After seeing the title and synopsis, I was already worried that it would be too similar to other books (The Girl on the Train, The Woman in the Window, etc). Not only was it similar, but the parts that were different were also cheesy and over the top.
The plot twists are always the best parts of Riley Sager's books but I guess half of the plot from the synopsis. Overall this was just kind of a mediocre thriller with none of the talented twists Sager is known for.

Riley Sager is a must read for me I have loved all his books and I’m alway recommending his books to any mystery/ thriller fan! I felt like this book was a mix of Alfred Hitchcock Rear Window and I was here for it!
Do we ever know what’s going on behind the closed doors of our neighbors, especially when we decide to grab a pair of binoculars and watch their every move.. how much is to much spying?!
Casey Fletcher was a successful film and Broadway star until her husband’s tragic death about a year ago, now she drowns her sorrow in endless glasses of bourbon or really any type of alcohol. Her binge drinking led her getting fired from her recent Broadway production , and to make matters worse her picture of her downfall has been splashed all over the Internet. Her mother, a Broadway star herself , has given Casey a choice she either enters rehab or spend time at their secluded lake house in Vermont on Lake Green, Casey chooses the lake house. Drinking even more and finding her husbands binoculars she begins to watch her neighbors a famous couple a former model Katherine and her husband Tom a tech mogul.
One morning Casey sees a body floating on the lake. She ends up saving Katherine from drowning, soon they become friends. Casey becomes more and more convinced that something is not right with their marriage the more she watches them.
When Katherine just leaves one day Casey knows something is off, especially without Katherine saying goodbye, Toms behavior becomes more and more suspicious and through her binoculars Casey begins her own investigation what’s really happening at the house across the lake? Wow I could not put this book down, and the twist had me shocked!!