Happy PUB DAY, @rileysager!

🌟🌟🌟🌟💫 4.5/5 stars
GR: 3.68
TW: yes, DM me!
Thank you @duttonbooks & @penguinbooks for my #gifted copy, & @netgalley for my digital!

READ IF YOU LIKE:
🌊REMOTE LAKEHOUSE SETTING
🏠THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW
🤯Mind-boggling twists
😯COMPLETE UNPREDICTABILITY
😱Books that KEEP your jaw on the floor
⏰Alternating timelines
👩🏻Singular POV

HOLY. COW.

I’ve never read a book with more INSANE twists BACK-TO-BACK; my head was SPINNING. I had NO idea what was going to happen- when I thought I had a teeny tiny inkling... I was WAY off. If you read this & say you predicted something, I will NOT believe you (unless you saw people’s stinkin spoilers). I did not see any of the events in the last 100 pages coming... Yes, there were literally like ONE HUNDRED PAGES full of twists! I finished 300 pages in one sitting, ignoring all responsibilities until I read that LAST page.👏🏼

I’ve seen mixed reviews & can see why this one isn’t for everyone- but can't say why without spoiling. To those who compared this to other books/shows in their review, PLEASE EDIT YOUR CAPTION, b/c it will ruin the shock factor. I am SO thankful I only looked at 🌟 ratings.

✨Casey is a widow who lives in a secluded lake house, spending her time drinking away her sorrows + spying on the neighbors across the lake. When she notices the wife is missing, she’s convinced the husband is responsible.

This was a BANGER. The ONLY reason it isn't a perfect 5 star for me is because the first 60%ish is a little "long.” Some are saying it was "slow" leading up to the huge twist; I DISAGREE- I enjoyed the backstory in the "before" chapters, although it could have been a teeny bit shorter.

No other complaints. Was I a bit confused at times? Yes. Was some of the plot twistery wild, & unbelievable? Yes, BUT I LOVED IT ALL. I should've kept a tally of how many times I audibly gasped! This is one that I’ll be thinking about for a LONG time. It was pure genius, in that after the big twists are revealed, SO many of the seemingly smaller details from previous chapters made so much sense.

If you like fantastically outrageous thrillers.. TRY THIS ONE!👏🏼

This suspenseful mystery taking place in on a small lake in Vermont was a fun read. The lake holds many secrets-not to mention bodies. I enjoyed until I got to the supernatural conclusion-I didn't see it coming!

2.5 stars - Unfortunately, this one was not for me 😬

This is only my second Sager book, but I really enjoyed Lock Every Door…so I was a bit disappointed with this one.

The first 70% is about a drunk girl, Casey, spying on her neighbors. That’s about it… I thought Casey’s alcoholism was WAY over done. I got the point early on that she was an alcoholic, and didn’t needed to be reminded every 5 pages about her downing a bottle of bourbon. This was probably my biggest turn-off

The last 30% is when everything happens. Although I didn’t see the twist coming, I thought it was very far fetched and just weird. Usually, I don’t mind when things are unbelievable, but this was just a big no 😂 I would have rather it gone the predictable route that it was leading me to believe 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sager did do a good job setting up a spooky atmosphere, and I enjoyed the setting on the lake. Thank you @netgalley and @duttonbooks for the e-arc on exchange for my review.

This was my first book by Riley Sager and it did not disappoint! It was also outside of my typical genre but I really liked it. The beginning was a tad slow but when the plot twists started, they didn’t stop. I can honestly say I didn’t see the plot twist coming and I was thoroughly creeped out reading this at night! This would be a great book to read while camping or sitting by the lake (if you want to be creeped out! 😂).

I mean, here's the thing: I'm still probably more likely to recommend my least favorite Riley Sager book than I am a lot of other books I read. I really enjoyed a lot of parts of this book- the Rear Window references, Casey's backstory and messy present- but the paranormal part just didn't really work for me. I had a hard time with the buy in of how these circumstances worked, but I will say that it did make for some engaging turns in the story that I enjoyed.

So this was, hands down, my most anticipated book of the year and, y'all, it did not disappoint!! This is why Riley Sager is one of my favorite thriller authors! Books like this!

I will start this by saying, I think this is a very *specific kind* of thriller book and I don't think this book will be for everyone. This is more of a supernatural thriller. If you're going into this looking for some of Sager's earlier works (like Final Girls), you will not find that. This is a much different beast. (Personally, I think this one is miles better than Final Girls but that's just me?)

What I loved most about this one is the setting. I could feel this fall Vermont lake house IN MY BONES and let me tell you, I wanted to be there. It felt too real and honestly just made me wish it were fall??? The setting could've been a character of it's own, tbh.

But I also really loved the way this one unfolded. There were a lot of hints about what was happening but the big twist was still incredibly well done. I also really liked the main character. I don't always love Sager's main characters but Casey really owned her flaws and I loved that.

I also loved the Rear Window vibes! I loved watching this story unfold from afar until all the action snuck up and was right in your face.

So this was everything I wanted and more. I absolutely loved it and already can't wait to read it again!! I'll definitely be picking up my own copy! (Hopefully it's a BOTM selection next month? So all my Sager books match???) Highly recommend if you're a fan of supernatural thrillers!

Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review!

Casey Fletcher is an actress who has done, as many of us, and turned to drinking as a way to cope with a personal tragedy. At first, Casey is able to maintain both, but soon she begins to spiral, and she can no longer live both lives. That of an actress, and the life of an alcoholic.

Casey decides to relax and get her life back on track, and she decides to get away to a cabin. There she meets a couple across the street she finds interesting as she watches their life unfold. Note, this reminded me of The Girl on the Train. When Katherine, the neighbor she has been watching every day almost drowns, Casey is able to save her, they become friends. Then Katherine disappears. Yet again, makes me think of The Girl on the Train.

Here is how I feel about this book. I LOVE Riley Sager. This book reminded me of another so much, but then when you think you have it figured out, there is a twist. You need to go into it with an open mind and leave other books behind you. This may not have been my favorite book of his, but I loved it just the same. I highly, highly recommend this book because you will not be disappointed.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars!

Riley Sager does it again with a fast-paced thriller full of plot twists! I quite literally finished this one in two sittings, it was THAT addicting.

I found myself really liking Casey, she had much more depth than you're typical dumb thriller character. Dealing with the loss of her husband, albeit in a rather unhealthy way, it was interesting to see how she handled the situations presented to her. Sometimes I have issue with how Riley Sager writes his characters... they seem to fall a bit flat for me. However, this story kept me on my toes, and I definitely spent the majority of the book overthinking all of their flaws to try to figure out the twists!

At times, the writing felt a bit gimmicky. There would be random inserts of "hip" lingo/name brands, cheapening the storyline for me. It felt a little similar to his last book, Survive the Night, which I didn't really care for. I'm looking for him to get back to his old ways of writing (HOME BEFORE DARK, THE LAST TIME I LIED) because I absolutely loved those!

Overall, if you want a quick page-turner that will keep you on your toes, this one's for you! It's a really good summer thriller, and I love the lake vibes throughout the book. Would definitely still recommend to anyone who wants a quick read.

I wanted this book to work for me. The cover is what really pulled me in. The plot seemed like something I’ve seen/read before but I was hopeful that Sager could put some twist on it making it feel fresh and new… unfortunately that wasn’t the case.

The writing is never an issue for me with Riley Sager. It’s always fantastic and compelling. What did not seem to work for me was the pace and the plot twists. It seemed like I was waiting and waiting for something to happen that was going to change my mind, and while the twists are wild, I found them more outlandish than entertaining.

I really enjoyed some aspects of this book though. The setting was great and the writing really puts you right on this lake. I just wish that I enjoyed this book more. I feel like instead of a twist on an already told story wasn’t given. It was the same old song and dance.

Well I feel cheated. If an author is going to use what this one did to end a book, I want have even the smallest chance at predicting it. This was entertaining in the beginning- I didn’t even mind the overused alcoholic troupe- but went to crazy town. It feels like at this point Sager will but whatever on the page. Maybe take a summer off next year and regroup. I also hate how he writes female characters- maybe try writing a male MC for once.

I enjoyed this, however it reminded me of another book for the first half, which made it very difficult to get into. The second half did bring it home, but the similarities between this a and another book distracted me for much of it.

I really did not enjoy this book at all. I felt that the book duplicitous to avid readers of thriller/mystery and horror readers. It was like 2 or 3 different books in one, it was not as fresh or innovative to me in terms of its execution.

I definitely have mixed feelings on this one. I’m starting to feel like Riley is a hit or miss author for me. I absolutely loved the first three I read… The Last Time I Lied, Final Girls and Lock Every Door. But then I unfortunately didn’t love the last three the same way.

I had high hopes for this one. As always, I did love the writing. And I did love the twist at the end. The story itself though fell a little flat for me.

Overall, 3.5 stars for me rounded up to 4. I enjoyed it but didn’t love it. .

I’ve been going back and forth on this book for about a week now and overall the story premise has a real Alfred Hitchcock “Rear Window” kind of feel. That part I really liked but I had a hard time relating to the central character. Mystery/Thriller lovers will like this book and that’s what I’m going to take into consideration for my rating. For me personally, this story was a 3 star read for me. As a bookseller, I can see a lot of people that will enjoy this book so therefore, I’m going to give the book 4 stars.

Riley Sager is a talented writer, and I will continue to read him. Unfortunately this story didn’t do it for me but will definitely be a book many others will enjoy.

Thank you to #netgalley and #penquingroupdutton for allowing me to read the eARC of this book, All opinions expressed above are my own,

I would like to thank Dutton for the opportunity to read and review this book. This book started out a bit slow for me, but as I was moving forward it became a really slow burn because once things came together boy did they come together!! As usual Riley Sager writes such gripping, crazy, edge of your seat stories that keep you guessing. This one had me surprised several times, not what I was expecting! I love a book that keeps me guessing and this book had that! Casey is grieving her husbands death, has turned to the bottle for comfort and her life is falling apart. She goes to the Lake House at her mothers insistence to try to pull herself together. Things start getting weird when she finds herself using her deceased husbands binoculars to spy on a new couple who have bought the super modern home across the lake. I love a strong character who won't give up when they believe they've seen something that needs investigating, and Casey doesn't disappoint! If you like a thriller that's full of surprises this book is for you!

I have a lot of mixed feelings surrounding this one. It was very slow to start and the events felt very repetitive for a decent chunk of the book. Mainly, the FMC was always drunk, spying on the neighbors, and making one bad decision after another.

The overall premise of the book was all too reminiscent of not one but two other very popular thriller books. While that didn’t sit well with me at first, I will admit Sager’s writing kept me captivated. Once the action started (not until around 70% through) I had one theory after another, so he definitely kept me guessing through the end.

If you’re a Sager fan already, it doesn’t hurt to give this one a read. But if you haven’t read any of his work yet, well I wouldn’t start here.

Oh wow, another Riley Sager (interesting pen name that could be both sexes) about women who get murdered (albeit all young and hot) and of course, the murderers are all male. I did love the setting and atmospheric writing describing the homes and the lake. I also loved the superficial twist at the end (reminded me of Layla by Colleen Hoover). I, however, cannot shake this feeling of sexism as I was reading this. I am actually going to a Riley Sager book signing tonight and am excited to see how he acts, and if he makes note of always writing from the female perspective. I did devour this novel though in one day and probably would have loved it if I had not already read all of his prior works.

I really didn’t like this. The unreliable female narrator trope is so tired. I wish he had more original plotlines.

Creepy, curious and haunting, this story involves layers upon layers of detail. And while I anticipated the first plot twist, I did not foresee the second, or the third! Although I'm normally not a fan of magical realism, Sager kept me so enthralled that I read the book in one sitting.

When I received the email from Netgalley saying that I received The House Across the Lake I was absolutely ecstatic and so excited to read it.

This is my third Riley Sager book and he truly knows how to write a plot that would not work with every storyline. He also knows how to pull off anything. It is hard to not give anything away because when I say there are many twists and turns, I truly mean there are tons of twists and turns.

Casey has had a streak of bad luck and she decides to go to her family's lakehouse. She ends up one day saving her neighbor Kathrine when she begins to drown in the lake. They strike up a friendship and Casey becomes obsessed with watching and knowing who Tom and Katherine really are, that is until Katherine goes missing.

In normal Riley Sager perfection he builds the suspense and builds the story up so much and at the end comes every twist and turn that Sager does so well.

If you have not read a Riley Sager book, you absolutely need to, he knows how to write a great suspense story where you want to yell at the characters to stop. He knows how to write the OMG moments where you have to put down the book and let it sink in what just happened and what he just threw at you as the reader.

Thank you Penguin Group and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.