Once again, Riley Sager has written a psychological and physical thriller that had me gasping at twists well before the end, and then gasping at twists at the end, as well.

Full disclosure: I didn't finish SURVIVE THE NIGHT. I was worried that HOUSE would be similar, but I was so very wrong. This had me hooked right from the beginning and kept me gripped well into the middle of the night.

Also, snaps for the Taylor Swift song epigraph at the beginning of the story. One of my favorite songs by her!

Throughout most of the story, our main character, Casey Fletcher, is an unreliable narrator. Is she really seeing things? Or is she making it up? Is it all a drunk delusion? (Not so spoiler alert: You do find out if you can trust Casey or not.)

The other characters are well-drawn, from Eli, the Hemingway-esque grandfather figure who lives at the lake all year; the mysterious widower Boone, who is staying at the neighbors' house to do some fixing up; and the Page Six couple, who the story centers around.

The atmosphere is great. A small, ultra-enclosed community around a lake in Vermont. The surrounding woods and impending storm add to the urgency and darkness of the plot.

The plot is well-done. The pace works to keep the reader guessing, and as I said - twists!

If you didn't like SURVIVE THE NIGHT but did like THE LAST TIME I LIED, I'd highly recommend this one.

I won't lie this book was a little bit of a let down for me but that doesn't mean it was a bad book. Overall it was a solid read but there was just something about this book that didn't really work for me. Maybe it was because I just came off of reading The Last Time I Lied (which there was a nice little tie-in within this book's pages) and so far that was probably my least favorite of Riley Sager's books. In fact, The Last Time I Lied put me in a little bit of a funk. So in hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have started this one almost immediately after but it's a little late for that now.

I did enjoy the story of The House Across the Lake, even if it did remind me a bit of The Woman in the Window for about the first 50% or so and it got off to a bit of a slow start. The story did pick up eventually I just would've preferred it to happen sooner. Casey, was an interesting character to spend time with. I have always been a sucker for an unreliable narrator so even if I didn't like/agree with Casey's actions a good chunk of the time I couldn't stop myself from reading more. It was almost like watching a train wreck. You know it won't end well but you can't bring yourself to look away. Now, one thing I will say is Riley Sager does seem to be an expert at plot twists. Not once have I ever been able to see any of the twists coming in any of his books. He is an expert at keeping me guessing and leaving me scratching my head. As always, I look forward to whatever he will put out next.

A big thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for letting me read this early.

I've been a Riley Sager fan since his debut and he has never been a miss for me... until now.

The House Across the Lake was one of my most anticipated reads of 2022. I started the book immediately after getting an ARC and binged it in a day. I so wanted to love this and continue Sager's winning streak, but alas! What a letdown.

I know a lot of people said that the trope of an alcoholic recluse who spies on her neighours is overused but I didn't mind at all! I was interested to see how the author would put a fresh spin on things. Even though Casey was quite a cliche character and at times I felt like she really needed to get a life, I thought her POV as an alcoholic was realistic and so on point. Goodness knows how I used to drink so that I could forget as well.

I was afraid that this would turn out to be a typical domestic thriller. Then came a brilliant twist slightly more than halfway through that I didn't see coming at all and loved! Ah, there's the Riley Sager that I know.

Unfortunately, as the saying goes: Be careful what you wish for. Turns out there's nothing typical about this book, because suddenly there's a twist so outlandish and awful that it ruined the entire book for me. I also felt like the author tried to squeeze too much into the ending so as to be even more twisty but it didn't have the desired effect for me.

Now I'm wishing this was a typical domestic thriller and I would have still enjoyed it much more. Seriously, I'm so bummed. Not that it will stop me from continuing to read Riley Sager 😂

This time Sager takes the path of an unreliable narrator living alone, indulging in some voyeur act of watching her neighbours across the lake. This trope has been done to death and Sager decides to put his take on this plot. As a whole, i think he successfully pulled it off... somewhat. Eventhough the first third was quite tiring to read if you have read plenty of similar plot stories like The Woman In The Window and The Girl In The Train.

Trippy dual timeline. Dodgy characters. A murder mystery. I was in suspense for most of the story, each chapter gripping you. Leaving you to question a lot of things that's happening. The suspenseful writing and twists were Sager standard. But somewhere along the way, Sager decided to throw in a major twist that left me like... 😩 Not to say it wasn't good cause overall yes, i still really liked the story. But tsk, there's just something about pulling off a murder mystery quite well then suddenly throwing in some other weird stuff to tie up the loose ends that just seem meh to me.

I'd still ask fellow Sager fans to grab this when it gets released, of course cause he is still a master in doing thrillers. But this left me with mixed feelings with that little direction he took with the reveal twist.

What an amazing thrill of a book. I thought I had pretty much figured out how the book was going to end about halfway through it. What I was not expecting was the twists that happened within this book. Talk about a joy ride from beginning to end. We start off the book with alcoholic widow Casey spying on her neighbors. What turns out as "innocent viewing" aka spying on her neighbors turns into a real life murder/mystery and Casey is right at the helm. Thinking something happened to her neighbor friend Katherine who just two days prior Casey saves from drowing in Lake Greene. I really enjoyed Mr. Sager's writing and his words completely transformed me into this book. If you are wanting a fun out there read then this book is for you! I could not put it down. Thank you so much to the publisher and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book for an honest review. I don't normally give five star reviews but this was one of my favorites so far of 2022!

A combination of Rear Window and The Woman in the Window, The House Across the Lake feels familiar, but there are enough twists (especially in the second half) to give this a unique spin. The pacing differs drastically between the first half and the second half, but I enjoyed that change because it helped intensify the thrill of the ending.
.
And speaking of the ending, no spoilers, but wow - I was completely taken by surprise. The story took multiple shocking directions as the end got closer, and I didn't see any of them coming.
.
My main criticism about this book is that I wasn't totally sold on the characters, who instead felt more like caricatures to me. Casey in particular felt like a doppelganger of Anna Fox, the protagonist from The Woman in the Window. But for what this book lacked in creative characters, it made up for in its twisty plot.
.
Overall, this is a fun ride. You'll enjoy this one if you're a fan of Riley Sager's other work or if you enjoy a thriller that involves a lot of spying.

Riley Sager can be counted on for a page turner! A recommended purchase for collectins where thrillers and his previous titles are popular.

This is not your run of the mill who done it. From the first few pages to the end of this story, I was enthralled with it. Not many stories get one passionately involved as this one does. I felt very strong emotions for not just the main character but some of the others as well. I think one will be able to identify with a couple of the star characters in this story. Great read, I will be recommending this to many of the patrons this summer and fall. Great story.

This latest entry from Sager feels like several books combined into one. (Woman falling apart after personal tragedy, woman seeing something strange and THE LAKE).) While I enjoyed all the storylines, I would have liked to see some of them fleshed out more. And I would have liked a lot more folklore about the lake tbh.

Unreliable narrator? Check. Sexy next door neighbor? Check. Mysterious couple across the lake with a house full of windows? Check. Surprise ending. Check. Only a 3 star for me, but it kept me entertained for a bit.

Just when I think Riley Sager's work can't surprise me further, he writes The House Across the Lake. I loved this story and the surprising turn of events, I wasn't insanely thrilled with some of the choices he has the main characters make in his stories as they often seem to lack all common sense, but the entertainment value tends to make up for it.

This book drew me in from the first chapter and didn’t let go until the very end. It was fast paced, well written and just fun to read. It had so many things I enjoy in a book: a slightly spooky location, stormy fall weather, a drunk rich narrator and crazy twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down!

I give this book 3.5/5 stars but rounded up to 4 because I felt 3 was too low. I always enjoy Sager's writing, and the book did keep me entertained. However, the storyline itself lacked originality, and too many twists were thrown in at the end, seemingly just for the sake of being surprising, rather than doing anything for the story.

Just when you think you have it figured out, that's when they get you with the twist. The House Across The Lake, the newest release from Riley Sager, is the perfect read for those who enjoy thrillers. The main character, Casey, is banished to the lake house following her firing after showing up drunk for her theatrical performance. This comes on the heels of having lost her husband, Len, to a drowning accident.

Casey finds herself sitting on the deck with her best friend, bourbon, when she spots someone floating facedown in the lake. Desperate to save this person, she rows out and manages to pull Katherine to shore, who miraculously survives. Casey finds herself intrigued by Katherine, a former model, and her husband, a tech entrepreneur, and begins spying on them at night. But when Katherine goes missing and Casey suspects her husband was involved, things begin to heat up.

There is an element of fantasy to this story that may not appeal to some readers, but I found the story and characters to be engaging and stayed up late to finish it. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this early copy.

I love Riley Sager and he always give me a story that makes me read way past my bedtime. This one was no different for me. He did a great job painting the scenery in this book and I could picture the lake and homes on it. It's hard to decide if you like any of the people in this book but I don't really need a character to root for to enjoy a book. The book does take a rather bizarre turn and I'm still struggling to decide if I liked it. I am feeling a little bit of book withdrawal after finishing the story so clearly I enjoyed it overall.

🔊Song Pairing: No Body, No Crime - Taylor Swift

💭What I thought would happen:

I love Riley Sager, the biggest fan. So I expect a great thriller with a shocking ending

🗯Thoughts:

I’m so tired of authors making their leading ladies drunk to make them an unreliable MC. It’s been so overdone. I understand alcoholism is a real issue and many women and men suffer from it but honestly it just seems like an easy way out of a writing bind

All of sager’s women are so pathetically weak and there is almost always a man coming to save them in some way and frankly I am tired of this too…I used to think I loved that he could write a relatively good woman for not being able to understand but I’m starting to have doubts.

Lacked creativity in every way. Felt like this book was being pushed my the publisher to get one out annually so as to not be forgotten.

Also, his characters while yes tragic, are just so self-involved. Always the victim and always always about them. Why me, poor me, I don’t need help even though I blatantly do…help me

Overall, just not my favourite. Thank you, next.

I have yet to be blown away by a Riley Sager book…..until now. This is by far my fav of his, the characters were so intriguing and the plot was well done. It wasn’t as far fetched as some of his other mysteries which I was thankful for. I could have done without the then and now flashbacks as I felt it gave away some of the plot but that’s ok. If you’re a fan of Sager I definitely recommend this one

Rating: 4/5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House & Dutton for the ARC copy. So grateful!

I will be the first person to say that I’m really OVER the psychological thriller “main character is an alcoholic so we can’t trust her” trope. With that in mind, this novel really is a classic ‘whodunnit’ with some really shocking twists and turns that I did NOT expect at all.

Our main character Casey is a famous broadway actress who has retreated to her quiet Vermont lake house for the month after having a very public meltdown in Manhattan. Her husband drowned in the lake a year back & she has been struggling with alcoholism ever since. Across the lake, famous model and her tech husband Katherine & Tom Royce have moved in to an all-glass home. Armed with her bottle of bourbon & binoculars, Casey watches as things may not be as they seem in public behind closed doors.

So many different things happen with a cast of many characters such as Boone (hot handyman next door), Eli (only full-time resident of the lake who has been friends with Casey for years) and of course.. Katherine and Tom Royce. The characters I loved and the overall plot twists were SHOCKING. I thought I had the final twist pinned down halfway through the book and I can happily say I was wrong. 😳 🤐

I feel like this book was so much better than I thought it would be. I was expecting another “Woman in the Window” but I found that the main twist was way juicier and more out there. 👏🏻 I read a lot of thrillers and I found this one to be better than typical! Way to go Riley Sager! My lips are sealed. Make sure to pick up a copy in June when it is published!

Riley Sager rules! Enough said!!! "The House Across the Lake" is another top-notch, edge of your seat thriller.

What an amazing, faced paced, mysterious little thriller this book turned out to be. Sager has easily become one of my favorite authors. He hooked me when I first read “Lock Every Door” and each book he has written since has gotten better and better.
I have a lot of Patrons at my library who rely on my book suggestions… and this book will now be the first I will recommend. Solid 5 stars for me.