A new spin on an old genre. I can never get enough of a good whodunit. Several couples try to get away to a secluded luxury cabin. A storm threatens the trip, and strange things start to happen right off the bat. It's a classic, with a fun twist!

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Sox:

“Some people were born with it—that beautiful ease, that aura of never worrying about making it, surviving. Some stood on the other side of the glass, watching.”

Thank you @harperaudio for my gifted copy.

You know what’s sad? I saw this on my NetGalley list of books to still give feedback on and I thought, “well, I already have” Guess what? I didn’t. It’s so generic and boring, that it’s just another churn out mystery thriller that is not memorable.

I was excited for this locked room mystery type with a cabin, but this was messy. Now, I LOVE mess. I love domestic mess, but this was snooze messy.

I was expecting a solid And Then There Were None locked room mystery masterpiece, and maybe it’s my fault for having such high expectations. But it’s Lisa Freaking Unger, I’m allowed to have high expectations.

Sadly a huge miss, but can’t wait for the next one to come out!

This book was great, except I feel like the end could be more complex. Lisa Unger is an amazing author, and I almost feel like she dropped the ball at the end. She weaved this awesome web of characters with a wonderful link to modern day ancestry investigation/tracing, and at the end there needed to be a little more for me.
The book follows multiple characters in a family (Leo, Sophia, Hannah, Mako, Cricket) and their significant others. They rent a cabin, Mako's idea, and it's more like a breathtaking hideaway. They go to get away, and enjoy some bonding time together. Then things take a turn for the worse and the intertwined story of Henry finally makes sense. What starts as a perfect relaxing getaway, quickly turns into a horror movie script.
Even though I felt the ending could be explored a little more, this was still a great book and is definitely worth the read!

I always enjoy a good locked room mystery story. I enjoyed the secluded cabin setting and the premise of friends getting back together where everyone has their secrets. Did I think it was anything shocking or unique? Not really. But did I enjoy it? Yes, of course.

Unger's latest was a decent (if at times over the top) mystery-thriller that is sure to have you not want to partake in 23andMe.

Stay-at-home mom Hannah, her computer whiz husband Bruce, tech guru brother Mako, yogi SIL Lisa, best friend Cricket and Cricket's new boyfriend Joshua find themselves at a state-of-the-art cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway. Little do they know their host, Bracken, watches their every move, although he has no idea the darkness of the secrets each of the six guests carry.

While I am generally a fan of a rotating POV, cycling between four seemed to be a bit much. Bracken's chapters didn't add much to the plot besides a touch of voyerism a la Joe Goldberg; it felt about as natural to the plot as the fact that the cabin in the woods was on a haunted property.

What did distingushed this one for me was the DNA plot line. In addition to Unger's well-thought out characterization, the story felt more elevated than a simple cabin in the woods.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

In Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger, readers will be transported into a world of secrets, lies, and betrayal that will leave them on the edge of their seats. The story follows three couples renting an isolated luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway until they quickly realize they may not be alone. With an impeccable blend of suspense and mystery, this is one thriller that readers won't want to put down until they get all the answers—highly recommended!

A Cozy Thriller with Room for Improvement

"Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" by Lisa Unger offers readers a mix of mystery and suspense set against a backdrop of isolation. While the book has its moments of intrigue, there are areas where improvement could enhance the overall reading experience.

Unger's writing style sets the tone for a claustrophobic and tense atmosphere, creating an eerie ambiance that fits well with the secluded cabin setting. The story's premise promises a gripping mystery, and the initial build-up succeeds in keeping readers engaged.

The characters, while not extensively developed, serve their roles within the plot. Their interactions and dynamics contribute to the unfolding mystery, though some deeper characterization could have added more emotional depth to the narrative.

The book's pacing, however, tends to be inconsistent. There are moments of intense suspense followed by lulls that disrupt the flow of the story. Tightening the pacing and maintaining a more consistent level of tension could have heightened the sense of urgency and suspense.

As the story progresses, the mystery's resolution comes with a mix of satisfaction and disappointment. While some revelations are well-executed and unexpected, others feel forced or lacking in believability. The final reveal leaves certain loose ends that could have benefited from more thorough explanation.

Furthermore, the setting of the secluded cabin, while initially promising, becomes slightly repetitive as the story unfolds. More exploration of the cabin's atmosphere and its effects on the characters' psyche could have enhanced the story's psychological aspects.

In conclusion, "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" has the potential to be a compelling psychological thriller, but it falls short in some key areas. The writing style and initial mystery hold promise, yet pacing issues and a somewhat uneven resolution prevent it from reaching its full potential. With more consistent pacing, deeper character development, and a more satisfying resolution, this book could become a standout in the genre.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this thriller! I love.a creepy thriller set in a secluded scary setting, and this one set in a remote luxury cabin with 3 couples fit that bill. The characters were all unreliable, so their POVs in the story were a bit stressful at times to say the least. Besides being unreliable though, the characters were all very unlikeable and several of them seemed pointless at times. Overall a fun thriller with just a few holes for me but I still enjoyed it overall.

Thrillers with characters that are unlikeable are usually the best kind, and this was certainly the case with this book. I was really kept guessing, which is exactly what I hope for with a thriller. I will recommend this book to my thriller-loving friends.

Don't get me wrong here because I DID enjoy the book... to an extent. I've seen this thriller/mystery trope too many times so it was very easy to compare to others. The characters were bleh and somewhat annoying. It was easy to get through, but then I felt nothing when I finished the book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

This book just wasn't for me. I wanted to like it, I tried to like it, but I just didn't like it.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a psychological thriller about three couples who go to a luxery cabin for a relaxing getaway, but secrets are revealed and a hurricane is on the way.

First of all there are far too many characters to remember and keep track of, not to mention the many many different points of view. I'm a big fan of multiple POVs but this was extreme.

The plot was too out of the box for me with this one. I won't do with any spoilers, but it's just a bit too out there. While I know there is a lot happening with genetic testing, this was just too much. And there were plot points that were not ever revisited.

I was excited for the claustrophobic secluded feel of this one, but the actual storyline just wasn't it for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had high hopes for this book, sadly it did not live up to what I hoped. Secluded mystery with an atmospheric location certainly ticked the boxes, but didn’t get there fully. I disliked the mystery POV and some characters seemed to have zero purpose. Too many perspectives and not focused enough.

This book had some interesting twists and turns and it kept me guessing for the most part. I will say that a few parts were a bit predictable but I think they were meant to be. The author did a good job of creating emotional investment with the characters and I was definitely worried for a moment about how certain things would play out.

'Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six: A Novel of Thrilling Suspense' by Lisa Unger has a good premise but some pacing and plot problems. The perspectives jump around in a less than clear way and, for fans of the genre, you'll need to be willing to hang in there awhile for it to become gripping enough to want to finish. It does wrap up (a bit predictably) in a tidy way with a few nice surprises.

At times I had difficulty following all the different storylines and perspectives and even wondered why a few characters were included in the book. However, at the end everything was tied up nicely. There are characters you love to hate and ones you're not sure if you like or loathe.

I struggled with this one a bit. It dragged a bit for me and I really couldn't support any of the characters here. I had a hard time getting into the plot.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a phenomenal locked-room thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six asap.

Unfortunately, this one did not work for me. Too over-the-top, unlikeable characters, and underbaked conclusion. Interesting premise but the landing did not stick and the characters felt one-dimensional. I'm not giving up on Unger though - I will still pick up her next title.

I think Lisa Unger is one of those authors that is hit or miss for me, and unfortunately this one was a little more of a miss. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t really grab my interest and I had to push myself to get through it. I love when books are told from multiple character’s perspectives which this one did, but I almost felt like it was too much. There were some characters whose stories I didn’t really need to know to be honest. The mystery wasn’t too mysterious and I didn’t find it particularly thrilling. I do really like the idea which goes back to nature vs nurture. I also really like that it throws some shade at the DNA sequencing craze and highlights some potential dangers.

This one seemed somewhat all over the place with the plot. The amount of characters were hard to keep up with on audio and I often found myself trying to think back to who each person was. When a lot of things happened action wise, I often wondered, "what does this have to do with anything?" I liked the setting and the suspense, but overall, it was just very average.