“Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six” by Lisa Unger is a mystery/thriller. From the title, it’s safe to assume that six people are in a secluded cabin somewhere in the woods. However, there’s also a side story that follows a (then) boy as he tries to find out more about his biological father (and also a bit more about his mother). As others have noted, there’s a bit about DNA testing in this book, which was a nice little twist. I liked how the author covered attitudes regarding DNA testing - ranging from don’t want government data available to hoped for joyous reunions. I also liked how the topic of “in your DNA regarding tendencies” was addressed, though I had to mentally do a bit of “leap of faith” hoop jumping. Siblings raised in the same environment turn out differently from each other - even when biologically they’re related, so part of the “motivation” I couldn’t quite agree with. I did like how Ms. Unger covered a few potential plot holes with logic - generator down for excellent reasons, WiFi holes vs hot spots. I did think the owner was going to be a lot creepier than I expected; he was just weird (and I think would be sued today for privacy invasion). But, overall - a bit of a twist on the ‘locked room mystery” that was enjoyable. There are a number of character to keep track of (there are the main six, but also parents, a daughter, co-workers - and the side story characters), which did take me a bit of time to get straight. Overall, an enjoyable book. 3.5 rounded up to 4.

This book was a wild ride! A major domestic thriller that reads almost like a soap opera! If you like intense family mysteries and drama, this is the book for you. Twists and turns you won’t ever see coming!

I read this book in one night. While I was able to draw some conclusions early on, there were enough twists and unexpected developments that it kept me riveted. I also love the spooky setting in the woods. That's always a great choice when writing a mystery/thriller in my opinion.

Family, whatever your definition, is complicated. The premise of this book is a sister and her husband, her brother and his wife and her best friend +1 decide to spend a relaxing vacation in a remote location. What they didn’t anticipate was there are other factors at play. This novel was intense! There were flashbacks that helped complete the story. The only aspect I didn’t find helpful was the viewpoint from the landlord. He was just sort of a weirdo. I stayed up all night to see what happened.

This book was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher for the electronic copy. This is a book of mystery, murder, intrigue...family and friends...characters we like...characters we do not like. I must say about this book is that the language was off putting, at times. It does nothing to add to the story. That being said, I enjoy books by this author. I really like her books. The story is a cannot put down story...it is fiction that reads, at times, like nonfiction. This is a talented and gifted author. One of the best when it comes to mystery writing. This book was full of surprises...red herrings...events that were not what we thought they might be...people who seemed to be real...

Great read! Full of twists and turns. This kept me on the edge of my seat! Highly recommended. If you're looking for a good thriller, this book is for you!

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is Lisa Ungler’s twentieth novel, and this was one of my favorites by her. I am a fan of locked-room mysteries, and this book was enjoyable to read. I had access to both the kindle and audiobook versions.

Three couples were trapped together on a getaway weekend in a luxury cabin in the woods due to bad weather conditions. They could not trust each other because they held their darkest secrets as their baggage. The seemingly haunted cabin with guests with dark secrets and an intriguing DNA/ancestry side plot made for a suspenseful and exciting storyline. The multiple POVs were mainly easy to follow, and the story was a page-turner. The conclusion was satisfying, and it tied everything together perfectly.

Thank you to NetGallery and both Harlequin Trade Publishing and Harper Audio for giving me a copy of the book

Let me start off with this: I love Lisa Unger and she’s always been an auto-buy author for me. Her thrillers are always unputdownable and perfect for the crisp fall nights that are in our near future.

I was very excited to be approved on NetGalley for this early review copy of 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝘾𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙎𝙞𝙭 which drops in November. It has so many things I love: an atmospheric scene (where weather plays a major character role in the story), a remote location for a locked-door thriller setup, a cabin in the woods, a “romantic” getaway, and a truly messed up family.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for me. It suffered from a whole host of very unlikable characters with really deplorable behaviors. Of the whole batch of characters in this book, there were maybe 3 who were honestly okay people in the end.

This book is full of stuff that gives me the creeps, from rape/sexual assault to animal violence and a peeping Tom. It warrants some trigger warnings.

Beyond this, there are SO many characters, as well as two parallel storylines that seem unrelated for at least part of the novel, and it was hard for me to keep track of who was what and what their role was in the story.

This also just didn’t feel like Unger’s typical writing style. On the positive side, I did finish it in a day and wanted to know where it was going to end. I just wish I was happier with it overall, and I hate to give a less-than-glowing review for an author who I typically adore.

I can assure you this won’t be the last book of Lisa Unger’s that I read… but this was just not my favorite.

Thank you again to @netgalley and @parkrowbooks for this preview copy.

So far this is in my top favorite thriller reads of 2022, as well as a first read by Lisa Unger. I can’t wait to read more by the author!

Do you love locked room mysteries?! I love them!! Six friends embark on a luxury weekend getaway in which everyone has been holding in secrets, so what could go wrong?! I won’t go in to anything more because this one is fun to go in to blind.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six started out incredibly strong for me, but around 2/3 of the way through, took a bit of a turn that started to lose me. I enjoy Unger's writing and was still eager to finish this one, but was ultimately not my favorite.

Thank you to Park Row for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a story of a weekend away gone awry. Hannah is the main character and easy to relate to. I found the rest of the characters hard to care about in this mystery. It was an interesting storyline, but didn’t really hook me.

Lisa Unger is a winner, folks. I'm so glad I tried her out with Confessions on the 7:45 and haven't looked back.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six has all the suspenseful elements I love.
Remote, dismal location...check.
A cast of very shady characters...check.
An eerie sense of dread looming from pretty much the very first page...check.

I love locked-room mysteries and have learned to be skeptical of absolutely everyone. This one did not disappoint and I appreciated how everything weaved together at the end. So many unlikable or questionable characters, but also a few to be optimistic about as well kept my interest and attention.

Pick this one up if you love everything on that checklist I put up earlier, or if you enjoyed Lucy Foley's The Guest List.

What’s not to like about this story? A creepy setting in a gorgeous mansion in a secluded area with a creepy caretaker with a pension for hidden cameras? Check. A slew of suspects (I mean guests), each one hiding an important secret. Check. A power outage in the middle of a raging storm. Yes! This story had all the ingredients for a perfect storm. It was fun donning my detective cap and playing along. I did guess the “who” earlier on, but it was still enjoyable to see how it all unraveled!

Gritty and compulsive thriller. I was lost at times with a few of the characters but it all tied together by the end. Great read!

Beautiful modern cabin in the woods. Creepy stories about ghosts and murder at the cabin. Genealogy tests and finding out your biological father was a serial killer. Yes please!
This thrilling tale delves into genetics and if our DNA can make us into an evil person.
Thank you to Harper collins Canada for the arc of this book.

Lisa Unger’s new novel, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, is a locked-room mystery/thriller that you will find hard to put down. I’m not usually a fan of the locked-room mysteries but this one kept me engaged until the very end.

A group of six close friends/family rent a secluded luxury cabin in Georgia for some much needed down time. With limited WiFi on a good day, as a storm approaches the group becomes more isolated than ever. As trouble start brewing and the danger increases, they only have themselves to rely to survive.

There are several different story lines and POVs going on through out the book so at times it was easy to get tangled up a bit. Lots of dark secrets, flawed characters and surprising DNA results keep the plot interesting. A fast-paced well written intriguing novel.

I would definitely recommend this book to all mystery/thriller fans ( locked-room or not). This will be a great fall thriller you don’t want to miss.

Lisa Unger delivers another page turning psychological thriller that is fast paced and absolutely everyone is a suspect. Thanks for the advanced copy!!

A cabin in the woods, a major storm and murder, what is there not to like about the story. Lisa Unger does what she does best in this action packed thriller. A little confusing with multiple points of view and parallel story lines she competently ties it all together in a story that keeps you reading. As a side note, this is the second book I have read in recent weeks that genetics plays a major part. Is there a new trend starting?
Thanks to NetGalley and Killer Crime Club for the advanced readers copy

This was such a great read!! I loved the suspense. The questions. The DNA aspects. It was a slow set up but it really took off and was a fun read. I was so curious how Henry tied into the story and way role he played with the cabin and the 6 people. I really liked the multiple POV.

I did want more on Bracken because he seemed quite twisted and his story kind of fizzled out. I expected him to be more integral to the story. He was a minor character tho. Just seemed he’d more essential

I thought it was a great page turner!

Great pacing, multiple perspectives and an interesting twist makes this book a great ride.

Set in a remote cabin with a sketchy host and even weirder staff, you are kept on your toes wondering who has a secret and who is going to get hurt.

I enjoyed the history of the property, and the possibility of a ghost sighting.

I was a bit confused with Henry’s storyline but once it got past his childhood, it started making a lot more sense.

This is a thriller you can really sink your teeth into, and it’ll keep you up at night, both trying to finish and with it’s creepy location and storyline!