Per the blurb, "Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this atmospheric and gripping locked-room thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger."

I enjoy Lisa Unger books generally and wanted to like this book, but it was just too far-fetched. There were too many twists and turns. I just couldn't get into it.

Thanks to Netgalley for free book, but I'll wait for new Lisa Unger books and try to forget this one.

I love a good locked room mystery, and this one did not disappoint.

Three couples head to a luxury cabin in the woods. Hannah and Bruce, first time parents nervous to leave their baby for the first time but really needing a vacation. Mako (Hannah's brother) and Liza are footing the bill and want to all get together for some friend time. Also there is Cricket and Joshua, a new boyfriend. Cricket is Hannah's best friend and also has a long standing affair/relationship with Mako.

The arrive and meet their host at the cabin who seems odd. They learn of a strange, haunted history surrounding the cabin area. A terrible storm knocks out power. And surprise, surprise - everyone is hiding something or has some sort of secret. One of them disappears and that's when things really pick up.

I enjoyed the remote setting. The characters were not particularly likeable, but they were all interesting and I was invested in knowing the whole story.

Without giving much away, the DNA aspect to this story was very different and intriguing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press from an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was excited to read my first novel from this author. This book started off strong for me and immediately hooked me. However, as the story went on I found myself wanting to pick it up less and less. The POV of so many characters made it hard to connect with any of them and the story line jumps from past to present so frequently that the read just struggles to keep track of it all. The story had potential as it started off creepy and atmospheric but then just gets lost in the middle. I did end up DNF this story before the ending.

This book had potential. A isolated thriller is the type I enjoy.
But this felt a little convoluted. A case of trying to do too much. We follow multiple POVs and multiple timelines. There's characters easily connected, some not so much and one that honestly added nothing to the story.
The characters in the first half were flat. While we learn more in the second half they still were missing something.
The plot itself picked up in the second half of the book. I found the first half slow and dragging. I was waiting for something to happen.

The amount of storylines and characters/perspectives became very confusing. I’m unsure why some characters are even included and the amount of inconsistencies throughout was disappointing.

Isolated parties where they might not all make it out alive is a tied and true trope, and Lisa Unger brings the chills in Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

A fun read that will keep readers engaged and invested in these three couples and their weekend away gone awry.

Loved the premise! Had me hook line and sinker and for the most part this book was decently engaging. I loved the atmosphere and different characters but I also found it somewhat messy and difficult to navigate. All in all, a solid 3 star book!

What can happen on a trip to a cabin in the woods, you plan a trip with a couple of friends and then everything starts to go awry. It all starts with a deadly storm and unseen circumstances starts occurring. The plot takes a hold of the reader and doesn't let go of its grip until the end. A riveting thriller and well written characters keep the story moving along smoothly. I am already a big fan of this author. I knew what to expect and I was not disappointed. I have to applaud the author for writing another exhilarating domestic thriller story.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Legend Press for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lisa Unger is a go to author for me, so I was happy to pick this one up. This is a locked room thriller with three couples staying in an isolated luxury cabin for vacation, and someone doesn't want them to leave alive. Everyone there has secrets. The personal chef lets them know this cabin has a disturbing history. Their host was kind of invasively hospitable. It's an unnerving scenario. Then a horrible storm arrives forcing even more isolation.

This was a creepy, scary book. I wasn't crazy about the characters though - there wasn't a lot of depth to them. The plot was good for a thriller and it moved well. I'm giving it 4 stars.

Thanks to Legend Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 28, 2023.

Locked room thriller’s seem to be the latest trope at the moment. This one doesn’t disappoint. There are plenty of thrills to keep you entertained, thinking you have guessed but then finding you have it completely wrong. The book begins in 2017 it's Christmas. A family celebrating, Hannah and Bruce with their 9 month old daughter, Gigi along with Hannah’s brother, Mako with his wife Liza. When they have all finished eating Leo the father says they all have another present. The gift is a DNA test kit for each of them. But who has sent the gift? No one will say.

Who will do the DNA test? Who will throw it away?.

Mako has booked a holiday for Hannah’s birthday in a luxurious cabin with a personal chef, masseuse and a hot tub, I wouldn’t mind someone sending me on one of those trips. The cabin is however in a remote area. It’s an adults only trip so Gigi will be looked after by Bruce’s mum. The trip is for Hannah and Bruce, Mako and Lisa and Cricket and Joshua. Cricket is best friends with Hannah they have known each other from a very young age, she had also dated Mako before he met Liz.

Being a new mum Hannah is nervous about leaving Gigi which is normal, even Bruce doesn’t want to leave Gigi, he has also been behaving a little odd. But with technology as it is now Hannah has an app on her phone where she can see Gigi.

The couples arrive t the cabin which is big and gorgeous there is a guest house behind the cabin if anyone else was going to join, but the six are fine in the cabin. The owner of the cabin is Bracken along with some others in the area. But for some reason he is a bit off, surely he would be welcoming of guests! So what is going on with him?

When the chef and his assistant are preparing dinner he begins to give them some background on the cabin, apparently a family had been murdered and some visitors say they have seen the ghost of the mum looking for her children.

The story is told through different timelines, through Hannah, Cricket and Mako, but also some other characters, Trina, Henry, piper and Catrina. But where do they fit in within the story. Just as they are all relaxing Bracken tells them there is a storm coming in but they are assured that if the power goes out there is a back up generator so nothing to worry about. Because the roads can get washed out he tells them to stay inside the cabin if that happens, and if they need him they have his phone number.

I mean what could go wrong? Hannah wonder’s about her brother as he begins flirting with Cricket, why does Hannah’s husband hate her brother Mako? Hannah also can’t work out why Cricket’s new partner Joshua looks so familiar to her. But when the storm comes in and knocks the power out prepare yourself. Because this relaxing weekend break is about to end!

The characters all have flaws and secrets, some made in the past some now. Running alongside this story is the story of Henry, a young man who was orphaned as a teenager and raised in a group home. Henry is a mystery, and officially he doesn’t exist.

This is another terrific read by Lisa Unger, a book I would highly recommend. It will have you guessing at those twists and turns. When what should have been a good relaxing weekend turns into a nightmare.

This was a fast easy read which kept me guessing all of the way through. There were a few red herrings and I certainly did not predict the ending. This book has quite dark themes and explores whether blood is thicker than water and the age old debate of whether nature or nurture is more important in how a person turns out. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others to give it a try.

2.5 stars.
I get that thrillers have to find new and inventive plots but this one just didn't work. I wasn't sympathetic to the characters at all. Nothing about the plot kept me riveted to the book. It took way too long to get to the reveal and by then the characters were dull. Not a thriller I would recommend.

It took me way too long to get through this one. The multiple POV was almost maddening. Too many people to keep track of, and some of them were so unlikeable that I wanted to skip whole chapters. It even jumps around through another time period with one of the charcters.
I feel like the story was just trying so hard to be clever and keep the audience guessing, which I guess it sort of worked because I found myself saying out loud on more than a few occasions, "Where the hell is this going, and do I even care any more?"
I mean, you get a group of people together, whom the majority of have never met before, and throw them in a very secluded cabin, how could it not be entertaining?
This was my first read by this author and I have to say I'm really disappointed, but I'll probably give them another try since I've heard good things about other works of theirs. This one just wasn't for me.

The book had a trigger of mine so it was hard for me to read. If it’s not a trigger for you than it would be a great book but I couldn’t get past it.

Isolated cabin. Remote location. A group of friends and lovers with their secrets. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six has all the makings of a creepy and engaging locked-room thriller but, unfortunately, it just wasn't for me.

Using multiple timelines and POVs, this novel sees a group of 30-somethings gather at an exclusive, luxury cabin in a remote woodland area. Unfortunately, I couldn't get on board with any of these characters and didn't really care what happened to any of them.

There's a couple of random POVs thrown in for good measure, but with no connection made for much of the novel, this only alienated me further from the narrative.

I was more invested in the present day chapters, but with so much focus on the past through random characters in the second half, I found myself zoning out.

This book should have been more intense and creepy and atmospheric, what with a threatening storm and the perfect setting. It just didn't make use of them, IMO, and the stakes weren't very high.

I also thought there were too many characters and POVs, and the book was just too long. And without spoiling anything, what we think is the primary story is not, and the actual story doesn't have much meat to it.

I realise I am being very critical - perhaps I am reading too many thrillers at the moment and need a break?

And we all like different things. If you enjoy lots of drama, unlikeable characters, and don't rely on atmosphere to engage with a thriller, you might like this. Do check out other reviews on it if you're interested.

Three couples head off on a weekend getaway to an isolated luxury holiday retreat, throw in ghost stories, one too many red herrings, a black out, a storm and a hot tub and taadaaaa you have a 3🌟 thriller

😱Quite a busy storyline with many POVs, maybe a few too many ingredients and a far fetched unbelievable outcome... But it still kept me on the edge of my seat and I was eager to work out how the storylines would connect up at the end.

It's a very easy read, an idea "read in one sitting" holiday read... But I don't think it stands out enough in it's genre to get more that 3 stars for me.

This was an interesting thriller read. The author touches on what makes family and what would you do for family. DNA doesn't determine everything and it is people's actions that make them family.

It challenges the saying "you don't choose your family". I absolutely agree that you can choose who you include as your family.

The reason why this didn't get a higher rating is because I can't believe why the "villain" had to do the things she did. I can think of so many other ways she could have reached her goal.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

"Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" by Lisa Unger is a fast-paced, gripping thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. The story follows the lives of three women - two friends and one stranger - who have all decided to rent a secluded cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway.

The tension starts building from the first chapter, with each of the women carrying their own secrets and hidden agendas. As they settle into the cabin, strange and unexplainable events start to occur, leaving them feeling uneasy and scared. And when a fourth unexpected guest arrives, their peaceful weekend turns into a nightmare.

Unger expertly weaves together the stories of the three women, slowly revealing their pasts and the reasons they find themselves in the cabin. The characters are well-developed and realistic, each with their own flaws and motivations. The tension builds steadily as the women's secrets are gradually uncovered, and the suspense reaches a fever pitch as they find themselves in danger.

The setting of the cabin in the woods adds to the sense of isolation and dread, making the reader feel as though they are right there with the characters. Unger's writing is atmospheric and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the woods and the cabin, and creating a palpable sense of tension and unease.

Well this was entertaining, far fetched but great. Usually I hate books with so many characters but this one I had to keep guessing on who was who and how they fit in, what were the secrets, how would the story close.
This book kept me up late in the night.

I do love a book by Lisa Unger and she never disappoints.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is totally my own.

This book is definitely a wild, crazy ride!!!!!!!! You don't predict this story unraveling like it does to all come together towards the end. That is the magic of Lisa Unger's weird but unique oh so good writing style