Oh boy was this a good one. I read A LOT of thrillers and often I see the twists coming from a mile away but not this time. I was excited to see how everything was going to come together and Unger did a great job. I was worried this would be your typical “everyone in a hotel cut off from the world starts to die” trope but it was not. The backstory was beautifully woven and came together seamlessly. I was very impressed with all the ins and outs. I was worried there would be too much going on with all the POVs but it worked. Overall my only gripe was lack of character development because of all the POVs but it didn’t really matter in the end. This is a plot driven thriller that is really really good.

I saw everyone on Bookstagram reading SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX… so I read SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX.

Six people in a cabin in the woods, completely cut off from society. Sure they’re family, best friends, lovers. But how well do they really know each other?

There was something about this book that I literally couldn’t stop reading. I read 60% in one go (stayed up way past my bedtime) then binged the final 40% the next evening. The pace is racing, there’s all of these different points of view and flashbacks and you’re sure you’re just about to put it all together if you only read a little more.

I liked the isolation of the cabin, and the false leads about who to suspect were convincing. I did feel that the real perpetrator could’ve been introduced more sneakily, sort of woven into the other characters’ backstories as a lurking presence. However, that didn’t stop me from being invested in the absolutely bonkers storyline - and it gets a little wild towards the second half.

Unger manages to keep all of her storylines and half truths straight, pulling the strings taught at the last moment so it all comes crashing together.

This had an interesting premise and I liked how DNA factored in. Some of the POV's felt unnecessary and I felt like one could have been written out completely.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley, for an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for my honest review.

I LOVE a locked door mystery. It is one of my absolute favorite thriller tropes and this one did not disappoint.
We are following two storylines: one with a group of 6 adults on a weekend getaway . They are staying in the Georgia mountains, in a remote cabin, that is absolutely beautiful, but also quite creepy, not unlike their host. They are told there is a huge storm coming, but the storm isn’t just happening outside.

The second storyline follows Henry on his journey to finding out who he really is. They two storylines weave their way together in a way this author really excels in. This book was a twisty and fantastic read. I will automatically pick up anything Lisa writes!

I was so excited for this one and was ecstatic when I got approved to read it on netgalley! Secluded cabin psychological thrillers are a fav of mine when done well.

Three couples escape to a secluded cabin for a nice weekend unwinding and relaxing. They’re mostly off the grid where they are, but they do have wi-fi and a backup generator should something go wrong. Unfortunately, a huge storm comes through and leave them without power and the generator has been cut. The couples have had spooky feelings since they heard the ghost story associated with the house and they start noticing strange things happening. Is someone else out there with them? And what’s with the creepy groundskeeper/property owner? Something about this just doesn’t seem right but there is a huge tree across the road and the road is out. As the minutes tick by, the group starts to wonder if they are going to make it out of this alive.

This was not necessarily your traditional stuck in the woods story, okay so it was but it had a unique vein that I rather enjoyed. I did feel the character depth was lacking despite this book being 400 pages. There were so many points of view, and the book shifted often, it was hard to get connected with any one character. I really wish we got to know a few of them more as their characters were better developed. Overall, I felt this book needed to draw out some of the characters and suppress some that didn’t really add anything to the story. I felt this book was a wild messy ride and while I wanted to enjoy it just left me like a frustrated lover.

I’d really like to extend my thanks to @netgalley and the publisher @legend_times for allowing me access to this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review. Look forward to reading more of yours in the future!

I loved this book, especially after all the marketing. The cover just drew me in! However, I will warn, it does move slowly. While slow, it engages you with confusion. Vague references to the past kept me hooked and wanting "Just one more chapter"

Book review!
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
Publishing date: November 8, 2022

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

First off, I have to mention how much I loved that the story is primarily told through the voices of women. The one male voice is an ally. The bad men do not get a voice. Given the story deals with gaslighting, manipulation, and rape - hearing the story told primarily by women was refreshing.

Along those same lines, I also found it disgusting and, unfortunately, relatable how characters could both love and hate the bad men. It was mentioned several times how charismatic Mako is and we have heard that about awful people who have done awful things in history- Ted Bundy, Bill Cosby, OJ Simpson. These were funny, charming, energetic men surrounded by people who enabled them every step of the way. This book made me stop and think about the balance of good and evil in everyone. For example, No one in the book is an overly likable character. Many are a mix of good characteristics and cringeworthy flaws. It’s all about which side they lean into that makes the person who they are. The same could be said about each and every one of us. Do you lean into your good qualities? Or do you let the darkness of the bad take over?

Overall an intriguing read. I was engaged from the start and could not put all the pieces of the puzzle together until the end so the big reveals at the conclusion were extremely satisfying.

WOW!! I had been waiting to read this book as soon as I saw its description and it certainly lived up to my expectations. There are various plot lines and time changes that kept me guessing almost to the end. I loved that it started broad and ended as an almost locked door type situation. The slowly unfurling story kept me riveted to my kindle and although I do not want to give any spoilers, there were characters I was rooting for to come out on top. What seems like an idyllic trip to a cabin in the woods devolves into a dangerous game of cat and mouse in a terrible storm.

I received this book through NetGalley. I enjoyed reading this book. It was a little slow in the beginning but half way though it starts to pick up. It’s about six people, friends and family, who go away to a secluded cabin for a much needed relaxing getaway. Things are great until a storm comes and things go awry. I can say after reading this book I don’t ever want to go to a secluded cabin!

Really great mystery thriller. I love Lisa Unger's books and have read quite a few over the years. I absolutely did not see the twists coming. She does an amazing job of setting a creepy scene from the beginning and throws in red herrings to keep you guessing. For those readers that like CoHo, check out Lisa Unger's work. You won't be disappointed!!

I always enjoy reading a Lisa Unger novel and this one did not let me down!

Well written, gripping and tense, very enjoyable and perfect for a cold night read

Thank you to Harper Collins, Park Row, and NetGalley for my gifted advance digital copy!

Hannah’s brother Mako has rented a secluded cabin in the remote woodland of Georgia and invites Hannah and her husband Bruce, along with their childhood friend Cricket and her new beau, to join him and his wife for a chance to unplug and unwind. Mako’s not known for his modesty, and the house he rents is anything but cozy. It’s also completely secluded, comes with a creepy caretaker, and has little to no cell service.

I flew through this newest offering from Lisa Unger! The story is told from multiple POVs, and a little bit of information is revealed each chapter, which kept me reading and trying to puzzle everything out til the very end. I’ve seen this described as a locked room mystery, and I’m not sure I agree with that characterization, as it is fairly obvious who is behind all of the misdeeds at Elegance Overlook (and it is revealed fairly early on). What’s moreso interesting about this is that it explores the dynamic among Mako and his family/friends, and you don’t have the measure of everyone til the end.

One small thing that irked me (and it is a seriously small thing) is the repetition of certain words at certain points in the text. ‘Fecund’ and ‘assignations’ in particular really stood out to me. Again, a small thing that by no means affected my reading experience.

If you enjoyed FRIENDS LIKE THESE or IN MY DREAMS I HOLD A KNIFE, I recommend this one! To be honest, I liked it much more than those aforementioned titles.

It was supposed to be an idyllic luxurious retreat in the woods to give the three couples a break from their lives and get them relaxed for a bit. But this retreat falls apart in multiple ways possible. It’s the usual issue with all the thrillers with a secluded cabin in the woods, when they realize it is creepy and has negative vibes, why would they just not run away from it? In this case, Hannah and Bruce seemed the most normal couple and Cricket and Joshua were completely bonkers as a couple. Mako and Lisa constantly had some undercurrents that indicated sinister and possibly scandalous secrets. A few other additional characters that I did not care for quite some time until I realized how they might possibly be connected to the cabin couples. It kept me engaged and it had quite a few interesting twists but somehow twists regarding the key plot were not that shocking though the plot theme was interesting and refreshing, on the whole, fertility concepts felt used way too much. Some of the twists gave away the plot right at the beginning but I felt it was right at the middle of the book it became very interesting with some secrets unraveled at that point.

Overall it was an engaging thriller read and had an interesting plot line!

Typically people stuck in a secluded cabin is my least favorite thriller trope, but for some reason I could not put this one down. The ending was not a huge surprise but it did make me thing A LOT about the concept of nature vs nurture. Definitely recommending this read and I think I will be thinking about this one for a while.

I would definitely be interested in checking out more from this author, but I’m not sure this one really did it for me. There was a lot going on to the point where it felt almost convoluted some of the storylines would’ve made great books separately. The Origins/Henry story could have been cool to read about on its own. I thought all of the intersecting storylines were good but it felt like a lot. There are also trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault in this. Nothing graphic but it is a prevalent portion of the plot.

The author did a great job of setting up the story and the relationship dynamics. I liked how all of the points of view converged at the end and I liked watching it all come together even if I didn’t entirely love the way this was executed.

Lisa Unger is a "go-to" author for me as I adore her books so was delighted to pick this one up! Three couples (some family, some friends) go for a weekend away at a luxurious retreat that's secluded and promises to have all the amenities. But it's far from being the weekend they all envisioned as there are rumors of decades' old disasters, and the host himself is odd. Each of the participants seems to have a secret in his/her past and they all received a mystery Christmas gift that no one claims to have given. Like most of Unger's novels, this one moves at break-neck speed with tension ratcheting up as each page turns! It's creepy good trying to unravel the mysteries as more and more "clues" are given but none of them are any the wiser! I would advise not taking this book on vacation unless you are sure of your location (or be sure to keep the lights on)!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Great book. Loved the writing and the story. The author really hit it out of the park. The details and description were excellent and helped me paint a picture of what was happening.

This book started pretty strong for me - but around ¼ of the way in I was able to pretty much generally predict where it was going. I think there were too many different narrators/characters/dramas going on to really become invested in any of them too deeply.

There were some parts of the book where very specific sentences/turns of phrase were repeated word-for-word, sometimes by different characters in chapters right after each other, but I don’t believe that was an artistic choice. It was kind of strange and I kept flipping back and being like “wait am I having deja vu?”

With that said, there were some portions that surprised me with how they played out - and overall the book was a fun, fast read that I didn’t struggle to get through and didn’t have to force myself to finish. This was my first introduction to Lisa Unger and I would read another of her books again for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All views are my own.

This book is the very definition of overkill.

An approaching hurricane cutting off access and electricity. The owner of the cabin is a creepy Peeping Tom. There's a women hellbent on getting revenge.

Those plotpoints in and of themselves is enough for a great locked room mystery.

But Lisa Unger insisted on throwing every possible thriller trope in the mix and it ruined the book. There was a rape storyline, a corporate corruption storyline and a genetic mix up storyline, all of which made the story more convoluted than it needed to be. Also, there were other storylines incorporated that went literally nowhere (affairs, miscarriages, selling nudes of teens to the dark web).

I feel like the Origins/DNA relatives plot would have been great (because I enjoyed Henry's story) but it was misplaced and should have been a book on its own.

This book just had too much going on for its own good. Sometimes simplicity is master storytelling. I'm sorry to say I didn't enjoy it, but there are some great reviews for this book out there so if you think it's sounds interesting, definitely give it a try.

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

I have no desire to vacation at any cabin in the woods after this book. I have a constant urge to look over my shoulder, fearing that someone is watching me. Rotating between six POVs, the past and the present are tangled together. The past and present slowly unravel as the story unfolds, with dark secrets that desire to remain secrets threaten to be revealed. Throughout the book, chills crawled down my spine. Every moment I thought I could guess what would happen next, Lisa Unger throws in a perfectly calculated plot twist to throw me off of my game. This physiological thriller was exactly what I needed with my recent thrillers not coming up to par. The anger and frustration I had towards certain characters showed the writer’s ability to create a beautifully rounded character. The characters flourished in their flaws. Trying to determine how characters are connected was a puzzle I enjoyed attempting to solve. I highly recommend this book!