I am definitely a Freida McFadden fan!

This book is a psychological suspense novel that kept me turning pages. I found Nora to be a very likable main character. I always love how McFadden’s characters are written, and this one did not disappoint. Similarly to all of her books, I was absolutely convinced I had the book figured out- BUT THE PLOT TWIST! It definitely got me, I was not only wrong, but shocked yet again.

This book was not super heavy in my opinion, but rather a very quick easy reason. I found myself bingeing this book in a short amount of time.

Definitely recommend this for the fall/spooky season!

Some doors are locked for a reason…
While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.
Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

After Nora has grown up, she trains to be a surgeon living a quiet life trying to keep her identity private. Unfortunately someone finds out who Nora is and then things change. One of Nora's patients is murdered, is it possible now that her patients are being identified and targeted and it looks like there is a copy cat killer at work? Nora is not her father.

Yes I did enjoy this book and it definitely deserves four stars. Another great psychological thriller from this author that will have you trying to work out what is what and how all the creepiness in the story will resolve. Twists and turns will keep you wondering what the heck is happening but in saying that is that what makes a good read? Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own. Four stars

.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for this ARC.

Bitch alarm!!! My god, how I dislike FMCs that are not likeable or relatable. But let's start at the beginning. I was looking forward to reading this book. It has been on my TBR forever and when I received the ARC I was over the moon. The daughter of a serial killer…do I need to say more? I was totally in. It is a fast-paced read and I read it within a day (not necessarily because it was that good). The chapters were short, what I liked and I enjoyed Nora her flashbacks.
Nora was only 11, when her father got arrested. It turned out he's a serial killer (’The Handyman’) and was sentenced to life in prison.

Twenty-six years later Nora changed her life completely; New name, no personal life whatsoever and is a Surgeon. No one can know she is the daughter of a serial killer. But…surprisingly….her past caught up and when her patients are found murdered the same way, Daddy dearest killed his victims, Nora needs to find out who's doing the killings or was it her?

I couldn't handle Nora's bitch behaviour and for a surgeon, she was just stupid….like ffs stupid. I had more eye-roll moments than I could count. Anyways, moving on. The story left me with more questions than answers, which is probably my own fault as I want to know everything. We jumped back and forward in time (which was good) but were missing a bunch of years, like what happened?
There were too many repetitive moments and information dumps nobody cares about. And the end…I actually can't believe that for some it was surprising or Woahhhhh. It was ridiculous (no, I am not giving away spoilers). I closed the book and was like...was this it?! Now don't get me wrong as I normally like Freida her books but this was just a miss for me. I'm sure that readers who pick up a Thriller now and then will love it. If you like simple and fast-paced stories, this will be a good book for you. For me this was a 2.5 read.

4.5⭐️ Whoa Frieda MaFadden! 🤯🤯
The Locked Door was an intense book from the prologue to the epilogue! I have read a few of McFadden’s books and this is my new favorite! The Housemaid had to move down a notch to make room for this major mental trip that I just took!

Nora Davis is a successful surgeon who’s been hiding her dark past from everyone. Nora’s father was a serial killer who mutilated his victims…in their basement! Nora has changed her name, moved away and built an impenetrable wall around herself. She has foregone any real relationships to prevent her past, rather her father’s past, from destroying her future.

They always say, the past catches up to you and Nora is no exception. A copycat killer is on the loose and Nora is the prime suspect, especially since the victims are her patients. The Locked Door is told in two timelines, and both are equally captivating. The suspense is intense throughout the whole book. On a side note, McFadden really attacked my senses with some of the descriptions, in fact, I think I’ll hold off on the lavender oils for a while! 🤢
Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

This was a really good thriller! The story was there, the mystery and the reveal were really good. I would say that the reveal was not something I would guess, just because there was no context clues or hints into what the reveal was. Overall pretty solid

I was captivated with the story. I love how it started with a back story for the readers to get a better understanding on how the story will roll. I was interested in Nora immediately, there was something about her and the way she acted that had me intrigued. I love how the story goes from the past to present, and every chapter left me with questions and theories! Holy Plot Twist! This was my first time reading a thriller suspense but I enjoyed it, I personally think there were still unanswered questions, and I felt as if the plot was just pretty straightforward if that makes sense? It was easy for me to assume what would happen next.

NYT bestselling author and queen of thrills, Freida McFadden's (fav author) THE LOCKED DOOR, is a twisty psychological thriller of a creepy locked room basement when the past meets the present with a twist.

Some doors are locked for a reason…

Nora Davis's father is a murderer. As a young eleven-year-old girl, while she was in her bedroom doing homework, little did she know her father was in the basement murdering women. She wondered why the cellar was always locked. She thought he was into woodworking in his workshop. She even wanted to help him, but the door was always locked.

Twenty-six years ago, Aaron Nierling, charming and charismatic, was arrested in his Oregon home. He was known to everyone as an upstanding citizen with a good job and a family man—a dedicated father and husband. A phlebotomist. A narcissist and psychopath who likely killed more than thirty women. A monster.

Someone made an anonymous tip, and the cops showed up and found the remains of many women murdered over time. Now he is in prison. He is serving eighteen years in a maximum security prison. His wife was charged with accessory to murder and killed herself in jail before the trial.

Years later, Nora is an adult and has changed her name to hide her past. She is a successful surgeon and hides she is the daughter of a famous serial killer. She does not want to inherit her father's need to kill.

In the present, Nora discovers one of her female patients has been murdered. Someone is targeting her patents. Creepy, in the same way as her father when he murdered the women in the past.

From past to present, is there a copycat since her father is in prison? Or has someone found out and set her up to take the fall or worst of all, is she a killer like her father?

THE LOCKED DOOR is a wickedly twisted psychological thriller, and Freida keeps you entertained with twisty, short, action-filled chapters with the McFadden signature sinister twist that was unexpected. A lot of unlikeable characters here.

Check out the re-published version with an exclusive look at Freida's upcoming 2024 thriller, The Teacher!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy. I also purchased the audiobook narrated by Shaina Summerville for an engaging, fun performance.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 3, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books

Freida does it again, I absolutely love her books. Another page turner, I stay up all night to finish her books. This is another gripping read from her.

The Locked Door, my second Freida McFadden book, was a good read, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as The Housemaid. It had a great intro, and there were definitely some twists and turns! Despite how hard I tried, I didn’t guess the ending, so there was some unpredictability. The story line did feel a little rushed to me at times, especially at the end. Overall, it was a good thriller, but not the best I’ve read. Still, I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

OMGGG, this is my first Freida book and I'M OBSESSED, IT WAS AMAZING, the suspense, the questions, the WHO TF IS THE KILLER??? THE FUCKING PLOT TWIST, I'M DEAD, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleep tonight, and I LOVE THAT, this should definitely be A TOP TIER MYSTERY READ like I love when crime/thriller/mystery shows and movies keep me up at night and now books are added to that category too. A DEFINTE RECOMMENDATION.

• This was also a book which kept me invested all along, I was really glad to proven wrong about the plot twists I was guessing.

• I really liked the alternating timeline ~ present day and Nora's childhood, gave more depth to the thriller. This story gave me a bit of 'Dexter' vibes.

• I loved the inclusion of the cat 'Meowsie' in this fast-paced spooky thriller. You should definitely check this out.

Okay wow! I literally just finished and I’m shook! This was a really good one! I’m not going to lie, at first I thought I had the story all figured out but boy was I wrong. The twist left me agape! That’s why I love Freida’s books! They’re bingeworthy, fast paced, and leave you so satisfied. 5 stars for sure. Perfect book to read during spooky season!

Another fantastic psychological thriller from Freida McFadden. At this point she has become a must read author for me. This book will keep you up at night until you finish it. Hers are binge books for sure. Loved it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Freida Mcfadden, and Poisoned Pen Press for an advance copy of The Locked Door in exchange for an honest review. Im truly a Freida stan and this book did not disappoint! Per usual, Frieda sends her readers on a journey full of twists and turns that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the end. I was genuinely shocked with the ending and also very pleased with it. This one is out in paperback today so be sure to get your hands on a copy if your a suspense & thriller lover! 4,5 stars, rounded up to 5 for GR!

I am fan of Frieda's, I really am. However, some of the later books are starting to sound like she is running out of ideas. When I first started this one, I thought that I had already previously read it. Come to find out, it references a story line of another one of her books in where the main character's dad was killing women and cutting their hands off, while storing them in the basement of the family home.

Nora is a surgeon, who as the story progresses, we come to see that she her personality traits are more like her dad than she realizes. She starts sleeping with an ex boyfriend from college, and rightfully starts to worry about some of the things that she had a hunch about him on.

Overall, I would still recommend this one, and give it a solid 3/5.

Thanks to #netgalley for this #arc

Freida McFadden can always keep you turning the pages! After her father, “The Handyman” was arrested and locked away for brutally murdering young women is man the basement of her childhood home, Nora grows up to become a surgeon with a successful career. She lives a quiet life and wants to keep it that way. One day a young patient is found murdered and all signs point to her father. But that’s impossible, right? Why does it feel like the police suspect Nora? And what is she hiding in HER basement?
You won’t be able to put this thriller down and the ending is a shocker!

⭐️ BOOK REVIEW ⭐️
The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
My Rating: 3⭐️

Review: Most know I’m a HUGE @fmcfaddenauthor fan! This book was good but I wanted to know more about everything and everyone! I wanted more from the back story of Marjorie and the psychology of Nora as a young girl. I was hooked on the “26 year earlier” chapters but I felt a little unsatisfied at the end. With all that said, if you’re a Frieda fan, you will like this book! And if you’re not a Freida fan…what is wrong with you?! 😂 Thank you @netgalley for the gifted copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy of The Locked Door by Freida McFadden. This book! No one does thrillers like Freida McFadden. I absolutely ate this book up in one sitting. I have loved and devoured all of her books. If she writes it, I’m reading it.

This was SUCH a fast-paced, fun read. I’ve been loving reading Freida’s backlist recently and was super excited when I was granted an early copy of this latest release on Netgalley.

Twisty, dark + disturbing, with complex family dynamics, an unreliable narrator and an engaging writing style, this grabbed my attention from the first chapter and I couldn’t put it down! The copycat killer/serial killer premise was on the predictable side but having said that, I didn’t anticipate the killer! I questioned a good few characters along the way, kept changing my mind and thought I had it down but was completely shocked! 👏🏽

[𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯. 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 @𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 (𝘐𝘎), 𝘎𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩.] —— 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒚 @𝒓𝒆𝒅𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 🦇

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
4 stars

Nora Davis's father is a notorious serial killer, best known for keeping his victims in the basement of their family home. Now as an adult, Nora discovers one of her female patients has been killed by a copycat.

In typical Freida style, this psychological thriller was full of exciting twists and turns! Short chapters made this a real page-turner and a quick read. The then/now timelines were engaging. Overall, this was a solid thriller.