Overall, a fun, fast-paced thriller. The pacing and plot are gripping, as is typical of McFadden's books – I read the whole thing in
one day. It was un-put-downable. In true McFadden style, it kept me guessing who the murderer was til the final reveal, and the twisty ending is so out there that it's barely plausible, but it all works and I can't wait to read more books by her!

Our main character and narrator is Nora Davis, a surgeon and daughter of an infamous serial killer. Nora's changed her last name and hidden her relationship to her father, and lives a peaceful if isolated life. But when her former patients start turning up dead, and their deaths are suspiciously similar to her incarcerated father's MO, Nora becomes the police's number one suspect.

There's not a whole lot of character development of our main character Nora, and it seems like everything we learn about her is really about her father. The twists require some suspension of disbelief, but it's a really fun read.

If you liked The Perfect Son by the same author, you'll like this one too.

( I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review)

Nora is a surgeon just trying to forget her past. 26 years after her serial killer father is arrested, a copy cat killer starts murdering Nora’s patients.

Frieda McFadden is hit or miss with me. The Locked Door was a hit. It kept me on my toes and trying to guess what would be next. A definite page turner and a must read for McFadden fans. The twist was unexpected, as per usual with great McFadden books.

Superb twisty thriller. This is the second book I have read by Frieda McFadden and I loved it. The lead character was a very interesting study, and the story line kept my interest all the way through. Can’t wait to read more books by this author. Highly recommended.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 3, 2023
Growing up, Nora Davis was always told not to go in the basement. Her father’s workshop, where he supposedly crafted furniture, was dangerous for a little girl. But Nora rarely saw any of the creations her father crafted there, and sometimes she would hear strange noises coming from behind the basement door. When she was eleven, Nora’s father was arrested for the kidnapping and murder of more than eighteen women and she was sent to live with her grandmother after her mother killed herself. Now, Nora has changed her name and is trying to live a quiet and unassuming life as a general surgeon. Until a police officer comes to visit her office and tells her that women once again are dying, in the exact same way that her father murdered women all those years ago. But Nora knows her father is in jail and it looks like this copycat wants to pin the murdered women on her. But Nora knows she isn’t like her father and she will do whatever it takes to prove it.
Freida McFadden is the author of more than twenty novels, including “The Housemaid”. Her newest, “The Locked Door” is a terrifying novel of growing up with a serial killer and I was SO on board with it!
Although Nora does not speak or visit with her father and has not done so since she went to live with her grandmother, she still suffers from the guilt of turning her father into the police, and lives in almost utter isolation, trying to keep her past a secret. She is the sole narrator of this novel and McFadden creates a character who generates sympathy, radiates bravery and intelligence, and builds a quick rapport with the reader. With such a tenuous and brutal past, Nora still manages to be the kind of character worth cheering for.
This is a psychological suspense novel, so there are suspects around every corner, with each twist adding more mystery to the plot. McFadden kept me guessing and although the ending was a trope that readers will have seen many times, it still provided a satisfying resolution. Each chapter had me on the edge of my seat, desperate for more, making “Door” a devilishly delicious page-turner. I loved learning about Nora and experiencing life through her eyes and, of course, I never turn down a book with a good serial killer (or two). I can’t wait to see what McFadden delivers next!

This is my second Freida McFadden book that I’ve read and it did not disappoint. I really enjoy the authors style of writing. Through the process of reading the book I felt like I was on a slow incline to when everything would unfold. I found myself thinking I had figured out the ending many times but to only to be surprised at the end it was not who I was expecting. I enjoy books that don’t make it obvious what is going to happen at the end early on in the story. I like being kept in the dark until the author lifts the veil from the readers eyes and goes TA DAH!

If you enjoy stories that have multiple suspects in or or have you feeling like you are on a rollercoaster trying to solve the end then this book and author is the one for you.

I have previously read this book and like all of Freida's books this one doesn't disappoint! She is probably one of my favorite writers!

I really enjoy Freida's writing. Her thrillers are fast paced and have you not wanting to put the book down from the minute you pick it up.

I rated this one 3.5 stars as while I enjoyed it, I don't think it particularly gave me anything new from a thriller and I found that the ending didn't shock me, although I didn't see it going that way.

The ending just fell a bit flat for me.

I'm still looking forward to reading more of Freida's books though and think she's one of my favourite thriller authors.

I loved this! It was hard to put down, and the whole time I felt like there was some secret being kept. I didn't figure out the ending at all, and the journey was fast paced with that nice unsettled feeling you want when reading a story like this. I'll definitely read another book by this author again.

Frieda McFadden is quickly becoming a must read for me. With The Locked Door, she definitely did not disappoint. I was instantly hooked with this book. The main character was so closed off in the beginning. Following the book and finding out her story was great. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and definitely recommend it!

Thank you to Sourcebooks/poisoned pen press for this Digital Arc of The Locked Door!

Freida McFadden never disappoints and this book is no exception! I was gripped and could not put this book down. Freida is an auto buy author for me at this point.
Thank you again Sourcebooks!
Rozi

“But that other smell is even stronger—the one that smells like something is rotting. It smells awful. Like something died down here.”

This was truly another Frieda McFadden style book where I was left wondering WTF! I will say, it did feel very predictable. Around 40-50% I feel like I just knew what would happen and truthfully, that made me almost DNF it. However, once I hit the twist towards the last 30%, I could not put the book down. I needed answers, I needed to finish and I was definitely thrown off from my initial expectations. I like how there was the right amount of characters in the story to add mystery and potential suspects, but not enough to distract or get too confusing. The epilogue seemed kind of pointless, but other than that I really did enjoy the story! Since it felt super predictable and I had thoughts of DNFing, I gave it 4 stars. This truly was a “trust the process” book, and I’m glad I did!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫/5

As always McFadden starts her thriller off with a bang and hooks me in. Love the aspect of the FMC being a healthcare worker/doctor (& also a famous killers daughter). But huge ick when health care workers wear their scrubs OUTSIDE of work which Nora did the entire ass story… sorry not sorry.

So someone had once written in a review that McFaddens writing is very almost “dumbed down” and redundant (for lack of remembering the exact word used to describe it), with super short sentences that always reiterate what was JUST said. And normally that’s what I think makes her books so bingeable and easy to read (what makes them the perfect popcorn thriller). But I noticed it way more in this book and it bothered me just a tinge.

Besides that, and a low believability in some aspects of the book, I actually really enjoyed the ride this took me on. Like all of her other books, it was fast paced, had short chapters, left you on some serious cliff-hangers, and constantly steered you away from who the guilty party was.

It’s not my favorite of her work, but still a wild, bingeable, popcorn thriller that I enjoyed nonetheless!

Freida McFadden Keeps You Guessing Until the End--Guessing.…..

Book Information

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden is a 320-page mystery/thriller. It was initially published on June 1, 2021, and will be re-released on October 3, 2023. Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.

Summary

Nora Davis, an eleven-year-old focused on her homework in her bedroom, had no inkling that her father was a serial killer conducting his sinister deeds in the basement. That all changed when the police arrived at their doorstep one fateful day. Decades later, Nora is a successful surgeon living a solitary life, determined to conceal her father's dark past.

However, her tranquility shatters when one of her young female patients is brutally murdered, mirroring her father's infamous methods. Someone knows Nora's secret and aims to frame her for the crime, though she's far from her father's sinister nature. The police have nothing on her, as long as they never venture into her basement.

My Thoughts

Freida McFadden's "The Locked Door" is a well-crafted mystery that perfectly aligns with her signature style. The book offers readers an easy and quick read, characterized by its simplicity.

What makes this mystery truly engaging is its ability to maintain your interest throughout. With an abundance of cliffhangers strategically placed throughout the story, you'll find yourself compelled to keep turning the pages. The short chapters and fast-paced narrative, combined with effective character development, ensure that the story remains engaging from start to finish.

One of the book's strengths lies in its skillful infusion of suspense into the underlying story, giving it the distinct flavor of a psychological thriller. The story is told in two different timelines. From the very beginning, "The Locked Door" hooks you in, inviting you to make guesses about the unfolding mystery.

However, while the novel keeps you guessing, it's not without its shortcomings. My most significant criticism pertains to the twist/reveal, which some readers may find essentially unknowable. Although it's almost always possible to make blind guesses in a mystery given the limited number of characters, the lack of logical clues to figure out the reveal in advance can be frustrating. It's as if the story builds up to a shocking twist, but without sufficient breadcrumbs for the reader to realistically anticipate it.

Recommendation

"The Locked Door" is a well-written mystery that adheres to Freida McFadden's established style. It offers a quick and engaging read, complete with suspense. Still, it falls short of providing enough clues to make the twist/reveal feel satisfyingly solvable for readers who enjoy piecing the puzzle together as they go along. Recommended.

Rating

3.5 Handyman Stars

Round it up to a 2.5.

I just....I don't know. Nora drove me utterly insane. For a surgeon, I couldn't tell if she was just dumb or if she was stupid.

First off. Your college boyfriend had a mask of your serial killer father because he loves slasher flicks. But you don't remember that that's why you broke up with him? I don't care how many years has passed, that made absolutely no sense.

She was constantly back and forth on who was framing her. First it was her on again, off again, depending on the time of day, boyfriend/hookup Brady, to one moment it's her surgical partner Philip. What? There was absolutely no logic to her thinking. Oh, Philip took a mug from my office, it was definitely him. Brady likes horror movies and had a kids room in his apartment locked away, definitely was him!

But no, it was a surprise sister that just happened to be her secretary. It was the most absolute cliche thing. I can't even call it a twist. This book made me dizzy, but it was mostly me trying to figure out what the hell Nora was thinking. She was all over the place.

McFadden's writing style might not be for me. It was incredibly choppy and repetitive. Nora was constantly saying she was "fine" or that she would get to something, like eating or getting her security system in, and then just wouldn't. Drove me insane.

Maybe I'll give her another try because everyone seems to love McFadden, but this was a hard no from me.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy of this book.

HOLY!! This was the first book of Frieda McFaddens I’ve read, and it certainly won’t be the last. I love her writing and how easily she hooked me into this story. I couldn’t put this book down! Definitely a 5 star read

Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for my complimentary e-ARC.

The most disturbing thing about serial killers is that they are often hiding in plain sight. They are, seemingly, upstanding, trustworthy members of the community. Charming and charismatic, the last ones one would suspect would be capable of such heinous crimes.

Nor would anyone guess that surgeon, Nora Davis, is the daughter of Aaron Nierling, serial killer. Currently serving a life sentence. And she will never tell. That is why she changed her name. But the truth always comes out when and how one least expects it.

It is written with shifting timelines, providing a glimpse into Nora’s past. And the short chapters ending on cliff-hangers tempted me to keep reading

This was another enjoyable read by McFadden, my fifth one by this author. Her books are readable page-turners with suspenseful plots, multiple suspects, and always…a twist.

This was my first book by this author and I’ve heard amazing things that she does no wrong when it comes to thriller/suspense books so I was excited to read this. I’ve been in my thriller/suspense era — especially since it’s fall and spooky season.

There were so many parts I was guessing about what was going to happen. I did feel Nora’s emotions throughout the book, because she was truly scared about what was happening and she felt like she was reliving her childhood all over again. I wasn’t totally shocked at the ending because I was wracking my brain for who the actual copy cat killer was so I was like OF COURSE when it happened.

The epilogue though was the best part IMO from the killers POV 🤯

I gave this book a 3.5 ⭐️ because it was a well thought out thriller!

I got an early copy from NetGalley for an honest review.

Devoured this book in one sitting as is my normal with Freida McFadden books! She is the queen of the twist and this one was a doozy!

Nora's father is a notorious serial killer who has spent most of Nora's life in prison. She started her life over with a different last name to put distance between her present and her past. Nora is a successful surgeon who is moving forward in life. Unfortunately, her patients have started being found dead, with the same signature as her father. How is this happening? Who knows who Nora really is?

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press!

At first everything feels like a routine, with Nora going to work and returning to an empty apartment but with the deaths it changes. I didn’t see the plot twist coming at all.

The chapters are short which makes the book fast paced and with the twists and turns I was more of curious than intrigued. It wasn’t too thrilling to me, it rather gave me creepy feels (I didn’t read it at night😩). That notwithstanding, I look forward to reading more of the author’s books

I recommend it for lovers of psychological thriller, mystery and a bit of family drama. Also, it’s good if you’re in a reading slump.

This was fine! Entertaining but nothing special. Kind of anti-climactic, but I didn't guess the plot twist so that is something