Loved!!!!! This is what a true psychological thriller should look like. It was so dark and twisted, keeping me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The author masterfully crafted a suspenseful atmosphere, making it impossible to put the book down. The plot twists were unexpected and kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a gripping and mind-bending read.

Wow. I went into this expecting a typical "dark family secret" thriller, but this completely blindsided me. The moment Lucy hears that baby crying behind the cellar door, I got full-body chills that didn't let up until the final page.
What I loved most was how the author took Lucy's act of compassion - trying to help this girl and her baby - and twisted it into something that destroyed her entire life. Watching her quiet existence explode into a media circus felt sickeningly realistic. I found myself yelling at my kindle, wanting to warn her about what was coming.
The girl in the cellar broke my heart. The author did such a brilliant job making her both victim and mystery - I desperately wanted to protect her while simultaneously not trusting a word she said. Every time I thought I understood her story, another layer would peel back and reveal something darker. The dynamic between her and Lucy was electric with tension.
The small-town setting was used perfectly here. The way the community turned on Lucy, how quickly neighbor became enemy, felt so authentic it made me uncomfortable. There's something particularly chilling about being persecuted by people who've known you for years. The author captured that suffocating small-town judgment brilliantly.
That sense of being watched added such a paranoid edge to everything. I became as jumpy as Lucy, analyzing every character for signs they might be the watcher. The author scattered red herrings perfectly - I changed my mind about who was behind everything at least five times.
The pacing was relentless, especially after the media gets involved. Each chapter raised the stakes until I was practically holding my breath. Though I'll admit, one twist near the end felt a bit convenient for the plot.
The ending absolutely floored me. When the real truth about that cellar came out, I had to go back and reread earlier chapters with this new knowledge. So many details I'd missed suddenly made horrifying sense.
Perfect for anyone who loves domestic thrillers with real emotional weight. Just be prepared - this one will haunt you long after you close it. And you'll never look at locked doors the same way again.

eARC Review
Behind a locked door
by Sarah A. Denzil

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub date: 4 Sep 25

In this psychological thriller, I found that I was interested from beginning to the end of what would happen next. This thriller was an exciting one to read & definitely picked up suspense wise at about halfway through it. I also liked the short chapters & the many twists that were presented in this book. It wasn’t too much on the predictable side to me, & was my first to read by ‘Denzil.’ I am already looking forward to reading another suspense filled book by her & I’d recommend this read to someone that’s looking for their next great thriller!

Lucy and her son go to visit her friend Miriam who has been off the radar for a little while. While she is at Miriam’s house, Lucy hears a baby crying behind a locked door. What she finds is not what it seems and soon Lucy is involved in a mystery that endangers her and her son. This book was suspenseful and kept me guessing. I didn’t guess the twist and turns. This is my first read by this author and I would be interested in reading more of her books. Thank you to Victory Editing and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have always loved the way Sarah Denzil constructs her stories, but she really outdid herself with Behind A Locked Door. Such an original premise for a book. The characters are so well developed that it allows the reader to feel personally invested in them. The tension is constant, in all the best ways, and the twists kept coming and coming and coming some more. Definitely a must read!

This honest review was given in exchange for an ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

This was a good read! Very twisty and thrilling! The characters and setting were just perfect! Overall one of my favorites this year!

This was my first book from this author, and I really liked it! It was gripping, fast paced, suspenseful, and I loved the multiple POVs. I also liked the authors writing and the character development. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Omg yes!! I loved every second of this. Its well written, kept me invested throughout and had some really good twists. The characters were well written, the plot was so cleverly planned out and I just couldnt stop reading

Behind a locked door by Sarah A Denzil was a gripping, emotionally taxing thriller that I could not put down and thoroughly enjoyed!.
The story is told between Lucy Foster, who after visiting a close friend and supposedly staying for dinner, hears a baby crying and discovers a teenage girl and a newborn baby girl in her friend’s cellar.! This kicks off a series of events that create a drama that takes over Lucy and her son Theo’s life. The other protagonist is a policewoman who has to police this case. She has to investigate what really happened why this young woman was in a cellar, and whether she was telling the truth, about the events surrounding her capture.
Many thanks to Victory Editing for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #VictoryEditingNGC, #SarahADenzil.

Wow this wastes no time getting right into it! An addictive page turner for sure. We have twists and turns and all the suspense! I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author. Highly recommend!

A captivating read that held my attention from beginning to end containing good characters and subject matter

This book was wild and kept me guessing until the end. Schoolteacher Lucy goes to visit her friend who retired suddenly, and hears a baby crying in the cellar. When she finds a teenager and a baby her world turns upside down. Every time I had some parts figured out, there was a new twist I didn’t expect. Love Sarah A. Denzil’s books and highly recommend this one!

This was truly an enjoyable experience; the narrative captured my attention right away. The story evoked an interesting question about personal choices in complex situations. It was an absolute pleasure to turn the pages, eager to discover what would happen next. The book's impact lingered long after I finished reading it, making me ponder various scenarios.

❤️ WoW! What a very cleverly written book Behind a Locked Door by Sarah A. Denzil was. it was an excellent psychological thriller. I was hooked from the very first few pages and I did not want to put it down. I just loved reading this book especially as it was full of brilliant twists and turns throughout that had a gripping!

She opened the wrong door. Now her life will never be the same.

Lucy Foster's life was like everyones else life, quiet, she went to work at the local school, she was a teacher, and she was a single mum to a teenaged boy called Troy’s. Nothing ever happens but on this day when she went to visit her old work friend, to give her, her retirement gift from school. . . .Everything changed! when Lucy heard a new born cry in the basement . . . . she ventured down to the basement and found a locked cellar door.

But, what she finds shatters everything she thought she a terrified teenage girl called Alice and a newborn, hidden away like a secret shame.

Lucy's quiet life spirals into a media frenzy, and as the town turns against her, she has no one to turn to But, one thing becomes clear. . .. someone she doesn't know who is watching.

Now, they want Lucy to stop helping the girl in the cellar.

But, Why?

Who is the young girl in the cellar and why was she locked in there?

The truth starts to come out slowly and it is is darker than anyone imagines. Lucy unlocking that cellar door may cost Lucy everything she lived for and it may even cost her, her son!.

I really felt for Lucy, she had been through so much with her partner, hence why she is a single mum. But, she is a strong character and comes across a very loving person who cares.

I highly recommend this book. Superb 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

NO SPOILERS
Behind A Locked Door
By Sarah Denzil
Pub date Sept 4, 2025

Brilliant book! 5 ⭐️

Sharp. Mastermind. Excellent writing.
I need more from Ms. Denzil. Maybe a prequel to this???

A gripping psychological thriller packed with secrets, lies, and jaw-dropping twists, Behind a Locked Door is perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell, and Shalini Boland. I couldn’t agree more with this statement.

She opened the wrong door. Now her life will never be the same.

When Lucy Foster visits her old friend, she doesn’t expect to hear a baby crying behind a locked cellar door. But what she finds shatters everything she thought she knew: a terrified teenage girl and a newborn, hidden away like a secret shame.

As Lucy’s quiet life spirals into a media frenzy, and the town turns against her, one thing becomes clear—someone is watching. And they want Lucy to stop helping the girl in the cellar.

Because the truth is darker than anyone imagines. And unlocking it may cost Lucy everything.

Thank you tones and to Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The plot twist was really jaw-droppingly good! I did not expect Alice to be a sociopath or that her father was part of the investigating team. How Alice tried to play the victim when the police found her in a room at her father's place and how she manipulated Miriam in prison making her write to Lucy telling her that she was remorseful made me truly believe that Alice has no conscience. Pure evil when she would have just dropped her baby on the floor. I'm so glad that light conquered over the darkness when Lucy found Theo and she didn't have to go to prison. Loved the book!

This book was a tense psychological thriller super twists and super tense. Denzil writing is just brilliant. She has the ability to draw you in at chapter 1 and then you just can't stop reading! Once again a super 5 star read!
Thank you to Netgalley and to Victory Editing for an early copy to enjoy.

Well this was a suspenseful read from start to finish! The beginning grabs you and carries on from there. Lucy hears a baby crying and unlocks a door and forever changes her life! I mean we all would unlock that that door no one would leave a baby crying. This was an amazing read. We went through a lot in this book and were never sure where we would end up or who to trust. Definitely recommend this one!

Behind a Locked Door
by Sarah A. Denzil
Pub Date: Sep 04 2025

Behind a Locked Door is a quick, addictive, and dark domestic-thriller, intense, chilling, and completely unputdownable. An original plot, well written with believable characters and plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I highly recommend this 5 star read!

Synopsis: When Lucy Foster visits her old friend, she doesn’t expect to hear a baby crying behind a locked cellar door. But what she finds shatters everything she thought she a terrified teenage girl and a newborn, hidden away like a secret shame. She opened the wrong door. Now her life will never be the same.

Many thanks to #BehindaLockedDoor #NetGalley and #VictoryEditing for providing me an E-ARC of this fantastic 5 STAR book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc. I can't imagine what I would do if I found a teenager and baby in my friend's basement!! What an intriguing plot! Full of threats, lies, and psychological twists, I really enjoyed this one!