Riley Sager | LOCK EVERY DOOR

Plot (via Goodreads):

No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents, all of whom are rich or famous or both. These are the only rules for Jules Larsen's new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most high-profile and mysterious buildings. Recently heartbroken and just plain broke, Jules is taken in by the splendor of her surroundings and accepts the terms, ready to leave her past life behind.

As she gets to know the residents and staff of the Bartholomew, Jules finds herself drawn to fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, who comfortingly, disturbingly reminds her of the sister she lost eight years ago. When Ingrid confides that the Bartholomew is not what it seems and the dark history hidden beneath its gleaming facade is starting to frighten her, Jules brushes it off as a harmless ghost story . . . until the next day, when Ingrid disappears.

Searching for the truth about Ingrid's disappearance, Jules digs deeper into the Bartholomew's dark past and into the secrets kept within its walls. Her discovery that Ingrid is not the first apartment sitter to go missing at the Bartholomew pits Jules against the clock as she races to unmask a killer, expose the building's hidden past, and escape the Bartholomew before her temporary status becomes permanent.

Review:

Riley Sager is an author that just makes you proud, giddy, and unfiltered in your love for being a reader. His novels are to be quite honest, dark and violent, psychologically enticing, and distinctive in their prose. So what else? Plenty. When I first met Riley Sager almost two years ago, he was coming fresh off from the success of his debut novel Final Girls - which is my favorite book of his and that I've been able to cover on this blog - and he couldn't have been a nicer, humbled, and incredibly intelligent individual. Since then, he has been nothing but kind to me and incredibly supportive of my blog. Riley Sager is a friend to all of his readers and someone that I am so thankful to have met. Final Girls was the ultimate thriller for all slasher fans and a poignant portrayal into what happens to your favorite leading ladies when the credits roll. His second novel, The Last Time I Lied was an immersive and dazzling sophomore novel that proved his writing talents would only grow stronger and featured one of the most incredible endings to anything I've yet to read. It's no secret that the minute I finish a novel by this man, I am already crafting up ideas as to what he could do next. Well, the time has come and July is right around the corner, which can only mean one thing; Riley Sager is back.

When I initially read the plot to Lock Every Door, I was excited and albeit a little nervous - this was something that seemed so unlike his previous two novels that were kind of inspired by the slasher genre, but I was ready. Lock Every Door is the novel that made me step out of my comfort zone in which what I thought I was expecting with a Riley Sager novel and proved to me that Sager's writing and storytelling capabilities have not only cemented him as my favorite author, but solidified him as an author who's talents know no bounds. This novel is more of a locked room mystery that features a dark and haunting plot, characters that ooze personality off from his written word, and writing that is dangerously sharp and immersive. Riley Sager has done the unthinkable - he has outdone himself yet again.

What I enjoyed most about this thrilling read was that it combined elements of the 90s thrillers in its pacing; the novel generously goes from light and airy to ominous and chilling to downright palpable and terrifying. I've said it before and I'll say it again, this man can scare the hell out of you. I wish I had gone into this one blind because I loved how Sager set up the cast with this novel and really gave you a brilliant look into this building before introducing the meat of the mystery. Unfortunately, I studied the synopsis to this one so dangerously, I could have recited it word-for-word. But have no fear, because little did I know what I was really getting myself into. What I love about Sager's writing is his ability to toy with all of your senses while you read his work. The setting is sharp and tickles your imagination, the characters seep into your mind so sensationally that you read a line and think "Oh, that's so....", and the small revelations go head-to-head with your willpower to put down this book. I mean it, this is a binge-worthy read that will make you turn off your phone, bunker down in your favorite reading spot, and let all your worries and responsibilities sail away.

I kept thinking I knew what was happening. With such a large cast of some very interesting and well-drawn characters, I kept thinking to myself "oh, I better keep my eye on that one!" only to be debunked and back to square one. As the novel traveled along, I thought I was being pulled in one direction only to slam the brakes and take a hard right into another completely different direction that I wasn't expecting. My mind was spinning, my heart was racing, and my imagination was in overdrive. Jules was by far my favorite character that Sager has written and I couldn't get enough of how strong, tough, and intelligent she was. This girl is no victim, she is a final girl. She is determined, angsty, and the perfect guide for this kind of journey. I loved the alternate timelines in this one, which I felt was done just as effectively as Final Girls and yet still had a completely different feel. The current chapters were clinical, yet safe and hazy all in the same. The past chapters were vivid and chilling.

By the time I got to the ending of this one, I was feverish and emotionally distraught. What I love about Sager's plots is that there isn't just a big final reveal and boom, the end. There are reveals galore in the last quarter of this book and every question you had is answered in a shocking prose that cuts deep and tantalizes you to keep reading. I was far from disappointed with this one and kicking myself for not thinking of the big twist before. The only thing I had wished for was one answer to something involving Jules's past that I was hoping would be answered, but the more I think about it since finishing, I kind of like the last thread of hope hanging on for this small mystery. Sometimes, in life you don't get all of the answers you want, but isn't that what keeps us in fear? After all, the not knowing is at times more terrifying than finding out the truth.

Special thanks to Riley Sager for this copy in exchange for my honest review. If you've paid any attention, you know that I am now frantically wondering what book four will bring. Thank you for all that you do and for sharing you talent with the world. You are a godsend to the publishing world.

Rating: 5/5