🍎 Book Review 🍎

GUYS! I finally finished a book! Reading slumps are the literal worst! I haven’t completed book since the end of May. The HORROR!⁣
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Anyway... Lock Every Door was my first book from Riley Sager. I kept seeing the rave reviews everywhere so I was over the moon when @duttonbooks and @netgalley granted me an Advanced copy. ⁣
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Probably unpopular opinion but I didn’t LOVE the book. However, I did like it. It is definitely different from other thrillers I’ve read. I appreciated the unique ending despite that a good portion of the book felt a bit redundant. ⁣
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About half way through the book, I figured out a portion of the plot twist but I did not foresee the ending as a whole. Like I said, it was refreshing to read a book that didn’t have the same type of ending but with different characters. You can only read about it being the husband’s fault or a twin sister you didn’t know about or it being the mistress so many times. I’m happy I was still able to enjoy it since I didn’t find it to be suspenseful. ⁣
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I will definitely read more from this author very soon! ⁣
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🏙🏙🏙🍎 (3.5/5)
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Thank you Duttonbooks and Netgalley for the copy of Lock Every Door in exchange for an honest review. Also, thank you to Book of the Month for making this book a July option!

#bookreview #lockeverydoor #booksparks #booksharks #bookofthemonth #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #honestreview #givemeallthebooks

Lock Every Door indeed. I like the atmospheric presence in this story probably more than anything else. It's a menacing, sordid, living thing. Basically, the atmosphere of The Bartholomew is a character, and it's awesome when books are written this way. This story could have veered off into multiple outcomes, so I definitely couldn't predict the ending. Jules has gotten herself into....something? The rules are crazy. It's too good to be true. But, the money always wins, doesn't it? Truly, this is a great read with thrills and twists and omg moments. I recommend checking this one out. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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Riley Sager continues to dominate the thriller genre with each new book, and Lock Every Door is certainly no exception!!! I am bubbling with excitement over this sinister and twisty read—he is a master of suspense!

Before I even read much about the new Riley Sager book, I pre-ordered my hardcopy. His last book The Last Time I Lied was my favorite book of 2018. I love the way he builds suspense, and the spooky atmosphere he creates.

There’s always this perfect balance of something a bit evil or ghostly with the potential for a rational explanation as well. But he doesn’t fully give you the answer (at least not at first), which does the service of pulling you into the story. It really showcases the psychology of his characters, who are so well-developed and distinct. Jules is no exception!

About the Book

Jules is in a low spot in life when the perfect opportunity arises. Maybe too perfect…

Jules lost her job and found out her boyfriend (whom she lived with) was cheating on her the same day. Living on her friend’s couch, Jules has never felt so low. Her older sister went missing four years ago, and her parents died two years later leaving Jules with no family and very few friends. So when she comes across an ad for an apartment sitter promising a place to live and a stipend, she thinks her luck has finally turned around.

But when she arrives at the interview she is stunned to discover that it isn’t any apartment she is being hired to care for, it is a penthouse apartment in The Bartholomew. This historic building is as beautiful as it is mysterious. It has a reputation of extreme privacy and exclusivity, and now Jules finds herself behind it’s walls. And there’s another reason Jules is so excited to be here—The Bartholomew is the setting of a favorite romance novel she and her older sister read as young teens, Heart of a Dreamer.

But there are rules… No visitors whatsoever. No nights spent away from the apartment. Don’t socialize with the other residents. Be discreet. Jules can accept these rules though. Sure, they are a bit odd, but this is the opportunity of a lifetime. But Jules’ best friend thinks it is too good to be true. She sends Jules an article about the sordid history and rumors about The Bartholomew. Jules takes no notice, until she meets another apartment sitter Ingrid who mentions the same concerns. And then Ingrid disappears, and Jules thinks there may be something wrong with The Bartholomew after all.

So Jules starts to look a bit deeper into the building and it’s residents. And something is definitely wrong. But it may be too late for Jules to escape it...

Reflection

I read Lock Every Door in a single day—a very RARE occurrence for me. Another incredible thriller that I promise you will be a best seller this summer. It should be on EVERY must-read summer thriller list, in my opinion. It is THAT good. And it is so unique—I can’t think of another thriller I’ve read like it.

One hallmark I’ve come to notice in Riley Sager’s writing that is SO effective is that his leading characters are often coming into the story somewhat isolated. They may not have much to speak of in terms of friends and family, they are often at a crossroads with what to do next. And this makes them the perfect target for the situation they find themselves in. Sager is an expert with these characters, because though they are often at a low in their lives, they are not victims. They are smart, and resourceful. They haven’t given up.

I also love the settings in his books. Just as the camp and the forest became characters themselves in The Last Time I Lied, The Bartholomew is such a presence in Lock Every Door that it became a character. There was the feeling that perhaps the residents weren’t controlling the building, perhaps the building is controlling them. I loved it!

Well I can’t say any more about this because I don’t want to spoil even a moment of this book! Enjoy this one, readers—I can’t wait to read it again!

I was a bit scared going into this one because I didn’t have the best luck with Sager’s previous book, The Last Time I Lied. However, I really did enjoy this one.

While I did think that this started off a bit slow, once things started to happen I couldn’t help but be invested. Jules was a woman who was headed towards her rock bottom and ended up finding the perfect job. Being an apartment sitter at a prestigious and mysterious complex in New York City. Basically, if it sounds too good to be true it mostly is and that’s exactly what happened in Jules' case.

I loved the atmosphere of the Bartholomew! It had this creepy and mysterious vibe to it and it really set the scene for this story. I have to admit that Jules was really doing the most for a girl she didn’t really know, but of course we wouldn’t have a story if she didn’t.

The twists and turns are what really kept me reading. There were so many ways that this story could have gone and I didn’t see the ending coming. Every bit of information that we learned put me on a new trail and it was fun to think of ways that this story could go. It’s really hard to go into more detail without spoiling a part of the story!

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by this one and highly recommend it.

I requested a copy of Lock Every Door because I had previously read The Last Time I Lied by Riley Sager and really enjoyed it. I have been bingeing fantasy novels lately, so a fast paced thriller like this was exactly what I needed. Riley Sager’s writing brought the characters to life and truly made me feel as if I was a part of the story. Lock Every Door is a really unique thriller and it was very easy to picture myself in Jules’ shoes.

The idea of getting paid to live in a luxury apartment sounds too good to be true, and in this story it really is. This book kept me reading until 4 a.m., the tension slowly revved up, which kept me turning the pages until the early morning. The book alternates between the present where Jules is in the hospital and 5 days before when she moved into the Bartholomew. As the book starts to catch up to the present I found myself getting drawn deeper and deeper in. This book may have not had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, but the sinister air of the Bartholomew grabbed my attention and my curiosity on what happened kept me reading.

While the writing may feel fast paced, Riley Sager still managed some amazing character development and the setting was so vividly described that I started to feel like I was in the Bartholomew right alongside Jules. The book is written in first person, which is perfect for this story because you see everything through Jules’ eyes and find out things when she does. I found that this book brought me on the emotional roller-coaster that Jules herself was on. The writing easily conveyed her fears and anxieties. When Jules was running on adrenaline I found myself on the edge of my seat with her. This story was so immersive and I think that’s because Jules was so easy to relate to and that the book was written in first person.

This is my second read by Riley Sager and once again I am impressed. In both books he did an amazing job bringing two very different settings to life. I feel like this was such an original idea for a story and the way it was written really made me feel like I had walked in Jules’ shoes. If you’re looking for a thriller author to keep tabs on, or just a fast paced read for the summer I would highly recommend Lock Every Door.

I received a copy of this book in return for my honest review. Wow! This was soo good! I think it’s his best so far!!! I loved all the characters!!! I never could tell what was coming next!!!! Riley Sager is Amazing!!!!

Thank you so much to Dutton Books and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I swear I will never be able to give Riley Sager anything but a 5-star review. His books have a way of sucking me and making me forget about everything else I should be doing I absolutely love them.

When Jules finds a hidden ad in the paper hiring for an apartment sitter she decides to give it a shot. Desperate for a job and barely making ends meet, Jules is willing to work just about anywhere at this point. When she arrives at the Bartholomew for her job interview she can’t believe her luck, getting to stay in this amazing place for four months and get paid a ridiculous amount of money to do so. And then comes the rules; no visitors, you must spend the night there every night, and you cannot speak to the other residents unless spoken to first. Jules agrees and when she meets another apartment sitter named Ingrid who shares the same disdain for some of the rules, Jules is excited to finally have someone to talk too and hang out with. But then Ingrid goes missing, doesn’t answer her phone, and leaves a mysterious note behind. As Jules starts digging more into the disappearance of Ingrid, she finds out more about the secrets behind the Bartholomew and how dangerous it really is.

I loved how this book was completely different from Riley Sager’s two other novels. What I had originally thought was going to be a book about a haunted apartment quickly turned into something I wasn’t expecting. The amount of suspense and creepiness in this book kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and I honestly couldn’t flip the pages fast enough. The plot and storyline drew me in and I loved every minute of it.

I've read a lot of thrillers, and this one surprised me at the end! Definitely will be recommending this to others.

One of my most anticipated releases of 2019 and soo happy and lucky I got an early copy. Thank you so so much Dutton and Netgalley.



I love Riley Sager's books, there is no other way to put it. His writing, the characters, the setting, always on point and deliver not only a great story but an unforgettable one.



Lock Every Door. 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.



And with this, we embark ourselves in finding out if it is that good to be true. And what we find? What Jules finds? Oh man, something totally unexpected, twisted, dark. She finds herself having to pay a really high prize to be there. She starts seeing things, suspecting things, which take her on this journey of finding the true, the reality of what the Bartholomew and its residents hide.



Lock Every Door is all you want to see on a great thriller and more. As a said, I love Riley's books but have to say this is my favorite out of the three. Jules is a character that whether with like it or not, gets in our minds and is almost like we are there with her, going through all she goes through. And I loved the turn in events, because I was definitely not expecting what was hidden behind doors a the Bartholomew.



Thanks to the Author for another treasure of a book. Keep them coming.



Thank you Dutton and Netgalley for the free advanced copy, in exchange for an honest review.

after having issues with sager’s other work, lock every door pleasantly surprised me and kept me hooked until the very last page. The story telling was fantastic! Highly recommend if you loved American horror story hotel and are looking for something in that realm.

Special thanks to Netgalley and penguin publishing for sending me advanced copy!

I found the main character, Jules, a little weak at first which really annoyed me, but she grows in fortitude and intelligence which redeemed her in my eyes.

The story is definitely a page-turner and it had a twist at the end which I did not see coming. Often I find I can work out the ending pretty early on, with thrillers or suspenses, which is why I don’t read them often, I get bored. But Lock Every Door kept me guessing all the way through which was delightful.

There are also nice touches of history, architecture and New York City, which are all things I love, so I appreciated them being woven into Lock Every Door.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story, so I won’t say any more, but if you’re looking for an intriguing, well-paced read this summer I definitely recommend grabbing yourself a copy of this book!

Author: Riley Sager
Genre: Thriller
Rating: 5/5 Stars

Okay, it’s officially official. Riley Sager is an auto-buy/auto-read author for me, thanks to his third huge hit: Lock Every Door. Huge thanks to Sager, NetGalley, and Dutton/Penguin Group for allowing me an ARC of Lock Every Door in exchange for an honest review!

I read The Last Time I Lied and Final Girls, both by Sager, earlier this year, and was obsessed. I am now so much more obsessed. Lock Every Door is an amazing thriller – go get your copy ASAP! I insist.

The story begins with Jules, who is on a job interview to be an apartment sitter in one of Manhattan’s most historic, prestigious, and mysterious buildings: the Bartholomew. The job is simple: live in the apartment to look after it while the previous owner’s family looks for a permanent tenant, follow a few simple rules, and get paid $1000/week. For Jules, this is everything she needs. Recently out of a job and an apartment (thanks, cheating boyfriend), the Bartholomew is the answer to all her problems. Sure, the rules seem a little strict and weird, like no visitors and no nights away, but they’re a small price to pay in exchange for so much money to live in such a luxurious apartment. However, almost as soon as she begins to live in the Bartholomew, Jules begins to worry that all the rumors of the building’s dodgy and shady past might have some truth to them. What she thought at first were just harmless ghost stories, told to perpetuate the mystery of the building, are seeming more and more real. Jules needs this job and the money…but how much is she willing to risk? (dun dun dun!)

Okay, folks, this book is such an amazing, terrifying thriller. Seriously, I tried reading at at night, home alone, and I couldn’t do it. And I do not scare that easily when it comes to books. But I kept looking over my shoulder, out the windows, envisioning some of the terrifying elements from the book coming to life…and I had to stop and wait until morning to pick it back up! And yes, this is a sign of a VERY good book in my opinion.

I loved Jules. Her character is smart, brave, and adventurous – her insatiable curiosity reminded me so much of myself. The residents of the Bartholomew were equally wonderful, all for different reasons. I just so appreciated the cast of characters Sager created, and his character development is once again, on point. I had ideas of who the “bad guys” were, and some I was right on, but the more terrifying part of this book is the motive. What is happening and WHY? That’s the mystery, as well as figuring out who all is involved and what their individual motives are. I didn’t guess most of the ending, and once I started to figure it out, as the action began to really unfold, I could not put the book down. I honestly would have easily read Lock Every Door in one sitting…if I hadn’t been such a scaredy cat!

I love all of Sager’s books for different reasons, but if I had to pick, this would be my new overall favorite. It’s a strong, solid five stars for me, and it is now one of the first thrillers I will recommend to folks. Seriously – go check it out!

When something sounds too good to be true, isn’t it usually? This was most definitely the case for Jules as she agrees to apartment sit this amazing place inside a beautiful old building in NYC. The rules that she must follow seem a bit strange but the amount of money that she would receive is well worth it to Jules.

I loved this book as I have loved the other books written by Riley Sager. The story flowed effortlessly and keep me wanted to know more and more. It did take a weird twist for a minute that turned me off a bit but then it untwisted itself.

I will always trust Riley Sager to write a book I can't put down. Each of his three horror novels (Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied, and his most recent Lock Every Door) are so tightly written that I'm always amazed that it's been hours since I've looked up from the pages. His protagonist in this novel is Jules, a recently fired, recently cheated on New Yorker who is trying to get back on her feet. When offered the opportunity to be paid to stay at the historically glamorous Bartholomew apartment building, Jules takes the chance without a second thought. But she quickly begins to notice the tenants and rules are not what they appear...

This is Sager's most maturely written horror novel to date. Embedded in the plot are layers of research and historically significant events that Jules and the other apartment sitters discover, and readers must pay close attention to put the puzzle pieces together. This novel is for horror and mystery fans that veer away from court and police procedurals in favor of good old fashion horror and things that go bump in the night. Fantastic novel that can be read in a blink of the eye (if one neglects everyone and everything around them, which I highly recommend).

Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager 

ebook, 384 pages
Published July 2nd 2019 by Dutton



Goodreads synopsis:
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.

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4.5 Stars

I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect from the book considering I had never read anything by the author before. I requested it from the publisher based on a recommendation from a Booktuber named booksandlala. It was a thriller and sounded like it would be right up my alley. I am happy to report that it was just as great as I suspected it might be. Although, I think this book would read better as a movie in order to capitalize on all the pulse-pounding moments within the pages. The only thing it didn’t do was scare me. Maybe that was because I was reading it and not seeing it.

I did a lot of speculating of what might be going on as I read along and wondered if it all might be a but more paranormal than I thought it was. It wasn’t but I could see that happening. I kept imagining the grandfather of Nick Bartholomew jumping off the roof of the building and wondering if Nick was an incarnation of his grandfather or was indeed the grandfather who was akin to Dorien Gray. Like I said, speculating.

Jules Larsen needed money fast. She had discovered her boyfriend and roommate screwing another girl on their bed and left immediately. The job of an apartment sitter came available and she knew she had to check it out. The money was out of this world and she needed that more than anything. So she took a chance and got the gig. It seemed so simple. Apartment sitting. But there were rules. She couldn’t have visitors and she couldn’t spend a night away from the building. No harm, no fowl, right? Seemed on the up and up. But it so wasn’t.

The farther I got into the story the more I realized how screwed this girl really was and the same with every apartment sitter in the building. I have to admit I didn’t see what was coming although I did speculate as I said earlier, unsuccessfully of course.

This book keeps you guessing and really had me snowed. Some film producer needs to pick this up and make it into a movie. ASAP!

Highly recommended.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

If you haven’t read this author’s previous work (Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied) you really need to get on it! Sager excels at crafting characters you can’t fully trust with…questionable backgrounds. I’m usually could at solving endings but this author continues to throw me for a loop each and every time; this is one of the reasons I’m so obsessed with his writing.

The setting of the Bartholomew is completely chilling; an old building complete with gargoyles and dumbwaiters. It has a sordid past that adds to the chill; the apartment Jules is assigned to was once slave quarters. A sheer intensity floods from the pages as Jules continues her search for answers.

Looking for a thriller to chill you to the bone this summer? Put this one at the top of your list. Highly recommended!

What a great thriller from Riley Sager! I truly enjoyed this book. It was full of twists and the plot was amazing. I found the characters likable and intriguing. I would highly recommend this book .

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC!

ARGH YOU GUYS. I'm so torn in how I feel about this book. Sager has a way of writing that keeps you absolutely addicted to each and every page and I was definitely intrigued with this book for the majority. I can absolutely relate to Jules in the sense of being in NYC, needing money and being fascinated with the structure and back stories that come with the amazing buildings that make up this vast city. SpOOoOooOooky, for real. Imagine having the opportunity to "apartment sit" for $1000 a WEEK, under the table. You just have to follow some specific rules but hey, after 3 months, just a summer really, you walk away with $12,000 clean and can finally start over. I mean.... who wouldn't???... right?..... Everything quickly goes haywire and the author takes us from the past 5 days... ONLY 5 DAYS... and to where Jules is now, trying to tell the authorities her crazy story.

This has the same addictability as The Final Girls did but where The Final Girls delivered in the ending, I think the ending of this will be highly divisive amongst thriller readers. What I love best about this story and that the author has you riding along happily in one direction just to give you whiplash and take a hard left turn into another one. I'm absolutely NOT mad about it. I'm just a little baffled as to whether I liked it or if it was just an ok ending for me. I love being surprised but I was more in an ah... so that's the ticket... kind of feel for it more so than shocked. Am I making any sense?

"I'm the kind of girl you don't want to fuck with." Ah, Jules. I'm not entirely sure I believe that entirely. But YOU GO GIRL. I do think if the story went just a *teeny* bit further, I would've been a little bit happier in terms of it going completely crazy. I will say there were a couple of parts where I was screaming, "I KNEW IT!!!" Listen, I was highly entertained and absolutely FLEW through this novel. I will continually pick up Sager over and over and OVER again. There's no getting past the talent that this author has in keeping me highly entertained from first page to last.

Prepare yourself for some surprises with this one and lets dish about it when you go to this read.

Unpopular Opinion (free ebook from @duttonbooks) - Hate to say it, but Lock Every Door was a DNF for me at 30%. I verified with several bookstagrammers who both loved and hated it, and they all agreed - if I wasn’t into it by 30%, then I wasn’t going to be into it. This was actually a June read for me (that I was really excited about because I really liked his earlier books), and I had it sitting on the back burner, trying to decide if I should push through or if I should DNF officially. Seeing all of your DNFs out there prompted me to officially mark this one off my list. It just wasn’t for me. I tend to like action in my suspense and slow builds just don’t do it for me most of the time. 30% in and I swear to you - nothing had happened. The main character moved into a super fancy apartment to apartment sit for loads of money. She’s a bit creeped out because by the large apartment. Suck it up or move out. Anyway, I was bored and needed something big, which wasn’t happening. So, this is a rare DNF for me. Do you include DNFs in your monthly/yearly totals? Curious how to handle this one.

What didn't work for me/why I DNF'd --
-Slow build/low suspense/low action
-Character development - didn't really like any of the characters so far and Jules seems a bit pathetic. I didn't even want to like her.
-Hit or miss NYC apartment setting that didn't scream summer read

Really, nothing exceptionally WRONG about it so far, but I didn't like it. It felt like homework to read. 2 stars is how I felt about the first 30% only - I did not finish this one.

Jules finds herself single, without a job and home suddenly. She knows she can crash on a friend’s couch but when she sees the ad for an Apartment Sitter she thinks maybe it’s worth checking out. The requirements of no visitors, no night away, and no disturbing other residents seems well worth the $4000 she will get per month! A perfect temporary solution to help her get ahead while she figures out her next steps. Especially because the Bartholomew is one of the most historic, iconic buildings in NYC! .

She meets Ingrid, another apartment sitter, and is happy that someone else her age is there! But Ingrid tells her the building has a dark past and not everything is what it seems. Any building this old would have at least a couple stories from the past but when Ingrid disappears the next day, Jules realizes maybe she was right. She starts to dig deeper into the history and the residents of the building and what she finds is shocking. She must find a way to save Ingrid and escape herself before the sordid past of the Bartholomew swallows her up! .

The big reveal in this one will shock you! I loved it! I had a couple guesses but was not even close. The twist is so creative. This is the perfect book to just let yourself get swept up with your imagination and go along for the twisty ride!