"Lock Every Door" by Riley Sager available July 2, 2019!

Jules seems to be having a string of bad luck after finding herself jobless, single, and sleeping on her best friend's couch, As her bank account nears empty, she stumbles upon an add in the newspaper for an apartment sitter that "pays well". When she is offered the job, she feels like she has been given a reset - she will be paid to live in an infamous and exclusive apartment building with the chance to make enough money to get back on her feet. It all seems too good to be true. It doesn't take long for Jules to understand that the job isn't what she thought it was and her life could be in danger.

This is the third book I have read by this author and I loved this one as much as the others. It was extremely hard to put down. I am supposed to be packing to move my family but I found myself stopping to read this book and staying up far too late reading because I just had to know what would happen. It was a little far-fetched but in this case it didn't bother me. I thought I knew the twist but I was very wrong. I read a lot of thrillers and I feel like it's hard to surprise me and "Lock Every Door" was able to do that. If you are a thriller fan, I would pick this up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Publishing for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. You can get a copy of "Lock Every Door" by Riley Sager on July 2, 2019.

Gonna be honest, I was mostly disappointed with LOCK EVERY DOOR (and this coming from a big fan of Riley's previous two books). Not much happens for 90% of the book...the characters aren't very likable or very well-written, they make big glaring mistakes, and while the big twist is interesting, it's hard not to compare it to a similar twist from one of the biggest movies of the last couple years (it would be a spoiler to name it). That being said, still a fan of the author, but I'll be a little hesitant before jumping into his next book.

Anytime a book by Riley Sager comes out I get excited! This book was no exception she continues on her glorious streak with Lock Every Door. This book got me from page 1 and I was unable to put it down.

Jule takes a new job as an apartment sitter but with this job comes a whole bunch of rules. As she grows closer to the residents and workers she begins to feel that things are not as they seem. Especially when one of the residents that she has grown closest with disappears. As she is on the hunt for her friend she unearths secrets about the apartment building that would have been better left secrets. This book will have you out of breath at the pace you are turning pages to keep up with what was happening! I absolutely loved this book and any fan of a fast paced thriller will as well!

Happy Reading!

I loved Riley Sager’s other two books, so Lock Every Door had some high expectations… I am happy to say that it lived up to them!! I was immediately sucked into the story and dying to know what happened. The dual timelines worked flawlessly, giving just enough of the “Now” to keep me wanting more. I felt immersed into the story, like I was living at The Bartholomew. Definitely a must-read this summer!!

Thanks to Dutton and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I can now easily say Riley Sager is quickly becoming one of my favorite mystery thriller authors. I was absolutely thrilled at the prospect of getting my grubby hands on an advanced copy and luckily for me his newest release totally delivered. I've enjoyed his previous two books, but Lock Every Door is hands down my favorite Riley Sager novel. I don't want to talk about a whole lot of extra plot details because I don't want to ruin all of the darkly delicious twists and turns. You're going to want to go into this practically blind to really savor everything. Though, I will say I loved the format of flashback and countdown until we're all caught up.

I will say that I was hooked on the mystery at the heart of this story. I enjoyed trying to piece every clue and detail together about the Bartholomew in New York City. I usually don't talk about world-building in mysteries or thrillers all that often, but Sager does a marvelous job of bringing the world of the Bartholomew to life. The descriptions of the building are quite lush yet also quite creepy. You know that something is definitely off about the place, but it's difficult to put your finger on what exactly is wrong - until it's too late that is. Sager's characters are also fascinating and well developed. I don't know if I'd call any of them particularly likable but their lives kept my eyes glued to the page.

Overall, Lock Every Door by Riley Sager is a pleasure to read and it's easily one of my favorite reads of 2019. If you've enjoyed his previous releases, you're totally going to need this novel in your life. I have a feeling you're a fan of dark, intensely suspenseful mysteries that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, Ruth Ware novels, and classic Hitchcock films like Rear Window, you'll eat this right up. I can't wait to see what Riley Sager does next! Thanks again to Dutton Books and NetGalley!

Unfortunately, The Last Time I Lied didn't resonate with me nearly as much as Sager's previous thrillers. The story line was interesting, but I didn't connect with the main character, which made it hard for me to stay deeply invested.

One thing I always love about Sager's work is that his writing is so strong, and he does a fantastic job moving the story forward in a compelling way. So, in terms of the story itself, it was entertaining and fast-paced, which was great. I also liked the format - the book started at the END and worked backwards, so each chapter was "Six Days Earlier", then 5 days, and so on.

My main issue in Lock Every Door is the main character, Jules. From the very beginning, something about her just "irked" me. There was a lot of the typical Millenial "woe is me" attitude going on - and yes, I realize that I technically am a Millenial. But it was just a bit too much for me. Jules as a character seemed immature, kind of stupid (ahem, taking the creepy, too-good-to-be-true living situation in the first place), and unwilling to take responsibility for her own path.

Because I found myself rolling my eyes and sighing at her from the very beginning, it made it very hard for me to care what happened next. In addition, the ending didn't do much for me. Although there were a couple of small "twists" throughout the story, I wasn't shocked by the ending, which left me a bit disappointed.

All that being said, I'm still giving this 3 stars. I think it's worth a read, if only because of the fact that it's written by Riley Sager, and his last two novels were great. He's a great writer, but this one unfortunately fell a little flat for me.

A seemingly random girl is chosen to reside in a prestigious apartment building as an apartment sitter. She is paid thousands of dollars and gets to stay for free. Little does she know, the apartments dark history is twisted and full of mystery. ⁣
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This book was sooo amazing! I could not put it down. And I when I had to, all I could think about was what was going to happen next. I was engaged and interested the entire time while reading this book and it had so many twists! This is, hands down, my favorite book by him and is also being added to my favorites list! Definitely recommend! I will also be buying a hard copy when it is released!

Another great read from Sager!
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jules is sleeping on her friend's couch and struggling financially. An opportunity to apartment sit at the Bartholomew, a well known and high end building, arises and this gives Jules the new start she needs. But the Bartholomew has strange rules, tenets, and a deadly history. Jules begins to uncover the truth about the Bartholomew and the dangers within.

Sager writes in a way that I just cannot put the book down and I need to know what happens next. I stayed up late to finish this one [and I love my sleep! ;)]. This book also added in a nice creepy factor and anything with a dumbwaiter freaks me out!

🔐 Lock Every Door Review 🔐

This book was one of the best suspense thrillers I have read all year, a page-turning, heart-pounding, thriller that I could not put down full of twists and turns and an ending that will blow your mind... I had to know what was going to happen and so I finished the entire book in one day! It was that good and by far Riley Sager’s best work yet!!!
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This book centers around Jules Larsen a broke, and recently heartbroken, girl who stumbles across an ad looking for an apartment sitter at the ritzy and mysterious Bartholomew of New York City. The job comes with a huge paycheck for three months and some very strict rules.

The rules: no night’s spent away, you must not speak to or disturb the other residents as they are famous and their privacy is to be respected, you cannot have any guests over, and you cannot post to any social media accounts.
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Jules decided to take the the job and feels that things are finally starting to turn around for her. However, when she meets another apartment sitter named Ingrid who later disappears suddenly in the night, she begins to dig for information and discovers that there is a dark and sinister history lurking inside the walls of the Bartholomew.

The more she searches, the more she discovers, that she should have never been fooled by appearances because things are not as they always seem.

Although I was able to figure out some of the major twists because I am a major thriller lover I still give this book 5 stars! In fact, I loved it so much I would read it again and would love to have a copy of this book on my shelf so I could read it again sometime! 😍🔐

This past Sunday, I grabbed my Kindle and got lost in this mystery/thriller and I absolutely loved it! I think this book is going to end up to be one of my favorite books for 2019. I would classify it as modern gothic mystery and once I started reading, I succumbed to this creepy story. It wouldn’t let me go.
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Jules Larsen is down on her luck when she answers an ad for an apartment sitter at The Bartholomew, the exclusive apartment building for the rich and famous in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Jules is broke, having just lost her job and her apartment because she found her boyfriend cheating on her. She is desperate for money and a place to live, so Jules ignores all the red flags about the job. No visitors. No talking to the other residents. She can’t spend a night away from the apartment. Her best friend, Chloe, begs her not to take the job. Not only are there too many strange things about the job, but The Bartholomew has a long, dark history. Jules remains undaunted. Especially when she sees 12A, the gorgeous apartment with a view to die for. She packs her meager belongings and decides to become the temporary resident of 12A. Maybe this is just an old, creepy building with eccentric residents.
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Or maybe there is something else going on behind the glamorous walls of The Bartholomew? Something ominous and sinister.
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I read Final Girls last year and for me, Lock Every Door was a far superior book. I loved the immersive writing, I loved the setting of a bizarre old building. I loved Jules, who narrates the entire story. This is just really great read. Riley Sager, you have become an auto-buy author for me!

The blurb sounded interesting, so I decided to give Lock Every Door a try--even after being pretty apathetic about Sager's The Last Time I Lied.

OK, mostly it feels like it was inspired by Rosemary's Baby --the brownstone with a sordid history, strange tenants, etc.

It fell flat for me, but may thrill you.

Read in June. Blog review scheduled for July 5.

NetGalley/Penguin Group
Mystery/Thriller? July 2, 2019. Print length: 384 pages.

Summary: In the initial foreshadowing chapter, Jules Larsen wakes up in a white room surrounded by doctors and nurses. She is told she was injured when a car hit her. As her memory returns, she is terrified and begs then not to send her back.

The reader is then taken back six days, to the start of Jules’ story. Jules Larsen, a young woman in her mid-twenties, just lost her job and her boyfriend on the same day. She pulls herself together and responds to an ad for an apartment sitter. The job is in an exclusive New York City high-rise building called The Bartholomew. While on the tour of the building and vacant apartment, her interviewer, Leslie Evelyn, asks some unusual questions about her family and personal life. Jules apparently gives the desired answers because she is offered the job on the spot. The job comes with some strict rules, but Jules desperately needs the thousand dollars a week, so she accepts.

Jules has another reason for wanting this job besides the money. As a child she and her sister read a book that took place in The Bartholomew. It was a fanciful, happy tale that took the two girls’ imaginations away from their poverty. After Jules’ sister vanished without a trace, Jules held onto the book as a connection to her. Now, Jules gets to live some of her childhood fantasies.

The novel continues backwards in time, slowly feeding the reader information about the building and its secluded residents. Jules meets two other apartment sitters. When one of them mysteriously vanishes in the middle of the night, Jules is compelled to find out where she’s gone. What she discovers leads to the accident at the beginning of the book.

Comments: Lock Every Door is a delightfully creepy novel. Just when I thought it was leading to a rather mundane ending, the the story took another turn. Very nicely done, Riley Sager!

I’m usually immune to creepy novels, having been a weird child who read Alfred Hitchcock stories for fun. But this one sent unexpected shivers through me. I’m about to move into a condo in a vaguely similar high-rise building. I’ll be looking at my neighbors suspiciously for a while!

Highly recommended for readers of Psychological Suspense. This is a great Beach Read, too!

It’s always so difficult to review thrillers. I’m terrified that I’ll spoil a main element to the story!

I loved the Last Time I Lied, but ultimately this thriller just didn’t have the wow factor I was hoping for. I caught on real fast in the beginning as to who the culprits were. The ending also wrapped up quickly, which is always a pet peeve of mine in books.

This isn’t to say I had a fun time reading this book. Riley Sagar always has a way of keeping you engaged! I enjoyed the calm, yet creepy vibe of the setting. I never knew what I was going to run into next and found myself almost jumping a few times.

I have been lucky enough to receive eARCS of all of this author’s books before publication. I find it funny that each of these books have been a favorite of mine during their year of publication. Happily enough this book is not an exception. This may actually be my absolute favorite of all of this author’s books.

I loved that I read the book went from past to present tense so you were learning all of the creepy things that were happening on each end at around the same time. The fact that things were revealed as they were in that point in the book worked extremely well for the story as a whole. I was capped on the edge of my seat and throughout this whole book and the synopsis absolutely does this one justice.

The characters in the book were lovable in my eyes even though many of them weren’t actually livable. The main character was great she really questioned everything that was going on in this apartment building and never give up her perseverance. I will say that I was extremely shocked by the ending and I am so glad that I was. I have no idea what was coming and it just made for an outstanding read.

Throughly enjoyed this read. Legit had no clue where it was going, certainly not the bottom line of the Bartholomew’s dark history. I loved the way he wrote about the building and it’s inhabitants, you definitely feel like you are there seeing it with your own eyes. The MC is well written, just as Quincy was in Final Girls. Can’t wait to read more from Riley Sager in the future!

This one requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief, but if you go in like that, it's a great ride. A little horror, a little mystery, and a lot of WHAT WERE YOU THINKING to the main character.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Desperate for a job and to leave her past behind, Jules finds an ad for a job: to be a temporary apartment sitter. What she doesn’t realize is the apartment is none other than the magical Bartholomew, a prestigious apartment building housing the rich and famous in Manhattan.

When Jules enters the apartment, she is astounded and is in disbelief at the beauty of her new home. Everything seems like it’s out of a dream… until she hears the strict rules: 1. absolutely no visitors, 2. no nights spent away from the apartment, and 3. no disturbing the other residents.

While Jules feels slightly unsure about the dream job she just landed, she brushes those feelings away when she looks around the intricate space she gets call home for the next three months. Not to mention she’s getting paid to live there. It all seems too good to be true.

When she meets the apartment sitter who lives below her, Ingrid, she warns Jules that The Bartholomew might not be the picturesque place she envisions, but one that’s haunted. Jules thinks nothing of it. That is, until Ingrid turns up missing the next day.

With the strict rules and strange behavior of certain residents now at the forefront of Jules’s mind, she digs for answers and begins her search to find Ingrid. When she uncovers secrets about The Bartholomew, things begin to take a dark turn, and Jules finds herself trapped in the middle of it.

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Lock Every Door by Riley Sager was an amazing thriller. From the first page, I was drawn in by Jules, a character who I felt connected to from the start. I really loved the way Jules was portrayed as a normal girl, just looking for a job and willing to take whatever came her way to pay the bills. I could really see Jules grow throughout the story — from desperate to confident in who she is.

I think Jules’s experiences at The Bartholomew were so believable, and the ending took such an incredible, jaw-dropping turn. Sager created such a unique and mysterious story that really kept me guessing. I thoroughly enjoy his writing style and love the descriptions he used — the scenes were so easy to visualize and I thought the aspect of forming the apartment into a character itself was a nice touch.

Overall, Lock Every Door held my attention, was full of memorable, realistic characters that I could believe, and I found myself unable to put the story down. A very intriguing, excellent read.

Jules is down on her luck, out of work and living on her best friend's couch. When she spots a job listing for a short term apartment sitting position in one of NYC's most prestigious buildings, the duties and salary seem like the answer to all of her problems. As that old adage goes: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

A huge fan of Sager's previous thrillers, I started this with high expectations. This delivered and then some! Lock Every Door is a creepy, twisted cat and mouse tale that kept me guessing and kept me up at night. There was one point where the story line headed in a theoretical direction that had me scratching my head. Thankfully, yet another twist was presented and the ending was just...whoa. Riley Sager has secured his place on my auto-buy list!

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for the free advance e-Galley of this thriller.

E6C8ED3C-518C-48D1-A914-C2FEED316B26Thank you to Dutton for providing me with a free digital copy of Lock Every Door in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

To put it simply: I loved this book! I wish I could forget it all so that I could read it and experience it all over again! I truly enjoyed every single page of this suspenseful, dynamic thriller. The third from Sager, Lock Every Door is by far my favorite from this author and I feel like each of his novels just get better and better.

Every element of Lock Every Door was so well balanced, like a perfectly mixed cocktail. Nothing was lacking, no part taking over. What really pulled me in was the setting: The prestigious, yet mystery Bartholomew wasn't what you would expected as a creepy apartment building because of it's gorgeous descriptions. It sounded like the most posh, luxurious building in NYC. However, Sager does a great job of mixing in a few curious details to cast doubt, just enough that you aren't sure if strange things are really happening or if it's just in your head.

It really bothers me when a novel relies heavily on a character's past and flashbacks to hold up what is happening in the present but that was NOT the case with Jules. Her previous experiences were described just enough to help you understand her actions and choices. I actually found her to be relatable and gregarious.

The direction this novel was going for the majority of the book had me thinking that things were going to turn out in an unnatural and creepy cacophony, yet ended in what I found to be a disturbingly realistic turn of events.

I loved the format of this book, days counting backwards to the climax, I loved that every chapter had something happening, not just characters mulling over what had already happened. The suspenseful pacing was perfect and I honestly have nothing bad to say. I loved Lock Every Door and recommend it to mystery and suspense lovers everywhere!

At twenty-five, Jules Larsen is in desperate need for a reset, as she has recently lost her job, boyfriend and home. Not a stranger to loss, Jules is ever ready to move forward despite the setbacks. Upon being offered a temporary job as an apartment sitter at the infamous Bartholomew in the upper West side, she jumps at the opportunity to fulfill a fantasy and also alleviate her mounting debt.

“This place isn’t kind to gentle souls. It chews them up and swallows them whole.”

Though the rules for apartment sitters seem strict, Jules decides to power on and slowly makes some acquaintances among the residents. However, the constant odd behavior and eerie history of the building starts to make Jules think there may be some truth to the rumors.

“Never confuse fiction with reality. No good ever comes of it.”

Told from the protagonist’s point of view, the plot tension steadily builds as Jules shows herself to be resilient considering what she has experienced. Not wanting to have history repeat itself, Jules is protective of those in her life and is willing to take certain risks. Though, the skepticism of knowing who she can trust is ever present.

With a strange cast of secondary characters, including the Bartholomew itself, the tone is mysterious and causes the reader to balance between truth and fiction. From the outset, I had my suspicions and that may have lessened the impact of the reveal; however, I am pleased with a certain outcome. At times, it seemed like the plot was a bit fantastic but I was entertained throughout and I truly empathized with Jules.

Lock Every Door is a thriller that delves into the integrity of its characters. This book will appeal to those who enjoy a good mystery and a protagonist that is down and out, but hasn’t lost the fight within her.