Riley Sager does it again! Lock Every Door is INSANE! I read this book in two sittings, was completely addicted and could not put it down! If my family didn't feel the need to eat it would have been one sitting, HA! What a story!! Did NOT see that coming ... and since this is a spoiler free zone you're not going to either ;) Truly flawless storytelling, phenomenal plot twists and extremely intriguing characters! Love a book that makes you gasp out loud and keeps you guessing. You won't be able to turn the pages fast enough ... trust me! Lock Every Door has officially made its way to the top of my 2019 reads thus far!! Snag your copy on July 2!

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Riley Sager for my advance copy!

Wow.

Sometimes its hard to put a review into words because the book you just read has already taken all the good words out there and arranged them in the best way possible.

That's basically how I feel now.

Dutton, thank you from the bottom of my heart for granting wishes on NetGalley to get this amazing book early.

Riley Sager, thanks for writing such a banger of a book.

Okay, let's get into it. Jules Larson has run into a bit of... bad luck. Although realistically, it seems more like bad luck has followed Jules her whole life. Right now, we meet her unemployed, or "laid off," homeless and living on her best friend's couch after walking in on her live-in boyfriend cheating on her. Not to mention the fact that she's an orphan, she's lost all of her immediate family. But maybe things are going to turn around, because she has just found an ad in the local paper for a dream job. An apartment sitter in the luxury apartment, The Bartholomew, a place she's dreamed of since she was a child. She gets a shot to not just live in a fancy apartment far beyond her price range, but get paid to do it.

Sure, the interview is a little weird. Like how they want to know her medical history. And then there are the rules. No visitors, you have to stay every single night in the apartment, and don't even think about talking to the other residents. The Bartholomew is an eclectic lot, full of the rich and semi-famous and they all have at least one thing in common, they like their privacy.

But maybe Jules can ignore the weird rules for just 12 weeks. She gets $1,000 at the end of each week and that amount would go a long way to helping her during her job and apartment search. And she can probably convince herself there are no red flags until another apartment sitter, Ingrid, goes missing. Striking a chord with Jules and her family history, Jules just can't leave Ingrid missing. So she starts trying to find out just what happened to Ingrid and where she has gone.

This was thrilling, captivating read right from the start. I really liked Jules, she was just likeable, she wasn't rude, she wasn't mean, she wasn't angsty, and she has every right to be with her history. I was drawn in, reading furtively, kindle lit by my trusty book light, heart racing, hands sometimes over my mouth in anticipation.

You basically will need to read this one. Just. Just. read it. Comes out July 2, 2019. Pre-order, get on the library waitlist, do what you have to do to get this book into your hands.

Woah. Lock Every Door is a thriller through and through. Exactly what I should expect from the amazing Riley Sager!

Loved this one from the moment I read the inscription: To Ira Levin. Being a huge fan of The Stepford Wives as well as Rosemary's Baby, I was intrigued from the inscription forward. I loved the creepiness factor, the never knowing who can be trusted, and the setting itself. I did get a chuckle, though, when a librarian was described as being exasperated when asked for all the books on a certain topic. No. Just no. Librarians certainly do become exasperated, but not by requests for materials on a topic. If the author needed to include an exasperated librarian, then a request for a book "it has a blue cover" or a request for legal or medical advice (you know---stuff we can't give!) or someone licking the desk or books would have worked, but we LOVE it when people ask for information on a stated topic! So a little hiccup there....
Otherwise, I loved the book and will certainly recommend it to readers who ask for something creepy.

Without giving too much away, from the very beginning I was strongly reminded of a certain favorite book by Lois Duncan, and a certain eerie Kate Hudson film. That kind of ruined the book for me in a way, because I like to be surprised. However, taking that out of the equation, it was a fun, atmospheric read, with a sympathetic heroine.

Jules has had a tragic life. Her sister went missing when she was a teen, then she lost both of her parents. She loses her job and her boyfriend, and her place to love all on the same day. Then she reads of an offer she can’t refuse. $12,000 to house sit an apartment for three months. In the building that inspired her and her sisters favorite book. How can she refuse? Even if after the excitement wears off, things start feeling a little creepy. What happened to the girl she just met from another apartment? And what’s with all these rules?

Even though this story has been told before, it was a fun, engaging read.

*ARC provided by Netgalley for review

I LOVED THIS BOOK. The heart-stopping action and bizarre plotlines just made me not want to put it down! More about Jules, please, because I'd love to know what happened to her sister. Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc!

Excerpt: Over the years, the Bartholomew and its gargoyles have graced a thousand photographs. I’ve seen it on postcards, in ads, as a backdrop for fashion shoots. It’s been in the movies. And, on TV. And, on the cover of a best selling novel published in the eighties called Heart of a Dreamer, which is how I first learned about it. Jane had a copy and would often read it aloud to me as I lay sprawled across her twin bed.

When Jules reads an AD looking for an apartment sitter at The Bartholomew, it sounds like a dream job. Twelve Thousand dollars for three months of living in one of Manhattan’s most high profile and mysterious buildings.

It could not have come at a better time, as Jules had just lost both her job, and her home. Her parents are dead, and her sister has been “Missing” for eight years. To get the job as “apartment sitter” would give her a chance to hit the “reset” button-some money, time to find a new job and a more permanent place to live.

She applies.

The interview consists of just a few questions, including :
Current Employment Status
Do you smoke? Drink?
Relationship status?
Next of kin?
Illnesses or Health Conditions and
WOULD YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF TO BE AN INQUISITIVE PERSON?

The residents demand privacy and secrecy. Apartment Sitters may not even have visitors, or spend any nights away from the apartment while they are employed.

But, Jules does manage to make one friend anyway...fellow apartment sitter, Ingrid, who reminds her of her sister Jane.

So when, Ingrid confesses that the dark history of The Bartholomew is starting to frighten her, just before she goes missing, Jules refuses to believe that she simply moved out without saying a word, and she launches her own investigation into Ingrid’s disappearance.

As always, the author’s writing sucked me in and this was a quick read for me. I thought it would be a 5 star read for me but I did not love the ending....let’s just say that it was a bit of a stretch and that if this book were to be made into a movie, it may be advertised as a horror movie. So, keep that in mind.

I would like to thank Netgalley, Dutton Publishing and Riley Sager for the Digital ARC I received in exchange for a candid review! You won’t have to wait long for your copy! Releases on July 2, 2019!

I have been a fan of Riley Sager from Final Girls and I read The Last Time I Lied right away. If you haven't read either of those books get to a book store today!

Unfortunately, this book wasn't as compelling a read. If you grew up in the 80s, then you know about Rosemary's Baby. While this didn't have a baby, or quite the same theme, it mirrored the movie concept pretty closely. I'm not going to give anything away, but I didn't feel there was a surprise element to this book. It felt like I was reading an adaptation of the movie. I'll still recommend this to other Riley Sager fans, but hope his next book is more like his earlier style.

When down on her luck Jules is given the chance to stay in the luxury apartment building The Bartholomew and to be paid for her stay, the opportunity is too good to let pass by. But as she settles into her temporary home, strange things start happening, and she starts to wonder if the rumors about this old building have any truth to them. With suffocating ambiance akin to "Rosemary's Baby" and the unsettling suspense of Hitchcock, "Lock Every Door" is another addictive thriller by Riley Sager.

Lock Every Door is a thrilling, stay-up-all-night horror story that will keep you turning pages with ease. It's my first book by Riley Sager, but I'm excited that I already have The Last Time I Lied on my bookshelf for my next suspenseful read. In Lock Every Door, Jules Larsen is an out-of-work, single woman whose parents have died and whose sister has been missing for years. Desperate for a fresh start, she answers an ad in the classifieds for an opportunity that seems too good to be true: for $1,000 a week, Jules will be an apartment sitter for the Bartholomew, a luxury apartment building facing Central Park, near the Dakota. Sager does a terrific job creating a creepy atmosphere while slowly revealing the Bartholomew's sordid past. When Jules' fellow apartment sitter, Ingrid, disappears, Jules accepts that something very wrong is going on in this building. To say anymore would ruin the plot, but I didn't want to stop reading until I knew what was happening and who would survive. Thank you so much to Dutton and to NetGalley for the preview copy!

Lock Every Door is the third book written by Riley Sager, and after loving his previous two books, I was very excited to read this one. Lock Every Door did not disappoint, and kept me hooked from beginning to end. I thought i had an idea as to where this book was headed, but I was pleasantly surprised that I really had no idea. I really enjoy Sager’s writing style and unpredictable twists, and I will now be anxiously awaiting his fourth book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton for giving me the opportunity to read in ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback.

To be published on 6/11/19.

I didn't find anything particularly original or exciting about LOCK EVERY DOOR. It felt like like a poor man's version of Get Out that felt like it kept poking me and saying, hey, bad things happen to poor white people too! I imagine that's not the intent, but I couldn't help making that association, that LOCK EVERY DOOR was Get Out without the intelligence, originality, and nuance of social horror.

I think what kept me reading, aside from Sager's writing style, which I have no problem with, is that I kept hoping for something MORE to happen. When the first thought about what was happening came to fruition I couldn't help but go, seriously? THAT'S where this is going? And then when it all played out I went, seriously? That's where this ended? It's just very lackluster and tired.

I didn't feel any edginess in regard to the plot. I didn't really care much about the characters. I didn't dislike them, but they were kind of blank and typical. The plot itself has been done before, and done better by others, surely. LOCK EVERY DOOR feels mailed in, that Sager didn't try very hard to be original or scary or thrilling or much of anything.

If you're at least half awake when reading this book you'll be able to pick up on the trends pretty early on. I think why the book is such a disappointment for me is because it led to exactly where I thought it was going to. It gave me no surprises and it felt like it just dragged me along like a tired dog walker. 

Bleh. I really liked FINAL GIRLS and THE LAST TIME I LIED. It's why I immediately leapt on LOCK EVERY DOOR when it was offered to me. And for it to be such a disappointment just really deflates me. I mean, I guess they can't all be winners.

2

Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wow! Is all I can say after that thrill ride. Another amazing psychological thriller by Riley Sager. I will admit this started out a little slow for me but once it picked up I did not want to put it down. Highly recommend if you love books that make you not want to put them down. 5 stars!

This is my first Riley Sager book and it will absolutely not be my last. Sager has a way of telling a story that feels like you are living through it with the main character - you feel the tension, the suspense, and the feeling of not knowing what is going to happen - without feeling completely lost. I like when a book absolutely has a twist coming, and you can feel that something isn't right, but you have no idea how things are going to end. Thoroughly enjoyed this one, and will be recommending to anyone who will listen and/or needs a thrilling read.

I LOVED Riley Sager's other two books - with Final Girls being my favorite thriller that I am constantly recommending - so I had really built this book up in my head and was so excited to read it. It didn't necessarily let me down, but it was my least favorite out of his three books. I definitely wanted to know what was going on and did not at all guess the truth - but I think that's because it felt a little out of left field when it was first introduced. I really enjoyed the way the story was told alternating between "now" with Jules in a hospital to the last 5 days leading up to her accident. Overall, it's a good book and I will absolutely suggest people read it, but don't except the same level of intensity as Final Girls. Rated a 3.5 so rounding up to 4!

Riley Sager has done it again! Every single book Sager has written has blown me away. If you haven't read any of his novels, stop reading this review now and go check his books out. All three are outstanding!

Lock Every Door is an excellent thriller with strong horror tones. Set in a glamorous apartment building, Jules Larsen is starting a new job as an apartment-sitter. The rules: no visitors, no nights away, no social media, and no disturbing the neighbors. Should be easy enough money. Things get weird when Jules meets fellow apartment-sitter, Ingrid. Ingrid shares things about the building that have been scaring her and the next day, Ingrid disappears.

Filled to the brim with suspense, readers will have a hard time putting this one down. The setting is atmospheric. The characters are creepy and very well-fleshed out. If you enjoy thrillers that will keep you guessing especially with horror elements, this is one you have got to check out asap. Riley Sager is an author not to be missed!

Well frig. This is my first Riley Sager book and holy shit, it's not going to be my last. I don't even know if I have proper words to explain what went down in this book. It's a twisted thriller, page turning, can't put down kind of book. I love a book with a good countdown, it start's with Now and then brings us back to five days before. FIVE DAYS PEOPLE. Five days is literally all it took for Jules life to be completed frigged over. I went into this book completely blind and honestly I think everyone should too. Just enjoy the ride that is "Lock Every Door". Highly recommend

Thank you to the publishers for granting my wish on netgalley for this one :)

SYNOPSIS: No visitors. No nights spent away from the apartment. No disturbing the other residents.

Jules Larsen finds a Craigslist ad to be an apartment sitter in a famous Manhattan luxury building overlooking Central Park, and despite the strict rules and her concerns of it being “too good to be true” she is desperate for money and takes the job. Even after being warned that the residents require privacy, Jules can’t seem to stop asking questions...

REVIEW: Thank you @netgalley @duttonbooks for an advanced e-book in exchange for my honest review.

First things first: you can never go wrong with a Riley Sager novel. This is his third thriller and yes, I would like to maintain my position in his fan club.

I loved the storytelling format used in Lock Every Door: it starts with NOW and then gives a countdown from “one week before” to the present, with a quick jump-forward to NOW between each day. This gives the book a growing sense of anticipation and “I-know-what’s-coming-but-do-I-really?”

It was an extremely quick read, but as Riley Sager has proven in his other two novels, there are so many layers to his deception. I love reading a book where you’re exposed to something that has gone awry from the start and you have to backtrack to the beginning to pick up the pieces. Every page in this story built up to what was really going on and (as is typical in Riley Sager novels) you may guess bits and pieces but even your very best guess will never meet the level of crazy in his brilliant, twisted mind.

Beyond that brief description, there is so much risk of spoiling here that I need to be obnoxiously vague. Lock Every Door is a creepy, can’t-put-it-down read. Sager really toes the line of “over-the-top”/unbelievable in this one but it is so much more fun to just go along with it. Do yourself a favor: go in blind and let him take you on another thrill ride.

DNF at 22% -

I really loved Final Girls by Riley Sager, and it crossed the line of being too dark for me. I got 22% through Lock Every Door and I was just plain bored. This book is slowww.

Jules Larsen has landed the perfect job: she's apartment sitting for a luxury suite in the Bartholomew, a building she's only ever dreamed about living in. For 3 months and $12,000, she's coasting in a dream world. Or is she?

I know I'm not the first to say it, and I'm sure I won't be the last, but Jules is dumb. Why wouldn't you question this? She needs a grip on reality.

I tried very hard to give this book a solid chance, but the pacing just was way too slow for me. I invested a lot of time and still waiting on anything remotely interesting to happen. Maybe I'll come back and try again at another time.

Getting paid $4,000 a month for three months of apartment-sitting in one of the most infamous luxury apartments in Manhattan sounds like a dream come true...or is it too good to be true? For Jules, it's the latter. Unemployed and in desperate need of a new place to live after her scummy boyfriend cheats on her, Jules jumps to answer the job posting for The Bartholomew. What follows is a hair-raising, goosebumps-inducing tale of missing apartment-sitters that thoroughly creeped me out.
Riley Sager is a master of suspense, and Lock Every Door is his best work yet. The unique, implausible, yet thoroughly entertaining plot and steadily building creep factor were the perfect combination. His decision to have the timeline jump between past and present, coupled with the first-person narration, only added to the suspense and thrills. I felt like I was really in The Bartholomew with Jules, running from the danger and trying to figure out what happened to her fellow apartment-sitters before she meets the same mysterious fate.
Thank you to Riley Sager, Penguin/Dutton, and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Follow me on Goodreads and Instagram @the_bookblog for more bookish thoughts!