Mother of God, this book was good. I was all in on reading Jules' adventure in apartment babysitting. It sounded too good to be true- $4000 a month to house sit?- but I'd buy lying if I said I'd never agree to it. If you're desperate enough... You think you can handle anything for the right price. This was gothic and tense. It was one of those thrillers I couldn't put down- and I did not guess the ending. Everything was tied up in a neat bow- no quirky endings here. I thought this was Sagers best effort yet. Recommend!

Lock Every Door is a wild and suspenseful ride Just when you think you know every classic thriller trope, Riley Sager comes along and blows them all away. Reminiscent of Rosemary's Baby with Hitchcockian overturns, fans of a good suspense won't be disappointed.

The novel follows Jules as she takes on the role of apartment sitter in the swanky Bartholomew. With its high pay and celebrity residents, it seems like a dream come true, until the dark side of the building's history is revealed. Sager delivers on the twists and suspense you expect from his previous books without using the same tricks of the trade. Look your doors because you will want to devour this book when it comes out

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC

The newest from Riley Sager is a wonderful whirlwind of an adventure. I loved every moment of this book. Where to even begin?

Jules is an enlightening and somewhat charming modern-day loner. Her family has a dark past and she’s done everything to overcome it and live somewhat normally in New York. Upon taking a house sitting job, she discovers that young people without families seem to go missing from this building at an alarmingly high rate.

There were lots of ups and very few downs in this story. First was the plot. Sager has never struggled in the plot department, and he had me literally shivering from under the covers of my nice warm bed at 3am by the time I finished. There truly was not a dull moment to be found in this book. Second, the way Sager tells stories is insanely good. The reader feels so connected to these scenes it feels like you’re actually there.

The only downsides that I can name are a general lack of main character development (Who IS Jules? What makes her unique? She was a bit boring, or too typical) and some plot points I didn’t find particularly believable (i.e. Jules taking immediate action and starting to Nancy Drew the situation before she even thought of anything else. Yes I understand she had killer instincts after what she went through with her sister but it seems like a convenient “way out” for the plot).

Overall, a 5 star read. Highly recommend and I honestly do not know what i’d do if i’d had to wait another several months for this title 😂.

Reliable. That is what Riley Sager's writing is for me. "Reliable Riley" is his name from here on out. So far he is 3 for 3 with me, and this may be my favorite yet. He could write an appliance instruction manual and I would read it all, and still probably enjoy it. His writing style never ceases to capture and hold my attention which is so greatly appreciated when I've been finding myself in a lot of ruts lately.

This novel is about a girl named Jules who was just laid off from her job. Desperate to get off her pal Chloe's couch and make some money, she comes across a listing for an "apartment sitter" at an infamous NY building called The Bartholomew.

At first I thought the whole plot was a bit preposterous, with apartment sitters only being there for 3-month terms, not to mention the absurd rules they have to follow. The whole set up just seemed a little unbelievable- who would agree to that, broke or not? But hang in there. This book had the most deliciously creepy vibe, that kept me on edge the entire time. The final twist even got me a little, which doesn't often happen.

Plain and simple this is a creepy and fun book. I enjoyed the entire ride. It's best not knowing too much going into it because it's that much more fun figuring what's up with The Bartholomew along with Jules.

Thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

I love Riley Sager. His writing feels effortless and like entering a dream. I get enveloped by the story, usually from the get go. His newest novel, Lock Every Door, was no different.
The story begins with an interesting premise. A luxury apartment in a famous building needs a sitter. Follow the rules, get paid. It sounds easy and quite possibly too good to be true, but no one seems last until the end of the agreement.

The ending surprised me. I would definitely recommend this or any book by the author.

3.5 stars.

You know the old saying if it seems too good to be true, it probably is? Well, that's something that Jules Larsen should have thought of when she accepted an assignment as an apartment sitter at one of the oldest and most exclusive NYC apartment buildings, the Bartholomew.

Jules is between jobs and, because her relationship with her boyfriend just ended, between apartments. The Bartholomew was the setting of her favorite book from childhood, so the thought of living in those glamorous, hallowed halls almost seems like a dream. When she sees the enormous, duplex apartment at the top of the building, and learns that she'll receive a salary of $4,000 for each month of her three-month assignment, how could she resist?

Sure, there are a lot of rules. She must sleep in her apartment every night. She can't have anyone over to visit because the residents of the Bartholomew cherish their privacy. No pictures of anything related to the building on social media. She's also not allowed to bother any of the residents.

But even those and other slightly strange rules are enough to dissuade her, given how desperately she needs the money. Even as she starts to learn about the Bartholomew's somewhat-scandalous and creepy past, she feels lucky. When she meets fellow apartment sitter Ingrid, she feels she has found a kindred spirit. As Ingrid shares her feelings about how things about the building frighten her a bit, Jules tries to help assuage her fears (and perhaps calm some of her own).

The next morning, Ingrid is gone. She apparently left the Bartholomew without a word to anyone, and she won't return Jules' texts or phone calls. Little by little, Jules starts to become more worried about Ingrid's safety, and wonders if perhaps there is more to the things Ingrid was afraid of. As Jules tries to dig into Ingrid's disappearance with the help of her handsome neighbor, she starts to discover that things in the Bartholomew aren't as idyllic as they seem—and Ingrid isn't the first one to disappear.

Riley Sager knows how to ratchet up the suspense, and she definitely did so here in Lock Every Door. There is such a pervasive sense of danger permeating through the book from the minute Jules first arrives at the Bartholomew. You know it's too good to be true, you know she shouldn't trust people, but as the reader, you're powerless to shake some sense into her.

The narration shifts between the present and Jules' arrival at the building a few days earlier, so you get glimpses of what will happen but nothing too concrete to fully give it away. Sager's storytelling is taut and reads like a movie, so I could picture what was happening in my mind's eye.

You'll really need to suspend your disbelief here as the book hurtles toward its conclusion. I'll admit I thought things went completely off the rails and I rolled my eyes toward the end. But I know many others loved this book, so perhaps I just thought things got a little too kooky for my own good.

I'm a fan of Sager's writing—her debut novel, Final Girls, was another book that read like a movie I'd totally see. If you like your thrillers on the crazy, slightly gothic side, Lock Every Door is one for you. And don't accept an apartment-sitting gig that seems too good to be true!

NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton provided me an advance copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thanks for making this available!

This book will be published July 2, 2019.

He has done it again!!! This is the third thriller from Author Riley Sager. Like his first two books, this one captured me from the very first sentence. He writes with just enough suspense that the reader will want to keep turning page after page to figure out the mystery. I kept finding myself thinking “ whoa did not see that coming” and “ I need to keep reading, I need to know what happens next”. It is written to keep the reader bouncing back and forth between past and present times, adding confusion to the plot until finally.... you figure out just why you kept tuning the pages.

Jules has bills piling up, a jerk of an ex boyfriend to get over, and no family to turn to. All she has is the couch that her dear friend Chloe has generously offered her to sleep on. When Jules stumbles upon a brief, yet enticing ad in the newspaper seeking an apartment sitter, she calls the number and is quickly astonished when she learns it will be at the legendary Bartholomew Building.

It seems like the perfect gig, a lavish place to live, a huge chunk of change at the end of her mandatory time, and even better, something to occupy her mind. The one caveat are the strict rules she must adhere to. They MUST not be broken.

Things seem to be a bit off, she begins to feel uneasy, and what’s worse is she isn’t the only one who feels this. She befriends a fellow apartment sitter who begins to reveal the same unease as Jules. They make plans to meet for lunch the next day.... but Ingrid never shows up.

Mesmerizing details and heart pumping scenarios give this plot exactly what it needs to classify itself as a thriller. Is the reward for living at this historic New York building worth the price of her life? Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy July 2nd 2019 to find out!!!

A solid 4 star thriller!

Jules is in desperate need of a fresh start. Recently single and with only a few hundred dollars to her name, she jumps at the chance to apartment sit at the Bartholomew, an opulent, historic, and mysterious New York apartment building. While the rules are restrictive, the pay and extravagant apartment are more than worth it. But very quickly, Jules realizes something is not quite right with the Bartholomew when a fellow apartment sitter disappears after confessing her fear of their new home and she determines to uncover the secrets of the building and its wealthy residents.

Riley Sagar has definitely made a name for himself as a writer of strong female leads thrown into dark and disturbing situations. I loved Jules' determination and spunk, and felt her character was very well developed with the inclusion of her tragic back story. The occasional chapters set in the present throughout the book kept the plot moving forward, as each glimpse into the present urged me to keep reading and discover what led Jules to her current situation. I was definitely kept guessing throughout, as the book took turn after turn! I think the inclusion of more of the Bartholomew's history and a less rushed conclusion would have bumped this up to a 5 star read for me, but regardless, Lock Every Door is a great read full of twists and turns, and unrelenting tension.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lock Every Door is a creepy page turner that had me gasping as I excitedly turned the pages.
Riley Sager is a MASTER story teller and his latest addition is just further proof of that. There are so many plot twists and characters that are so deviously deceptive my mind was spinning, in the BEST possible way.

The setting is a luxurious apartment building in New York City.
Lock. Every . Door.

You think you know, but you don't know. Literally you could not possibly know. I cannot recommend this book more highly , if I could give it 50 stars I would.

Get this book on 7/2/19 when its released in the wild. You will not be sorry.

Fans of Sager’s previous novels (Final Girls, The Last Time I Lied) won’t be disappointed once they swing the doors of the Bartholomew wide open.

Two weeks after being laid-off and discovering her boyfriend had been cheating on the same day, Jules Larsen is desperate. With less than five-hundred-dollars in her bank account, she’s been crashing on her best friend’s couch and avidly searching for a new job and a new start with no luck – until she finds an add that will could give her everything she’s ever wanted.

NEEDED: APARTMENT SITTER. CALL IF INTERESTED.

The add was vague, barely visible amongst all the others crowding the page, so when Jules stands before the most famous building in New York City, the setting of her and her long missing sister’s favorite novel, she’s afraid there’s been a huge misunderstanding – she couldn’t possibly be up for a job at the Bartholomew. But there is no misunderstanding, building manager Leslie Evelyn assures before offering her the position and a hefty salary: twelve-thousand-dollars to live in a spacious apartment with a stunning view of Central Park for three months. Stunned but thrilled about her swift stroke of luck, Jules accepts immediately. However – temporarily living within the Bartholomew comes with its fair share of rules:

1. No visitors, no exceptions.
2. Do not bother the residents: some famous, all extremely wealthy.
3. No nights may be spent away from the Bartholomew.

Strict, but not unreasonable, Jules decides.

Shortly after moving in, Jules strikes up a friendship Ingrid, a quirky neighbor that lives directly below her – also a temporary resident. They begin by passing notes through the dumbwaiter that connects their respective apartments, eventually meeting across the street in Central Park after an incident that leaves Jules with a minor injury with Ingrid at fault.

After offering Jules an apology hotdog, the two begin to discuss their time at the Bartholomew. While it’s always been Jules’ dream to live at the Bartholomew, Ingrid expresses her unease with the gargoyled building; citing many of the urban legends surrounding it. As their meeting at the park comes to a close, the two young women make a pact to eat lunch their everyday as long as they both remain at the Bartholomew.

However, when Ingrid fails to show up to their lunch date the next day Jules becomes concerned about. Jules later discovers that Ingrid packed her things and left abruptly the night before. As things continue to not add up, Jules begins to sense that the Bartholomew might not be as idyllic as she once thought.

Determined, Jules sets out to find her friend and uncover the secrets hidden within the Bartholomew. The closer she gets to the truth, the more dangerous her circumstances become. Jules must race time to expose the building’s secrets and save herself in the process.

In Lock Every Door, Riley Sager crafts a Hitchcockian tale for modern times. Creepy building with a twisted past? Check. Disappearing residents? Check. Murder? Check. Check. Check.

With twists and turns at every corner, an infamous building with a dark history and killer secrets, and a scene with the tensest elevator ride you’ll ever read, Sager’s third novel is an unputdownable thrill ride you won’t want to miss.

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 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 sordid past and into the secrets kept within its walls. What she discovers 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.

Lock Every Door was a pretty good read. I did finish the book in one day. I was disappointed to find I had it figured it in the end. No real ghost, but damn the living were just evil.
Thank you, NetGalley for the advance copy.

Lock Every Door is the much-anticipated third book by author Riley Sager. I’ve been waiting to read this book since the moment it was announced, so thank you to Net Galley and Dutton for the free review copy.

This book opens with Jules, a down on her luck New York resident who has applied for a job (of sorts) to apartment sit in an extremely fancy, storied apartment building. Yes that’s right, she will get PAID to live in a fancy apartment just because “they” don’t want it empty. It sounds too good to be true, right? Well, that’s what Jules’ BFF tells her repeatedly, and even Jules herself in skeptical but the money and opportunity are too good to pass up. Of course it doesn’t take long at all for weird things to start happening and once a fellow apartment sitter goes missing, Jules is determined to figure out what exactly is going on in this mysterious building.

Once again, Sager writes a really well-developed female lead. Jules is strong despite having some plain terrible things happen in her life, but she is also flawed. So many times throughout I yelled “NO, DON’T DO THAT” while reading, but just as many times exclaimed "YES GIRL!" I so admired her determination and badassery from start to finish. The plot is very interesting and of course, there are some unexpected turns and the book goes to a place I definitely DID NOT see coming, which was fun. It turned out to be just crazy enough to be completely believable.

The cast of supporting characters in this book are really interesting and well-plotted out from the residents to the fellow apartment sitters, I wanted more scenes with them, more background. There were a few parts where I wish the book had been a little longer to better develop some key points, mainly related to the history of the building itself. Other than that, this is another fast and fast-paced read that’s a bit different from Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied. I can really see Sager’s progression as a masterful thriller/horror storyteller and curious to see what's next from him.

I thoroughly enjoy Riley Sager's books and Lock Every Door is no exception. It's a fast-paced, creepy thriller with a relatable protagonist. I enjoyed the setting, the characters, and the ending.

Another good read by Riley Sager! Sager's books are so good, and while I didn't enjoy this one quite as much as the other two, I still enjoyed it immensely!

It was very atmospheric... the setting in the Bartholomew was good. It immediately drew me in and I had a hard time putting the book down. I liked Jules's character and how even though life had thrown her several curve balls, she was not backing down. The ending was superb.

This was not as scary as Sager's other books, but was definitely a creepy read!

Four stars for this gem!

Riley Sager has become one of my favorite authors in the past 2 years. Each of his books are edge of your seat, nail biting thrillers and Lock Every Door is no exception. In Lock Every Door, we meet Jules, a 20 something New Yorker who's extremely down on her luck. After losing her job and her boyfriend in one fell swoop, Jules is crashing on a friend's couch and generally just crashing. So when she answers an ad to be an apartment sitter at the famous Bartholomew building, and is offered the job for an insane amount of money, Jules feels that maybe her luck is finally turning. But strange things happen in the Bartholomew and Jules begins to think that something is very wrong with the building and its occupants. With Lock Every Door, Sager has reached new heights of terror and suspense, infusing every page with near constant dread. I loved it!

In 2017, Riley Sager emerged as a bright voice in the thriller genre with Final Girls. In 2018, Sager continued to impress with The Last Time I Lied. In 2019, we have Lock Every Door, in my humble opinion, the best yet!

Told in dual timelines, Lock Every Door introduces us to Jules, an apartment sitter for famed NYC apartment building The Bartholomew. Jules can’t believe her luck, they are paying HER to stay in this stunning apartment?! However, things might not be as wonderful as they seem. Is something sinister happening at The Bartholomew? Guess you’ll have to find out for yourself!

Filled with taut suspense and edge of your seat tension, Lock Every Door is a “un-put-downable” ride from page 1.

Thank you to Dutton Books for an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

I’m obsessed with Riley Sager’s writing and this one did not disappoint. I couldn’t put it down, and I did NOT see the twists coming. Definitely pick this one up when it’s released this summer!

Oh yes!! In my current state of disenchantment with thrillers, Riley Sager is a remaining bright star. The premise (and conclusion) of this book is a bit odd.. but I PROMISE you will never guess the ending. Such a change from the usual tropes. Not a perfect five stars for me due to the aforementioned odd premise and a giant loose end that is never tied up.. but REALLY Good.

from my review on instagram @brettlikesbooks:

thanks @duttonbooks for granting wishes--loved getting an advance copy via @netgalley of:
LOCK EVERY DOOR

a chic & fascinating apartment building is hiding something sinister + tense & suspenseful

"'Do you think it's possible for a place to be haunted, even if there aren't any ghosts there?' she says. 'Because that's what it feels like to me. Like the Bartholomew is haunted by its history. Like all the bad stuff that's ever happened there has accumulated like dust and now floats in the air. And we're breathing it in, Jules.'"

Riley Sager does it again. I read this book in one sitting, devoured it as much as it devoured me. I loved how the book started off with a horrible event and then back tracking to find out what lead to that time. Some books take back years and this one goes back 5 days, it kept you thinking what could have been so bad in only 5 days. Trust me a lot! I was so happy to get to read this book and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed Jules character, I felt like I was in her body through the whole book, the way she talked and how detailed she was about her surroundings. This book has now jumped to my favorite of this year. I actually am wanting to read it again just because it captivated me so much.