This was not good. I read this not very long ago and I remember nothing. That doesn’t say much about this book at all. I don’t think I’m a fan of this author.

**Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books!**

This book was epically good! The premise of it drew me in immediately. We have all had recurring nightmares before. We have all had dreams that we are terrified of. But, what if you later found out that those recurring nightmares might actually be memories? Memories of a woman who was abducted for a second time and might be in peril from the same perpetrator all over again?

Fern is an anxious and fearful individual. Which makes complete sense given her history. Her mother is an artist who never really wanted to be a mother. As her mother puts it, she got pregnant and they decided to keep the baby and that was good enough. She was disinterested and detached. Fern’s father is a professor. He studies the psychology of fear. He viewed Fern’s childhood as the perfect vehicle for his “research”. For example, leaving her alone in a town that she isn’t familiar with and then waiting until she’s crying and terrified before coming back for her. The more I read about Fern’s family the more I understood her. Of course she’s an anxiety ridden, fearful individual. How could she end up any other way given the parenting she received?

As Fern searches for answers we meet more people from her past who all seemed to prey on her fearful nature. Like her best friend’s older brother. Who bullied them as kids and can’t seem to resist doing it, even as a middle aged adult man. I became rather convinced that Fern didn’t know anyone who wasn’t a completely twisted person, except perhaps her husband. He seemed to be a good quality individual that Fern could rely on. The book quickly turns to Fern’s search for answers about her dreams, and her conviction that they are actually memories. As we went along I developed a theory about who the kidnapper was. I was pleasantly surprised that my theory was correct. It was the right choice. Sometimes a predictable conclusion is the right one. This one was the choice that made the most sense considering everything we learned about the world and these characters.

Even though I guessed who the kidnapper was, the book still had a surprise for me at the end. I didn’t see it coming a mile away. But, it was also perfectly lined up with who these characters are. I always enjoy a story that can surprise me. This book was riveting from cover to cover. I read the last 60 pages in one sitting after spending 12 hours at a theme park. I just couldn’t put it down. So I sat in a dark hotel room and read to the end. It was worth it.

Almost read like a horror movie of sorts. Enjoyed that it was an original storyline, although sometimes and bit overdone. I liked it, but didn't love it.

I love Megan Collins! This particular book was a little easier to figure out, then the rest, but I didn't feel like it really took away from the story. You can really feel Fern's anxiety throughout the book. However,.if you don't like an unreliable narrator then this is not for you.

BEHIND THE RED DOOR was intriguing and weird at the same time. I read THE WINTER SISTER by this author a few years ago and it was really good so I decided to give this one a try.

What I liked:
-hidden elements within the storyline
-the main character trying to solve the mystery on her own (I'm always drawn to these)
-the atmosphere of the book felt "fallish"

What I didn't like:
-it felt redundant
-the ending

Overall, it was a good read! Not my favorite, but I still enjoyed it.

Behind the Red Door by Megan Collins tells the story of Fern as she is preparing to travel to New Hampshire and help her father, Ted, pack up his belongings and move out of his home. She has always tried to please him and so she is eager to go and spend some time with him. However, Fern's husband Eric is not thrilled with the thought of her going to be with her father for so long. You see, in the past, Ted did fear based experiments on Fern as she was growing up, and this caused Fern much anxiety.

Astrid Sullivan was kidnapped 20 years ago by an unknown assailant who then released her, unharmed, a few weeks later. Now, coming up on the 20th anniversary of this mystery, Astrid goes missing again. When Fern sees Astrid on the news, a memory is triggered in her mind and Fern begins to investigate why she feels so connected to Astrid.

This was a strange but compelling novel by Ms. Collins. The chapters were short which made it a fairly quick read, and it is told mainly in Fern's POV with a few excerpts from Astrid's memoir sprinkled in. There were lots of elements that I enjoy, including unreliable narrators and side characters that you don't quite know if you can trust. I think if you like the suspense genre you will enjoy Behind the Red Door.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

As a fan of Megan Collins, this was a well written psychological thriller that unfortunately just doesn't live up to the hype. Just too predicable for someone who regularly reads thrillers. That being said, it was a quick, fast paced read - all in all a nice, easy way to spend an afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

Enjoyed this twisty thriller book. I loved her previous book, and this one was just as excellent as The Winter Sister. Will read future books from this author.

A middle-of-the road suspense. There is a lot of intrigue and questions for readers but I wasn't particularly surprised by anything. The character development was and the characters were despicable.

The Red Door by Megan Collins

320 Pages
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: August 4, 2020

Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Kidnapping, Psychological

Fern and Eric Douglas are watching the news when a story airs about Astrid Sullivan’s disappearance twenty years ago. Fern believes she knows her but Eric thinks it is because it was a famous case from New Hampshire not far from where she was from. Now Astrid is missing again just as her memoir was released.

Fern’s father, Ted, asks her to help him pack the house for his move to Florida. Ted has used every life experience for Fern as an experiment. Once he and his wife told Fern they were going to diner but did not return until the next morning. They came into the house just as Fern was calling for help. They had been hiding outside recording her actions all night. Fern continues to have dreams of Astrid and believes she may have been the witness detailed in the book.

The book has a fast pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in the third person point of view. It is truly disturbing to see how Ted treated Fern over the course of her life. If you like psychological thrillers, this would be a good choice to read. What a ride!

More then anything, I think this book just frustrated me. Collins made Fern so anxiety ridden and helpless, I just wanted to shake her to help her see what was right in front of her face.

This one fell a little short for me. Based on the summary, I was so excited for this mystery revolving around a missing girl who is now missing again and another woman who feels like she knows her personally. There was a lot of anxiety throughout the story and I just felt like the plot twists fell short. I loved the winter sister though so I would definitely give Megan Collins another shot!

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a complicated look at a dysfunctional family,. Because this family is crazy! You can guess where the books is headed, but it's like a car accident where you can't look away. Good writing, great characters!

Love Megan Collins. Her writing is so engaging and beautiful and this book did not disappoint in that area. The mystery is not necessarily the point in this book which is different. But it's intriguing nonetheless. The "fear" concept is really cool, one I haven't seen done before in this way. If you like mystery suspense with beautiful, more literary writing, this one is for you!!

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

I wanted to love this book, but had a hard time with it. I felt the ending was anticlimactic and the story didn’t really do much for me. I feel like it was missing something through the whole book

A predictable kidnapping story with some creepy moments. The overall story ended up being disappointing though.

Sooo good! One of my faves to read! Definitely would recommend picking this one up if you see it in the store! Read it for bookclub!

Loved it! This book had me guessing the entire time!! Fast read if it wasn't for sleep i would have read this book in one sitting.

There is nothing better than a story that will keep you on your toes and turning the pages. Thrillers have always been some of my most favorite stories to read which is why I had no issues picking this one up at all.

It does have everything that makes a great thriller, intrigue, an unreliable narrator, mystery, crazy characters that you can't trust at all and of course that darkness that almost always lurks around every page.


And while I truly enjoyed the unique story line of this, I did see so many aspects coming after only 20% in which was a tad bit disappointing but not knowing everything, that kept me turning the pages and reading on, which was a good thing because there were still twists and turns I didn't see coming.

Overall a good read that I think most fans of the genre will truly enjoy.