Riley Sager's newest book Home Before Dark is a modern haunted house story reminiscent of The Haunting of Hill House and the Amityville Horror. A chilling tale that takes the main character Maggie back to the house her family fled in the middle of the night twenty five years ago never to return. Except now that her dad has passed away and she has inherited the house she finds out not only does her family hold many secrets but so does the house itself. Maggie's dad published a tell all book about their experiences living in the haunted house but Maggie has never been able to believe what her dad says is true. She doesn't remember it that way. So what really happened to her family and what happened to her friend and neighbor who disappeared the same night her family fled? Why did her dad return without telling her. The reader gets to read not only Maggie's story but excerpts from her father's book as well. There is something about the time element in the book- the family only living there three weeks, Maggie going back home to renovate the house for a short time that makes the story hard to put down. You know it is going to barrel to a shocking conclusion, quickly. We, along with Maggie, are hesitant to believe the house could be haunted but how do you explain all of the mysterious happenings in the house. The doors are locked. The windows are shut. Yet Maggie has company when the lights go out.
I'm not usually one to include trigger warnings but this one gave me nightmares after a well crafted scene with snakes. I could see them, hear them, feel them. Great descriptive writing. This would make an excellent, gripping summer read. I read Sager's The Last Time I Lied earlier this year and it is another great suspenseful thriller.
Riley Sager is the pen name of a journalist turned novelist who published his first thriller in 2017. At least one of his books, Lock Every Door, is being made into a television series. Sager writes thrillers with many twists and his stories hold the mystery until the very end.

• If I had to read Janie June Jones one more time 🤦🏻‍♀️
• One part Shirley Jackson (The Haunting of Hill House), one part stephen king the shinning, one part Amityville horror and you have this book.
• Kind of annoyed at how many times he's said Baneberry Hall. It's a lot!
• Please don't let this be a book about someone living in the walls 😑

There are 3 different POV's being told in this book;
1. The view from the book the dad wrote
2. Her when she was a child
3. Her as an adult
Every chapter is confusing as it doesn't tell you who you're reading about until you're at the end of the page. Some chapters are in the middle of talking about people that weren't introduced and we're just supposed to know who they are.

Wtf kind of ending was that? It didn't explain the why. This book was boring. The writing reads as though I'm reading a horror book like Goosebumps.

A book within a book. Very very clever. Home Before Dark by Riley Sager is his best yet.

A young woman inherits a childhood home. A home that was to have been sold. A home that was supposedly haunted. A home she was told by both parents to never return to. A home that she has no memory of other than what she has read in her father's book. Yes, her father's book. Did I mention that it was very very clever to write a book within book?

This. Is. Twisted. On many different levels. Mind is blown! Well done.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Riley Sager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Holy forking shirtballs, this book was incredible. I couldn't put it down and read it in a day. Possibly my favorite book I've read in 2020! Can't wait to read whatever Sager publishers next.

Not all old houses are haunted; some of them don't even have a history of death on the premises. But those that do never keep the secret for very long.

At the root of Riley Sager's newest thriller is the battle between one's logical sense-ridden response to an old house, and one's emotional response to its spirit, oftentimes as suggested by popular culture. Logos and Pathos locked in mortal combat.

When, for instance, Maggie Holt learns that her father has not only retained the deed to old Baneberry Hall, but has now left it to her in his will, she has a choice to make: she can either capitalize on the house's fame and sell it outright, or she can go there herself and pursue her demons. And in this case, pathos prevails. Logic and reason fly right out the window.

Much like Eleanor in Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, from which Sager draws (in this reviewer's opinion) an overwhelming amount of inspiration, Maggie sees the keys to the house as an invitation - one that she had the opportunity to ignore, one that her mother encouraged her to ignore - that cannot be declined. Anyone operating with sense would just sell infamous manse for whatever they could get, but Maggie is determined to prove to herself that her parents have been lying to her for all these years, about what happened in the house when she was a child.

As a narrator, Maggie is hardly reliable. Her memories of the past have been at least partly manufactured by the creative falsehoods of her parents, the burden of which has left her with so much general mistrust and insecurity that it's no surprise that she's still coping so many years later. According to the book her father Ewan wrote (another motif borrowed from Jackson if not outright stolen from Jay Anson), the "House of Horrors" is well-haunted by at least a few of the previous tenants who had met tragic ends on the grounds. By his account, his family ran for their lives when the ghosts threatened young Maggie, something the now-adult Maggie believes has always been a lie. But the real truth, it turns out, is darker even than the secret Ewan lied to protect.

The ending leaves no secrets - as with most pop-thrillers, the shadows give way and the house's truth is laid bare in the light. But thankfully Sager resists falling into the tropes of both grotesque sexualization of the main character, and an ending full of sunshine and rainbows, something that many authors with female protagonists seem to have trouble skirting. The story is solid and satisfying without these sexist burdens. If anything, the only thing we might be left wanting is a few more skeletons.

Home Before Dark is so atmospheric and creepy. Books don’t usually spook me but multiple times I was spooked and I absolutely LOVED it!!! I’ve read all of Riley Sager’s books and this one by far is my favorite!! I’m looking forward to whatever he has next!!

5 Heart Pounding Stars!!

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I think I'm going to be an outlier here. HOME BEFORE DARK, Riley Sagers latest, takes a twist on a Gothic ghost story, and while I can see there is a lot to like about it, it ended up not working for me.

Maggie's entire life has been defined by a book her father wrote when she was a child. In it, he explains why their family up and left their ramshackle estate in the middle of the night, never to return. When her father passes away, Maggie discovers that not only did they never sell the notorious house, but that it now belongs to her. Of course, being a skeptic, she insists on going back to the house to find out what part of her dad's book is true and which are fiction.

The story alternates between the dad's book, his *true life* account of the house of horrors, and the present day, as Maggie gets to know the townspeople and uncovers her own truth. I'm coming to understand that I think I just don't like stories with disturbed kids. It's never a plot point that does anything for me, and I found my attention waning as the story went on. There were a ton of twists and I wouldn't have guessed the ending. Plenty of readers will find this to be very scary, but I think at this point having read so much horror I'm pretty desensitized. All told, I'll keep coming back to this author (Last year's LOCK EVERY DOOR was a favorite) but this one will go on my list of popular thrillers that I didn't love as much as other readers. 3.5 ⭐️

Six word summary: Same creepy house, two different timelines.

Loved: I loved the duel timelines! We follow along with the father's book and the daughter's parallel experience 25 years later in alternating chapters. I loved all the creepy elements, the suspense, and all the times that I thought I had it all figured out and twist took be by surprise! This was a lot of fun to read!

Recommend for: Fans of Riley Sager and books that are a perfect mix of thriller and horror.

Reminds me of: The Amityville Horror meets The Turn of the Key

Ratings:

Plot: 4/5
Pacing: 4/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Enjoyment: 5/5

Overall Rating: 4/5

My first Riley Sager and definitely not my last! Wow! This book was spooky, so well written and described and the different timelines and POV’s meshed so well together. I couldn’t put it down even though I kept looking over my shoulder out of fear! Highly recommend this one!

I was introduced to Riley Sager last year and I’ve been hooked on his writing ever since. Home Before Dark blew me away with his captivating descriptions and plot twists that leave you on the edge of your seat. This book had it all, the characters were intriguing and the storyline left me reeling. I was hooked from page one.

“Every house has a story to tell.”

The story revolves around Maggie and begins when she inherits the infamous Baneberry Hall from her father after his death. Maggie and her family lived at Baneberry briefly when she was a child and it has affected her life ever since. Her father wrote a book about their time within its walls and it morphed into a worldwide phenomenon. When Maggie returns she expects to reveal the lies her father told while also finding the truth behind the infamous book. What she gets is something way more sinister and a whole lot more crazy than she ever imagined.

From the moment she steps foot back into that house, she isn’t safe. Things are happening that she can’t quite excuse away and eventually she doesn’t know her up from her down. Throughout the book, Sager gives us glimpses into the book Maggie’s father wrote and this aspect gave the overall story an even more suspenseful feel. I loved the ups and downs and all the crazy turns in-between. The first couple of chapters start out slow, but it picks up pretty fast.

Overall, this book left me out of breath and wanting more. Sager’s writing style is perfectly woven in mystery and suspense. You can’t put his books down and Home Before Dark is no different! This is one of my favorite reads of 2020 so far!

📖 Book Review 📖
Home Before Dark ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
By: Riley Sager 💚
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“For those who tell ghost stories . . . and those who believe them.”
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Do you have an auto-buy author? Riley Sager is one for me. You know how from time to time you’ll see the question: “If you could have a coffee date with any author, who would it be?” My answer would be Riley. (Look at me on a first name basis like we’re already friends!) I would love just a tiny glimpse of his fascinating mind. Anyway . . .
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So I thought I was going to dub this book “Read Before Dark” Between ARCs and BOTM’s early release this book is getting a lot of buzz. (rightful so!) I’ve read it’s spooky, creepy, reads more like horror than thriller, involves ghosts, and snakes. I went in with a plan that I would only ready during the day, pace myself 25% a day, and skim if the snake parts scared me. But, you know what guys!? I was fine. Totally fine. It really didn’t feel creepy to me until the last 25% or so.
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This is a dual POV book. It alternates between current day as the daughter, Maggie and past tense as the father, Ewan. Husband and wife, Ewan & Jess, along with daughter Maggie moved from their cramped apartment to a spacious mansion, Baneberry Hall. They only lasted there 20 days, convinced it was haunted. But was it!? Dun, Dun, Dun . . . Ewan writes a book about the history and their time at Baneberry Hall. Is it a fiction or non-fiction story? I really can’t go much into this one without given away spoilers!
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Read this if:
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👻 You believe in ghosts
👻 Even if you don’t believe in ghosts
👻 You like horror movies
👻 You like Scooby Doo
👻 You’ve ever played Ouija Board
👻 You like Halloween
👻 You like Haunted Houses
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Thank you to @duttonbooks via @netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. I’ve been sitting on this one for nearly a month because I was convinced I would be scared and wouldn’t be able to read it. Don’t make the same mistake I did! Buy it! Read it! Now! Out 6/30/20!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dutton Books for the ARC.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5 stars! Home Before Dark is definitely my new favorite book by Riley Sager. After loving Lock Every Door last year, I didn’t think he could top that, but Home Before Dark definitely did and had me hooked from the first page.

As a huge fan of The Amityville Horror and The Haunting of Hill House, Home Before Dark had everything I want in a horror novel - creepy scenes, a unique spin on a classic horror storyline, and complex characters. I loved the structure of the novel, which has excerpts of the novel written by the main character’s father detailing their time in a haunted house.

Overall, if you are a horror fan, you HAVE TO read Home Before Dark. If you are already a Riley Sager fan, then you definitely won’t be disappointed because this is his best book yet. Home Before Dark comes out 6/30/20!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read thrillers. Ever. I am famous for saying it. But...I had so much fun reading this book. It is spooky and haunting and compulsively readable. I didn't have enough time to get scared because I needed to know what happened! Thank you to Dutton Books and Penguin Random House for my copy!

4.5 stars

A haunted house, a family with too many secrets, a girl-turned-woman caught in the crossfire. Many years later, it's time for the woman to come home and deal with the remnants of her past.

Concept: ★★★★★
Pacing: ★★★★★
Enjoyment: ★★★★★
Final, final ending: ★★★★

This DELIVERED. I was gripped for the entire read. I was surprised at points and not at others. I had a heck of a good time reading it in one sitting. But but but...?

Maggie Holt grew up in the shadow of The Book. The Book: a haunted "nonfiction" account of one family's few weeks of horrors in a haunted Victorian mansion. The Book was written by her journalist father when she was very small, and captured the weeks that their family lived in Baneberry Hall and experienced the most terrifying time of their lives.

Or so the world believes.

Maggie, now a grown woman, believes The Book was a clever piece of fiction that her father wrote for money. The fact that she remembers nothing of her time in Baneberry Hall—good or bad—speaks to that fact. (Well, except for her lingering night terrors, which hang with her to this day...)

So when her father dies and shocks Maggie with the deed to Baneberry Hall, Maggie knows that now, finally, it's her turn. It's her turn to find out the truth about her past and reclaim her childhood in the eyes of the public. And time to lay old ghosts to rest, permanently.

But Baneberry Hall isn't ready to give Maggie up yet, and something is determined to go bump in the night...

What if The Book wasn't a lie after all?

What I loved:
I say this every time I read a Riley Sager book: I loved the writing. There's something to be said for a story that doesn't skimp on facts and yet doesn't overuse its details. This was another Sager novel that I read in one sitting late one stormy night (if you can control your weather, I highly recommend that experience). It's moody, it's dark, it's spooky. It's also a story within a story, with spliced sections of Maggie's POV in the present and spliced chapters of The Book itself recounting the past. I loved that element too—talk about a tried and true method of creating suspense. And also, the elephant in the room, I'm a sucker for haunted houses so I was, at a minimum, going to enjoy this novel for that element alone. Which I did.

What I didn't love:
The only thing I didn't love is a small spoiler from the very end. It wasn't enough to tip me from 5 stars to 4, but it was just enough that I went, aw, really? Really? Because this novel would have been perfection if it had done one more thing. I don't want to include it here because some folks will read it and then the story won't work for them the same way, but for those who have read it: (view spoiler)

Thank you to the publisher for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Dutton Books and Netgalley for my advanced copy of Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.  This title publishes June 30, 2020.

This book gave me CHILLS.

Probably my favourite Sager yet - Home Before Dark has all the eerie vibes ranging from Amityville Horror, Haunting of Hill House and the Conjuring - I couldn't get enough!  

The story is told in two unique POVs, that of Maggie Holt - now an adult - who has just inherited the "haunted" house she lived in as a young child following the death of her father; the second POV is told in chapter excerpts from a book that was written by Maggie's father, Ewan Holt, following their experience in the house.

Maggie's father recently passed away and much to her surprise she inherits Baneberry Hill, a home she and her family lived in for 20 days when she was 5 years old and which was the subject of a popular book written by her father.  Maggie had no idea the house still belonged to her father and despite this stories and rumours, Maggie is adamant that none of the haunting was true.  Her quest for answers turns into more than she could have imagined and has her questioning the doubt and resentment she has carried for over 25 years against her parents.  

I could not put this book down.  Sager did an exceptional job at setting the stage with dark and eerie atmospheric and gothic vibes.  The House - Baneberry Hall - is a character in and of itself and while I was reading I certainly felt like I was inside the house with the rest of the characters - scared out of my wits!

The story is reminiscent of the Haunting of Hill House - which scared the heck out of me - and loosely based on the Amityville Horror house legend.  I inhaled this book in less than 2 days after recently devouring Sager's first three books in weeks prior (all of which I LOVED as well).

I highly recommend adding this to your summer reading list - especially if you like a good haunting/ghost story!

I've read all of Sager's books and this is my favorite thus far. It was super creepy, well paced, and had plenty of twists. Very much enjoyed it!

I loved this book from beginning to end. I’ve never read a Riley Sager book but have heard such good things about them & I can gladly say that the hype is real. I’m recommending it to my friends & followers who love thrillers!

This book was so much fun to read. I looked forward to reading this book at night and getting creeped out. Not going to lie I had nightmares some night. The book had me guessing the whole time. I liked how the book ended. It was really thought out well, answered all my questions, and completely made sense.

If you like creepy thrillers, Riley Sager is a must add to your summer reading list! I thought I had the plot figured out, but boy was I wrong. Will recommend to patrons!

Maggie Holt has grown up in the shadow of her father's book, House of Horrors, a supposedly true tale of her childhood. Twenty-five years ago, Maggie and her family fled their home, Baneberry Hall, in the middle of the night and never returned. According to the book, they did so because the house was haunted. The problem is Maggie has no such memories and refuses to believe her parents, especially since they refuse to talk about it. When Maggie returns to Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she plans to renovate the place and sell it off. But as soon as she arrives, strange things start happening - things eerily similar to those described in her father's book. Alternating between House of Horrors and present day, Home Before Dark is genuinely creepy and filled with unexpected twists. So dive in and try to sort fact from fiction because nothing is as it seems. . .

Summary
25 years ago Maggie and her family fled Baneberry manor in the middle of the night, never to return. Her father recounted their 20 days in the house telling the world the "true" story of the horrors, spirits, and encounters they experienced. The Book went on to be a national phenomenon that has haunted Maggie her entire life.
Because Maggie doesn't believe a word of it.
After her father passes away, Maggie inherits the manor and returns to renovate and sell it. But while she's there, she's also determined to learn what really happened the night her family fled. But the more time she spends there, the more she starts to believe her father's tale might actually be more fact than fiction.

Overview
➸ POV: 1st Person from Maggie's POV + Chapters from "House of Horrors"

➸ Maggie Holt: Father wrote the infamous "nonfiction" House of Horrors, Interior designer, Hate the Book, Strained relationship with parents, Doesn't remember her time as Baneberry Manor, Inherited the house, Desperate to discover the truth

➸ Content Warnings: Death of a Parent, Cancer, Horror/Supernatural elements, Murder, Suicide

My Thoughts
WOW!! This book was absolutely terrified me from page 1. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I was reading - and I read the last 300 pages in one sitting because putting this down wasn't an option.

This book contains one of my favorite elements - a book inside a book. Chapters from the infamous House of Horrors are sprinkled throughout the book to connect Maggie's past to what is currently happening at Baneberry manor. It added so much atmosphere and personality to the house that I really started to question whether this place and book were real.

Riley Sager's level of detail in settings is one of the things I love most about his books. I got completely swept away into this creepy AF manor. I spent the entire book trying to decide if this house was actually haunted (and I'm still convinced it is!!)

This was another thriller that I was too caught up in to sit back and theorize about. Every single character in here was flawed and complex and seemed like could have been guilty. This final reveal was so climactic and action packed - everything fit together perfectly. Even if you see bits and pieces of the twist coming, this book has more up it's sleeve!

Each of Riley Sager's books is better than the last! This book had me scared and captivated the entire way through. I loved the flawed/unlikeable characters, the setting and atmosphere, the perfectly paced plot, and stylistic choices. Easily a new all time favorite thriller!! I am already anxiously awaiting their next release!