I am addicted to reading Riley Sager books and this one doesn't disappoint. This is a close second to Sometimes I Lie. Definitely much better in comparison to Lock Everyday and even creepier than Final Girl. So main character has a traumatic experience in a scary house when she was young and does back as an adult to investigate as an adult what happened and to find the truth. What she discovers in her search is filled with many shocks and truth and an "OMG!! WTF??" kind of ending and you'll be shocked for sure. I didn't guess it and thought I would, so this wasn't predictable at all, which I always appreciate as a reader. Oh, and her father has a diary from that time too.

The Book goes back and forth from her traumatic experience as a youngster, and present day with her father's diary in hand to find out the truth. This is a must read for sure. Totally creepy as heck and as I kept reading, I made sure I had my reading light on!

Thanks to Netgalley, Riley Sager and Dutton Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I sure hope she keeps writing,

Available: 6/30/20

As someone who’s been reading Riley Sager since his debut Final Girls, I’ve come to expect a lot from the author when it comes to thrillers and boy did he deliver with Home Before Dark. This is probably my favorite Sager book so far as he provides not one, but two stories as he beautifully weaves Maggie’s present day experiences with Ewan's own best selling book together to create something truly thrilling. Either book would have been enough on its own but together they create a truly gripping story that I could not get through fast enough! Overall with his strong female characters and beautifully blended thriller and supernatural aspects, this latest Sager novel is sure to keep you guessing what’s really going on until the very end.

Thank you to Riley Sager, Netgalley, and Penguin Group Dutton for the opportunity to read this fantastic novel.

I can’t even properly describe Riley Sager’s new book, Home Before Dark. I’ve actually waited to write this, hoping to find the right words. I’m a writer, this is what I do, and yet, I can’t. It’s just that good.

Here’s part of the description from Dutton:

“Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father's book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father's death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.

Alternating between Maggie’s uneasy homecoming and chapters from her father’s book, Home Before Dark is the story of a house with long-buried secrets and a woman’s quest to uncover them—even if the truth is far more terrifying than any haunting.”

Reading that, and just knowing Sager’s work, I knew that I had to read it. Had. To. Doesn’t it sound deliciously creepy? So I put in my request.

On a particularly stressful day of covering pandemic news, I got an email from Emily at Dutton that I would be getting to read this book in advance of its June 30, 2020 release. I was so happy that I cried.

I read a few chapters between other tasks, and then just like every Sager book, I hit that point of no return- I stayed up all night to finish it.

A funny side note- in the middle of a particularly tense scene, my five year old daughter ran down the hall towards our room and threw the door open. I screamed SO loudly, and then felt ridiculous. Of course I was safe from Mr. Shadow- I wasn’t in Baneberry Hall, I was in my quaint little home in good ol’ suburbia.

My poor daughter. She cried, I felt horrible, and once my husband realized no one was being murdered, he laughed at me and fell back asleep. I went back to reading, my heart pounding out of my chest with adrenaline from her noisy arrival and the story that had reached its fever pitch.

I absolutely loved it, and I wish I could say more.

This is going to be a summer SMASH, and will absolutely be a best-seller.

I want to thank Riley Sager for continuing to write heart-stopping thrillers that keep me up at night.

**Many thanks to Dutton Books (Emily, you are the best!) and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.**

My opinions are my own, and in my opinion, this is a five star book. Pre-order this now so that it, and its super fun glow in the dark cover, will be in your hands on release day.

Home Before Dark is a twisting, turning ghost story wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a family drama as only Riley Sager could tell it. Great for readers of Liane Moriarty and Paul Trembley. Really.

I have a new favorite book from Riley now! Perfect pacing, atmospheric, creepy as hell, and twists to completely catch you by surprise! I love how he takes common horror tropes and puts fresh spins on them. I could not ask for more.

Another creepy AF, binge-worthy Riley Sager thriller! This one fits right in with the others, with elements Sager fans will recognize and appreciate:
- creepy, supernatural vibes
- horror elements & references to horror movies/stories
- female MC who survived something as a child and is coming back to investigate what really happened as an adult
- fast pacing
- short timeline
- plenty of twists
- lots of suspects... the reader never knows who to trust!

I started it last night and it was so creepy that I had to finish the book before going to sleep, lest I suffer nightmares. Thankfully, like his other books, it wraps up nicely! I will say that because I've read all of Sager's books, some elements I kinda knew to expect? But he still managed to surprise me in *how* and there were plot twists that literally made me gasp aloud.

I think both fans and those new to Sager's books will enjoy this one. It has the haunted house theme like Lock Every Door, with the horror movie references of Final Girls, and the adult MC going back to the scene of the crime decades later to investigate -- just like The Last Time I Lied.

4.5 stars!

Thank you Dutton Books for providing a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Home Before Dark! Was a much better read then Lock Every Door.

This was just the thriller I needed. Such wonderful writing and twists at all the right spots!

Let me start by saying, I do not do scary stories, but Riley Sager is a automatic read. I love his books. So I went into this one a bit worried. Yes I got scared, but was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY. The story was engaging and kept me reading well into the night even though I did not want to read this one after dark. All those noises I was hearing? Waking up at 4:54 am? All a sign that the story grabbed me and didn't let go. A haunted house, multiple murders, lies, and unanswered questions. Can't say enough about this one 5 stars for sure.

This was maybe my most anticipated book of the summer, top 5 for sure, and it so did not disappoint. Riley Sager’s annual releases are so addicting, even down to the cover art.

I’ve come to learn Sager is slightly formulaic with his thrillers, but the reveals are just THERE and it’s undeniable. The feeling of tension his books instill is just so pressing... to the point you read the book in one day in spite of your months-long reading slump :)

This book in particular gives off extreme Haunting of Hill House vibes (the show, not the book) where a family member publishes a book about a family, and house, history to the dismay of other family members. In Home Before Dark, though, our main character Maggie takes things into her own hands and goes straight to the source to find the truth. Her experience in the house is scary, and every chapter is separated by chapters of her dad’s book. I really like that formatting choice, because it’s really Maggie’s only knowledge of what happened in their 3 weeks in the house. She was 5 when it all happened and had completely blocked all the memories out, and her parents never wanted to discuss what went down.

Both her experience and her dad’s narrative have SCARY moments, and the resolution of the book was so smartly done. However, there are other things touched on in the story that made it notable. There is a small but definite emphasis on the way women were treated in the 1800s, as an extension of the men in their lives. There’s the conflict you can feel towards you parents when they’ve caused you trauma as a child even when you’re getting along with them as an adult. There’s a strong female character who acknowledges her being in the wrong headspace for a romantic relationship, but still thinks of herself as lesser for being scared (even in a scary place!!!) and it just feels like a good representation of a modern woman. I sometimes worry about his books, with Sager being a man writing solely women main characters, but he really does a good job of making them feel real, more so with each publication.

I just really like how this book made the line between the paranormal and reality feel so blurred and ended the novel with such solid answers. As usual, I can’t wait to read what’s next from Riley Sager.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC of Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. I have read all of his books and couldn’t wait to read his newest thriller.

Twenty five years after Maggie and her parents fled Baneberry Hall, Maggie returns to find out the truth about what happened there that led to her father writing his infamous book about their haunted experience. She feels betrayed by her father because she believes it is a work of fiction. Under the guise of renovation, Maggie unearths the secrets of the house as well as those of the townspeople. Is the house really haunted?

Wow! What a ride! Sager has mastered the gothic genre from the description of the decrepit Victorian house to the ghoulish characters that may or may not reside inside. There were so many twists and turns that when I thought I knew where the story was headed, it changed directions. The plot was perfectly paced and kept my interest peaked throughout. I really enjoyed the House of Horrors book within the book as well. The Sound of Music is my favorite musical and I was thrilled to see its creepy part in the action. I believe that this is Sager’s best writing to date and will look forward to his next thriller!

5/5 stars!

3.5 stars - DNF

Dear Book,

It's not you. It's me.
I feel like I've read you before..

This was kinda like Haunting of hill house meets The Shining.

Had I not read or watched The Haunting Of House, I would have loved this a lot more than I did, and possibly deemed it a favourite. However, this felt like a rewrite and just too similar for me to truly enjoy it the way it should be.

Don't get me wrong. This was not horrible by any means.

Having said that, if you: 1) Haven't read The Haunting of Hill House 2) love a good ghost/haunted house story and 3) enjoy Riley Sager's books like I do, you will definitely like this one.

Full review to come. Enjoyed this book & would recommend, especially to those that enjoyed Sager's previous works.

Riley Sager has done it again — a taut, compelling thriller that encompasses family, structures, interpersonal relationships, and good old fashioned jump scares.

Thank you So much NetGalley for this copy of Home Before Dark! Riley Sager does it again!!! This book was by far my favorite out of all his books. This book was absolutely AMAZING!!!!! I loved how creepy it was. I haven't been so creeped out reading a book in so long and this one did it! I loved it. I am so happy with how it turned out as well. I needed a good creepy feely scared to the bone story. I love how it was told between both Maggie and her father Ewan. It played out perfectly and I loved both perspectives. There were definitely twists to the story too that left me shocked! I cant wait to have my own copy of this book for my shelves once it is released in physical copy! I HIGHLY recommend this book to every single one of you!

Once again, sooo good! I love that Riley Sager so often subverts my expectations and delivers something unexpected while also diving into well known eerie territory. It's spoopy, gang.

If you would like to go into this ghost story completely unspoiled, and it could be great to do so, then read no further, because sometimes even comparisons are enough to spoil a book.

Some some not very spoilery spoilers:
If you liked how Lock Every Door turned out, then you will enjoy the satisfaction of this novels conclusion. Of which there are many!
There is a novel within the novel. I love this style in general, but especially loved the way the chapters are doled in this story. It reminds me of the Netflix series Haunting of Hill House and the way we see the present and past in alternating pieces, getting more context as the series goes on while still being very much rooted in family.
It also reminded me a bit of Stephen King's bag of bones.
And mostly in reminded me of a Stephen King quote: “Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."

I must admit that this is the first book from Mr. Sager where I did not devour it in a couple of days. Which surprised me as I was really in the mood for a good old fashion ghost story. Yet, there was nothing "scary" about this book. It did not give me goose bumps or nightmares.

In addition, I found the main protagonist not that interesting. The snippets from the past were lite gold nuggets. It was these small passages of what the family endured while living in the house as well as what the house was all about that I found intriguing. While, the present was dull.

If felt like there was not enough build up to those moments of "evil" surrounding the house that I missed the most. The ending left me feeling like Switzerland. I was neutral on whether I liked or did not like the ending. Here is hoping that the next book strikes a home run with me.

Similar to Amityville Horror, Home Before Dark begs the question, what really happened in the so-called "haunted house" 25 years ago? Maggie Holt can't remember. Her parents are seemingly lying to her. And her father's best=selling novel based on "the horrors" that supposedly happened 25 years ago, is no help. Maggie goes back to Baneberry Hall to figure out what really happened to her family.
This is Riley Sager's best novel to date since Final Girls! I am a huge fan of the way he twists & blends supernatural elements with "regular" occurrences.

A thrilling book just made for beach reading or for staying at home, and pretending you're on the beach.

Holy moly you guys. I now feel that there should be trigger warnings on books that have snakes in them. 😂

This book was great! Spooky and mysterious all in one. Maggie inherits a house she has not lived in for 20 years. She has no memo of the house and didn’t even know that her father still had it. So when she learns this she is determined to hopefully get some answers that both her parents would never share with her. In the book her father writes he claims it’s haunted. However that book has haunted Maggie her whole life!

This is a page turner! You also may want to read it with the lights on as there are some creepy parts. If you love Riley Sager then you need to as this to your TBR!

I absolutely love a good haunted house story and this one captivated me completely.

Maggie Holt’s father wrote a book about his family’s experience in a haunted house, Baneberry Hall, titled “House of Horrors” where they narrowly made their escape one night from the terrors within the house. That book was an immense success.

Maggie isn’t too happy about that. She barely remembers anything from that time period in her life as she was too young. She thinks her father made it all up. She had a pivotal role in her father’s story and try as she might, she can not remember any of it.

What follows is her quest to reach the truth of the matter, as her life has always been defined by the events detailed in the book.

Once I started this book, I felt like Maggie’s urgency to find the truth became my own. I could not stop reading until I reached the conclusion and solved the mystery at the heart of the book. Was it all a lie or was it the truth? I wanted answers as desperately as her.
Of course to find out, you will have to read the book!

I would definitely recommend this book to all horror, mystery and thriller fans. I enjoyed it so much that I will absolutely read other books by this author. This was the first book by Riley Sager that I’ve read but it has compelled me to search for and read more books by him.

I would like to thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book, so that I could write an honest review.