Member Reviews
This book is a fast and fun read-perfect for fans of psychological thrillers. It isn't mind-blowing literature to any extent of the imagination, but it is engaging and entertaining, perfect for a day at the beach or a rainy day inside. It is an easy read that readers will devour quickly because they can't wait to find out what happens next.
The premise of the book is pretty simple. Things were looking quite bleak for single-mom Freya and her daughter Skye until they were given an amazing opportunity to live in an upscale apartment for far less than the going rate. But of course, as the saying goes, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Immediately upon moving into Adder House, Freya and Sky begin to notice is is not a ideal as they had hoped it would be.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and K.L. Slater for the opportunity to read this entertaining book. It is my first book by this author, but it will not be my last.
While this book was described as a psychological thriller, it was more of a horror story in my opinion. I got about 25% through and could not finish. Thank you for the opportunity to review, but it just wasn't for me.
I felt myself being sucked in, unable to put the book down as I watched the hot mess that is Freya, repeatedly and naively ignore blatant red flags. Her desire for something affordable and stable wins out despite the warning signs. The premise of a desperate mother who just wants a place to live, a home for her daughter which turns out too good to be true, was fun.
There were a few minor inconsistencies that stood out to me. The ending felt too neatly wrapped up without explaining certain things. But despite that, this was an enjoyable read. I requested this from Amazon Publishing UK because the premise sounded fun and it was an author I hadn’t read before. But then I undertook the task of scanning all my books into a tracking app, and it turns out I have a book by Slater. I don’t know if this was the best book to introduce me to her writing. This was a good premise, with a few hiccups, but a fun, 3.5-star read.
Freya’s husband leaves her and their daughter, Skye and he dies soon after. With money tight and in desperate need of accommodation for herself and Skye, Freya can’t help but think her luck is in when she’s offered a flat in a large house for little money. They soon move in to Adder House and it’s not long before things start to happen.
It’s a shame Freya didn’t think of the saying ‘ if something is too good to be true then it usually is’!
The Apartment is a fast paced and intense psychological thriller. Adder House comes across as a very creepy house and gave me the shivers. I found myself shaking my head at how naive Freya came across. I loved Freya and Skye’s characters. I was gripped by the story and couldn’t put the book down.
Sometimes things ARE too good to be true. That's the case here for Freya, and her daughter Skye. A young widow who has lost everything in paying off her husband's debt, she thinks the offer of a place at Adder House is going to solve their problems. Dr. Marsden and his wife seem so nice. Until things start to get creepy. Very creepy. Who is watching them and why? Who wrote the diary? You think you'd pack up and leave but Freya doesn't and you probably wouldn't either because it's a great deal and well, it's not that bad, is it? Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This slowly ups the tension and while some of the subplots feel a tad superfluous, it's a good read - sort of like watching one of those horror movies where you keep telling the heroine to get out of the house.
This is my first KL Slater read. Thank you Netgalley for the intro. An addition into the popular family, domestic suspense genre that is tough to set down. If you enjoy fast paced edge of your seat suspense this is a do not miss. Enjoy.
**THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS**
After the death of her husband, Freya is desperate for a new start for her and her daughter sky. So when a fancy apartment at Adder house is offered to her by the mysterious Dr Marsden, how could she refuse? But, all is not as it seems.
This is a super fast paced thriller, the writing style leaves the reader instantly gripped. As soon as Dr Marsden is introduced, the suspense starts to build as you need to know what he is up to.
The descriptive writing builds the perfect creepy atmosphere surrounding the apartment. As a psychology graduate I also really enjoyed all the psychology tie ins surrounding the Little Albert experiments.
The build up throughout is fantastic and keeps you on edge, however, I did feel the ending fell a little bit flat for me. I thought there was a few areas that could have been explored such as Freya's past traumas and the death of her husband.
That being said, this is good suspenseful read that I couldn't put down and would definitely be interested in reading any future work from the author
Omg this kept me on the edge of my seat. It did freak me out a few times i felt like i was living the nightmare.. It does make you wonder if there are people like this in real life and how you cannot always trust people. The old saying too good to be true
This reads very similarly to Lock Every Door and so it has a solid base in the creepy apartment building with creepy residents who obviously have a secret agenda in mind. The main character is a good voice who propels the narrative forward well and carries across a sense of naivety and fear. There's a good build-up to the move and the set up with the doctor is great as well, so there's a lot to be said for the 'too good to be true' concept.
I thought that it was a very leisurely read, with some delightful twists that were great for the purposes of this novel, but I also wasn't sure on some plot points. It felt like some things were missing, such as the death of the main character's husband and what precisely the experiments undertaken were.
With that being said, this is still a fast-paced thriller with some interesting ideas behind it. It could have benefitted from not ending so abruptly as well, and the book could have easily been a little longer. However, a nice afternoon read with some thrilling moments and concepts!
If something is too good to be true, it probably is. When you are vulnerable and your world is upended by grief, your instincts are dulled and you can be easily taken in by situations you would normally avoid. Freya is a single mother who was recently widowed. She and her daughter Skye had sold their house so quickly they desperately needed a place to stay. Freya had limited financial means, so she has few options of where she can live. One day at a coffee shop Freya is looking at the bulletin board that has rentals posted. While looking a man comes up to her to post a flyer with a rental on it that he is renting out. They chat and he offers her his apartment which is in a posh part of town. He tells her she can rent his apartment for what she can afford. She cannot believe her luck and accepts. Freya and Skye move in and things take a strange twist that you could never imagine. What a twisty creepy story that kept me reading well into the wee hours. I would highly recommend this book!
In a lot of ways I was not finding this book a read filled with much mystery and suspense. At the same time, I could not stop reading it right to the end. So. One-star or five-star.
This psychological thriller is about a young woman and her daughter who rent an apartment in an old mansion. The rent is substantially less than market value but while she has some misgivings she takes the rental. She gets some odd looks when she tells people that she resides at Adder House and wonders why. She gradually becomes suspicious of her co-renters especially the owners a brother and sister who had told her they were a married couple. As she learns more about the house and former residents as well as the odd things happening around her she becomes more and more afraid for her and her daughter’s safety and sanity.. the ending is suspenseful.
Recently widowed and in a dire situation, Freya Millers is offered the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live at Adder House, luxurious South Kensington apartments, for inconceivably cheap rent. The landlord, the seemingly charming and philanthropic Dr. Marsden, assures Freya that she and her five-year-old-daughter Skye are perfect tenants for Adder House. However, as soon as they move in, strange things begin to happen. Now, Freya must gauge if these sinister happenings are real or figments of her imagination...
The Apartment opens to a chilling premise, and Slater delivers with smart writing, engaging characters, and a foreboding setting. The atmospheric Adder House is stunningly eerie, with an intriguing backstory that is sure to leave readers on edge. Overall, The Apartment by K.L. Slater is a quick read, fast paced, and perfect for fans new to the genre.
THE APARTMENT by K. L. Slater is the first book that I have read by this author. While various reviews are mixed, this psychological thriller worked for me. Freya Miller’s husband left her for another woman and then died before they divorced. With a five-year-old daughter, Skye, to take care of and no job, she has to sell their small house and find a place to rent. When she runs into an older gentleman at a coffee shop with flyers for an apartment to rent, it seems too good to be true. Adder House has six apartments and the small one on the third floor becomes Freya and Skye’s new home. But is it too good to be true? When little things start happening, is Freya imagining it, or is there more going on in the house?
The prose is nicely descriptive and flows well. I was drawn into Freya’s plight immediately. This is not a hard-core psychological thriller, but it captured my interest and kept it throughout the book. I rooted for Freya and Skye to survive and find happiness. While some of the plot twists were expected, there were others that caught me by surprise.
Overall, this was a suspenseful, well-paced, tense and compulsively readable novel. I look forward to reading more books by this author. I recommend this to those that like psychological thrillers that aren’t on the extreme end of the genre.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and K. L. Slater for a complimentary ARC of this novel via NetGalley and the opportunity to provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
Its been a while since a book sucked me in to the point where I picked it up one day and finished it the next. But that's exactly what happened with The Apartment. The premise of the book was good and a great basis for a story. Loved this book a lot. Would recommend.
“The Apartment” is a quick, easy, read, with a premise that doesn’t hold up to scrutiny right from the very beginning. No one with Freya’s life experience could possibly be naïve enough to enter into such an agreement, however desperate she is. The ending twist also required much too much suspension of disbelief. I did like the child Skye, and the writing was workmanlike. However I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend.
I read Lock Every Door by Riley Sager a few months ago and this has a similar premise - a too good to be true apartment but something isn't quite right. I felt some parts were predictable but I did enjoy the ending.
Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After the untimely death of her husband, Freya and her young daughter Skye are forced to sell their home. Freya is planning to stay with friends until a chance meeting with a stranger at a coffee shop provides her with the opportunity of a lifetime - a luxury apartment at a very low rent rate.
Of course, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. While initially Freya and Skye are enamored with their new home, some of the other residents seem to be hiding something.
There were a few questions left unanswered, and after an entire book building up to the climax, the ending felt a bit rushed.
The book is very fast paced, and the ending a bit predictable, but it is still a fun read.
I read this book nonstop, and boy it was so good! Creepy but in a good way too! It just goes to show you should always trust your gut when it tells you something is wrong, there was definitely something wrong in this apartment! Will absolutely read more from this author!
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
I really don’t know what to make of this book. It started off well, the writing is fairly descriptive and has a nice flow to it. The story follows Freya and her 5 year old daughter Skye. Following the death of Skye’s father they need to move and Freya needs to find a job to support them both. When she’s approached by a stranger in a coffee shop, he offers them a once in a lifetime flat in the posh part of London for minuscule rent. Freya believes this is too good to be true but she can’t turn it down. Not long after moving in strange things begin happening and Freya needs to figure out what is going on and whether their fresh start is in fact too good to be true.
Thrillers are my thing, my go to genre but this story just didn’t pack a punch. I felt like all the elements were correct, creepy setting, weird bunch of characters and some strange happenings but in theory nothing really happened. A few flies and some noises... nothing that was chilling or made me feel a bit spooked. It just felt like the story could have went somewhere and I was waiting and then it just didn’t. I guessed the ending from the moment they moved into Adder House. It’s always the character you least expect and that rung true in this case.
All in all I just wanted, yearned for so much more. I love thrillers that centre around creepy happenings in a flat/house/hotel/cabin whatever like The Turn of the Key and Lock Every Door but this didn’t click with me the same way at all. The ending was entirely rushed and there was no big reveal really just ‘oh here’s the weirdo and here’s your child back unharmed’. The epilogue was also very convenient, they escaped unharmed and now she’s in a new relationship and happy ever after... yawn