Thank you @duttonbooks and @netgalley for my e arc of THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE by @riley.sager in exchange for an honest review. This one publishes next Tuesday, June 21!

I really enjoy Sager’s novels because they always, ALWAYS have me questioning the ending, still trying to figure it out until the last page. I have ideas of how it will end, who did what, but I’m always wrong, and that’s what I love most about his books! THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE was a winner for me in that sense. That’s why I’m giving it 4 stars (I was debating between 3.5/4 stars).

Sager does a great job using an unreliable narrator in his books, however, I wasn’t a huge fan of the female unreliable narrator also having a drinking problem, and using that to fuel people not believing her. Has this trope been done before? Yes. This book also has very similar “the woman in the window” vibes.

I did really like the setting of the book- I could vividly picture Lake Greene and the houses all around said lake. I could picture each event that happened on the lake. It really made me think of one of Sager’s previous books- The Last Time I Lied, and how, after reading that one, I was hesitant to go swimming in a lake for awhile! After finishing HAL, I have the same feeling- maybeeeeee I won’t go swimming in a lake anytime soon.

Can we talk about the twist for a second? 🤯 That’s how I felt, but I also felt like, is this really believable? If someone explained to me what had happened to them (like in this story), I would be just like Casey, and not believe them at first. But, the unbelievable aspect of the twist, is what makes this book stand out from Sager’s other books I think. He hasn’t written a book (until this one) with this kind of twist.

I know Sager’s books have gotten VERY mixed reviews on here, so I will just say, if you have enjoyed his previous books, still read this one! It’s unique, but don’t let the “oh this has been done before” sway you. I think most people will enjoy this one!

I have been a fan of Sager ever since buying and reading his earlier book, The Last Time Lied, while I was in Cambodia some years ago. His Final Girls and Lock Every Door were also great. I was less taken with Home Before Dark, but it was still a good read.

The House Across The Lake revolves around Casey Fletcher, the daughter of a famous theatre actress and a successful actor in her own right until her husband’s death about a year ago. His death set off months of binge drinking, which left her fired from her last production and now hiding out at the family’s secluded lake house in Vermont. Unfortunately the drinking has not stopped and Casey is quickly sinking into alcoholism, until she rescues her neighbour from across the lake, Katherine, from drowning. Katherine is a former famous model who is now married to Tom, the owner of a tech company. Curious about her neighbours, Casey takes to watching them through a pair of high powered binoculars, which leads to a startling discovery.

The House Across The Lake is a modern take on Rear Window, which is frequently referenced in the book, but with some very unexpected twists. The story goes down some very surprising paths and after a slowish start Sager ups the ante in the second half, as the twists flow in and the tension quickly mounts. I thought I knew where the book was going, but I was totally off the mark.

Sager writes well, and even though not a lot happens in the first half, he keeps the reader interested and the book moving along at a good pace. Casey is initially an annoying character, and I got tired of her drinking, but as the story progresses she develops and her experience as an actor allows Sager to lighten the mood by seamlessly introducing the interesting movie and television references that are a feature of his books.

I really enjoyed The House Across The Lake, although I suspect that others may not find the conclusion to their liking.

The writing is great, but the main plot … has been done quite often before, this also took a long time to get interesting. The first half was slow and predictable. The second half was better but not to Sager standards until 70% . Great writing and you still want to know what happened, but it was the last 30% where some of the Sager magic finally came through.

𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝙰𝚌𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙻𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝚁𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚂𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛
@𝚁𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚢.𝚂𝚊𝚐𝚎𝚛
𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝟸𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟸
𝙽𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚢: 𝙱𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎 𝙳𝚞𝚗𝚗𝚎
𝙳𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝟷𝟷𝙷 𝟹𝙼
4 stars

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑮𝒊𝒔𝒕

Casey, an actress who’s recently widowed and not coping well escapes to her family’s lake house, mostly to spare herself and her mother any more embarrassment caused by her drunken behavior. Secluded and isolated, Casey notices the neighbors across the lake – with the aid of a pair of binoculars she does some next level creepin’ and it’s not long before Casey is convinced the husband has murdered his wife.

𝑴𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔

An isolated cabin in the wilds of Vermont combined with an unreliable narrator made this hard for me to put down. Casey drinks to excess, using booze as a really poor coping skill, and there’s times when she questions her own memory. This narrative worked for me, giving off Rear Window vibes threaded with a hint of The Woman in the Window, especially as the book moves forward and more twists are revealed.

There are multiple twists and a few red herrings, and while the plot did veer off towards something unexpected, I found it to be clever and creative. One of my favorite things is when an author blends together tropes that I’m not expecting. I was pleasantly surprised and loved the ending.

Narrator: Bernadette Dunne narrates and she does a spectacular job. Her skill with multiple characters really shone brightly as she moved the story along.

My thanks to Penguin - Dutton for this gifted DRC.

I was really excited to read this summer blockbuster horror by Riley Sager, but it felt a little wilted like all of my plants in this insane heatwave we are currently experiencing.

The first half of this book could quite literally be any of the "Gone Girl" esque books that have come out in the last decade. It was so cookie cutter that I was worried I wasn't going to make it through the rest of the book. While the plot did change to something different at the first twist the reader comes across, it wasn't enough for it to rise above three stars for me. Neither were the other twists that beat us over the head in the last 50 pages of the book.

I am seriously so exhausted with having extremely unlikable female protagonists. Can we think of a new way to present women please? We can solve problems and do bad things and be main characters without being so unlikable. Sheesh.

I'm not going to discuss the twist (no spoilers here) but it felt sloppy and poorly done.

There was potential here. Unfortunately, I feel like the mark was sorely missed.

3.5 stars. I don't know why I always forget about the teeny supernatural twist that always seems to come with Riley Sager's novels, but they sure get me every time!
Casey is an actress who is hiding out at her lake house in Vermont, nursing her addiction to alcohol and seemingly grieving for her husband, who drowned on the very same lake. While she is there, she starts to become extremely interested in her neighbors across the lake. Watching Tom and Kathrine Royce is like real-life reality tv. But Casey starts seeing some things she doesn't like. And then Katherine disappears. What is going on in the house across the lake?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an e-arc of this novel.*

The House Across The Lake
I give this book 4 stars

Recently widowed actress Casey Fletcher has escaped to her family's lake house. She's been happily losing herself in her thoughts and several bottles of bourbon, until the glamorous couple across the lake catch her attention. They look so perfect - just like Casey and her husband used to be.
But is anyone what they seem?

I don’t want to say too much about this one,as l think readers should go into it without reading lots of reviews first!
An unreliable narrative, a great atmospheric setting,a cast of characters that l didn’t trust and a huge unusual twist that made me have to reread,then sit and let it sink in! A fast paced and suspenseful thriller that l think may have readers divided…… go grab your copy and let’s have a discussion
With thanks to Netgalley,Riley Sager and Penguin Group Dutton, for my chance to read and review this book

I chose to read a free eARC of The House Across the Lake but that has in no way influenced my review.

Riley Sager is without doubt one of my favourite authors. Time and time again Sager delivers hit after hit, starting with the superb Final Girls in 2017. Every single book has been brilliantly entertaining and utterly compelling. I know because I've read them all! Getting hold of the latest Riley Sager novel is the absolute highlight of my year. So when the opportunity presented itself to read The House Across the Lake, I, of course, jumped at the chance!

Grief stricken actor Casey Fletcher needs time away from the hustle and bustle of city life, and the intrusion of the paparazzi, to mourn the death of her husband. Her mother suggests time at the family lake house in Vermont, which Casey reluctantly agrees to. Whilst enjoying a drink on the porch she notices her new neighbours, Tom and Katherine Royce, across the lake in their glass fronted house. Aided by a pair of high-spec binoculars Casey is able to get up close and personal in the Royce's lives, watching from afar, becoming more and more obsessed with the couple. Then Katherine disappears without a trace, and things just don't add up for Casey. She suspects Tom has something to do with the ex-supermodel's disappearance - she just can't prove it. What Casey doesn't realise is that there is more to Katherine's disappearance than meets the eye...

The House Across the Lake is another superb novel from the great Riley Sager. Utterly compelling from the moment the reader meets Casey, totally absorbing from start to finish and near impossible to put down (I grrr in your face adulting!). I tore through this book in a couple of short sittings keen to know where Sager was going to take this twisty tale. And oh my goodness, the twists the author throws at the reader are beautifully executed, they took my breath away at times! Perfectly placed, taking the reader by the hand, then BOOM! Delivered with Sager's trademark finesse.

Casey is the most perfect unreliable narrator I have met in a LONG time. She likes a drink (she's definitely an alcoholic!) but she firmly believes she is NOT an alcoholic (she's an alcoholic!) and is always looking for her next tipple. I did find the numerous references to needing a drink a little wearing at times but I completely understand why the author mentioned her craving so often. It makes her believable. Casey would never call herself an addict but the reader knows the cold hard truth.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. The House Across the Lake is a delicious slow burn mystery with a glorious unreliable narrator which I found thoroughly entertaining. The characters are all very well-written and helped move the story along nicely. Despite its beauty in the Summer months, the setting has an eeriness to it, a creepy edge, which gave me the shivers. The plot, as I've come to expect from this author, is very compelling and hooks the reader in from early on. I really enjoyed how Sager has used the movie Rear Window as his inspiration for this book but given it a modern twist and dialled up the tension ten-fold! All in all another superb book from a must read author. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free eARC of The House Across the Lake. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

This review will be published on damppebbles.com on June 16th 2022.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager starts off with a bang and barrels along until about 70%. It, then, reached a twist that I felt was too contrived. Sager made it work but I would have preferred another conclusion to this mystery. What I did really enjoy was the characters. They were multi-layered and fascinating. The atmosphere was isolated and claustrophobic so if you are looking for a chill, this might be the book for you.

What a fantastic book! THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE has been high on my anticipated reads list because I love all the stories from Riley Sager. Each summer we get a new banger and 2022 is no different! There will be a few people out there who might see some of the following tropes in the genre and automatically roll their eyes: women with anxiety/grief, alcoholism & substance abuse, gaslighting, Hitchcockian, voyeurism, etc. 1) There is a reason those tropes make successful stories. 2) This is Riley FREAKING Sager, y'all! Everything you think you know or can predict is going to get tossed in the air and whirled around over and over before landing. You are in for the ride of your life with this one. I loved the atmosphere and location. I had a wonderful time with the POV of our main character. I absolutely went bonkers for the twists and turns. I actually read the final 30% with my head on my forehead, mouth agape, and unable to finish fast enough. I LOVED IT!

And for crying out loud, people... stop spying on your neighbors so much, okay!?

📖Book Review📖
The House Across the Lake
By Riley Sager
Pub Date:6/14/2022
My Rating:🌟🌟🌟🌟/5

First of all, special thank you to Dutton Publishing via Netgalley for the e-arc and @prhaudio for the audio copy in exchange of an honest review.

I have an ongoing love and hate relationship with Riley Sager’s books. Some, I really adored and actually had the chills and the unfortunate others that were just meh..

This latest book- The House Across the Lake is among the love list! Just as I thought I had Riley Sager figured out, I was definitely wrong. The guy can actually twist things around. Tight and good. This psychological thriller has everything that could possibly give me the chills. The crazy minds in plotting, the hot neighbor that you thought you know better than to stay too close by, the famous couple that lives across whose lives were on full display, dead husbands, missing people, lies, deceit, secrets, drunkenness, alcohol reprieve, money, fame and revenge. Give it a little mix with some sort of new touch as an icing to the cake from Riley Sager’s book of thriller recipe and you got yourself a mind blowing read!

It is so hard not to give away the plot and spoil the entire thing. However, here’s a clue. If you did not like the last book he released(I know a lot of people who thought the same as I do) House Across the Lake is a fresh one! I devoured it fast and I love how everything turned out.
.
.
So, which Riley Sager book is your favorite?
.
.
.
#thehouseacrossthelake #rileysager #rileysagerbooks #bookreview #booklovers #prhaudioinfluencer #bookstagram #bookstagramphilippines #bookishfeatures

Rear Window.
The Woman in the Window.
The Girl on the Train.
If you liked any of those, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake is for you.
What do you get when you have a pair of binoculars, a famous actress turned alcoholic widow and a lot of time on her hands? A nosy neighbor who starts to suspect that something is amiss with the couple in the house across the lake. This one was rocking along great for me and I was thinking “Whoa! This might be a 5 star!” But then about 75% of the way in- things got a little too crazy, a little too unbelievable and a little too paranormal for my taste. Some people might love it but I am going with 3 stars.

Where to start? I feel super conflicted about this one. On the one hand, Riley Sager always has me excited about reading his books (despite a couple of disappointments along the way). So naturally, I picked up 'The House Across the Lake' without even reading the plot, as I don't need to, I already know I want to read it. However, a few pages in I was afraid it would be another 'woman-in-the-window-girl-on-the-train' kind of book. Which it was. Up until it wasn't. And when it wasn't, it was fun, sure, but it also required you to suspend disbelief like in no other Riley Sager novel. Still, I was prepared to let that go and simply enjoy the ride, right up until the last twist, which was completely unnecessary in my opinion. Did I like it overall? Yeah, kind of. Needless to say, I believe this will be a very polarizing book. Then again, that only makes it much more fun to discuss.

OK utter honesty here. I am a Riley Sager fan. I have enjoyed everyone of his books, most were 5 stars. I reached out to a friend when I first started reading this one, because I was annoyed and wondered if I was alone. I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo...ooooooooooooo over the drunk woman who can't remember what really happened. I was over it about 3 years ago. Nope scratch that I was over it 5 years ago. Women read these books and we don't want to see ourselves as the drunk, hot mess, who can't remember anything. We want to be the badass, smart women, who takes down all the bad guys. So fair warning, these are the thrillers we want to read.

Now that is over. I shall post no spoilers so this will be an odd review. The beginning was slow and I was very sad because I thought it was going to be a 2 star read for me. Then the middle had me, OH HOLY CRAP, and it became a 5 star read. I did have to suspend a little belief towards the end of the book and I think I settled on a 3.5 star rating that I would round up to 4.

Whew. That was long and I am sorry for that but when you read it you will completely understand. I promise.

Definite Woman in the Window 2.0. Drunk woman spying on house across the way. Did she see something or didn’t she? Im glad Sager had the sense to mention Rear Window multiple times.

It goes on that way for most of the first half. The second half gets slightly more interesting as different characters get suspicious and red herrings are abundant.

But then, everything goes sideways and I literally yelled out loud, BOOOOOO. The whole supernatural element is just way too lame and Scooby Doo town. But….the twist was decent enough.

It’s mostly a miss for me but giving it 3 stars since it did keep me interested enough to finish and the main twist surprised me. The ending wasn’t terrible.

Hoping Sager brings something better on his next showing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the gifted e-copy.

Ummm...so I really wanted to like this book, because Riley Sager is one of my favorites. Unfortunately, it was just okay for me. The premise of a woman spying on neighbors across the lake and seeing some sketchy things happening was interesting (even though it's been done before). There is a bit of a paranormal twist towards the end which is definitely pretty different from other books I've read with a similar plot, so that was fun. I also liked the tension that built with the alternating timelines (Before and Now), especially since we weren't sure who was tied up and who did the tying up.

However, I found the first half of the book incredibly slow. I DID stay up until 1 am last night finishing it because once I hit the last 25% I needed to keep going - but up until then, it was a whole lot of build up.

The other thing that I really wasn't a fan of was the drunk and unreliable main character. WHY are there so many female main characters lately that are either drunks or addicts of some sort? It's overdone, to be honest. Unreliable is fine - it makes things interesting - but the drunk/addict MC's (especially female) are getting old.

I'll begin this by saying that I've read all of Sager's books and they're hit or miss for me.

I always love how the books read like a classic scary movie, and this one follows that same theme. None of the characters were particularly likeable or unlikeable to me but I still struggled to put this down because I wanted to know what happened next. There were some sections of writing that didn't feel like they fit the genre to me but overall the writing makes the book easy to keep reading.

Not my favorite Sager book, but always a good recommendation for someone looking for a twisty thriller.

I have read all of Sager's books, and enjoyed most, but this is his first one that has a supernatural-esque explanation... If it wasn't for that, I would have liked it a lot more. The dual timelines were also hard to follow as they were so close together in time. I see now how they were meant to throw the reader off though! There was a *really* good twist which I did not see coming and made me want to go back and reread some parts.

A beautifully lean and tense thriller.

Casey Fletcher is an actress with the weight of legacy behind her. Not helping her issues is the recent death of her husband Len. Needing time to herself, Casey has retreated to her family's lake house in Vermont where she passes her time with alcohol and binoculars, her favorite subject being the gorgeous and wealthy Royces across the lake.

In a Hitchcockian twist, Casey discovers dark dealings afoot and begins to suspect Tom Royce of foul play in the disappearance of his wife. What follows is a tight and tense narrative. as Casey pushes to get to the bottom of a mystery, even if it means taking Tom hostage and learning there may not exactly be natural explanations for what is occurring...

A novel like this lives on its main character and Casey Fletcher does not disappoint. She is heavily flawed, yet extremely well crafted, relatable and sympathetic. The weight of expectation is portrayed as crushing her down, the death of her husband still affecting her. Even moreso when secrets about her marriage are revealed midway through the novel that cast a new pall on everything revealed to this point. Sager's writing is skillful enough to foreshadow everything, while leaving it as a gut punch.

What begins as a tense lakeside homage to Rear Window takes on supernatural twists that blend to abject horror, with the plot curving all the way through in ways that keep the reader hooked to the very end.

4.5/5 stars.

One possible spoiler ahead, marked with ** if you want to skim over!
This is my 3rd Riley Sager and won't be my last! It is definitely a good psychological thriller but not my favorite of his due to a **possible spoiler** slight magical element.
It's described as "Hitchcockian" and definitely has some Rear Window references and vibes.
The unreliable narrator because she drinks plot is getting a little stale to me, but overall I recommend this one!