After Casey's husband dies and she is fired for showing up drunk to work Casey is sent to stay at her family lake house to avoid being sent to rehab. While there, she continues using alcohol to numb the pain of losing her husband - who drowned in that very lake. One day she stumbles across some binoculars and scans over the other side of the lake to the big house that was recently bought by supermodel Katherine and her husband Tom. Quickly she becomes obsessed with watching them and sees that their picture perfect life is far from perfect. Casey's unstable emotions and alcoholism are causing her life to spiral out of control and when Katherine goes missing Casey thinks it is her job to find her.

I flew through this book, it drew me in immediately and I really enjoy a story where there is an outsider watching in on a couples life. I'm not a huge fan of the unreliable narrator trope but I thought it worked well for Casey and everything she is going through. There were some twists in the book that I wasn't a huge fan of but overall I was very surprised by the direction the end of this book ended up going. Lock Every Door will definitely remain my Sager favourite but I enjoyed this one much more than Survive The Night. I would definitely say it is worth picking up for a spooky summer read by the lake. Thank you to @netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Every time I thought I knew what was happening or who the Big Bad was, I was sent down a whole new rabbit hole. This is one of Sager's best yet! I wish there hadn't been the paranormal angle, because that takes away from some of the realism, but honestly, it was so good that even with the weird surprise "ghost" subplot, it was pretty great. The twist at the almost-end was so unexpected, and I was happy for an HEA, a rarity in this genre.

Read this if you:
•don’t read a lot of thrillers
•haven’t read Layla, Behind Her Eyes, or the Woman in the Window
•like a Vermont lake setting in the fall
•like using binoculars 👀

Is this book bingeable? Absolutely
Would I recommend? It depends! For someone who’s read a ton of thrillers, have caution. If you’re new to genre, then go for it. For me, I started getting annoyed when a grown woman was out in house arrest by her 70+ year old mother who wasn’t even at the house. Ultimately, I read this quickly and it had its moments.

Thank you NetGalley & Dutton for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Uhm WHAT!? I did my best not read any reviews and to go into this blind, and I am so happy I did because I did not see any of that coming!! I couldn't put this crazy book down. I kept putting this one off (despite really wanting to read it) because I thought it was the same "neighbor spies on neighbor through window" trope that has been done so many times before BUT it wasn't. It definitely was it's own storyline with its own unique elements to it!

This book has a beautiful yet secluded lake setting that sets the stage for a perfect thriller. I love a secluded setting when reading a suspense story! The writing is beautiful and immediately pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages. There's mystery, past demons, fame, old friends, unreliable characters, lots of lies and... murder. The characters are somewhat unlikable, but you still root for them anyway. This is the kind of book where nothing is quite what it seems and just when you think you have it figured it, you're probably wrong.

Riley Sager can definitely write a good, engaging, edge of your seat thriller! This is my third Sager book. One I loved (Lock Every Door) one I thought was just okay (Survive the Night), and then this one... Which I also loved. I think this ranks #2 as my favorite, but it's closely tied with #1. I have 3 more Sager books to get to so I can't wait to figure out which ones are my favorite. I will always read a book he puts out!

Thank you Dutton Books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book is due for publication 6/22/22 and I definitely recommend it. This review will be posted to my blogs & Amazon on or around publication day!

www.instagram.com/that.bookmom
www.facebook.com/thatbookmomm
tiktok.com/@that.bookmom

Riley Sager is one of my FAVORITE authors so I was ecstatic to get a copy of this before it was released. I loved that it was set on an (almost) deserted lake in the Vermont wilderness. With the descriptions that were written about it - I could actually picture this novel as I was reading it. One chapter in and I already was SHOCKED at a twist that was given to us. This ended up making me become fully committed to this book and I finished it in less than 24 hours after starting it and in only 2 sittings.

When the reviews stated this as his "most unexpected thriller yet" they were correct! There are so many twists and turns you will never see the ending coming. Every time I thought I had it pinned down, another twist would come around and I would be wrong.

I adored the characters in this book. I have a feeling that Casey was supposed to be a little bit unlikeable but I was obsessed with this character. She was funny but very troubled with her dark past with the lake. When she became friends with Katherine - I immediately liked this duo. I also loved the element of Casey spying on this beautiful house across the lake.

This was easily a 5-star book that had me gasping out loud at the twists and I was enthralled until the very last page. This is also one of my favorite of Sager's books. There were so many elements that will surprise you and it will have you wanting to re-read it as soon as it's finished!

Thank you to Dutton Books and NetGalley for my digital advance copy!

Recently widowed Casey Fletcher decamps to Lake Greene, VT in order to escape the prying eyes of the press, lick her wounds, and find some inner peace. Instead, she finds bottles of bourbon and her husband's pair of old binoculars that she uses to spy on the other residents of Lake Greene. She particularly enjoys watching the Royces- an affluent celebrity couple who live directly across from her. As she continues to watch Katherine and Tom, she realizes that there's something off about her neighbors, and then Katherine disappears.

Yay for another Sager book! Love him or hate him, you have to admit that the man spins a damn good yarn. This book was definitely one of my most anticipated for Summer 2022, and I was thrilled when my NetGalley approval came through.

The first half of the book gave me serious [book:Gone Girl|19288043] and REAR WINDOW vibes. Though one can argue that the trope of the drunken woman spying on her neighbors is overdone, I still found the story to be engrossing. I'm nosy and can totally connect with characters who share this same tendency.

This was a slow burn up until the halfway mark when things started *happening*. I read a few reviews in advance, so I was prepared for the supernatural element (though I didn't know exactly what it was going to be). I really enjoy the blending of the supernatural/paranormal with the thriller/suspense genre, however I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading two completely different books (the first half being one, the second half being another one entirely). I wish that the supernatural element was incorporated more into the first half, because it kind of comes out of left field.

I didn't dislike this one, but do wish it felt more fluid. The last twist also just felt kind of rushed in there. I won't stop reading Sager, but this wasn't my favorite.

My Sager ranking:
1. Home Before Dark
2. The Last Time I Lied
3. Lock Every Door
4. The House Across the Lake
5. Survive the Night
6. Final Girls

Eeeeeek, I don’t really want to write this review... Y’all know I am a die hard Sager fan, but unfortunately this one was not my fave. I will focus on what I did like, because what didn’t work for me is crucial to the plot, so I won’t ruin it for you :)

#1 we love multiple tay swift references
#2 we love a lake setting (see also #1, take me to the lakes where all the poets went to die…)
#3 we love a modern take on rear window
#4 we love BIG plot twists
#5 we love red herrings
#6 we love WILD endings

I will leave it at that. Def go into this blind. I do think it’s the perfect summer thriller. I will still read Sager and just hope this isn’t his new norm. I can’t wait to see how others feel about this one, I have a feeling there will be many sPiCyYy takes ;)

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advance cope of The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager.

Woah! What a wild ride! I know that what I thought was going to happen was not going to happen, but then BAM! I got hit out of left field when I was not even at a ball game.

I've got a lot of this author's books on my to be read shelf, in my library, and pre-ordered but this is the first I've read and I loved it!
#TheHouseAcrosstheLake #NetGalley

Casey is a washed up actress, having dealt with some significant life challenges she seeks solace in alcohol which leads to her career demise. To get her to shape up, her mom sends her to their family's lake house to clear her head and sober up.

Casey, unfortunately, doesn't see this as the get clean opportunity she needs. She keeps drinking and ends up not only befriending a former model, Katherine, who lives across the lake, but also becomes a bit of a voyeur as she plays Peeping Tom, spying into their home.

One night she thinks she sees something unusual and the next day, Katherine is gone. She supposedly went home to NYC, according to her husband, Tom, but things aren't adding up.

It definitely gives off Rear Window vibes. I'll be honest, I was done with the drunk unreliable narrator about 3 years ago, yet somehow it worked here.

There were a couple twists in this book, one impossible to predict, and although I didn't love that one for reasons I can't share with spoiling the story, the journey was amazing.

Riley Sager is a master, and is the only author who I've read all of their books. I will sit here patiently (not really) awaiting his next book.

I know from the description this book can sound like it’s been done before, but as usual Riley Sager has put his own unique spin on another classic trope. While it’s not my favorite book he’s written, it is definitely a top competitor for one of the top spots. I loved the spooky lake house setting and elements of a fallen Hollywood star. Now I know that Sager’s books tend to be polarizing, either you loved it and it was great or you found it SoOoO predictable 🙄 but I am definitely in the camp of folks who didn’t see the majority of the plot twists coming. If you think you know where this story is going to go, you probably don’t. If you’re a Riley Sager fan or looking for a great summer thriller to pick up, this is definitely worth picking up

At the quick pace at which I read, I can afford to spend a day lost in a story that ends up a disappointment, but I was really excited for this one. Filled with the standard popcorn thriller tropes, The House Across the Lake would have been better off sticking to its seemingly predictable plot rather than the twists it took. I’m grateful it was at least a quick read.

Kristen Bell is going to have a field day with this one.

Do you like domestic thriller tropes? This one has ALL OF THEM. It was almost satirical in the way that so many were fit into the story. While the first 2/3 of the book felt like a very familiar plot, the last 1/3 was bonkers. I like my thrillers to have twists that are more on the believable side, but I won’t lie and pretend I wasn’t invested in the story. I read through it very quickly. It was certainly entertaining.

3.5 stars - honestly I think 3.5 stars is probably a little generous for this book. I really went and super excited because I have loved all of Rylee‘s previous books except for last year‘s survive the night. To me there are multiple things that I have issues with in this book. Firstly being that Rylee in my opinion doesn’t truly know how to write a female main character. Some of the things that occurred and one or two instances in particular would have had a woman on high alert. Additionally there was a scene (no spoilers) With domestic violence that would have been handled differently if gender roles were reversed. Secondly, this entire book for the first 65% of it reads exactly like a girl on a train or woman in the window. So the first 65% of this book was not unique whatsoever. I’m sorry, once we finally get to 65% mark there are a ton of major twists. However they really missed the mark in my opinion and came completely out of nowhere I really enjoy a twist however this was just downright weird. I don’t want to give any spoilers our way with giving themes of the twist however Riley‘s previous book with this theme was much better. In all honesty, this one felt cheap? Like a half baked idea to have a ~different~ sort of thriller but ignored that for the first 65% of the book. Also, there is a major fault in this book with regards to one of the twists.

A HUGE thank you to the publisher for surprising me and sending me this ARC for the long weekend. I received it on Friday and finished it on Sunday!!

While this one is getting a lot of negative reviews, I will NOT be one of them! Sager had me wondering what the hell was going to happen next, while the beginning plot seemed to remind me of a major book/movie, it was given the Sager spin that made it unique in a fun way!!

I really loved being able to talk this one through with a friend who also read this book because at times I legitimately had to sit up and yell "WHAT THE F IS GOING ON?!" The twist was very much out of left field, but I truly think that it was done well. Writing such a crazy twist leaves a lot of room for plot holes, I truly cannot think of a single plot hole that was left once the ending was wrapped up - and this one all of the clues are RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU the whole time!!! I felt myself saying "oh my god that makes sense" once the major clues unfolded.

I'm not going to give spoilers here simply because I think with such a crazy twist, this one is going to be either you love it or you hate it, guess you'll have to find out for yourself on June 21st!

Casey has gone a bit off the rails since the passing of her husband Len. When she shows up drunk one too many times, the press is all over it. Luckily she can escape to the lake house in Vermont to hide out for a while. While saving her from drowning, Casey meets Katherine and they begin a friendship across the lake. Something is off about her husband though, so Casey takes to using her binoculars to keep an eye on the place. When Katherine disappears and nobody seems concerned, Casey is determined to figure out what happened to her.

Ok, so the synopsis….The Woman In The Window right? I know, my thoughts exactly. And the first bit of this book felt like I was rereading that. However, @jordysbookclub told me he loved it so I continued on. Go off the rails it did my friends. This book kept me up late trying to keep my eyes open so I could finish because I needed to know. So many twists and turns I was definitely not expecting. I don’t want to say anything else because honestly, this is one where you need to be wary of the synopsis and just dive right in. To tell you anymore would spoil the entire book.

Sager's schtick is to take a common trope and turn it on its side. The trope here is the Rear Window one: where a person thinks they've seen a crime committed. Our heroine is Casey Fletcher, known as "The Troubled Casey Fletcher" to the gossip magazines. She's started watching a tech billionaire and his supermodel wife, and something isn't right ...

Lots of fun, couldn't put it down, absolutely worth the read!

As you're reading The House Across the Lake, you might think, "I've read this story before." Unreliable, alcoholic female narrator who spies on the neighbors and thinks something has happened to the wife. And, it's always the husband, so we should zero in on him. You'll probably even think you've figured out what's going on and how Sager has tried to trick you, but you haven't. At around 70%, your jaw will drop at how wrong you were. You probably still won't exactly understand how this turn has happened, but you'll definitely be surprised.

This is for all of us who read a lot of thrillers and think we've seen it all - we haven't.

Loved this book. Troubled Casey needs to figure out what happened to her new friend Katherine who lived across the lake. She had just met her by chance when she saved her from drowning and now she is gone. But Casey has her own deamons- a dead ex husband and an alcohol problem. Did something sinister happen to Katherine at the hands of her husband? There i lies the problem. What happens from there is so juicy and unbelievable- literally! .

I’m laughing just a little realizing that both the Sager novels I’ve read this year fit the exact same prompts, for the most part. He definitely has a genre.

Banished to the family lake house in the wake of her husband’s death and her subsequent drinking binge, actress Casey Fletcher is bored (and drunk) out of her mind. After saving her wealthy neighbor Katherine Royce from drowning, she begins to pass the time by watching their glass-walled home across Lake Greene – but she quickly discovers not all is as it seems in the house across the lake. When Katherine inevitably goes missing, Casey quickly believes her husband, Tom, is to blame.

As she works to uncover where Katherine may have gone, or whether she’s alive at all, Casey uncovers a trove of secrets surrounding the banks of Lake Greene. It seems there may be a lot more lies below the surface…and no one can be trusted.

Like I mentioned when I reviewed Lock Every Door, Sager starts slow. I got, like, halfway through this book before things truly started getting wild. Before that, it’s just Casey spying on her neighbors and stumbling around her house, to be honest. But THEN. This book is a deep well of WILD that never seems to end. The slow beginning is what knocked it half a star in my book, because pretty much every other part of this book is incredible and a crazy ride. I thought, initially, that the subject matter didn’t sound like my jam, so if you’re in the same boat, I urge you to give it a try anyways. It was a lot different than I expected from the synopsis and went in a very different direction ultimately.

Lake Greene makes an absolutely stunning summer backdrop for this story. Living in New England myself, it was easy to picture Lake Greene in all its glory, and it gave me the nostalgia feelings of late summer evenings that project a false sense of calm. Much like Lock Every Door, this novel is atmospheric, playing on the setting to add to the creep-factor.

Despite Casey’s self-destructive tendencies, I was attached to her. She makes very poor decisions, but as was confirmed for me by the ending of this book, she has a strong conscience and heart beneath her stony exterior. She’s headstrong with a purpose. She’s loyal. I wanted better for her. Katherine, too, is magnetic. I loved her character, and the push-and-pull drama that falls around her makes her even more alluring. I can picture both of them in my mind, Casey and Katherine, absolute polar opposites, but this novel draws them together through tragedy.

While I was reading this, I just kept hitting walls where I would get really into it, decide I was going to bed at the end of the chapter, and then A HUGE CLIFFHANGER would get dropped on me right on the very last page. There are a lot of cliffhangers, especially in the latter half. It’s a wild ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, I was fortunate enough to get an advance readers copy of The House Across the Lake in exchange for my honest review!

I was worried this was going to be another "drunk woman spies on neighbors and blacks out during important parts of the story" story, but it wasn't. I mean there's a drunk woman and she spies on her neighbors using binoculars. However, there was a moment in this book where my attention shifted from "somewhat interested" to DEVOURING IT AS FAST AS I CAN and after that moment, there was no stopping me.