While I didn't love the twist at the end, once I got there, I literally couldn't put the book down! This is my first Riley Sager novel and I enjoyed their writing. At times, I suspected widely different people and was still surprised by the final outcome. The very last twist about Tom seemed thrown in but I didn't absolutely hate it, it just didn't feel as planned out as the rest of the story.

I can't explain how much I loved this book. It took about 150 pages for me to be fully hooked. But once the plot twists started coming, they didn't stop. The final reveal at the end had me so shocked. It brought something new to Riley Sager's books, and I can't wait to see what he does with it in the future. I have loved everything I've read from Riley Sager, and this one was no different.

My review as posted on Goodreads:

I am grateful that the publishers gave me the opportunity to read and review this book. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of psychological thrillers with a little bit of bonus paranormalcy thrown in! (Is that a word?!? 🤔)

What I really like about Riley Sager’s books is that I think I have it figured out, but I’m wrong. So then I go back and try again, and as soon as I think I have it figured out, I find I’m wrong again. 😂 I really like that this book kept me guessing and hooked me into finding out what happened and how. Great twist in this one too! I wasn’t suspecting a paranormal element to the book and found it very intriguing, even though it’s not my usual cup of tea. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

Casey is a retired actress retreating on her family's lake to escape life, dealing with the death of her husband. She has become quite accustomed to watching her neighbors across the lake with binoculars, often seeing things that she doesn't like. She saves Katherine, the woman across the lake, from drowning one day, and the two strike up a quick friendship.

As Casey is "spying" one night, suspicions strikes, and Katherine isn't heard from the next day when Casey tries to call. Time goes on and not Katherine, yet Tom, Katherin's husband, is beginning to act strangely, making Casey wonder if he has done something to her.

Another Sager thriller with a solid twist that keeps you wondering

I enjoyed this book but I'm not surprised as I usually enjoy books by Riley Sager. I thought this had a unique plotline and while some of the supernatural stuff lost me, I really enjoyed the ending and how interesting it was. Very unexpected. The characters were complex, especially Casey. She has a lot of complex relationships so understanding those took time but overall, I liked this book!

Riley Sager is pure popcorn thriller for me. You have to suspend a lot of disbelief with his books, but if you just want a ridiculous and campy thriller to bring to the beach with you, this fits the bill.

I love Riley Sager but this one wasn’t my favourite. I have it a 3/5. I loved the setting and found it really atmospheric but the mystery was nothing special and I found the ending lacklustre.

Thank you so much @SourceBooksCasa & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 07 June 2022)

SYNOPSIS | Casey is recently widowed actress & using alcohol as a crutch to death with her grief. In order to minimize the damage to her public persona she decides to spend some time at her families remote cabin in Vermont. On the other side of the lake is another famous couple (Tom & Katherine), but when Katherine goes missing under mysterious circumstances Casey decides to investigate further.

WHAT I LIKED:
- I truly cannot express how bananas this book is without spoiling it, but I was along for the ride
- excellent unsettling, isolated & claustrophobic vibes
- extremely binge worthy & I gorged it within a couple of sittings
- I love an unrealistic, completely left-wing plot twist in thrillers & this absolutely delivered (think in a similar vain to Behind Her Eyes

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- another alcohol dependant unreliable main character

This book was fairly unbelievable. It starts as a classic "woman at the window" spying on her neighbors tale, but evolves into a supernatural "out of body experience" drama that I was not at all expecting, nor welcoming. It is just too unbelievable to be enjoyable.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager is a suspenseful read perfect for a cozy weekend or a lengthy flight.

Hideaway Actors. Lakeside Homes. Nosy Neighbors. All nestled in the mountains of Vermont. Yup

Having grown up in Vermont, relatively close to where I can imagine this book takes place, I was enthralled by the description of The House Across The Lake by Riley Sager and cast aside my “no murders or thrillers” policy to request this book. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and enjoyed the ride. Note: It is the first book of Riley Sager’s that I have read.

Casey, our main character, is a chaotic but delightfully self-aware actress/daughter of an actress/recent widow. She also happens to be an alcoholic neighbor spying across the lake with her binoculars, inserting herself in a potential web of investigations in the sleepy mountains. The lake itself has its own reputation of idyllic summer afternoons and nefarious happenings. And the neighbors…

Unfamiliar with Sager’s work, I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, however, the setting and opening of the plot were well-researched. Where I grew up in Vermont is very much a playground for elite and Hollywood actors to escape LA and NYC. Due to its difficult-to-get-there appeal, many drive in or have homes here to unwind and not be bombarded by low-key locals. They get to live their lives around town, so the setting of the story is quite spot on. The dual settings of NY and VT and how toggling back and forth evolves the plot is also very believable.

I wasn’t anticipating the supernatural twist and although it initially caught me off guard and left me feeling like it was a random choice, it did play out well in the end for an appropriate resolve. I would think that other readers may or may not be turned off by this.

I loved the characters and found the overall plot to be a fun whirlwind of twists and turns.

Was a perfect cozy, cabin read.

The cover is perfect and visually articulates the POV of the MC.

Great for fans of Girl On The Train and nosy neighbor tropes!

3.75/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Dutton, Dutton for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. I apologize for the delay-- I had written this up ages ago and got caught up discussing the book with friends!

The reader is constantly asking questions and trying to figure out where Katherine vanished too. We continue to read with bated breath to see how Casey will handle it all and if she has or will hit breaking point. Another great psychological suspense story from Riley Sager!

I loved this book. It was exactly what I expected from this author and more. It was creepy and twisty and the supernatural aspect was something that I did not expect. Once I thought we were done there was another twist and then another twist and then another twist. It was Wild and I gave it five stars and named it one of my favorites of the year. I recommend it to everyone. I can't wait for his next book.

As an avid Riley Sager fan, The House Across the Lake did not disappoint with a twist I did not see coming. With twists different from some of his other works, this story with an unreliable narrator will keep you guessing.

This is my second Riley Sager book. The first one I read left me speechless so I had high hopes for this one. This book is the definition of “they had us in the first half”. I started to hate this book because it was leaning too hard into the whole “the woman in the window across the street” trope. But just when I was about to give up, the twist happened. I should have known. It was a beautiful addition to the book. And just when I thought I was all wrapped up with a nice little bow… a second blow. Stunning. What’s next Sager?

I'll start off by saying I love Riley Sager. But this one left me a little disappointed. I wanted more from this storyline and didn't get it. It took me a while to get into this one and I forced myself to finish it. I am looking forward to Sager's next book though!

If you can completely and totally suspend disbelief, then you will enjoy this ridiculous but somehow still engaging book. Shallow characters, but a crazy fun plot, make this a super quick read with twists I definitely didn't see coming.

I've officially read all of Sager's work at this point. His latest, The House Across the Lake, was good but not great. I feel like Sager's writing style is either loved or hated. Reviews on his books often seem to be mixed. For me, his writing is always entertaining enough to keep me engaged. I love a fast paced thriller and his books are always that. I read them so quickly. In this one, I enjoyed the eerie setting.

I do usually love an unreliable narrator and this story has that. What I'm getting a little tired of is the whole woman drinks too much and therefore nobody listens to her and just thinks she's crazy. It's a trope that's getting a little tired for me and I didn't love it in this story.

I was also expecting a pretty epic twist here. I was lead to believe it would be mind blowing. I read a lot of thrillers, so it has become easier for me to predict things. While I can say honestly that I didn't really see the twist coming, it felt very weird. It wasn't what I was expecting, but not in a good way. It didnt really work for me at all. I don't want to comment on it too much because I don't like to spoil things. Alot of people have loved this book so don't hesitate to pick it up if it sounds interesting to you or if you've liked his other works.

Like I said earlier, this book was entertaining enough and I liked it just fine. Was it a favourite of his? No, definitely not. There were good things about the story but it also had moments that had me rolling my eyes wondering why.

initial thoughts: liked, didn’t love like a lot of readers did. the big twist in the story was a bit far fetched for me, but then again, it is a Riley Sager book.

This was fun! There was twists and turns I didn’t expect and I loved that it was Taylor swift inspired. Riley is a great author!

Holy poop I loved this! Thank you NetGalley for this review copy. I know I'm writing this late but I'm very much a Riley Sager stan. I can understand why some readers may not like the twists in this book but I was shook in the best way. The ending was a bit over the top but honestly this type of mystery is for me. I really enjoyed this one and it's easily the top of my Riley Sager love now.