While I wasn't a fan of how alcohol-soaked this story is, it was truly a page turner and I read it in a day. Riley Sager does it again.

“You know the lake is haunted, right?
No, Marnie, it isn’t.
Memories though, are a different matter. They’re filled with ghosts.”

This book had me on edge! While the beginning seemed like it would be another book focused around the main character who constantly drinks herself into oblivion and suddenly witnesses something crazy but unreliable…but nope! The plot twists were insane and I absolutely loved it! I didn’t guess any of them and I found myself reading as fast as possible to see what would happen next.

This was my first book by this author and I’ll definitely be reading the rest of them now!

It was such a fun, slightly creepy book and I enjoyed it so much!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for providing me with this ARC!

SO. MANY. TWISTS. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I thought I had this book all figured out so many times, and every time, I was wrong. Even up until 97%, the plot was twisting and turning all over the place.

This is my first Riley Sager book and it will not be my last. I loved every single second.

1000/10 recommend!

I am going to own my Riley Sager super fan status out of the gate and don’t even have the words for how excited I was to get an ARC of THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE.

I’ve read all of Riley Sager’s books (some of them twice) and will say that he 100% shocked me and got me with this book. Well, well, played.

I’m a fan of going into thrillers blind so will keep my plot overview vague. This is all the Rear Window vibes on a lake. Our main characters, Casey Fletcher, is a famous and recently widowed actress who had an infamous public breakdown caught by the paparazzi that have been her devoted followers…waiting for her to take a misstep.

In order to escape the bad press Casey retreats to her family’s home - a secluded house in Vermont - and now spends her days downing drinks and picking up a pair of binoculars. Casey quickly becomes fascinated with the new couple - Tom and Katherine - who moved into (you guessed it) the house across the lake. Casey believes something is not right in their marriage and she becomes obsessed with finding out more.

I love how Riley Sager dances in familiar trope territory in his books - final girls, summer camp horror movies, haunted houses - and how he twists and plays with the reader’s expectations. I find that I often think I know what I’m getting…think I know what may happen next…or have expectations based on the tropes, but Sager finds new and inventive ways to play on these tropes and to keep me guessing, to surprise me and more than anything to keep me reading way late into the night.

I have read his books in order and FINAL GIRLS has stayed in the top spot for years. While others have come close (and I do love all of his books), I will say THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE is the first book that threatened to unseat it and keeps a top spot in good company as my fave Riley Sager novel.

If you are not already reading Riley Sager this is a great of a place as any to start. His books are all standalone but I loved the Easter eggs he planted here for his readers. And unrelated to the story, I secretly hope Casey was named as a nod to JB Fletcher.

Huge thanks to Riley Sager, Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC. This made my whole year!

I think I need a handler to stop letting me read Riley Sager’s books. Every time I end up being disappointed. (Except Lock Every Door, which is a masterpiece, don’t @ me.) This one is definitely a departure from his normal formula, and while I don’t completely hate the big plot twist, I was so over this book by the time I got there. I would love to tally up how many mentions of alcohol/alcoholism/drinking there are, because I’d bet it’s well over 100. It got to be exhausting, and I think I speak for many of us when I say that the alcoholic reclusive woman trope is tired and overdone. The only parts of this book that are original and interesting end up being absolutely bonkers and ridiculous.

On another note, I’m SO tired of reading about unreliable women narrators with substance abuse problems being gaslit by men… written by MEN. It’s demeaning and overdone and I’m henceforth banning myself from reading this type of book anymore!

Honestly, this book was not what I was expecting. At all. (But in the best way). As somebody who is passionate about true crime, I thought I had the plot figured out from the beginning but boy was I wrong! It’s a little slow to start, but Riley Sager’s writing style kept my interest peeked from the moment I opened the book till the very end. I pointed so many fingers at so many characters and I was was wrong (almost) Every. Single. Time.

I really enjoyed the main character, the fact there was a hint of romance but not an overwhelming amount, and I liked the role the neighbours of the lake played within the story. I really hope this becomes a Netflix show or movie!

The only reason I’ve decided to give it 4.5/5 stars is because I would’ve enjoyed a little more focus and information on the lore surrounding the lake, because I did end up with a few questions that weren’t answered. But regardless, I felt like the plot came together nicely and I enjoyed the true crime/paranormal(?) cross over.

I can’t wait for this books release and to put my staff pick sticker on it!!!

Overall sadly I didn't love this book. I'm a huge Riley Sager fan but this one was just meh for me. I didn't love the twists in this book and didn't love the paranormal aspect either. I didn't loathe this book by any means it just didn't hit the mark for me.

It pains me to write this review. After not enjoying Survive the Night last year, I desperately wanted another incredible Sager book. Sadly, this was not it. The first 50% dragged terribly, and the second half felt very unsatisfying, unoriginal, and lacking. Even coming from someone who adores and constantly recommends Home Before Dark, I suggest skipping this one :(

I haven't read any of Riley Sager's previous books, so when my request for The House Across The Lake was approved I jumped at the chance to read it right away to see what the Sager hype is all about. This book started out strong; I loved the atmospheric setting and it definitely kept my interest. There are a few twists but the major reveal is so over the top unbelievable and a bit ridiculous. If you're able to, and don't mind suspending belief, you'll probably enjoy this one.

Thank you so much to Dutton and Netgalley for the ARC! Folks, this is a capital C CRAZY ride!
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What started as a somewhat snoozy, predictable read with a stereotypical drunk, unreliable narrator that made me roll my eyes actually became a book I couldn't put down (once you reach the 70% mark). The House Across the Lake took SUCH an unexpected twist that I truly cannot write this book off as being another predictable thriller. And I applaud the twist - I think Sager will truly shock his readers. I thought I had guessed everything coming and never in a million years could I have predicted that ending. And ultimately, this is what I want in a thriller!
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I didn't find any of the characters particularly likable. I also think it's wise to suspend all belief of reality because this one really takes a twist. But is it worth the read? I mean, ya. I really am anxious to see how people react to Sager's new novel. As for how it ranks in my Sager author rankings - I don't even know - this one is SO different from his other books and my feelings were so split from the beginning of the book to the end, that I'm still reeling with all of my thoughts. One thing I will say that isn't a spoiler, I definitely want to keep the lights on while I go to bed tonight!

Thoughts as I read it:

20% into it: I’m bored 🥱
50% into it: I’m still bored 😑
70% into it: Should I should just DNF it because I’m still bored 🫣
75% into it: OMG, what just happened 🤯
After that I couldn’t stop turning the pages fast enough!

I seriously almost DNF this but I am so glad I didn’t because the twist left me SHOOK.
For people who don’t love supernatural thrillers, you may want to skip this one if you need the story to be ”believable”. I personally, love the supernatural so I am so glad I stuck with it.

However as amazing as the twist was, I am still faced with the fact that the first 70% of the book was boring and slowly dragged on.

It’s not as good as his first books but it’s definitely a step up from his last book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Riley Sager’s The House on the Lake is a fun read filled with enough plot twists and turns to give you mental whiplash. Hang on for a wild read with this one!

THAT PLOT TWIST THOUgH!!! This is by far Sager’s best work. That twist hit me like a bus. An absolute thriller masterpiece. I couldn’t stop reading it, it is so fast paced and enthralling and creepy and threw me off completely. I really really did not see that twist coming. The best I’ve read in a very long time. I’m so excited for everyone to get to read this book.

About a fourth of the way through this book, I was thinking how much this felt like so many other domestic thrillers I’ve read. An alcoholic woman with a traumatic past gets too invested in what her neighbors are up to and begins making assumptions about everything she sees.

But then there are some pretty wild twists that turn this into a completely different sort of book. And while I was definitely more invested during the second half, I’m still not entirely sure how I feel about the twists. I don’t want to say anything else, though, because I think you should go into this book knowing as little as possible.

Also, I wish I had counted how many times this book mentions the protagonist, Casey’s, drinking, because it would be a ridiculous amount. We get it, she’s an alcoholic and an unreliable narrator.

I still have a couple of lingering questions after the ending, but overall, once the story picked up, it really picked up. I flew through the second half of the book and had a fun time reading it. While it’s not my favorite Riley Sager book, it’s also not my least favorite, so I’d say give this one a shot if you're a fan of his other novels.

Spoiler-Free review!
Reeling from the tragic drowning of her husband, Casey is living life in constantly drunk and ruining her acting career. When her mom decides to send her to the remote family lake house for a couple months after her latest drunken paparazzi outburst, she finds herself watching her neighbors, former supermodel Katherine Royce and tech tycoon Tom Royce through binoculars. What she sees starts to worry her… and then Katherine disappears.

I will read and buy ANYTHING that Riley Sager writes. He’s one of my favorite authors. I am so happy I was able to read an advanced copy of The House Across the Lake so I can encourage as many people to read it because this book didn’t disappoint! A slow but unputdownable build. KIND OF got Woman in the Window vibes at first, but only due to the heavy drinking. This was way better done. And the twist? I WAS HERE FOR IT. APPLAUSE! Overall, rating this 4.5 stars. I look forward to writing a more detailed review when the book releases so I can include spoilers.

Thank you NetGalley and Dutton for the opportunity to review in advance!

I was lucky to receive this ARC from NetGalley in return for an honest review. I rated this novel a 3.6 rounded up to 4 stars. I am a huge Sager fan and was so excited to read his latest novel. I was sucked into the story immediately, loving the "Rear Window" type plot. This is a fast-paced read that kept me engaged and invested in the characters and the story line. It was around the 75% mark that the book took a very different turn that I did not see coming and I am not sure how I felt about it. (still processing it) That being said, I still enjoyed this read very much and would absolutely recommend this novel!

Well, I can officially say that Riley Sager has officially ruined lakes for me forever. Officially an ocean or pool gal only from here on out!

This book definitely felt different than past Sager endeavors. I was extremely intrigued by the fact that we got to dabble into the lives of the rich and famous but wish that had been played up a bit more. This book had moments that peaked my interest and I flew through and then I'd hit several chapters that we're a bit boring. This was especially tough as it followed the typical trope of a woman, down on her luck (and well into her alcoholism), spying on neighbors and seeing things she shouldn't have. I will say though, when the twist hits, IT HITS! I was SHOOKETH, However as soon as that twist is over, it's a bit boring again from there on out.

Still hoping for a strong Sager comeback but this one just wasn't it for me.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

2.75*

WOW! What a twisty ride! This was my first book by Sager and I was not disappointed. I loved the character development, and the twists kept me guessing the whole way through! Overall, I am glad I read this one!

Really wasn’t my favorite. I wanted to get more into it than I did it fell flat though. I really liked the characters I just felt something was missing.

Riley Sager has done it again! This is another twisty, funny and lean mystery that constantly wrong foots expectation in the best way. It was fun seeing Sager playing with genre in a new way, and I was hooked the whole way through. Nobody writes thrillers as good as this.