Member Reviews

I have become a massive Sager fan as of the end of last year and have now read all of his books. I’m
Hooked. While I haven’t loved all of them the same, I’d put this up there with some of my faves.

Now, w/o spoiling anything, there is an element to this book that differs from his others in a way. I think it will either be a welcomed surprise for some or perhaps a turnoff. I personally was okay with how he handled it and what it added to the story.

All in all, you’ll get the twists and turns you expect from a Sager as well as the wonderful and creepy atmosphere of Lake Greene. I recommend to Sager fans, those who also like Simone St James, and anyone who enjoys a twisty thriller that creeps up on you.

My rating: 4.3*

Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for this early copy. All opinions are my own.

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I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I read it in two sittings only because I had to go to work in between. This was the type of thriller that I love. It keeps you guessing, is creepy, makes you hold your breath in points, and has more than one good twist.

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Thank you Dutton Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
I loved this book…in the beginning. However, as the story went on, I found myself disappointed in it. For some reason, I just couldn’t get through this book fast enough. Riley’s normal writing style wasn’t to par in this book, in my opinion. Although my desires for The House Across the Lake were stamped out, one thing is certain: Riley Sager DOES jam the suspense and twists in there — that’s for sure. I’m a die hard Riley fan and I won’t stop reading his books just because one book didn’t meet my expectations.

🛶 🛶 🛶 3/5

🚨TRIGGER WARNING: Alcoholism, sexual assault

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It makes me incredibly sad that I cannot give this 5 stars. I was so excited to get this advanced reader's copy from one of my favorite authors. I think the biggest issue is not really the plot, although I found it lacking, it was that I was never really on the edge of my seat, and I expected more from him. I do think it was a bit of a cop-out of "The Woman in the Window," but it was a totally different story overall. The ability to come up with thrilling stories in such short time periods is admirable nonetheless, and I still liked the story, even if I didn't love it.

Thank you to @netgalley #thehouseacrossthelake #rileysager for the advanced reader's copy for an honest review.

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Ever since Riley Sagar’s debut novel The Final Girls, I’ve read every single one of his books upon the year of its release. So as usual, when his newest work arrived, I dropped my insanely long tbr stack and immediately started reading.

The House Across The Lake centers around Casey Fletcher who is an actress and the daughter of the world-famous theater actress Lilly Fletcher. Casey has recently become an alcoholic as a way to deal with the sudden loss of her husband Len. To escape the prying eyes of the tabloids, she has retreated to her family’s lake house in Vermont. With little to do in Vermont Casey passes the time with bourbon and spying on her neighbors, Tom and Katherine Royce. Katherine who is a former supermodel suddenly disappears without a trace. Casey becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to Katherine but soon uncovers some very dark truths lurking just beneath the surface.

The beginning of the book is very very slow-paced, but trust me you want to hang in there and keep reading. The beginning has full-on Hitchcock’s Rear Window vibes(the movie is even mentioned in the book). We are introduced to Casey and her history as well as an introduction to the neighbors. Without giving anything away, I will say that 50% of the way in the book starts to get very very interesting. As a jaded thriller reader who can easily predict the twist or reveal, I was actually blindsided when the twist was revealed, and in true Sagar fashion, we are hit with multiple blindsiding twists.

Not that I disliked it but I ended up enjoying this one much more than last year's release, Survive The Night. This is such an unforgettable story that will stay with me long after finishing it. There is no doubt that The House Across The Lake will be loved by Sagar’s fans and will be one of the biggest thrillers of the year among readers.

The House Across The Lake will be available on June 21! A massive thanks to Dutton Books and Nethalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

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Riley Sager does it again! He has quickly become one of my favorite suspense authors.. Normally I have no problem figuring a book out before the end, but this book kept me guessing. The Rear Window on steroids vibes of this work gave me chills. As with all of his other books this one was a binge read for me. I will be reading this again, and will heavily encourage everyone to read this book.

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Me, with 30% completed: OK, yeah, we get it, unreliable narrator because alcohol. This seems predictable.
Me, with 50% completed: OK, changed a little, but I still get it.
Me, with 75% completed: WHAT. NO, WAIT, WHAT. WHAT NOW.
Me, with 80% completed: I just...
Me, with 95% completed: Oh, shit, yeah I forgot about that. OK. But wait...
Me, with 99% completed: Well I don't know how I feel about THAT but...ok.
Me, with 100% completed: RILEY SAGER, IT IS MIDNIGHT AND I HAVE TO WORK TOMORROW, WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME.

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Riley Sager most certainly did not disappoint in this new thriller! His words paint a beautiful picture of the Greene Lake scenery and characters while keeping readers thoroughly interested in the storyline the entire time. Not once did I feel bored or as if any of the text was just filling up space. Each action and description is crucial to the story, even if you don’t actually realize it right away.

During my entire read I was happily on edge wondering where on earth this story could go! With many theories in my mind, I was pleasantly met with multiple plot twists and unexpected developments in the case. It was just enough action to keep me invested without becoming confusing.

Thank you to the publisher & Net Galley for sending me this book to read and review. I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers as much as I do!

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4.5-4.75 stars for this one!

I was in the mood for a creepy mystery and this ticked all of the boxes, then twisted the boxes up and made me question everything.

I’m intent on not spoiling a thing but I didn’t see the vast majority of this book coming which I genuinely loved. Would highly recommend.

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Another amazing thriller from Riley Sager! I will always preorder his books, always! I don’t know how he does it, but every single one of his twists hit!

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A Rear Window-esque thriller. Casey, a celebrity and a widow, is exiled to the cabin on the lake where her husband drowned more than a year prior, and distracts herself from her pain with alcohol and voyeurism towards the couple living across the lake.

Written well, up to the genre's standards. I cannot deny that this thriller was thrilling or that I gasped ( several times). I thought I had figured out the twist twice and was wrong both times, which is very refreshing. My only gripe is that there were perhaps one too many twists and that the main twist was just not to my liking, but that's just a matter of taste. If thrillers are your thing, this one is worth a shot. Undeniably entertaining.

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Thank you so much to Dutton for Riley Sager’s newest thriller. This was a mix of Rear Window and The Woman in the Window, but on steroids. It is the classic trope of an alcoholic woman spying on her neighbors, not really sure if what she sees is real or fake. Casey is a recently widowed actress staying at her lake house to avoid publicity. When she meets her new supermodel neighbor while saving her from drowning, Casey becomes obsessed with watching them through her binoculars across the lake. She sees there is tension in Katherine’s marriage and when Katherine disappears, Casey fears the worst has happened.

Thoughts: Now, by that description you are thinking you’ve read this story before. It’s the traditional and overdone trope of an unstable woman who sees something no one believes. And it was…for a while. I found myself getting a bit bored with the build up because it was everything I thought it would be. The setting was fun, the narrator was unreliable, and the supporting characters were suspicious. However, at around 70%, everything changed. Because it’s Sager, I knew I would enjoy this book no matter what. He is an amazing writer that draws in the reader and writes fast-paced and intriguing stories.

This book was NOT what I thought it would be. I kept thinking I knew exactly where it was going, but I really really didn’t. There were so many twists during the last 30% of the book that I had to put everything I was doing aside and barely took a breath. It was so wild and unexpected that I didn’t know what would happen from one paragraph to the next. There was so much in those few chapters that I wish it would have been spread out more throughout the book. It was classic Sager- lots of build-up, phenomenal writing, and some great twists. I know that some people will be blown away by this book and fall in love immediately. It was good, and for fans of wild endings, I think you’ll love it. 3.5 stars for me.

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The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

I have read all of Sager's books and every time I prioritize his books, I end up thinking, why did I rush to read this?! I enjoyed this one far more than his last but still end up not knowing how I feel overall.

Casey Fletcher is an actress, banished to her family's Vermont lake house by her mother. She is recently widowed and is one of a handful of residents currently at the lake. She has binoculars, and boy, does she use them and spends the majority of the book spying on her neighbors. This book has one of my least favorite tropes - unreliable, drunk, female narrator, and her drinking problem seems exacerbated by recent events.
The first 70% or so of this book is not great. I found it quite repetitive and very slow. Once you hit that 70% mark, it is full of several big twists that I didn't see. However, it is so ridiculous and overdone that I eye rolled when it was revealed.

For Sager super fans, there are some fun Easter eggs scattered throughout!

Thank you to @duttonbooks for my advanced copy! This book publishes June 21.

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Riley Sager has done it again! The House Across the Lake has a beautiful setting. While reading, I honestly thought I was at Lake Greene myself. Even though the twists near the end were far fetched and unbelievable this story was captivating and I couldn't put it down. Will buy every single book Riley publishes.

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Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC of The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager. I have read all of Sager's books and he has become one of my favorite authors. While I loved the book, it isn't what I expected. It is not as fast faced as some of Sager's other books until you get closer to the end. I was definitely thrown for a loop. I didn't expect the twist at all, which is hard for an author to pull off. I love the strong female characters and the little pieces of the story that Sager so craftily wove together. Great read and highly recommend any of Sager's books!

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I definitely was not expecting the ending with how the story started. The build up to the drama was slightly repetitive, but when the action began it was nonstop

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Movie announcer voice: From the makers of Girl on the Train and Woman in the Window comes the third installment, the Lady in the Lake House!
The first 70% of The House Across the Lake is not great. Repetitive and super slow. 2 stars. I only kept reading because it’s Riley Sager. Then you hit the 70% mark and wham! Here come the twists! Several of them! Back to back! 4 stars!
If you don’t mind reading another “drunk woman stares at someone else’s house” story to get to the last 30%, it’s worth it for the ending. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

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Well, that was...interesting. I can't say I saw the twist coming, so kudos to Sager on that front, but the twist was so ridiculous it ruined the book for me. If someone wants to read a Sager book for the first time this definitely won't be the one I recommend.

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I loved this book! The characters were extremely well developed. At first I thought the lead character, Casey, was talking to the supermodel's husband, Tom. But I was wrong.

Casey's husband was allegedly killed in a boating accident. As a result, Casey became a drunk and she played her part well. She saw her world through bourbon glazed eyes. She lost her stage acting job by showing up to work sloppy falling down drunk. After that episode her mother exiled her to the lake house to recover.

She spent her days spying on her neighbors across the lake, supermodel Katherine, and her husband. She was convinced he was trying to kill her by slowly poisoning her. And then Katherine disappeared. Casey was sure Tom had done something to her. She befriended her alcoholic in recovery neighbor, Boone, and together they attempted to solve the mystery. When Casey learned that Boone had once been accused of murdering his wife she immediately assumed he might have had something to do with Katherine's disappearance. Boone had introduced her to his police friend, Wilma. But when she learned that Wilma had stood up for Boone, Casey felt she was alone to figure out what happened to Katherine alone.

There was a twist in the middle of the book that cast a whole new light on the Katherine dilemma. While I don't want to give it away, I will say that it has to do with Casey's dead husband. At first I couldn't believe the book had taken such a turn, but the more I read, the more I was into it. The book ended on a high note. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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This is a story about a lake.

This one is hard to rate. I really enjoy the author & typically like the way he takes familiar concepts & makes them his own… but, this one wasn’t as much for me personally- the end twist was much different than anticipated, and didn’t land well for me.. but I’m sure some readers will love it! The drunk woman & unreliable narrator trope is central to the story, so I think if you really enjoy that this may be a good fit!

Thank you Netgalley & Penguin group Dutton for the eArc!

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