"Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" is the multidimensional thriller I didn't know I needed.
I think the truest sign of a good book is when I’m reaching for my Kindle more than my phone — that definitely happened with “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.” This opened with the exact kind of bitchy family drama that’s I live for — and on Christmas Eve, no less. Immediately, there’s a tense, suspicious vibe.
New mom Hannah agrees to spend her first weekend away from her toddler when her brother rents a posh cabin in the Georgia mountains. (Hannah and her family live in the Tampa area and there are so many little references that I think you’ll enjoy if you live here, from a dinner on Clearwater Beach to USF to the rising cybersecurity industry.)
Three couples show up for the weekend, and the cabin turns out to have a creepy past, and there’s a big storm on its way to Georgia (this also felt very real to me as it’s still hurricane season). As the storm rolls in, it becomes clear that someone is out to ruin the weekend, and Hannnah starts to wonder if she can trust her brother.
There is a story within this story that seems unrelated to Hannah and her family, but it all comes together in one explosive ending. Usually when books try to wrap two different storylines together, I find one far more interesting than the other. But I was very into both of the storylines in this one and couldn’t wait to see how it tied together.

Locked room mysteries have a special place in my heart. I have read them all, from "And Then There Were None," to "The Hunting Party," to "The Sanatorium," to "The Escape Room;" and I can say, quite confidently, that Lisa Unger has produced one of the best of the genre with "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six." The tension builds from page one as she peels back layer upon layer that turns the perfect weekend getaway into a nightmare our characters will be lucky to escape.

Hannah has always been the "fixer" of her family. She's the first to smooth over a tense situation, to clean up a mess, to make a problem disappear. She can't seem to fix her way out of a weekend away with her brash, over-the-top tech mogul brother, however. Try as she might to think of a way out of the weekend, she's just not ready to leave her toddler daughter overnight, she finds herself being spammed with photo after photo of the luxurious house, the unbeatable amenities, the couple time she'll have with her husband, and the time for her to reconnect with her brother, Mako.

As she and her husband, Bruce, reluctantly accept, they find themselves arriving at the secluded, luxurious cabin just ahead of a potentially deadly tropical storm. Between the weather, the sinister aura Hannah picks up on around the house, and a private chef who spooks her with ghost stories as he prepares what should have been a relaxing and enjoyable welcome dinner, Hannah finds herself on high alert. She can't help but think the owner of the rental is just a little too close for comfort, can't ignore the shapes she seems to see in the woods, and can't escape the sense of unease she finds around her best friend Cricket's new boyfriend.

Hannah finds herself in a race against nature, and the clock, as the weekend turns from tense, to scary in an instant. She's always been a fighter, and she's determined to return home to her daughter, no matter who she has to take out to get there. As she uncovers secrets about her husband, wrestles with how well she truly knows her brother, and wonders just how far she can trust her best friend, readers will fly through the pages with her, determined to see how the weekend plays out, and just who will survive.

A must-read for fans of Lucy Foley, Megan Goldin, and BA Paris, "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" is the perfect thriller for winter. Fans will appreciate the isolated atmosphere, the almost unbearable tension, and the mounting suspense and they careen toward the conclusion.

Special thanks to NetGalley and to Park Row for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" in exchange for an unbiased review!

A decent mystery/thriller that kept me guessing until the end.
Three couples are staying at a secluded cabin in Georgia. None of the characters are particularly likeable.
Told in multiple POVs and differing timelines, it was difficult for me to see how Henry fit into the story, but it tied up in the end. Interesting perspective on DNA and family/genetics.

Hannah’s brother, Mako, books a luxury cabin in the woods months in advance for six of them to enjoy a weekend getaway. Leading up to their trip, Hannah can’t help but feel that it isn’t a good idea for them to go away but pushes her feelings aside and decides to try to relax.

The cabin is beautiful but has an unsettling feeling; the private chef mentions the history of the property while the décor also raises flags. A storm is moving in and with it, spotty connectivity.

From DNA kits at Christmas that nobody owns up to buying to a cabin of six people all with their own shared history and secrets. In time all of the secrets come to light.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read an ARC of this novel. #SecludedCabinSleepsSix #NetGalley

In this rainy, locked-room mystery three couples embark on a relaxing vacation at a secluded luxury cabin that descends into madness. That sounds pretty straight forward, but this book oscillates a lot between the present and the past, and an entire underlying narrative about an outside character that’s tangentially related to the villain. And weirdly enough, my favorite part of the book was that underlying narrative of Henry who has to grapple with a troubled childhood, growing up and starting a family and wanting better for his family while also wanting to know where he came from. A basic nature vs. nurture plot, but I found Henry a really empathetic character and I really liked his journey. The main couples I cared less about. I think as far as thrillers go, this is pretty middle-ground. It deals a lot with genealogy and if evil or sociopathy can be inherited. Which I think is interesting, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I think if you trimmed some bits (a lot about the weird owner of the cabin) and slimmed down a bit then I would have liked it more. I liked a lot of parts of this book but as a whole it left me lacking.

As per usual-@launger does not disappoint. I know this is all over booksta and you have probably seen it a billion times but I have to say this may be my favorite of hers.

From the very beginning, you get weird vibes from all the characters. Their actions are strange and everyone seems to be hiding something. So sus! The dynamic between characters is really well done. You feel you know their feelings toward each other and the characters themselves, until you don’t lol. The book flips between several POVs, which took me a minute to get a handle on all of them, but it also added to my intrigue.

There are multiple twists and turns. The whole thing is expertly done like Unger does so well. I liked that you really do not see where the story is going nor get a total grip on how it all ties in until you get the big “AHA” moment at the end.

Lastly, the atmosphere in the story was perfect. It really added to the completely creepy, unsure feeling of the story. I did also enjoy the message this was trying to get across “You really can choose your family” which I thought perfectly timed for the holidays!

Alternating narrators tell the story of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Friends are looking forward to time away from work and some upsetting events in their lives, each of them sharing bits of their stories. Then there are narrators not part of the group, unknown to the reader until later in the tale. Their bits and pieces reminded me of horror in the making, and I was not sure of their roles in the events unfolding in that cabin. Are they connected in any way to the friends in the cabin?

Even the six friends have secrets that slowly begin to show us more about the nightmare coming their way. Was never sure what was going on, which is always a good thing. The ending was a little drug out and one weird chapter, but I would still recommend.

𝘚𝘪𝘹 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘭𝘶𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥𝘴.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was a fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the beginning. I loved the family dynamic and was intrigued to see where the story would go. Once the three couples arrived at the cabin it was obvious something sinister was going on with someone watching them and stories of a murder taking place there with the ghosts roaming the woods.

There is another part of this story that isn’t mentioned in the synopsis so I don’t want to give spoilers, but I found it very interesting how it all came together.

My one issue with this book was how many points of view there were. I felt like it would have worked with just three characters’ perspectives, but that wasn’t a major issue for me. I was able to figure out one of the big twists, but overall I found this a very atmospheric and creepy thriller. This was my first book by Unger, but won’t be my last.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a riveting locked-room thriller.

The premise of this thriller is that three couples rent a remote luxury cabin. There are lots of secrets and it is extremely fun seeing how everything plays out.

There are multiple 3rd person POVs. But the main character to me was Hannah. She is married to Bruce, her brother is Mako and her best friend is Cricket. These are the 3 couples that go to the cabin Hannah/Bruce, Mako/Liza, Cricket/Joshua.

It was very interesting to see the dynamics between all of the characters. One of my favorite characters was Henry. His story starts off in the past. I really enjoyed him and I liked finding out how he was connected to the rest of the book.

I tried hard to piece together every bit of information. And I always enjoy books that feature some type of stalking aspect. Overall this was an enjoyable thriller that will keep you guessing till the end!

This thriller has so much potential! When I read the synopsis I was so excited for this book. The first few chapters are so good; I was hooked! The characters are flawed and interesting. Not really relatable, but so close that you want to relate to them. When I think back on the the book as a whole, the story is there. It was pretty good with logical twists that were unexpected. But while I was reading, the execution of the story is a bit clunky. It seemed to be fast paced and yet drag on. The two story lines weren't quite parallel enough for them to come to a cohesive ending. It happened, but seemed forced. Overall, not bad. I would recommend it to the right person.

I liked the setting for this sort-of locked room mystery, but I didn’t really like any of the characters, there were characters and storylines that were not needed (Bracken, meant to be a red herring? Henry wasn’t really needed to advance the plot). I will borrow a word I saw in other reviews – messy – it was for me with the multiple points of view and the thread tying much of it together. There were many people who liked this book, but it was just OK for me. Thank you for the ARC. 2.5 stars.

👻SPOOKY SEASON READ ALERT👻

“Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six” should be added to all of your spooky season TBRs! It truly is the perfect book for this season and has so many spooky vibes 👻🎃🍂

Likes:
🌲the story is told from multiple POV’S, which I absolutely love getting as many characters perspectives, especially in a thriller!
🌲The story also flashes back and forth between the past and the present
🌲Locked room mystery in a creepy cabin in the middle of no where (and no cell service)
🌲Gives you that creepy, spooky vibes feeling! Someone is always watching 👀
🌲The story kept me on my toes! I found it very hard to put down and just needed to know the connection between the characters and what was going on at this creepy cabin!
🌲I like the origins and genetics theme that ran throughout the book and what that had to do with the twists and turns while reading it!

Dislikes:
🌲I really hated a few of the characters, but honestly that is what made the story and the writing being able to make me hate characters as much as I did!

Unger has this ability to take topics and write the darkest, twisty story and I love that! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it was hard to put down!

Thank you so much for my advanced copy!! @harpercollinsca and @launger You will want to keep an eye out for this one 👀💛

🥳PUB DAY: November 8th/2022

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3 stars.

Spoilers ahead. I will not reveal anything big - most of the review vaguely alludes to plot, structure, and characters.

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Right off the bat, I was annoyed by the number of characters and the unnecessary first chapter. It was hard to keep track of who was who and the relationships involved. The setting of the cabin is classic and the suspense was there at times, but plot was overwrought and, again, overly complicated. I really wanted to like this book, but the characters were all unquiely hateable and there was too much going on for much of the book. I saw someone else use the word "messy" when it comes to this book, and that does ring true. Definitely an okay read for the mystery fan looking for something quick and not super engaging.

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Again, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This plot feels like it's been done, and done again. Secluded cabin, a storm, bad things start happening, who-did-it? Yeah, I've read it before. I wanted oh-so-badly to find something fresh and inviting in this one, but instead I found the same cabin in the woods being snowed in as usual.

Saying all that, we all keep watching Hallmark movies even though we know the plot line already, don't we? This is pretty much the same thing for thriller lovers. So despite it being a well-covered troupe or theme, it's still worth reading.

I felt that this was a fantastic psychological thriller. This is filled with suspense and secrets. I loved how the author let you know bits and pieces about each of the characters lives as the book progressed. I did not want to put this book down until I found out who was manipulating each of these people. I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

This is one of those slow-build, multiple-POV suspense novels that will capture readers’ attention, while also frustrating them with the sluggish pacing.

This is the story of three couples on holiday at a secluded luxury cabin in the woods. All three couples are connected in different ways. By marriage, by friendship, and family ties. It is arranged by the outgoing, egocentric Mako, who is determined to show off his wealth by gifting an extreme vacation to his sister and her husband, and his ex and her newest flame. The weekend away is supposed to be fun and relaxing, but soon turns into a nightmare when the group is trapped by a hurricane and they realize something sinister is afoot.

There are so many POVs to keep track of that I found myself flipping back through the first couple of chapters to keep it all straight in my head. There’s Hannah, the stay-at-home mom who doesn’t want to leave her baby for the weekend, but knows she needs time away to focus on the relationship with her workaholic husband. Mako is Hannah’s brother and a total douchebag. Liza is Mako’s wife and she is an online yoga instructor who seems to be his complete opposite. Cricket is Mako’s ex and Hannah’s best friend, a bit of a party girl who brings along her newest boyfriend Joshua, but can’t keep her eyes off her high school lover. There are a whole lot of complexities to each relationship, and their backstories are revealed as the plot moves forward. Secrets, infidelities, and past transgressions.

Amid all of this angst and drama is a storm, barreling down on the vacationers and trapping them in the house with a mystery villain who has a mission to complete. One that begins with an orphaned boy looking for family ties, and ends with someone determined to end what they perceive as bad blood. I won’t spoil it for you, but just know that I didn’t really figure it all out until the climax. It’s convoluted, but an interesting conflict and resolution. There is also the creepy owner of the rental, who adds a perverse layer to the suspense.

Ultimately I did enjoy Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, but the long, meandering journey to the conclusion did get tiring at times. It was only by strength of will that I kept myself from flipping to the end to find out the bad guy’s identity and motives.

Don’t all busy families have time to relax in a cabin in the woods? In this book, siblings Hannah and Mako go with their spouses and Hannah’s best friend and boyfriend to a luxurious cabin for the weekend. The bad news is, a storm is on its way. The story jumps between characters and back and forth in time to weave everything together. This book kept me guessing until the end.

Review of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I adore Lisa Unger. Her books are amazing and she’s so nice as well. She ever lets me down so I couldn’t wait to read this one. I really enjoyed this one. My favorite part was the spooky setting. The dual timelines were also a really cool part of this book. Thriller lovers definitely will want to check this one out.

Quick synopsis: Hannah is looking forward to a weekend away with her husband, her brother, her sister in law, her best friend and her boyfriend. They have rented a nice cabin and can’t wait to unwind. But almost immediately they start hearing and seeing things and then someone goes missing. Their fun weekend quickly turns terrifying.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Three couples arrive at a luxury cabin in the woods. The cabin is far from the nearest town and off the grid. With the threat of bad weather, the couples settle in for the weekend. All of them have secrets.

The story is told from multiple points of view. Some of which were more interesting than others. There were creepy elements thrown in, but not a lot of them developed into important parts of the plot.

Parts of the story were entertaining and fast paced and parts of the plot dragged. In the end, most of it comes together. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5101821877

I liked a lot of things about this book and I really enjoyed reading it. In a lot of ways its a very classic locked room psychological drama. The story follows brother and sister Mako and Hannah and their respective spouses as they embark on a luxurious retreat in the wilderness. Soon after they arrive they start feeling unnerved by creepy ghost stories about the property's history and it starts to feel like they might not be alone. There are numerous plot lines, perspectives, and time jumps, and it does get a little messy at times, but overall it's a fun journey.

Things I liked: A good locked room mystery, compulsively readable, plotlines wove together really well

Things I didn't like: The author attempts to make a comment about women protecting bad, predatorial men, but for me it falls very flat. It's tied up way too quickly, neatly, and with no real repercussions or lasting consequences for the complicity of the women who enable the predatory behavior of bad men.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4. I'd definitely recommend to any fan of mysteries, psychological thrillers, and the like. TW for SA.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, Park Row for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.