3.5 stars

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden  is a psychological thriller about the daughter of a serial killer.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Poisoned Pen Press and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


 My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
When Dr. Nora Davis was eleven, her father Aaron Neirling was arrested.  It turns out that he was a serial killer, and he was killing women in their locked basement, and storing the bodies there.  No wonder Nora wasn't allowed to see his workshop.  That was 26 years ago, and Nora's father is doing 18 consecutive life sentences in jail.  Nora's mother was also charged.  She killed herself in jail.

So, Nora changed her name, became a successful surgeon, and made sure she no one knew about her relationship with "The Handyman".  She may not be perfect, but she tries to save lives instead of take them.

But now, someone is repeating her fathers' crimes, and the police are wondering about Nora.  Even Nora is starting to worry about Nora.

 
My Opinions:
I had enjoyed Ward D by this author, so I thought I'd try another one.  McFadden is quickly becoming a new favorite author in my books, if only because they are fast reads.  They may not be deep, but they are entertaining.

The book was fast-paced, and had a really intriguing plot.  I really liked Nora, even though I didn't always trust her, and often found her behaviour ridiculous for someone supposedly as bright as she is.  Mind you, I know some very bright people who lack common sense, so.....

Although I  had anticipated the true killer, there were enough suspects that it wasn't really obvious.  I certainly didn't see that twist coming....which in hindsight, I probably should have, as it too was a little obvious.

One thing...I thought this was a new book, but then find out it was originally published in 2021...so maybe McFadden's writing style has improved in her more recent books. I'm not saying it was bad in this book, but it was just very simple, and didn't seem to have depth.

Although I seem to have a lot of complaints,  I did enjoy the book, and will definitely be reading more of her books.

Thank you to NetGalley, Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press for the free evil in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve only read The Housemaid by McFadden, but I really really enjoyed it and was very excited to read more. This didn’t disappoint! Never a dull moment and lots of people to suspect. Definitely what you need if you want a quick but twisty thriller!

When I want a great, fast paced thriller, I know Freida McFadden is always the right choice! This one was dark as it centralizes around a daughter of a convicted serial killer. It had such a great plot twist. My guesses were completely wrong the entire time. I would recommend any of Freida's book. I have enjoyed all the ones I have read by her and plan on reading more!

Anything she writes i will read! Freidas writing is so captivating and has you on the edge of your seat the whole time. The story line for this book was so good and fast paced. This book had my brain coming up with all kinda of conclusions and i loved every minute of it.

The Locked Door is my first Freida McFadden read and I can say that it definitely set out my expectations for this author and I mean it as a compliment.

Nora is the daughter of a convicted serial killer. Now a renowned surgeon, she has cut all ties to her old life, including her name. Except it seems her old life is not done with her as Nora's patients start dropping dead in an identical MO to her father. Is he somehow coordinating these from prison? Or is she going mad?

This was a perfect popcorn read, McFadden's writing style is easy to get through and she keeps you guessing. I think my qualms were mainly about how unlikeable the characters were and how on the nose Nora's 'condition' is in the flashbacks which is used as a red herring. I wasn't massive on the ending as I thought it was a tad cliche but not as cliche as it would've been had they gone the route I thought while reading.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy for an honest review.

Can Frieda do anything wrong? Another smash hit from her.

I absolutely loved this tale of surgeon Nora who is the daughter of a serial killer. He is still in prison but it seems like a copy cat is on the loose. Or is it? All signs are pointing to Norma.

Norma seems a bit off. Perhaps a bit evil. Could she be committing these heinous crimes? The evidence is piling up.

Another one you need to read! Go get your copy today. The shocking ending will not disappoint!

Thanks to netgalley and poisoned penned press for this arc! I absolutely loved it

Freida always nails it! She’s the palette cleanser between all my heavy reeds.

The description hooked me! Serial killers? Yes please! A literal page turner complete with plot twist!

Nora Davis, formerly Nora Nierling, is a well-respected surgeon who saves lives every day. But she’s also the daughter of a serial killer. It’s been 26 years since her father’s arrest and the killings have started up again. All the signs point to Nora, but she couldn’t be the killer. Right?

When I read a thriller, I want to be surprised and entertained. I want to fret over the protagonist’s safety and have theories swirling through my mind of who the killer could be. “The Locked Door” certainly delivered on every count! Overall it was fast-paced and twisty and I’d recommend it to both Freida fans and readers who’ve never picked up her novels.

The reason I’m giving “The Locked Door” four stars instead of five is because the ending felt a little rushed after such tense plot development throughout the novel. I also thought there were a couple small plot points that were a little too convenient in moving the story along.

Spice level: Jalepeno 👀: There are a few sex scenes but they fade to black and are not detailed

Tropes: Multiple timelines, The Protagonist as a Suspect

Triggers: Abuse, Animal Abuse, Violence, Mentions of Torture but no description, Suicide

I was so excited to read this one because I’m such a fan of McFadden but this one fell flat for me. This psychological thriller is about a surgeon who turns out to be the daughter of a notorious serial killer. When her patients starting dying left and right, she immediately becomes a suspect; is she following in her father’s footsteps or is there something else? Narrated by Nora, I immediately drawn in and enjoyed how many layers she had. However, the plot became extremely repetitive for me and I felt like the character development was lacking. If you’re in the mood for popcorn thrillers, then I definitely recommend this book for you!

I debated between a 2 and a 3-star rating for awhile, before finally settling on 3. It wasn’t “bad” as much as it was just simply unimpressive. I’m sure that I will eventually completely forget about this one.

While there were some good, tense moments, I felt like everything fell flat towards the end, even with the twist.

Overall, I really feel like if you’re looking for a fun, twisty thriller, this will do the trick, but there’s a lot out there that are much better and more intricately plotted than this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, Poisoned Pen Press, for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

"The Locked Door" by Freida McFadden is a gripping page-turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I will say I guessed what the major twist was going to be at the beginning. However as the story unfolded I was definitely second guessing myself throughout. The story's clever twists and turns will leave you guessing until the very end. Thank you NetGalley, Freida McFadden, and publisher for the copy.

One of my favorites of Freida's. It was a quick and easy read with lots of twists. I found myself wanting to read more. I loved the serial killer plot. I highly recommend

Another great read from Freida McFadden, she never disappoints! Over the top suspense, clever plot, and the perfect amount of twists. The perfect psychological thriller that will have you questioning every character! Thank You NetGalley, Freida McFadden and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!

I am a huge fan of Freida McFadden! Her books are so good. This one did not disappoint! I’m glad I started reading it over the weekend because I couldn’t stop reading it.

As the daughter of a serial killer, Nora Davis has done everything she can to escape any attachments to her father. She changed her last name and became a doctor. She wanted to help people and try to even the score from the damaged lives her father created.

Her father is still in prison and she hasn't seen him in years, so why are women suddenly disappearing with the same MO? It is as if the headlines are being ripped from the pages of the newspapers from when she was a child and her father was actively killing.

All eyes begin to turn to her despite all of her best efforts to have no association with her father. Who ever is killing these women has began to leave evidence in her home and car.

Full of suspense that Frieda McFadden is known for, this book kept me guessing right up until the big reveal.

This is the 4th book by Freida McFadden I have read this year (the first two were the Housemaid and the Housemaid's secret, and then the Coworker). I still have several more books by her that I plan to read and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next! She has become a solid 5 star author for me and I have loved everything I have read by her so far. Her books have made me fall in love with the genre.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of the E-book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the chance to read The locked door by Freida McFadden. I have been a fan since reading The housemaid. Originally published in 2021 I found this was just as good as The housemaid, and I had a hard time putting it down. Told in first person and two timelines, it was fast paced and lots of twists!

Like all of the other Freida McFadden books I've read, this book sure kept me on my toes! I kept thinking I had it figured out but there were so many twists and turns, I could barely keep up. A great psychological thriller that I could barely put down!

Narrated by Nora, I was drawn into her story immediately. Nora Davis is the daughter of a notorious serial killer dubbed "the handyman." Her father told her he was working in the basement, but he was actually killing women in their basement. She has since moved on, become a surgeon, and changed her name, hoping no one knows that she is related to a deadly killer imprisoned for life for his crimes. Her world is rocked when a copycat killer begins killing women she has seen in her medical practice in the same manner of her father. However, her tranquility shatters when one of her young female patients is brutally murdered, mirroring her father's infamous methods. Someone knows Nora's secret and aims to frame her for the crime, though she's far from her father's sinister nature. The police have nothing on her, as long as they never venture into her basement. Nora is cold and not wholly likable, but something about her made me want to know more. She has a strong voice, and there are some layers to her character. There were some twists and interesting development.


Thanks to NetGalley, the author & Poisoned Pen Press

Another fun popcorn thriller by Freida McFadden! This tells the story of Nora, who's father is a serial killer in prison. Nora has changed her name and become a doctor. She wants nothing to do with her father and his past. When the patients of Nora's practice begin dying- murdered in the same way that her father killed his victims, Nora must figure out who is doing this and what they are trying to tell her. 

This is another edge of your seat thriller from McFadden. She has a way of telling the story that keeps the reader engaged the whole time. I love that her chapters are short and have cliffhangers to keep you wanting more. 
I enjoyed this thriller and will of course read more by McFadden. The audiobook was fantastic and really brought the story to life.

My first Freida McFadden book and definitely will not be my last! There were many plot twist that kept me guessing until the end!