Nora lived a normal life until the police showed up to arrest her father, the notorious handyman killer.  Now, years later, Nora has worked hard to move past her traumatic childhood.  She's become a successful surgeon, lives a quiet life alone, and has changed her last name. Everything is going well until one of her patients is murdered, following the same pattern as the handyman killer.  Has someone found out Nora's dark secret?

In typical Frieda fashion, I wasn't really sure how this was going to end.  I was questioning who was murdering these people up until the end of the book.  I was even wondering if Nora herself could be the murderer and take after her father.  She seemed a bit unreliable at times and engaged in a lot of antisocial behavior.  She was also so adamant she was NOT like her father, that it seemed like maybe she was trying to convince herself.  There were other people who could've also potentially been the killer, so a lot of red herrings to sort through.  While I started to feel like Nora was too obvious, I was having a hard time narrowing down who it could actually be.  The ending was a surprise to me. Although I'm not completely sure it was believable, she definitely went for the shock value.  This was an enjoyable thriller and one you should check out, especially if you enjoy Frieda McFadden's books. 

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you Netgalley for this free book. This book has been published since 2021 and it's okay. I love reading new books but I expect that this book is coming out soon.

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden is a suspense book and I love it. The plot, the characters, and the writing are all good. The main character here is Nora and I like her. She works as a surgeon and she has a lot of people saved. The book was good and I would love to try Freida McFadden's books:)

The Locked Door 3.5/5 ⭐️
This book was enjoyable, but I didn’t absolutely love it! I never saw the plot twist so it got me, and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! I don’t think this is my favorite from her by far but it was okay! The chapters were short and quick and I did love that about the book! I wasn’t to thrilled about how it swapped from present day Nora and past Nora, but I just couldn’t keep up at times! I had to reread a lot to try to remember what was happening! I think this is a good book and will definitely be recommending to people!

Frieda McFadden is my new favorite Author! I devoured her books this summer and this new one does not disappoint! Could not put this book down! A back and forth thriller where you aren't really sure who is the victim until the end! Each character is flawed, and maybe not exactly what you think they are! Don't make any early assumptions with this one!I can't wait for her next book and am so appreciative of the advanced readers copy!

This is my third Freida McFadden book and I devoured it! It had me from the start.

The story follows Nora, whose father is a notorious serial killer currently serving a life sentence. She’s fought to make herself a great life by becoming a successful surgeon and keep her troubled past behind her. However, things take a turn as someone is recreating his signature murders and the police soon set their sights on Nora.

There were so many twists and the ending was not something I was expecting! Just as I was leaning one way, Freida throws in another twist! She had me on my toes. The story does not disappoint!

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every single book I’ve read just keeps getting better and better.

It took me till 90% of me going back and forth trying to figure out who did it. I for sure thought I was correct with every single guess.. great book!

Freida McFadden does it again. There is a reason why she is my favorite thriller author. Every book I read from her is in one sitting. Although I did feel that this book was a bit similar to her most recent release, The Coworker, I still was shocked by the end with all the twists and turns. I cannot wait for her next release!

I am definitely a Freida McFadden fan!

This book is a psychological suspense novel that kept me turning pages. I found Nora to be a very likable main character. I always love how McFadden’s characters are written, and this one did not disappoint. Similarly to all of her books, I was absolutely convinced I had the book figured out- BUT THE PLOT TWIST! It definitely got me, I was not only wrong, but shocked yet again.

This book was not super heavy in my opinion, but rather a very quick easy reason. I found myself bingeing this book in a short amount of time.

Definitely recommend this for the fall/spooky season!

Some doors are locked for a reason…
While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.
Until the day the police arrived at their front door.

After Nora has grown up, she trains to be a surgeon living a quiet life trying to keep her identity private. Unfortunately someone finds out who Nora is and then things change. One of Nora's patients is murdered, is it possible now that her patients are being identified and targeted and it looks like there is a copy cat killer at work? Nora is not her father.

Yes I did enjoy this book and it definitely deserves four stars. Another great psychological thriller from this author that will have you trying to work out what is what and how all the creepiness in the story will resolve. Twists and turns will keep you wondering what the heck is happening but in saying that is that what makes a good read? Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book, all opinions are my own. Four stars

.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press, for this ARC.

Bitch alarm!!! My god, how I dislike FMCs that are not likeable or relatable. But let's start at the beginning. I was looking forward to reading this book. It has been on my TBR forever and when I received the ARC I was over the moon. The daughter of a serial killer…do I need to say more? I was totally in. It is a fast-paced read and I read it within a day (not necessarily because it was that good). The chapters were short, what I liked and I enjoyed Nora her flashbacks.
Nora was only 11, when her father got arrested. It turned out he's a serial killer (’The Handyman’) and was sentenced to life in prison.

Twenty-six years later Nora changed her life completely; New name, no personal life whatsoever and is a Surgeon. No one can know she is the daughter of a serial killer. But…surprisingly….her past caught up and when her patients are found murdered the same way, Daddy dearest killed his victims, Nora needs to find out who's doing the killings or was it her?

I couldn't handle Nora's bitch behaviour and for a surgeon, she was just stupid….like ffs stupid. I had more eye-roll moments than I could count. Anyways, moving on. The story left me with more questions than answers, which is probably my own fault as I want to know everything. We jumped back and forward in time (which was good) but were missing a bunch of years, like what happened?
There were too many repetitive moments and information dumps nobody cares about. And the end…I actually can't believe that for some it was surprising or Woahhhhh. It was ridiculous (no, I am not giving away spoilers). I closed the book and was like...was this it?! Now don't get me wrong as I normally like Freida her books but this was just a miss for me. I'm sure that readers who pick up a Thriller now and then will love it. If you like simple and fast-paced stories, this will be a good book for you. For me this was a 2.5 read.

4.5⭐️ Whoa Frieda MaFadden! 🤯🤯
The Locked Door was an intense book from the prologue to the epilogue! I have read a few of McFadden’s books and this is my new favorite! The Housemaid had to move down a notch to make room for this major mental trip that I just took!

Nora Davis is a successful surgeon who’s been hiding her dark past from everyone. Nora’s father was a serial killer who mutilated his victims…in their basement! Nora has changed her name, moved away and built an impenetrable wall around herself. She has foregone any real relationships to prevent her past, rather her father’s past, from destroying her future.

They always say, the past catches up to you and Nora is no exception. A copycat killer is on the loose and Nora is the prime suspect, especially since the victims are her patients. The Locked Door is told in two timelines, and both are equally captivating. The suspense is intense throughout the whole book. On a side note, McFadden really attacked my senses with some of the descriptions, in fact, I think I’ll hold off on the lavender oils for a while! 🤢
Highly recommend!!

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own

This was a really good thriller! The story was there, the mystery and the reveal were really good. I would say that the reveal was not something I would guess, just because there was no context clues or hints into what the reveal was. Overall pretty solid

I was captivated with the story. I love how it started with a back story for the readers to get a better understanding on how the story will roll. I was interested in Nora immediately, there was something about her and the way she acted that had me intrigued. I love how the story goes from the past to present, and every chapter left me with questions and theories! Holy Plot Twist! This was my first time reading a thriller suspense but I enjoyed it, I personally think there were still unanswered questions, and I felt as if the plot was just pretty straightforward if that makes sense? It was easy for me to assume what would happen next.

NYT bestselling author and queen of thrills, Freida McFadden's (fav author) THE LOCKED DOOR, is a twisty psychological thriller of a creepy locked room basement when the past meets the present with a twist.

Some doors are locked for a reason…

Nora Davis's father is a murderer. As a young eleven-year-old girl, while she was in her bedroom doing homework, little did she know her father was in the basement murdering women. She wondered why the cellar was always locked. She thought he was into woodworking in his workshop. She even wanted to help him, but the door was always locked.

Twenty-six years ago, Aaron Nierling, charming and charismatic, was arrested in his Oregon home. He was known to everyone as an upstanding citizen with a good job and a family man—a dedicated father and husband. A phlebotomist. A narcissist and psychopath who likely killed more than thirty women. A monster.

Someone made an anonymous tip, and the cops showed up and found the remains of many women murdered over time. Now he is in prison. He is serving eighteen years in a maximum security prison. His wife was charged with accessory to murder and killed herself in jail before the trial.

Years later, Nora is an adult and has changed her name to hide her past. She is a successful surgeon and hides she is the daughter of a famous serial killer. She does not want to inherit her father's need to kill.

In the present, Nora discovers one of her female patients has been murdered. Someone is targeting her patents. Creepy, in the same way as her father when he murdered the women in the past.

From past to present, is there a copycat since her father is in prison? Or has someone found out and set her up to take the fall or worst of all, is she a killer like her father?

THE LOCKED DOOR is a wickedly twisted psychological thriller, and Freida keeps you entertained with twisty, short, action-filled chapters with the McFadden signature sinister twist that was unexpected. A lot of unlikeable characters here.

Check out the re-published version with an exclusive look at Freida's upcoming 2024 thriller, The Teacher!

Thanks to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for a complimentary reading copy. I also purchased the audiobook narrated by Shaina Summerville for an engaging, fun performance.

Blog Review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: Oct 3, 2023
My Rating: 4 Stars
Oct 2023 Must-Read Books

Freida does it again, I absolutely love her books. Another page turner, I stay up all night to finish her books. This is another gripping read from her.

The Locked Door, my second Freida McFadden book, was a good read, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as The Housemaid. It had a great intro, and there were definitely some twists and turns! Despite how hard I tried, I didn’t guess the ending, so there was some unpredictability. The story line did feel a little rushed to me at times, especially at the end. Overall, it was a good thriller, but not the best I’ve read. Still, I can’t wait to read more books by this author!

OMGGG, this is my first Freida book and I'M OBSESSED, IT WAS AMAZING, the suspense, the questions, the WHO TF IS THE KILLER??? THE FUCKING PLOT TWIST, I'M DEAD, I'm pretty sure I won't be able to sleep tonight, and I LOVE THAT, this should definitely be A TOP TIER MYSTERY READ like I love when crime/thriller/mystery shows and movies keep me up at night and now books are added to that category too. A DEFINTE RECOMMENDATION.

• This was also a book which kept me invested all along, I was really glad to proven wrong about the plot twists I was guessing.

• I really liked the alternating timeline ~ present day and Nora's childhood, gave more depth to the thriller. This story gave me a bit of 'Dexter' vibes.

• I loved the inclusion of the cat 'Meowsie' in this fast-paced spooky thriller. You should definitely check this out.

Okay wow! I literally just finished and I’m shook! This was a really good one! I’m not going to lie, at first I thought I had the story all figured out but boy was I wrong. The twist left me agape! That’s why I love Freida’s books! They’re bingeworthy, fast paced, and leave you so satisfied. 5 stars for sure. Perfect book to read during spooky season!

Another fantastic psychological thriller from Freida McFadden. At this point she has become a must read author for me. This book will keep you up at night until you finish it. Hers are binge books for sure. Loved it.