You cannot go wrong with picking up a Freida McFadden book! This one was incredible just like all her others.

Nora was 11 years old when her father was arrested and she is now the daughter of the notorious serial killer "The Handyman". As a girl she always wondered why her dad kept the door to his workshop locked and when she found out there was not going back. Still haunted by her past as a successful doctor, Nora is trying to leave the past behind but when the police begin to question her about patients being murdered in a similar fashion to how her father killed his victims it is hard to stay hidden.

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher and the amazing author for my ARC!

The Locked Door by Freida McFadden is a typical McFadden book. It's a gripping thriller that keeps you turning pages from start to finish, while also leaving a feeling of wanting a bit more. The premise of a locked-room mystery is executed with skill, and the suspense is maintained throughout. The pacing is excellent, with well-timed twists that keeps you guessing.

The characters are well-developed and relatable, each with their own unique quirks and motivations. The protagonist's journey from uncertainty to determination was a highlight and I found myself rooting for her. McFadden's ability to create believable and flawed characters is commendable.

The setting an isolated mansion with a dark history adds a layer of atmosphere to the story. The eerie and claustrophobic environment enhances the overall tension and sense of impending danger. Despite this minor critique, this is undeniably an engaging thriller that keeps you guessing. Typically McFadden fashion, the writing is crisp and engaging, making it a quick and enjoyable read.

My one criticism lies in the resolution of certain plot points. While the ending is satisfying and ties up the main mystery nicely, I felt that a few loose ends were left untied. Some character motivations and backstories could have been explored in more depth to provide a deeper understanding of their actions.

Overall, this was a solid 4 star read for me and was a quick read.

I love McFadden's books and this one was a great thriller! Dr. Nora Davis is a renowned surgeon even as her father, Aaron is in prison serving a life sentence for horrific murders where he severed his women victims' hands before killing them--and saved them as "trophies" in his basement workshop. He writes to Nora weekly but she never even opens the letters. But now suspicion falls on her as there's a new murderer in town, and he's replicating Aaron's compulsion to sever the hands of the victims. And it seems someone is following Nora at the same time she runs into an old flame who's a bartender at the dive bar she frequents. Plenty of suspects, and plenty of victims. It's a race against time and time is always ticking!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Fast paced thriller. Quick, short chapters and written to the point. Really liked the twists and turns! This is my 2nd book by Freida McFadden and she delivers again!

Thanks for the free ACR from Netgalley.

Solid 4 star book. I read it in a day and enjoyed the storyline.

I read this book in one night and was not ready for it to finish. I was guessing until the very end and kept me invested until the last word. It was fast paced, had good buildup and well written characters. Truly a pageturner that I would recommend to everybody!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book.

Action-packed is one word I would say to sum this book up. In true Freida McFadden style she keeps the reader hooked from the very first page.

The story follows Dr Nora Davis an esteemed surgeon who has a secret she doesn't want anyone to discover...but the past always has a way of catching up to you. It flips between the past and the present when Nora first discovered her father was a serial killer. He was sent to jail and given 18 consecutive life sentences for the harrowing murders he committed. Her mother, charged as an accessory, committed suicide in jail before the trial took place.

Focusing back to the present where there is a copycat serial killer on the loose and all signs are pointing to Dr Davis as the number 1 suspect as the victims happen to be all her former patients. Coincidence or not?

Nora is desperately piecing together the crimes whilst trying to clear her name. The multiple suspects and questions into Nora's childhood behaviours really leave the reader guessing along the way. Is Nora being set up or as the saying goes the apple doesn't fall far from the tree?

I would highly recommend this book as the perfect thriller incorporating the right amount of tension and fear keeping the reader turning the pages desperately to find out what happens next.

Dr. Nora Davis has a secret, she's the daughter of Aaron Nierling, the infamous Handyman, a serial killer who's currently serving a life sentence in prison for the murders of thirty women.

Nora grew up to be a gorgeous woman and an excellent surgeon (I'm paraphrazing, but she basically said that herself), she's however very lonely and doesn't allow herself to get too close to anyone.

26 years after the arrest of Aaron Nierling, two young women are found dead. The modus operandi indicates that the murderer is trying to imitate the Handyman, and all the evidence seem to point to Nora. Did she inherit her father's serial killer genes or is someone trying to frame her for crimes she didn't commit ?

If, like me, you're on vacation and want an easy read just to pass the time, this might be the right kind of book for you. If you're looking for a great literary masterpiece, or just a good thriller, this might not do the job.

I wasn't a big fan of the writing. It seemed to me that the author was trying too hard (but ultimately failed) to convey a dark, suspensful atmosphere. How I see it, it was like watching a horror movie with obvious "fake" monsters, and very loud and dramatic music.
I know, this is a "thriller", but I didn't particularly like the way serial killers were depicted in this book ? I know it's the author's way of showing that they are narcissistic and delusional, but it was a bit ... cliché and maybe even glamorized in some way ?

Also, Nora was an extremely unlikeable character. I don't care if she killed people or not, her weird obsession with other women made me uncomfortable, and the way she treated men was so unpleasant - appalling even, that I found it impossible to root for her. I'm practically laughing now that I remember how she treated people, such a weirdo this one !

Thank you NetGalley for giving me access to this book in exchange of an honest review.

The Prodigal Son meets Criminal Minds! Frieda does it again! I thought I knew where the story was going and who was the killer, but as usual I was wrong! In true fashion, I’m sucked into this mystery from the very beginning and never wanted to put it down!
This isn’t my first McFadden book, and certainly won’t be my last. I flew thru this book; it was an over all easy read, the plot easy to follow, and the twists and turns were perfect. McFadden always delivers! Thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

This one is already on the shelves and a MUST-READ! Psychological thriller ! Loving @Freidamcfadden !!!!
5 stars !
Interesting from the beginning!
2 POV’s , “present day & “earlier”
Read in one day, couldn’t put it down!

Nora Davis was 11 years old and couldn’t understand why her father kept the basement locked and spent hours down there at a time. She was curious…
26 years later, Nora is a surgeon who is trying to live a quiet and recluse lifestyle.
With a changed last name for evident reasoning, she hopes no one will ever discover she is the daughter of the notorious serial killer, Aaron Neiling.
Nora found out one of her young patients has been found murdered in the same sickening way her fathers victims were found.
Nora is all of a sudden being followed home, letter from her father slipped under her door, horrific evidence is planted in her home and car. Someone knows who she is and is trying to make is look like she is a murderer like her father. She claims her innocence despite another young patient showing up dead!

Freida did such an amazing job, shocking, great twists! I would highly recommend this read to anyone who loves a thriller and even to those who want to try out the genre !

Thank you to @netgalley @freidamcfadden @hollywoodupstairspress for this ARC in place of my honest review!

I have recently started reading Freida McFadden books and have enjoyed the fast paced mysteries so decided to read this one first published in 2021.

“The Locked Room” by Freida McFadden is another fast paced thriller that held my attention from the first page. The story surrounds Nora Davis whose father is a convicted killer known as ‘The Handyman’. Nora was only eleven when her father was father was killing women in the basement of the family home. Now Nora has changed her surname and is a successful surgeon trying to keep her disturbing family secrets hidden. With her father safely behind bars there is a copycat on the loose who has brutally murdered one of Nora’s patients in a manner eerily reminiscent of her father’s killings. Nora fears that her carefully guarded secret is about to be uncovered.

McFadden masterfully weaves a web of tension and suspense as Nora finds herself entangled in a sinister game of cat and mouse. Someone knows the truth about her past, and they are intent on making her pay for crimes she did not commit. Nora becomes a prime suspect in the copycat murders, and the police close in on her, unaware of her true identity. Her only hope lies in keeping them from discovering the horrors hidden in her basement.

This book is full of tension as the suspense builds up with every page, excellent characters and a fascinating plot that made this novel impossible for me to put down. Nora is a great character who feels threatened both physically and mentally as she tries to cope with the new killer on the loose who could cause her secret past to be exposed.

Once again I am impressed by this author and already planning to read more of her work.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Really easy and quick read however the twist seems like the oldest trick in the book. Felt very much like when you write stories as a child, 'and then they woke up'. Predictable and did take away from the story a bit but still an enjoyable read

My first book by her and it won't be my last! I flew through it, it was such a page turner. And I have to admit the plot twist got me, even though I think the ending was quite far-fetched.
The only problem I had was that the most characters were unlikable, and I couldn't fully connect with them.
If you want a twisty, thrilling, fast paced book, then pick this up! I would highly recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Freida McFadden, does it again with the twists in The Locked Door! You’re constantly left guessing and analyzing all the information this book continually gives you. Who is reliving the Handyman killings after 26 years? Nora is trying to save herself from accusations of being the current copycat killer. You’re left guessing is it really her or any of the other characters you’re given information on? The twists in this book had me thinking one person was the murderer but also thinking is it that easy, it must be someone else. I can never guess the endings of these books and I love it!

I'm such a fan of Freida's writing, I can always read it so quick because I am hooked from the very beginning. I love a book which included serial killers so i loved this one. I loved the twists throughout this book and not knowing who was doing the copy catting. Great book! I still have plenty to read by this author but super grateful to read this one before release.

I love Freida McFadden books. I've been regularly impressed with her ability to lead your thoughts without being to obvious about it (most times) and then stick you with some twist you really didn't see coming. The only flaw to me with this one, that got it a 4 star instead of her usual 5, is there were quite a few times the writing felt like a YA type book not her usual skill level. The storyline was there though. The characters were flawed and made normal acceptable missteps, not inflated ones that seemed placed just to move the story along. Which I love. And there were a good amount of characters without getting too crowded. There is never a dull moment so be ready to read it in a full sitting or at least hefty chunks!

All in all. Wow. She did it again! You always think you know with McFadden, but I haven't known once yet! 😂

It’s been a long time since I was so sucked into a storyline that I read the entire book in about 10 hours. Freida McFadden has a knack for captivation. I love her style of writing. Some authors really oversell by using what I call “airy” writing - using lots of descriptive words that actually say very little. Freida doesn’t do this and for me, this makes reading her books much more enjoyable.
This book had some twists and turns that I definitely did not see coming and right when I thought I had it figured out, BAM, another twist!
Looking forward to the next one, Freida!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC.

What an ending! Such a twist thrown in those last 1-2 pages was great! But I do feel like the books was too long for only 5 pages of excitement towards the end (prior to the previously mentioned twist). The slow feeling was also a result of the author constantly repeating something we’ve already been told and wasn’t a big shock. (Ex. I changed my name…….my name was different because I changed it……..we had different names after I changed my name)

Overall a good thriller! I’ll check out more sometime.

Oh. My. Word. I love Freida McFadden and her thrillers that keep me on the edge of my seat. I’m a sucker for a good plot twist and McFadden always delivers! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read The Locked Door. It was quite a ride!

I read this book in one sitting! Once I started reading, I kept thinking, “Just one more chapter.” Then, before I knew it, I had finished the entire novel. It was intense from the beginning and never let up.

Nora is a respected surgeon who also happens to be the daughter of a notorious serial killer. Her father is behind bars for life, and no one in Nora’s adult life knows that she is related to him. When copycat murders start to happen, the police begin to question Nora and her secret may no longer be safe.

There was great character development with just enough red herrings to keep me on my toes. I would have actually given this book a 5 star rating however, the epilogue ruined a perfectly good ending. It sets it up for a possible sequel, which isn’t necessary, and would be a stretch for it to even be any good.

Thank you to #NetGalley for an eARC of a republishing of #TheLockedDoor by #FriedaMcFadden in exchange for honest feedback. - 4 stars