What a ride. Freida does it again... this book had me on the edge of my seat and I finished it within 24 hours. So easy to devour, the twist got me pretty good and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

The Locked Door is a psychological thriller by Freida McFadden that explores the dark secrets of a family haunted by the heinous crimes of the past. The story revolves around Nora Davis, an accomplished surgeon leading a seemingly normal life, but hiding a chilling family history.


I'd rate this book 3 out of 5 stars. It's a classic Freida McFadden novel, characterized by its easy readability, page-turning nature, and overall entertainment value.


However, my main issue with the book lies in its ending, which was somewhat anticlimactic. The book hints at her having inherited certain traits or tendencies from her father, but this isn’t fully explored or explained. It left me with unanswered questions about her transformation from a child in the same house as a serial killer to the accomplished surgeon we see in the present day.


In summary, The Locked Door is a gripping and engaging thriller that will appeal to fans of the genre. While it offers a captivating premise and keeps readers hooked, it falls short in terms of its ending and character development. Nonetheless, if you're looking for a quick, suspenseful read, this book delivers on that front.

Being a fan of Freida McFadden, I was excited to read yet another of her wonderful psychological thrillers and this one did not disappoint. It has an interesting plot with a clever twist you won't see coming. Kept me glued to my chair until the end. Can't wait for more from this author! My thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy of this book via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I truly love this author - she has a way of writing so that the characters and story are just a bit different and I love that.
Nora's character lives an isolated life as a surgeon, she doesn't let anybody get too close, after all being the daughter of a prolific serial killer isn't something she wants other to know about her. With her change of name and her solitary existence Nora is doing her best to try and live an ordinary life and so is shocked when the police pay her a visit. A patient of hers has been murdered in the exact same method her father used to use.. then another patient is found dead and all eyes are on Nora, her ordinary life is about to become anything but...
With a number of suspects including Nora herself I was totally engrossed - so much so that I finished this in one day. You don't get much better that Freida McFadden.

I would first like to thank Poisoned Pen Press, Freida McFadden, and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Locked Door in return for my honest review.

Freida McFadden has a way of giving her characters dimension to make you care about them and their stories. It helps to connect you to the plot and keeps you wanting more.

This is another of McFadden’s books that are hard to put down because they flow so well and leave you wanting more with every chapter.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Every book that I have read from Freida McFadden has been amazing, she truly has the most unexpected endings to her books.

The Locked Door tells the story of Nora. Nora’s childhood was not that of a normal child, but the secrets she tried to bury by changing her name come back to haunt her when she becomes the prime suspect in two murders. This book will have you guessing till the end and leave you questioning every character in the story until the truth is revealed.

A very thrilling thriller! Loved the suspense in this one, and the ending was a surprise! Fans of psychological thrillers will truly enjoy this one!

Another amazing thriller by Frieda! Just started ready her books a month or so ago. I love her writing style.. So many twists and unpredictable endings!

Book: The Locked Door
Author: Freida McFadden
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Pub Date: October 3, 2023

This is the kind of book where you don’t even realize you’re 200 pages in. You haven’t blinked, eaten, used the bathroom…you’re glued to the story. It’s a very fast paced easy read and I feel like that’s the way with all of McFadden’s books. Nora has tried her whole like to escape the fact her dad is a serial killer. Her dad was seemingly an upstanding citizen, a true family man that everyone liked. Unless you consider the 18 plus women he murdered. Her mom committed suicide while in prison awaiting trial charged an accessory. Nora went to live with her grandma and changed her name. She grew up and became a general surgeon that ran from all relationships. The book switches between present day and 26 years earlier so you can see a glimpse of Nora’s childhood. Is she like her father? There are subtle hints along the way that lead you to believe that she is like dear old dad. Like the last sentence of chapter 8. Lord this book! Nora’s life gave me anxiety. I enjoyed the switching back and forth because it always left you hanging and thinking I’ll read one more chapter….just one more chapter….just one more chapter and then boom you’ve read the book. I did only give it four stars. I’m still undecided on if I liked the twist…the one who was replicating Nora’s fathers crimes. I felt like I seen it coming and was hoping for something twistier. And I would have loved to have had more about Nora’s childhood. McFadden has definitely made a name for herself in the mystery/thriller community. You can’t go wrong with any of her books.

Thank you Poisoned Press and NetGalley for this sneak peak! Publication date is October 3, 2023.

This was the first thriller book I ever read and I really enjoyed it. I am usually a romance reader and I did like there was a sprinkle of romance in this book. Overall, the story made me want to keep on reading and there were many twists and turns I did not see coming. The characters were well-developed, and you felt like you never knew who you could fully trust. I honestly enjoyed this book and will definitely be reading more books by Freida McFadden!

Another fantastic thriller from Freida McFadden! I finished this book in less than 2 days, I couldn’t put it down. Fast paced and keeps you guessing the whole way.

Once again I try to figure out a book by Freida and once again I fail.

I really enjoyed this thriller. I loved the short chapters, fast pace, and character build up. I truly appreciated the different concept for a thriller story. Just not the ordinary kind of thrillers you read and I loved that.

I especially liked the character Nora. She was a strong independent woman with an awful past that didn’t let that stop her from becoming something amazing.

My only complaint is I wish there was more on when Nora was younger. I felt left with many unanswered questions.

Overall, an excellent read. I could see a second a book coming out for this and I sure wouldn’t complain.

LOVED this thriller!!

I love a good mystery/thriller & one with a twist I truly did not see coming is hard to find - this is one of them! 5 stars just for that alone. Then add in a great story line, a MC that I fell in love with & it’s a hit.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC copy.

Nora and her new life. Nora and her old life with a serial killer father. The premise of this book is unique. This gifted author has written a suspenseful novel. Trying to discern the ending is almost impossible. What is real? What is true? These characters are intriguing in this mystery. The story is a quick read. Thanks to Netgalley.

I finally got my first Arc this week and i couldn’t have chose a better book to start with!

After reading just two books of Freida Mcfadden’s it’s safe to say she is becoming one of my favourite authors! I loved the Housemaid and felt like she had set the standards high but WOW the Locked Door did not disappoint!

Firstly, I loved the dual timeline, focusing on the present tense and then reverting back 26 years ago to her childhood. I think this was a powerful way of connecting with the characters, especially Nora, and allowed you to obtain a deeper understanding of why she did some of the things she did but also at times question her rationale behind others.

The book was fast paced and as a reader I was always kept in suspense. The short chapters allowed for easy reading and I particularly loved the closing chapter written by Harper. This was the perfect final touch! I had made up my mind who I believed to be the murderer replicating Nora’s father’s crimes but I was mistaken, which I always expect to be in a good psychological thriller. The twist was amazing, I did not expect it at all, again the signs of a well written thriller for me!

I can’t wait to read more of Freida Mcfadden’s books, she’s an author who has a powerful writing style and constantly keeps you thinking and guessing what happens next. Would recommend this book to others!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Freida does it for me again with this one!

I of course thought I had guessed the ending of this one, but silly me, I can NEVER. The twists are always so far off from what I thought and leaves me with my jaw on the floor.

Fast paced & kept me wanting more. I really appreciate the short chapters as well!

She NEVER disappoints and I will devour every book she writes 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

I couldn't guess the ending so it's 4 stars for me. A great suspense book by one of my favorite authors. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an e copy of this book.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads & Netgalley!

Thank you for an eARC of The Locked Door by Freida McFadden. I love Freida's books, especially when I need something quick that I know I'll binge in one sitting, and this book was no different. As soon as I started it, I needed to know how it would end.

This book follows Nora. When she was 11, her father was arrested for murdering multiple women in their basement. Decades later, he's still in prison and Nora's name has changed - Her link to her past has been hidden quite well. All is well, until suddenly, one of Nora's young female patients from her practice has been murdered. Not only that, it's been done in the same unique way that her father used to kill his victims.

This one had me guessing a ton, and I was wrong at the end, still! For some reason it's not my favorite of Freida's so far, but I still really enjoyed it and absolutely binged it.

Another twisted read from the queen of twists. I thought I had this one figured out but I didn’t. I love when that happens! Thanks for the opportunity to read this.

"The Locked Door" was an incredibly fast-paced read that hooked me from the very beginning and didn't release its grip until the final page.

As someone who hadn't previously experienced Freida McFadden's work, I can confidently say that I'll be diving into more of her books in the future. The plot was nothing short of diabolical and filled with unexpected twists and turns. It's the kind of story that would translate beautifully into a thrilling movie or a binge-worthy Netflix show.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the overall plot, there were moments when I wished for a bit more depth and detail. The story's trajectory was superb, but a touch more finesse in certain areas would have made it truly perfect.

I want to express my gratitude to NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Wow! This was an insane roller coaster ride of a story! I thought I knew what was going to happen but I was way off! I continue to be completely enthralled with FM works! Many thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this copy for read and review