The Locked Door by Freida McFadden was a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with an unexpected ending! I enjoyed reading this intense mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

26 years ago Nora's serial killer father was caught and sent to prison. Her mother was also put away and Nora goes to live with her grandmother. Now 26 years later, Nora is a surgeon and killings with the same MO start happening again. She knows it is not her father, but who knows enough about her to recreate her father's killings?! Told between 26 years ago and the present, it is a fast paced thriller that is entertaining and kept me guessing! I did not see the twist coming!

Another solid thriller by Frieda McFadden that I finished in 1 sitting!

Apologies, I read this book back in May 2023.

I think at the time I was coming off the back of the housemaid and housemaids secret which were INCRED, and this was just didn’t quite live up to those in my mind. I don’t think there was anything intrinsically wrong with the book but I just didn’t find it as enamouring as other Frieda’s.

This is now definitely my top Freida read, I enjoyed it a lot. This book follows Nora, who is a surgeon and the daughter of a serial killer. Her father was arrested and put in prison for life when she was younger, and she has lived life since with a new last name and no one knowing who her father was. Things start going wild when some of her patients are killed in the same way her dad used to kill his victims, and she realizes she's being framed for these murders.

This book was very fast-paced and creepy. I love that Freida's books are always easy, quick, and interesting reads. There were chapters in the past where we see Nora as a young kid, trying to figure out what her dad was doing behind locked doors in the basement. Those past chapters had me stressed because something very interesting would happen, and then it would quickly switch to the present day, and then I had to wait to find out what happened. There is a little ex-boyfriend drama and office drama in this, which ties in well at the end. I liked all the surgery stuff and how Nora was portrayed in her job. Of course, I didn't see the twist coming because when do I ever, but I don't mind and just enjoyed the book as it was. The ending felt like the story still had potential for another book, so I'm curious to see if there's more.

Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press, for the arc of the new paperback reissue coming out October 3rd. I really liked the sneak peek of Freida's new book, The Teacher that's coming out next year.
Rating: 4.25/5

I have been DYING to read a book by @fmcfaddenauthor for quite a while now after seeing all the praise her books have gotten on bookstagram and booktok. So when I saw that this ARC was available, I smashed that request button faster than I ever have.

This story follows Nora who is the daughter of a notorious serial killer. Nora has spent her entire life running away from her past, until her patients start turning up dead with the same trademark as her fathers victims.

Reading this book, I absolutely understand why McFadden has the reputation she does within the thriller community. It kept me hooked and had me guessing right until the end. I personally really enjoy books that have multiple POVs or flashbacks to the past so I loved being able to follow Nora both now and as a child. I always appreciate when a story can surprise me and I thought I had even figured out what the surprise was going to be and when it turned in another direction I was definitely left with my jaw on the floor. The only thing that I would say I would have liked was a tiny bit more clues to follow. I really loved this book and can’t wait to dive into McFadden’s catalogue in the future.

The Locked Door follows a Nora, a surgeon whose father is an infamous serial killer serving consecutive live sentences in prison for taking the lives of young girls decades ago. Through chapters that flash between 26 years ago when she was 11 and present time, you see the events that have caused Nora to become who she is, and the traits she believes she's inherited from her father.

Freida McFadden does what she's known for, sucking you into the story within the first few pages. Unlike some authors, the pace of her writing continues to keep you hooked until the very last page. While I am a quick reader, absolutely flew through this book within hours. Every single time I thought I had figured out the plot, things were shaken up and sending me in an opposite direction. This is truly the definition of unputdownable.

This is only the second Freida McFadden book I've read (The Housemaid being my first), and she's already on the list of my favorite authors.

If you enjoyed A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham, you will love this book!

4.5/5

“He is a narcissist and a psychopath, who likely killed at least 30 women without remorse. He is a monster. He is also my father.”

This thriller follows Nora, a successful surgeon who still carries the ghosts of her disturbing childhood. With her father in jail for life, she’s trying to make a new start; but his crimes keep coming back to haunt her.

Freida McFadden has done it again! A dual storyline full of twists and turns, fast paced short chapters and a killer twist at the end. I thought I knew where this was going, but I was completely wrong! I definitely recommend picking this up on publishing day.

The basement door was always locked at Nora’s house, she wasn’t allowed down there—her dad’s “workshop” was only for him. One day, Nora discovered what was really going on in the basement. Her dad was a murderer.

Twenty-six years later, Nora’s life is going well. She’s a successful surgeon, and her dad is serving life behind bars. Nora changed her last name and moved away from where she grew up. No one in Nora’s life knows the truth about her father—or so she thought.

Then one day one of Nora’s patients ends up murdered, but the most troubling part is HOW the patient died—the murder has Nora’s father’s signature touch all over it. Who could be behind this? Is someone trying to frame her?

✨✨My thoughts: Okay, Freida. You got me again! This was definitely another one that I struggled to put down! The dual timeline left quite a few cliff-hangers that made me NEED to keep reading. I honestly thought I figured out everything, it seemed pretty black and white—clear as crystal. But NOPE! Frieda got me again. Guys, THE TWISTS. 🤯

The Locked Door was an absolute binge read for me, I cannot believe how quickly I read this. Highly recommend for all the thriller junkies out there!

Warning: do not start this book until all your responsibilities for the day are complete.

The Locked Door will be widely available AND with a new cover October 3, 2023.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC!! I’m a huge Freida fan and so grateful!

I really enjoyed this one for many different reasons.
Short, quick chapters are the way to go. It keeps up with the fast paced story.
I also love how unpredictable it was, makes it that much more exciting for the reader!
Nora was a great main character and you really felt all her emotions processing what was going on.
Would definitely recommend this to others!

I absolutely love Freida McFadden’s as an author. Her writing keeps you intrigued and at the edge of your seat from start to finish. I love the short chapters and the character development. This was fast paced and kept me guessing until the very end. Couldn’t put this one down!

Good book! This book had a bit of everything! It had suspense, Action, intrigue, mystery, revenge, murder, serial killer, great who done it, great plot twist, and some crazy twists and turns! The storyline was very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! I definitely recommend reading this book as it was well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me

Nora Davis is a successful surgeon but has no friends or dates. Nora’s father is spending his life behind bars. Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. Nora discovers one of her young female patients was murdered in the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims.
This book asks the question: can you inherit murderous qualities?
I thought the twists were good. It had me guessing. Is killing someone justifiable if the person sees he/she as bad? The part where the detective goes to Nora’s house to apologize for questioning her was ridiculous

Love every single book by this author and this one was no exception. This book did leave my guessing all of the characters and loved the ending.

The Locked Door is a standalone psychological thriller and follows Dr Nora Davis whose childhood was disrupted when it came to light that her father was a notorious serial killer of young women. A life changing traumatic event that has weighed heavily on Nora as she has rebuilt a life where no one knows the truth about her past. When a female patient of Nora’s is murdered in a manner eerily similar to that of Nora’s father’s crimes, she will have to confront the truth of her past.

While I felt this one wasn’t as strong as The Housemaid, it still offered up a solid, twist-filled psychological mystery. I enjoyed the dual timelines and getting to know the young Nora. I found myself intrigued by the plots questioning of the nature/nurture debate, could two relatives share the same murderous traits.

The Locked Door is another great thriller by Freida McFadden! She never disappoints.

Nora is all grown up and has become a doctor, but cannot completely escape the ghosts of her past. Her father is a notorious serial killer, still in jail for his crimes. Nora has attempted a few start, but her father’s crimes begin haunting her again when women that fit her father’s preferred victim profile that saw Nora through her professional practice begin disappearing.

The Locked Door is told in a dual timeline, present day and 26 years ago. The timelines alternate throughout and this is structured well so that it propels the storyline forward. Surprising twists lurk throughout, in both present day and the past.

If you’ve enjoyed other McFadden thrillers, you will like The Locked Door! McFadden doesn’t disappoint!

I am a huge McFadden fan and The Locked Door did not disappoint! As per usual, it is full of suspense and twists and turns. This book is a quick read and I read it in one sitting. The ending was satisfying and unpredictable, which is just what I look for in a good thriller!

Thanks to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital copy.

thank you Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the free e-book! ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭* ੈ✩‧₊

i gotta say - miss freida mcfadden does not miss. i have thoroughly enjoyed her other works and this one was no exception. if anyone knows how to craft an amazingly suspenseful thriller full of twists and turns, then it's her.

i read this book in one sitting because i simply couldn't put it down & i honestly can't wait to dive into the rest of her work!

I LOVE THIS BOOK!!! It has so many twists and turns and has you questioning things up until the end! I recommend this one to my friends all the time!!! Read it! So good!

3.5 ⭐

this was my first read by this author. It was an engrossing, but quite repetitive.
still I liked the plot twist. the last 30 pages were the best.

thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the copy!

This was a super quick read, one with an engaging storyline that kept me interested the entire way through.
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Was this the most jaw-dropping thriller/twist/craziness I ever read? No. But it kept my interest the whole way through. And Freida tends to write quick suspense that is easy to binge. The ending had its great and weak moments, but I did enjoy this one a lot. She is known for having nutty, crazy storylines that keep you hooked the entire way.