I was iffy on reading this one. When I read Sager’s Final Girls years ago, I adored it. I was obsessed with his book but as the books keep coming out I feel that they are getting more mediocre. Last year I skipped reading Survive the Night because I was over poorly written thrillers with surface level female characters. I should’ve skipped this one too but I was at the lake and reading books set in the same location or environment I’m in is my favorite.

I mean the book is fine.

If you don’t read a ton or don’t pick up many thrillers it’s entertaining with some plot twists. The characters are fairly flat, and we get a supernatural aspect as one of the plot points. Very Simone St. James with but not as well executed. Each of Sager’s books try and have more of a horror/creep aspect to it and this time he went full supernatural. I wasn’t about it. It felt forced and I could have honestly done without that entire plot point. Actually the book would have been better, in my opinion if it was simply the non-supernatural plot.

The story is fairly slow and for half the book I was worried we were getting another ‘Gone Girl’ or Women in the Window’. Ie, everything happening was just Casey being too drunk to notice.

Maybe I read too many mysteries/thrillers, but I’m very over gaslighting women and women drinking to much being the central theme of the book.

So if you need something brainless to read and/or need a lake setting then pick this one up.

Ranking of my favorite Riley Sager books for reference:

1. Final Girls
2. The Last Time I lied
3. Home Before Dark
4. Lock Every Door
5. The House Across the Lake
6. Survive the Night – Did not read

AMAZON | GOODREADS | ★★★

The House Across the Lake comes out June 20, 2022! Huge thank you to Dutton for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.  If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof_books.