I've read all of Riley Sager's books and I don't think there has been one that I didn't love; even the ones that everyone else didn't love like The House Across the Lake, I appreciated. I'm always excited whenever Sager releases a new book and it immediately gets added to my TBR. That was no different with his latest novel 'Middle of the Night'. 

I was going to pre-order or pick the book up from my library but then I saw it was available as an add on for Book of the Month and decided that was a better solution. It matches all my other Riley Sager books so that's always a plus.

I had purposely stayed away from any reviews or think pieces about the book so my opinion wouldn't be clouded, and I succeeded. I flew through the book and my thoughts were interesting... 

There are a few authors who I will read anything they write, no matter what and Riley Sager is one of them. Whenever Sager has a new book coming out, I immediately add it to my TBR and I'm excited to dig my feet into it when it is released.

The Only One Left is his latest novel that was released on June 20th and I had it as a Book of the Month choice. I finally read it (because I barely read anything in June and July) this month and I think I can confidently say this is my favorite Riley Sager book yet. It has so many incredible elements of the thriller genre without being over the top. 

If you love thrillers, if you love Riley Sager, you will love The Only One Left.

I've had a few Riley Sager books in my queue ready to read, and after Final Girl. I knew I couldn't wait too long to read another one. Lock Every Door is one of his newer novels and I had purchased it a few months back when it was on sale, so I figured this was a good place to start. 

This was a weird book, in all the best ways. It was sad, twisted, dark, mysterious, and very creepy. It had everything you could want out of a thriller and it kept my attention until the very end.

Publisher's Summary

My Thoughts

From the first page, I was immediately gripped. Jules was trying to escape from The Bartholomew and we have no idea why. Even when you find out why she was trying to escape, it doesn't feel real. It was incredibly far-fetched but sometimes, those are the best kinds of stories.

I felt really bad for Jules throughout the book. Her life was sad and she was at rock bottom... you feel for her and want her to get back on her feet. That's why the position she takes at the hotel sounds so great for her, and you could understand why she needs it to work. It did sound creepy and as a reader, you knew there was a catch but you had no idea how severe it was.

I'll be honest, as much as I enjoyed the book, there was a lot of 'free time' where the story was kind of stalled. It felt like Sager put you on a wild goose chase trying to find out just what the secret of The Bartholomew was. Was it ghosts? Was there a serial killer on the loose? What was the secret? I just wanted to know! This story really took its time playing out... 

As you continue to read, and more pieces start to unravel, your mind is racing and truly you just want to find out what the deal is. Where is Ingrid? Why do they even need apartment sitters? And is Jules even safe? 

The actual secret, what was actually going on at the residence was unlike anything I could've ever imagine and I don't know how anyone could possibly dream up that scenario. It was so out there, so gruesome, so horrible... it was intense. It was also sad once you find out what happened to the other people and how they preyed on the vulnerable.

However, at the end of the story, you see Jules really come out stronger and it was such a good ending. I felt so satisfied with the outcome, as horrible as the journey was.

The writing in this book was exceptional. Sager is a true genius when it comes to psychological thrillers; the way he pairs gruesome stories with a relatable background story and likable characters. The way the story is set up, to purposely make you think something else is going on, it's incredible. 

I've read enough thrillers/mysteries to be able to figure out the ending but Sager is such an excellent storyteller that it is nearly impossible to predict where the story is going. It's everything you want in a novel. 

Home After Dark is the next Sager book I'll be reading and I'm sure it will be incredible.

What are you reading today?
xoxo
B