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alwayslol's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Mostly very good. Sudden left turn that violated the understanding of the universe of the story up until that point.
I understand the desperation of Mr. Sager and other writers in the genre at this point. They all need a twist, but with experienced readers, we see it coming. But this one didn't feel fair or right.
Other than that, I enjoyed the characters, setting, and general storyline.
I definitely saw it coming that the husband had killed the 3 girls, but not the part of a soul taking over. As I said above, that seemed unfair, and just didn't belong. All of a sudden there's this supernatural element that gets thrown in.
I understand the desperation of Mr. Sager and other writers in the genre at this point. They all need a twist, but with experienced readers, we see it coming. But this one didn't feel fair or right.
Other than that, I enjoyed the characters, setting, and general storyline.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
thychronicreader's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Stalking, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Suicide
sohare1981's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol
Moderate: Violence and Vomit
Minor: Suicide
marmelb's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Kidnapping
mitckm's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I had really high expectations for this one and I’d say it fell just short of being a solid 4 star rating for me. Even though the general premise (lonely alcoholic spies on neighbors and thinks they've witnessed a crime but is too unreliable to be believed) has been done so many times, I was engrossed in the remote lake house setting and its tight knit group of residents for the better part of the book. However, the paranormal reveal felt a little out of place and gimmicky to me and I was let down by how hastily everything wrapped up in the last few chapters. Overall I enjoyed my first Riley Sager thriller and am looking forward to reading more from him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Murder
samtaylor11's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
It was a slow start but once I was engaged it was amazing. Love a book that leaves me guessing till the end
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
kellgess's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
kiarra_s's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Some people may enjoy the plot twists in this one, but they didn't work for me. After the 70% mark, I just found the story to be too ridiculous. The writing, however, was amazing, and I do plan to give this author another try!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse and Vomit
kmerrmoon's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The twist in this book was a little bit out of grasp conceptually for me. Once I found out, I had a hard time enjoying the rest of the book, as i just didn’t connect with it. I also felt like the Tom/Katherine storyline became a bit of an afterthought. The author just seemed to rush to conclude it at the very end of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism
Moderate: Murder
alissa_lopez's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Fast paced murder mystery — dark, moody, and a good fall read. Twist at the end left me stunned. The supernatural twist at the end didn’t fit with the remainder of the book for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol