I feel like I’ve been ripping through books recently, and I’m not mad about it! Especially when my friend let me borrow newly released Lock Every Door by Riley Sager. After his prior two novels, Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, I have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of this book! And let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Compared to his other two outings, this one sounded the least like the other two. Yes, it was told from a female’s perspective, but the tone and cadence reminded me more of Ruth Ware’s The Death of Mrs. Westaway.
Either way, the book focuses on down on her luck Jules, who just lost her apartment, boyfriend and job in the same week. That coupled with the fact that her sister went missing several years ago and her parents died in a house fire, means that Jules literally has nothing. That is until she stumbles upon a Craigslist ad that seems too good to be true! One of New York’s most famous hotels, the Bartholomew, needs apartment sitters for several months and pays $12,000 – two things Jules desperately needs. After nailing the interview, Jules moves into one of the nicest places she has ever seen!
It’s perfect, except for the few strange rules of the complex, which are don’t speak to other tenants unless spoken to, no guests, and you must stay the night every night. Strange, but doable, in Jules eyes. That’s until she meets up with Ingrid, who lives in the apartment below Jules. Ingrid is scared, and then she “moves out” in the middle of that very same evening. Jules senses something is up and starts doing some investigating.
By the time Jules figures out what’s going on, it’s too late, and she finds herself in a very scary situation. I won’t say anything else, because that will ruin the fun of the novel. My friend told me that some other reviews she’s read say this book “steals” some ideas from a newer horror film. And while I agree that it it similar, it also reminds me an older horror film, but neither are similar enough that I find this book unreadable! Seriously, if you like Riley Sager’s other novels, or shoot, are even a fan of those horror films, then read this book!