Lock Every Door by Riley Sager - Book Review

This year, I seem to have read many books by authors I haven’t read before. Eoin Colfer, Tahereh Mafi, Anthony Horowitz, Lisa Jewel, Riley Sager to name a few. Lock Every Door has been on my TBR since last year. Ever since I saw this on Bookstagram last year, I knew this is a book that I will love. It’s my favorite genre after all!

Jules Larsen has just lost her job and boyfriend. She is literally homeless and penniless when she is offered a new job as an apartment sitter at The Bartholomew – one of Manhattan’s most high-profile and mysterious buildings. She will be paid $1000 every week just for staying at the luxurious apartment. But there are a few rules that she needs to follow like no visitors, no nights spent away from the apartment, no disturbing the other residents all of whom are rich or famous, or both. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Things take a sinister turn when one of the other apartment sitters goes missing. This spurs Jules to look into the history of The Bartholomew and what she discovers will change her life forever.

The book kept me hooked right from the very first page. I finished it in less than a day! That’s how gripping the plot was. Most of the book takes place over 5 days in the life of Jules. But there was never a dull moment.

The book takes us through 2 timelines. The author expertly merges the two timelines towards the end while still keeping us in suspense. Until towards the end, I thought I knew what was happening at the Bartholomew. I thought I knew all of its dark secrets. I thought I knew how the plot was going to go. I thought I had it all figured out!! I was stunned when the plot took a complete U-turn! It was something that had never even crossed my mind. It’s hard to say anything more without giving away spoilers.

I loved Jules. A very well-developed character. Things from her past were revealed at exactly the right moments in the plot. Her desperation when she counted how much was left in her account every time, she spends money was very disheartening to read about. I was taken aback by the author’s picturesque portrayal of the gothic Bartholomew and the view of Central Park from the top.

If I had to nit-pick, the only thing that I can think of is that some of the things that happened were quite convenient and glaringly obvious. But the final reveal of what was really happening at The Bartholomew was a complete shocker and makes up for any minor shortcomings the book had.

Lock Every Door is a must-read for all thriller lovers. I’ve already started to look at which book of Riley Sagar I should read next.

My Rating: 5/5.