Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Lock Every Door is my last Riley Sager novel and  I am a little sad that I don't have any more of his books to read. Like his other books, Lock Every Door has a strong plot and dynamic characters that draw you in from the beginning.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Jules Larson is in desperate need of a reset. On the same day she is laid off, she comes home to find her boyfriend sleeping with another woman. Now without a job or home, she finds herself on her best friends, Chloe, couch. When she gets a chance to earn $12,000 in three months just by being an apartment sitter at the notorious Bartholomew, one of Manhattan's most notable buildings, she thinks she has hit the jackpot. The place has some weird rules, and gives off a scary vibe, but Jules can do that for three months. But when another apartment sitter, Ingrid, confides her fears about the Bartholomew to Jules and then goes missing, Jules knows she needs to do some digging and find out what happened. What she ends up learning is far from what she ever could have imagined. Now she must escape the Bartholomew before she too becomes a victim of the building.

I am really torn between not giving away spoilers and just spilling everything because oh my fucking stars! I did not know where this book was going. There were so many twists and turns and ups and downs. This is probably the scariest of Sager's books, in my opinion. It has everything going for creep factor. The building was built in the early 1900s, so you know it has seen some shit, even before Jules looks it up. The original owner killed himself by jumping from the 12th floor, multiple people died from Spanish flu, there have been a few murders, and the cherry on top, possible Satanic rituals. It's also right across from Central Park, which I know a lot of people think is a beautiful place, but it really creeps me out. So, scary setting: check! The building is filled with notorious actors, authors, scientists, and captains of industry who all like their privacy, but are a little too nice. Cast of potential serial killers: check! And lastly, the apartment sitters are given a set of rules that kind of make sense, but really don't. What more do you need for a thriller?

(Source: Giphy)

"'You're expected to check the mail every day....'

'Now, let's get you up to the apartment. On the way there, we can go over the rest of the rules....'

'Nothing major. Just a few guidelines you'll need to follow....'

'No visitors,' Leslie says. 'That's the biggest one. And when I say no visitors, I mean absolutely no one. No bringing friends for a tour. No letting family members stay over to save them a hotel booking. And definitely no strangers you might meet in a bar or on Tinder. I can't stress this enough....'

Smoking isn't allowed.

Of course.

Nor are drugs.

Another no-brainer.

Alcohol is tolerated if consumed responsibly,...

'You're to keep everything in pristine condition at all times,...'

'Oh, one last thing. As I mentioned yesterday, the residents here enjoy their privacy. Since some of them have a certain renown, we insist that you don't bother them. Speak only if spoken to. Also, never discuss residents beyond these walls.'" (pp. 33-36)

The book reminded me of a twisted Murder on the Orient Express. In Christie's famous Poirot novel, the train is subject to a murder which ends up being a vigilante killing. Instead of Hercule Poirot discovering that a greater good had been done, Jules ends up finding out that the exact opposite is occurring at the Bartholomew. When you learn the reason for all of the missing apartment sitters, you become beyond disgusted with the people there. And then when you figure everything out, the whole novel makes a lot more sense.

(Source: Giphy)

Since this is not my first Sager novel and I poorly figured out the bad guy in the previous novels, I tried really hard to  dissect every character in the novel and figure out the bad guy or girl, and this book definitely has a lot of possibilities. Knowing that in the last two books, the murderer was very unassuming, especially in Final Girls, I looked at the most unassuming person possible: the doorman, Charlie. He is the sweetest, most kind and thoughtful person in the book that is connected to the Bartholomew. I was not right, but I was not wrong either. Again, think of the Orient Express.

This is probably my favorite of the Sager novels. His writing is captivating and his characters are so well written, you feel that you are reading about an actual person. The plots are just bizarre enough that they seem probable, especially in Lock Every Door. I am really looking forward to anything else that Sager would write. His books are unique and suck you in, leaving you unable to put the book down until the last page, leaving you with a feeling of an emotional roller coaster and withdrawal. If you are into thrillers in the slightest, he is your man.

Rating: 9/10
Author: Riley Sager
Genres: Thriller, Mystery
Dates Read: September 2-4, 2019