Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

Publish date: July 2, 2019
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror
Trigger warnings: violence, murder, mental health issues, body horror
Short description:
Jules, broke and newly single, takes a job as an apartment sitter at Manhattan’s elite Bartholomew building. She befriends fellow sitter Ingrid, who warns her about the building’s dark secrets – then mysteriously vanishes. As Jules investigates, she uncovers a disturbing history of disappearances and races to escape before she becomes the next victim.

Jules lands a too-good-to-be-true job, ignores every glaring red flag, and goes around the Bartholomew making choices that make you want to yell “girl, watdahek?!” The plot crawls along, then rushes a predictable twist that’s less “OMG!” and more “IKR.” If you’re after shocking twists or smart characters, look elsewhere.

Lock Every Door was our book club’s pick for the month of November. The selection was fun, but I really hoped we got the more interesting one.

The book centers on Jules Larsen, a young woman who accepts an unusual (YES, THIS WAS A RED FLAG ALREADY , AND NO, THIS IS NOT A SPOILER) job as an apartment sitter in Manhattan’s prestigious but mysterious (RED FLAG NUMBER 2) Bartholomew building. Broke and looking for a fresh start, Jules was thrilled by the opportunity despite the very strict and ‘fishy’, if I must say, rules: no visitors, no nights away, and no disturbing the other residents. There was also a point where making friends with them were also frowned upon. Like you are the dumbest person (although she is, at least here in this story) ever to say hi to people. As she settles in, Jules began to notice strange occurrences and learned unsettling details about the building’s history. (RED FLAG NUMBER 3) When another apartment sitter goes missing, (RED FLAG NUMBER 4) she started digging into the secrets hidden within the Bartholomew’s walls. With each discovery, Jules realized she may be in far more danger than she anticipated. (RED FLAG NUMBER 5, and yes, she already was suspecting something, but apparently money was still more important than her safety.) The story built the most annoying suspense as Jules uncovered the truth before it’s too late.

The book promised a dark, suspenseful thriller set within the eerie and exclusive Bartholomew apartment building, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite deliver the depth or connection I was hoping for. The premise was intriguing: a down-on-her-luck protagonist, Jules, landed a seemingly ideal job as an apartment sitter in this luxurious yet mysterious residence, only to find herself entangled in sinister secrets… because she ignored the neon signs. *sigh*

While the atmospheric setting was undeniably captivating, Lock Every Door fell short for me mainly because of the protagonist, Jules. I mean, obviously. Her decisions often felt frustrating and unrealistic, making it hard to truly connect with her as a character. It seemed that her motivations and actions lacked the complexity or relatability I’d expect from someone in her position.

“Because here's the thing about being poor - most people don't understand it unless they've been there themselves.”

Riley Sager, Lock Every Door

This quote above was probably one of the two (okay, maybe three) relatable quotes I’ve got from Lock Every Door. So I know it has potential, and I know we’re just being “manipulated”, for the lack of a more accurate term, into thinking that the protagonist is really frustrating. I believe we’re just being thrown into some funny dungeon of main character puppets so we’ll talk about the experience, you get what I mean?

I am just recently aware about what people are saying and that Sager is being one of those “problematic” authors, so I am self-proclaiming that my earlier assumption is true.

In all fairness, Sager’s writing is so good, that you’d still feel like have to finish the book regardless of how your blood pressure is quickly rising. If you want an intense ride on an unreliable roller coaster, you know, like those MCs who knows they’re not doing very well but still going for it, reading about this almost 400 pages of pain.

The pacing is strong, and he successfully builds suspense throughout the novel. However, even the suspense couldn’t fully make up for the lack of depth in the main character and some of the supporting cast. I mean, Jules, it’s already there. The plot is already making itself more exciting and you’re not selling it.

The twists, didn’t pack as much of an emotional punch because I wasn’t entirely connected to Jules’s struggles or fate. I just didn’t care. I just wanted to keep reading just so I can yap and complain about how annoying and dumb Jules was. You know what would make it a little bit better? And yes, this may be a mini spoiler but I don’t care. I think it would be more exciting if she and the doctor had a baby. Just saying.

Here are other reads if you liked (or instead of) Lock Every Door:

Click the book covers to go to Goodreads.

Unpredictable
Creepy Home
Lost Child

Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough

Louise is a single mom, a secretary, stuck in a modern-day rut. On a rare night out, she meets a man in a bar and sparks fly. Though he leaves after they kiss, she’s thrilled she finally connected with someone.

When Louise arrives at work on Monday, she meets her new boss, David. The man from the bar. The very married man from the bar…who says the kiss was a terrible mistake but who still can’t keep his eyes off Louise.

And then Louise bumps into Adele, who’s new to town and in need of a friend, but she also just happens to be married to David. David and Adele look like the picture-perfect husband and wife, but then why is David so controlling, and why is Adele so scared of him?

As Louise is drawn into David and Adele’s orbit, she uncovers more puzzling questions than answers. The only thing that is crystal clear is that something in this marriage is very, very wrong, but Louise can’t guess how wrong―and how far a person might go to protect their marriage’s secrets.

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams.

But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate… with no chance of escape until the blizzard comes to an end.

In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance.

Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels.

And then Tricia reaches the final cassette.

The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.

I Will Find You by Harlan Coben

David and Cheryl Burroughs are living the dream – married, a beautiful house in the suburbs, a three year old son named Matthew – when tragedy strikes one night in the worst possible way.

David awakes to find himself covered in blood, but not his own – his son’s. And while he knows he did not murder his son, the overwhelming evidence against him puts him behind bars indefinitely.

Five years into his imprisonment, Cheryl’s sister arrives – and drops a bombshell.

She’s come with a photograph that a friend took on vacation at a theme park. The boy in the background seems familiar – and even though David realizes it can’t be, he knows it is. It’s Matthew, and he’s still alive.

David plans a harrowing escape from prison, determined to do what seems impossible – save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened that devastating night.