Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

The plot in brief:  First she gets laid off. Then she breaks up with her cheating boyfriend. Now Jules Larsen is both broke and homeless. So when she sees an ad to be an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, the setting of her favorite childhood book, Heart of a Dreamer, and one of Manhattan's most exclusive, glamorous, and infamous buildings, it feels like an answer to her prayers. Even better? They're going to pay her $4000 a month just to live there. Of course, she jumps at the chance. Who wouldn't? But is it too good to be true? Is her dream apartment really a nightmare in disguise?


Some of the Bartholomew's other inhabitants:
LESLIE EVELYN--the woman who keeps life at the Bartholomew running smoothly; she's the one who interviews all the apartment sitters and informs them of the rules for living there--the rules she also enforces.
GRETA MANVILLE--the reclusive author of Heart of a Dreamer; she grew up at the Bartholomew in 12A, the apartment where Jules is now staying, and though Jules would love to chat with her, she's not the friendliest of neighbors.
INGRID GALLAGHER--the young, fun apartment sitter living below Jules in 11A. Her sudden departure in the middle of the night is what makes Jules start to ask dangerous questions about the Bartholomew and its inhabitants.
DR. NICK--the rich and handsome surgeon who's parents, grandparents and great-grandparents all lived at the Bartholomew before him. He's a legacy.
MARIANNE DUNCAN--a former soap opera star, and her dog, RUFUS.
DYLAN--another apartment sitter; he knows more about the former occupant of 12A than he's willing to admit.
CHARLIE--the helpful and friendly doorman.

My thoughts:
You know right from the start that something isn't right at the Bartholomew, you just don't know what the dark truth is. And it's that mystery, and Sager's excellent writing, that kept me reading late into the night. Jules is one of those characters that is easy to like. She's engaging and determined. I totally understood why she jumped at the chance to apartment sit. (For that kind of money, I would have jumped at the chance, too.) I also got why she was so invested in finding out what happened to Ingrid, a person she just met. It all goes back to her own sister who disappeared years ago and was never found. As for the mystery itself? The deep dark secret of the Bartholomew is one I never would have guessed! I thought it was both creepy and compelling. And talk about a suspenseful ending! For me, this book is a definite must-read. Of course, Melody, who buddy read this book with me, has a slightly different opinion of this one. Be sure to check out her review and see what she thinks!

Happy Reading!

Melody's questions....and my answers:
Q. What do you like or dislike about the Bartholomew? 
A. My favorite part of the Bartholomew was all the gargoyles and Jules' view from apartment 12A. I love gargoyles and would love to live in a building where I had a stone gargoyle guarding my balcony. My least favorite part? The small, creaky elevator, and all the rich, snobby people who live there. I would not want any of them for my neighbors. 

Q. What do you think happened to Jules' sister, Jane?
A. I'm not really sure. We only know that she willingly got into someone's car after work one day and then was never seen again. Something bad must have happened to her after that though, because I don't think she'd would have let Jules bear the burden of their parents' deaths alone. I think she's probably dead.

Sager's other books:


The Last Time I Lied Review
Final Girls Review


24 comments:

  1. I was disappointed with this one. It is a take-off on Rosemary's Baby--which was really terrifying! I'm off to see what Melody thought. :)

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  2. I haven't read anything by Sager yet and this one sounds like a good place to start. Intriguing premise!

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    1. It's very readable and well-paced. I liked it. :)

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  3. $4000 a month? Wow! That is tempting! Sounds like a great mystery. :)

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    1. Right? I know I could use the extra money... especially this time of year. ;D

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  4. Great review, Lark! Despite the ending, I still enjoyed reading and discussing this book with you. I'm glad you liked this book a little more than me. :)

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  5. Ooh this sounds moody and atmospheric. Gargoyles? Yes please! And nice that the mystery about the place was a surprise too!

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    1. It was certainly not what I was expecting! :D

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  6. It is ALWAYS too good to be true! LOL.

    I like that you and Melody have differing opinions about the ending. It makes me want to read it myself that much more so I can weigh in!

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    1. :D I'd love to know what you think of this one!

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    2. I read it! I liked the ending(s). But I don’t read as many thrillers as you or Melody so I don’t have a lot to compare it too. I agree with Susan above too that it certainly had echoes (likely intentional ones) of Rosemary’s Baby. And Jules was engaging as a heroine which helped turn the pages too.

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    3. :D I'm glad you liked it. The ending of this one didn't bother me like it did Melody. I actually liked the ending. And you're right; Jules is an engaging heroine.

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  7. I would love to be able to afford an apartment in Manhattan and to get paid to live there. No wonder Jules Larsen jumped at the chance! It also sounds like the kind of book where in the end we watch Jules take hold of her life again after all the tragedies she's experienced and those books can be inspirational.

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    1. Jules does take hold of her life at the end; I appreciated that she never gave up. :)

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  8. Oh this sounds like a great story! I'd jump at the chance, too! The thought of living in a setting of a beloved book/story, and exclusive, glamorous place, + $4000 would be hard to pass up! I've read *listened* The Last Time I Lied and mostly enjoyed it, so I'd like to give this a go! :)

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    1. If you liked The Last Time I Lied you'd probably like this one, too. Sager's writing style is pretty consistent. :)

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  9. I keep seeing such mixed reviews of this author which makes me kind of wary about trying the books!

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    1. They're not perfect reads, but I've liked them all. The Last Time I Lied is probably my favorite, with this one a close second. But I'm not going to rush out and buy any of them to own and reread.

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  10. I really do need to get back to reading his work. Final Girls didn't impress me so I've been cautious about his other work.

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    1. I didn't like the two main characters in Final Girls, so I didn't love that one either. For me, this one's a better read.

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  11. I am behind on Sager's books. Final Girls didn't work for me but I am willing to give him another try. I have heard people tend to like The Last Time I Lied much better.

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    1. I can see why you didn't like Final Girls. I wasn't a huge fan of the characters in that one. I did like The Last Time I Lied better, and I thought this one was good, too.

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