Lock Every Door is Riley Sager’s latest thriller. It follows a young woman named Jules who experiences some seriously creepy things during her new job as an apartment sitter. The Bartholomew is an upscale, famous apartment located in Manhattan, known for being the home to wealthy people and celebrities. It’s also known for being the site of many tragedies and mysterious occurrences. At first, Jules’ new job seems like a life saver and a blessing. Jules has just lost her job and had her heart broken and she has no family to turn to for help. Initially, she writes off the creepy rumors she hears about the Bartholomew, and she is not alarmed by the strict rules she must follow in her new role, like no visitors and no spending nights away from the apartment. After she learns more about the Bartholomew’s sinister history and a fellow apartment sitter suddenly disappears, she starts to realize that it really is too good to be true.
A couple of years ago I read Riley Sager’s debut novel Final Girls and was thoroughly entertained and freaked out by it! That novel explores the horror movie trope of the final girl: the final girl who survives til the end and must face off with the killer. While I did enjoy Lock Every Door, I did not enjoy it nearly as much as Final Girls. Read my full review of it here.
The concept of Lock of Every Door is unique, but perhaps a bit absurd. It’s the kind of thriller where you’ll have to suspend your disbelief to really get into it. Some thrillers feel so real and so plausible, making them truly terrifying. The idea that the events in a horror novel can actually happen to you is often what makes a thriller *thrilling*. The idea of apartment sitters repeatedly going missing after staying in a ritzy Manhattan apartment doesn’t feel plausible to me. And the ending/the reason behind all these mysterious events seems especially preposterous. At times, I even thought the book going the haunted house route… Also, Jules is quite smart. The fact that she ignores so many red flags in the beginning seems unrealistic. Though, she is in a vulnerable financial position, making her poor judgement more understandable.
The writing itself is a bit too obvious at times and the dialogue a bit contrived. At times Jules mentions things so obvious that they don’t need to be stated, and other times she figures things out too quickly – unrealistically so.
Still, Jules is a likable narrator and a true heroine. Not only is she smart. She’s funny and charming as well. She has a sarcastic edge, and she’s admirably persistent in her quest to solve the mystery of the Bartholomew and to find the missing apartment sitter.
While this is not nearly as thrilling or suspenseful as Final Girls, it does have a similarly fun, campy vibe. The pacing is also similar, as we move back and forth between the past and present. We’re given brief glimpses into the present – when we know something awful has happened – which makes reading about the past more intriguing. Also, it’s as fast-paced as can be with very short chapters. If you enjoyed Final Girls, or if you’re looking for a fun, quick thriller with a unique storyline, give Lock Every Door a try.
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