Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Length: 400 pages
First Published: 2022
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Rachael’s Review
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Dutton through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
After a very public breakdown, a recently widowed actress retreats to her family’s Vermont lake house. Casey passes the time spying on her neighbors across the lake: Tom the rich tech innovator and his gorgeous wife Katherine, a former model. When Casey and Katherine become friends, she realizes their marriage isn’t as idyllic as she assumed and becomes even more suspicious when Katherine disappears.
Although I have loved Riley Sager’s previous thrillers, I was severely disappointed with The House Across the Lake. Sager mistimed the suspense in this one, boring you with an over-explanation of the Rear Window concept. Casey’s excessive drinking makes her a very unlikable character, and then, out of nowhere, the “big twist” veers you into the supernatural that you are left perplexed at the bizarre turn of events.
Publisher’s Description
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is rich, and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect and placid as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her. In the process, she uncovers eerie, darker truths that turn a tale of voyeurism and suspicion into a story of guilt, obsession and how looks can be very deceiving.
With his trademark blend of sharp characters, psychological suspense and gasp-worthy twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake will shock readers until the very last page.
About Riley Sager
Riley Sager is the pseudonym of Todd Ritter, a former journalist. Under the name Riley Sager, he is the author of six novels: Final Girls, The Only One Left, The Last Time I Lied, Lock Every Door, Home Before Dark, The House Across the Lake, and Survive the Night. He currently lives in Princeton, New Jersey Visit the author’s website →
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