‘The House Across the Lake’ book review: A dark tale of deception

I had heard of Riley Sager from some BookTubers I follow but I had never read any of his books. Like most authors, Sager gets mixed reviews. Some love his work, while others think he should stop writing. A BookTuber I love agrees with the latter and I usually like her recommendations. So, I thought I wouldn’t particularly enjoy his books but I was also intrigued.

‘The House Across the Lake’ is Sager’s latest thriller. His other works include ‘Final Girls’, ‘The Last Time I Lied’, ‘Lock Every Door’, ‘Home Before Dark’, and ‘Survive the Night’. A year ago, paperbackdreams, whom I follow on YouTube, posted a five-minute video, ranting about how terrible Survive the Night was. Apparently, it shouldn’t have been written. She says Sager comes up with great premises. Reading the blurb makes you want to pick up the books. But his stories, she says, always fall short.

I started reading The House Across the Lake with mixed feelings. I wanted to enjoy it but I thought I wouldn’t like it. I was surprised to find myself breezing through it. The writing wasn’t that great but the story was captivating. I didn’t see the twist coming at all. It blew my mind.

The story follows Casey Fletcher, a widow who is forced to retreat from her stressful life at her family’s tranquil lake house. Following the tragic death of her husband, she finds herself taking solace in glasses of bourbon. One day, she saves one of her neighbors from drowning in the same lake her husband had died in. Then, out of curiosity, boredom, or just nosiness, she starts spying on them. She tells herself she feels responsible for Katherine, having saved her life once.

Casey notices Katherine seems to be a little out of sorts. She believes her husband Tom might have something to do with it. Katherine too drops little hints that she isn’t happy with Tom.

Then Katherine disappears and Casey thinks Tom had something to do with it. Is something sinister going on? Or is her alcohol-addled mind playing tricks on her? The deeper Casey digs, the more complex things seem to be. But can we trust Casey?

I admit I had fun while reading the book. It was by no means the best thriller I had read but I also stayed up half the night to finish it. I had to know what was going on. Sager throws a curveball three-forth into the book and I literally put the book down to process what had just happened. I’m still undecided about whether I like that twist but I would definitely recommend The House Across the Lake to anyone who wants a spooky read.

Thriller

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58909880-the-house-across-the-lake  

The House Across the Lake

Riley Sager

Published: 2022

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Pages: 349, Paperback