Riley Sager has done it again. He has managed to turn me into an addict whose only fix is his story and his words. After two sleepless nights and 400 pages later, I am convinced that I have read hands down one of the best murder/mystery thrillers in ages. I previously read The House Across the Lake and Home Before Dark by Sager and was in love with his intricate writing style. I thought nothing better can be written than those books and after reading several thriller books by other authors, I was not satisfied. And then came this book that saved my soul. As a reader, I am fully satisfied with the book and the story is something that will always be a part of me. Before we get more into it, here is the official synopsis of the book:
At seventeen, Lenora Hope
Hung her sister with a rope
Now reduced to a schoolyard chant, the Hope family murders shocked the Maine coast one bloody night in 1929. While most people assume seventeen-year-old Lenora was responsible, the police were never able to prove it. Other than her denial after the killings, she has never spoken publicly about that night, nor has she set foot outside Hope’s End, the cliffside mansion where the massacre occurred.
Stabbed her father with a knife
Took her mother’s happy life
It’s now 1983, and home-health aide Kit McDeere arrives at a decaying Hope’s End to care for Lenora after her previous nurse fled in the middle of the night. In her seventies and confined to a wheelchair, Lenora was rendered mute by a series of strokes and can only communicate with Kit by tapping out sentences on an old typewriter. One night, Lenora uses it to make a tantalizing offer—I want to tell you everything.
“It wasn’t me,” Lenora said
But she’s the only one not dead
As Kit helps Lenora write about the events leading to the Hope family massacre, it becomes clear there’s more to the tale than people know. But when new details about her predecessor’s departure come to light, Kit starts to suspect Lenora might not be telling the complete truth—and that the seemingly harmless woman in her care could be far more dangerous than she first thought. (Source: Goodreads)
A part of me is still reeling with the after-effects of the story told in those pages. Every chapter reveals a new plot twist and it is almost impossible to put the book down for even a second. Sometimes the plot twists were so shocking that I had to force myself to take a breather and continue. You can’t help but get attached to each and every character mentioned in the book and by the end of it all, you will most certainly have strong feelings/opinions about them. The plot, the characters and the setting all mix well today and make this perfect cocktail of suspense, thriller, horror and even romance! I would say this is a safe blind buy if you are looking to gift it to another thriller fan out there. This book will not disappoint and will satisfy the little detective in you by keeping you hooked on every single word written.
My rating: 5/5
If you like this book, you should check out Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.
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