(Image from Barnes & Noble)

After being let go at work and being let down in a relationship she thought was really going somewhere, Jules Larsen is at loose ends.  With no family to turn to and few friends, the 25-year-old could use a break.  That's just what she gets when she answers a Help Wanted ad for an apartment sitter.  Suddenly, she finds herself living in a luxurious suite at one of Manhattan's most exclusive addresses.  Other than some light housekeeping, Jules barely has to lift a finger to earn her $4000 a month paycheck.  It feels like she's won the lottery.  Sure, the job comes with some strange rules—no one is allowed to visit the apartment, Jules can't mention her new home on social media, and she's forbidden from speaking to any of the building's residents—but it's a small price to pay for such a large amount of money.

It's not long before Jules starts to realize something's not quite right at the Bartholomew.  Not only does she hear strange sounds in the night, but the one person she's befriended in the building—another apartment sitter—has vanished without a trace.  As Jules starts digging into the disappearance, she begins to uncover the Bartholomew's many secrets.  And that's when things go from strange to downright sinister ...

I don't want to say too much about Lock Every Door by Riley Sager for fear of spoiling the story.  It's a twisty tale, one that went in a totally unexpected direction for me.  The setting is atmospheric and creepy, the plot is propulsive and engrossing, and the characters are complex and interesting.  When it comes to unputdownable thrillers, Sager is a well-loved star.  Now I know why.  This definitely won't be the last time I read him.

(Readalikes:  Um, I can't think of anything.  Can you?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find