Lock Every Door : Book Review

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager
★★★✰✰ 3 stars

This is the book equivalent of popcorn. If you are looking for a gripping plot-driven story, look no further.

I think that the best thing about Lock Every Door is that it is an entertaining read. The action takes place over the course of a few days which gives the plot a really engrossing edge.
That being said (or written) I don’t think that this book is a deep or thought-provoking mystery/thriller. I thought it was a lot of fun and I did find the story suspenseful but the writing itself was rather sparse…most of the scenes are there to further the plot and they don’t really give you much insight in the main character’s mind (she is the classic ‘traumatic past+quiet’ type that is all the rage in these new thrillers) and a few of her observations regarding her finances seemed aimed towards readers who aren’t aware of what being poor means. If not disingenuous they seemed simplistic and a bit contrived.
The rest of the characters were cartoonish, but hey, I actually love the old Scooby-doo series so… I didn’t much mind. They are not believable, they do not talk like realistic individuals but the story doesn’t dwell on these side-characters too much.
There are a few things that happen which make little sense in hindsight and I think that they were there only to keep up the ‘suspense’ : (view spoiler)[The whole thing about the MC throwing her keys in the bowl so that they can conveniently fall into the air vent. Or that time when obviously evil Nick (was that even his name?) lowers the MC into Ingrid’s apartment. If they wanted her to trace Ingrid, wouldn’t they have given her more time in her apartment? Why have someone bring a potential sitter just then? I can’t see a reason other than create more tension. (hide spoiler)]
The reveal was a bit over-the-top but I enjoyed seeing how things unfolded. Again, ultimately, I wasn’t fond of the blatant portrayal of the divide between rich and poor. The discourse on wealth seemed to me oversimplified and exaggeratedly dichotomous. Having the MC think of herself as ‘frugal’ for ordering a salad doesn’t quite cut it…(especially since salads tend to be more expensive and less filling that many other dishes…)
Also, there is this side-story involving the MC’s parents which (view spoiler)[ is completely silly. Why wouldn’t they cover their tracks better? Why make it obvious that they had orchestrated the fire? To give the MC a tragic-background? (hide spoiler)]

A few positives: I liked the building (its history, the MC’s apartment—with its creepy wallpaper and stunning view—and the gargoyles, they all stood out), I was intrigued by long list of ‘tragedies’ connected to it and by the mystery behind Ingrid’s disappearance.

Overall, this makes for a great edge-of-your-seat book. If you try to make sense of the things that happen…well you might have a hard time buying into any it.

Read more reviews on my blog or View all my reviews on Goodreads

 

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