Dutton | 30 June 2020 | 400 pgs
Source: Library
"Every house has a story to tell and a secret to share."
I'm a huge fan of Riley Sager's books and I've to say each of his book has a different feel and vibes and you would never know what you'll be anticipating until you crack open that book and immerse yourself in the story. This book is no exception. I've thought that Final Girls is my favourite Sager book but it looks like this book has taken over that slot.
The book opens with our protagonist, Maggie Holt, returning to Baneberry Hall after she's inherited the rambling Victorian estate after her father passed. As an interior designer, Maggie is set to restore the house but what really drives her to it is the history and finding out what happened that had had she and her parents fleeing in the dead of night twenty-five years ago. Maggie knew she could always refer to her late father's phenomenal book, House of Horrors, in which he'd recounted his tale of ghostly experiences living in Baneberry Hall but she also knew half of them was either lies or she'd no recollections of the events that had happened considering she was only five.
As Maggie returns to Baneberry Hall to begin the restoration, she is intrigued to find the old estate is filled with relics and old antiques of the past but what chills her to the bone is learning of the murder committed by the estate's predecessor, Curtis Carver. But that is not all, Maggie also begins to experience the strange occurrences as mentioned in House of Horrors and like her, the reader will start questioning if she's reliving her childhood fears or if there's indeed some dark secrets lingering behind.
Reading this book was a delightful treat not only it's Riley Sager's but it's a combination of a ghost story and mystery. But what most appealing is the reader get to read House of Horrors alongside the story so you get two POVs and a double dose of intensity and suspense. And then there's the atmospheric Baneberry Hall and its history, the predecessors who stayed there (especially the first owner, William Garson, who built the estate in 1875, and the mystery surrounding his daughter, Indigo) and why no one seemed to stay long. This story plays with your mind and lead you into wondering if paranormal activities are at work in Baneberry Hall, or are they simply unreliable narratives? Or perhaps, both? I don't wish to indulge more so now it's your turn to find out.
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This is one I really want to read. Characters inheriting old crumbling estates only to discover a mystery there is one of my favorite tropes. :)
Oh this does sound good. I love that there's a bit of a mix of ghost story and thriller.
You make me want to read something by Riley Sager! This sounds good.
Lark - I couldn't resist a ghost story and an atmospheric setting. On top of it, it's Riley Sager's. Enough said. I'm sure you'll love this one, Lark. ;)
Iliana - I love these two genres so it's a bonus. :D
Wendy - I hope you'll give his books a try someday, Wendy.
Ghost story/thriller. :) Great combination!
Jenclair - These two genres make a perfect combination in my opinion! ;)