“A scream. That’s what it was. Wasn’t it? Was it an animal? A person? A single cry that shattered the stillness of the early morning hours and set in motion a chain of events no one could have predicted would lead her here … to the darkness below …”
If you’ve been stalking … I mean scrolling … through Riley Sager’s Instagram for the past few months, you probably noticed that, last fall, Sager announced that he had a new novel in the works, set to release in mid-June of this year. If you’re a true Sager fan like I am, you probably squealed with joy when you saw the news and immediately placed The House Across the Lake (Dutton) in your cart for pre-order at your book retailer of choice.
Thanks to the lovely editors at BookTrib and Penguin Random House, I was able to get my hands on an advanced copy earlier this year, and readers, I am here to tell anyone concerned about the rumors that this novel possesses a striking similarity to The Woman in the Window and Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window that they can breathe a sigh of relief. Inspired by his own escape during the pandemic to a cabin in rural Vermont, Sager appears to have returned to his supernatural roots by giving readers the most bone-chilling, mind-blowing twist of an ending you will not see coming! Yes, dear readers, this one is a truly “outstanding novel of suspense” (Publisher’s Weekly) that you’ll think twice about venturing to a nearby lake and swimming alone.
DANGERS LURK IN DARK WATERS
After the recent death of her husband attracts less-than-stellar attention from the paparazzi, actress Casey Fletcher has retreated to the quiet seclusion of her family’s cabin in Vermont in the hopes of piecing together her broken heart without the prying eyes of the public. The only problem? Her husband died in the very same lake where Casey is staying, and it’s the same place where others have mysteriously disappeared.
To pass the time and escape unpleasant memories, Casey finds solace in bottles of bourbon and a pair of binoculars, which allow her to watch the comings and goings of the few residents living across the lake, including Tom and Katherine Royce. Tom, an up-and-coming tech innovator, and Katherine, a gorgeous former model, soon find themselves connected to Casey after she saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship.
Before long, Casey begins to suspect that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t quite as perfect on the inside as it appears to the outside world. Then, without warning, Katherine vanishes in the early morning hours, and suddenly, all eyes are on Tom. With the help of her neighbor Ben, who happens to be a recovering alcoholic and former cop, and his former colleague Wilma, Casey begins to investigate Katherine’s disappearance. But she discovers that there are far bigger, and scarier, secrets lurking deep beneath the calm surface of the lake.
If you’re looking for an explosive, mind-bending, chilling summer read to add to your list, run, don’t walk, to the nearest bookstore or library and pick up a copy of The House Across the Lake! But remember: even the calmest of waters can hold the darkest of secrets …
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Photo Credit: Michael Livio
About Riley Sager:
Riley Sager is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, most recently Home Before Dark and Survive the Night. His first novel, Final Girls, has been published in 30 countries and won the ITW Thriller Award for Best Hardcover Novel. His latest book, The House Across the Lake, will be published in 2022 by Dutton Books.
A native of Pennsylvania, he now lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
