Home Before Dark

by Riley Sager

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • One of USA Today's Best Books of 2020

“A haunted house story—with a twist….[Sager] does not hold back”(Rolling Stone) in this chilling thriller from the author of Final Girls and Survive the Night.
 
Every house has a story to tell and a secret to share.

Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. Three weeks later they fled in the dead of night, an ordeal her father recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His story of supernatural happenings and malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Maggie was too young to remember any of the horrific events that supposedly took place, and as an adult she doesn’t believe a word of her father’s claims. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When she inherits Baneberry Hall after his death and returns to renovate the place and sell it, her homecoming is anything but warm. The locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous, and human characters with starring roles in House of Horrors are waiting in the shadows.
 
Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place where unsettling whispers of the past lurk around every corner. And as Maggie starts to experience strange occurrences ripped from the pages of her father’s book, the truth she uncovers about the house’s dark history will challenge everything she believes.

• ISBN10: 1524745197
• ISBN13: 9781524745196
• Publish Date: 31 August 2021 (first published 30 June 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
• Imprint: Dutton
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 416
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781524745196

Reviews

[lessthelonely]

3.5/5 stars.

3 books in to Riley Sager's novels, I already catch most if not all foreshadowing. The final twists remain to be mostly unpredictable, but once again I reach them and I'm, if I could be honest about it, incredibly underwhelmed. I feel like these books get interesting but then the true answer isn't really as fun as that first ever time. It just feels like layers upon layers are revealed to the story, but I'm already like: "I would like to know the truth, now, please", because I feel like the book should be focusing on making a reveal that I might've even predicted entertaining, not going through the motions of reveal after reveal.

Granted, I do understand why this book is looked with such high regard. Riley Sager knows how to make the experience of getting through his books incredibly atmospheric and entirely enticing - you read and you want to keep reading. When you notice, another 10% of the book passed. I will be reading more books by him because I'm hoping I can find more experiences like Lock Every Door was for me. I am hoping Final Girls will be that since I've heard it's incredibly violent.

This was spooky good. The whole time I was just like Maggie, the main character in the book, wondering what was real and what was not.

[payton]

this book starts off pretty good. we’re talking ghosts and very much spooky house, abondoned. it quickly turns into the haunting of hill house but as a bad acid trip with very questionable parents

[Molly J(Cover To Cover Cafe)]

Riley Sager never fails to grab me and hold my attention with his books. Twisty, suspenseful, and down right heart pumping, this one was another 4 star hit from a seasoned author!

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

There's no way I could've rated this ANY less than five stars!

1. The writing was absolutely incredible;
2. I didn't guess the ending correctly- BUT I WAS close, darn it (which I'm usually SUPER good at guessing... so i'm a little salty

[mrs_mander_reads]

Slow start... I was shocked by the twists at the end, so that was good. But overall, just kind of meh.

[tylerrosereads]

Soooo this was a second chance read for this author... I probably wont read any more from them.
This is by far better than Lock Every Door but Sager seriously can't write women, and i don't understand how other people don't seem to see how kinda bad the writing is.

I've read all of Sager's books from his very first debut, and I must admit that this is my favorite book of his so far.


Home Before Dark is an eerily suspenseful ghost story full of thrills and chills. The book starts out really strong by serving up some awesome creepiness to the plot, and finishes with twists that had me flying through the pages. I particularly liked how the narrative style alternated between chapters of the book mentioned in the story,  and the present plot story itself. The transitions were excellently crafted which really added depth and character to the book overall. Riley Sager definitely did an excellent job with this one! I can't wait for more of his work in the future.


My favorite books by Riley Sager listed in order:
1. Home Before Dark
2. The Last Time I Lied
3. Lock Every Door
4. Final Girls