The Housemaid Is Reading a Thriller discussion
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Home Before Dark
March 2025
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Discussion: Home Before Dark
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Grace
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rated it 3 stars
Feb 28, 2025 09:29PM
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Starting on this one today :D
This is a really fun book. Enjoyed it a lot. Loved the setting.
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spoilers ahead!!
The ending had a lot of twists and turns but to a point where I was like ok I don’t care anymore just tell me who the killer is 😅 I was glad Riley Sager didn’t settle with that ex con man that was helping Maggie with the move, as that would’ve been a bit predictable.
There’s something also about hidden doors that just irk me. You’re telling me Maggie’s dad bordered up the armour (so he must have known that there was a secret door there) and still didn’t suspect that someone else could have killed Petra all those years ago? I don’t know I thought the parents acted very bizarrely.
As usual the gothic style and imagery of the house was great.
What did everyone else think?
Haha. I love your review. This was my first Riley Sager book (only read two) and I think I was too wrapped up in the setting and imagery to poke holes in the plot and twists. But now that you’re pointing it out, you’re 100% right. It didn’t make much sense.
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If you ever read “the Only One Left”, it’s a bit similar with the setting. I really really enjoyed it until the end. It was one great twist then 17 other unnecessary twists to follow.
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Spoilers!I loved this book! It was very Nancy Drew and although I agree that the secret door thing was hokey and unbelievable it tickled my inner Nancy-loving child. I agree that her parents acted weird. It seems like her dad should have figured out what had happened since he boarded up the armoire and also her mom's insistence that she not return was also kind of confusing when the whole story came out. It only made sense if she figured out what happened but she obviously hadn't since when she visited she refused to come inside.
Reflecting on who the killer turned out to be I guess I still have some unanswered questions about what happened with the last family that lived there. What was up with the Polaroids?
Although all the pieces didn't fall neatly together for me (and in all fairness I finished it like 2 weeks ago and I've read half a dozen books since then so I may be forgetting important details) I still have to say I liked it. It was a page turner and I loved the book-within-a-book presentation. I had previously read The Last Time I Lied and I didn't really care for it at all (though I loved the idea of it and feel like I should have enjoyed it more than I did) so this one was a pleasant surprise for me. I definitely want to read more of Sager's books, which is good since I'd already bought several of them :)
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L.M you've summed it up so well here! I'm all for haunted type thrillers but I need EVERYTHING to be tied up in a neat little bow at the end - and i still have a fair few questions surrounding the polaroids and also Who was the little ghost girl Maggie spoke about? We know that Elsa & Martha were Miss Pennyface and Mr Shadow, but who was the little ghost girl that didn't talk?
I still love Riley Sager - he has a new one coming out in June called 'The Vengeance'
I've read every Riley Sager book except for Final Girls. Home Before Dark was one of my favorites! I read it several months ago and still remember the snake scene. I loved it!
Allison wrote: "I've read every Riley Sager book except for Final Girls. Home Before Dark was one of my favorites! I read it several months ago and still remember the snake scene. I loved it!"Oh yeah! The snake scene is one that will definitely stick with me forever!
