Thursday, June 19, 2025

REVIEW: House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

 


I wouldn't have picked up this book but for its selection for my book club and I'm glad that it was chosen. The main character is Casey Fletcher, an actress that moves into her family's lake house in Vermont to get a break from some really negative and pervasive press coverage that won't go away. Her husband, Len, died about one year before the events in the book and Casey has decompensated into alcoholism, which is what has contributed to the negative press coverage.  She still drinks at the lake but has the privacy to do so. She also has a pair of binoculars that she uses to look at the houses across the lake - and she becomes focused on the beautiful mansion across from hers, which is occupied by model Katherine Royce and her husband. 

Prior to Casey becoming hyper fixated on the home, Casey saved Katherine from drowning in the lake. We learn this fairly early on in the novel - Casey sees Katherine's limp body and, instead of calling for help, instead opts to go out and save her. She and Katherine become friends but Casey still feels compelled to spy on Katherine and Tom, Katherine's husband. Katherine ultimately disappears and Casey is convinced that she knows what happened, so she sets out to prove it. 

This book was surprisingly good, with some twists that I wasn't expecting - although you should be prepared to suspend some disbelief. It was particularly easy to read and easy to get into - it pulled me in without much effort.  It's told mostly from Casey's perspective and Sager very much does a good job in telling the story from her perspective. It felt very natural to see things from Casey's perspective. I also think that Sager does a good job in developing a main character that is also an addict. 

Definitely recommend - but I don't want to give more away. It would be too easy to provide you with spoilers that would ruin the experience of this novel unfolding - definitely worth the read!

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REVIEW: House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

  I wouldn't have picked up this book but for its selection for my book club and I'm glad that it was chosen. The main character is ...