Reviews tagging 'Violence'

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

126 reviews

kpearljones's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

Slow going for the first 3/4 of the book. Predictable, and irritatingly redundant. But I love Sager’s other works, and I think having read other books of his I had certain expectations of this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Murder, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, and Kidnapping

blucbell's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Murder

lottieingham's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Stalking, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

So much I didn’t expect happened in this book. It’s a mix of mystery and horror that’s pretty well-done. The characters, are lovable despite their short-comings. This was a great book to end spooky season with and I look forward to reading more by this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Fatphobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Violence

grettypop's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

3.5 stars

Casey Fletcher is recently widowed, spending her days alone at her family's lake house. At this time of the year, there are only a handful of other residents. Eli, the kind elderly man across the lake; a handsome new arrival who is updating her neighbors' house; and Katherine and Tom across the lake. Now Katherine is a famous former model, living in a glass, modern home with her tech startup millionaire husband. And since Casey has nothing else to do, she picks up her recently deceased husband's binoculars and begins watching the famous couple in the glass house across the lake.

The story takes a sinister turn very only on, and while I thought I was able to predict who is responsible for the series of unfortunate events... I was dead wrong. Riley Sager has this unique sense of mixing human evil with the possibility of a paranormal occurrence. Without spoiling anything, you have to go into this story open minded and ready for anything.

My only issue was with the ending. It felt like things got wrapped up too quickly, a lot of resolution rushed while the problems have existed for years.

But I did not see a lot of the twists and turns coming, and that is what makes Riley Sager such an incredible author!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Murder, and Alcoholism

tectonixduchess's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Violence, Stalking, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Murder, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Torture

jj_tj's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Alcoholism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Violence

Minor: Suicide attempt and Suicide

tracytcamp's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, and Violence

zoeblair17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Dark n twisty at its finest. Every time I had a new theory, I was almost immediately proven wrong. A little slow to set the scene but about halfway through, it picks up and does not stop! Twist after twist - read the last 150 pages in one sitting and skipped dinner.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Death, Alcohol, Addiction, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Vomit, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Blood, Stalking, and Addiction

talia1353's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Vomit