Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

67 reviews

ishtar_n's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

A fun read and palate cleanser between denser reads. Dramatic rich people doing dramatic rich people things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder

honeybunchesofoats06's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Alcohol, Suicide, Mental illness, Addiction, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, and Blood

grace_9613's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

2.5

NO! I was soooo disappointed by the twist. Should have done my research on the authors writing as this subgenre of psychological thriller isn’t for me  - I think I’ve read 3 different iterations of this book lately (Layla and Behind her eyes). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Alcoholism, Stalking, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Suicide

Minor: Domestic abuse

mlf1021's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? It's complicated

2.5

I enjoyed the book for the most part and it was a very fast read for me which is nice. I felt that Casey, although an unreliable narrator, was a character I invested in. Some of the twists were really great and i loved very much. 
However I couldn’t get on board with the supernatural twist, especially in a book that was seemingly set in the real world— and how everyone is so easily convinced that this is true. 
Also I have a hard time with books that jump in time— i often think that it’s a cop out to storytelling- and in this case it definitely is. I know it helps to build the twists but I just feel like it could have been told in a better way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide attempt

samanthaleeshea's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The twist had my mind blown. Didn’t see it coming. It only loses points because of the slight supernatural element to it which is fine but not really what I was expecting in this genre. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, Suicide, Grief, Kidnapping, and Domestic abuse

cassellwrites's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, and Murder

holly_rey's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Murder, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Kidnapping, Self harm, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahmaemae's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Stalking, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Suicide

crystalleighwrites's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Violence, Vomit, and Grief

Minor: Gore, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Suicide

katbrookhart's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Blood, Gore, and Murder