A review by mstall_
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

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? It's complicated

4.0

I'm happy to share that I am officially a Riley Sagar fan. For years I have been unable to get into his writing style, specifically the frequent and repetitive 3-5 word sentences in the middle of a passage to add drama, always something like "but I can't." or "I'll never leave." It's clear that is a signature style for him and one I had a hard time getting in to. I thought I would never actually like a Riley Sagar book.

Until I finally did. (See what I did there?)

I absolutely loved Home Before Dark. This story was exactly the kind of twisty, turny, ghosty book you find yourself craving on a chilly night. The story is about a family of three who buy an abandon mansion in the Vermont woods that was the sight of
brutal father on daughter killings throughout the years
. The family only lasts 20 days in the house before fleeing in the middle of the night, terrified. Twenty five years later, the now adult daughter Maggie comes home to face the ghosts and ghouls of her family’s past. 

If you dream of fixing up an old Victorian with "good bones", despite the probability that it already has some spectral residents, you'll absolutely love this book.
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