Book: Home Before Dark
Author: Riley Sager
My Rating: 5 Chilling Stars
Hey bookworms! Remember a couple weeks ago when I posted a list of books I’d read on vacation? Well, I went on vacation. Anyone want to guess if I read any of my vacation reads? Hint: I did not. If you know me, you’re not shocked by this. But I did read Home Before Dark and it was riveting!
I feel very privileged that I’m not a person who gets carsick, which means that long road trips are GREAT for reading. And Home Before Dark was such a page turner that I started it in the morning at Sequoia National Park, California and finished it shortly before we rolled into Flagstaff, Arizona that evening. I got sucked into the mystery so fast and just could not put it down.
It’s a spin on the classic haunted house story. Reminiscent of Amityville Horror, this story follows Maggie, the grown up daughter of a family who spent 20 days living in a haunted house before abandoning it in the middle of the night when she was a child. I found it fascinating to think about how using that story to generate fame would affect a child. And it was told in the present, but every other chapter was an excerpt from her father’s book about their experiences. The really tricky part is that as the reader I was never totally sure whether her dad’s book was fact or fiction. On top of that mind bender, there ended up being an even bigger mystery than whether or not her family had actually been haunted. I’m not going to spoil anything for you though, so you’ll just have to read the book to experience all the twists and turns for yourself.
I thought Maggie was a great main character, and I felt her desperate need to discover the truth. Although there are quite a few other characters in the book, none of them are developed in depth. So, it’s a good thing I liked Maggie otherwise the whole thing would have fallen flat for me. I thought the storyline was a typical haunted house tale, but told in such an original way that it felt really fresh. There were so many twists and turns I never once thought I had solved the mystery. I was genuinely shocked at one of the last big reveals toward the end.
I am so glad I read this on a day where I could devour it in one sitting. Because I honestly don’t know how I would have ever set the book down, every chapter leaves you wanting more. There are no good stopping points. So, I highly recommend it. But beware, once you start you will not want to stop until the last page.
Krystle Goodman is a crazy cat lady, who loves to drink exorbitant amounts of coffee, and read a shocking amount of books. She lives in Benton with her husband Josh, her son Roman, and their two cats Roxanne and Abby. When she isn’t reading, you’ll find her cooking, painting, or watching true crime shows. Watch for Krystle’s book reviews every other Friday. Send fanmail to: [email protected]
See more of Krystle’s reviews at www.mysaline.com/krystle.