Riley Sager writes good books. His stories are compelling, original, and full of realistically flawed characters. A true testament to his ability to write a compulsive page turner is the fact that I had the twist of this novel spoiled before I even began reading, and yet still could not put it down. The book was thrilling and scary and entertaining. It was exactly the type of book that I'm always in the mood for. Having finished Lock Every Door, as well as The Last Time I Lied and Final Girls, Riley Sager has secured a top spot on my favorite authors list. It's not even a question that I will devour whatever book he chooses to come out with next.

The premise of this book is simple; high class apartment sitting at an ultra private, ultra famous building on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Jules Larsen has nothing going for her after getting laid off and finding her boyfriend cheating (on the same day), so she figures why not? This ritzy apartment building, also the setting of her favorite book, has offered her the chance of a lifetime. Who cares if the rules are a little much? She's not about to turn down such a rare opportunity. In true mystery/thriller style, though, nothing is as it seems. This seemingly harmless apartment building is loaded up on deadly secrets, and Jules is determined to figure them out.

Jules is a good protagonist, in the sense that she is far more likable than Final Girls main character Quincy and far less screwed up than The Last Time I Lied protagonist Emma. She has her dark past, as is practically required within the genre, but she has a good head on her shoulders and manages her trauma well, all things considered. She does make a few head-scratchingly awful choices, but blame that on age. She is the youngest of Riley Sager's protags, so her mistakes can be chalked up to lack of experience. She is also one half of the only example of positive female friendship within Sager's work. I appreciated that about her.

The strength of the mystery is beyond my ability to judge, as the story was spoiled for me early on. However, once I knew what would happen, I must say that the clues are pretty heavy handed in this novel. I wonder, if I were to reread other work by Sager, would it be a similar experience? Either way, I loved the book. I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as The Last Time I Lied, though it is a close second, but I definitely liked it better than Final Girls.