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And Riley Sager does it again! Even though I was excited to read this Riley Sager novel, since the last time I read any of his novels was over three years ago and it was Final Girls, I had heard very mixed reviews about all of his works and didn't want to be disappointed. Well, I can honestly say that I was not disappointed, not even a little bit. This book rocked my world. Initially I was a bit worried about the length because it is on the longer side and I was hoping that it wouldn't drag for me but once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down! Hence why I finished it in a few days! I will be reading all the other Riley Sager books very soon because this was just overwhelmingly terrific in so many ways.

The story is about a girl, Maggie, who inherits an old house, Baneberry Hall, that she and a lot of people have history with. Her dad brought the house when she was still a very young girl and after spending a very short time there, her family leaves and vows never to return again. As she goes back there to uncover the truth and get the house fixed up to sell, she realizes that the truth might be more than she bargained for. Another instance where the plot was so intricate, so much more than just a haunted house story. It had layers and layers, just like an onion being peeled. Even after I thought I had the whole story figured out, I was taken by surprise and another twist came out of nowhere and made me completely clueless all over again. I love books where reality and fiction is blurred and we try to figure out what's real and what's not.

Further on, the characterization is amazing! Maggie is such a complicated, conflicted character and even though she wasn't without flaws herself, there was so much truth to her and she was one of the most relatable characters I have ever encountered in a book. I loved that we got to see firsthand into her head and what she was thinking and how the story switched between the book that he father wrote that made her family rich and famous and also seeing things in present day as Maggie was experiencing them, many years after the initial incident and escape. The other characters were also very unique and I loved how that affected the dynamic between all of them, which is how it should always be in books.

Thirdly, Riley Sager's writing style is my favorite kind. So simple, yet touching and gets right to the heart of what is being said in the sentence. I had no trouble finishing this longer book because the writing was just a joy to behold and the pages literally flipped themselves and I was even sad when the book was over because I felt like it had passed in a blur. I could have actually finished the book last night but it was late and I wanted to savor it a little bit longer because it was an immensely enjoyable read and forever one of my favorites.

In conclusion, I think this book is a must read for thriller/mystery lovers everywhere. Riley Sager is one of the most famous authors of this genre and in my opinion his work is worth the hype! I have no doubt that the other books he has written will not disappoint either. If you want a fantastic plot with uniquely flawed characters and also flawless writing, look no further and pick this up. Thankfully I have two more of his novels waiting for me and will be picking them up very soon.