‘Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling. . . . [A] deliciously terrifying story. . . .You’ll want to read this one after dark, ideally with the wind whistling in the eaves and a window banging somewhere just out of reach. But keep the light switch handy. You just might need it‘ Ruth Ware, Book of the Month
What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into a rambling Victorian estate called Baneberry Hall. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon.
Now, Maggie has inherited Baneberry Hall after her father’s death. She was too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist.
But when she returns to Baneberry Hall to prepare it for sale, her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the pages of her father’s book lurk in the shadows, and locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself – a place that hints of dark deeds and unexplained happenings.
As the days pass, Maggie begins to believe that what her father wrote was more fact than fiction. That, either way, someone – or something – doesn’t want her here. And that she might be in danger all over again . . .
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
One of . . .
Huff Post‘s “10 Of The Most Anticipated Book Releases Of June 2020”
Good Housekeeping‘s “The 35 Best Books of 2020 to Add to Your Reading List”
Travel + Leisure‘s “20 Most Anticipated Summer 2020 Books”
Working Mother‘s “The 20 Most Anticipated Books of 2020”
Newsweek‘s 20 most anticipated summer reads
Publishers Weekly’s “Summer Reads 2020″
BookPage‘s “2020 Most Anticipated Thrillers and Mysteries”
Today.com’s “16 highly anticipated summer reads”
The Star Tribune‘s “Great Escapes” summer reads
BookPage‘s “Private Eye July”
USA Today‘s “Summer reading guide: 20 new books you won’t want to miss”
CrimeReads “10 New Books Coming Out This Week”
Buzzfeed “17 New Thrillers That Will Keep Your Summer Exciting”
The Everygirl “30 Books That Should Be on Your Summer Reading List”
What was it like? Living in that house.
Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into a rambling Victorian estate called Baneberry Hall. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon.
Now, Maggie has inherited Baneberry Hall after her father’s death. She was too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist.
But when she returns to Baneberry Hall to prepare it for sale, her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the pages of her father’s book lurk in the shadows, and locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself – a place that hints of dark deeds and unexplained happenings.
As the days pass, Maggie begins to believe that what her father wrote was more fact than fiction. That, either way, someone – or something – doesn’t want her here. And that she might be in danger all over again . . .
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
One of . . .
Huff Post‘s “10 Of The Most Anticipated Book Releases Of June 2020”
Good Housekeeping‘s “The 35 Best Books of 2020 to Add to Your Reading List”
Travel + Leisure‘s “20 Most Anticipated Summer 2020 Books”
Working Mother‘s “The 20 Most Anticipated Books of 2020”
Newsweek‘s 20 most anticipated summer reads
Publishers Weekly’s “Summer Reads 2020″
BookPage‘s “2020 Most Anticipated Thrillers and Mysteries”
Today.com’s “16 highly anticipated summer reads”
The Star Tribune‘s “Great Escapes” summer reads
BookPage‘s “Private Eye July”
USA Today‘s “Summer reading guide: 20 new books you won’t want to miss”
CrimeReads “10 New Books Coming Out This Week”
Buzzfeed “17 New Thrillers That Will Keep Your Summer Exciting”
The Everygirl “30 Books That Should Be on Your Summer Reading List”
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Reviews
Clever, twisty, and altogether spine-chilling. . . [A] deliciously terrifying story . . . You'll want to read this one after dark, ideally with the wind whistling in the eaves and a window banging somewhere just out of reach. But keep the light switch handy. You just might need it
Fantastic
Flawless pacing, a dexterous dual narrative, and character through the roof. But the biggest revelation to be found in Home Before Dark is this: There's nobody writing scarier books than Riley Sager is right now
One of my favorite thrillers of 2020. Scary! Addictive! Shocking!
Praise for Final Girls
Praise for Home Before Dark
A dark, frightening and twisty story that you won't be able to put down. Read with the lights on!
A fantastic modern take on the classic haunted house story. The pacing was also pitch perfect and the story kept me guessing right until the reveals
A terrific read
Great . . . If you liked Gone Girl, you'll like this
Holy moly, I haven't been that shocked by a twist in quite some time. I actually laughed aloud when the big reveal came-because I was so delighted to have been so fooled. It's hard to write a book that's equal parts fun and frightening but Sager has done just that-and thrown in impeccable plotting for good measure. If you liked The Haunting of Hill House, you're going to love Home Before Dark. Addictive and atmospheric with a twist you definitely won't see coming
I'm a sucker for a haunted house story and this one has all the best ingredients and more. Loved the brilliantly fresh twist at the end. Terrifying
What could be better than a haunted house with ghosts aplenty? Home Before Dark is equally superb and terrifying. Buckle up for a wild ride. This book should come with a warning not to be read after dark
Home Before Dark has more twists than you can shake a ghost at . . . an unforgettable horror book of intelligence and chills