Goodreads Readers Recommend the 5 Best Riley Sager Books to Read Now
From haunted mansions to chilling disappearances, these five thrillers have mystery fans hooked
Key Takeaways
- Goodreads ratings highlight the five most popular Riley Sager thrillers.
- Sager's suspenseful novels feature haunted houses, missing people, dark secrets and twists.
- Whether you're new to Riley Sager or a longtime fan, these books offer plenty of suspense.
Readers who love spooky thrillers adore author Riley Sager. But with 10 novels to choose from, including his newest release, The Unknown, it can be hard to know where to start if you’re new to reading his books. The good news? Goodreads readers have rated them all, and these are his five highest-rated, ranked by average rating. Keep reading to find your next twisty page-turner.
‘The Only One Left’ – 4.12 average rating
Published in 2023, this novel has more than 750,000 ratings on Goodreads, and is widely considered to be Sager’s best book. In 1929, 17-year-old Lenora Hope was accused of hanging her sister, but she denied it, and the police were never able to prove it. Now, in 1983, home health aide Kit McDeere arrives at Lenora’s home to provide end-of-life care. While there, Lenora begins communicating messages in the form of tapping on a typewriter, since she can’t speak anymore. One day, Lenora writes, “I want to tell you everything. It wasn’t me,” which intrigues Kit more than it should. Kit decides to figure out what really happened at Lenora’s home all those years ago, and nothing will prepare her for what she finds.
What Goodreads users are saying: “It’s no secret that I love Riley Sager’s books, but this one was exceptional! I could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen next! It’s set in the 1980’s (love it!) and the characters are far from perfect (also love). The way their stories intertwine is frighteningly beautiful. There’s crazy rich people doing stupid stuff. There are tons of family secrets. Plot twist galore! It earned all five stars.”
‘Home Before Dark’ – 4.03 average rating
This instant New York Times bestseller was published in 2020 and has garnered more than 300,000 ratings on Goodreads. Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents moved into a Victorian estate in rural Vermont, but they left after three weeks. Maggie’s father recounted this event in his memoir House of Horrors, which received national attention. Maggie doesn’t remember any of the events in the book, and after getting the estate from her late father, she decides to go back to learn what happened and then renovate and resell it. While there, she begins to experience the things her father talked about in his book, and Maggie starts to question everything she thought she knew.
What Goodreads users are saying: “I really thought the entire novel was wonderfully crafted and the prose was great, the story flowed quickly. The characters were believable if a bit predictable. The ending was Amazing and it just turned into different answers, first one way, then another, I truly was confused about what the truth was.”
‘The Last Time I Lied’ – 3.99 average rating
This 2018 novel has gotten more than 200,000 ratings on Goodreads since it was first published. Vivian, Natalie, Allison and Emma love playing two truths and a lie at their cabin at Camp Nightingale. Then one night, Emma watches all the other girls sneak out and never return. All Emma knows is that before they left, Vivian closed the cabin door with a finger pressed to her lips. Fifteen years later, Emma is a rising artist, and her work captures the attention of the owner of Camp Nightingale, who wants Emma to come back and be a painting instructor. When Emma returns to the camp, old memories from the summer her friends went missing begin to resurface. What follows is a mind-bending tale with a twist no one will see coming.
What Goodreads users are saying: “I was uneasy the entire time I read this book. Part of that was my own excited expectations/anticipation of the book but the other part was Sager’s writing. He knows how to create an elusive mood that leaves you full of dread, yet wanting more. You’re creeped out and suspicious of everyone. You can’t put the book down because you simply have to know where it’s all going. That’s my reading experience with this book in a nutshell and I loved every minute of it.”
‘Lock Every Door’ – 3.87 average rating
Sager’s 2019 novel has gotten more than 300,000 ratings on Goodreads from readers. Jules Larsen’s new job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most mysterious buildings, comes with some strange rules. She can’t have visitors, she can’t spend a night away from the building and she can’t disturb the residents. Even so, Jules finds herself bonding with residents and staff, especially her fellow sitter Ingrid, who reminds Jules of her sister she lost eight years ago. But when Ingrid disappears one day after telling Jules a ghost story about the building, Jules begins to wonder what’s really going on in the building.
What Goodreads users are saying: “This book was creepy and it felt like a perfect mix of thriller of horror, which is something I love about all of Riley Sager’s books. They always have this haunting atmosphere and feel slightly paranormal or creepy, like someone is always watching the main character and I eat it up, I love it! I really enjoyed this book so much and if you’re a fan of thrillers with a touch of horror I highly recommend this!”
‘The Unknown’ – 3.84 average rating
Riley Sager’s most recent release already has more than 70,000 ratings on Goodreads. In 1926, five women on a remote island in Vermont hold a séance. Afterward, the girls vanish one by one without a trace. The only clue left behind was a single piece of clothing hanging from a tree, which seemed to be a result of something supernatural. A century later, a film crew arrives on the island to recreate the women’s chilling story, and struggling actress Marin Keane lands the leading role. What seems like her big break quickly turns sinister when cast and crew members begin disappearing in the same way as the women in 1926. Armed with a diary left behind by one of the original five women, Marin vows to find out what’s really going on, before it’s too late.
What readers are saying: “This novel was scary and spooky and had me rapidly turning the pages trying to figure out what was going on,” says Carissa Mosness, Woman’s World associate digital editor. “And when I finally learned what was happening, all I wanted to do was go back and reread the entire thing to see what Easter eggs I missed. The twist was that good.”
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