Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a tense thriller filled with secrets and mystery. Lisa Unger is no stranger to drama and her latest novel is filled with a family of characters who all have secrets and lies they have been telling each other just to save face and look good for social media.

My one complaint about the novel is that it throws at lot of plot points at the reader in an effort to keep them on their toes, however I feel the misdirection falls flat in many of the chapters and the reader is left wonder where exactly the story is going. I kept waiting for the final payoff, where the plot (or mystery) comes together and honestly was disappointed by the resolution in the end,

I consider Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six a mediocre thriller at best, and know Unger has written better novels in the past. Thank you to NetGalley and Park Row Books for the opportunity to review this novel.

I had higher hopes for this one. The constant repetition of character traits seemed excessive, particularly as the characters are all cliche - many of them described as "virile" . There were also too many characters to keep track of. The plot seemed far fetched at times and reminiscent of a teen horror movie. I also struggled to buy into the likenesses among half siblings being so pronounced. I was expecting more from the creepy host which was a let down. By the end I was looking forward to it just ending.

Quick take: Lisa Unger is one of my go-to thriller writers and I enjoyed much of this book. There's intrigue, secrets, past bad deeds. And a baddie with an agenda.

It reminded me a little of Linwood Barclay's Find You First, as it dips into DNA testing kits, sperm donation and genetics. Posing the age-old nature vs nurture question... not to mention good vs evil.

Unger's given us some very likeable characters and some who are less-so. The pacing is great so you want to keep reading, though we change narrators and move about in time.

I thought I knew where this story was going and kinda wished it'd gone in that more obvious direction as I felt the motivation on offer (underpinning what happens to our six cabin-sleepers) overcomplicated things a little and diluted or redirected some of my hatred that came so easily.

I'd certainly still recommend this fast-paced psychological thriller.

3.5 stars

This was a fun thriller. I did think it was a little obvious but the writing was solid and the ride was entertaining. My first read by this author and I’ll read others based on this one.

Did not finish - not my cup of tea but thank you for the opportunity to read. The flow of the writing didn’t grab me so I didn’t make it past the first few chapters.

Book Review: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Women are always taking the blame for the bad deeds of men. And you know what? Thats bullshit.”

What could be more restful than a weekend getaway with family and friends? An isolated luxury cabin in the woods, spectacular views, a hot tub and a personal chef. Hannah’s generous brother found the listing online. The reviews are stellar. It'll be three couples on this trip with good food, good company and lots of R & R.. But the dreamy weekend is about to turn into a nightmare. A deadly storm is brewing. The rental host seems just a little too present. The personal chef reveals that their beautiful house has a spine-tingling history. And the friends have their own complicated past, with secrets that run blood deep. How well does Hannah know the company she keeps?

First off - I love the alliteration in this title - that alone made me gravitate towards it. This was a classic story of morally gray characters who are locked in an isolated setting together. You get POVs from SO many people, it was hard to keep track of sometimes. I had to take a second and be like, “wait who is this person again??” There were a few throw-away characters, and I believe their storylines were thrown in as a red herring to throw you off the twist.

While reading, there are two different storylines that eventually intersect, but for the most part it felt like I was reading two different books. I realize you needed the two storylines together to tell the full story, but maybe it was just too all over the place for me in this instance.

There is a DNA aspect throughout the book that brings up some super interesting thoughts/discussion about nature vs. nurture. Along with that, there are definitely some trigger warnings I would give for other serious topics that are brought up throughout. Please look those up before reading.

The story was convoluted, but I was still very entertained as it was fast paced and suspenseful.

This is a powerful and tense thriller, a captivating pot of terror! Lisa Unger has excelled herself again!
Hannah and her family receive DNA kits for Christmas anonymously. They rent a luxury cabin, little knowing the terror which follows. Each family member has dark secrets, but the truth is unexpected and has the reader gripped to the end.
Perfect for mystery, suspense,and thriller fans, a truly spine-tingling read!

An isolated cabin in the woods featuring a personal chef and breath taking views sounds like the perfect getaway for the weekend. What sounds like paradise soon turns sinister when the Chef reveals the frightful history of the beautiful cabin. As the threat of a hurricane looms over the group, distrust, hidden motives and affairs surface. Who can you trust as many dark secrets are revealed.
The story is told in multiple points of view and flips between the past and present making it difficult to keep track of sometimes. I was hoping by the end, I would have it all straighten out, but I felt as confused with a couple of pieces even to the end.
I usually am a big Lisa Unger fan, but for me I would tell my friends to pass on this one.
Thank you Netgallery and Legend Press for my ARC.

This book pulled me in pretty quickly. The setting of a remote beautiful luxury cabin in the woods was perfect. When three couples decide to get away for a fun secluded weekend anything can happen, right? As they arrive they learn a big storm is coming and bizarre things start to happen. Menacing text messages, the feeling they are being watched, marital issues, family secrets, etc. As the lies and secrets become exposed things start to get crazy. The plot is pretty wild with many different storylines and characters. I found the first half pretty entertaining, but with so many storylines and characters it was just too much. In addition there were too many over the top twists and turns in the end. 3 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I’m a great fan of this author and can’t quite believe this is book 20! I thoroughly enjoyed it as we visit each character; both in the present, as they visit a luxury lakeside getaway and their pasts, full of intrigue and secrets.

It kept my attention throughout and builds to a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, for me, a fabulous, escapist read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the opportunity to preview.

This one was SPOOKY and everything that I wanted it to be! I have no doubts that this will be very popular come pub date.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Okay so there’s some good and some bad with this one but I’ll start by saying despite the negatives I really enjoyed this book and was kept on the edge of my seat.

The plot is good, the pacing is good, the feeling of suspense is good. The setting of the cabin in the woods with a ghost story from the past adds to the suspense factor.

For the negatives:
The characters are all pretty cliched which did lead to some eye rolling on my part but I got past it.
There are a lot of characters/POVs to follow and different timelines as well. I don’t think it was necessary to have so many, it seemed to complicate things and left a few plot points unsettled at the end.

There were too many characters to follow and too many story lines. It was confusing and not very interesting. The author did not really develop any of the characters so that you knew their story so it was hard to remember who was who. Thankfully it wasn't a long read so I didn't waste much time on it. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the advanced copy. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

The storyline had a lot of potential. A secluded cabin for the weekend, three couples with a lot of drama going on, and a creepy cabin owner with secrets of his own - I really thought that I would enjoy the book more, but sadly, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for thearc.

This psychological thriller tells the story of three couples who visit, you guessed it, a secluded cabin in the woods. There are secrets, lies, danger, and mystery surrounding their trip.

There were also so many characters and different timelines and storylines, I had a tricky time keeping them straight and they were a bit overwhelming.
I didn’t always feel like all the stories connected or flowed too well. One character in particular, Henry, felt very random and I didn’t understand the connection to everyone else.
I thought the storyline with the house owner had so much potential, it was interested and could have been a huge part of the story but it fell flat.

I felt like the big twist was too far fetched and didn’t completely wow me and wasn’t super memorable.

While this was a miss for me I have loved some of Unger’s other books and would for sure pick up another!

I have enjoyed many Lisa Unger books over the years and typically I love vacation mysteries. Unfortunately, I just didn't care for this one. The characters were not believable for the most part and they were unlikable, horrible people harboring many secrets. The twists and turns, while not predictable, were not very interesting. The plot had a lot of potential and the setting doesn't get much better than a secluded cabin in a storm.

I have been drawn into the locked-in thrillers lately. This one was brilliant once I was able to sort out the characters - there are a bunch. Great read!

I love books set in wintery cabin settings so this was right up my alley. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you for providing me with a copy Netgalley.

While I love the concept of this book, the slow pace and ever changing POVs and story lines made this book drag beyond belief. I wanted to like this book so much but I had to force myself through it. The constant change of POVs and timelines made it impossible for me to get lost in the suspense and the over the top, dislikable characters didn’t hold much of my attention either.

DNA tests, scandals, secrets and a creepy setting. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six has quite a bit! The storyline chugs along at a decent pace to keep things interesting without too much of a lull anywhere. Overall I enjoyed the storyline, even if it was a tad messy.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.