I Read & Ranked All Of Riley Sager’s Books!

Hi all!

I had two major reading goals this year. 1.) read and rank all of Emily Henry’s works (click here) and 2.) read and rank all of Riley Sager’s works. Mission accomplished! Today – from favourite to least favourite – I’m going to discuss his entire bibliography of horror/thrillers. Riley is known for his epic twists, suspenseful plots and suspicious characters. He is an instant-buy author for me. However, some of his novels are better than others. It’s about to get controversial! Without further ado, let’s get into it!

Spoilers Ahead!

1.) The Only One Left

Set in 1983, Kit McDeere, is hired to care for Lenora Hope, the sole survivor of a family massacre in 1929, at her crumbling mansion, Hope’s End. Lenora, mute and paralysed, uses a typewriter to communicate. As Kit helps her write about the past, she uncovers secrets about the massacre and a missing nurse. The story unfolds as Kit begins to suspect Lenora may not be the harmless woman she seems, and the truth of the Hope family’s gruesome history, is far more complex.

In first place, we have The Only One Left. I have never read a thriller quite like it before. If you want a moody, atmospheric setting, pick this one up! The gothic mansion, shady characters and Lenora’s mysterious past, had me utterly enthralled. I could not put it down. Not to mention, the multiple shocking twists, left me with a bit of whiplash – in a good way. It was a perfectly told story, with layers upon layers to unearth. For this reason, it deserves re-reading, because once you know the truth, your entire perspective will change. Prepare to be hit right between the eyes, with a reveal you never could have predicted. I highly recommend it!

2.) Home Before Dark

Maggie Holt inherits Baneberry Hall, a house her family fled twenty-five years prior, after a terrifying alleged haunting, which her father documented in his best-selling memoir. Maggie, a rational adult, who believes her father fabricated the story, returns to the gothic estate to renovate and sell it. However, once she arrives, it’s clear there is a dark hidden truth about the house’s past, her family’s complicated history and her own fragmented memories of the event.

In second place, we have Home Before Dark. This is Riley’s most popular novel, bordering more on horror, than thriller. The chapters are divided into past and present day – blurring the lines between what is real and what isn’t. The format makes it such an intriguing and entertaining read. I found Maggie’s childhood just as fascinating as her adult life. I also have no doubt the twist will shock readers (as it did me). I truly believe this is one of his better works. Riley always writes from the perspective of a female lead (bar one) and in my opinion, Maggie is his best protagonist yet.

3.) Survive The Night

Film-obsessed college student, Charlie Jordan, accepts a ride from stranger, Josh Baxter, to escape the grief and guilt of her best friend’s murders, by a serial murderer, known as the Campus Killer. However, she quickly suspects Josh himself might be the culprit, during a tense, claustrophobic drive home. Charlie must determine if her fear is justified or a product of her imagination, as they travel through a dangerous, isolated landscape, turning the journey into a high-stakes game of cat and mouse.

In third place, we have Survive The Night. Here is where my ranking gets controversial, because from what I’ve seen online, this is one of Riley’s most despised books. I, for the life of me, cannot understand why. I absolutely loved every second of it. I felt every single moment of tension from start to finish. I genuinely felt afraid at times. Yes, I wanted to scream at the protagonist to get out of the car, but I also sympathised with her. The main criticism of this novel, is that she makes stupid decisions. To that I say a.) if she didn’t, there would be no plot, but more importantly b.) she is extremely traumatised. This is a very troubled, mentally disturbed person. Can we truly expect her to think crystal clearly in this situation? I will say, I saw the twist coming about halfway through the novel. Once you start to understand Riley’s formula, it’s easier to grasp what is happening. Nevertheless, it was still shocking when he confirmed the reveal. I also loved Charlie’s passion for horror-movie filmmaking. She made me feel seen.

4.) With A Vengeance

In 1954, Anna Matheson lures six people responsible for her family’s downfall onto a luxury train, intending to expose their crimes and deliver them to the authorities. However, a passenger is murdered before dawn, revealing a killer is among them. Anna is forced to protect the people she hates, before the train reaches its destination, turning her quest for injustice into a fight for survival.

In fourth place, we have Riley’s latest release, With A Vengeance. I love a good revenge tale, especially if it takes place in a single location. It also gave me Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie vibes. Anna was a great protagonist. She was fiesty and fierce, yet also fair. The issue with a story like this is, there are only so many suspects it could be. Through the process of elimination, it was quite easy to figure out what was going on. It was also highly unrealistic. You could really pick this one apart if you wanted to, but for the reasons mentioned above, I enjoyed my reading experience.

5.) The Last Time I Lied

Emma Davis returns to her childhood summer camp, Camp Nightingale, fifteen years after her three bunkmates disappeared one night. As an adult and rising artist, she accepts a position as an art instructor, seeking answers to the unsolved mystery. However, the only way to reach the truth, is to stop lying, because her innocence may be the biggest deception of all.

Next is The Last Time I Lied. I had so much fun with this book. It was really solid. I will admit, the lead-up to the reveal was much more exciting than the answers themselves, hence why it’s in fifth place. There were some major red herrings in this story, I wished were part of the twists. Having said that, the summer camp setting was immaculate. I loved the way the chapters switched between past and present day. I also liked that Emma was such an unreliable narrator. It’s definitely worth picking up.

6.) The House Across The Lake

Actress, Casey Fletcher, retreats to her family’s lake house, after tragedy strikes her personal life. From there, she becomes obsessed with watching her glamourous neighbours, the Royces. After saving Katherine Royce from drowning, a friendship blossoms, but Katherine soon vanishes, leading Casey to suspect her husband, Tom. However, Casey has secrets of her own, that the lake hasn’t forgotten.

The House Across The Lake is bonkers! It’s absolutely wacky. I issued a spoiler-warning at the top of this post, so heed that reminder now. Riley does something in this story that he has never done before – introducing a paranormal twist. As of writing this, all the ‘hauntings’ in his novels, have always been man-made. Not this book! He took a huge risk, especially as that isn’t his typical M.O. Did I like it? I’m in two minds. It was definitely shocking, I’ll give it that. What I didn’t enjoy however, was how out of place it felt. If any story was going to feature a bonafide human killer, this one made the most sense. Having said that, I loved the setting, I thought Casey was interesting (despite her extreme alcoholism) and I appreciated the Rear Window style influences. That twist though, was insanely bizarre. I understand why it won’t resonate with most readers.

7.) Lock Every Door

Jules, down on her luck, takes a lucrative house-sitting job at a prestigious Manhattan building, the Bartholomew. However, when fellow sitter, Ingrid, disappears, Jules investigates the building’s sordid past, discovering a plethora of horrors beyond imagination.

In third last place, we have Lock Every Door. This is actually the first Riley Sager novel I read. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it at the time. Since then, my appreciation of it has risen slightly, but not by much. When a building is your favourite part of the story, something is wrong. The characters were so insufferable in this one. Not to mention, it had the most predictable twist out of them all. I saw it coming a mile way! Having said that, I’m a big fan of the setting and neo-gothic vibes. It’s very Rosemary’s Baby. I just wish it hadn’t gone in the direction it did. It had a lot of potential.

8.) Middle Of The Night

Thirty years after his childhood best friend, Billy, vanished from a tent in their backyard, Ethan returns to his hometown on Hemlock Circle. Plagued by insomnia, he begins experiencing strange occurrences, including sightings of Billy, leading him to believe his friend is trying to communicate. As Ethan investigates, he uncovers dark secrets surrounding the idyllic neighbourhood and the mysterious Hawthorne Institute. It soon becomes impossible to ignore, the glaringly obvious truth.

In second last place, we have Middle of the Night. Remember how I mentioned Riley always writes from the perspective of a female, except for one book? This is the one book. There was nothing wrong with Ethan per se, but entire novel was one gigantic missed opportunity. It had the most anticlimactic ending in history. What could’ve been an epic story and twist reveal, was so mundane, I was infuriated. The more I think about, the less I like it. I’m mad that Riley didn’t take advantage of the creepy settings. It was all there, laid out for him. It’s hard to find anything positive to say, because the ending ruined all of it for me.

9.) Final Girls

Quincy Carpenter, one of the three known “Final Girls” and the sole survivor of a massacre ten years prior, finds her carefully constructed life shattered, when another Final Girl, Lisa, dies mysteriously. When the third “F.G”, Sam, appears on her doorstep, Quincy begins to spiral, exhibiting strange behaviour. As she starts to grapple with suppressed memories of the massacre, she uncovers a revelation about that fateful night, that will change everything.

In last place, we have Final Girls. This is Riley’s debut novel. I wish I had better things to say about it, but I don’t. Never in my life, have I hated a bunch of characters more. They were all so unlikable. I found the entire plot, from start to finish, highly unrealistic. Quincy put up with the absolute worst behaviour from Sam. There is no way in hell a regular person would do the same. Not to mention, the amount of criminal activity she engaged in. I would’ve enjoyed it a bit more had the plot been somewhat interesting, but it lagged. Absolutely nothing happened, until the very end. Even then, the twist was extremely predictable. He hadn’t honed his craft in that department yet.

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank Riley‘s works?

Peace & Love xoxo