Home Before Dark by Riley Sager is a suspenseful thriller that follows the story of Maggie Holt, who inherits the infamous Victorian mansion known as Baneberry Hall. Decades earlier, her family fled the house in the middle of the night, claiming it was haunted. Maggie, now an adult and a skeptical home renovator, decides to return to the house to confront her family's past and debunk the supernatural stories that have plagued her family for years. As she uncovers dark secrets and investigates the unsettling occurrences in the house, the lines between reality and the supernatural blur, leaving anyone who reads this on the edge of their seats in this gripping and eerie tale of suspense and family secrets.
The most compelling aspect of the book, for me, was its skillful blend of suspense, mystery, and the supernatural. The author created an atmosphere of unrelenting tension, and this book is no exception. The dual timelines, alternating between Maggie's present-day renovations and her father's chilling account of their time at Baneberry Hall, kept me hooked from start to finish. The eerie and haunted house itself became a character in its own right, with its dark history and unsettling secrets adding to the sense of foreboding. I wasn’t disappointed anywhere throughout the story. The book, both, had a good plot and also had many suspenseful moments. I would recommend this book to fans of thrillers, haunted house stories, and anyone who enjoys a suspenseful and atmospheric read. It's perfect for those who love to be kept on the edge of their seats, and I've already recommended it to several of my friends who share a passion for thrilling and chilling reads. I give this book a 5 out of 5.