Picture it: a luxurious cabin, six annoying people, an approaching storm, and a creepy host and threatening text messages. Should be the recipe for a perfect thriller, right? Unfortunately, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six tries to do everything and thereby doesn't do anything properly. Thanks to Legend Press and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. My sincere apologies for the delay in reviewing!

A week or so back I reviewed a short story by Lisa Unger, 'The Doll's House'. My main issue with the story was that it was trying to do too many things for a short story, overloading it with ideas and set-ups which couldn't be satisfactorily explored or developed in the format of a short story. After 'The Doll's House', however, I was curious about how Unger's ideas worked in a full-length novel, and I remembered I had her Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six (SCSS) gathering dust on my NetGalley shelf. I dove in to the almost 400-page book and by the time I hit 50% I had the sinking feeling we were dealing with the same issue here. In SCSS Unger was trying to do way too much, which sacrificed any nuance the characters or plot might otherwise have held. I am a fan of the type of thriller I like to call "snobby rich people getting what's coming to them", but I do still need these snobs to be worked out enough that I can properly loathe them, rather than mere pastiches I don't care for.

The below summary might include spoilers. I'll try not to spoil major things, but I also want to discuss some of the issues I had with the novel. As such, this is also a slightly ranty review. I can only apologise.

SCSS has a boatload of narrators, arguably too many. I guess Hannah is who you'd consider the protagonist. She is married to Bruce, a solid, quiet tech-type, and currently a stay-at-home mum for their recently-born child. Her brother, Mako, is also a tech-type, but a very rich one, who is married to Liza, who is into yoga. The novel begins at Christmas, where mysterious DNA-test packages appear for everyone. Mako has also organised a weekend getaway for the two couples, plus their childhood friend Cricket (sigh), who is into partying and Mako, and her new boyfriend Joshua, who's a wild card but also works in tech. Can you see a pattern here? The men are rich and smart, all working with "code" but it's never properly explained what they actually do. The women are either into children (Hannah), into vegan wellness (Liza), or an irresponsible party animal (Cricket). They are some of the blandest women I've read in a while, who never once felt like real women to me. We get all of the women's perspectives, although you can't really tell their POVs apart through the writing. We also get the same scenes retold through the different perspectives.

On top of that, we get the POV of the creepy host (Bracken), a mysterious stalker (not giving the name to preserve a plot which isn't actually really there), and a man called Henry. For the rest of the plot, let me say that both too much happens and nothing happens. The one story I actually somewhat cared for was Henry's perspective. He has a rough childhood and spends much of his early adulthood trying to figure out who his father is. His story is one about nature vs. nurture, about whether family is a choice you make or something you're saddled with, about whether you are your genes. There was good stuff there, which could have made for a quieter, but more impactful thriller. As SCSS stands, Henry is hardly relevant to the plot and yet somehow still the only thing I was interested in. The POV of the host is absolutely irrelevant, merely serving as a lukewarm red herring. All these POVs, six in total if I'm not forgetting one, kind of overload the plot, which isn't strong enough to be spread that thinly.

The plot itself is also filled to the brim with all kinds of ideas and tropes. At its heart, SCSS is, perhaps, a novel about the potential drama DNA-tests can cause, and thereby a novel about what family really is. But I was low-key grossed out by the way Unger seemed to position DNA/genes as some kind of curse? Some of the characters are deeply obsessed with what's in their blood, one even gets accused of being a eugenicist at some point, and I don't feel like Unger put enough thought into how she wanted to position this. Problematic ideas absolutely have a place in books, I'm not here to advocate for purity literature, but I want to get the feeling that the author at least knows how her depiction of those ideas comes across, and I did not get that feeling. I just felt slightly icky with some of it, as if the book was suggesting that some people have "dirty genes" or something and thereby become evil. The fact that this seemed kind of linked to race, although I am sure that was not Unger's intention, was just not good.

After reading both a short story and now a full novel by Lisa Unger, I both appreciate her willingness to go wild with plot and deplore her unwillingness to rein herself in for the sake of said plot. This novel wanted to be a "secluded cabin/locked room"-esque mystery, a family drama, a tech thriller, a discussion of #MeToo, and an exploration of female culpability in male misbehaviour. That is too much for one book, especially if we consider the weight of the two latter themes. While reading SCSS I could see where Unger wanted to go, what point she wanted to make about men and women, but because that conversation was drowned out by everything else, it just never got there. Instead, the scenes which addressed, even depicted, rape and sexual abuse/coercion, sat incredibly heavy with me and also gave me an ick. It is very important, especially in this day and age, to talk about how women might be enabling the wrong behaviour of their fathers, brothers, friends, partners, etc. towards other women. This deserves its own treatment, however, not shoved into an already overstuffed thriller plot here and there, because then it feels cheap or lands completely wrong. I want to reiterate again that I do not doubt that Lisa Unger intended for these themes to land a lot better than they did, but she or her editor should have seen how they got drowned in everything else.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six tried to do too much and none of it landed with me. While I'm sure other readers could enjoy this, I found it unbalanced, somehow too long as well as underdeveloped, and not careful enough with the themes it wanted to address. I will probably not pick up another Lisa Unger book in the near future. 2 Universes because I did finish it, rather than DNFing.

The character lines were hard to follow at times, but this book was a twisty thriller. Story was fast paced and kept me up most of the night, I just had to get to the end!

This was a very fun, locked in thriller. I enjoyed the multiple POV's and character development. Lisa Unger has a great writing style. It made me rethink doing DNA tests! Overall, a quick and enjoyable read.

A dream vacation in a secluded area is not a unique story line. But Lisa Unger gives her books enough twists and creepy clues to make them uniquely thrillers. Three couples book a luxury resort type cabin in a secluded area surrounded by trees, shrubs and anything or anyone who can hide in them. Can you hear the creepy music yet? There's the local man.....he's their personal chef in this story.....to make sure these city folks know all about the ghosts and goblins that live in these woods. And don't forget the owner, just checking to make sure everything is okay......yea, right. There are enough secrets and lies between the couples to lay a base for the story to go completely off the rails. Readers will spend considerable brain cells trying to figure out the who, what, where,and why.

I love a locked room premise so if you do too, this will not disappoint! I found the plot intriguing from start to finish and the characters felt fleshed out. Although maybe a bit unbelievable at times I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of this face paced mystery.

I totally forgot to review this one so it may be super later and not needed but after loving Confessions on the 7:45 I didn’t enjoy this one as much.

Couldn’t finish this. From the start — when we are introduced in media res with minimal explication— this felt dull and yet difficult to keep track of.

I had high hopes for this one and I wanted to like it, but the first half of it dragged. Once I got to the action part of it, it seemed a bit convoluted and ridiculous. I didn't buy the reasoning behind everything, not to mention that there were zero redeemable characters. The resolution at the end left much to be desired. This one was not for me.

Adore the way that Unger handled the multi POVs in this novel, which made it an absolute page turner - could not put it down!

Known for her strong writing and page-turning thrillers, Lisa Unger did not disappoint with "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six." The unique title alone was a clue that this "closed door" mystery was going to be a wild ride and it definitely was! I was drawn into the story and characters from the first page. I will be reading more from Lisa Unger!

I think halfway through the book it was getting good. However it was kinda annoying going to different povs from the characters and as well as going from past to present. Or was a good story but quite overwhelming with diffeeent dilemmas.

I did not finish this book. I have read others by this author and loved them but did not live up to my expectations.

I went into "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" by Lisa Unger expecting a creepy and suspenseful thriller, and while it did have its moments, it didn't quite live up to my expectations. The story follows a group of friends who rent a secluded cabin for a weekend getaway, only to find themselves being stalked by a mysterious figure.
The setup was promising, with a great sense of foreboding and tension as the group settles into the cabin. The characters were well-developed, particularly the main character, Claire, who was relatable and likable. The writing was descriptive and immersive, making it easy to picture the setting and atmosphere of the cabin.
However, the plot started to feel a bit predictable and formulaic as it unfolded. The mysterious figure's motivations and backstory were not fully fleshed out, which made it hard to connect with them on an emotional level. The twists and turns were also somewhat predictable, which took away from the surprise factor.
Additionally, some of the characters' actions felt forced or unrealistic at times, which took me out of the story. The dialogue could have been improved as well - some of the conversations felt stilted or unnatural.
Overall, while "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" was an enjoyable read, it didn't quite hit the mark for me. Fans of psychological thrillers may find some elements to appreciate, but I wouldn't recommend it as a standout in the genre.

While I didn't mind the concept of the solution to the mystery aspect, it was very hard to follow all the different POVs and even more difficult to connect with any of the characters, which lessoned the impact of the conclusion.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a mystery/thriller about family, friends, and the dangers of modern culture (specifically DNA tests and cameras). It was an interesting premise of a group of close friends/family on a trip. But, I had a hard time with the secrecy between the partners and the ending. Perhaps this book just wasn't for me though!

3/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

Lisa Unger can do no wrong. I could not out this down. Well written with great character development. Highly recommend.

A slow burning thriller. The story unfolds as we get to know the nicely developed characters from several points of view. There's more than one plot that had me wondering how it would all come together. Once we reach the cabin, which sounds beautiful at first, but once it gets dark and a huge storm begins, it becomes super creepy, and the tension is cranked up! Those multiple plots do come together with great suspense at the end! Overall I enjoyed the story and would recommend to others who love a well written thriller with some slow burning suspense that boils over at the end!

This book just didn’t live up to my expectations. I liked the premise but the execution was lacking. A lot of unnecessary characters and boring backstories was just irritating. However I did like the setting.

Thank you for a chance to read and review this book but I did not like itk at all. I could not get interested in the story. Sadly I did not finish it.

I wanted to enjoy this book but was honestly so confused. The setup is solid. Three couples escape to a getaway in the woods. Each is looking forward to the experience but we quickly learn that nothing is as it seems. Tensions are high and the drama is fierce. The problem comes in as the timeline jumps backward and we gain more characters and interwoven stories. We never spent any amount of time with one person to truly track their story and care about what happens with them. I was honestly so lost for so much of it and when I began to catch on it was just too unbelievable for me. As a book I could definitely see how some may enjoy this one so I wouldn't count it out until you try it. There is a definite mystery aspect to it that is tough to figure out. It just wasn't for me but may be for you! I do hear great things about this author so will be trying some of her other books in the future.