teaser/ramble at https://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2023/02/secluded-cabin-sleeps-six-by-lisa-unger.html
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23 February 2023
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It has taken me entirely too long to start this.

I had (still have) an advanced digital copy, for crying out loud.

I bought the hardcover shortly after it was released.

In November.

Early November.

I suppose there were probably a lot of reasons to put it off, but those are mostly over and done and now I can devote the proper amount of energy ... I hope. I've picked it up several times over the past few months but then stuff would get in the way in my brain and I knew this probably wouldn't be a book I would be willingly distracted from. I have an hour and a half left to my work week and then nothing but hanging out with my kid for the weekend and he is perfectly willing to avoid the cold and snow and stay tucked inside the house with a book for me and the ipad, iphone, laptop, tv, kitchen, etc for him 😉

By the way, I have had the "Friday 56" picked out since I picked up the hardcover in our favorite little bookstore. I had no intention of buying it that day, I was just curious about the options for the 56es. I could have easily just stuck with the free eARC .... but the blip from page 256 made the hardcover a "keeper" and the receipt has been holding the page this entire time.

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27 February 2023
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So much horribly unexpected life got in the way of reading as much as I wanted to over the weekend .... and then came the Sunday night-Monday morning work shift which, blessedly, was only a hassle for the first hour or so.

And then came the book .... and everything else just sort of disappeared.

I was completely entranced and awestuck and bewildered and a million other feelings that I really never expected even though I probably should have. This isn't my first Unger, after all. Even though it had so many elements that I typically cringe over like time jumps, storylines that don't seem to go together at all, and the dreaded multiple POVs. This is Lisa Unger, though, and I really can't imagine the book working quite so well, or being nearly as gripping, without those dreaded elements. I also can't can't imagine those elements working quite so well by anybody else's hand (or keyboard .... or however Lisa does her thing).

So many amazing pieces jig-sawed together into a book I would most definitely reread and give a million and two stars to if I could .... and page 256 is still my favorite.

Maybe it’s because I’m an avid thriller reader but seeing “Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six” on an Airbnb site would not make me want to rent it. Unless I was a demented serial killer, which appears to be the case with most, if not all, of the characters in this convoluted mystery.

Hannah’s brother Mako invites her, her husband Bruce, her best friend Cricket, and Cricket’s boyfriend to stay in a desolate but high-end rental “cabin” for a weekend. Along with Mako’s wife, Liza, there are just enough beds for everyone. It sounds like a fun weekend. However, all of them have secrets that will be revealed by the end of the book. Also, the cabin’s owner installed cameras throughout the house because he literally likes to watch. If that is not creepy enough, a killer storm is rolling in too.

There is also a secondary plot of young Henry losing his mother and eventually finding a long-lost aunt decades earlier. He connects to the others in the cabin in a surprising way.

Obviously, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is bursting with both plot and characters. Unfortunately, and probably because of that, I didn’t care about any of them. Also, the first half was all introductory material. Nothing remotely exciting happened until later. I’m not sure if I would have kept reading if I wasn’t going to write this review. I usually love Lisa Unger’s books but this one was a miss for me. 3 stars.

Thanks to Legend Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

Wow. That was a wild ride that veered into unexpected territory. With addictive chapters just short enough to keep going (just one more), I was glued to the couch to see this one to its satisfying conclusion. Perfect for a rainy Sunday.

We start out with quotes about family, nature/nurture, choice. Adult siblings Hannah and Mako, along with their respective spouses, are at Christmas dinner at their parents' house, and rich Mako is planning the getaway weekend trip at the titular cabin. A few months pass before the big trip, and the story is told from Hannah's and her sister-in-law's perspectives with some random how-in-the-heck-does-this-fit-into-the-story chapters layered into the narrative.

The cabin's great, with its own haunted past, the owner is creepy, a big storm is coming, the trip is foreshadowed with dread. That's all I want to say - the less you know the better, it really took some crazy turns.

My thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for the ARC.

Pub-Date: 28 Feb 2023 (UK)

This was published last year in the US. Thanks to #netgalleyuk for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one. Secluded cabin where a group of friends are stuck while a deadly storm is brewing? I’m in!
But alas, it just didn’t live up to its blurb for me.

I buddy read this with @mariesembar and we got quite frustrated with the multiple red herrings that just seemed to prolong the agony of getting to the end of the book!

What I liked: the setting, the mystery around the DNA tests, the great beginning!

What I didn’t like: one red herring too many, the motive wasn’t credible, overall too many characters that could have been left out and a lot of information and backstory dumped on us that wasn’t relevant to the story.

Hannah and her husband are invited by her brother Mako and wife Lisa to a secluded cabin with a few friends. Once they arrive Lisa starts feeling unwell and their creepy host seems to know a little too much about them. Hannah feels watched and her best friend’s boyfriend starts to disappear for long bouts of time. After their first night there, things start to unravel and then Lisa goes missing.

That’s as much as I’m going to say as I suppose it’s best if you go into this one blind.

It didn’t work for me but all in all a decent read!

Thanks net galley for giving me the opportunity to read this really interesting and totally different type of thriller that I have ever read.
Christmas 2017. And Hannah her husband, her brother and sister in law and friend with new boyfriend for sway at thus most amazing house in the middle of no where.
They were determined to have a wonderful time but Hannah was missing her baby, and she knew that something was not quite right with her husband.
They knew a big storm was coming, but never realised what this storm would bring and how it would change their lives.
Great story and look forward to another great story from Lisa Unger.

I have read a lot of books along the same basic lines as this one. Couples together in a remote cabin/ hotel/ island etc etc but ever the optimist I was hoping for a fresh slant from this one. I was disappointed though as I didn’t feel at all thrilled and the use of so many POV’s some of which were ultimately irrelevant just ended up boring me.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is a psychological thriller. It is about three couples that go away for a long weekend together and the events that occur during this time.
There are multiple point of views in this novel and I often had a difficult time navigating each one. While the events that occurred at the luxurious cabin were interesting, I wasn’t sure where the other two-story lines were going to fit in. It wasn’t until the last 20% of the book that the author ties it altogether.
At the cabin, are Mako and his wife Liza, Hannah (Mako’s sister) and her husband Bruce and Cricket (Hannah’s best friend and Mako’s off again-on-again lover) and Joshua (Cricket’s current boyfriend). The owner of the cabin, Bracken, has put cameras throughout the cabin and spends his time watching all of the guests closely. Much of this book centers around DNA and the use of genealogy tests and the results that they can provide.
Trigger warnings for sexual assault, serial killers and the Me-Too movement.
While I have enjoyed Lisa Unger’s novels in the past, this one went into too many directions to keep my interest.
Many thanks to Legend Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Per the blurb, "Three couples rent a luxury cabin in the woods for a weekend getaway to die for in this atmospheric and gripping locked-room thriller by New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger."

I enjoy Lisa Unger books generally and wanted to like this book, but it was just too far-fetched. There were too many twists and turns. I just couldn't get into it.

Thanks to Netgalley for free book, but I'll wait for new Lisa Unger books and try to forget this one.

I love a good locked room mystery, and this one did not disappoint.

Three couples head to a luxury cabin in the woods. Hannah and Bruce, first time parents nervous to leave their baby for the first time but really needing a vacation. Mako (Hannah's brother) and Liza are footing the bill and want to all get together for some friend time. Also there is Cricket and Joshua, a new boyfriend. Cricket is Hannah's best friend and also has a long standing affair/relationship with Mako.

The arrive and meet their host at the cabin who seems odd. They learn of a strange, haunted history surrounding the cabin area. A terrible storm knocks out power. And surprise, surprise - everyone is hiding something or has some sort of secret. One of them disappears and that's when things really pick up.

I enjoyed the remote setting. The characters were not particularly likeable, but they were all interesting and I was invested in knowing the whole story.

Without giving much away, the DNA aspect to this story was very different and intriguing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press from an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was excited to read my first novel from this author. This book started off strong for me and immediately hooked me. However, as the story went on I found myself wanting to pick it up less and less. The POV of so many characters made it hard to connect with any of them and the story line jumps from past to present so frequently that the read just struggles to keep track of it all. The story had potential as it started off creepy and atmospheric but then just gets lost in the middle. I did end up DNF this story before the ending.

This book had potential. A isolated thriller is the type I enjoy.
But this felt a little convoluted. A case of trying to do too much. We follow multiple POVs and multiple timelines. There's characters easily connected, some not so much and one that honestly added nothing to the story.
The characters in the first half were flat. While we learn more in the second half they still were missing something.
The plot itself picked up in the second half of the book. I found the first half slow and dragging. I was waiting for something to happen.

The amount of storylines and characters/perspectives became very confusing. I’m unsure why some characters are even included and the amount of inconsistencies throughout was disappointing.

Isolated parties where they might not all make it out alive is a tied and true trope, and Lisa Unger brings the chills in Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six.

A fun read that will keep readers engaged and invested in these three couples and their weekend away gone awry.

Loved the premise! Had me hook line and sinker and for the most part this book was decently engaging. I loved the atmosphere and different characters but I also found it somewhat messy and difficult to navigate. All in all, a solid 3 star book!

What can happen on a trip to a cabin in the woods, you plan a trip with a couple of friends and then everything starts to go awry. It all starts with a deadly storm and unseen circumstances starts occurring. The plot takes a hold of the reader and doesn't let go of its grip until the end. A riveting thriller and well written characters keep the story moving along smoothly. I am already a big fan of this author. I knew what to expect and I was not disappointed. I have to applaud the author for writing another exhilarating domestic thriller story.

Disclaimer: Thank you NetGalley and Legend Press for this copy and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lisa Unger is a go to author for me, so I was happy to pick this one up. This is a locked room thriller with three couples staying in an isolated luxury cabin for vacation, and someone doesn't want them to leave alive. Everyone there has secrets. The personal chef lets them know this cabin has a disturbing history. Their host was kind of invasively hospitable. It's an unnerving scenario. Then a horrible storm arrives forcing even more isolation.

This was a creepy, scary book. I wasn't crazy about the characters though - there wasn't a lot of depth to them. The plot was good for a thriller and it moved well. I'm giving it 4 stars.

Thanks to Legend Press through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on February 28, 2023.

Locked room thriller’s seem to be the latest trope at the moment. This one doesn’t disappoint. There are plenty of thrills to keep you entertained, thinking you have guessed but then finding you have it completely wrong. The book begins in 2017 it's Christmas. A family celebrating, Hannah and Bruce with their 9 month old daughter, Gigi along with Hannah’s brother, Mako with his wife Liza. When they have all finished eating Leo the father says they all have another present. The gift is a DNA test kit for each of them. But who has sent the gift? No one will say.

Who will do the DNA test? Who will throw it away?.

Mako has booked a holiday for Hannah’s birthday in a luxurious cabin with a personal chef, masseuse and a hot tub, I wouldn’t mind someone sending me on one of those trips. The cabin is however in a remote area. It’s an adults only trip so Gigi will be looked after by Bruce’s mum. The trip is for Hannah and Bruce, Mako and Lisa and Cricket and Joshua. Cricket is best friends with Hannah they have known each other from a very young age, she had also dated Mako before he met Liz.

Being a new mum Hannah is nervous about leaving Gigi which is normal, even Bruce doesn’t want to leave Gigi, he has also been behaving a little odd. But with technology as it is now Hannah has an app on her phone where she can see Gigi.

The couples arrive t the cabin which is big and gorgeous there is a guest house behind the cabin if anyone else was going to join, but the six are fine in the cabin. The owner of the cabin is Bracken along with some others in the area. But for some reason he is a bit off, surely he would be welcoming of guests! So what is going on with him?

When the chef and his assistant are preparing dinner he begins to give them some background on the cabin, apparently a family had been murdered and some visitors say they have seen the ghost of the mum looking for her children.

The story is told through different timelines, through Hannah, Cricket and Mako, but also some other characters, Trina, Henry, piper and Catrina. But where do they fit in within the story. Just as they are all relaxing Bracken tells them there is a storm coming in but they are assured that if the power goes out there is a back up generator so nothing to worry about. Because the roads can get washed out he tells them to stay inside the cabin if that happens, and if they need him they have his phone number.

I mean what could go wrong? Hannah wonder’s about her brother as he begins flirting with Cricket, why does Hannah’s husband hate her brother Mako? Hannah also can’t work out why Cricket’s new partner Joshua looks so familiar to her. But when the storm comes in and knocks the power out prepare yourself. Because this relaxing weekend break is about to end!

The characters all have flaws and secrets, some made in the past some now. Running alongside this story is the story of Henry, a young man who was orphaned as a teenager and raised in a group home. Henry is a mystery, and officially he doesn’t exist.

This is another terrific read by Lisa Unger, a book I would highly recommend. It will have you guessing at those twists and turns. When what should have been a good relaxing weekend turns into a nightmare.

This was a fast easy read which kept me guessing all of the way through. There were a few red herrings and I certainly did not predict the ending. This book has quite dark themes and explores whether blood is thicker than water and the age old debate of whether nature or nurture is more important in how a person turns out. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others to give it a try.

2.5 stars.
I get that thrillers have to find new and inventive plots but this one just didn't work. I wasn't sympathetic to the characters at all. Nothing about the plot kept me riveted to the book. It took way too long to get to the reveal and by then the characters were dull. Not a thriller I would recommend.

It took me way too long to get through this one. The multiple POV was almost maddening. Too many people to keep track of, and some of them were so unlikeable that I wanted to skip whole chapters. It even jumps around through another time period with one of the charcters.
I feel like the story was just trying so hard to be clever and keep the audience guessing, which I guess it sort of worked because I found myself saying out loud on more than a few occasions, "Where the hell is this going, and do I even care any more?"
I mean, you get a group of people together, whom the majority of have never met before, and throw them in a very secluded cabin, how could it not be entertaining?
This was my first read by this author and I have to say I'm really disappointed, but I'll probably give them another try since I've heard good things about other works of theirs. This one just wasn't for me.