Y’all I had such high hopes for the latest Lisa Unger novel. Locked room thrillers are one of my favorite tropes. Unfortunately for me The Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six fell all kinds of flat for me. I absolutely couldn’t stand any of the characters and wasn’t invested in them whatsoever. There was also too many povs that made it a little overwhelming. This felt like a really slow burn that I almost didn’t finish. I kept hoping it would turn around. I’ve read a few Lisa Unger books and enjoyed them but this one wasn’t it for me. Thanks to Netgalley for an arc to read for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC of this book!

This was messy with unlikable characters (which isn't always a bad thing). However, the concept isn't anything new and I found the pacing lacking. The DNA results element was an interesting twist, which I liked!

4.5 stars!

In her latest novel, Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, skilled storyteller Lisa Unger takes the notion of “family”, dissects it, peers at all the angles of the concept, warm or dark, and treats the reader with a terrific tale of suspense from start to finish!
Told primarily in two timelines and multiple POVs, the story begins with a traditional family gathering at Christmas, hosted by parents Leo and Sophia, and attended by their grown children, Mako and Hannah, as well as their spouses. The evening is complicated by the mysterious, anonymous gifts of DNA kits for each adult.
Six months later, super-wealthy Mako and his wife Liza arrange a couples’ getaway for Hannah and Bruce, and longtime family friend Cricket and her new boyfriend. They meet in a luxurious, guest house deep in the woods, where they are promptly trapped by a fierce snowstorm and isolated by the lack of cell and wi-fi service, aka a perfect Locked Room scenario. I love this plot device, and the author skillfully ramps up the suspense with couples’ drama, stalkers, a voyeuristic landlord, and an alternate timeline involving another family 20 years prior.
All the threads of the characters’ motivations and tense drama come together masterfully in an edge-of-your-seat conclusion!
I highly recommend this to admirers of Lisa Unger’s writing, and to readers who like psychological thrillers with intricately woven, complex plot lines. This is quintessential Lisa Unger suspense!!

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest review.

An okay thriller. Had a little bit of unnecessary parts in it. Also missed the mark a few times and could've had some jaw droppers. Felt like a typical 2000's horror movie at first. Pretty predictable and had no twists (imo)
Thank you NetGalley for the arc. Not all can be 5 stars (44

4.5 stars

Woooooooooow this book was definitely not what I expected! So many twists and turns that kept me guessing....

However, I feel like some of the twists were a little predictable, but the identity of characters is what really threw me! The book is told from many different perspectives and from many different times. I think it was the author's way of keeping us confused so we wouldn't put the whole picture together until the very end....

IT WORKED!

I have read another book from this author before and the social commentary of the author is that technology, although very convenient and can open a lot of doors, is also a recipe for disaster and this book is no exception. She dives deep into the debate of DNA testing and uses it towards our villain the situation of the plot. It was a very interesting take on this debate and it has really added to my thoughts regarding this issue.

The plot also dives into the ancient struggle against nature vs. nurture in an interesting way and I also found that extremely fascinating. The characters are interesting, but had so many secrets they were keeping from one another that it was hard to rely completely on their point of view so the plot was a true puzzle and wasn't revealed until the very end.

Overall, this was a VERY interesting read, but not as thrilling as I would have liked..... I wanted more murder with a title like that one...

This was a nail biting thriller! Three couples rent a cabin for the weekend and then the fun starts! This book kept me on my toes and kept me reading! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger
My rating: 3/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Three couples vacationing at a luxury cabin in the woods, what could go wrong?!

I had really high hopes for this one as I really enjoyed Lisa Unger’s book Confessions on the 7:45. Sadly this one was not my favorite. I found this book extremely hard to follow and so many random characters and plots it was hard to keep things straight. I love a good thriller where all the pieces come together and you’re truly shocked at the end, but I didn’t get that feeling of satisfaction when I finished this book. While everything was explained and the loose ends were tied, I overthought this whole book. If you like a multiple POV story with short chapters, give this one a read. I did like the character development for some of the characters and learning their backstories, but it wasn’t a favorite for me.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC! You can read this one as it is out now!

I've been a Lisa Unger fan for a long time, so I have been looking forward to reading Secluded Cabin, Sleeps Six. First of all, I love the title! Indeed, the story mainly takes place in a secluded area where the characters - three couples on vacation - are isolated; additionally, a storm has cut them off from the outside world with no cell service, no internet, and blocked roads. Of course, this is especially bad news when one of the group goes missing, another is injured, and everyone's secrets come to light.

The story does alternate between this current situation at the secluded cabin, and a timeline set in the past. In the past, the reader is following the life of a character named Henry, and we have no idea how Henry fits into the current cabin situation. I know this is supposed to build intrigue, but, instead, this strategy left me feeling frustrated and disconnected. In the past, we follow Henry from childhood to present day, so every time we flip back to the Henry storyline, he is a little older, and another piece of his life is revealed. Of course, eventually, the two storylines converge and the timelines unite, but the journey felt a little disjointed. There is also an odd side-story about the owner of the rental cabin.

I did enjoy the character development throughout, in both timelines, and I certainly appreciated the atmosphere of isolation, amplified by the storm. While this is not my favorite Lisa Unger novel, she remains on my list of authors to read as soon as a new release is available.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger is the story of three interconnected couples who head away to a luxury cabin in the woods for a much needed getaway. When a severe storm hits, trapping them in the cabin it seems like the perfect weekend is turning into a nightmare but worse is yet to come. Unbeknownst to them they are being targeted by someone with a grudge against at least one of them and it seems like both secrets and blood will spill before the weekend ends.
This is the kind of book I pick up when I want to escape reality for a while, having read this author before I was confident that she would keep me turning the pages and that I would be entertained by the story , and I was. It definitely started a little slower than I was expecting but the description of a family Christmas day was so well done that I found myself nodding in recognition several times . I felt that there were a few too many point of view characters. and quite a lot of sub plots that could have been trimmed down. I felt that the chapters from the cabin owners perspective were completely superfluous , they could have been completely removed and it would not have taken anything away from the story. None of the characters were particularly likeable, and while that doesn't particularly bother me, it is always nice to have at least one character to root for. I can't say that I found the big reveal of the book to be very shocking ,it was well signposted throughout the book and I think anyone who reads a lot of books in this genre will see what is coming. I did like the central premise of questioning nature vs nurture and the sheer amount of information that DNA testing and registries contain, it definitely makes you think. I also thought the author did a wonderful job of setting the scene and describing the isolation and the devastation caused by the storm , I really did feel like I was right there with the characters.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own .

While the premise of this book grabbed my attention, it fought me every single page. I was intrigued by the isolated location with a family/friend group go for a weekend getaway, and the idea that they all had secrets that may be getting spilled. What I found instead was a confusing mess. I found the buildup to be achingly slow & painful, and I didn’t really care for any of the three couples. There were also other perspectives alongside the main ones, and this added to the confusion. I loved Henry’s chapters & wished there were more, but Bracken’s were pointless - they only proved that he was a creep. With all of the varying perspectives & backgrounds, it really did feel that there was too much going on. By the time everything is linked together, it’s required a few OTT moments to make it sound semi-logical, and by that stage I didn’t care. I just kept hoping for a payoff & when it arrived, it felt like more of a whimper than a bang.

The title "Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six" grabbed me from the first time I saw it. I expected a deliciously scary thriller where characters began to disappear as mayhem ensued. To some degree this is what Unger delivers, but it gets pretty involved and goes in directions I didn't expect.

What could be better than getting away to a fancy high end "cabin" that looks more like a mansion with all the bells and whistles (except, of course, working wi-fi)? Well, it turns out, A LOT. Hannah's brother spares no expense to bring her, her husband, her best friend, a plus one, and his wife together for a couples weekend. But it turns out not to be the relaxing time he expects. Mix in a weirdo landlord who enjoys peaking in on his renters and an old ghost story about a murder that happened on the property years ago and the stage is set.

There was a lot to enjoy about this book. The opening of the book is superb. I have never quite seen a Christmas dinner described in such a macabre and yet apt way. The story interrogates what it means to be "family", what lengths you should (or shouldn't ) go to protect them, and to what extent the DNA we carry from our family makes us who we are. All great ideas with important ramifications to consider.

And yet, as the story went on to develop a second timeline, I was less interested. It's important to the overall resolution to the plot, but I didn't feel much of a payoff for it, except to make the plotting work. By the time we got where we were going it felt super contrived. I did still enjoy the role DNA kits play in this story- how much should we know about our family? what might we learn from these kits that we don't want to know? All, important questions, but overall I was left sadly disappointed in the execution.

**Content warning SA

There was a lot of potential in this book - I was intrigued by the premise of a group with secrets in a secluded cabin. There were so many directions this could have gone. And therein lies the problem. It went in ALL the directions it could have gone. There were just way too many plots and subplots to form any sort of cohesive story that made any sense. We had cheating, we had fraud, we had sexual harassment, we had serial killers, we had stalkers, we had family drama, we had voyeurism. It was all just too much in a small space. Pick two, maybe three, main plot lines and develop a strong, cohesive story that keeps you guess. But this kept me guessing simply because there were so many tangents I couldn't keep track of them all and how they related back to each other.

This plot wasn’t exactly what I had pictured after reading the synopsis but it was still a twisty enjoyable book! I found myself staying up late to see how all of the different characters were connected. It was a fun read for sure! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of psychological thrillers, rejoice! This was a good one! I spent the whole book trying to connect the dots. It was a story split between Henry and Hannah. Henry had a rough childhood. His mother died. He had no family, no roots. Until he did. Hannah loved her family, and more than anything, her brother Mako. Mako was super successful and charming with a beautiful wife. But his past comes back to haunt him. To haunt all of them. And both stories come together and it all makes sense. Great read!

Lisa Unger brings another great book to her readers. I was drawn in from page 1, although I’ll admit I had trouble keeping up in some chapters. I’m glad I kept reading. Well developed characters and a great plot kept me guessing. A must read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. The premise was interesting and the book moved quickly, but other than that, it was kind of a mess. The author was just doing too much in my opinion. There was the DNA story, the odd dynamics between the group of friends, the potentially haunted cabin, the alternate Henry timeline, the creepy cabin owner plot line that was completely unnecessary, etc. This one needed an editor for sure!

With a Lisa Unger book, I think you are always guaranteed a good read. This one was no exception. I was reading until 2:15am to finish as I had to find out what happened (always the sign of a good book!)

It took me a while to get to grips with all the characters, six main characters in the cabin and other important characters around. I also found Lisa Unger has a persuasive way of moving your loyalties between the characters. There are some dark themes covered quite realistically, making me feel quite uncomfortable at times, but also unable to put the book down.

The story is told from several different timelines and also from different narrators. It is difficult to review without giving away any spoilers, however I will say that after a steady-paced start, the multi-layered plot and secrets, does all pick up pace and knit together brilliantly in the very tense, final few chapters.

This book has a captivating premise, and such an eerie setup--a secluded vacation in a cabin in rural Georgia, with a storm coming, with a creepy AirBnb host? Eek!

Readers should know, though, that they are in for all sorts of time jumps, perspective changes, and storyline interruptions, sometimes from characters that we have no idea why they relate to the other story we were reading. Stick through it, and it all makes sense. I wasn't prepared for this, and it really took the momentum out of my reading, slowing down what I expected to be a page turner.

Major TW for pregnancy loss, a part of the storyline that I didn't think felt very necessary.

Overall this book is an interesting critique of the complexities of DNA testing apps like 23andMe and Ancestry, but I felt like it tried to do a little too much and spread itself too thin.

Lisa Unger has been one of my favorite authors for a long time, so of course I was excited to read Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six...and it did not disappoint! I liked that the story was told from the perspectives of several characters and that it went back and forth between the past and present. The plot was unique and interesting, and I was excited to find out what was really going on and how it all would end. Thanks to NetGalley and Legend Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review another great Lisa Unger novel. : )

This story follows three couples who book a long weekend at a - you guessed it - secluded cabin deep in the woods for a friends-and-family retreat. The bonds and meaning of family are put to the test when things start to take a sinister turn and the past comes calling.

This is not a perfect book, but it is a fun book. I loved the creeping feeling of dread and tension that made it so compulsively readable. It was a supremely easy story to settle in with and let yourself get sucked into. There were so many nooks and crannies inside this narrative that I was constantly kept guessing and theorizing. This turned out to be a source of struggle for the novel as well, however. There were so many narrative threads, that some got lost along the way, some fizzled, and many had to be wrapped up so quickly that I was left feeling like it was less payoff than I’d built up in my head. There were even a couple characters and storylines that didn’t end up contributing much to the story.

I admit, I didn’t care all that much for the ending. It seemed a bit rushed and matter of fact after all the suspense, and there was one chapter I wish I could un-read, though I think it was the type of narrative choice that you either really like or really don’t. It wasn’t for me.

Despite these flaws, overall I have to go with my gut and rate this book 4.0 stars purely because of how much fun I had for the majority of my read-time.

This is not a perfect book, but it is the perfect book to take on your next long flight - or to read beside the fire in a secluded cabin.