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BookshorrorHome Before Dark
Cover of Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Home Before Dark,

by Riley Sager

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Rating3.9/ 5
Ratings383
Pages413
Reading Hours9h
Published2020
LanguageEnglish

§Synopsis

01

Twenty-five years ago, Maggie Holt and her parents moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. Three weeks later they fled in the dead of night, an ordeal her father recounted in a memoir called House of Horrors. His story of supernatural happenings and malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Maggie was too young to remember any of the horrific events that supposedly took place, and as an adult she doesn’t believe a word of her father’s claims. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When she inherits Baneberry Hall after his death and returns to renovate the place and sell it, her homecoming is anything but warm. The locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous, and human characters with starring roles in House of Horrors are waiting in the shadows.

Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place where unsettling whispers of the past lurk around every corner. And as Maggie starts to experience strange occurrences ripped from the pages of her father’s book, the truth she uncovers about the house’s dark history will challenge everything she believes.

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§Genres
horror1murder1mystery1thriller1
§Content Warnings
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1fast-paced1mysterious1reflective1
§Tags
#car accident1#dementia1#diverse characters1#loveable characters1

§About the Author

Riley Sager

5 books in catalog

Suspenseful mystery and thriller fiction often relies on unsettling environments and psychological tension to keep audiences engaged. The breakout novel Final Girls established a prominent new voice in contemporary suspense, combining classic horror tropes with intricate plot twists.

Career & Background

Born Todd Ritter, the Pennsylvania native worked as a journalist, editor, and graphic designer before transitioning into full-time fiction. Early in his career, he published mysteries under his real name as well as the pen name Alan Finn. He achieved widespread commercial success after adopting the pseudonym Riley Sager, launching a series of bestselling thrillers that have sold over four million copies worldwide and appeared in 40 countries. His debut under the name, Final Girls, optioned for film development by Universal Pictures and Anonymous Content, marked his transition to writing novels full-time. He currently resides in Princeton, New Jersey.

Writing Style & Themes

His writing style is recognized for blending atmospheric settings, claustrophobic houses, and unsettling occurrences with subverted thriller conventions. Rather than relying on rigid pre-planned outlines, his process focuses on creating suspenseful scenarios where isolated protagonists confront lingering past trauma and hidden domestic secrets. Recurring themes include memory, dark local histories, and high-stakes psychological confrontation.

Major Works

  • Home Before Dark — A haunted-house thriller centering on a woman who returns to the estate made famous by her father's paranormal memoir to uncover the truth behind her family's past.
  • The Only One Left — A gothic suspense novel following a home health aide assigned to care for an aging woman who was famously accused of a brutal family murder decades earlier.
  • Middle of the Night — A neighborhood mystery in which a man returns to his childhood home to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his best friend years prior.
  • With a Vengeance: A Novel — A fast-paced psychological thriller featuring high stakes, shifting motives, and unexpected narrative turns.
  • The Unknown: A Novel — The author's latest book, set to be released on August 4.

§Editions

Cover of Home Before Dark

Home Before Dark

eng402 pgs
Penguin20209781524745172
§Genres
horror1murder1mystery1thriller1
§Content Warnings
§Moods
adventurous1challenging1dark1emotional1fast-paced1mysterious1reflective1
§Tags
#car accident1#dementia1#diverse characters1#loveable characters1

Metadata

ISBN-139781524745172
ISBN-101524745170

Editions and availability

Find Home Before Dark Riley Sager in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.

Bookshop.orgGoogle Play BooksBarnes & NobleOpen Library

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