The Locked Door by Freida McFadden
Nora is a respected surgeon who has a big secret; nobody knows that she is the daughter of a serial killer, that while Nora lay upstairs, her father was butchering women in the basement. Nora has given herself a new name and holds her secret close to her chest, but when her young female patients start turning up dead in the same manner as her father’s victims, she starts to think someone knows who she really is and wants her to take the fall for these crimes.
As I contemplate my next move, a thought flits through my head. One that I have not infrequently when I’m in difficult situations: what would my father do?
This book was the book club book for March, and it’s been a while since I read a straight-up thriller, so I was quite excited for it. Especially because I really liked The Housemaid by Freida. Also, it was a bargain £3 for the paperback on Amazon.
Did I love this book? Hmm, no.
Okay, let’s have a look at what I liked.
I didn’t guess who the killer was, so that was a nice surprise.
It was also a quick and easy read. I think I read it in one sitting. The pace of the book was good; I didn’t feel like it was dragging at any point.
As someone who used to read a lot of crime/mystery/thrillers, this one came across as very weak. Almost amateurish. Yeah, I didn’t guess who had done it, which was great, but I also wasn’t on the edge of my seat going through all the people I thought it could be and why.
I didn’t feel any real connection to any of the characters, but I guess I am used to character-driven books these days, whereas this was plot-driven. But still, I wish there had been more of a connection built with the characters.
I didn’t mind the flow of the book, but quite often I found myself wishing that it was more descriptive rather than statement-like. I wanted to feel like I was there, but I didn’t; it seemed very much of an “I did this, then I did this, and then I did this”, which I don’t love. I want to be immersed. “I take the stairs two at a time down to the lobby. I can’t wait to get home.” It feels lacking in a way I don’t think I can explain. This isn’t an overly bad sentence, but when there are a lot of them like this, it stops me from being immersed.
The book also jumps between past and present, which is fine, I don’t mind it, I used to read Lisa Jewell books, which quite often do the same. It isn’t something which bothers me; if it is done well, I can keep up with it. I do know others who have read it didn’t like that aspect, but for me personally, it was okay, and I just thought I would mention it…why? I dunno, I just did lol.
Overall thoughts:
I enjoyed reading it; however, it could have been a lot better. I wish I had felt a better connection to the characters, and that the book as a whole was a bit more descriptive, so that I was immersed in the story. I like the fact that I didn’t guess who the killer was and that it was a quick read. Also, it was better than last month’s book club read, so that is another bonus, haha, at least I didn’t DNF this one.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
