Lock Every Door: A Novel

Riley Sager’s 2019 New York Times Best Seller Lock Every Door is a psychological thriller set in New York City. When Jules Larsen, the protagonist and first-person narrator, gets an opportunity to apartment-sit at the Bartholomew, an illustrious Manhattan apartment building, she sees potential financial security and a foray into a new social strata. However, when another apartment sitter named Ingrid Gallagher disappears shortly after Jules’s arrival, Jules starts probing into the Bartholomew’s shrouded history and its secretive residents’ pastimes. The more she finds out, the less safe she feels. The novel explores the themes of Psychological Effects of Isolation and Loneliness, the Pursuit of Truth in a World of Deception, and Wealthy–Vulnerable Power Dynamics.

Sager is the author of eight novels, including the bestsellers Survive the Night and Home Before Dark. His work has been published in over 30 countries worldwide. He has been widely reviewed, and his work has been praised by writers such as Stephen King and Ruth Ware.

This guide refers to the 2020 Penguin Random House paperback edition of the novel.

Content Warning: The source text references multiple deaths by suicide and deals with the psychological effects of trauma, loss, and grief.