Thriller Thursday Audio: Secluded Cabin Sleep Six by Lisa Unger
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Secluded Cabin Sleep Six by Lisa Unger
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: HarperAudio (November 8, 2022)
Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six is one of those wild thrillers that make me wish I had a flowchart to explain everything to me at the end! This being my first book by Lisa Unger, I can see why her work would have such wide appeal with their fast-paced plotlines and entertaining twists, though admittedly I think I was more in love with the premise of this story than I was with the actual experience of reading it. Towards the end, things got a little too messy and convoluted, and I dislike mysteries that deliberately withhold important information that would have otherwise been revealed naturally.
Still, I make it no secret how much I enjoy locked-room type thrillers set in remote, chilly places where our hapless characters are cut off from any kind of assistance. For this reason, I was drawn to Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six which follows three couples on what was supposed to be their dream getaway weekend to a luxury cabin in the woods. Hannah and Bruce, who recently welcomed their first child, were at first reluctant to make the trip given how young their daughter was. But Hannah’s older brother Mako and his wife Liza had spared no expense when renting this high-end cabin complete with spectacular views and gourmet meals prepared by a professional chef, and Hannah figured she and her husband could use this opportunity to reconnect romantically without having to worry about the baby who they will be leaving with her in-laws. In addition to the two couples, there is also family friend Cricket who is bringing along her new boyfriend Joshua, whom no one has met before, but Hannah can tell the relationship is getting serious from the way her friend gushes about him.
As you would expect though, once our three couples get to the cabin, their initial excitement is quickly extinguished by a host of problems, not the least of them being a bad storm rolling in, downing a tree and trapping the guests with no power, cellular reception, or any way off the mountain. When one of them go missing and blood is found in one of their rooms, panic ensues, reigniting bitter grudges and forcing long-buried secrets out into the open.
And then there is another storyline which introduces Henry, who is just a child when we meet him at the start of the book. We follow his tragic life as he grows up trying to figure out where he came from, even as readers are trying to figure out who he is and how he fits into this picture. Revealing more about Henry will risk giving away spoilers so I’m just going to leave it at that, though I will say the two threads eventually converge and once that happens, that’s when we start getting answers.
Clearly from the book’s description we’re not breaking new ground with this all too familiar premise, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, how I wish the plot had been simpler and more straightforward. As it is, there are too many characters to follow and at least a couple different timelines to keep track of, and it didn’t help that Unger kept certain details deliberately close to the vest, which resulted in some side plots that seemingly went nowhere, but conveniently it helped her in establishing all the red herrings and leading readers down wrong paths.
Needless to say, I prefer mysteries that unfold more organically without resorting to contrived tricks, so the final resolution when it came felt a bit like a copout. That said, I won’t deny Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was entertaining and boy did it move damn fast! It’s got it all—a twisty plot that thunders along at a breakneck pace, an intriguing setting with creepy vibes, and a cast of too-rich-for -their-own-good characters you just love to hate. Be prepare too to suspend your disbelief and brace yourself for some over-the-top moments. But then that’s part of the fun of this genre, isn’t it?
And on that note, if you are experienced with thrillers, I would recommend the audiobook. The sheer number of characters makes the audio format less ideal and hard to follow if you’re not used to multiple story threads and characters, especially when there’s only one narrator. However, Vivienne Leheny delivered a great performance, considering the many voices involved. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six was a decent listen, and I would be open to checking out more of Lisa Unger’s books if their descriptions interest me.
The BiblioSanctum 
It sounds as if disliking the characters is an integral part of the fun for this book! 😉
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Absolutely! For most thrillers, really! 😀
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Might be too thrilling for me lol
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I think it might actually be just right 😉
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Ugh.
And with that succinct comment, I’ll exit stage left….
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This was okay, but I just don’t like it when authors resort to dirty tricks.
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I’ve never read Lisa Unger, but I could see myself suspending disbelief and enjoying this😁
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I’m still open to checking out her books…at least now I know what to expect from her writing and storytelling!
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I have problems too with too many characters and different timelines!
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And in audio, it can be really tough to follow!
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I’ve read 2 of her books so far and really enjoyed both (Ink and Bone, and The Stranger Inside), but I don’t recall them having the issues this one did, so I may hold off trying this one. I really enjoyed Ink and Bone for the supernatural and mystery elements to it.
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Interesting, I’ll have to put that one on my list. I wasn’t aware she’d written anything with a speculative/fantasy element, I just thought her work was pure mystery/thriller.
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I liked the premise of this one but resisted requesting because I’m trying to catch up. I don’t think I’ve read the author before but I’ll keep my eye out for what she does next.
Lynn 😀
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Yep, I’ll also be watching for her next book to see what it’s about before I pick it up!
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