My library hold on Lock Every Door came through. I have a weird pattern where I finish phenomenal fantasy series and break up those reads with fast paced, one-time-use thriller reads. The thriller genre will always be that for me —essentially a palate cleanser. Please keep that in mind when taking my review into account. This is not my top genre.

I was shocked at the coincidence of some of the content in this book with modern concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jules is picked to be an apartment sitter in a high end but infamous complex. This apartment happens to have ties with the Spanish flu that ripped through the world in 1918, which I’ve heard mentioned more during this year than in my entire life. Jules is also suffering through the unemployment process and the shame that comes with it, as an unfathomable amount of people are experiencing today. I think that if I hadn’t read this novel at this exact moment, I wouldn’t have connected quite as much. Jules is just trying survive in modern America, she feels the guilt that comes when collecting a paycheck that you feel like you haven’t earned, even though it is a hard time. Bad things happen to people and there’s times where everyone needs some help, but that doesn’t mean people are delighted to have to resort to unemployment.

I’m sure some would say it’s my own damn fault. That it was my responsibility to build an emergency fund. At least three months’ salary, the experts say. I would love to backhand whoever came up with that number. They clearly never had a job with take-home pay that barely covers rent, food, and utilities.

Through this experience, Jules connects with her favorite author, who wrote a book called Heart of the Dreamer set in the very apartment she’s living in. In addition, she meets doctors, ex-actresses, and uber wealthy people while living there. Jules feels very fortunate until the moment when she begins to suspect that the disappearance of several people stems from the apartment building that she’s staying in. From here begins a quest to find out what is happening within the building.

I’ll say, though I guessed the culprit(s), the actual motive behind the disappearances actually came as a surprise to me. That won major points with me because it rarely happens. There were some cliche moments that made me roll my eyes —you know, those moments where someone walks into a room they shouldn’t, or er, TEXTS someone that they’re onto the villain’s master plan. Moments where you’re like, “okay dummy, do you really think that was the smart idea when you’re aware that someone might be watching your every move?”

The background of Jules’ parents contributed to the ending but I feel like her sister’s story didn’t contribute much to the story overall. The emphasis on her made you expect more from her disappearance, whereas her parents’ deaths were barely spoken about but had a bigger contribution.

This was a fast-paced novel, easy to finish. It didn’t win any points in the character predictability category which brings me down to a 3.5 but as I said, won points in other categories. If you’re looking for an easy and mindless read, this is a good bet.