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The Unknown

A totally gripping, unputdownable and heart-pounding thriller

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The Unknown

By: Riley Sager
Narrated by: Stephanie Cannon
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A hundred years ago, five women disappeared. Now, it's happening again . . .

Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major film about the unsolved mystery of New Avalon, an island on sprawling Lake Faraday in Vermont.

New Avalon isn't an ordinary island. A century ago, it was a commune for spiritual mediums - until, in 1926, they vanished. The only trace of them left was five dresses hanging from the branches of an old oak tree. One for each missing woman.

The stories say that when a séance went wrong, something supernatural took them all.

One by one . . .

When Marin and her castmates visit the island, they begin to realise that even now all is not right with New Avalon. Strange noises are heard in the night, and mysterious symbols are found, left by the island's previous occupants.

And then the disappearances begin again.

One by one . . .

As panic and superstition rise, Marin must uncover the island's terrifying secret to prevent its dark history from repeating itself . . . and escape the island alive.

The brand-new, unputdownable thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager. Fans of Grady Hendrix, Freida McFadden and Alice Feeney will be hooked!

READERS LOVE RILEY SAGER:

'OH. MY. WORD. I devoured it in a single day . . . addictive . . . bold, propulsive, and full of twists. I genuinely loved it and couldn't put it down.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Wow! What a read! . . . I was immediately sucked in . . . so many twists . . . I literally couldn't put this book down . . . amazing . . . It deserves all the stars.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'Page-turner . . . unpredictable . . . loved it . . . thrilling . . . left my head spinning.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I loved this! Riley Sager is the master of twists! This gave me big Agatha Christie vibes . . . tense and fast-paced.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I LOVED this book!! . . . heart-pounding.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

'I DEVOURED it!!! I loved it badddddd . . . In true Riley Sager fashion, you think you know what's happening and then he sends 4 more twists at you.' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

AND SO DO YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHORS:

'A locked room thriller at its best! Nonstop suspense with twists and turns that will leave your head spinning' Freida McFadden

'Sager wields a deft hand in bringing all the elements together into a rip-roaring, tension-filled tale of greed, murder and revenge' David Baldacci©2026 Todd Ritter (P)2026 Hodder & Stoughton Limited Editors Select Modern Detectives Mystery Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Celebrity Exciting Fiction
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Critic reviews

Sager's new Gothic-tinted horror novel is guaranteed to please not only his fans but anyone who enjoys an atmospheric, claustrophobic story that never quite goes where the reader expects it to. A story like this one depends on the strength of its characters, and Sager has created some of his most interesting ones so far; he makes the reader begin to care about them just as the bad things start to happen. Another winner from a master of the genre (The Booklist)
An unnerving, consuming read propelled by Sage's signature twists (People)
All stars
Most relevant
I keep getting bored with audio books recently, not quite finishing them, this I finished in one day 😊 fun story, one of my favourites from this author.

Listened in one sitting

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Story really deteriorates as it goes on. Interesting enough for the first few hours that it's difficult to quit despite the narrator, who uses an irritating worble to emphasise drama and struggles to voice so many different characters in identifiable tones. The last 2 hours are particularly cringe worthy, as is the use of they/them pronouns in relation to an aparently gender neutral super natural being during the flashback chapters set in 1926

Roanoke/Blair Witch for millennials

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I absolutely loved this audiobook! I couldn’t stop listening and was on the edge of my seat throughout!

Edge of seat listening

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Perhaps this is not my usual type of book but I have previously really enjoyed Rylie Sager books so I went into it with high hopes. I was initially intrigued by the story however pretty quickly became quite bored. I stuck with it until the end but it really was a chore.

I found this a bit of a chore to get through

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I don’t normally dip into the horror genre but I thought I’d give this a go. In my view it failed at pretty much every level - the story line was weak, the characters, one dimensional, the narration, unconvincing, the outcome, entirely predictable. There are lots of holes in the plot and none of the poorly drawn characters were either particularly likeable or unlikeable. Overall a big disappointment!

Not my kind of story. Weak!

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