Riley Sager has written a terrific psychological/borderline horror thriller titled “The Unknown.” The setting is creepy – a remote, undeveloped island in Vermont. The characters are interesting and definitely unreliable and the atmosphere is spooky with paranormal aspects included in the plot. There is a dual timeline, which adds to the mystery, including diary excerpts from a woman who lived on the island in 1926. I read this novel in one day – could not put it down!
Marin Keane is a struggling actress who is suddenly given a chance at a breakout role with a legendary director and an award-winning lead actress. The catch is that she must spend a week on New Avalon island doing pre-filming research and bonding with fellow actors. After arriving on the island, things don’t seem ok and lots of shocking things happen. (I won’t share any of those events – I don’t want to spoil your reading of the novel.) Just know that in 1926, strange and terrible things are rumored to have occurred on New Avalon island. Now, with the film about that time beginning production, strange and terrible things are happening again! Who will survive the week and what is actually happening on this island?
I thoroughly enjoyed this story with its many plot twists! It is a fast-paced novel, the characters are well-developed and the plot is multi-layered. I thought I had this one figured out a couple of times, but “The Unknown” really kept me guessing until the end!