Isolated Getaway, Spotty Cell Service, and a Storm Brewing — What Could Go Wrong?

Hey, how’s the weather by you? Let me guess. Hot. Hot. Hot. Since we’re here to talk about books (mainly mine, ha ha), movies, tv, podcasts and writing, we don’t need to get into the how or why of it all. Let’s just stay focused on all the cool news I have to share. There’s a lot, so I’ll get to it!

Now Available in Paperback:

Don’t you just love a floppy paperback, the way it feels, the way it smells? I may be biased, but the package for SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX is particularly gorgeous. And I’m so thrilled to share that it’s out in trade paperback today! If you haven’t read it, now is the perfect time to get your copy. As a special bonus, you’ll find an excerpt from my upcoming novel THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B at the end. I hope you love it. And if you’ve already loved it, it makes a great gift for your favorite mystery lover!

So many special things happened for this book. But the image below from the immensely talented Pie Lady was one of my favorites. She definitely captured the mood!

Buy Now:

Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Bookshop | Google Play | Kobo | Libro.fm

Reviews:

I am beyond grateful for all of the wonderful praise, accolades, and reader reviews that SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX has received since it was published in hardcover last November. Here are just some of the highlights:

• USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Globe and Mail Bestseller

• People Magazine Book of the Week

• Amazon Editor's Pick Best Book of the Month

• Indie Next Pick

• LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick

• Apple Books Must-Listen

• Goodreads Editor's Most Anticipated Book

• Goodreads Readers' Most Anticipated Book

• Target Best Book of 2022

• NetGalley's Most Popular General Fiction Audiobook in 2022

• BuzzFeed Recommendation

• BookPage Best Mysteries of November 

• BookBub Best Mysteries and Thrillers of Fall 2022

• AirMail Best New Mystery Books for November 2022

• Scary Mommy Best 2022 Fall Releases

• PopSugar Best Thriller and Mystery Books of 2022

• The Saturday Evening Press Best Books

• Pioneer Press Top Reads

• CrimeReads Best Psychological Thrillers of 2022

• LoanStars Top 10 Pick

• Indigo Top 10 Thriller and Most-Anticipated Book

"Terrifying thriller… Keep the lights on."
—People Magazine, Book of the Week

"Unger is a virtuoso of the psychological thriller."
—Tampa Bay Times

“Hidden history and 21st-century technology collide in a breathtaking thriller.”
—Kirkus, starred review

"For fans of creepy, cunning locked-room thrillers based on controversial social norms. Readers will revel in the search for genealogical justice amid best-kept secrets, while wondering who will live and who will die."
—Library Journal, starred review

"If you've been invited on this getaway, get away and go somewhere else! ... A riveting novel of suspense."
—Booklist

"The dark woods, miles from the nearest town, with, of course, a remote cabin rented to family and friends set up the gripping scenario in Lisa Unger’s 20th novel… Unger’s multi-layered plot succinctly takes the story in different — and totally unexpected — directions, arriving at a surprising ending that is as astonishing as it is believable… Here’s hoping Unger writes 20 more engrossing novels."
—Sun Sentinel

“A deliciously tense ride that takes a deep dive into the meaning of family and the price we'll pay for those we love.”
—Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl

“Lisa Unger is a brilliant writer, on the top of her form. Here, she delivers yet another stellar thriller, packed with tension and twists, but also laced with nuanced insight and characterization. On this weekend away, the cabin and its owner are disquieting, the weather is menacing but the threat level is truly amped up by the disturbing family dynamics and a backstory that grips.”
—Gilly Macmillan, New York Times bestselling author of What She Knew

“Master of suspense, Lisa Unger ratchets up the tension in her twentieth spellbinding outing, SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX. Blending an adrenaline-fueled plot and an expertly drawn cast of characters, Unger is at her atmospheric best in this wickedly chilling story of a getaway gone wrong. In SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX, Unger yanks readers down a dark, twisty path teeming with secrets, obsession, and revenge — I still can’t catch my breath. If you pick up just one thriller this year — make it this one.”
—Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest

"Unger sets up the perfect locked room mystery, as precisely as a house of cards, then ratchets up the suspense by deliberately removing one card at a time, while the reader turns the pages breathlessly to see when—and why—it all comes asunder, in this deeply satisfyingly thriller."
—Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Editor

"Secrets abound in Lisa Unger’s latest thriller, which is so well crafted, you’ll be tempted to read all 400 pages in one go."
—BookPage

"As a storm approaches and things go frighteningly awry, Unger tightens the screws like the seasoned pro she is."
—AirMail Weekly

“I ate up every word. Truly, I devoured it! Every page made me hungry for more. At times, I was a dog with a bone. I absolutely needed to finish the book at all costs. It’s evident that Lisa Unger once again delivers to those who have a voracious appetite.”
—Tucker (See Video Below)

Ahem, all this just to say — go get your copy before Tucker eats them all!

What I’m wrestling with:

Chaos. After some lovely weeks on the road — not exactly a vacation but sort of — we returned to an injured dog (Don’t worry, Jak Jak will be okay!), a house that is in need of some repairs, a kid starting her senior year of high school, a manuscript that needs a second draft, a deadline, the paperback release of SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX, meetings, virtual appearances, a million degrees outside in Florida — and you know, the laundry.

I have written about creativity in chaos before. You can read my blog about it here. I have written in chaos — often. So I am trying to take my own advice. Which was — hmm, we’re never so great at remembering our own good advice, are we? I think it goes something like this:

• Write, compose, paint early (or late depending on your circadian rhythm or your schedule.)

• Remember that creativity is a place you can go to escape chaos.

• Breathe.

• Observe the madness, the world, and yourself.

• And when “it” happens, remember that anything you can do creatively is a win.

Actually, writing that just made me feel better. Hope it helps you when chaos descends on your life. And for the daily creative, I think it’s solid advice for your average Tuesday, too. Because even the normal everyday stuff will conspire to keep us from the page if we let it.

What I’m working on:

I am in the second draft of my 2025 book, if you can believe it.

Writing the ending of this one was fast, propulsive, and I couldn’t keep the pages from coming. There were lots of surprises for me, and some interesting ways the story revealed itself.

I’m now working and reworking those final pages, making sure they’re everything they need to be, the best I can make them before I lean on my editor and agent for their guidance and advice.

This is an intense time in the writing of any book with my deadline looming ahead. Is that the light at the end of the tunnel, I see? Or the headlamp of an oncoming train? Haha, it’s really not that bad. Writing is my happy place, and there are few places I’d rather be. Can’t wait to share this one with you!

I’m also at work on a short story that will publish Halloween of next year. Stay tuned for more on that in the coming months.

What I’m reading:

I tend to read a lot less when I’m writing intensely. But here are a couple of great ones:

LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus took me totally by surprise. I have to admit that I picked it up once and initially couldn't get into it. But my mom, and then my dear friend Shaye Areheart (my former editor and director of the publishing program at Columbia University) told me to try again. I am so glad I did. Such a gem of a book, with so much good humor, wisdom, and beautiful moments. I was especially moved by Six-Thirty (the dog!), his devotion and deep insight. If you’re one of the five people who haven’t read this, pick it up.

POISON: The History of Potions, Powders, and Murderous Practitioners by Ben Hubbard, with a foreword by the great Sophie Hannah. This is a comprehensive history of this most insidious of weapons. Rich with information and history, this is a fascinating read.

I was very late to the party on THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, like years late. This was a compulsive read, with some interesting insight into trauma, as well as a tricky timeline.

Up next for me: VAMPIRES OF EL NORTE by Isabel Cañas and CROOK MANIFESTO by Colson Whitehead

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What I’m watching:

I saw Barbie! I wore pink! I am not ashamed to admit it. I was not a girl who played with dolls, and neither was my daughter. And like most feminists, for me Barbie has represented pretty much everything that’s wrong with society. Still, I am a huge Greta Gerwig fan, and I love a good iconoclasm. I figured she was the one to take down the franchise even as she embraced it. Plus, Margo Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Love!

And it was great fun — a funny, smart, poignant, visual spectacle with some insightful commentary on what it means to be a woman and a mom in our complicated culture. Weird Barbie was my favorite. And poor Ken — who knew he had so much angst? We thought he was just the boyfriend. If you hate Barbie or love her, you’ll find something to enjoy in this film.

About food, (heart-breaking, annoying) family, crushed-then-resurrected dreams, and abiding (albeit angry and swearing) friendship, The Bear on Hulu is a must-watch. Starring some brilliant fresh talent including Ayo Edebiri and Jeremy Allen White, this deep, funny, all-too-human drama about a famous chef who returns to Chicago to save his dead brother’s failing restaurant will make you crave an Italian beef sandwich. So, here’s the recipe.

The third season of Happy Valley written by Sally Wainwright, starring Sarah Lancashire, was pitch perfect. Gripping, moving, darkly funny, and utterly propulsive, this series about a Yorkshire cop solving area crimes while dealing with trauma and drama in her own family has it all. If you’ve missed it, start at season one and watch the whole thing. We found it on Amazon Prime.

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What I’m listening to:

I am obsessed with Huberman Labs, available wherever you get your podcasts. Neuroscientist and tenured professor at the Stanford School of Medicine (which is an abridged version of a very impressive bio) Andrew Huberman Ph.D. talks about EVERYTHING. Identity, health, psychology, neurology, drugs, addiction, eating, sleep, memory, food, fitness. For an information junkie like me, this is a treasure trove of knowledge. In a soothing, confident voice, Andrew breaks down even complicated science into long form episodes that are tremendously engaging. Right now I am working my way through “Ketamine: Benefits and Risks for Depression, PTSD, and Neuroplasticity.”

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What I’m researching and thinking about:

I found this New York Times interview by David Marchese with the great Joyce Carol Oats moving, inspiring, and thought-provoking.

Timothy Olyphant would make a great Jones Cooper, don’t you think? Enjoyed this great article also in the New York Times by Jeremy Egner, about the actor and his career-making role on “Justified.”

Did you know that theater actors avoid saying “Macbeth?” My author pal, New York Times bestselling author Kate White told me about this. Read all about it here. She also told me about the “ghost light.”

Calling all book clubs!

Where to find me:

Inaugural Book Club Gathering

On Thursday, October 19, the folks at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg, Florida will host a happy hour gathering for area book clubs to discuss SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX! Join us at 5pm ET for drinks, appetizers, a lively discussion, giveaways and prizes. And if you, or your group can’t make it in person, no problem. You can also join us via Zoom.

Register now

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As always, it is a joy to share all this fun news with you. Thanks for being here, and thanks for reading. Please don’t forget to click below and like and/or leave a comment.