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Editor's note: This review of "Lock Every Door" by Riley Sager is spoiler-free.

The best horror movies often have a moral theme underneath them. 

This method of storytelling has been especially true in recent horror films, such as "It Follows," "Get Out, "The Babadook."

He might not be making movies — at least not yet, more on that later — but best-selling author Riley Sager still folds rather deliberate social messaging into the plots of his books.

Victimhood. Mental illness. And in his newest novel, "Lock Every Door," the haves and have nots.

"Economic disparity is growing by the day in this country," Sager said. He said he wanted to explore this as well as "millennials, who in a way just feel disposable" in this socioeconomic climate.

What's it about?

"Lock Every Door" follows Jules, a down-on-her luck young woman who takes a questionable job apartment sitting in one of the oldest, most glamorous and certainly quite mysterious buildings in New York City. There are many rules to the job: no visitors, no nights spent away from the apartment and no disturbing other residents. What seems easy money at first becomes daunting as an isolated Jules searches for answers in another tenant's disappearance. 

But that's all I can tell you without venturing into spoiler territory. Let's just say it wouldn't be a proper Sager novel if there are not twists, turns and harsh lessons for the leading lady along the way.

She certainly needs them.

Sign of the times

You see, the protagonist, Jules, is extra messy. I'll say it, she makes a ton of dumb decisions — but she's supposed to be that way.

"Her life is just in shambles," Sager said. "She has no job. She has no home. She has $500 in her bank account. Why would a person willingly do this despite the red flags that are all over the place?" 

Exactly, why would someone willingly move into the Bartholomew, the shady fictional building at the center of "Lock Every Door"?

Sager wants readers to really understand her desperation. The sort of opportunity this scenario presents — warning signs aside —is a literal lifeline to a person who has nothing left and nowhere else to go.

"You also don't really see these types of characters in fiction or in a lot of psychological thrillers," Sager said. "The people have glamorous jobs, or they're very well-off, or they don't have money worries. The reality is there are a lot of people terrified about what happens if they lose that paycheck that they really need to survive."

Familiar themes

While there are shades of horror to the book, "Lock Every Door" is probably more accurately categorized in the gothic suspense genre. 

But beyond super specific classification, where did Sager get the idea for his book?

"Lock Every Door' was inspired by "Rosemary's Baby," he said, "and these other strange real estate tales that came out of the '60s and '70s. And so this was sort of my attempt to update that idea and bring it into current times and address some current issues."

And is the Bartholomew based on a real building? 

"I've been saying this quite a bit," Sager said, "so I hope that the people who live there don't dislike me because of it, but the Bartholomew's totally modeled after the Dakota."

Yes, the Bartholomew is based on the same New York City building in which "Rosemary's Baby" was filmed.

About the author

"Lock Every Door" is the third novel for Sager, at least with this name. 

Sager is the pen name of a Pennsylvania born, Princeton-based writer, who has had a summer release for the past few years, with his first, "Final Girls" in 2017 hailing high praise from the master of horror himself, Stephen King.

What's next

While not many details are available, Sager's novel "Final Girls" had been optioned for a movie, and his second novel, "The Last Time I Lied," (2018) was being considered by Amazon Studios for a series.

No status is available on either of these projects at this time. But Sager is busy enough. 

He's continuing to write and will see where the mysteries take him.

"Lock Every Door" (Dutton) will be released July 2.

Felecia Wellington Radel is Audience Editor at USA TODAY. She is also an occasional entertainment reporter, mostly writing about movies, TV and pop culture. She enjoys long walks adjacent to the beach and is a Golden Girls enthusiast. You can contact Felecia at or follow her on Twitter at @fdwellington.

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