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Could this be my favorite Riley Sager novel? It’s certainly in contention.
I had sky-high expectations going into The Unknown, and somehow it still exceeded them. This is exactly the kind of mystery I love: eerie, atmospheric, packed with theories, and impossible to stop thinking about. I stayed up far later than I should have because every chapter convinced me I was this close to figuring it out… and every chapter proved me wrong.
The story unfolds across two timelines. In the present day, struggling actress Maren Keane lands the opportunity of a lifetime when she’s unexpectedly cast in a major film directed by Hollywood legend Ronan Peters. Filming takes place on the isolated island of New Avalon, off the coast of Vermont, alongside an iconic actress and a talented ensemble cast. Once production begins, the island is cut off from the mainland—and things start to unravel fast.
The film they’re making tells the story of five women who vanished from the island in 1926, disappearing one by one until only abandoned dresses hanging high in the trees remained. A single diary survived, along with decades of speculation. Was it a tragedy? A crime? Something supernatural? No one knows… until now.
The dual timelines are brilliantly woven together, and I loved slowly uncovering the truth alongside Maren. One of my favorite parts of the novel is how she constantly works through different theories, almost inviting the reader to investigate with her. It creates this wonderfully interactive feeling where you’re solving the mystery right alongside the protagonist. It reminded me of watching an old Scooby-Doo mystery—except much creepier.
Speaking of creepy… the atmosphere is phenomenal. The isolated island, the abandoned history, the ghost-story energy—it felt like sitting around a campfire listening to someone tell the scariest story they’ve ever heard, flashlight pointed under their chin. Sager keeps you questioning whether there’s something truly supernatural at work or whether there’s a perfectly rational explanation waiting beneath the surface, and I loved every minute of that uncertainty.
The dialogue feels natural, the characters are memorable, and Maren is easy to root for. Watching an unknown actress suddenly get plucked from obscurity into the glamorous (and dangerous) world of Hollywood made the mystery even more compelling because you desperately want this dream to work out for her.
If you loved The Last Time I Lied, The Only One Left, or the haunting atmosphere of The Haunting of Hill House, I think you’ll have an absolute blast with this one.
One of my favorite mysteries of the year, and one I’ll be recommending to everyone. If you pick it up, please message me while you’re reading—I need people to theorize with!
Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.
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Publication Date: August 4, 2026
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