Riley Sager has become one of the biggest names in modern psychological thrillers. His novels are known for isolated settings, unreliable narrators, unsettling mysteries, horror-movie influences, and twists that can completely change what readers thought was happening.
Since publishing Final Girls in 2017, Sager has released a new standalone thriller almost every year. His latest novel, The Unknown, arrived on August 4, 2026, becoming his tenth book and an instant No. 1 New York Times bestseller. Sager’s books have now sold more than five million copies and been published in 40 countries, according to the author’s official website.
But do the Riley Sager books need to be read in order? And which novel should new readers start with? Here is the complete Riley Sager book order and everything readers need to know about his twist-filled thrillers.
Riley Sager Books in Publication Order
- Final Girls (2017)
- The Last Time I Lied (2018)
- Lock Every Door (2019)
- Home Before Dark (2020)
- Survive the Night (2021)
- The House Across the Lake (2022)
- The Only One Left (2023)
- Middle of the Night (2024)
- With a Vengeance (2025)
- The Unknown (2026)
Do You Need to Read Riley Sager’s Books in Order?
No, readers do not need to read Riley Sager’s books in publication order. All ten novels are standalones with different characters, mysteries, locations, and timelines.
That means you can begin with whichever premise interests you most. However, reading the books in publication order lets you follow Sager’s development as a thriller writer and see how his stories have gradually incorporated more Gothic, historical, and supernatural elements.
Longtime fans may especially want to read the earlier books before The Unknown. Although the novel is a standalone, Sager has described his tenth book as a celebration of his previous work, with themes, tones, and references connected to his earlier thrillers.
Riley Sager Books in Order
1. Final Girls (2017)
Final Girls introduced readers to Riley Sager’s signature combination of slasher-movie conventions and psychological suspense.
Quincy Carpenter survived a massacre at Pine Cottage that killed five of her friends. The media places her in an unwanted group alongside two other women who survived similar attacks: Lisa Milner and Samantha Boyd. Reporters call them the Final Girls.
Years later, Quincy has built a seemingly normal life and tried to leave the massacre behind. But when Lisa dies and Samantha unexpectedly appears on Quincy’s doorstep, the past becomes impossible to ignore.
The novel is a natural starting point for readers who enjoy horror movies, complicated survivors, unreliable memories, and mysteries that constantly challenge their assumptions.
2. The Last Time I Lied (2018)
Fifteen years ago, Emma Davis attended Camp Nightingale and shared a cabin with Vivian, Natalie, and Allison. One night, the three girls disappeared and were never found.
When the camp’s wealthy owner invites Emma to return as an art instructor, she agrees, hoping to finally uncover the truth. Her search leads her through old lies, buried secrets, and disturbing discoveries hidden around the camp.
The Last Time I Lied is an atmospheric summer-camp mystery told through past and present timelines. It is one of the best Riley Sager books for readers who love cold cases, missing-person stories, and secluded settings.
3. Lock Every Door (2019)
Jules Larsen believes she has found the perfect opportunity when she accepts a job as an apartment sitter at the Bartholomew, one of Manhattan’s most mysterious and exclusive buildings.
The job comes with unusual rules. Jules cannot have visitors, disturb the wealthy residents, or spend nights away from the apartment. She initially dismisses the restrictions, but that changes when another apartment sitter disappears.
As Jules investigates, she discovers that the Bartholomew has a dark history and that previous apartment sitters may have suffered similar fates.
Readers who enjoy locked-room mysteries, sinister buildings, secretive residents, and urban Gothic stories should start here.
4. Home Before Dark (2020)
Maggie Holt does not believe the supernatural story that made her family famous.
When she was a child, her parents fled Baneberry Hall after living there for only 20 days. Her father later turned the experience into a bestselling book called House of Horrors, claiming that ghosts had terrorized the family.
After inheriting the house, Maggie returns to renovate and sell it. She also intends to prove that her father invented the entire story. Instead, strange events begin mirroring the terrifying incidents described in his book.
Home Before Dark alternates between Maggie’s investigation and chapters from her father’s supposed nonfiction account. The structure creates two competing versions of the same haunted-house mystery.
This is an excellent choice for fans of Gothic suspense and stories that leave readers questioning whether the explanation is human or supernatural.
5. Survive the Night (2021)
Set in 1991, Survive the Night follows college student Charlie Jordan as she accepts a ride home from a stranger named Josh Baxter.
Charlie wants to escape campus following the murder of her best friend, one of several women believed to have been killed by the Campus Killer. But as the nighttime journey continues, inconsistencies in Josh’s story make Charlie wonder whether she has climbed into a car with the murderer.
The situation becomes even more dangerous because Charlie experiences vivid hallucinations that resemble scenes from old movies. She cannot always trust what she sees, making it difficult to separate genuine warning signs from her imagination.
With most of the story unfolding during a tense road trip, Survive the Night is ideal for readers looking for a fast, cinematic thriller.
6. The House Across the Lake (2022)
Actress Casey Fletcher retreats to her family’s lake house after a series of personal and professional problems. While spending her days drinking and watching the house across the water, she becomes fascinated by her wealthy neighbors, Tom and Katherine Royce.
After Casey saves Katherine from drowning, the two women become friends. Then Katherine suddenly disappears.
Casey becomes convinced that Tom knows more than he is admitting, but the mystery grows increasingly strange as she investigates.
The premise initially resembles a lakeside version of Rear Window, but Sager eventually takes the story in a far more unexpected direction. Readers should know that this novel contains stronger supernatural elements than many of his earlier books.
7. The Only One Left (2023)
In 1929, the Hope family was murdered inside their cliffside mansion. Seventeen-year-old Lenora Hope was the only family member left alive and immediately became the prime suspect, although she was never convicted.
Decades later, caregiver Kit McDeere arrives at the decaying Hope’s End mansion to look after the elderly Lenora. Lenora cannot speak and can communicate only by slowly typing with one finger.
One night, Lenora begins typing a message that suggests she is finally prepared to reveal what happened to her family.
The mansion, family massacre and uncertain confession make The Only One Left one of Sager’s most Gothic mysteries. It is a strong starting point for readers who enjoy old estates, family secrets, suspicious narrators, and dramatic revelations.
8. Middle of the Night (2024)
Thirty years ago, Ethan Marsh and his best friend Billy slept in a tent in Ethan’s backyard. When Ethan woke the next morning, Billy was gone. The tent had been cut open, and Billy was never seen again.
Now an adult, Ethan returns to his childhood home on Hemlock Circle. His arrival brings back traumatic memories, especially when strange events begin happening around the neighborhood. Someone appears to be roaming the street at night, and mysterious objects connected to Billy keep appearing.
Ethan’s investigation draws him toward the nearby Hawthorne Institute and the secrets his neighbors have kept for decades.
Middle of the Night blends a missing-child cold case with suburban nostalgia, grief, friendship, and hints of the supernatural.
9. With a Vengeance (2025)
With a Vengeance takes place aboard a luxury train traveling from Philadelphia to Chicago in 1954.
Anna Matheson has secretly gathered six people she believes were responsible for destroying her family during World War II. Her plan is to confront them and obtain their confessions before the train reaches its final destination.
But Anna’s carefully arranged revenge plot begins to collapse when one of the passengers is murdered. She realizes that someone else aboard the train has a plan—and that none of them may survive the journey.
Published on June 10, 2025, With a Vengeance combines historical fiction with a locked-room mystery reminiscent of classic train thrillers. The publisher describes the novel as a story about revenge, deception and the cost of pursuing justice.
It is a great choice for Agatha Christie fans and readers who prefer traditional whodunits.
10. The Unknown (2026)
Riley Sager’s tenth novel, The Unknown, was published on August 4, 2026.
The book follows struggling actress Marin Keane, who is cast in a movie about an unsolved disappearance on New Avalon, a remote island in Vermont. One hundred years earlier, five women vanished from the island, leaving behind only their dresses hanging from a tree.
Marin and the other members of the film production travel to New Avalon for a research trip. When an emergency leaves them stranded, the unsettling incidents begin—and people start disappearing again.
Marin turns to a diary written by Daisy Rue, one of the women who vanished in 1926, hoping it can explain the island’s history and stop the past from repeating itself.
According to Penguin Random House, the 368-page novel combines suspense, Gothic horror, a remote setting, dual mysteries, and questions about whether something supernatural is haunting the island.
Because The Unknown contains references and thematic connections to Sager’s previous novels, established fans may appreciate it most after reading his earlier books. New readers can still enjoy it as a completely independent story.
What Is the Best Riley Sager Book to Read First?
The best Riley Sager starting point depends on the kind of thriller you enjoy:
- Start with Final Girls for a slasher-inspired psychological thriller.
- Choose The Last Time I Lied for a summer-camp cold case.
- Read Lock Every Door for an urban locked-room mystery.
- Try Home Before Dark for a haunted-house story.
- Pick Survive the Night for a fast and claustrophobic road-trip thriller.
- Choose The House Across the Lake for a voyeuristic mystery with supernatural elements.
- Read The Only One Left for Gothic suspense and family secrets.
- Start with Middle of the Night for childhood nostalgia and an unsolved disappearance.
- Pick With a Vengeance for a historical train mystery.
- Choose The Unknown for an isolated-island thriller with Gothic and supernatural elements.
For the most representative introduction to his work, Final Girls, Home Before Dark and The Only One Left are especially strong starting choices.
Are Riley Sager’s Books Connected?
Riley Sager’s books do not form a conventional series. Each novel features a new protagonist and can be read without knowing anything about the previous books.
However, readers may notice recurring themes and storytelling devices, including:
- Isolated or confined settings
- Unsolved crimes from the past
- Unreliable memories
- Complicated survivors
- Gothic houses and mysterious locations
- References to classic movies and horror stories
- Explanations that blur the line between human and supernatural
- Major revelations near the end
There may also be small references or thematic echoes that reward longtime readers, especially in The Unknown, but these do not create an ongoing storyline.
Who Is Riley Sager?
Riley Sager is the pen name of American thriller writer Todd Ritter. Before Final Girls, Ritter published the Kat Campbell mystery trilogy under his own name: Death Notice, Bad Moon and Devil’s Night. He also published the historical supernatural novel Things Half in Shadow under the name Alan Finn.
Those earlier novels are separate from the ten books published under the Riley Sager name and are not required reading.
Sager previously worked as a journalist, editor and graphic designer. His film influences are easy to see in his cinematic settings, suspenseful pacing and frequent reinventions of familiar horror and mystery concepts.
Will There Be Another Riley Sager Book?
Yes, another Riley Sager novel appears to be in development. In January 2026, Sager revealed that he had begun working on his eleventh book, although its title, story and release date had not been announced.
Until official information is released, The Unknown remains his newest published novel and the final entry in the current Riley Sager book order.
Final Thoughts on the Riley Sager Books
Riley Sager has created an impressive collection of standalone thrillers that appeal to mystery, horror and psychological-suspense readers. His books combine familiar genre ideas with isolated settings, hidden histories and enough twists to keep readers guessing.
Because the novels are not part of a continuing series, readers can begin anywhere. Publication order remains the best approach for anyone who wants to experience Sager’s entire career, culminating in the references and recurring themes found throughout The Unknown.
Whether you prefer a haunted mansion, an abandoned summer camp, a mysterious apartment building, a nighttime car ride or a luxury train filled with suspects, there is a Riley Sager thriller for almost every kind of mystery reader.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Riley Sager books are there?
There are ten novels published under the Riley Sager name as of August 2026. The newest is The Unknown.
What is Riley Sager’s latest book?
Riley Sager’s latest book is The Unknown, published on August 4, 2026.
Is Final Girls part of a series?
No. Final Girls is a standalone thriller and is not connected to a continuing series.
Can Riley Sager’s books be read in any order?
Yes. Every Riley Sager novel tells a self-contained story with different characters. Readers can follow publication order or start with the premise that interests them most.
What genre does Riley Sager write?
Sager primarily writes psychological thrillers and mysteries. Several of his books also contain Gothic, horror, historical or supernatural elements.
What is Riley Sager’s real name?
Riley Sager is the pen name of Todd Ritter, who previously published novels under his real name and under the pseudonym Alan Finn.
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