25 August 2025

Regular visitors will remember seeing some Sarah A. Denzil books reviewed on the blog last year during my Audible phase. I spent a lot of time listening to audiobooks last year, and Denzil was a favourite at the time. I was excited to see many bookstagrammers posting about Behind a Locked Door and jumped at the chance to get my hands on a copy. Thank you to NetGalley for this review copy.

Behind a Locked Door is an unsettling, gripping psychological thriller that kept me hooked from the first page. Sarah A. Denzil delivers a tense and twisty story that explores secrets, lies, and the terrifying consequences of opening the wrong door.

The story follows Lucy Foster, whose life takes a shocking turn when she visits an old friend and hears a baby crying behind a locked cellar door. What she discovers—a terrified teenage girl and a newborn hidden away—completely shatters her world. From that moment on, Lucy becomes tangled in a dangerous web of secrets, public scrutiny, and fear. As the media frenzy grows and the town begins to turn against her, she realises that someone is watching her closely… and they’ll do anything to stop her from helping the girl in the cellar.

I really enjoyed how the tension builds throughout the book. Denzil’s writing creates an atmosphere of dread that lingers on every page, and I found myself constantly questioning who to trust. Lucy is a well-developed character, and I liked how her emotions—her shock, fear, and determination—felt authentic. The pacing is strong, with plenty of twists that kept me invested, though a couple of them were slightly predictable.

What stood out to me was the exploration of morality—how far someone is willing to go to uncover the truth and help others, even when it puts their own life in danger. The darkness of the story, combined with the emotional weight of what Lucy uncovers, made this a compelling and thought-provoking read.

While I didn’t give it a full five stars—mostly because there were a few slower moments and I guessed one of the major reveals early on—it’s still a fantastic read. If you enjoy dark, suspenseful stories with secrets buried deep, Behind a Locked Door is absolutely worth picking up.