By: Lisa Unger
Narrator: Vivienne Leheny
Harlequin Audio
ISBN: 9780778333364
Publisher: Park Row
Publication Date: 02/25/2025
Format: Other
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?
Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.
Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.
Praise
“Unger plunges the reader right into a sense of dread, then skillfully ratchets up the physical terrors of the challenge while revealing one disturbing secret after another. The perils of the real and virtual worlds collide effectively in this relentlessly paced thriller.” —Kirkus, starred review
"Lisa Unger just gets better and better! In Close Your Eyes and Count to 10, we see her masterful hand at work as she weaves a compulsively readable story packed full of tension from the very first page. As an extreme game of hide and seek quickly turned from stunt to survival, I held my breath as the plot twisted and turned to its dramatic conclusion. Pacy and gripping, I couldn’t read fast enough. Take it on holiday and savor every deliciously dark page.”
—Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author of The Wilds
“Twisty, riveting, and emotionally intense. You will NOT close your eyes once you start reading this book.”
—Kathy Reichs, New York Times bestselling author of Fire and Bones
My Review
NYT bestselling author Lisa Unger (favorite author) returns following The New Couple in 5B with her latest, CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10—a twisty, intense, and engrossing atmospheric thriller.
The narrative is so gripping that it feels like you're part of an extreme hide-and-seek that turns into a deadly game of survival.
Who will make it to the count of 10?
About...
Maverick, a charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer, is hosting the ultimate game of hide-and-seek on the remote Falcao Island for his Extreme Games and Insane Challenges show. The hotel Enchantments was once grand and luxurious.
Adele, a single mom to two teens, Violet and Blake— desperately needs to support her family after being abandoned by her fugitive husband.
She has a new career as an influencer and decides to join Maverick's game, and her kids support her chance at the million-dollar prize.
There was a plan. Plots were hatched. Agendas run. Deception. A game. It was a stunning betrayal. A murder. All the things that people do best. Then comes a storm to wash away everything that does not belong.
A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.
Between herself and the other contestants, the atmosphere is thick with tension on this remote island and the local warnings about the island's curse. Then contestants vanish, sinister things occur, and the devastating storm turns into a twisty and dangerous survival game.
How will she ever escape?
My thoughts...
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10 is intense and adrenaline-fueled, keeping you glued to the pages with the chilling setting, with fears, suspicion, mystery, and suspense. The strong character development makes you feel connected and invested in the story.
Unger demonstrates her storytelling prowess in CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10. She deftly handles the characters, weaving their stories together in a compelling narrative like a rock star. Her commentary on the impact of social media adds a thought-provoking layer to the story.
Is the internet and social media changing how we live our daily lives? Are we all performed, cropped, edited, and filtered? How does it affect your relationships, family, and people skills if you are always in front of the camera worried about the followers, sponsorships, etc.?
Heart-pounding and gripping readers will root for Adele and the lengths she will go to protect her children in this compelling tale of survival and resilience in this twisted web of deception, a treacherous storm, and relentless competition.
The author ratchets up the suspense with the sinister backdrop, the disappearances, not knowing whom to trust, the impending danger, and the dark sense of doom lurking with each page turn.
I have been a fan of Lisa Unger for many years and have read all her books. Each book is an adventure, and CLOSE YOUR EYES is an action-packed locked room mystery that will leave you breathless. I enjoyed the author's note and the inspiration behind the novel, which would make for an ideal book club pick.
Recs...
CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO 10 is for Unger fans and those who enjoy reality TV and shows like Survivor, The Amazing Race, The Challenge, and Big Brother. (showcasing the dark side of reality TV).
You will enjoy Lisa's latest survival game if you enjoy rocked-room atmospheric psychological suspense and works by authors Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, Sarah Pearse, Lisa Jewell, and Alice Feeney.
Many thanks to Park Row Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReachBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Feb 25, 2025
About the Author
Lisa Unger is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of twenty-one novels, including THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B. With books published in thirty-three languages and millions of copies sold worldwide, she is regarded as a master of suspense.
Unger’s critically acclaimed novels have been featured on “Best Book” lists from the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, People, Amazon, Goodreads, L.A. Times, The Boston Globe, Sun Sentinel, Tampa Bay Times and many others. She has been nominated for, or won, numerous awards including the Strand Critics, Audie, Hammett, Macavity, ITW Thriller, and Goodreads Choice. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations in the same year, an honor held by only a few authors including Agatha Christie. Her short fiction has been anthologized in The Best American Mystery and Suspense, and her non-fiction has appeared in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Daily Telegraph, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. Lisa is the current co-President of the International Thriller Writers organization. She lives on the west coast of Florida with her family. WEBSITE
