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In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.

It works out pretty perfectly to stop after chapters 7, 15, 25 and the end. That's my plan for now.

sounds good! I have a few to finish up & start and then I'll get here!

Great, but no rush!

Through Ch.7

(view spoiler)[How sad for Billy, just 10 years old and supposedly abducted and murdered. I was falling for that until two things happened: when Fritz basically told Ethan's mother not to say anything about the might before. That was before Billy went missing but made him suspect in my mind. I have a very strange feeling that Fritz is behind his disappearance but I can't figure out why if he is. But he's suspect to me!

Secondly, when the "gang" was talking about how badly they treated Billy that day and how wrong things were between Ethan and Billy in the tent. Then his bones are discovered and he was probably killed where they'd all left him alive and scared. But he did go back and stay the night with Billy, so I don't know what's going on. It does seem strange that suddenly his remains were found so close by and WHY did Ethan "feel his presence" and old guy insist he'd seen him? Hmm... (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 15

(view spoiler)[I'm thinking this is paranormal? With all of the "sights" of Billy and the sensing he's there, Billy's obsession with ghosts etc. I began thinking his ghost was trying to get Ethan's attention to find out who killed him. It makes sense which is why I think it's paranormal. I don't know what's going on but I don't think Billy was stranger abducted. I feel for Ethan having nightmares 30 years later. I have a feeling that he might possibly have witnessed something but has buried it deep inside.

I also thought it was strange that Johnny committed suicide, if he did, 6 months after he tried to kiss Ragesh. I wonder if he might've had something to do with Johnny's death. Or the rejection/embarrassment Johnny felt was the impetus that led him to take the pills IF he took them himself. I'm not convinced. (hide spoiler)]

Through Ch. 25

(view spoiler)[OMG! I refuse to believe that Billy's mother killed him, so I hope that wasn't what happened! So Fritz might not have been the abductor/killer but he was suspicious and now we know why. He was the freaking dude that fired Ethan's mother and he is basically the caretaker of Hawthorne. Ugh...what transpired there was sick!

After reading this section I'm more convinced that Ethan DID see whoever took Billy or what happened and he's just buried it since it was traumatic. I think that's what he keeps dreaming about. I'm dying to know what happened. (hide spoiler)]

7 chapters

I agree, a lot of curious things no one is telling us about

(view spoiler)[ this weird facility
or what they were doing there
or how they seemed to leave Billy behind but he found his way home again?
And what is up with Fitz and his mom? and her stopping working the night before
and the Shhhhh he told her.

I like that we are getting other POV in the in between chapters. It's giving us a bigger picture of what's going on (hide spoiler)]

Finished

(view spoiler)[I couldn't believe the ending! I NEVER suspected Ashley! At all! I'm glad that there was no murder, but she obviously should've said something. I was a little surprised that she was sentenced and had to spend 8 years. We don't often get that kind of ending. I wonder if they would really still hold her accountable after 30 years though. I guess murder is always open to punishment, but that would've been manslaughter or something. Anyway, I'm glad that Ethan got little Henry. (hide spoiler)]

15 chapters

wow, there are so many unknowns so far!

(view spoiler)[ I feel like we didn't learn enough in these chapters! lol

So Billy has been found! wow

I wonder if the baseball and the "things" he's seeing - could they be something Billy's little brother is doing? Or could it be Henry, he's small enough, right? and the same age?

I just wish everyone wasn't holding so many secrets.

the adults are telling all they know and did
and the kids are definitely not being honest. I can't wait to learn more!

I'm not convinced this is paranormal at all
I also find it odd that of the 2 kids that were at the institute, one of them died (hide spoiler)]

25 chapters

(view spoiler)[ hmmmm. okay so it being Billy trying to get him to remember who did it. THAT i could believe.
interesting, I like that haunted element.

but wow, who could it be? Could it be the cop? he was older and already had guilt about his friend. maybe he needed to scare him into keeping quiet? but I think that would have scared Billy - cutting the tent like that

and I don't think billy left on his own. I don't think he was trying to care his friend and rip the tent himself. If he'd left with his shoes, then maybe. But without the shoes, the terrain just would have been too tough for him, I think

hmmmmm (hide spoiler)]

and done

wow (view spoiler)[ to have two different people do two different things. I kind of felt like we were getting maybe close to that.

I never thought billy walked on his own though, because Ethan didn't - because of the terrain.

I love that he ended up with Henry while she went away (hide spoiler)]