The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf #BookReview #MysteryThriller #PsychologicalThrillers #CrimeFiction — Rain’n’books

My Rating

Rating: 4 out of 5.

Book Review

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf is one of those books that would be loved by all, the story is thrilling, the ramped-up tension holds the reader in a vice and the twists and turns in the story were stunning in effect. So why then the 4 stars, you may ask, it is coz that I had guessed every bit of suspense in the story which kind of spoiled the fun for me.

There are three distinctive storylines, the present day with Wylie Lark and the events in her isolated farmhouse, the second thread about a family of four with a rebellious teenager and a young girl and the terrible events that lead up to a massacre, and then there’s the plot of an abused mom and daughter, the description of which creeped me out no end. No matter how many books I read based on that theme, abuse in any form is still disturbing and troubling to think about. Most seasoned readers would probably guess how the direction of the story but the author very successfully keeps it engaging through the fast-paced narrative. In fact, this is a book that can be read in one go, as the reader is forced to wonder about how the storylines are gonna intersect and what surprises are gonna pop up.

Gudenkauf has also created a claustrophobic feel in the narrative for Wylie as the ice storm hits and isolation deepen the terrorizing atmosphere in the novel but it was also impressive how she separates the timeline for the reader in the second thread with a summery effect.

In all, The Overnight Guest is an on your toes kind of thriller that is definitely gripping.

Book Blurb

A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf

She thought she was alone…

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls-haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

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Originally published at https://rainnbooks.com on June 7, 2023.