Once again, I find another book that had a very interesting premise and started off great, but quickly slides into the typical predictable thriller which didn't manage to grab my attention.

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Easy Reading Set in a small town full of secrets in the USA.

There’s suspense to keep you reading but all In all I am most probably not the target audience and found it a bit tedious and slow for my preferences.

Menacing And Suspenseful…
Menacing and suspenseful and with an intriguing premise this is a slow burn suspense with a mystery at its’ heart. A good sense of place coupled with a credible cast of characters combines with neatly woven threads for an immersive read.

Had heard rave reviews about this one but it fell flat for me. Could not get into it at all and did not find it gripping. Disappointing.

Littleport is a town of two faces. One a harbour where the locals work and live. Two is a vacation paradise for wealthy visitors who have bought the local properties to use or rent out during the summer. Avery is a local who works for the Lomans managing their properties, her best friend is Sadie Loman. It is an unusual friendship between a vacationer and a resident and it leads to Avery being seen as an outsider, with a foot in both camps. Then Sadie dies mysteriously. Everyone believes it was a suicide but Avery is not convinced. Now a year later she is still unconvinced and starts to ask questions. She opens up a few cans of worms with her friends, Sadies brother and some of the vacationers.
I really enjoyed this book from Megan Miranda. Avery is a lost character but is convinced of her friendship with Sadie. The tension builds through the book until she gets the answer to the mystery
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a chapter or two to get into but after that, I was hooked. I wasn't sure what to think of Avery for much of the book but I suspect the second-guessing of her character was deliberate by the author to keep some tension as to what had unfolded. I didn't suspect the true version of events .. very good twist!

A bit of a slow burner for me, didn’t really have me that drawn in but it’s worth sticking with for the ending.

This book was heading for a solid, worth a read but nothing special 3 stars, until the final part where I was pleasantly surprised by some reveals and twists so it was pushed to 4 stars.

The entire Loman family, the wealthy summer visitors to Avery's hometown, are entirely unlikeable, selfish and self absorbed. However, Avery wants to be elevated to their position of privilege and be a part of their circle so bad that she can't see this.

Following her best friend Sadie Loman's death, Avery becomes somewhat of an amateur sleuth to discover what really happened to Sadie. The plot is slow to begin with and there are a few red herrings about her underlying connection to the Lomans. However, I was pleasantly surprised with some of the reveals and the plot was much more complex than I anticipated.

I guessed one element quite near the reveal but if the pace had been slower I probably would have guessed it much sooner. Therefore, the author got the speed of reveals just right to intrigue me and keep some surprises in store.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this advanced copy. I will definitely be checking out more of her books!

Firstly can we take a moment to appreciate the stunning artwork created for this book! It really is beautiful!

“The Last House Guest” is an interesting storyline by a new author that I haven’t read anything from before. It’s a quick read and perfect for this summer as a light and airy mystery to get your teeth into.

Personally though I found this as a whole a little disappointing. It was well written and an enjoyable read, it just didn’t hook me in or grab my attention, and I felt there were still loose ends that needed to be tied up at the end.

Hearing how wonderful previous titles by Megan Miranda have been, I believe I over hyped this story in my mind before I even started to read it, which is a failing on myself not the story. Sometimes where an author you haven’t read anything by before is so hyped up, it can contribute to the disappointing feeling you have when you finally finish the book.

I certainly plan to read the other titles by Megan Miranda and I may even re visit this one at a later date too.

I am giving this 3 stars simply because it didn’t leave me personally with the “wow” or “are you kidding me” feeling that I like to have when I finish a 4 or 5 star mystery/thriller read.

I would still recommend this to other avid readers.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this title.

Fantastic thriller of a book,
Kept me hooked and reading right until the end
I will defintely read more from this author

Megan Miranda has created a fabulous, multilayered whodunit style, tale of suspense and intrigue.

This was my first read by Megan and it did not disappoint. I was hooked from the start with the complex characters and intricate background stories. This book had so many twists and turns that I couldn't possibly predict what would happen next. In "The Last House Guest" I found myself totally engrossed with the characters and their history. The main character, Avery, was most engaging but was, on occasion, an odd one to be led by. The mystery element was immensely good and the setting, so well described by the author, totally came to life for me, so much so that I thought I was actually present in Littleport, Maine, seeing everything unfold. This book certainly piqued my curiosity enough to keep me reading.

I enjoyed the constant atmosphere of unease and suspicion that kept me, as a mystery lover, glued to the pages of this well-written book. I really appreciated the twist at the end of the story which I certainly didn't see coming until just before the resolution. This one is very highly recommended!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Simon & Schuster via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Claustrophobic small town mystery!

I really enjoyed The Last House Guest. It was quite tense and claustrophobic as we learned about friends, Avery Greer and Sadie Loman, who had a rather intense relationship.

Sadie is the daughter of the wealthy Lomans and Avery works for the family looking after various apartments that they rent out to holidaymakers during the summer season. The two women become close friends but it's a rather strained and strange relationship at times and you're left wondering if Sadie has other motives or whether Avery has created a friendship between them that never really existed.

Avery's parents died in a car crash when she was a teenager and she was brought up by her grandmother, who has now died.

The story was rather slow burning at times but it was very readable and this helped to build up events nicely as we worked out what had happened at the end of summer season Plus-One party the year before, the night of Sadie's apparent suicide. The timeline switches between 2017, the year of Sadie's death, and 2018, exactly a year later, just before a memorial event for Sadie. This meant that some chapters ended on a cliffhanger, which was entertaining!

I enjoyed the fact that the book was set in a small seaside town called Littleport in Maine and liked the descriptions of the location, which helped me visualise everything well. Littleport is a typical beach holiday destination with lots of wealthy holidaymakers and local people who look after them.

Right until the last few chapters, I hadn't worked out what was going on and was surprised how it was all resolved. The characters had lots of secrets and the story contained several twists and turns and red herrings.

I hadn't read any books by Megan Miranda before but will definitely be checking out her others now.

When Avery Greer is befriended by Sadie Loman, member of one of Littleport's rich vacation families, her life takes a different turn. Thanks to the Lomans Avery now has a job, a place to live, and a lifelong friend - until Sadie is found dead on the night of the last party of the season. Ruled a suicide, Avery finds it difficult to accept and the following year, events take a darker turn.

Told in alternating time periods (summer 2017 and summer 2018), gradually more of the story and characters' backgrounds are revealed. I say, gradually, because it seemed to take a while to actually get anywhere but this seems to be the style of the author - slow start before a pacy conclusion. Notwithstanding the slow start, it was a good read with some late reveals and twists and turns. I decided to rate this one 4 stars as I think it finishes strongly.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Atlantic Books / Corvus, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I chose to read The Last House Guest because I love Megan Miranda's books - and this is my favourite so far! I think it's because her stories take me into a completely different world and lifestyle - in this case, the fictional harbour town of Littleport in Maine, USA.

Littleport is a popular holiday destination for the wealthy, some of whom stay for the entire summer. Once such family are the Lomans, who have also been buying houses to rent out, causing resentment amongst the locals. Friendships between these two very diverse communities are unheard of, yet Avery Greer and Sadie Loman have been friends for over a decade, fascinated by each other's life. Is there something more sinister behind their friendship? When Sadie is found dead, Avery is determined to find out the truth.

The clever thing about this story is that nothing is quite as it seems. The more Avery investigates, the more she discovers that her assumptions about people and events are quite wrong. And why, exactly did Sadie chose her for a friend?

I loved the contrast between the powerful Loman family, who employ Avery to manage their rentals, and the local families who are slowly being driven out of business - and understandably feel resentful. There are lots of young, attractive characters, all of whom seem to have something to hide. I think this was another reason I really enjoyed the book. Each clue is hiding in plain sight but it still drove me crazy trying to work out 'whodunit'. Even though I read lots of crime fiction, I didn't guess who it was! And I loved the epilogue!

This won't appeal to anyone looking for a gritty psychological thriller. It's more of a suspense/mystery and the tone is almost YA/New Adult in places - which is exactly what I liked about it! So if you're looking for a slice of holiday escapism, dished up with a fiendishly clever puzzle, this is the book for you. Thoroughly recommended!


Thank you to Megan Miranda and Corvus for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

Suspenseful. Loved this one. Kept me on my toes and page turning until I had read it in under 24 hours. Highly recommended.

Two best friends, a suspicious death, and the brilliant and captivating writing style of an author that always manages to impress me. I am so happy every time that Megan Miranda has a new novel coming out. She knows how to build up the tension and keep the readers on their toes page after page.

In THE LAST HOUSE GUEST, she takes the reader in a small town on the coast in Maine where the wealth of the Loman family makes them royalty and untouchable. The unseemly friendship between one of them, Sadie, and the town’s bad girl, Avery Greer, causes curiosity and wonder. A year after Sadie was found dead, Avery is still not sure what really happened to her best friend, so she starts her own investigation.

The author makes a fantastic use of flashbacks to take the reader back in time and show the casual beginning of a friendship that no one expected or could explain, a family that thinks that money can buy anything, and a young woman struggling with grief and loneliness. The small town of Littleport is very characteristic, evocative, and bit claustrophobic and it is perfect for this story.

The story is told from Avery’s perspective who slowly reveals the truth about her past, her friendship with Sadie, and her relationship with the entire Loman family creating many twists and moments of suspense. I liked this character, she is multi-layered, well-crafted, and determined in finding out the truth.

As I read there was a sense of dread and suspicion that kept me glued to the page until I got to the ending which was fantastic, completely unexpected, full of surprises, shocking revelations, and drama. THE LAST HOUSE GUEST is addictive and thrilling and it is one of the novels I highly recommend you read this summer!

As I read on it all felt comfortable until the end. Then it felt rather uncomfortable and shocking. It was a brilliant twist! Kept you guessing to the last few chapters. When's the next one?

I really struggled with this book. In order to review it I did something I never do, I looked up other reviews. I felt confused about it. The concept sounded great, beach, holiday homes, mystery - all good. However, it would have been much better had the characters been more than the equivalent of cardboard cut-outs. I felt that the whole story lacked depth and the characterisation was abysmal. It had promise, but it did not deliver to me. Sorry

3 1/5 stars
though i liked the end very much i could not really get into the story like in mm's other books
maybe it just wasn't the right time to read this story