Review for 'The House Guest' by Mark Edwards

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Amazon Publishing UK.

Preorder this book now ready for release on 3rd June.

This is the first book that I have read by this author. I am looking forward to discovering more of his fab books and have added them all on my Amazon wish list!

This novel consists of 3 parts and 44 chapters. The chapters are relatively short to medium so ideal if you want to read 'just one more chapter' (never happens with me).

I was originally drawn to this book by the colourful and intriguing cover and interesting blurb. They both relate well to the storyline.

The story is presented through 2 points of views which I found worked really well as it means you can see more of what is going on from both sides.

The novel is set in New York and gripped my attention straight from beginning until the unexpected ending which ended on a type of cliffhanger.

I thought the storyline was quite unique and definitely intriguing. It was filled with suspense, action, crime, twists and turns, drama and is a page turning psychological thriller!!

The characters were believable, interesting and strong and I would be interested in reading more about them. It would be interesting to see this made into a movie.

The book is very well written with excellent descriptions. Mark Edwards has definitely found a new fan in me and he has made my favourite author list =)

I would recommend this book to fans of psychological thrillers, crime, mystery, murder, suspense, cults and anyone looking for a great read!!

294 pages

£3.29 to purchase on kindle . I think this is a fantastic price for this book.

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The House Guest by Mark Edwards is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Thomas & Mercer, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis:   (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)

Adam and Ruth are house-sitting in New York while Ruth stars in a play.  Her career is really taking off, whereas Adam's seems to be at a standstill.

When a woman shows up at their door, drenched from a sudden downpour, they invite her in.  After all, Eden knows the owners of the house, and was just going to surprise them with a visit.  Unfortunately, she didn't know they had gone to Mexico for a retreat.  They invite her to stay.

After a drunken evening together, Adam wakes up with an awful hangover.  Both Ruth and Eden are missing.  It soon becomes evident that they actually knew very little about Eden.  The police aren't interested in finding Ruth, so Adam is determined to find her on her own.  He ends up with some unexpected help, and it turns out he needs it.

My Opinions:   

Mark Edwards is one of my go-to authors for the unexpected.  It may not be my favorite book by this author, but it definitely went in a strange direction that you didn't see coming from the promotional blurb. I liked it.

I must admit to not liking the two main characters much.  I found both Adam and Ruth rather selfish, which made it easy for them to doubt the others commitment.  Knowing that this rockiness was needed to make the book work, it still didn't help me to like them any better.  I also found Adam to be a little naive, and Ruth a little arrogant.  These traits were from start to finish. I kept wondering when they were going to brighten up.

The book was told from the points of view of both Adam and Ruth, so you knew their thoughts and situations.  This was necessary.

I loved the plot, thought it was a rather new take on an old topic.  The pace was fast and kept you turning the pages in anticipation.  It had a couple of twists, one of which I didn't see coming.  I didn't particularly like the ending.

Overall I enjoyed the book, and I particularly liked the subject matter that eventually surfaced.

This is my second book by the author. Mark Edwards has a penchant for creating tension and mystery. It started right at the beginning and I could not stop myself from reading the entire book in one sitting.

Adam and Ruth were house-sitting for Jack and Mona in a posh neighbourhood of New York. One stormy night brought a stranger on their doorstep. This stranger brings in a (metaphorical) storm that turns their lives upside down. What happens is the next, profound aftermath of a storm!!

Wow! I am still in awe of the book. Each chapter brings in unfathomable twists. The enjoyable part is the mysteries were spaced out and not thrown together. The author intersperses the chapters between Adam’s narration (in the first person) and Ruth’s.
Adam and Ruth develop as the book progresses. They were different at the start of the book but by the end of the book. They grow into matured characters. The trauma, the situation changes their lives. That’s something I liked about the book.
Adam’s has integrity and is honest. He is sometimes too trusting or naïve, but he’s loyal to his love. He may not be the most intelligent person, but he has fair survival skills.

The main plotline is unique, and it’s something that I have watched documentary but not read about it. There aren’t many characters in the book. None of them is black and white. They have other shades, and they cannot be categorized as right or wrong.

Mark Edwards has a brilliant way of story-telling. He can create an aura of mystery, tension, thrill all at once.

The House Guest is a riveting psychological thriller that will give you chill down your spine.

My rating is 4 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Having read all of Mark Edwards books I think that this was one of his best yet. The characters are so well described that they were real. I was enthralled throughout the whole book. To start I kept thinking what would I have done - would I invite a so called stranger into the home I was looking after? I think not but I also understood why they did.the plot develops with so many twists and turns and even the last page has yet another unexpected twist. This whole story was so real and totally believable I just loved it.
Keep writing Mark as I simply love your style. To anyone trying to decide whether to-read this book or not just get it and you will not be sorry.

Where did Ruth go? Where did Eden go? What really happened the night that Ruth, Adam, and Eden did shots? And who the heck is Eden? This one is a twisty quick read that sometimes goes a bit over the top but is quite entertaining. Ruth, an actress, and Adam, a struggling writer are housesitting in Brooklyn and one rainy night (it's always on a rainy night!), Eden shows up and swears she knows Jack and Mona who own the house so of course (really?) Ruth and Adam take her in. Flash forward, partying, disappearance, and Jack and Mona swear they have no idea who Eden is. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is one where there are a lot of bad decisions, a bit of creepiness, and it's pretty plot driven so you'll turn the pages quickly.

Whenever Mark Edwards brings out a new book, they go straight on my TBR and I know I won't be disappointed.

The House Guest is another in a long line of Edwards' brilliant books bringing us a new cast of realistic and relatable characters with a plot that builds nicely into a hectic climax. One thing Mark Edwards does really well is bringing us back down from the climax to the analytical conversation between surviving characters at the end that wraps everything up nicely and tells us the truth of what happened and why.

Mark Edwards manages to achieve in all his writing a sense of unsettling eerieness as normal people find themselves in situations that escalate into something they could never have foreseen. And that is one of my favourite things about his work.

While The House Guest doesn't have the same level of eerieness and dread as some of his "scarier" books (see The Magpies, Because She Loves Me, Follow You Home & The Retreat!) it is still an unsettling plot that builds to its climactic ending.

The House Guest, set in NY, felt very American (almost Hollywood-esque) which is not Mark Edwards' typical style. He has really pushed out of his comfort zone with a climax that's heavy with gunfire, celebrity, corruption and bodies buried in the woods! In comparison to his usual style, I think I prefer his other books to this one but that's not to say that The House Guest isn't good! It's enjoyable, an easy read, a page turner, well developed and planned out.

Thank you NetGalley, Mark Edwards and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author, Mark Edwards, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The House Guest in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It's gritty and intense narrative combined with a rollercoaster plot keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
Well worth a read.

Mark Edwards' writing really pulls me in fast. I think he writes well, not putting a lot of filler,b which I find I don't need in a book. This book was about Adam and Ruth, a British couple house sitting in New York. It's a great opportunity for Ruth, who is an aspiring actress and has landed a Broadway role. Ruth and Adam had met Jack and Mona, the home owners, on a cruise and got along to the point where they were asked to watch Jack and Mona's home while they were away on a retreat.

One night, a woman named Eden arrives on Jack and Mona's doorstep looking for them. She says she is looking for Jack and Mona, adding that Jack and Mona had told her if she ever came to town, that she should stop by. Adam explains that both Jack and Mona are on a retreat, but feeling bad for her, he and Ruth invite her in. But, just a few days later, both Eden and Ruth are gone.

I don't like to give a lot of synopsis because you can read that anywhere. I thought this book had a great premise and I couldn't wait to find out was going on. However, by the time it was all wrapped up, I found it a little far fetched. I know what happens in the book (not giving it away) does happen in real life, but I guess I was just expecting something different. But, I did finish it really quickly and it kept me entertained. It was fast paced and written in a way that it kept me engaged..

However, that being said, I think this will do well. It releases on June 3, 2020 and I wish Mr. Edwards the best of luck with it. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review. This was my first book by Mark Edwards and I will be on the lookout for more. Coming in just under 300 pages, this was a quick and easy read, but it kept me wanting to know what happens.

Ruth and Adam are housesitting in New York for a couple they met on a cruise, while Ruth chases her dreams on Broadway. A few days before the couple is due to return home, a stranger knocks on the door, saying they're a friend of the owners. Do you let them in? Of course, she seems friendly and knows the homeowners, and has nowhere else to go. But weren't we taught not to talk to strangers? What happens when you mix a lot of tequila, some secrets and a missing person?

I will be honest and not many of the characters in this book were very likeable. I actually don't know if there was one I fully liked. They each had redeeming qualities, but I found them either annoying, rude, boring or narcissistic. In saying that, I was still rooting for them. While a lot of this book was easy to guess, I still found myself wanting to know how it all played out and who you could trust. The writing was fairly simple, but the story line was good and quite overall enjoyable. This book lost a star for me because of the characters, but mostly because of the last 3 or so pages. They were terrible and really could have been left out, it would have been a much better story.

I've read a good few of Mark Edwards books and this one certainly doesn't disappoint. it's edge of your seat and you can really feel the characters frustration. I won't say anything else or it will spoil the book

When Ruth is offered her first role in a Broadway play it feels as though things are really starting to take off with her career. Coupled with the fact that she and her boyfriend Adam have been asked to house-sit a beautiful old house in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, it has been an idyllic summer feeling like real New Yorkers, living someone else's life.

In the middle of a torrential summer storm Eden turns up on their doorstep. Drenched and looking like a drowned rat she claims to be a friend of the home owners who invited her to stay whenever she was in New York. It feels mean to turn her away, especially as she seems to know Jack and Mona so well so they invite her in to dry off and have a drink.

After they get chatting Ruth takes pity on Eden and invites her to stay as Jack and Mona are due home from their retreat in a few days. After all a stranger is just a friend that you haven't met before. Over the next few days Adam notices some odd things about Eden and wonders if she is who she is supposed to be. One night just before the owners are due to come home Ruth and Eden disappear off the face of the earth. Adam wakes up with a raging hangover and no real recollection of what had happened the previous evening. Where is Ruth and who exactly was Eden?

In true Edwards storytelling style this is a chilling tale of naive youngsters taken in by a devious fraudster but the consequences for everyone involved could be fatal. If you are looking for a well crafted thriller to while away some time this summer you can't go wrong with The House Guest.

Supplied by Net Galley and Thomas & Mercer in exchange for an honest review.

UK Publication date: Jun 3 2020. 294 pages.

#TheHouseGuest #NetGalley

Mark Edwards never fails to deliver and "The House Guest" is a fun, exciting, fast paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing.

While it's over the top and pushes the bounds of believability, Edwards' writing is so good, it doesn't matter. There were lots of surprises which hit you left field and they keep coming right up to the very last page.

If you've enjoyed his other books, you'll love this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

#NetGalley #AmazonPublishingUK #MarkEdwards

Adam and Ruth are house sitting in New York for an older couple they met a few months prior on a cruiseship. A woman named Eden shows up on the doorstep unexpectedly looking for Jack and Mona, the older couple, claiming that she had come all the way from LA to surprise them. One thing leads to another and Jack ends up inviting her to stay until the homeowners return. The trio becomes fast friends and everything is fine until they all get really wasted on tequila and Adam wakes up the next day remembering very little of the evening before, and discovering that both Ruth and Eden have disappeared. When Jack and Mona return the next day Adam still knows not of their whereabouts.

Here begins his search for answers, with many plot twist and turns, culminating in a unexpected ending.

I really enjoyed this book and would recommend for readers who love the mystery/thriller genre.

I read this book in a day as couldn't put it down, when Ruth and Adam house sit they don't expect to take in a guest Eden and have their lives turned upside down!
Ruth goes missing but can Adam find her and who can he trust! I think this would make a really good movie!

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

I felt like I have read two halves of two different books but containing the same characters.

The first half is the story of a young couple, a breakthrough actress and an aspiring writer house sitting in New York. A young woman knocks the door in a rainstorm saying she is a friend of the owner. They invite her to stay and spend the week with them until the owners return. This was interesting and the i liked the character development.

The second half became a completely different story of murder, mayhem and cults. I found this half totally unbelievable. Don't get me wrong I know cults exist and I just read another book by a well known author on the subject. This was a totally believable read and the cult storyline was excellently portrayed. In this book it just didn't ring true and the ending was also disappointing.

To begin, I’d like to thank Amazon Publishing UK for sending me an ARC of this book, and to NetGalley for facilitating. And a huge thank you to Mark Edwards for writing this!

As always there will be no spoilers in this review.

Wow... what can I say? Just wow. I could not put this book down. It was devoured in less than 24 hours I even set my alarm an hour early in the morning so I could read it in peace before my little girls got up in the morning!

The characters were all so interesting and gripping. As always, Mark writes them so that they are still complex and full of layers, but really easy to connect with almost instantly. You invest in their stories almost as soon as you “meet” them. And again, is is usual in Mark Edwards books, the story begins immediately. There is no such thing as a slow burner Mark Edwards book. You open the first page and immediately you’re in the drama!

The story itself was dark, mysterious, full of suspense, and of course - realistic. This feels like something that could actually happen (mostly because it has in some form or another... multiple times, Mark Edwards just adds the sprinkle of art needed to turn a news headline into a full blown adventure). If you have never read a Mark Edwards book before I implore you to go and devour every single one - you will not regret it!

There’s not too much I can say without some sort of spoiler or clues so I’ll leave it as is. But just know that this book had me hooked from the first page to the last. It was absolutely delicious! A very very easy 5 stars from me!

Ok first of all if I ask someone to house sit for me, I would not be ok with them allowing anyone else to stay in my home unless I left explicit instructions saying that was ok. Secondly, no matter where you go there is an emergency contact number for a house sitter to reach me at, leave me message or something. And if there isn’t then all the more reason why they should not be allowing someone else in my home.
Thirdly, Adam knee Eden for 3 days and was ready to share his relationship fears with her??? Maybe it’s just me but the only person I’d be talking to about something like this is my bestie, definitely not a stranger Because of these reasons I had to suspend my disbelief so I could move on and read the book. Usually if I have to suspend disbelief early on it’s a reliable sign that the books is not going to meet my expectations, this was no exception. The whole plot is just not believable and has many loopholes. There is zero character development and the twists feel either predictable or forced. There are way too many loopholes and gaps in the plot, for example; nobody was with Eden when she dealt with her father, they just assumed she did what she needed? Eden’s behavior in the end is so predictable. Mona’s husband didn’t know anything? Someone shot someone in the shoulder and it’s a minor thing and not attempted murder? A person on witness protection visits one of their old associates? There are more but I can’t mention it without giving away anything so I’ll stop. This was a quick read but I’ve read other work by Mark Edwards which has been far superior. This one misses the mark (pun not intended).

3.5 Stars

I think we all know not to talk to strangers. We also know not to let them in the house even if they say they know the homeowner. Even though we know all this, this book is still pretty darn good. I didn't see a lot of the twists coming. So that was a great surprise.

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This is another great read from Mark Edwards. If you like a thriller that keeps you going to the very last pages then this book is for you. Its packed with twists and turns.
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Adam and Ruth are house stirring for friends in New York when a young woman named Eden arrives on the doorstep. A friend of the house owners, they allow her inside and soon their lives begin to change. What could go wrong?
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A lot!! And it makes for a gripping read! Is the stranger who she said she was?
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As usual, no spoilers in my reviews but this is a great psychological thriller that will throw in lots of surprises and revelations as you read.
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Thank you to netgalley for allowing me to review

This story is about Adam and Ruth. Ruth is an actress whose career is just about to take off and Adam is a struggling writer. They are staying in New York house sitting for a couple they met on a cruise. One day there is a knock at the door and they find a young woman called Eden who has arrived to surprise the house owners. It is obvious that Eden has nowhere else to go. With the owners unreachable Adam and Ruth decide to let Eden stay but in doing so they make a huge mistake.

I am a huge fan of this author and will read everything he brings out without needing to know much about the synopsis. As always this book was fast paced and a fast read and enjoyable overall. The problem I had with this book was the overall theme which I cannot reveal with our spoiling the book. It is a theme I hate and try to avoid in all books as I just don’t find it interesting. I am now going to have to sit and wait patiently for his next book.