An action story which moves along quickly and as I got into it, became compulsive reading. Strange things happen in the story. An unknown girl accepted into the home is the first one but other things happen which seem unlikely but the book is still compelling. It is scarily possible that a cult would be so attractive and seductive that previously perfect normal people agree to join even today when many of these have been revealed and shamed in the press.
I really enjoyed it and recommend the book

I really enjoyed this psychological thriller. There are some major twists in the middle of the book. I would love to read more by this author as I enjoyed his writing style.

This book will make you think twice about opening the door to a stranger, much less letting them stay in the same house as you! I am one of those people who "jump" in scary movies. While this was not a movie....I still jumped three or four times. I expected a mystery/ thriller and got a shocking thrill ride that went many places I did not see. WOW!

I loved the title and cover of this book, which is what drew me to read this in the first place. This is my first read by this author and I have to say, I plan on reading more of his books in the future. I can somewhat relate to this book as I have a kind heart and have taken in someone without knowing them. However, mine had a good ending. This book was so full of twists and turns that I couldn't put the book down. What happened to Eden? What happened to Ruth? Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for introducing me to a new writer I probably would never have heard of it it weren't for this opportunity. I look forward to reading more of his books in the near future.

Ok, if you invite a stranger to stay in a house that you barely know the homeowners of, you're asking for trouble. Things are going to go badly. Which is exactly what happens here. I felt like the story was a little predictable, but I was still entertained!

I was so excited to be accepted as a reviewer for this latest Mark Edwards novel as I have followed his career as an author and thoroughly enjoyed the novels of his that I have read so far. When it arrived on my Kindle I couldn’t wait to read it, but as always it stayed in the queue organised by publication date. As time got nearer and nearer, so did Mark’s novel.
British couple Ruth and Adam meet Mona and Jack from Brooklyn New York on a cruise and they get on really well. Ruth is a talented actress who is to star in a new film on Broadway and Jack decides to accompany his girlfriend and use his spare time for writing. He would love to be a writer and the break would be ideal for him to work on his first manuscript, getting it ready for submission. Coincidentally Mona and Jack will be away when Ruth and Adam need to be in New York for filming. The American couple are looking for a house-sitter for their next holiday and soon the deal is done and Ruth and Adam will no longer have to arrange accommodation. They will be the house sitters. Their proposed trip to New York seems to be working out perfectly. They meet at the apartment for the key handover and cannot believe their good luck. It is really luxurious and they revel in the peace.
The hot summer goes by quickly. Mona and Jack’s place is beautiful and spacious. Adam has peace and quiet so that he can concentrate on his writing and Ruth is working very hard with a grumpy but highly respected film director. Life is sweet and satisfying until one stormy night they hear a visitor at the door. The girl is soaked to the skin and shocked to see strangers in Mona and Jacks place. She tells them that Mona and Jack had given her an open invitation to stay at their place if she ever left the West Coast for a trip to New York.
Outside on the doorstep Eve is soaked and shivering as she tells them her name. She lets slip lots of information about her proposed host and hostess so Adam and Ruth decided to invite her in and later on to stay on . Mona and Jack would surely want them to be kind to their friend and invite her to use the spare room. The three of them got on really well at first. Very soon Adam will discover that they had made a dreadful mistake, because once she was in as the house guest, life took on a totally different perspective, endangering their lives and the lives of a great many people they had never even met before. This is how the story starts and this was my favourite part of the entire novel. I was fascinated and hooked.
I enjoyed reading this novel and thought it was a novel of two parts. It intrigued me and I was definitely fully engaged, especially after the cracking first half. Thereafter I thought the plot became unbelievably complicated and almost unfathomable but I still felt curious to know how it would all pan out. There was plenty of quick fire action and some parts were really violent, bloodthirsty and so far-fetched that I couldn’t keep up with the plot. I didn’t identify with the characters either. They were often not who they seemed to be, and lies and deception abounded. I commend Mark on his meticulous research. He even took his family to New York for a holiday to gather an informed image of the geography of Brooklyn so that his descriptions were authentic.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Thomas & Mercer through my membership of NetGalley. Thank you for my copy sent in return for an honest and unbiased review. This novel gripped me from the very beginning until half way through. I’ve thought long and hard about my review. I did have some issues with the second half of the story but taking that into consideration it is a 3* review from me.

3,5 Stars

I am a huge Mark Edwards Fan and I am always looking forward to a new book from him. I like his writing and how he can create an eerie atmosphere.

A young English couple is housesitting in New York. Adam is a writer and his girlfriend Ruth is an actress. Ruth is on her way to become famous but Adam is a bit struggling. One night a young woman appears at the house. It is raining and she seems to know the owner of the house. So they let her in and stay for a week. After just this few days their life will never be the same.

The start is very intriguing. Edwards is a master in creating a good entrance into his stories. The story developed into something I did not expect. I was really surprised were this was heading to. When you read this kind of blurb you probably have an idea were this is going. But be prepared to be surprised.

As I said, the first parts of Edward’s books are always very good. Sometimes his stories are a bit over the top. I found this story a bit far-fetched and weird. But it is still entertaining and Edwards can write. He always kept me interested in what was going on. It was a fun read as always and I can’t wait for his next book.

This is a book with unimaginable twists and turns and danger with a House Guest, a stranger, to look after a home. Would you ever do that? It’s a fast-paced, chilling, all consuming and absorbing psychological thriller to say the least, with the emphasis on chilling…

Set in New York, instantly the house-sitter, Eden who has arrived in a sodden, drenched state, claiming to be a friend of Jack and Mona Cunningham as she meets Adam and Ruth. Ruth is an actress and has bagged herself a role in the new Broadway play – Dare after appearing in a film called The Immaculate. Adam is a playwright and has just finished a piece to start meetings with. It all seems quite a relaxed, almost jovial and serene atmosphere and they get to know each other and how they know the Cunninghams and their line of work – psychology and domestic wellness, except the situation does seem all a little weird as to how all 3 end up spending time together.
The tone used in the book is great. It’s so easy-going and relaxed and fits perfectly for the young people who haven’t long been in their adulthood years. The book pulls you in and the atmosphere changes just at the right moments. It’s a skilled hand writing the words, as some odd behaviour happens at a pool at a park.

When Jack and Mona return to their home, it all turns very creepy and sinister as it twists and there’s a need to know just who Eden really is and where Ruth also disappeared to. That serene, but somewhat odd atmosphere of before, becomes intense deftly as the situation becomes stranger. Gabriel is another suspicious, sinister character. There are twists and turns to make you gasp and want to read more and more with intensity, especially to discover more about Eden and who she is, what she is doing and for what purpose.
It’s chilling to say the least as the twists and turns increase in intensity in atmosphere and in the events that are going on. It isn’t until the end that you feel you can be at ease and breath…

4.25 Stars

Two young British house sitters do a NYC No-No - invite a stranger, drenched and disheveled at the door, into their host's posh Brooklyn home.

(Don't do it!)

Not only to step over the threshold for a chat or a drink or two, but to stay the night, sleepover for a few days.

(How nice!)

But, as it turns out, the mysterious de-facto house guest has far more sinister motives beyond the young couple's worst imagination.

What makes a Mark Edwards' psychological thriller chilling to the bone as they snake their way inside your head, is that his stories are adopted from those everyday situations which could happen to the best of us.

"House Sitting" is an actual profession which invariably meets the needs of the well-heeled who own a home, and have pet(s) they care about and want fed, if not pampered, while traipsing about.

And if "The House Guest" feels real, perhaps it's because opening your home to strangers is pretty reckless by and in of itself, particularly by New York City standards where doors have double or triple locks.

Moreover, some elements of the story are loosely based on actual events which happened in Upstate New York resulting in the conviction of certain individuals.

Overall, an enthralling read, which I finished in a single session.

Review based on an e-galley ARC received from Amazon Publishing UK and Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley.

Ruth and Adam are offered a chance to house sit in New York. Ruth is an aspiring actress and Adam is hoping to be a screenwriter. The house is perfect. Who wouldn’t want to live in New York.. everything is perfect, then one night a stranger knocks on the door. She says she’s a friend of the owners and they told her she could stay any time. They allow her to stay and she fits right in. Then things start happening. This was a page turner, as are all his books.

I've read several Mark Edwards books and find them easy to read and very fast paced. This one is no exception. I really enjoyed it and didn't want it to end. I highly recommend this book.

This was a great mystery psychological thriller which I have come to expect no less from the Master of Psychological thrillers….. Ruth & Adam are house sitting in New York for friends Jack & Mona who they met while on a cruise. Adam is a budding author and Ruth an actress currently rehearsing for a Broadway play and hoping this is her big break. Life is good right now for the pair, however, when a young girl, Eden turns up at the door one stormy night looking for Jack & Mona, they tell her that they are away, Eden explains she is a friend of theirs and was hoping to spend a couple of nights…. Feeling sorry for her especially being soaked to the skin, Ruth & Adam invite her in…… WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?

After a night of heavy drinking with Ruth and Eden, Adam wakes up, feeling worse for wear and his best friend that day is the toilet, he cannot believe his hangover, how much did he drink…. He is on his own in the house but where are Ruth & Eden, he presumes Ruth is at work but no idea where Eden is. When Jack & Mona return from their holidays and still no sign of either Ruth & Eden, Adam explains all to them and they bid to help him as they have a contact in the Police. Things go from bad to worse….

This book was explosive, who can be trusted, where is Ruth, what exactly is going on, does Adam know who exactly their “house guest” was/is? This book is intriguing and will hook you from the getgo, a very well played out plot and when it all comes together…. Wow!!! Highly recommend.

Another great read from Mark Edwards. Gripping page turner, never knowing what comes next. Highly recommend

Adam and his girlfriend Ruth are housesitting for a couple in New York. One night a soaking wet Eve shows up on the door expecting to find the house's owners who she claims to have known for years. She is there because they told her she could stay whenever she is in New York. However, the hosts are in a mindfulness retreat in Mexico and can not be contacted. As it is pouring with rain Adam and Ruth invite Eve in to dry off and wait out the storm. As she has nowhere else to go they invite her to stay in the spare room.

After a drunken night, Adam wakes up more hungover than he has ever been in his life with blackout from the night before. Ruth and Eve are gone. Assuming that Ruth is at work Adam spends the day with the toilet. When Ruth does not return but the homeowners do, Adam is increasingly concerned about Ruth, but the homeowners have only one question "Who the hell is Eve?"

The blurb and other reader reviews for this book made me very excited to read and I was expecting an amazing, gripping thriller. What I found instead was disappointingly flat. The writing structure does not appear to have been styled to create intrigue and suspense, it just sort of plods along. The story idea is great, but the moments where more was happening or lives were threatened should have created frantic reading.

The character of Eve is actually really good. She has a nice story arc, is compelling and likeable even when you know you shouldn't. However, the book is from Adams point of view and he is so annoyingly one dimensional. I had to check that the writer was male because Adams character is like when someone with less experience writes from the point of view of the opposite sex to themselves. There is precious little as to Adams physical and emotional response to what is going on around him other than that he wants to find Ruth before something happens to her. But we are told this, repeatedly, rather than shown it.

The storyline was painfully predictable and the ending was far too tidy for my liking. So overall this was a disappointing read but not completely unreadable.

I received a free eARC of The House Guest via NetGalley but that has in no way influenced my review.

Mark Edwards is probably the author whose books I have read the most (I think this is number eight). He's a talented writer who likes to put his very normal characters into very unusual and challenging (often terrifying!) situations and I flipping love what he does! When I know there's a new Mark Edwards book on the brink of publication, everything else gets pushed to one side so I can read it. I was really excited to read The House Guest and I'm delighted to say, I was not disappointed.

Brits Adam and Ruth have had a stroke of luck and are house-sitting for an American couple they met on a cruise. Ruth is an aspiring actress and has been given the lead role in a Broadway play. Adam is a struggling writer who hasn't quite made his mark yet, but he'll keep trying. One stormy Summers day there's a knock at the door. Standing before the couple, drenched from head to toe, is Eden, a friend of the Cunningham's who own the luxurious house in Williamsburg. Adam and Ruth don't feel they can turn the Cunningham's friend away when the weather is so atrocious. She's travelled so far and has nowhere else to go. So they invite her in to dry off and to share a glass of wine. But Eden is a stranger. They don't know what secrets she's hiding...

It's very easy to get pulled into a Mark Edwards book from the get-go. He sets up the scene for his reader with such skill that you just have to keep reading to find out where events are going to take you. There's such a wonderful sense of unease from start to finish in The House Guest which I really enjoyed. However, I think this is the first one of Edwards' books where I can't really talk about the plot. There's a pretty hefty twist in there which, unless you've read reviews with spoilers, I don't think you will see coming. It turns the whole book on its head - but it didn't really blow me away. For me, there is another twist further on, which I found so exciting. So much so, I think I used four exclamation marks to emphasise my surprise in my notes!!!!

The House Guest is very entertaining but I have to be honest and say it was a little far fetched for me, which left me shaking my head at certain points. But hey, it's fiction and if you can't be a little creative when writing a novel then when can you be? I had to choose between going with the flow and enjoying the ride, or...not. And knowing Edwards has never let me down before, I chose to go with the flow.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I loved the unease, the sense of impending doom the author makes you feel. I loved the setting (it's New York, I adore New York!) and could picture with ease the characters making their way through the city. I loved that the twists never really stopped coming which adds to the excitement. It's a book about needing to belong and I think we all feel that need at times. Another great book from Mark Edwards and I can't wait to see what comes next.

I chose to read and review an eARC of The House Guest. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for Goodreads and Amazon**

I was only a couple of chapters into this book before I was looking up other books by the author; I found this so easy to get into and so hard to put down! Adam and Ruth, his girlfriend are house-sitting when a stranger knocks at the door claiming to know the owners who are away on a retreat where they can’t be contacted, they let her in and invite her to stay..... Then Ruth and the mystery lady, Eden go missing and Adam starts to search, uncovering secrets and lies. This is a really brilliant book, with a fantastic ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an advance reader’s copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Ruth and Adam are house sitting when a stranger arrives at the door, looking for the owners. ... and then it all gets a bit crazy ...

I expected your normal domestic thriller ... going in it even seemed vaguely familiar to a couple of other books I had read. But this book definitely threw me a curve ball and they kept coming !

I found Adam especially to be totally gullible and sometimes unbelievable in his innocence and willingness to believe and trust in strangers. But otherwise, I throughly enjoyed this story,

4 ⭐️

What a story this was, it literally swallowed me up whole. Just brilliant and I was gripped from start to finish.

All of the characters were well written, so much so that there are times when you question as to who really can be trusted and who can't be trusted. I was very surprised by the story plot once it was clear as to what was really going on, it was very well done and portrayed though. I was routing for characters of Ruth and Adam throughout and was very surprised by the outcome of Eden, certainly wasn't expecting that.

As always with Mark's books, they are always gripping, fast paced, edge of seat in eager anticipation as to what would happen next and a couple of twists thrown in for good measure. So can definitely highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK, and Mark Edwards for the opportunity to read and review his latest thriller. 4 stars for a fast-paced, thrilling book - just what you would expect from Mark Edwards!

Ruth and Adam are house sitting for friends Jack and Mona, who they met when they all took a recent cruise. Ruth is an actress in rehearsal for her first Broadway play. Adam is a struggling author and somewhat jealous of Ruth's success. It's a stormy night when Eden shows up at their door, drenched, looking for Jack and Mona. Eden tells Ruth and Adam that they are old friends and told Eden she was welcome to stay with them any time she was in NYC. Ruth and Adam eventually invite her in and become friends as she stays for a few days. After a night of heavy drinking, Adam wakes up and can't remember anything. All he knows is that both Ruth and Eden are missing.

Enough plot to get you interested but definitely don't want to ruin the story! Suffice it to say that you definitely shouldn't invite strangers into your home any time soon!

Amazing. I read a lot and sometimes, warning analogy coming, it feels like I’m devouring the same cake all the time, but then one bite of a rogue piece and BAM, someone has changed up the ingredients to make that piece stand out more than a little from all the other pieces. This is what has happened here with The House Guest. Sure I’ve read thriller mysteries before, but this one has a little extra pizzazz & zing. A very easy read that kept me turning the pages as my eyes were drooping. Highly recommended!