Suspenseful.. Lots of twists and turns throughout the book. Got a little confused during the ending though. But for the most part a great book.

The House Guest was somewhat of a departure from Mark Edwards' past writings, but still had that delicious wtf-ery I've come to expect from all his stories. It's gripping with a rip roaring fast plot, atmospheric - the dread just permeates the pages from nearly the first chapter, and the bad guys are truly, frighteningly atrocious. Another winner of a novel to add to his collection!

Adam and Ruth luck out house sitting in New York for a wealthy couple. Eden arrives on their doorstep claiming to be friends with the owners and stays a few days. After a night drinking, Eden vanishes taking Ruth with her. Adam realises she's been kidnapped and desperately tries to get people to believe that Eden does exist and Ruth is in terrible danger😯
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4⭐- I'm a big fan of this author as his reads are always really engaging, with exciting storylines that keep you stuck to every page until it's finished and you look forward to his next book😁
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Thanks Netgalley!!

Ruth is a newly rising actress and Adam a writeŕ who are house sitting for a couple, Mona and Jack, they recently met on a cruise.
Eden, a supposed friend of Mona and Jack's arrives in announced one evening with no place to stay. She appears the ideal house guest until ,following a very drunken dinner, she and Ruth disappear. To complicate matters, she is not known to Jack or Mona at all.
What unfolds is a story where Adam, who is trying desperately to find Ruth, becomes involved with a couple of murders, attempts made on his life, alongside the inability to trust anybody.
I would recommend this book, half way through I nearly gave up as the unfolding of cults made the story a little far fetched. However glad I continued as there were many twists along the way and a good ending.

This book was an interesting ride....not necessarily a bad one but not one of my favorite Mark Edwards books either.. This book took so many turns that I did not see coming that I found myself putting this down quite a few times. We meet Ruth and Adam who are house sitting for a couple they met on a cruise, Mona and Jack. One night a blonde girl, Eden, shows up on their doorstep claiming to know Mona and Jack. She stays with them for a week while getting close to both Adam and Ruth. The night before Jack and Mona are to return the three take shot after shot of tequila and when Adam finally wakes up both women are missing. This book takes you through twists and turns as Adam tries to find out what happened to his girlfriend and how to find her. It shows a dark underground world that I have never been shown before in a book. I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I knew where this book was going to end up going. I am trying not to give everything away because it is a major spoiler.

Thank you to netgalley and Amazon Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am truly grateful.

I've quickly become a fan of Mark Edwards' books. He does a great job of taking an idea about something that people have questions about and spinning it into a great story.

Adam and Ruth are house-sitting for a couple in New York City that they met on a recent cruise. Both from the UK, Ruth is an aspiring actress and Adam is an aspiring writer. While house-sitting, Eden shows up at their door looking for the couple that lives there who are due back in a few days. They invite her in and let her stay until Mona and Jack return. It's impossible to say too much about this book without giving away the plot and twists, but it pulls you in to some serious conspiracy theories that are out there.

I finished The House Guest by Mark Edwards. Thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Because of everything going on, my mind has been scattered and it has taken longer than usual to finish this book, but I finished nonetheless. A British couple are housesitting in New York. Adam is a struggling writer and Ruth is a rising actress. One day, a stranger named Eden shows up at the door claiming to know the homeowners. Ruth and Adam offer her a place to stay and the three bond together until things get dangerously weird and it becomes clear Eden may not be who she claims to be. ⁣⁣
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I enjoyed this book, although there were times when I did find myself unable to suspend disbelief. Some events were far-fetched and I couldn’t wrap my head around them. I loved the fact the author researched New York and the different sites here so well. As a native New Yorker myself, I really enjoyed the city atmosphere he created through his writing. I would never guess he was British himself! The first half of the book was a slow burn, but then the second half was action-packed and moved quickly.⁣⁣

This book makes me jumpy! The story is very well written and I am literally holding my breath the whole entire time. The suspense and thrill are just really high.

I was thrilled to be approved to read a copy of The House Guest as I've been a fan of the author for a while. Fast paced and well thought out plot. A real page turner! Loved the book!

I have read all Mark Edwards books so I was very excited to receive an ARC copy of this through Netgalley. As usual he didn't disappoint.

Up and coming actress Ruth and writer boyfriend Adam become friends with Jack and Mona after meeting on a cruise. Ruth is about to star in her first Broadway production and Jack and Mona need house sitters for their New York home while they are on a retreat. What could be more perfect?

One rainy night Jack and Mona's friend Eden turns up to visit not realising they are on a retreat. Feeling sorry for her Adam and Ruth invite her in to stay anyway. After all the weather is terrible and she is a friend of Jack and Mona's, or is she? After some strange events and a boozy night Adam wakes up to find Eden and Ruth missing. Where have they gone and can he track them down? This is where the story really takes off.

I don't want to add any spoilers as I didn't know where this was going but it did have the usual twists and turns that Mark likes to add. The end had me second guessing myself as much as Adam.

Highly recomended 5 stars.

In The House Guest by Mark Edwards, Brits Adam and Ruth are thrilled to be housesitting a beautiful home in NYC for the summer. Ruth is an up and coming actress with a lead in a hot Broadway play. Adam is a less successful playwright. They both view this time in NYC as the moment they will hit it big. Ruth in acting and Adam in writing.

Until one rainy night when a young woman Eden knocks on the door. She is visiting NYC and the homeowners invited her to stay with them anytime. But they aren't home. Like good neighbors, Ruth and Adam invite her in and offer to let her stay. Like almost everyone, Eden has a story and she just needed to get away from an abusive ex. She is so grateful for a place to land with these two strangers, Ruth and Adam.

Eden assimilates into the household, but she has her oddities witnessed mostly by Adam and missed by Ruth. When Ruth disappears, Adam is hell-bent on finding her no matter what. Ruth's disappearance leaves Adam wondering how well does he know this impromptu houseguest and how well does he know the couple who welcomed them into their home?

The House Guest is a fantastic read. I was totally hooked and didn't want to put the book down. The characters are realistic and the twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended.

I have read a few Mark Edwards books, and I always find them really gripping. This book also started off really well, but went downhill halfway through. The plot became unrealistic and the ending was almost rushed. Anyways towards the end even I was rushing to finish the book as I just wanted to get it over with. Maybe I didn’t enjoy the book because the plot was just not my cup of tea. Whatever the reason, this book did not live up to my expectations.
I like Mark Edwards’s writing style and I did enjoy the first part of the book, so will give it 3 stars.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK for an advanced copy of this ebook and giving me a chance to review this book!

Another great Mark Edwards book! I love his writing and loved the reference to The Retreat at the end of the book! Sweetmeat! This book kept me hooked from the beginning and threw in a twist I didn’t see coming at the very end.

Wow I have just finished this book and I’m blown away. I love all of Mark Edwards books and this one certainly didn’t disappoint. It drew me in from the first page and was hard to put down.

The characters are so well developed and each bit of the story is revealed with perfect timing. The pace is quick but not rushed and the setting is well described.

I was so engrossed in the book that I felt I was an observer to everything that was happening.

A truly fantastic book that would also make a epic film.

Thank you to the author and publishers for the complimentary early copy of this book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first Mark Edwards novel. In short, I will be reading more of his work.
What starts as a story of a mysterious, rain drenched woman showing up on a doorstep eventually turns into a hunt for a missing person who may or may not have been kidnapped by a strange cult. I could definitely see references to real life events, like NXIVM, and TV shows, like Servant. Now, this is a conundrum like the chicken and the egg because I don't know which came first.
Regardless, the book is solid. Mark's writing is very easy and clear to read. Some books have too much focus on the coaster that's on the table which holds a glass of whiskey with one ice cube and that whiskey is the same color as the character's sweater which explains the mood of the dog....my point is that he moves the plot quickly without sacrificing the atmosphere and environment. I never felt like it was a chore to get through. Each chapter ended with a cliffhanger which made me continue reading.
Three stars - I liked it - Time to look for more!

Adam and Ruth are British 20 somethings when they meet an older couple Mona and Jack and develop a quick friendship. Ruth is an actress with a career that seems poised to take off, Jack is a writer still struggling to be heard. When the older couple learns Ruth is rehearsing for a Broadway play they offer their hoke in return for the younger couple housesitting.
One night shortly before Mona and Jack are due to return a young woman named Eden shows up at the door, drenched from the rainstorm claiming to be friends of the older couple and had an open invitation to stay when she was in town.
Adam and Ruth invite her to stay and the three are enjoying each other’s company though Adam sees glimpses that disturb him of Edens’ temper. On the night before the owners return, Eden brings home food and tequila and the three of them drink far too much. When Adam wakes up he discovers that he is all alone. Both Ruth and Eden have disappeared. When Jack and Mona arrive they have no idea who Eden is and believe Ruth left in her own. Jack begins looking for Ruth on his own as no one seems to believe Eden was real Who was this enigmatic young woman who had been staying with them? How did she know so much
Jack is determined to find the answers and bring Ruth home.
This was a really fast paced story that kept my attention throughout. While I have trouble accepting that anyone is as trusting as these two were my skepticism did not detract from the story
Mark Edwards always writes a good. Engaging thriller that keeps you turning pages.
Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. This is scheduled for release on June 2. It is shaping up to be a great season for beach reads.

#TheGuestHouse #NetGalley
Mark's finest work till date. A good read.
When British twenty-somethings Ruth and Adam are offered the chance to spend the summer housesitting in New York, they can’t say no. Young, in love and on the cusp of professional success, they feel as if luck is finally on their side.So the moment that Eden turns up on the doorstep, drenched from a summer storm, it seems only right to share a bit of that good fortune. Beautiful and charismatic, Eden claims to be a friend of the homeowners, who told her she could stay whenever she was in New York.They know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers—let alone invite them into your home—but after all, Eden’s only a stranger until they get to know her.
Mark's characters are inspired from real life and so is the story. I would definitely recommend this novel to everyone who loves thrillers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for giving me an advance copy of this book.

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Mark's latest book. I love all of Mark Edward's books and this one does not dissapoint.
This is such an amazing read. I was pulled straight into the book and it just doesn't let go. I couldn't bring myself to put it down.
Amazing plot and characters. I highly recommend this book to everyone. Well done Mark 😊

Rating: 3.2 / 5

Right, so...let's talk about this.

But...how to begin...

When you think one thing is one thing and then it turns out to be another thing and that particular thing just gets crazier and crazier and slightly ridiculous, then it's hard to judge that thing, isn't it? After all, not only is it so far detached from your expectations, but the extent to which it goes off on its own tangent of weirdness is...well, either off-putting or brilliant. For me, unfortunately, it was more the former than the latter.

Adam and Ruth are your typical couple trying to get by in New York. Adam is a writer and Ruth's an actress rehearsing for her first show on Broadway, and our two young characters find themselves house-sitting in a charming setting while their friends, Jack and Mona, are on vacation in Mexico. One night, enter Eden, a mysterious lady friend of Jack and Mona with nowhere to stay. Gullible Adam and Ruth let her into the house and into their lives, only to have things mysteriously/obviously go wrong.

Premise-wise, this could go in a lot of different ways, since it's just the setup and it doesn't really tell you anything about what to expect. Offhand, I'd even say that it's a great premise to start with, all based off the rule of "never trust strangers and never invite them into your house". BUT, where Edwards chooses to go with this is...slightly problematic, from my point of view.

Now, I really don't want to give any spoilers for this, but at the same time it's kind of hard to talk about what I didn't like without mentioning that. Um...okay, to be vague, let's just say that the initial "big reveal" and direction that goes is like a snowball rolling down a hill--it gets bigger and bigger and more far-fetched, to the point that it crushes all the reader's suspension of disbelief and general caring by the time it reaches the bottom.

In other words, it started off good, but then as the author just kept going and going and building on whatever momentum they had, things get too ridiculous to really be believable or hold any amount of suspense for the reader. Therefore, by the end, my reaction was to roll my eyes more than keep them wide open in anticipation or anything.

In conclusion, it was a good attempt at suspense and mystery and had a good idea going for it at the beginning, but the author went too far and tried too hard with an idea that I just couldn't buy into. Credit given that I was able to read it all the way through though, eye-rolls and all.

Well, this book definitely took a plot turn that I definitely didn’t see coming. It’s the story of Adam and Ruth, a young couple house sitting in New York for a couple they met and bonded with on a cruise. One day, a young woman named Eden comes to the house and explains that she’s close to the owners, and that they told her that she could stay at their home whenever she needs to. That sounds perfectly safe and harmless, right?

I will not discuss the plot any further, but this is pretty much a non-stop roller coaster of a book that packs action, surprises, and plot twists. I was pleasantly surprised because even though I’ve loved some books by author Mark Edwards, the last one I read was one I had to stop before the end due to my low interest level. He keeps the pace fast, forcing you to be engaged as one thing after another happens. Some people mentioned that the ending is a bit silly, and I can see that, but I was glued to reading this from start to finish. A definite page turner.

Thank you to Mark Edwards, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for an ARC.