Spoiler alert.. The protagonist, Adam, is the best part of this book. His reactions to the plight at the center of the story are believable and make him a sympathetic character. The author, Mark Edwards, took great care to keep Adam the good guy at the center of the story. However, the rest of the characters came across as unbelievable, in both their reactions and their motivations. At the central, there is Ruth, an up and coming actress who is on her way to becoming famous. She is one moment, gullible, and the next, completely aware of the plot against her. Then, there is Eden: The house guest. The way she was written was confusing. She was supposed to be alluring and plotting, yet, she came across as clueless. There is a cult, crooked cop, murderers, a megalomaniac cult leader, and his followers. Most of these characters came across as caricatures. They were all tough and beautiful. There was a secret cult at the center of this story, yet Adam and his cohorts were able to figure it out in less than a few days. I was hoping for more intrigue, but even with the twists thrown in, I had to fight to keep interested.

When Jack and Mona offer up and coming actress, Ruth and her boyfriend Adam the chance to house sit for them whilst they are at a retreat the young couple are thrilled and jump at the chance. One rainy evening a young woman called Eden arrives on their doorstep claiming to be a friend of Jack and Mona’s making a surprise visit. Not being able to contact their Landlords to confirm Eden’s identity the couple decide to allow her to stay for a few days, a decision they will ultimately regret ,when after a night of heavy drinking, Eden and Ruth disappear without a trace, and upon their return Jack and Mona have no clue who Eden is.

As always with this author nothing is ever as it seems. Many twists and turns to keep the reader entertained.

Many thanks to the publishers and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars

A perfect summer. A perfect stranger. A perfect nightmare.

A perfect time for me to say: Don't be so quick to answer your door to a stranger. Have we learned nothing from reading books? But I digress...

Ruth and Adam are house-sitting in New York when a young woman shows up dripping wet in the middle of a rainstorm. She tells them she is there to visit the owners of the home who told her she could stop by whenever she wanted.

Children are taught not to talk to strangers, apparently this duo was never told not to let a stranger into a home....

Twists, turns, revelations, a cult (did I say cult? they're not a cult their friends - very special, creepy friends) and a couple of "huh?" moments and an ending that well....hmm....still trying to figure out how I feel about that one. But this was a fast fun read that was outlandish and crazy at times but highly entertaining.

So, in short, entertaining, fast read, and educational - it reinforced not opening the door to strangers, advised me to stay away from creepy pens and proved Mark Edwards creates interesting and original story-lines.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Mark Edwards has done it again in delivering an outstanding read which you will want to read in one sitting. Adam and Ruth are house sitting in New York for a prestigious couple that they met on a cruise, while house sitting a mysterious stranger called Eden turns up claiming she is good friends with the owners of the house and was hoping to surprise them, charming at first Adam and Ruth offer Eden to stay in the house until the owners return, it soon appears that Eden is not all that she claims to be, does she even know the owners and are Adam and Ruth in danger? Have they made a terrible mistake?

I throughly enjoyed this addictive thriller and readers alike will struggle to put it down. Mark Edwards is one of my all time favourite authors!

A big thank you to netgalley for a copy of this wonderful book in exchange for my honest review.

A really chilling read. Couldn’t put this book down. Full of suspense and very well written. The characters were all well brought to life by the great writing and the plot was an interesting one. An excellent read to keep you on the edge of your seat

I love Mark Edwards' writing, so I snatched up The House Guest without even reading the description. And, while it wasn't my favorite Edwards book, it didn't disappoint me either.

The pacing of this book is fantastic. The narration alternates between our 2 main characters, Adam and Ruth, and Edwards always knows just when to change from one character's perspective to the other's. Just when I'm on the edge of my seat to see what will happen next with Adam, we switch to Ruth.

I enjoyed the main characters in this book, Adam, Ruth, and the house guest Eden. The beginning of the book is especially captivating, and the ending is just right. There was one central theme that I didn't really love, but I can't say more without giving away the story. That theme, plus the fact that there were a few places that left me saying "but WHY would he/she do that" is why this book is 3 stars for me.

I hope you love it and check out other Mark Edwards book! Thank you to NetGalley, Mark Edwards, and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Another amazing novel by Mark Edwards. This book, like many others of his are so intriguing because they are a type of horror that can happen to everyday people.
Meet Adam and Ruth, a happy couple who are working on their careers. Ruth, and actress finally starting to get noticed for bigger roles; and Adam, a screenwriter who is waiting for a big break. They are lucky enough to meet a wealthy couple on a cruise and get a chance to housesit for them in New York.
One day a stranger shows up who claims to know the owners and they let her stay for with them until the owners are due to return.
Things just go downhill from there. This book works at a steady pace to make you feel uneasy about things happening, but like the characters, you just think, coincidence and move forward.
Then things happen that cannot be explained away, people go missing, others die, and you have to keep your balance wondering what happened!
As someone who loves Psychology and the study of human behavior, this book was fascinating to read about the cult mindset. Mark Edwards really did his research while writing because it was so on point and relating to studies and articles surrounding these groups of people.
The end of this book was an incredible twist that I was not expecting! I especially love the connections to his previous books and could see expanding further.
Thank you @netgalley @markedwards and @amazonpublishing for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

WOW!!! This was an awesome book. I can not say too much without giving spoilers. I could not put this book down. I could see this book turning into a movie. It had me guessing throughout the whole book. This is the first book I have read by this author. Based on this book I will check out other books by this author. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes mystery and thrillers.

Adam and Ruth are house sitting and an unexpected knock at the door on a rainy night brings Eden into their world. They are not sure about her but she seems to know the house owners so well.
Then after a drunken Friday night Ruth and Eden disappear and Adam is left reeling. He cant find either of them. Then he is befriended by the grey bearded man and drawn into what is a hunt for Ruth and a secret cult.
Quite a good book. Enjoyed it snd I didn’t guess any part. Which I think makes a great book

The House Guest, by Mark Edwards, is a fun escapist romp! I enjoyed the change of scenery, as this is Edwards’ first book set outside of the UK, wholly in New York City. It is a smart, witty tale of an average bloke, writer Adam, married to a talented actress, Ruth, who invite a “stranger” into the home they are house-sitting. Our hero, Adam, is a regular guy who becomes inadvertently sucked into a dangerous situation. And the mystery then ensues. As in some previous Edwards’ novels, the protagonist Adam is portrayed as an “Everyman” bumbling through the investigation of the events that transpire in this book. The story is told in first person as Adam’s narrative so we experience the thoughts, calculations and doubts of the central character, which I believe is more engaging for the reader. The plot is funny, if a bit overreaching at times, and a cast of quirky characters plays out the story line and the final act, much like a 19th century farce. There are twists, turns and plenty of action. And without spoiling the ending, I sense that Edwards leaves room for a follow-up novel in the future!
I am a solid fan of Mark Edwards’ writing, beginning with his Magpie series, and I look forward to more of his solo novels.
Thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and Net Galley for the digital ARC

What a creepy setting, a couple is house sitting for a couple they met while on a cruise. One rainy night, someone shows up claiming she is a friend of the homeowners and she is invited to stay. This is a page turner, it is twisty but somewhere in the middle it falls apart and it becomes another story to me. I was expecting a twist but not this. I think there should be a disclaimer warning. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley! This is my honest review.

Absolutely fantastic! I found myself drawn into the story from the get go. The storyline is an interesting one, and had me wondering what would happen next.

Mark Edwards does it again! The beauty of a Mark Edwards novel is that you never see it coming. I read A LOT of mysteries. And he always catches me off guard with that last twist. The House Guest is no different. Ruth and Adam, 2 Brits visiting and working in NYC, are housesitting for acquaintances they met on a cruise. One day a vibrant woman shows up in their doorstep claiming to know the owners of the house and manages to insert herself in their lives. I cant give away much more but know this. You will never, EVER guess where this is going.

House sitting and someone who claims to know the owners of the house shows up... what do you do? I enjoyed reading and trying to figure out what was going on, who all was involved, and how were they going to get out of the situation.

Adam and Ruth are house sitting in New York for a couple they met on a cruise. One evening a girl arrives in the pouring rain saying that she has been invited to stay by the home owners,they believe her and invite her to stay. This decision has terrifying consequence for Adam and Ruth and they will have cause to regret it.
A psychological thriller with twist and turns that keeps you hooked.
Thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant book by Mark Edwards. I don’t know how he manages to keep bringing them out and all are as good as the ones before. I read it in 24 hours, it was so gripping I couldn’t put it down. A chilling read that really makes you think, how a simple thing like inviting someone into your home can go so badly wrong.. If you haven’t read any of Marks other books then make sure you do as you are in for a treat. Please don’t make us wait too long for the next book!!!

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Great storyline and that ending! This had me coming and going on who was good and who wasn't. Quite a few real good twists and turns.

Thank you Netgalley for this arc. I'm new to Mark Edward's books but will be going down the list he provided in the acknowledgements.

Yet another fabulous book by Mark Edwards.
Mark writes about normal people who could be you or I where strange things happen to them.
Adam and Ruth are staying in New York where Ruth is rehearsing for a play she is in...then on a dark rainy night there’s a knock on the door and things will never be quite the same again.
The story is original and gripping the characters are well described and it’s easy to get into their heads and way of thinking.
The books twists and turns and keeps you turning the pages and wanting to know exactly how things will turn out.
Loved it
Fast paced and gripping
A must read

Wow! Another mind blowing book by the brilliant Mark Edwards! I was drawn in right from the start and was glued to my seat throughout.

As always, I had my suspicions which turned out to be wrong. Mark is very good at surprising his readers and keeping us guessing. Just when you think you have it all figured out, he throws another spanner in the works!

The pace of the story is perfect. Easy to follow but there was always something going on to keep me interested. I did not expect the story to go in the direction that it did and was totally surprised by how it ends!

As expected, it was fantastic!

I have to admit, I was not sure what to expect from The House Guest. I have not read anything from Mark Edwards before, and I have not seen much as far as reviews for this book. Nevertheless, I was intrigued by the plot and can safely say that this is one of my favorite books of 2020 so far!

We meet Ruth and Adam, British couple who are offered the chance of a lifetime to spend the summer house-sitting in New York City for a couple they met on a cruise. Ruth has landed the lead in a new play on Broadway, and Adam is a budding writer so the summer in New York City (rent-free) is a dream.

One night towards the end of their stay, a beautiful girl named Eden shows up on their doorstep, claiming to be friends with the homeowners, who said she could stay whenever she came to visit. Rather than send Eden back into the pouring rain, Ruth and Adam invite her to stay. But as the days go by, Adam wonders if he made a huge mistake by letting a stranger stay with them.

Mark Edwards hit this one out of the park. First off, his writing is exceptional -- I truly felt like I was sitting with Adam in Central Park during a specific passage. The plot was different than anything I've ever read before, and while a few plot points were a bit fantastical, they also had an air of practicality to them. As I read, I thought "this could actually happen." Overall, this was a fast-paced thriller that I could not wait to read!