Another great Mark Edwards creepy, but very satisfying thriller. Are we just too trusting of people when we are in our safe environment, when people tell us things we want to hear ? Can you always tell when people are lying to you? Adam and Ruth , boyfriend and girlfriend meet a lovely older couple , Jack and Mona ,on a cruise. They befriend them and share details of their lives. They become friends and later ask Adam and Ruth to housesit for them while they are on vacation. While housesitting a stranger rings the doorbell . It is raining and this sopping wet stranger asks where the owners are and says she’s a friend of theirs . She says they told her she could stay there if she was in the area. She said things about Jack and Mona that made Adam and Ruth think she really did know the house owners. They felt guilty because she was dripping wet and invited her in. Somehow she then became “the houseguest” and things slowly got strange and creepy and the twists and turns kept me guessing and wondering how this could unravel! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it.

Ruth and Adam, a British couple consisting of an upcoming actress and a writer, meet another couple on a cruise named Jack and Mona. They instantly click, and agree to house sit for their new friends in New York. Ruth is supposed to star in a big Broadway play, so the opportunity is perfect for the young couple.

A few days before the homeowners return, a woman named Eden shows up on the doorstep. She claims she is a friend of Jack and Mona's. Eden convinces them that Jack and Mona told her she could crash at their place whenever she came to New York. But soon, Jack realizes they made a grave mistake by inviting her in.

I've read several other books from Mark Edwards before and all truly enjoyed them. He knows how to set the stage for his characters, and makes them seem real. Sadly, this book just wasn't all that great. Let me say that the premise for this book was really good, and I was expecting a lot. Yet, a lot of it felt so unrealistic that it was almost ridiculous.

Let's be honest, would you really let a stranger stay in the house you're only house sitting? In our day and age of social media, you can pretty much find out everything about some people. So, it's not too far fetched, that a young woman like Eden can find that information, and then pretend to be someone else. Also, the way Ruth reacted to Eden and the things she said to Adam about her in the beginning are very unbelievable. I can't give too many examples, because I don't want to give the plot away.

I will give this book 2 out of 5 stars.

Thank you for the arc Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK.

The House Guest starts out pretty promising. Eden shows up to the house Adam and Ruth are house sitting and says she knows the owners. They invite her to stay and then things go sideways. The story in this book is “ripped from the headlines” and it’s news I had a lot of interest in when it came out. Unfortunately this book just didn’t do it for me. It was constantly trying to one up itself for the next action packed twist and ended up being kind of silly. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of the book.

What I love about The House Guest is that from the first page, I was hooked. The plot is constantly moving and full of action making the book impossible to put down. The author skillfully wrote a lot of twists and turns without the book becoming confusing or unrealistic. I’ve always been a fan of reading thrillers involving cults, so I was excited as soon as the book brought up a mysterious group of people. I will be recommending this psychological thriller page-turner to everyone!!

What would happen if your life suddenly changed as you know it?

This is the question I was thinking as I was reading this book - normal people whose life had suddenly spun off into a different trajectory!

The story starts off with two Brits who are temporarily living in NY, house sitting for an American couple they met on a cruise when lo-and-behold, a girl lands on their doorstep who will change their lives forever...

This was the first book I have read by Edwards and I'm not sure if it will be my last. I loved this book for three-quarters, it was gripping and the premise was great but I found the end lacking something... I'm not quite sure what it was though as it was a well paced book and the ending didn't seem rushed. I just can't put my finger on it!

I like the way Edwards can make you feel a certain way about a character and then completely turn it around on it's head, like Callum. I really liked him and then I hated him. The characters were very well written and I really liked the main character, Adam. I felt like if I was in his position I would have acted similarly - he didn't become the alpha male hero type all of a sudden, he acted like most people if they suddenly found themselves in that position!

I could take or leave Ruth, Adam's girlfriend, I understand she was pivotal to the plot but she was a bit lacklustre. Didn't bring much to the story, only acted as the catalyst for the plot.

The twists were good and I didn't really guess them, they came out of left field but kept me interested. I could definitely see this book being made in to a movie - it has all of the right elements. I liked the small facets of humour that were thrown in as well.

Again, I am just not sure about the ending... I think I often feel let down by endings though so maybe that's my own flaw!

This book is a solid 3.5 stars and I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a good action thriller of a book. Definitely surprised me as it wasn't your typical suspense thriller!

I recieved this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Always enjoy a good mark Edward's novel, and this one was no exception, full of all the suspense twists & turns that you would expect from this author with a very interesting subject matter, cults. Read this you will not be disappointed.

I was expecting big things from this book and sadly it fell short and left me a little bored and it is not a book I’d recommend.
The story at first seemed a little slow and yet far fetched. You’re staying in someone’s house whilst they’re away and let a complete stranger stay too.
I found the beginning part of the book slow and struggled to keep going.
When Ruth went missing it picked up but then when it became clear what was actually happening for me it went back to being far fetched and slow.
This book just didn’t grab me and I struggled with the cult topic and the pace of the book didn’t keep
Me entertained sorry.
I am hugely grateful to net galley and the publisher for letting me read an advanced copy of this book and as promised I have provided an honest and unbiased review.

I enjoyed reading this. I think that this author writes good psychological thrillers consistently and i always know i am going to get a good read.

This book was a fast and easy read. The turns it took were exceptional and it really dived deep into the main theme of the book. The house guest is a page turner I finished in no time flat!

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of The House Guest!

Wow! What a great book this was! Mark Edwards is becoming one of my new favorite authors. I really enjoyed two of his other books. Adam and Ruth are a British couple who met Jack and Mona on a cruise and were asked to house-sit for them for a while. Close to Jack and Mona’s return, a girl, Eden, shows up claiming to be there friend and Adam and Ruth decide to give her the benefit of the doubt and let her stay. However once Jack and Mona return home they claim they don’t know anyone named Eden and Ruth and Eden have mysteriously both disappeared, leaving Adam dying for answers. What comes next is just so incredibly unreal! Where is Ruth and Eden? Are they safe? Why are people trying to kill Adam? The shocks just keep coming up until the very last page. Highly recommend!!

Mark Edwards is one of my favourite authors so I knew I was going to enjoy this new book, and I was absolutely correct! This is a real page turner which I read in a couple of sittings. Mr Edward really knows how to spin a tale and this one is easy to read, fast paced with lots of twists and turns.

The setting of NYC is well researched and I felt like I knew the area of Williamsburg. The authors research, living in NY for a time, (it’s a hard life being a writer!) definitely paid off. The characters are interesting, though mostly unlikeable apart from Adam.

The House Guest isn’t my favourite book by this author (I think that will always be The Magpies) but it is a great read which I highly recommend.

Wow! I could not put this book down. So intriguing and kept me guessing until the very end. I loved the writing style and such great character development. I easily related to so many people in the story. Some my heart broke for and some I just kind of needed to slap!
Lots of twists and turns. I read this one in one day. Look forward to reading more of Mark Edwards’ masterpieces.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Definite 5 stars!

Entertaining but silly. That’s the best sentence I can give to describe The House Guest.

This story gripped me, it’s interesting and full of excitement but it lacks the danger of other books with cults as part of the central plot. I found the start of the story and plot much scarier. A stranger you invit3 in. I’d like to read more of that please!

Was I worried about any of the characters at any point? No. Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you’re looking for a story that thrills without chills then pick up The House Guest!

This is a bit of a departure from Mark Edwards ' usual psychological thriller genre of book but once again he has nailed it with The House Guest.Set in New York it centres around the world of cults and the damage they can do to ordinary people,I have read everyone of Mark's books and with the exception of The Retreat which I found hard going they are with out a doubt the best psychological thrillers I have read,and this book is up there with the rest of his books, it is filled with twists and turns and he has excelled himself once again,in my opinion Mark Edwards Is at the top of his game and The House Guest just confirms it for me,a superb 5 star read yet again from Mark Edwards.Carry on the good work !!

The House Guest by Mark Edwards is an intriguing psychological drama with a storyline that keeps you hooked!

It’s fast paced with little thrills happening all the time, so this keeps you turning the pages. The characters are reasonably well developed, even the minor ones, so you get a great overall impression of all the events taking place without having to go into too back backstory for an explanation.

I enjoyed the “twist” in the middle of the book, which took the story in a different direction and then that last paragraph: just the perfect ending!

I’ve never read this author before, but he is now definitely on my authors-to-automatically-read list.

#netgalley #thehouseguest #markedwards #amazonpublishing

Action packed and such a fun read. I was completely enthralled with the story. Everyone be reading this will be captivated.

The inner monologue from the main character was canned to the point of being comical. But, I mean, it read pretty fast, so that's not all bad.

Another fab book from the genius that is Mark Edwards. Full of enough excitement & twists to keep you wanting more, leading to an ending that you don't even get an inkling of. Thankyou to Netgalley for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Protect one, protect all.

Looking back through the many Mark Edwards books I've read over the years, most of which I've rated 4 stars (with the occasional 3 sprinkled in), I'd definitely say The House Guest falls near the bottom of the group.

Although this story is written in Edwards' speedy, fun, action-packed style...which I love...the plot simply didn't hold my interest. At the beginning, I was ALL in. I mean, how creepy to invite a stranger into your home, thinking they're a friend of friends...only to find out that isn't the case at all?

I actually can't say much more than that, in fear of giving away spoilers, but the direction the story took was very meh for me. So many times, while reading, I found myself whispering, "Why would he DO that?" or "What was she thinking?" The actions of the characters seemed forced, which is something I'm so unfamiliar with in Edwards' book, is was discombobulating.

I did, however, appreciate all the research he did about NYC and living in the United States...the hard work paid off.

While this wasn't my favorite, it's still a mostly fun read, and one I'd recommend, especially if you've never read Mark Edwards novels before. You can purchase your very own copy on June 3, 2020.

**My sincere thanks the publisher for my review copy.

Ruth and Adam, a British couple, are thrilled to be able to house sit for new friends in New York City for the summer. One rainy day, a stranger appears on their doorstep, drenched from the heavy downpour outside. The woman, Eden, is surprised not to see the homeowners, Mona and Jack, who she intended to visit. Because she is friends with the homeowners, Ruth and Jack they should invite her in and allow her to stay, after all, she is a friend of friends. However, things take a turn one Friday night. Who is Eden really?

I always enjoy Mark Edwards’ books. The pace is always good, it keeps you interested and wanting to know more, and had a satisfying conclusion. If you like thrillers or other titles of Edwards, give this one a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.