Guest House took a while to get going but once it got into the main part of the story the pace quickened and the pages kept turning until the very end.

An enjoyable read

“Things are not always what they seem” is a perfect subtitle for The Guest House, a suspenseful thriller by David Mark. Ronni Ashcroft is a single mother, raising three children on her own after her husband Callum had an affair. She’s managed to hold on to the family business, three vacation rentals (the guest houses) on her property in a remote part of the Scottish Coast and even has a new boyfriend, Bishop.

We know from the prologue that there is drug smuggling in this isolated area and that South American cartels are involved. It’s not a simple process and Ronni finds herself in the middle of a convoluted plan. Somehow she and her family are in terrible danger and will be until she can understand who her are her friends and, more importantly, who are her enemies.

The Guest House is a compelling thriller with vivid characters: Ronni, who tries to stay one step ahead of trouble, Nicholas Roe, a mysterious guest, Theresa, the cleaner and many others. The complicated plot adds to the mystery and slowly builds tension and suspense. David Mark left room for a sequel and I hope he’s writing it. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria & Aries and David Mark for this ARC.

Lots of mystery. Lots of violence. It was a very entertaining read and had just enough plot twist to keep me turning the pages. Can’t wait for the next op. Really enjoyed this one. David Mark never disappoints.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc

If you enjoy reading about Scotland, undercover police, drug smuggling, selling of body parts, gangland murders, violence & innocent people being dragged into all of this, this is the book for you. It grabbed me from the prologue, with such descriptive writing that led you in to wanting more. Great book, highly recommended.

Ronni and her three children are estranged from their husband/father. She realizes that she will need a job as money begins to trickle out.

Aside from three young children, Ronni has a boyfriend - Bishop. He begins to show semi -violent tendencies.

I had a bit of hesitation about this read. Although great scenic images and characterization, it took me a while to get into this book. However, once I DID sit down and read for awhile I was pleasantly surprised!

RECOMMEND!

Many Thanks to Head of Zeus Ltd./Aries/Aria for a very good read!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. I liked this book - didn't love it. I felt it was very similar to many other psychological thrillers that I've read. I felt it was an easy read and very enjoyable. I would more than likely read more from this author.

Ronnie Ashcroft lives on a remote Scottish peninsula which overlooks Mull and Coll. She runs a guesthouse and currently has one very odd guest, the cadaverous Nicholas Roe. Her marriage to Callum is over and she’s met Bishop. Is he going to be good for her or ......??? Ronnie partly narrates.

This is a really good thriller which grabs the attention from the intriguing and puzzling start. Ronnie is a brilliant character, I hope the author uses her in future books. She’s clever, resourceful, brave and funny! Lilly her youngest child is edibly adorable and funny too. The interesting character of Mr Roe deserves a mention too as his backstory adds a fascinating element to the storytelling. The setting is marvellous, I always home in on novels with a wild Scottish background and promptly get the map out! This is a clever multilayered thriller, it’s well written, lively, engaging and has a good fast paced plot. It’s easy to read with good descriptions with characters depicted vividly and succinctly. It’s dark in places but the humour of Ronni ( which does diminish somewhat with the gritty unfolding drama) provides a balance of light and shade. Very shady in places as it turns out. There’s everything you expect from a thriller, plot twists, fear, tension, ruthless individuals with a penchant for violence, dilemmas and very illicit operations of several varieties. All the plot threads connect well and build to a tense conclusion.

Overall, an easy to read, enjoyable and compelling thriller. I’m keen to read more from David Mark.

With thanks to Aria and Aries, Head of Zeus for the much appreciated arc for an honest review.

This book was not what I expected, and isn't the type of book I normally read. That being said, I thought it was OK. It centers on Ronni, whose raising 3 kids alone and renting out 3 guest houses on her property after her husband leaves her for another woman. Turns out nothing is as it seems and pretty much everyone around her, including the guest in one of her guest houses, has secret intentions. This ended up being a book about organized crime, including drug trafficking and something even more sinister that I won't ruin for you.

This was a fast paced read, but really was more about crime than it was about Ronni and a potentially shady houseguest. There were interspersed chapters involving characters that we did not know, but are introduced to us as the book goes on. It was rather confusing to keep the characters straight in these seemingly unconnected flashbacks, but it did all make sense once it all came together. Ronni herself was a likeable character and a powerful adversary to these seasoned criminals who underestimated her.

Overall, enjoyable read but not really my genre, nor what I expected when I picked up the book. If you like mysteries in this genre, I think you'd really enjoy the book. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Guest House by David Mark was not my favorite read. I kept reading so I could find out how the book ended. A little violent and all over the place. This may be someone else’s cup of tea so try this book for yourself. I will give this author another try in the future just to see if his other books are a better fit for my reading preferences.

***** I received an ARC from NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my honest review. *****

The Guest House by David Mark starts with a spurned wife trying to care for her three young kids while her cheating husband Callum, hunkers down with his side lover. Ronnie, the wife & lead protagonist, is left to run a small Bed & Breakfast type retreat while raising her three small children after the hubs left. Life is normal except for her marriage. But then everything takes a really bad turn when an older estate in the area is purchased and becomes something sinister. You have to pay attention because there are so many characters and it’s hard to determine who is good and who bad. I started taking notes to keep up. These are people who don’t play nice and I felt so bad for the young wife in her attempt to keep up with a situation that was highly out of her control. A good story and a different take on a unique criminal element. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 If you like a thriller set in Scotland with a crazy cast of characters, then this is your book. Mr. Roe stood out as truly one of the most peculiar characters I’ve read about for some time. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC but my review and thoughts are my own without bias. #thriller #bodyparts #iseedeadpeople #gangsters #crazycops #scotland @netgalley #davidmark #netgalley#theguesthouse

I found this...needlessly complicated. It has a jarring relationship with time, characters without discernible characteristics, and a very bendy ethic. I didn't hate it, nor did I find much to like.

David Mark on top form!
I absolutely loved this book, truly unputdownable! (Is that a word? It should be!).
Gritty, gripping, dark in places.

Ronni Ashcroft has managed to keep her Scottish guesthouse going against all odds. After her husband walked out, she was left alone to run the business and raise her three children. Life begins to look up when she meets and falls for Bishop, a man who seems to good to be true. And he is too good to be true, he’s up to his eyeballs in ugly criminal business, including gun running and even worse. When he disappears, Ronni is both angry and afraid, she wants answers. But will those answers lead to clarity, or death?

The Guest house was a quick and fun read! I liked the relationship between Roni and her child, they had a sweet connection, The novel was good but there wasn't anything that stood out to me, the plot was interesting but at times the book had scenes or dialogue that slowed it down and didn't help in improving the storyline. I do think thriller readers will enjoy this, one to have on your list for 2021 reads!

#TheHouseGuest #NetGalley
An ok read.
Ronni Ashcroft had just pieced her life back together after her husband left. On a remote spur of the Scottish Highlands, she kept her successful guest house going and even met a new man, Bishop.But it turned out that Bishop had secrets. He had shady connections and shadier plans to use the coastal town as a European gateway for drugs, guns – and something far worse. Now he's disappeared, and Ronnie wants answers.
Thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced copy.