One more great and gripping read from J.P. Pomare! I couldnt put it down.

Big thank you to NetGalley, publisher and the author for providing me a digital copy in exchange of my honest review.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

The Last Guests is a phenomenal thriller from start to finish. Filled to the brim with twists and a captivating plot, this one is sure to keep readers hooked. The characters are well-developed. The story is incredibly fast-paced. This is one not to be missed! Highly recommended! Be sure to check out The Last Guests asap.

Absolutely loved this book. It was exciting right from the beginning. The plot was wicked. It played out well. I just wasn’t sure if the ending. I felt let down by the ending. For that it loses a star. Scary incident which could happen to anyone. We travel a lot and would be horrified to find out there were cameras in your accommodation.

This started out brisk but somehow lost my interest slowly. I liked the creepy dark atmosphere with being watched kinda feeling. But sections were overdone with unlikable characters adding to the mix. The twist was unexpected and not up to my liking, though I was curious enough to want to know who the perp was. Overall, this was an okay read.

The Last Guests perfectly highlighted how comfortable we all are being watched - but that we don’t always know who’s watching. The twists and turns kept me guessing right to the very end, and I’m even still a little confused about who was the true mastermind… All in all, a great read that had me desperately Googling “how to spot hidden cameras in my AirBnB”!

This was such a good read, it was well written with good charcaters and a good storyline that had me gripped right from the start. It was full of twists and was so unoredictable I loved it.

Out Today 4****
The last Guests by J P Pomare
Pub Date 24 August 2021
Newlyweds Lina and Cain don't make it out to their vacation home on gorgeous Lake Tarawera as often as they'd like, so when Cain suggests they rent the property out on weekends, Lina reluctantly agrees. While the home has been special to her family for generations, their neighbours are already renting our their properties, and to be honest, she and Cain could use the extra money. What could go wrong?
At first, Lina is amazed at how quickly guests line up - and at how much they're willing to pay. But both Lina and Cain have been keeping secrets, secrets that won't be kept out by a new alarm system or a locked cupboard. When strange things begin happening on their property, and a visit takes a deadly turn, Lina becomes convinced that someone out there knows something they shouldn't.
And when they come for her, there will be nowhere left to hide.
Pomare doesn't recoil from the more sinister side of humankind and manipulates it skillfully in his writing.
The Last Guests has a good plot with plenty of action; the characters you meet you will either love or hate, all are good, all are disturbing, each character strives for their perfect life. It was an absorbing book from beginning to end, a chilling thriller with complex, satisfying twists. I am happy to recommend it.
I want to thank NetGalley, Hodder and Staughton, Hodder Paperbacks and author J P Pomare for a pre-publication copy to review.

This book was almost like a train wreck for me….I didn’t like the feeling but I just couldn’t look away.
Lina a paramedic, is married to Cain who is a returned serviceman from Afghanistan suffering from PTSD and a gambling addiction. With a their marriage tetering under debt and a miscarriage, Lina is persuaded by Cain to put her inherited grandparents home on Lake Tarawera onto Westay, an accommodation website. But some accommodation places have been fitted with hidden camera which provide entertainment via a streaming channel…..
Both Lina and Cain have secrets and I felt there was an almost ‘keep up with the Jones’s’ type of relationship with their best friends. I really was led in every direction when reading this book, there were a number of red herrings but kept me reading long into the night. This is my first book by this author, although I’m aware of his others and I aim to read some more.
Thankyou to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read.

So... Lina and Cain are married but struggling a bit financially. She has a great job that she loves as an ambulance paramedic but he hasn't managed to find his feet since leaving the SAS. His best friend has helped set him up as a PT instructor but with his injury he is still struggling a bit. They have an old cabin up in the lakes and Cain persuades Lina that it would be a good idea to rent it out for a bit of extra cash... I mean, what could possible go wrong...? It starts off well enough and they start to earn some real money, enough initially to cover the refurb and setting up and it looks like it could be a nice little earner... but then something from Lina's recent past threatens their future. And indeed their present... and then the stakes get higher...
One of the main plot points for the book is Lina's one night stand. Not really a spoiler as it happens very early. But it's something I struggled to really believe. The author never quite managed to sell me the concept of why she did this. But it is very necessary for setting up the rest of what happens so I guess I had to just sit back and accept it for fact. Doesn't mean I have to wholly believe in it though... But the rest of what happened did work for me so I was happy to accept that minor niggle.
What follows is only too plausible though. And that's what makes it all the more scary. I've always been a bit wary of the whole AirB&B concept and now I know why. This book did nothing to sell it to me. Quite the contrary! *shudder* I read pretty much with my heart in my mouth for half the time as I was actually quite scared for the characters. And with twists and turns aplenty all the way through I was kept on my toes throughout. It really did keep on giving. We also have secrets and lies peppered throughout and more than a healthy dose of duplicitous behaviour.
And the ending when it eventually came was sublime...
I've read one of this author's other books but I am now adding all his others to my ever growing TBR... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed In The Clearing by J.P. Pomare and in my review of that book I said "this is one of the most disturbing stories I’ve ever read" and this is more of the same, and I LOVED it. Mr. Pomare always manages to write stories that are unusual and surprisingly different.

Newlyweds Lina and Cain decide to rent out her vacation property in the style of an Airbnb. But both Lina and Cain have been keeping secrets and as the story unfolds we, the reader, learn all about their nasty little habits. This one takes a bit to get going but once it does it will have your heart palpitating.

I am not going to get into the plot or what happens. Letting you know much more will ruin the book for you. I will say that this book was thrilling, had a lot of action, kept me on the edge of my seat, was very suspenseful and I read it in one sitting...it really surprised me too, just when I thought I had it all figured out...I was wrong.

I loved the descriptions of New Zealand, especially the lakes just outside Auckland. It sounds like an impressively beautiful place to visit.

The Last Guests is an engaging and deceptive thriller that will hook you right from the original and unnerving prologue.

With a modern focus using the concept of a holiday rental website and of “voyeurs” who lurk on the darker web, the plot has all the chilling feels of a horror film. It’s so well written and intense that I was reluctant to put this one down.

The characters are brilliantly developed, too. And although they have their flaws, I couldn’t help but root for both Lina and Cain and hope for them to get away with any wrongdoings. But of course, they weren’t going to escape from their trespasses easily.

This was such a gripping read and I was completely swept up in the pressure of Lina’s situation. Sadly, I was disappointed in the ending, as it just didn’t feel very fitting for me. This was my personal reaction to it, however, and I’m sure most won’t agree with me.

And while I was underwhelmed by the ending, I really enjoyed the journey to get there. I will definitely be reading more by Pomare in the future!

I can honestly say I loved reading this book.
I found myself reading at a frenzied pace so intent was I to see what happened next and the author .never disappointed.
A definite heart in the mouth,stomach churning read and what an expolsive ending!
Fantastic!

What Could Possibly Go Wrong…?
Renting out a property, a holiday home, seems an ideal solution to newlyweds Lina and Cain. After all, they don’t get to use it as often as they’d like. What could possibly go wrong? Chilling suspense which starts with a compelling hook.

The Last Guests by J.P.Pomare is a psychological thriller set in the North Island of New Zealand .
Former NZSAS soldier Cain and paramedic Lina live in Auckland and are struggling both financially and with their seeming inability to have a child. The book begins with Lina sneaking off to an assignation with a stranger, which seems at odds with her apparent love for Cain and sets off a chain of events that she did not forsee. To raise money the couple decide to let out the house Lina grew up in, and later inherited ,next to Lake Tawawera near Rotorua. This is an area I have visited and it's quite stunningly beautiful.
As Lina's one-night stand seems to be stalking her and wants more ,Cain gets curious about the first guests and is convinced that they're not all they claim to be.

From this beginning things start to get complicated and events spiral out of control. J.P. Pomare keeps the reader guessing as Lina's "no strings" fling turns out to be anything but as unseen forces are at work and she doesn't know who she can trust.....while being a stranger to honesty herself.

This is great read that will keep readers on their toes.plenty of twists,a whole shoal of red herrings and a plausible storyline.

I first discovered J P Pomare when reading In The Clearing, a fantastic bit of cult drama (review here), and was pleased to receive an ARC of The Last Guests.

The synopsis for this novel is refreshingly vague, perhaps that seems a strange comment to make? Too often these days I find a book blurb or a movie trailer gives away too much of the story, but going in to The Last Guests all you know is that Lina and Cain have secrets and are renting out their lakeside cabin (AirB&B style).
My review will be a short one as I think it's best to let the author lead the reader. For me the discovery is the best part.

The story is told by Lina in first person present, we know what she knows and nothing more. Well, maybe a little more. The chapters of The Last Guests are punctuated by little text snippets -rules, descriptions and announcements- from an anonymous site called 'Peephole'.

Peephole is a streaming site that links live video feeds from hidden cameras inside rented accommodations, put in place by their 'planters' for the entertainment of all kinds of voyeurs and perverts at a fee.
And that, readers, is all I will say on the plot.

There is no black or white in this novel, everyone is good, everyone is bad, each character fighting valiantly for their own picture perfect life.
Pomare doesn't flinch from the uglier side of humanity and wields it well in his writing.
The Last Guests maintains a good plot pace with plenty of action and just enough character development to draw investment. I didn't care for the epilogue, as often is the case I found it unnecessary, but very much enjoyed the story.

Fair warning, it might well put you off hosted accomodations for life!

Drew me right in kept me up reading late into the night.So well written full of twists and turns will be recommending.#netgalley#hodderstoughton

An amazing book from start to finish, didn’t know were it was going at the start but wow when you get into it I couldn’t leave it down. It was a dark chilling thriller with lots of twists and very well written. Would highly recommend this as a great read .

This was a compelling and thoroughly enjoyable read from start to finish with a great storyline, interesting cast of characters and all capped off by skilful writing.

Cain persuadés his wife Lina to put the house she inherits from her grandfather on Lake Tarawera onto WeStay for some much needed extra cash. Both of them have secrets in more than one closet and maybe a number of skeletons too. What unfolds becomes a nightmare especially for Lina.

First of all, the characters of Lina and Cain are really good. They are both very flawed, carrying multiple loads of baggage and the ups and downs of their relationship is very well conveyed. Cain’s own particular nightmare as an ex member of NZSAS and has served in Afghanistan is portrayed vividly and parts of that storyline are shocking as it emerges a bit at a time. Initially I can’t see where the seemingly disparate threads in the storyline are going but this is JP Pomare! Of course they connect well and as soon as that happens it’s full steam ahead. It’s very well written and there are some enticing descriptions of New Zealand which is about as far as we’re likely to get for the foreseeable future. As the plot warms up and oh boy, does it ever ramp up, it becomes dark, unsettling on occasions and the threat level rises to Defcon 1 and there is plenty of tension, some of which is between the couple. It’s creepy, makes you shudder, there’s fear, at times it’s claustrophobic and at others it’s jump on board the crazy train time. I work out how part of the end is heading but I definitely don’t see the how! The ultimate ending is maybe a bit surprising but then again who knows what decisions we would make if we walk in Lina’s shoes?

Overall, the author always delivers something a bit different which he has succeeded in doing yet again. It’s well written and full of twists and turns in the storytelling.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.